Why are we as a society so quick to criticize, what has worked so well in the past.. What I'm referring to is profiling.. What's wrong with profiling.

A persons skin color, height, weight, and what they are wearing are all part of distinguishing characteristics reported every night on my local news as the police detail some one wanted in the area for some crime. So...Again, what's wrong with profiling. Profiling in my opinion is a natural defense mechanism, and I think it may keep many of us out of harms way.. What will you do if you see persons in your carry-out or bank with nylon hose stretched over their face! I'll hope you run and call the police, not wait to ask what they're up to as they exit. We are be encouraged as a society to notice and report the unusual, and this is exactly what appears to have happened! Great Job!

I'll tell you right now, if I see a group of Muslims, beginning to pray together as they board a plane. It's for damn sure I'll report it, and I fully expect someone in authority to take notice. Praying in an airport in my opinion constitutes a un-natural and possibly suspicious act, in the same way someone talking about hijacking a plane would be suspicious. 911 was real, the consequences of the Muslim terrorist actions were real.. How do you propose to take the Muslim terrorist profile out of the American Psyche.. Get Real!!

We all know how the masked person is up to no good, so I feel the same about the Muslim women who wear the full head and face garb. Scares the hell of me in much the same way someone covering themselves with a fully hooded sweatshirt inside a heated mall. It's un-natural, it's unusual, it's un-called for!

Want to pray ? Go to your church or synagogue, or masque, not the airport or a public place where your actions may be easily construed to be intimidating or threatening!

I am surprised a day later that we are still going at this discussion. I perceive that the motivation for many of the posts is fear. It is the kind of fear that caused Chicken Little to lead a whole flock to their destruction. It is the kind of fear inflamed in the early days after 9/11 by government officials telling the citizenry to fix up a room in their home with black plastic coverings in case we were attacked. Unfortunately many Americans are still strung out on this paranoia. The rest of the world has moved on.

If I heard a passenger on board a plane making anti-american remarks, I would be concerned too and would let someone know. However, I have listened to several interviews done by the immans and I doubt that when talking to each other they were speaking in the very broken and difficult to understand english that I have heard on the news. My point is this, how did the other passenger know they were making anti-american remarks? Or did it even matter what he/she heard when all that is required is a country that fears and hates what it does not understand.

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America is a free society. We are diverse, tolerant

I suggest you read down a few pages, might change your view, unless the US has redefined tolerant to mean 'what we do' rather than the normal definition like torture has apparently been redefined to mean 'what the US doesn't do'.
How can you possibly claim to be free, or any close approximation to free when you have the Patriot Act and the Military Commissions Act.
How can you claim to be free when you are scared to death by 6 blokes with beards?

If everyperson did their thing in the plane aisles, their would be no one in the seats. Safety is an issue. Get your necessities done in the Airport. Consideration for others is the idea when flying, traveling.
America is a free society. We are diverse, tolerant (a bit too much), and work at it each day. Happy Thanksgiving Day and enjoy your life. Jack

Okay, okay, okay!! Obviously this is a very heated subject; however, let's not forget that England was the first to step up after 9/11. Tony Blair and our own George Bush have had their share of problems, but Tony Blair's impassioned speech to Parliment on 9/12, in which he argued the ethical responsiblity to stand with us moved me to tears.

Oh I am not lecturing anyone.
I just find it difficult to understand that the views here seem to be from the majority in a country that considers itself civilised.
Mind you as the US is one of the few countries that still has the death penalty, happily bangs people up indefinitely without trial, practises torture, and refuses to do anything about global warming from a government perspective, maybe you aren't quite as civilised as you think you are?
In which case carry on.
I do find it surprising that your government has managed to instill such a level of fear that you are happy to slide yet further into isolation and think that this sort of attitude somehow 'protects' you. I am not sure what you think you are being protected from.
So carry on until your economy collapses and you become little America.

I am not only allegedly from England, I am really from England which does seem somewhat more outward looking than the US.
Please inform your Russian grandfather that many Europeans now have electricity in their homes, so things are certainly looking up over here.

"Don't you just love it when two alleged citizens of Great Britain feel compelled to lecture Americans on tolerance? Coming from a continent which perfected prejudice, genocide, and ethnic clensing, I take their comments with a grain of salt. Most Americans who were of European decent came to this country to escape the lunancy of that contintent. My Russian-born grandfather once told a couple who were bragging about their upcoming trip to Europe: "I'm from Europe; trust me, it's no big deal". I strongly suggest that these alleged Europeans don't throw any stones since they live in a very fragile glass house."

I in no way consider myself European - English first, British second, thank you very much. Whilst a lot of what you point out is true I should like to counter with the small fact that we grew out of it all - remind me; who's in charge of Guantanomo Bay? And who's troops are facing allegations of rape and abuse in Iraq?

