My advice, never travel outside the US and Europe. It's terrifying. Everyone is foreign and speaks different languages!
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Three Muslim Siblings booted off plane because text on phone was in Arabic
- Thread starter excelsiorlef
- Start date
- Status
My advice, never travel outside the US and Europe. It's terrifying. Everyone is foreign and speaks different languages!
I didn't say that. But if someone claims something, you have to check it out.
You do understand how insane it is to accuse someone of being part of ISIS just because they have a different skin color and language, right?
Via Purifico
Banned
IMO A good way to curb this nonsense is to get both the accused and accuser off the plane and question them.
If the accuser's story doesn't add up they need to be taken off the flight.
If the accuser's story doesn't add up they need to be taken off the flight.
tearsintherain
Member
Airports definitely need to standardize security responses so each case isn't handled like a one-off.
Person reports someone is suspicious? Verify luggage storage was not breached (need much better automation here), verify on board headcounts are all right, verify no new employees were part of the loading chain, quickly run a explosives scan on all hand carry baggage, done.
Problem right now is that each case requires multiple people to make a decision on what to do next, and if you are that person how would you feel if you just said "hah, probably a racist, fuck em lets goooo!" and then disaster strikes? So obviously you pass the buck on to someone else, and it takes a long, long time before someone can finally say "nah, we good".
Also those are three goddamn good looking siblings, they really struck gold on the genetic lottery.
Person reports someone is suspicious? Verify luggage storage was not breached (need much better automation here), verify on board headcounts are all right, verify no new employees were part of the loading chain, quickly run a explosives scan on all hand carry baggage, done.
Problem right now is that each case requires multiple people to make a decision on what to do next, and if you are that person how would you feel if you just said "hah, probably a racist, fuck em lets goooo!" and then disaster strikes? So obviously you pass the buck on to someone else, and it takes a long, long time before someone can finally say "nah, we good".
Also those are three goddamn good looking siblings, they really struck gold on the genetic lottery.
A Pretty Panda
fuckin' called it, man
Yeah, I doubt them being muslims even matters, or if the text was Arabic. Even if it was in hindi the other passengers' imagination would have probably run wild.
That's BS overly simplistic thinking. No one is going to check out a white family taking a flight together if a passenger randomly claims they intend to kill everyone on board. The passengers would not be forced off the plane and questioned by police.
Dayner_Kurdi
Banned
I wonder if "being near a Muslim" will be considered a legible case of death anytime soon, what crazy world we are living in.
but seriously the accuser should also be escorted out and to be interrogated for why did he/she made such a claim.
but seriously the accuser should also be escorted out and to be interrogated for why did he/she made such a claim.
Is this true. Sounds like a case of cry wolf bound to happen.
Yep but it doesn't matter when the police and security HAVE to investigate any claim regardless of how absurd the claim may be. Same as if I phoned my local police station and claimed someone was being suspicious - they would have to rule it out against being something serious. With an airport, the stakes are considerably higher.
Not sure how people here are missing this point. There is a duty of care that has to be followed and procedures - sadly it means they can't pick and choose - they have to investigate and rule out EVERY complaint - which they did.
this is even weirder to think about for me because i was just at kuala lumpur international airport (yeah partial muslim nation whatever) where most of the families hanging around the check-in desk before passing through security were wearing hijabs. Saw a few burqas here and there. Heck, most of the female security personnel I saw were wearing hijabs actually.
Like, the idea that having arabic on your phone is enough to get you reported to security in London is balls out idiotic
not strictly related but still
Like, the idea that having arabic on your phone is enough to get you reported to security in London is balls out idiotic
not strictly related but still
excelsiorlef
Member
Like I said not going to give you positive affirmation for being scared of brown people.
The UK has pretty loose libel/slander laws. Much easier to sue there than in the US.
They should be looking to sue the "accuser" on those grounds.
yanipheonu
Member
Just wait until they learn their phone was using ARABIC NUMERALS!
Ignorant as fuck.
Ignorant as fuck.
The funny thing is, the bible in middle east are in arabic.
Imagine the irony if a catholic arabian get booted off due to reading the bible
My initial post was badly worded, all I'm saying is given a certain scenario, such as sitting on an airplane (an already stressful situation for many people), I can understand where some people might give in to their racial stereotypes of others, if for no other reason than for self preservation. It doesn't make it any less wrong, but understandable to me. And I love traveling!
Via Purifico
Banned
I wouldn't be surprised if this happens.
yanipheonu
Member
Even better, Allah isn't some separate entity from Christian God. It's the Arabic Word for God.
God, in an Arabic Bible, is Allah.
Racism and bigotry is a learned trait. You're not born with this level of irrational fear of anyone thats different.
Dayner_Kurdi
Banned
AtomskEater
Member
Same, I did feel a little joy that the shithead who raised a false alarm had to sit on the plane while they were interviewed for an hour.
