Muslim student 'kicked off flight for speaking Arabic' sues Southwest Airlines

[Belk]

Because if he was merely speaking Arabic, and that's all, then being a responsible agency, they should have not searched him and gone through extensive questioning. Right?

...But they did.

How would they know that information without investigating? They are relying on the information being presented to them by a third party prior to starting their investigation. They have no other avenue of information on which to judge if this is a valid threat or not.

 

[Shiloh Raven]

The man inappropriately speaking Arabic in that situation can catch another flight, and hopefully become more aware of other human beings in the world, not only himself, as if he existed alone in the world, or as if all that matters is only him and people he identifies with.

Why is it wrong for this man to speak in his native tongue on an airplane flight? It isn't his fault that some people are paranoid and scared stiff of Muslims. It isn't his fault that there are people within his religion who are extremists either. I personally don't compare every Muslim I meet to an Islamic terrorist just like I don't compare every Christian I meet to the Christians of the Westboro Baptist Church or to David Karesh and the Davidians or to any other Christian extremist group. With that being said, I wonder how long it will take before a Christian here tries to use the "They're not true Christians" cop-out as an excuse to separate their personal Christian faith from the Christian faith of these and other Christian extremists. I've encountered a few Christians who like to use that excuse.

And on a different note, I sincerely hope that America doesn't go through another time period of cultural genocide where ethnic groups of people will be forbidden from speaking their native language. I'm not sure if that will happen again or at least be attempted, considering the current administration and the already existing phobia of Muslims in this country. The United States of America has already gone through a period in its history where it took on the task of forbidding an ethnic group of people from speaking their native language. But as it turns out, some incredibly brave men from this ethnic group, who were once forbidden to speak their native language while they were children, saved America's rear end during World War II and were instrumental in helping America win that war.

 

[Landon Caeli]

How would they know that information without investigating? They are relying on the information being presented to them by a third party prior to starting their investigation. They have no other avenue of information on which to judge if this is a valid threat or not.

So you're admitting then that the FBI had sufficient reason to investigate what was presented by the airline. IOW, whatever the airline heard, or thought they heard, was substantial enough to conduct an investigation.

Thank you.

 

[Shiloh Raven]

I had a co-worker who was looking for a roommate and wanted to post signs at the University of Texas Dallas with the provision - "No Muslims". I told him they wouldn't allow him to post anything like that.

In a country where there's a lot of bragging and boasting about freedom, liberty and justice for all, that kind of discriminatory situation shouldn't be happening, should it? But alas, it does happen and there have been other signs of "No [insert an ethnic group]!" in the past, as well as other forms of discrimination (racial, religious, gender, sexual orientation) have been happening in this country for a long time now. It's not a very good track record for a country that claims to have been founded on freedom, liberty and justice for all. And for that discriminatory situation of "No Muslims!" to happen in America today, after all its been through to correct its past of racial tensions, that's pathetic, IMO.

 

[SummerMadness]

There may be an identity, but it is NOT racial.

To tell the truth, I would be MORE scared of a blonde blue eyed guy looking like he just came from Norway speaking Arabic.

I think this bears repeating again:

Ah yes, the common tactic to split hairs in an effort to deny racial discrimination, this is the same argument made when someone denies discrimination against Hispanics is not racism because Hispanic is a culture, yet the target is chosen because of their skin color. His skin color and appearance are why he was targeted, just as Sikhs and Indians are murdered because people believe them to be Muslim. "But that's religion?!" It is religion, but victims are singled out because of their skin color.

There is a racial identity attached to whomever is considered the enemy, that is why someone like Alexis Bledel is likely to not be attacked as Hispanic, while someone like George Lopez will experience (and actually has experienced) discrimination based on his skin color. Splitting hairs and arguing that discrimination against Muslims is not based on race ignores the fact that many non-Muslims of Arab, Persian and South Asian descent are routinely discriminated against based on their appearance and/or skin color. There are many people that are not speaking Arabic when they are accosted as Muslims (e.g., speaking Farsi, Aramaic, Hindi, etc.).

 

[SummerMadness]

In a country where there's a lot of bragging and boasting about freedom, liberty and justice for all, that kind of discriminatory situation shouldn't be happening, should it? But alas, it does happen and there have been other signs of "No [insert an ethnic group]!" in the past, as well as other forms of discrimination (racial, religious, gender, sexual orientation) have been happening in this country for a long time now. It's not a very good track record for a country that claims to have been founded on freedom, liberty and justice for all. And for that discriminatory situation of "No Muslims!" to happen today in this country, after all its been through to correct its past of racial tensions, that's very pathetic, IMO.