But, just to put the icing on the cake, it was this little island that controlled two thirds of the planets surface for the better part of 300 years - and this little island that's celebrating the 200th anniversary of outlawing the slave trade next spring, a trade which certain other countries continued to conduct long after and which the Royal Navy, in trawling up and down the coast of Africa, largely ensured the rest of the world found it difficult to continue the practice.

But I digress - we're supposed to be commenting on the relationship between clerics and commercial air travel...

I was a flight attendant for many years. The prayers are actually a very common practice. In fact, we were schooled to expect these - especially on flights with muslims and jews. i think its disgraceful that the airline did not better prepare the flight crew and then who could inform any concerned passenger.

Don't you just love it when two alleged citizens of Great Britain feel compelled to lecture Americans on tolerance? Coming from a continent which perfected prejudice, genocide, and ethnic clensing, I take their comments with a grain of salt. Most Americans who were of European decent came to this country to escape the lunancy of that contintent. My Russian-born grandfather once told a couple who were bragging about their upcoming trip to Europe: "I'm from Europe; trust me, it's no big deal". I strongly suggest that these alleged Europeans don't throw any stones since they live in a very fragile glass house.

The Muslim Clerics weren't the only airline problem during the past few days. A woman was evicted from a flight because she refused to cover herself while nursing her daughter.

While I don't think this was a question of safety, I do think it was a psychotic episode (I haven't decided whose). The woman was nursing a 22 month old child. At 22 months, a child is usually on solid foods, drinking from a sippy-cup and has a mouthful of teeth that could cause her mother serious damage. Why did this child need to be nursed at this moment in time, unless her mother was trolling for a lawsuit.

The mother says she has the legal right to nurse her child, but this sort of behavior sets this whole movement back about a decade.

I realize that nursing in public is legal and is a perfectly natural act, but there are many, MANY other natural bodily functions that I do not wish to be subjected to in public.

How come everyone (all the haters) are focused on the 9/11 creeps being Muslim as opposed to Saudis? Far from it - the Saudis are our allies. Just like Pakistan - the country that supplied nukler technology to.....Iran! annnnnnddd.....North Korea! The only two AXIS OF EVIL countries with WMD! You people are having your fears played by a Constitution-hating government that hopes to enlist you in its drive to completely gut that sacred document. Believe me - if they ever bring down another airplane, it wont be by a bunch of guys dressed like Imans and chanting to Allah. Look for someone with a black top hat, huge handle-bar mustache and one of those old-time round bombs with a fuse sticking out. Take a few deep breaths, people.

too many u.s. citizens have been intimated by fears of being labeled as racist, xenophobic, or some other hackneyed, overused label. an abundance of experience with islam clearly shows that islam is incompatible with values and institutions in the West. Until we face that irrevocable reality, we will continue to experience incidents like this, ridiculous searches of grandmothers and teenage girls at airports, the occasional muslim going on a killing spree, and so on. We must simply remove muslims from the u.s. and keep them in their host lands. no need to fight, no need to persecute. but nor does the u.s. have any obligatin to allow muslims to move here. just recognize this incompatiblity and seal them off from the west. this should be our strategy vs. islam, not the ridiculous notion that we need to fight them in the middle east and how that somehow protects u.s. citizens on u.s. soil. those who think we can play kumbaya and happy with muslims have a shallow understading of how muslims treat infidels. look at where france's embrace of islam has gotten them. that is our future unless we wake up and smell the coffee.

No wonder Bush got in office twice after reading this comments it's like Deja Vu as these were the same things said during the civil rights movement. Replace Muslim with Black and nothing changed hate is hate. So much more the progress we're made in America. Thank goodness our young people and troops don't think the same way the people on the blog site do. One comment was right Thanks to George W. Bush all the hate of our past has come back. My daughter who is African American is fighthing for our country and the country doesn't give a dam about her. Racism is racism it attacks all minories. So this what what our children are fighting for the hate and racism of the United States.

Before anyone spouts off an ill-considered opinion of the how the airline handled this situation, please consider:
1.) The flight attendant was handed a note that stated the men in question had been heard to make anti-American statements. While most of us cherish the right to free speech, reasonable sense should dictate that chosing to exercise that right while on an airplane might cause some concern from fellow passengers. The flight crew was correct to be wary after being made aware of the situation.
2.) The men had left their assigned seats. Once again, reasonable sense would dictate that a person wishing to change seating arragements check with an attendant before taking it upon themself to move. This, coupled with the prior report of conversation that a passenger clearly found threatening, was enough to alarm the plane's crew.
3.) The men refused to comply with the requests that they leave the plane. Again, reasonable sense dictates that an airplane is not the place to have an altercation with anyone, much less airport security.
Any flight crew has the obligation to monitor the demeanor and behavior of passengers and make decisions in regard to the safety of all those on the plane. Most airlines will not even allow a visibly intoxicated person to fly, as they represent a potential risk to other passengers.
The key here is "potential risk." Please remember that a jet is a sealed metal can flying through the air at hundreds of miles an hour, thousands of feet in the air. I would prefer that a flight crew be vigilant for any suspicious behavior, and probably would not have been comfotable flying after witnessing six unruly men argue with airline security. Had they simply complied and allowed the crew and security the opportunity to investigate the matter, they probably would have been able to resume the flight after it was confirmed that they were no threat.

