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[The Artisan]

They don't have to be from Saudi Arabia. People from the Arabian peninsula, the Levant, and north Africa might call themselves Arab.

that's what I said. but people specifically from saudi arabia can refer to themselves as arabian.

 

[20cent]

Granted he has dark hair, but I feel the "olive-skin" stuff is pure editorializing.

Here he is with another person. They both look white to me.
'

Or another shot of him (edit: it was the same shot I posted before, removed).

Though I agree it's hard to tell given potential lighting conditions or maybe if he had gotten a tan. But I agree that the person initially reporting him probably thought he was Muslim. In other words, even white people can also be misinterpreted as Muslims. Maybe less likely to occur, but it can happen.

Uh what? Islam is a religion and there are white muslims.

 

[EdibleKnife]

Uh what? Islam is a religion and there are white muslims.

It's something that alot of people forget/ignore. So many people just associate brown skin with being Muslim which leads to situations like this. If people actually thought beyond that, they'd realize how bigoted situations like this are.

 

[Bluenoser]

Honestly, the passenger who made the complaint should have been the one detained and kicked off the plane. No grounds for that shit whatsoever.

 

[Heshinsi]

that's what I said. but people specifically from saudi arabia can refer to themselves as arabian.

Arabia refers to the entire peninsula though. So Yemeni, Omani, or a Gulf Arab can technically do the same right?

 

[Stumpokapow]

And why would you have a Quran app in a language you don't speak?

Translations of the Qur'an are not considered acceptable substitutes in Islam (you can read an overview of this if you are interested); therefor apps for the Qur'an typically contain Arabic regardless of the reader's native language. Many non-Arabic speaking Muslims learn Arabic via and for the Qur'an.

 

[Guamu]

You don't know much about Muslims do you? Lol

A good majority of Muslims can read and recite verses from the Qu'ran without actually knowing any Arabic. It's because they have to pray in that language. Many actually memorise the entire Qu'ran without knowing what any of it means. So them having that app isn't surprising at all.

Well, TIL.

I though it could be like one of those multilingual bible apps that have the verses in spanish, english, portuguese, etc...

 

[Diabelli]

Me, my sister and brother were the only ones that were stopped and checked just before leaving London to New York, because of our Arabic last name. I ain't even Muslim (I stopped being one 10 years ago), and unfortunately I get why, but shit still didn't feel good.

 

[Guevara]

Translations of the Qur'an are not considered acceptable substitutes in Islam (you can read an overview of this if you are interested); therefor apps for the Qur'an typically contain Arabic regardless of the reader's native language. Many non-Arabic speaking Muslims learn Arabic via and for the Qur'an.

That is interesting to me and surprising.

 

[The Artisan]

Arabia refers to the entire peninsula though. So Yemeni, Omani, or a Gulf Arab can technically do the same right?

oh, I dunno about that. yeah, definitely could be.

 

[NastyBook]

You're presenting this really disingenuous binary choice wherein we either have to be racist or people will die by comparing a situation where a racist saw a family's color and freaked out and another where a guy actually witnessed verifiable activity that could be reasonably construed as suspicious being performed by people who happen to have been brown. Stop.

Seriously.

Not like this, Betty.

 

[zeemumu]

They got hauled off an aircraft because someone thought they were ISIS? Seems a bit extreme.

I dunno, man. I saw Goody Proctor with ISIS.

 

[Camp Freddie]

That is interesting to me and surprising.

I'm guessing Mohammed knew the history of Christian schisms about translation issues over literal iota's of difference and decided, "fuck that".

 

[DarkJediKnight]

Where's the Kumar plane gift?

Unbelievable how the world is now.

 

[mckmas8808]

Translations of the Qur'an are not considered acceptable substitutes in Islam (you can read an overview of this if you are interested); therefor apps for the Qur'an typically contain Arabic regardless of the reader's native language. Many non-Arabic speaking Muslims learn Arabic via and for the Qur'an.

How true is this? Never heard this before.

 

[Lamel]

How true is this? Never heard this before.

Very true.

 

[RK9039]

How true is this? Never heard this before.

100% true, you can't do actual recital in English for example. Muslims learn Arabic to recite during their prayer, doesn't matter if it's a language they understand or not.

Anyway I'll remember stories like this when people play the "bu-but Muslims aren't a race!" card, which is obviously true, but we're smart enough to know colour definitely plays a part in the bigotry.

 

[Mr. Giggles]

How true is this? Never heard this before.

It's true

When I was taught to pray I learnt to read the Arabic first before I understood the verses via translation

 

[victreeb3l]

Same here, I learned how to read Arabic for the sole purpose of reading the Quran. I cant speak or understand it however. In Mosques, Imams would first recite in Arabic then translate in other languages.

