Terrorism Is Here

Recently, two pilots were chastised and may face a lawsuit for putting two Imams off a plane.  Apparently, the other passengers on the plane were uncomfortable, and perhaps rightly so, as the two Imams were in full Muslim garb and it was the day after the U.S. had killed Osama Bin Ladin.  Air travelers likely felt a bit edgy that day, with thoughts that there may be retaliation.  Airlines generally have policies that allow them to determine who flies and who doesn't.  In this case, every attempt was made to accommodate the Imams after they were re-screened and they were put on another flight by Atlantic Southeast Airlines. 

This has been one of many incidents occurring on domestic flights over the past few weeks.  In another incident, on May 10, on a flight to San Francisco,  passenger  Rageh Al-Murisi ran screaming to the front of an American airlines cockpit door and rammed it with his shoulder trying to get in.  Witnesses claimed he was saying "Allahu Akbar", or God is great, the same chant used by the 9/11 hijackers.  An air marshal and a flight attendant subdued the man.  He was carrying a California I.D., and a Yemeni passport. 

If the best predictor of human behavior is past behavior, then it's predictable that people on the plane would be nervous about what might happen.  Why is it that there are always claims of discrimination when something like this happens?  How can Americans be expected to cope with this type of danger and somehow maintain their sense of well-being?   As Americans, shouldn't we have the right to question those who may affect our safety?  We know that the terrorists who hijacked our planes on 9/11 were radical Muslims.  We know that they did dry runs.  Actor Rob Lowe was on one of the flights that was a "dry run" for the September attacks.  He didn't know it until later on when called to testify in the case against 9/11 mastermind al Qaeda leader Zacarias Moussaoui.  While some may call it "racial profiling", the fact is that these extremists all share the same profile.  So when someone fitting that profile gets on a plane acting suspicious, people are going to get nervous.  Wouldn't you rather be safe than sorry?  If it means a little inconvenience for some, but works for the greater good, perhaps that's the price we have to pay in today's world. 

In South Florida last week, Hafiz Khan and his son Izhar Khan, two Imams, as well as another relative were arrested by U.S. Agents on charges of supporting the Pakistani Taliban.  It seems that terrorists are using the guise of religion to hide in plain sight.  Who would suspect a religious leader of wanting to kill innocent people?

I don't think the majority of our citizens view all Muslims as terrorists, but it seems like most terrorists targeting U.S. citizens are Muslim.  So perhaps we have to look at who we are letting into our country and why.  It's been determined that radical clerics are teaching their beliefs at some U.S. colleges and recruiting U.S. students.   Local boy, Adam Yahiye Gadahn is now #1 on the FBI's list of most wanted terrorists.   It seems like we, as a country, are being far too liberal.  In our efforts to be fair and allow everyone the rights afforded to citizens, we are allowing foreign nationals to infiltrate our country in an effort to destroy us from within.  It's only a matter of time before more of our weaknesses are exploited.  Hundreds of people pour over our unsecured borders every day.  What happens when the terrorists figure out a way to exploit the fact that they can get into the U.S. relatively easy through our border with Mexico?  The 9/11 hijackers attended our flight schools and universities for easy access.  Who is being educated at our colleges and universities while many American students can't afford to attend?  We need to secure our borders immediately.  And when someone acts or seems suspicious on a plane or elsewhere, we need to take note and be vigilant in our efforts to keep everyone safe.  This isn't about descrimination, but prudence. Bin Laden instructed his followers to attack trains, subways, and buses in major cities including L.A.  That means that terrorism is here, right in our own back yard.  We may have to give up some things in order to maintain our security.  In this era of terrorism, the safety of all has to trump the individual freedoms of a few.