With the media showing reports on terrorism and also showing Muslims pray in the same reports, the imagery is powerful enough for some ignorant and gullible people to associate Muslim prayers with terrorism.

Therein lies the problem.

I hear that an airline banned a nursing mother, which resulted in some women to go to an airport and nurse their babies in public, to protest the ban and to show that this is a harmless and nurturing activity.

Perhaps, the Muslims should do the same and call for a day of open and public prayer in the U.S., and do so with the proper courtesies and respect to the non-Muslims, to make the point: that the Muslim prayer is not associated with terrorism, that it is a harmless and [spiritually] nurturing activity, and that every Muslim is expected to pray 5 times a day no matter where they are.

Personally? This has nothing to do with insensitivity - if we are so insensitive, why is anyone even listening to them? Instead I believe this is more 'arab street seething' in which they posture in front of the MSM to whine about how unfair things are. They left the middle east not because it was eden, but because it is a third world hole. They come here and want to transform this country into another third world mess, and frankly, unless they are prepared to adapt to the norms of this country they can feel free to return to their middle east "eden" any time.

What of the Americanophobes, Israeliphobes and Christophobes among them? If one of their flock converts they are ostracized. What is the measure of their tolerance, and when we see it, then they can start criticizing ours.

Just as I wouldn't standup before boarding a plan and repeatly mutter the words hijack on my way to the plane, I would suggest these gentlemen should have considered their surroundings and numbers before doing what they did. The passengers and air crew did what they should have done, error on the side of safety. I hope all air crews are as aware of the situation. Was it profiling? Maybe and so what, if it walks like a duck.... This is a free country and these guys are free to rent a van and drive where that are going and stop to pray whenever they want.

"John in England - your police seem to do a very good job. If Bush hadn't forced the announcemnt of the "imminent" threat that didn't yet have passports you would have nailed many more on that last go-round. This is basically a political and a police problem. If we had pumped 1/20th the money spent in Iraq in Interpol, we would be 100% better off, but Halliburton wouldn't have done as well."

Yes, Lee - our police are admired around the world (most of them do the job with nothing but a stick fro protection - no guns!). Unfortunately, they are beholden to the wims and legislative programme of a the worse government we've ever seen, who wishes to micro-manage every aspect of our lives including right into the home, has us down as the most surveilled people in the world, and who wants to bend over backwards to the demands of every minority group going (as long as they're muslim). Heck - Bliar admits to carrying a koran in his pocket.

Is there any room in America...? I work at sea so I won't take up much space!

"Our country, our dead, our airplanes, our rules. Don't like it? Move. Don't want to be hassled? Turn in the madmen perpetrating these heinous acts. Americans are ignorant and bigoted and racists? Take a look at what Shiites are doing to Sunnis etc. You want respect? You want religious freedom? Fine. Deny your zealots and radicals, turn in the fanatics. Until you do that, you deserve NO consideration, no respect, Your religion of peace and tolerance is a sham! Silence gives consent."

Y'know - this is what we say over here, too. We see islamic community leaders coming up to condemn terrorism but there is always a "but" in there somewhere. Their community claims they are not all terrorists and are the real victims. However, a recent poll suggested that 41% of British muslims support al-Qaeda, would be proud to have a family member "martyr" themselves for the cause, or be martyred themselves and, disturbingly, would actively work towards making us an islamic state. Yet our government and their hand-wringing PC cronies won't let anyone have a serious and mature debate on this - any attempt is met with hysterical cries of "racism!" Even when the plot to blow up ten airliners mid-Atlantic was all over the headlines we still could not suggest that there was a need to discuss why these people wanted to do such a thing and how to counter it effectively. So, I would echo the poster I quote as, over here, if these people don't want us to look on them with suspicion they should stop sheltering those in their community that want to blow us up and convert us and should be helping the authorities weedle out the radicals in mosques and so on. Only they don't. Because apparently 41% of them are on the terrorists side. Scary, isn't it...?

How would you feel if you heard that the airline had ejected a nun for praying the Rosary before a flight?

And before you say, "That's different, Muslems have a history of flying planes into buildings," ask somebody from Belfast how they feel about Catholics and bombs.

Here in the US rednecks have a history of blowing up federal buildings with fertilizer. Does that mean airlines have a right to eject everybody with a gimmie cap?

Well, I just finished reading more drivel that demands a response. As a lawyer, I'm often amused by how yahoo bloggers make legal pronouncements without any real understanding of the law. For example, those advancing the argument that the commercial airliners are private property that can be operated by their owners any way they choose fail to understand that, as businesses licensed to operate and controlled by federal authorities in the United States, airline companies cannot run their businesses in a racially or religiously discriminatory manner, as was done on this occasion.

