This weekend I read an article in the December 2006 issue of The Progressive, about an August 2006 incident involving JetBlue and passenger Raed Jarrar. It seems another passenger was uncomfortable with his T-shirt, and reported him to security.
Frankly, I get a little nervous every time I hear a Southern drawl nearby... I start hearing "Strange Fruit" on endless loop in my head.
The Arab News reported that the Council on American-Islamic Relations has had an increase in complaints by passengers who were singled out because they were different.
If you feel you are unfairly targeted, whatever your ethnicity, race or religion, CAIR reminds you that you have the following rights:
1. Ask for the names and ID numbers of all persons involved in the incident.
2. Ask to speak to a supervisor.
3. Ask if you have been singled out because of your name, looks, dress, race, ethnicity, faith or national origin.
4. Ask witnesses to give you their names and contact information.
5. Write down a statement of facts immediately after the incident. Be sure to include the flight number, the date, and the name of the airline.
6. Contact CAIR (and/or your local human right commission) to file a report.
I wonder what would happen if indigenous Americans were to fly with European-Americans? Do they get nervous if the flight attendant offers them a blanket on red eye or inter-continental flights? And then, there's the sticky issue of the American invasion of Hawai'i which resulted in the overthrow of their monarchy and near complete decimation of their population. And that little incident where the CIA bombed the Presidential Palace in Santiago, Chile, resulting in the death of their democratically elected president.
And the list could go on and on...
It seems the rest of the world would have more to fear of Americans flying than we of them.
Frankly, I get a little nervous every time I hear a Southern drawl nearby... I start hearing "Strange Fruit" on endless loop in my head.
The Arab News reported that the Council on American-Islamic Relations has had an increase in complaints by passengers who were singled out because they were different.
If you feel you are unfairly targeted, whatever your ethnicity, race or religion, CAIR reminds you that you have the following rights:
1. Ask for the names and ID numbers of all persons involved in the incident.
2. Ask to speak to a supervisor.
3. Ask if you have been singled out because of your name, looks, dress, race, ethnicity, faith or national origin.
4. Ask witnesses to give you their names and contact information.
5. Write down a statement of facts immediately after the incident. Be sure to include the flight number, the date, and the name of the airline.
6. Contact CAIR (and/or your local human right commission) to file a report.
I wonder what would happen if indigenous Americans were to fly with European-Americans? Do they get nervous if the flight attendant offers them a blanket on red eye or inter-continental flights? And then, there's the sticky issue of the American invasion of Hawai'i which resulted in the overthrow of their monarchy and near complete decimation of their population. And that little incident where the CIA bombed the Presidential Palace in Santiago, Chile, resulting in the death of their democratically elected president.
And the list could go on and on...
It seems the rest of the world would have more to fear of Americans flying than we of them.
No comments:
Post a Comment