4 ms·

Look at it from the TSA/Police/FBI perspective: Someone goes to the airport on the first day of Ramadan, refuses the scan, sets off the chemical detectors, then

Look at it from the TSA/Police/FBI perspective: Someone goes to the airport on the first day of Ramadan, refuses the scan, sets off the chemical detectors, then asks to leave. During further interview he indicates that he hasn't eaten yet that day, is travelling for religious purposes, has just moved and is travelling alone. This further investigation doesn't seem insane to me. In fact if there was a clear profile for someone I would investigate it would be him. That said, it doesn't hurt to show basic human decency.

mistercow 13y ago
The problem is that the lack of decency is critical to the whole situation. If they had shown decency in the first place, he wouldn't have reacted in a way that they construed as "suspicious", and then they wouldn't have wasted several hours and harassed an innocent person.
- genericresponse 13y ago
  I tend to apply some expectation on him as well as the TSA. He knows they might think he's fasting. Say: I ran out the door and didn't have a chance to get breakfast. I'm pretty hungry. He knows that they might be suspicious of religiosity. Explain the details of your trip. Yes he doesn't have to and it should have been easier for him, but use some common sense. It's the same reason that when you're pulled over for speeding 5 over you don't refuse to answer any questions. You try to be polite and hope the officer will let you off with a warning. The likely outcome is better.
  - mistercow 13y ago
    But fasting because you're religious isn't illegal, and it shouldn't be grounds for suspicion of terrorism. There is a big difference between being polite to a cop after breaking the law, and trying not to offend the bigoted sensibilities of when you're totally innocent. Blaming the author for the completely innocent and honest answers he gave is rather similar to blaming a rape victim for wearing revealing clothing. And it seems to me that he did use common sense. He knew from experience that people didn't really understand the deal with his 7 week family sabbaticals, so he tried to keep it simple. And you certainly can't expect a person placed in a stressful and unfamiliar situation to give perfectly tuned responses to optimize their outcome.
greedo 13y ago
And, to be the devil's advocate, if I was EvilGenius, I would test security in a dry run in a fashion similar to this. Have someone get residue on their clothing, and see how the authorities responded. The sad thing is that EvilGenius would learn that the authorities are bumbling fools that make Barney Fife look like a model LE agent.
cefarix 13y ago
I'm a religious American Muslim who fasts every day of Ramadan every year. So, what you're saying is that if I am Muslim, it's Ramadan, I'm fasting, and I'm traveling for religious purposes - that's suspicious? What your religion or ethnicity is, or how religious you are, or what your specific religious practices are - none of these should even be a factor to consider in security to the TSA/police/FBI/etc. I find this view to be utterly disgusting.
- gngeal 13y ago
  who fasts every day of Ramadan every year Muslims calling Ramadan "a fasting month" is a serious devaluation of the word "fasting". It's not actual fasting if you only eat at night. It's fasting if you don't eat for at least full day. Say, eating once or twice only every other day. Also, doing this for one month in a year is another sham. How very useful!
  - mhassankhan 13y ago
    Dear gngeal, I represent "the Muslims", yes all 1.6 billion of them. Upon receiving your comment we immediately held an emergency meeting (because we care) and decided to apologize for carrying out this sham for the last 14 centuries. What would you have us call it instead? I'm sure it'll make a huge difference.
bobsil1 13y ago
Many Muslims fast, not just fundies, and this person is not Muslim. This is worse than profiling, it's stupidity.

mistercow 13y ago

The problem is that the lack of decency is critical to the whole situation. If they had shown decency in the first place, he wouldn't have reacted in a way that they construed as "suspicious", and then they wouldn't have wasted several hours and harassed an innocent person.

genericresponse 13y ago
I tend to apply some expectation on him as well as the TSA. He knows they might think he's fasting. Say: I ran out the door and didn't have a chance to get breakfast. I'm pretty hungry. He knows that they might be suspicious of religiosity. Explain the details of your trip. Yes he doesn't have to and it should have been easier for him, but use some common sense. It's the same reason that when you're pulled over for speeding 5 over you don't refuse to answer any questions. You try to be polite and hope the officer will let you off with a warning. The likely outcome is better.
- mistercow 13y ago
  But fasting because you're religious isn't illegal, and it shouldn't be grounds for suspicion of terrorism. There is a big difference between being polite to a cop after breaking the law, and trying not to offend the bigoted sensibilities of when you're totally innocent. Blaming the author for the completely innocent and honest answers he gave is rather similar to blaming a rape victim for wearing revealing clothing. And it seems to me that he did use common sense. He knew from experience that people didn't really understand the deal with his 7 week family sabbaticals, so he tried to keep it simple. And you certainly can't expect a person placed in a stressful and unfamiliar situation to give perfectly tuned responses to optimize their outcome.

greedo 13y ago

And, to be the devil's advocate, if I was EvilGenius, I would test security in a dry run in a fashion similar to this. Have someone get residue on their clothing, and see how the authorities responded. The sad thing is that EvilGenius would learn that the authorities are bumbling fools that make Barney Fife look like a model LE agent.

cefarix 13y ago

I'm a religious American Muslim who fasts every day of Ramadan every year. So, what you're saying is that if I am Muslim, it's Ramadan, I'm fasting, and I'm traveling for religious purposes - that's suspicious? What your religion or ethnicity is, or how religious you are, or what your specific religious practices are - none of these should even be a factor to consider in security to the TSA/police/FBI/etc. I find this view to be utterly disgusting.

gngeal 13y ago
who fasts every day of Ramadan every year Muslims calling Ramadan "a fasting month" is a serious devaluation of the word "fasting". It's not actual fasting if you only eat at night. It's fasting if you don't eat for at least full day. Say, eating once or twice only every other day. Also, doing this for one month in a year is another sham. How very useful!
- mhassankhan 13y ago
  Dear gngeal, I represent "the Muslims", yes all 1.6 billion of them. Upon receiving your comment we immediately held an emergency meeting (because we care) and decided to apologize for carrying out this sham for the last 14 centuries. What would you have us call it instead? I'm sure it'll make a huge difference.

bobsil1 13y ago

Many Muslims fast, not just fundies, and this person is not Muslim. This is worse than profiling, it's stupidity.