Travel while Muslim
 

Nice article but some of the accompanying comments are disturbing to read.

Yes a good article but I can't see any comments-did they pulled? :confused:

Yes, very nice article but the comments seem to come from the people who believe the TSA airpot screening charade has something to do with security.

I had not seen the comments yet. Yikes!

It seems to me that most are from frustrated passengers that think that profiling Muslims would lead them to be less hassled. Or am I over-interpreting?

The comments largely indicate that there are a lot of stupid bigots out there, and they represent a far greater threat to America than "Muslim terrorists."

I've traveled and worked in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and I have several sets of shalwar kameez, the loose pants with long tunics and matching head scarves, which are very comfortable to wear, especially on long plane trips. Now I am a white Christian with a very English sounding name, and a US passport documenting I was born and raised in the USA.

But if I wear shalwar kameez through the security checkpoint, all he!! breaks loose! "Hey, we got us a Mooslum terry-wrist here." I switched back to "normal" American clothing because I get enough trouble for opting out, or wearing a skirt that requires a groping of my breasts, thighs, "anal cleft" and vulva to be sure I am not hiding something explosive "in there."

I can just imagine if I also committed the crime of traveling while brown/Muslim; I'd never actually get to the plane.

The effect of prejudice aimed at some ethnic/religious minority group(s) is that eventually the same means to go after the ethnic/religious targets of prejudice are used on those who are part of the lawful majority too.

The prejudiced (in the employ of the government or not) and the (witting or unwitting) tools (in the employ of government or not) of the prejudiced might start going after "them"/"the other"; however the tools used to serve such prejudices have not been, are not, and will not be, limited to the ethnic/religious minorities that are the primary target of the tolerated bigotry.

This outcome is what happens when there is xenophobia and official growing tolerance for intolerance directed at some ethnic/religious minority group(s). Eventually that which is defended in the name of going after some "despised" (generally lawful) demographic group will be also used mostly on those who are not part of the initially targeted group. It's in play when it comes to dealing with DHS-CBP, and it's in play when it comes to dealing with DHS-TSA. Eventually they come after more and more and more. If you think you will be spared, you may end up being sadly mistaken ... with nothing but tin ears to hear your complaints ... if you can even complain without threat of retaliation. ;)

After they go after the "foreign", they eventually go after the natural born citizens .... even those not perceived to be of the "despised" ethnic/religious demographic group(s). Keep in mind that those on a power trip don't spare you their hand -- rather they may hit your "resistance"/groin to subjugate you and bring you to your knees as they wish.

What is really worrying is the simplistic stereotyping - brown people are Muslims, wearing a shalwar kameez makes you Muslim, having a "Muslim" name makes you Muslim - and of course "Muslim" is the same as "terrorist".

Appalling as it is sometimes you wonder if the TSA needs a kick up it's collective backside and have a white guy called John Smith in a business suit try to blow up a plane with a bomb stuck up his arse. In fact do the people who test TSA "security" ever try that - though hopefully with a less painful "bomb" transportation method?

^^

Well said. Thank you.

I think I'll vote for this grammatically challenged bigoted cerebral lightweight for president. <grrrrrrrr>