Although the law protects a passenger's right to call an airline's attention to whatever may cause him to feel frightened, that doesn't mean that, upon investigation, airlines must ratify the passenger's ill-founded paranoia. If a World War II veteran who harbors distruct of Japanese people after all these years had complained to US Air about six Japanese Buddhist monks whose form of prayer differed from how America's god-fearin' Christians pray, which, in turn, led the airline to remove the Japanese monks from the plane, such action could be prosecuted as a violation of federal anti-discrimination statutes.

At bottom, our anti-discrimination laws were enacted out of respect for differences among people who exist in a pluralistic society. They represent the expression of what is the best in us, our capacity to tolerate differences in a free society and not to judge others by group membership. None of our statutes nor any judicial decision interpreting them or the 14th Amendment has ever carved out an exception to this principle for those who believe in the Islamic faith, and they never will.

After six years of neocon demagoguery, America, the brave, has been reduced to America, the increasingly frightened. It has suddenly become acceptable to sacrifice the liberty of a minority group in the name of security for the rest of "us." Macho bluster has replaced reasoned political discourse. Once again (it also happened during the Vietnam war), authoritarian yahoos (yahoos, I'm sorry, but you'll have read Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels to get the significance of this reference) masquerading as uber-patriots demand that those who disagree with their views must leave the country. Back to first principles, yahoos: America is a constitutional democracy that, above all else, tolerates and protects the exercise of political dissent. Those who disagree with intolerance and bigotry are morally obliged to assail both whenever and for whatever reason that they emerge. This is such an occasion.

I was genuinely sad and appalled at this story; It is a clear incident of prejudice and fear. The problem, however, is not so much with the passenger that first took note, but more in the Airline's knee-jerk response. These men had every right to travel on that flight. Once the airline and law enforcement determined their identities and confirmed their business, they should have been let back on the plane without incident and with apologies from US Air. Instead, they were denied their rights and not given any alternate assistance from the airline in return for their trouble. It is very disturbing. I don't think I will be flying US Air for a while. This can only exacerbate the ongoing issue of racial profiling and make muslims more weary of Americans in general.

Theodore Kaczynski, Timothy McVeigh, and Eric Rudolph were all white guys and domestic terrorists who killed americans on american soil. Apparently we should be just as scared of whitey as we are of muslims. Next time I see one at a park, postoffice, or on a freeway, I'll contact the appropriate authorities.

I really do pity all you fools who let your life be run be fear instilled by your gov't and media.

Was Hitler a Muslim or Christian? My point is bad people are just bad, you should not stereotype.

The concern passenger complaining to airline officials was perfectly okay. But that should not have caused the removal of Muslim passengers.

Airline officials could have been extra careful, do a back ground check, another layer of security check, and assure the concern passenger that every thing is under control.

I would definitely report to officials if I see something suspicious. WHY would I report to HIM? Because I believe that there are people in the officials know better than me about what they are doing. Analyze what ever I am reporting; make sure every thing is okay. If he just says, aha, you are reporting about him, good, I will just kick that guy out of my plane. What good is that? That is just stupid.

May be we should train our airline officials about what is suspicious activity. A Muslim praying is not anything of concern. Our security people should be smart enough to identity the concerning behavior, what to look for, and then they will be able to identify bad people, and keep us out of trouble. Regular citizen not knowing these is perfectly ok. But I will feel really insecure if I find out that they don’t know anything about what to look for. Praying is what over one billions people do five times a day, every day. Why would that be a concern?

Don't miss the entire comment from Richard, Dallas TX, posted Nov 21 @ 6:32PM:

"...Anytime someone feels so strongly about their religion that they are willing to die or kill for it, I feel threatened. I want people to have the right to pray and believe in their god, but there is no place in this country or this world for a group of people that want to spread their religion with the sword. Religious freedom has to be a two way street. We cannot allow religious freedom to a group whose doctrine is to destroy the religious freedom of others. Our founding fathers never intended to allow religious freedom to a group of people that would not allow religious freedom for all.

We are not ignorant, we are by nature survivalists. To give freedom to those who would destroy us as a group is ignorant..."

I believe that any group of people, of any faith, who had stood up on a plane and began making loud speeches or praying or quoting from the bible would be asked to sit down. And anyone who has traveled on an airplane - even prior to 9/11 - will tell you that if the flight attendants asks you to sit down or keep quiet, you'd better do it because they have the right to have you arrested.

I'm inclined to believe that these people were grandstanding. And as far as "learning about Islam" as they proclaim all Americans should do, and as their defenders are quick to agree ...I am more than a little cautious. Let me see: Women are buried in burqas and treated like chattel, forced into marriage and even forced into divorce, and are punished, whipped and jailed while rapists go free. Another family-friendly feature of Islam: Violent death to anyone who disagrees with the Muslim leaders, and in fact: Death - and better yet - Tortured, Violent Death - to any non-Muslims.

