In her latest article at the Daily Beast website, Nomani makes the argument for airline profiling based on religious and ethnic backgrounds. Citing academic research and nearly a quarter-century of Islamist driven airline bombing plots, including World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Yousef's work with al-Qaida leader Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to blow up a dozen airplanes to the attempted Christmas Day bombing over Detroit last year, the most likely threats to airplanes share certain traits, she said. It's an extension of an argument she made during a debate last week.
"In the debate, I said, 'Profile me. Profile my family,' Nomani writes, "because, in my eyes, we in the Muslim community have failed to police ourselves."
It's about time someone in that community started to take responsibility for their actions. Maybe they'll grow up. Someday.
I'm sure you've all heard the story of John Tyner, the 31-year old computer programmer who refused a full body scan in San Diego on Saturday, and then, after hearing the description of what the TSA agent was going to do to him, told the agent "don't touch my junk or I'll sue you."
Videos of this incident have gone viral, but the videos are quite long. Here's an interview with Tyner on Fox News, which features the key part of the encounter with the TSA agent and then tells what happened afterward.
TSA has decided to get back at Tyner by opening an investigation against him. The investigation could lead to a fine of $11,000 - it will probably take far more than that in lawyer's fees to conduct the investigation.
But the losers here aren't Tyner or TSA: It's the American traveling public. Since 9/11, Americans have accepted more and more invasions of their privacy. In fact, so has anyone who travels to the United States. Sure, we have to have security, but is the full body scanner really necessary? Of course not. If you rely on a machine to do the job rather than people, people will find (and have found) a way to beat the machine. The US continues to do what I accused it of doing four and a half years ago: Looking for yesterday's terrorists.
In the US, the terrorists have won. If people stop flying (and many people say they will in light of the strip or grope security), the American economy loses, and one of the terrorists' main goals is to shut down the American economy.
Seen against a full body scan or groping at your private parts, is profiling really so invasive?
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
A Muslim author calls for profiling Muslims at airports.