I'd agree with that. But culture is a uniquely human trait, and the culture I grew up in shaped my worldview to be such that in an airplane, at the very least I'd be more aware of someone wearing a turban than anyone else. I don't like that I'm more aware of them, as they did nothing to raise that alertness in me personally. It's just something that's there. Like I've said before I'm strong enough to overcome that and give people the benefit of the doubt, but some people aren't so strong or maybe have stronger prejudices than I do.
Baki
Member
Do you get worried by white males near a school? Because a shit ton of white people have shot up schools?
excelsiorlef
Member
Probably only if they wear hodies or turbans.
*Pat pat*
EdibleKnife
Member
I really feel for MuslimGAF after stories like this. So many of them live peacefully under peoples noses' and don't want to be associated with terrorism, yet every time, it comes out that there are people they live alongside that just straight up don't trust them as fellow citizens.
Easy said when you are not the victim of racial profiling on every stop you make..
foomfoom415
Member
I still am not sure if you are trolling or not, but if not: Are you kidding me?! Of course you ignore it! Unless they pass over some printed out emails and video surveillance evidence to the flight attendant, if anything you should escort the panicky person from the plane.
Subpar Scrub
Banned
I would probably ask how they know that, lmao.
*Sigh* It's a shame some people are so scared that they report anything that looks like arabic text as terrorism, even if they themselves can't read and verify what it says.
witchedwiz
Member
this is the first sensible comment I read on this thread..
sorry gents, but given the current outlook of things, I'd rather see that the plane is delayed and a passanger things get rummaged for, than a possible tragedy overlooked..
the terror has won?
yes and no..
simply the terror has made us aware that some people are still capable of being human trash bin hiding behind the bandwagon a religion not as a single idiot but as a team of zealots, and when you know that most of those can be tied to a specific race, you're not being a racist if you want to be through, you're just being very cautious..
in all honesty, can you blame someone for being overzealous in trying to prevent a possible plane disaster? or you just want to assume that everyone is a good man/woman, and when the next isis attack comes you'll just cry me a river and that's that?
witchedwiz
Member
I agree that's not a beatutiful chair but rather the "Siege perilous" archetype, but what can we do?
as i said, it's about being cautious about a situation..
I cannot blame anyone, so far that things do not escalate into getting physical for no reason, but it's just trying to be 100% sure that things are fine...
_/¯a lot of words to say that you support racial profiling. go fuck yourself.
Hyperactivity
Banned
Really?
Go to the cloesest mosque, you'll get damn used to "scary languages I don't understand" and "cloth wrapped around the head".
What, you not live outside a bubble of people that all look like you?
Sorry to say, but most "actual racism" is going to be based in fear, misunderstanding, and ignorance. Doesn't not make it racist
EdibleKnife
Member
Yes because this overzealousness is applied to only one group of people: brown Muslims. And the suspicion is born from little information beyond skin color and the use of a foreign language rather than actual proof of shady behavior. Extremist Christians aren't beyond inflicting harm or performing terroristic acts yet the same scrutiny isn't applied despite the same Muslims and Christians existing within the same society.
Read the rest of my posts, my first post was poorly worded. I'm not afraid of anyone, in a certain context I'm more likely to prejudge someone based on what they wear, however. I don't act on those judgements, but they exist and I'm aware of them. I'm going to delete my first post because it's clearly not getting the point I want across and is only pissing people off
Well, if someone just has arabic on their phone it is a bit too overzealous because a lot of people use it and if everyone did that everytime, we wouldn't have flights anymore.
But yeah, people are more cautious of muslims now, just as English probably were of Irish a while ago
Hyperactivity
Banned
Fuck man, I forgot, next time someone from the USA is in a foreign airport, I should tell airport security they're a crazed gunman, I hear the USA has a ton of guns and crappy mental health and bunch of shootings over there
Just being safe y'know?
Just being safe y'know?
You really really really shouldn't judge people on what they are wearing.
Just think of it the other way around. Would you like it if people would be afraid of you because you wear a t shirt?
Patrick Bateman
Member
Fuck those people who denounced them. Can they get back to those and sue them? I sure hope so.
I know I shouldn't, I've never argued that it's okay to do so. All I'm saying is I get where it's coming from (a place of fear fueled largely by American media) and it's not completely ludicrous for these sorts of things happening with all the terrorism thats been reported on lately.
None of that makes it okay. No, it's not surprising that this would happen - that's the problem. It shouldn't be happening in the first place.
petran79
Banned
It would be more fair to examine separately the accusers too in case there are any mental or psychological issues
DXB-KNIGHT
Member
"There is no purpose for the text just to spread fear among who is afraid by the Arabic Language "Time to buy this bag!
- Status