Well, that oughta do it. I think I've learned all I need to know.

I am disappointed at some of the comments. This is not the America that I was taught to believed in. There is nothing to be ashamed to practice your religion. Does it make this country safe if they just hide their religious affiliation and pray sliently or private? Are white "christian" folks not capable to commit terrorist acts like Tim McVeigh? Are we moral when we say that we don't need to know about their religion but their religion is evil?

If you do believe any of these, just admit that you are a bigot.

Even if the initial action could be justified or not, the airline should be sensitive to their customers. Turning customers away after knowing their non-risk is purely discriminatory. Customers being kicked off the plane is bothering enough, but the carelessness on the part of the airline is downright insulting. The airline needs to issue an apology.

"When we think of Islam we think of a faith that brings comfort to a billion people around the world. Billions of people find comfort and solace and peace. And that's made brothers and sisters out of every race. America counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens, and Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country. Muslims are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, moms and dads. And they need to be treated with respect. In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect."

"It's important for our fellow Americans to understand that Americans of Muslim faith share the same grief that we all share from what happened to our country; that they're just as proud of America as I am proud of America; that they love our country as much as I love our country. They share my profound belief that no American should be judged by appearance, by ethnic background, or by religious faith. I believe that strongly, and so do they."

- President George W. Bush

turns out some of you don't know jack about your own country as well as you think.

LOL @ some of the comments.

A muslim youth was attacked by a gang of jews in brooklyn.

A muslim woman (afghan) wearing the hijab was shot in the bay area a few weeks ago.

These aren't terrorist acts because they're not committed by Muslims? So basically if any Muslim does anything violent, its terrorism...

People, there's over 1.5 Billion Muslims in the world. The rest of the world is statistically either Indian (they look Muslim, right?), Chinese (oh no, communists), or Muslim. Do you think you can lock out the rest of the world? You're going to run the USA into the ground. Where do you think we make our money from? Whose markets are we trying to get into? Where do we get our oil from? *everyone utters a collective 'Oh yeah...'*

brittney, seattle... contrary to YOUR beliefs, I see ignorance and racism on the part of Islamics towards Americans. They judge our culture on things they know NOTHING about! The difference is, brittany, THEY fly US and OUR planes into buildings, based soley and completely on THEIR IGNORANCE AND RACISM! We merely ask them to leave the plane if they're going to make a scene....if that's unacceptable to you, I invite YOU to be on the next hijacked plane that hits a building... maybe then you will fully understand something that YOU know NOTHING ABOUT!

This is America. I am an American. I am a Muslim. I say Muslims should be allowed to pray wherever they please. If Christians don't like it, they can go back to Europe. Any Native Americans with me on this? What's to put one American's opinions or preferences over another?

50,000 people die every year in the USA due to violent deaths related to crime. crime is as ambiguous as religion or 'terror', so why isn't there a 'war on crime'?

btw, on a more serious note. i pray in the airport terminal all the time before flights at JFK airport in NYC. in front of everyone. right across from the El Al counter... nobody cares. international flights leaving for the hajj from JFK, NY have lots of people praying in the terminal. nobody seems to give a damn when muslims board airlines from muslim countries.

aren't you guys forgetting something? muslim terrorists have no problem killing other muslims. that turkish, pakistani, saudi, egyptian, whatever airline leaving New York could just as easily be hijacked and turned around and crashed into a building... and to make matters worse, ANY of those passengers could be terrorists since they're ALL muslim!

We keep having the same discussion. Americans are the ones in fear? We're the insensitive, ignorant racists? I don't think so.
It's been five years since 9/11/2001. Five long years and I find myself asking the political pundit question " Are Americans better off than we were 5 years ago?"

Much to my chagrin, no.

We're stupid because we have not found Osama? What's worse is, if we did--instead of slowly killing him live on national TV, by tying off one joint at a time, until he was a writhing torso, or by controlled evisceration-- our wonderfully PC apologists would try him in our courts and debate his troubled childhood, his poor choice of associates, and in a fit of delusional self-recrimination, we would commute his sentence to life in prison, and in a few years we'd let him out for unsupervised visits with his friends and family. The ones he still has because nobody killed them.

Americans are stupid,ignorant racists because we have not won the peace in Iraq, or the rest of the Middle East? Not our fault. It seems Muslims would rather subjugate themselves in religious misery, killing themselves and each other over which view of "peaceful" Islam is the correct one. One respondent to a news article on Iraq stated "Muslim country shold boycot US. (sic) We shold not trade with them." I agree. We need a new source of energy and quick. And export it to other countries as cheaply as possible. When the oil money dries up, these zealots will return to being sheep and goat herders. With nothing else to offer the rest of the world, no scholars, no science, no manufacturing, no technology, they will wither and die. That day will come. Tomorrow would not be soon enough.

