Attempting to Fly While Muslim

I had a hard time deciding whether to write about the “Imam Incident” or the “Bleskachek Blunder“. They both offer up the easy target of political correctness run amok. Everyone’s upset about Muslims being put off the plane, and everyone should be upset about Mayor Rybak appointing someone to a top city job who would have been disqualified if even a cursory investigation had been done.

Ok, one crack before moving on to the main event: If Bleskachek is magnanimously offering to take a demotion after costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars because of her misconduct–a demotion to the same rank she had when she sexually harassed and discriminated against her subordinates, with all back pay and her lawyer’s fees covered–can we ask the same of the person who appointed her?

But, the Imam idiocy gets my attention, if only because it has garnered national publicity. You might put me down as a right wing crank after reading this, but those Imams would have been put off my plane, too. If a story in the Washington Times is to be believed, these guys were intentionally acting to fit the profile of a hijacker. To wit:

It was an Arabic speaker who helped bring them to the attention of the crew. Presumably the Arabic speaker was not prejudiced against Muslims, yet knew what was being said.

Three of them requested unneeded seat belt extenders, to draw attention to themselves, yet did not use them. Seat belt extenders can be used as weapons.

They sat in other than their assigned seats spread through the plane, to draw attention to themselves, and also, as noted in the story, to cover exits.

They did this in an airport in the constituency of the only Muslim congressman-elect.

These guys were obviously trolling for an incident. They got it, and they deserved what they got, which was the inconvenience of having to take a later flight, something I have had to do on occasion, including the last time I flew from New York, because the TSA had a problem with my wife’s nail polish remover in her carry-on.

If they were actually trying to hijack the plane, they would have tried, presumably, to remain as inconspicuous as possible. They were trying to either set up big publicity or a lawsuit against the airline. They got the first, and does anyone doubt the second will follow soon?

Thousands of Muslims fly every day in this country without incident. These guys could have done so, too, if they’d wanted to.