Alas, there is an appeal to work toward a more perfect union understanding that the current union is flawed, especially when you consider the attitudes and actions of the bigots that still exist in this country.

 

[Hieronymus]

How do you stop stupid? Especially with the example from the "Leader of the Free World"

You mean Trump caused this behaviour in his 1 year in office?

 

[Landon Caeli]

In a country where there's a lot of bragging and boasting about freedom, liberty and justice for all, that kind of discriminatory situation shouldn't be happening, should it? But alas, it does happen and there have been other signs of "No [insert an ethnic group]!" in the past, as well as other forms of discrimination (racial, religious, gender, sexual orientation) have been happening in this country for a long time now. It's not a very good track record for a country that claims to have been founded on freedom, liberty and justice for all. And for that discriminatory situation of "No Muslims!" to happen in America today, after all its been through to correct its past of racial tensions, that's pathetic, IMO.

Show me a society where this doesn't exist. What is perfection? Where is this paradise?

 

[Hieronymus]

Because of what, 9/11?

Can I claim it's too soon for anything Catholic considering what Catholic terrorists did to my country a generation ago?

Yeah, who benefited / benefits from that eternal Northern Ireland problem anyway?

 

[SummerMadness]

You mean Trump caused this behaviour in his 1 year in office?

I wouldn't say caused, but he has emboldened the ignorant and bigoted.

 

[Hieronymus]

I wonder how paranoid a person has to be in order for them to freak out whenever they hear a Muslim speaking Arabic, even on a airplane flight.

Obviously depends on how (stress and intonation, how loud?) he spoke it.

 

[Belk]

So you're admitting then that the FBI had sufficient reason to investigate what was presented by the airline. IOW, whatever the airline heard, or thought they heard, was substantial enough to conduct an investigation.

Thank you.

Where did I ever state otherwise? Now will you please answer my question?

 

[Hieronymus]

No guilt...

It's just appearing to look less and less like Islamaphobia or racism. Just more typical invasiveness of what airlines have become.

Have a look at his famous youtube channel, and what kind of videos he made before this "terrible racist scandal"
, without us knowing what really went on before they decided to remove these guys.https://www.youtube.com/user/TrueStoryASA/videos
Adam Saleh
Does this guy nave an agenda or an axe to grind?
Who knows..

 

[DaisyDay]

You mean Trump caused this behaviour in his 1 year in office?

No, that's not what I mean. "Caused" is way too strong a word.

 

[Landon Caeli]

Where did I ever state otherwise? Now will you please answer my question?

How would they know that information without investigating? They are relying on the information being presented to them by a third party prior to starting their investigation. They have no other avenue of information on which to judge if this is a valid threat or not.

I'm not exactly sure what you're after, but I don't think they 'knew' anything. I think they did an investigation based on what another Arabic person thought he heard, who happened to be a Southwest employee.

Once the investigation was complete, the man was released and refunded the purchase price of his ticket. He was not placed on the no-fly list.

 

[Hieronymus]

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[DaisyDay]

The man inappropriately speaking arabic in that situation can catch another flight, and hopefully become more aware of other human beings in the world, not only himself, as if he existed alone in the world, or as if all that matters is only him and people he identifies with.

It's not inappropriate to speak his native language to his uncle who also speaks the same language. He did not deserve to be invasively searched because of someone else's paranoia. He not only had to take a later flight, but the airline forbade him to fly with them at all even after he was cleared. How is this right?

 

[Hieronymus]

This is the guy, right? Adam Saleh

 

[DaisyDay]

I'm not exactly sure what you're after, but I don't think they 'knew' anything. I think they did an investigation based on what another Arabic person thought he heard, who happened to be a Southwest employee.

You keep repeating that even though it's not true. Another passenger reported him, not an employee. The employee spoke to him as he was escorted off the plane.

Once the investigation was complete, the man was released and refunded the purchase price of his ticket. He was not placed on the no-fly list.

Southwestern Airlines refused to let him book another flight with them which they really ought to have done to make up for the inconvenience. He had to fly with Delta, instead.

 

[Belk]

I'm not exactly sure what you're after, but I don't think they 'knew' anything. I think they did an investigation based on what another Arabic person thought he heard, who happened to be a Southwest employee.

Once the investigation was complete, the man was released and refunded the purchase price of his ticket. He was not placed on the no-fly list.

I'm asking where you get the idea that the FBI being involved means this was not a case of Islamophobia. The two things are not related as far as I can tell and none of your explanations seem to link the two in any way I am able to determine.

Also, Arabic is a language not an ethnicity.