"Good grief. The sheer ignorance shown by the majority on this page is quite amazing. I understand that the majority of Americans do not have a passport. I think that must lie behind the appalling comments that most have made. I think more Americans need to travel a bit and actually see what other countries and people are like."

Yes, Peter - but why would they come here? It can't be for the weather! Although the food and the beer might swing it...!

Regardless of what happened on that plane, one thing is certainly clear: there is no shortage of racism, prejudice, blind hatred or filthy cowardice in the "home of the free, land of the brave." Maz16: you just wasted a lot of good sense. You'll see the same inane drivel before the day is out. More wise words that got ignored: We. Cannot. Win. The. WAR! ON! TERROR! Without. Moderate Muslims. I'd add: being rabidly radicalized Christians and nationalists isn't going to help. Good job, Bushies - you've got all the panicky ones milling and bawling.

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all American citizens, irrespective of creed or colour are equal. That is what sets this country apart from others.

Good grief. The sheer ignorance shown by the majority on this page is quite amazing. I understand that the majority of Americans do not have a passport. I think that must lie behind the appalling comments that most have made. I think more Americans need to travel a bit and actually see what other countries and people are like.
I strongly applaud the few who are standing up for these poor Muslim blokes.
Some sensible person here pointed out that your constitution, which Americans seem very keen on defending, protects the right to religious freedom. It does seem to actually mean the right to Christian religious freedom however.

Kudos to U.S. Airways for removing the Muslim passengers! But why stop there? Eric Rudolph, the 1998 Olympic bomber, and Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma city bomber were both christian. So lets kick all the Christians off planes too. A Jew assasinated the Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. So lets get rid of the Jews on planes too. Hindus and Buddhists often look like Muslims, so lets kick them off just to be safe. Japanese people were behind the nerve gas subway bombings in Tokyo, so lets get them off the plane too. Germans slaughtered 12 million people in the Holocaust, so lets not let anybody with German heritage on board. Same goes for those damn genocidal Africans. Wasn't there a suicidal pilot who crashed his plane on purpose? Better not let the pilots on board.

You know what would be easier? How about, if you have a problem with someone on board... YOU GET OFF THE PLANE. Catch the next one. Maybe if you're lucky, it'll be empty.

While I have seen some positive remarks here, I have also seen a lot of prejudice, lack of common sense and downright hatred.

Know that, one merely reflects the dark side of one's own self with this display of negative feelings and thoughts that are based upon ignorance and a collective judgment on another people.

These imams attended a conference in which one of the things that was discussed was how to keep America safe by ensuring that the Muslim youths do not turn to violence.

Yes we are AMERICA and the land of the free- be want you want to be, and do what you want as long as it doesn't hurt others...One wouldn't go to a professional job dressed like a bumm - so why in today's society would one go to an airport and start publicly knelling and praying and then say we are "PROFILING". The people on the side of these gentlemen, would be the first to sue if something were to have happened and cry the cry of "WHY DIDN'T SOMEONE DO SOMETHING". We should remember the old saying, screw with me once shame on you - screw with me twice shame on me!!

Not so long ago, american citizens of color were discriinated against. It took courage and vision to establish the principle that all American citizens, irrespective of creed or colour are equal. That is what sets this country apart from others. Treating fellow Americans in this way only lessens us in that we no longer hold true to the ideals of the constitution.

Good for US Airways for having the common sense to remove a high-risk group from its aircraft and providing for the safety of its passengers. But this should just be the first step of keeping all muslims off aircraft. If we would do this we could eliminate the foolish and wasteful TSA. We should then remove all muslims from the U.S., as their system of beliefs and mores is incompatible with those of an open western society. Until we get the guts to do this we will constantly have to be "on guard" to the next act of violence perpetrated by muslims.

Having contemplated the responses so far during the morning, I think it basically boils down to "the greatest good of the greatest number." Political correctness and minority sensibilities do, on occasion, need setting aside in the interests of the safety and security of the majority. Of course, common sense must be applied but the bottom line must always be "better safe than sorry."

Jokes about bombs are prohibited at airports, no matter who says them, and no matter how obviously innocuous the jokes are. There are no rules against praying in airports, and indeed there should not be. However, any idiot could tell you that outwardly expressing one's Muslim faith in an airport in these times is about as wise as joking about a bomb in an airport. The consequences are not fair at all -- but that's the price one pays for fraying nerves in an already delicate situation.