Side note, Arabic alphabet was pretty easy to learn.

 

[RMI]

Translations of the Qur'an are not considered acceptable substitutes in Islam (you can read an overview of this if you are interested); therefor apps for the Qur'an typically contain Arabic regardless of the reader's native language. Many non-Arabic speaking Muslims learn Arabic via and for the Qur'an.

Learn something new every day.

Really sad what these people had to go through.

 

[Dr.Guru of Peru]

So potentially saving those 14 people wasn't worth it because it would still be racist.

That's what you're saying.

Just so we know.

Really?

Oh come the fuck on. Do you really think a neighbour reporting that the San Bernardino killers were receiving packages and staying up late at night would have stopped them? What do you think the cops would have done, outside of taking the report and then filing it somewhere never to be seen again until the aftermath of the killing?

 

[Toxi]

I've noticed people who defend racial profiling are rarely in the groups that get profiled.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

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

Well, we've had a white Italian man being booted off due to doing math because he was slightly tanned and math is almost as scary-looking as Arabic! Or something.

Guido Menzio (UPenn Professor) was kicked off the plane for writing math equations just a few weeks ago. He's pretty white.

Not saying it doesn't happen more often to brown skinned individuals as I'm sure it does. But it's not always a one way street.

Uhhh what? He was kicked off the plane not because he was white, but because he was thought to be an Arab despite being white.

If you get mistreated for being a minority despite not being one, it's still racism against a minority, not against the non-minority.

A friend of mine is white (Jewish, of European/Swiss and Israeli descent), but is often mistaken as Arab, Greek, Lebanese, Iranian, Italian, Egyptian, and various other Mediterranean ethnicities. He's almost always profiled and questioned by TSA when travelling to the US. They don't profile him because he's white, but because he doesn't look white enough.

I have to show some sympathy towards the person who thought they were ISIS. Every normal person would be freaked out. Whenever I get on a train, for example, I try to sit as far away from people who look unusual, or I catch the next one. If I see a brown person with a beard and bag-pack, I see red flags everywhere, and I'm getting the hell out of there. Better to be safe than sorry. That's why I'm still alive. Props to this passenger who wasn't passive, and rightfully called out the suspicious looking people.

Stop the victim blaming. We regular people don't want to cause any trouble, we just want to get to our destination with peace of mind.

This got me good. Next time add an /s or make it more obvious or something. xD

 

[therapist]

That's pretty fucking pathetic

I feel bad for them :/

 

[Particulam]

This one comes to mind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWKQDB2Lz5Q

 

[TAJ]

This us like the helicopter scene in The Dictator, except much sillier.
"(Porsche)911, it's the best."

 

[Mista Koo]

fixed

[‏SPOILER]Arabic is the language, Arab is the ethnic group. Arabian is the nationality of those from Saudi Arabia. =][‏/SPOILER]

We've had a discussion about this before. Arabic and Arabian are often used interchangeably as the adjective form of Arab (e.g. Arabic gum or Arabian horse).

And as a Saudi I've never addressed myself as Arabian to denote that. Only done so to denote my ethnicity, my cultural background, or me being from the Arabian peninsula (Arabia).

 

[catashtrophe]

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.

Where are you from?

90% of people who wear turbans are Sikhs who are never linked to terrorism and are peaceful.

Whats your issue with Sikhs?

 

[The Artisan]

We've had a discussion about this before. Arabic and Arabian are often used interchangeably as the adjective form of Arab (e.g. Arabic gum or Arabian horse).

And as a Saudi I've never addressed myself as Arabian to denote that. Only done so to denote my ethnicity, my cultural background, or me being from the Arabian peninsula (Arabia).

it's never used interchangeably for the language though, I think that's what bugs me out. You're not supposed to say "I'm speaking Arabian"

 

[Boney]

The woman that called the steward/police should be put in a no fly list and the airline needs to get sued

 

[w1ck3dn1nj4]

Or if they one day decide to visit a country like Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia.

Are you from this region? How are the Chinese and Indians treated in Malaysia these days? Are they still being discriminated by the Muslim majority like second class citizens in their own country? Are special privileges still granted to Muslims only? Having worked for a MNC in the region years ago, it was quite shocking to see how Muslims get preferential treatment for all kinds of shit like loans, business licencing, housing, higher education, etc. at the expense of these people. Heck, I even recall requirement for foreign companies setting up operations that a huge percentage of the workforce be made up of Muslims only (regardless of merit or quality). I’m baffled how the Chinese and Indian minorities there can stomach this sort of blatant discrimination tbh. It’s fucking disgusting. Malaysia is really one of the few places I know where this Muslim prejudice fuckery is actually working in complete reverse.