Absolute Hysteria of Prejudice

What makes me angry is when people really ought to know better than to taint everyone with the same paintbrush. Sign of the times? Perhaps. But is this sort of behaviour really proactive? Personally, I reckon it is not. What makes me cross is, I have had to tread in those men's shoes a few times. Albeit on different occasions and for different reasons. Nevertheless, the feelings that arise out of it, at the very least, is discomforting and ugly. Regardless of the politics and the tension which brings about this sort of behaviour, I feel for those men. I, too, have come across situations where I have been pre-judged only because folks have already drawn opinions of me from some ill-conceived stereotype of Yanks. One is left to think: what if the eleven apostles were judged by the conduct of Iscariot?


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/5267884/stm

Lola,
I'm not sure which story you're referring to because the link doesn't work. Then...when you go to the BBC news page, I'm still not clear which story you are referring to. Help?

JJ

Hi, JJ: Well, here's a summary of that news article. For some reason it has been impossible to make the link work:

British holidaymakers staged an unprecedented mutiny - refusing to allow their Spain-UK flight to take off until two men, of Asian or Middle Eastern origin, were forcibly removed. Spanish police boarded the plane and escorted the two men off the aircraft. The unfortunate two men had aroused suspicion because of their appearance, the colour of their skin and were heard to be speaking in a foreign language "thought" to be Arabic. The pilot refused to take off until they were escorted off the plane. The men were questioned by Spanish police for several hours, subsequently cleared by security and have been allowed to catch a later flight to the UK.

It's frustrating when we are viewed in a "lump". My nephew, who is part Scandanavian and part Persian, had quite a bit of difficulty after Sept. 11. Prejudice is difficult to overcome, frustrating for both those receiving it and those observing it.
To quote an old song, "When will we ever learn?"
Anno

Lola, I think it's only right if the airlines are overly sensitive. After all they may save hundreds of lives that way. I don't know if it was in the American news, but a huge bombing has just been avoided at a German train station because the police arrested a terrorist in time. I do believe, however, that the suspects taken in should be treated with respect. They are all innocent till proven guilty, and I think that theory has suffered under all these circumstances.

Hi, Hannelore: Actually all the passengers, which included the two men, were already cleared by airline security. The rest of the passengers tell how a process of "Chinese whispers", started by a few, led to two men being removed from a UK plane. The pilot asked for security assistance to protect the two men rather than the other way around, as it has now been reported.

The implication of such incident can be considerably reactive when ordinary folks impose their own standards of profiling over that of authorities. It will be such a mess if we were to go by appearances alone and, by doing so, only tend to alienate those that we are trying so very hard to win over.

I think, at the end of the day, we have just got to trust those who are in a better position to protect us and have the tools to enable them with determining profiles. How much do ordinary folks know about profiling in the first place? Mediterranean men can be just as swarthy as Middle Eastern men, Urdu and Farsi can sound Arabic to those who cannot tell the difference, a nervous, sweating, white-knuckled person on board a plane could be legitimately suffering from fear of flying, constantly glancing at a wristwatch could also be just mannerism. This incident actually reminded me of what happened to Cat Stevens on a trip to the US when he was refused entry because he now goes by the name of Yusuf and does not dress in western clothes since his conversion.

Fear is our greatest enemy now more than the threat to our own person. On my way to work today, a swarthy man and his friend got in the train with their shirts raised up to their chest. One smiled back at a few of us who looked questioningly and remarked: "So y'all be at peace". A few chuckled embarassingly but, I think, we all got the message.

Well it is better to be safe than sorry thats for sure but to be ridiculous isn't helping anything at all. What the heck has Cat Stevens converted to, and from what??? Interesing!

I didn't know that about Cat Stevens either.
I agree with you Lola, but I can understand people being nervous. We are flying to Vancouver in a few weeks, and if I see anyone weird in line with me (like checking his ticking suitcase)...then I have to admit, I don't think I'd want to risk my life, by just "trusting" the authorities. Maybe I've seen too many horror airplane movies.

You know, I am so against stereotyping, but at this point, I do believe a bit of profiling is something that's necessary.

When you consider the people who have committed these acts - I mean, really - you are looking at a very similar group of people, overall.

My two cents, which I sure many won't agree with.
Kathy

Cat Stevens converted to Islam many years ago and goes by the name of Yusuf. He, amongst many others in his community, works towards enlightening those who hold radical views.

Many are expected to buck at the thought of air travel but, I think, the closer to the date of the thwarted plots one travels, the relative safety one travels in because security would be stringent and in place. Thwarted attempts are proof of that.

After 7/7, we took to public transport the day after. For many, it is the norm of travel to work. And many did so with frayed nerves but the resolve to take back the streets and not be cowered is a one up against those who think they could stifle the freedom to do so and the peace with which it is done.

The UK, its big cities in particular, are multicultural societies. Much more than NY or LA. It would be a sad day if all went about by "Chinese whispers".

You can check out current news on Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam at: www.yusufislam.org.uk

I have a friend of Middle Eastern descent and his last name causes much attention to be paid to him at the airport. He is as American as I am and was born in the U.S. He doesn't mind and understands that some profiling must happen for us all to be safe.

One reason the most recent plot to blow up some American airplanes was thwarted was because of electronic survailance (sp?). Thousands of lives were saved. Yet one of the U.S. district courts recently ruled that it was unconstitutional. I belive it's wise to assume that the authorities are NOT doing whatever it takes to keep everyone safe. Sometimes their hands are tied.

I do agree that a mob mentality should be avoided and the situation you described shouldn't happen.

When Cat Stevens said (10 years ago? whenever it was...) that he thought the death sentence on Salman Rushdie was justified and righteous, I stopped listening to his music because now I can't hear it without thinking what a jerk he is.

Hi, Meredith: Were you referring to the Q&A session he had at the Kingston Polytechnic in 1989? If I remember correctly, in response to a question regarding the Rushdie affair, Cat Stevens merely attempted to explain the Muslim's view on blasphemy based on the Qur'an and the rulings of the law within Islamic jurisprudence. I don't think it went further than that i.e that he rallied for the fatwa on Rushdie. Given the personality involved, it was the media who took to giving the matter the wrong slant which led to a lot of speculation relating to a very topical issue at that time.