We stupid, ignorant racist Americans still have not sealed our borders. We should. Not just against terrorist nations, but against the malaise of illegal immigration from all countries. If you come to MY country legally, I will embrace you with open arms. Being an American is just that, American. No hyphens. If the other country was so great, why did you come here? Your previous heritage is a fine thing, but your new heritage should be more important. Learn the language. Blend in. The times when this country accomplished great things have always been when we all came together as Americans.

We are stupid, ignorant Americans because we have not kept up the pressure. Pressure against those who support terrorism either monetarily, or with training or equipment. In the name of political correctness or sensitivity or placation, we have gone far out of our way to not offend or accuse others and in doing so, we have forgotten. We have lost our sharp, angry memory of our dead. Not just the 2995 killed in the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, but the 10 kidnapped and beheaded in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The 17 killed on the USS Cole., The 265 dead on Flight 103 in Lockerbie, Scotland. The 241 dead in their barracks in Beruit. All tolled, thousands dead to Islamic terrorists. The list dates backward from 1970. 1970? Yes. Bobby Kennedy was killed by an radical, Islamic terrorist. Or did you forget?

Finally and perhaps most importantly, Americans have not given up hope. No nation on this globe is more generous with its wealth, its knowledge, its people or its willingness to help. No other nation is more demonized, reviled or vilified without and within. We are the first to be criticized. The first to be accused of jingoism. The first to be taken to task for whatever we do. The key thing to remember is we are the first to be called. And the first to forgive. Always.

This is a great scam.

Muslims poke, prod, push, incite, be beligerant, and then when Americans push back, they bitch and moan, cry humiliation, expect sympathy,and give CAIR one more for their Islamophobia count. Then they demand an investigation, sue, and maybe get some money, make Americans feel sorry and guilty, so that it works better next time. Then complain that Americans don't know enough about Islam, how it is misunderstood.

Wake up America, to this grandist of scams.

I find it absolutely incredible that all of the "liberal thinkers" (i.e. those smarter, more educated and more "with it" folks) find it "ok" and "culturally sensitive" for muslims to do whatever they want to do in this world of ours. "It's their way and we need to respect their culture.... blah blah blah. Let them wear the burka in our Western civilizations...let them force their prayer rooms into our society...let them build their mosques...let them teach Islam to our children..." But forget the Christians or Jews that want to bring prayer; or the ten commandments (a really wonderful, smart, set of rules to live by) into the Western culture. What hypocrisy. Liberals are the downfall of the Western world as we know it. The funny thing is, the "liberals"...gays, free thinkers, atheists, secularists, etc. would be killed, beheaded, annihilated in a muslim country.

Muslims should realize by now that Americans dont want them in America. Americans should then realize that muslims (and everyone else) dont want them in their country. So I say to you all in Iraq, Afganistan, Cuba, Germany and everywhere else; Yankee, GO HOME!

we need this type of vigilence in America today. Good for the airline and that passenger, what they did was commendable and we need more of it. reality check- who do we think the terrorists are- middle eastern dissent, muslims and the like. lets be more vigilent and quit crying racism at every turn.

Enough with all this! Most of the people here are blogging that people who died on 9/11 were all-non-Muslim. I had a Muslim friend who left a four-year boy and a wife behind while working at WTC along with hundreds of Muslims who died that day.
Pray outside, they are removed(as in this case)
Pray inside (as in the case of jewish person in Montreal flight), he was removed. Where is this going to end? To that effect, though, I have to tell everyone who will pray, just do it discreetly, if you can so that it does not cause any misunderstanding. As we can see from the above blogs, these are not the TIMES for cultural diversity training!

Zero tolerance should be followed. The Imans were requested to leave the plane and refused. They felt above the LAW and refuse to follow LAWS. The Imans should be charged and be subjected to the consequences. I wish the passengers that were delay would sue the Imans, the Mosques associated with the Imans, Muslim American Society and any other Islamic organization for compensation damages!

The Imans choose to perform an action to create this controversy! Why did they choose Minneapolis???? Congressman-elect Keith Ellison! They could of taken Flight 352 departing at 7pm or take an earlier flight. If your religious practices interfere with other activities they you must LEARN and PLAN your activities. Next time fly through DENVER or other city with an Interfaith Prayer facility!

The christian religion has a history of murdering and forcing those who do not believe in it to the point of extinction. The most heinous acts have been done in the name of religion more often than not,is the christian religion.

After reading all the above blogs, I am appalled at the blind bigotry of the Amereican public. Can any neurotic, ignorant or paranoid passenger set off a such an offensive against the innocent? I view this action by the complaining passenger and the reaction by the crew as the worst type of terrorism. I both pity and fear what America has become.