Flying Imams Update

The story of the flying Imams who were taken off a flight in Minneapolis continues to grow as more information comes out about the six. Powerline has an image of the note that was handed to the flight attendants by an observant passenger, and this report from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune gives more reasons why the group was detained:

In a statement to police, a US Airways gate agent wrote that three of the men prayed in Arabic at the gate. "I was suspicious by the way they were praying very loud," the gate agent said.

Said Shahin: "We were never bothering anyone, not saying anything loudly. We were just prostrating ourselves, the normal way we pray."

***

Before passengers boarded, one became alarmed by an overheard discussion. "They seemed angry," he wrote in a police statement. "Mentioned 'U.S.' and 'killing Saddam.' Two men then swore slightly under their breath/mumbled. They spoke Arabic again. The gate called boarding for the flight. The men then chanted 'Allah, Allah, Allah.'"

Marwan Sadeddin, another of the imams, said, "What bothers me the most is these false statements and lies that we were shouting, 'Allah, Allah.' This never happened."

Another, Ahmad Shqeirat, said, "That is a lie. We were not talking politics. And even if we did, so what? What is suspicious about that?"

Once the six were seated, two in front, two in the middle and two in back, and paid visits to each other to chat, some passengers became alarmed, the police report said. One passed a note to a flight attendant citing the alleged comments about Allah and Saddam.

Flight attendants alerted the pilot, who called airport police and asked them to remove the men from the plane. They left "cooperatively," according to the police report.

A bomb-sniffing dog examined the men, their luggage and the entire airplane and found nothing. The plane left for Phoenix about three hours late after the other 141 passengers reboarded.

After being questioned by agents of the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI, the Secret Service and the Transportation Security Administration, the men were released.

Of course, everybody in the Muslim community is OUTRAGED at the insult to their religion and the "discrimination" against muslims. Too bad. In a post 9/11 world muslims had just better get used to be considered suspicious because that's just the way it's going to be. And when they choose to act in a manner in public that's out of character for most people in that same situation, they're going to draw unwanted attention.

The suspicious passengers and the staff of US Airways did the right thing. The imams and their mouthpieces at CAIR demand that Americans demonstrate sensitivity to their religious beliefs and customs, and demand that we "learn" about them so we won't be concerned. I've got an idea - how about if the muslims demonstrate a little sensitivity to the feelings of the infidels in their midst and refrain from doing stupid things in public? They'll find their flying experience to be a lot less exciting if they do.

The reality is that for the radicals like these six, that's not going to happen. Why? Because, like the Pharisees of Jesus' day, they take great pride in putting on a show about how religious they are and scoffing at anyone who would be critical of their actions. Their belief in the righteousness of their cause will prevent them from demonstrating any consideration for anyone else.

UPDATE: More info and police report here.
UPDATE 2: Coming soon - Muslim prayer rooms in airports
UPDATE 3: How the flying imams terrorized the flight