Muslim woman strip searched

[Pam&Mbaye 0]

Today a co-worker called me into his office today and gave me an article he read in the paper and said he was upset by what he read. He said he wanted me to be aware of what to expect while "traveling as a Muslim". I thought I would share the article with the room and get your thoughts, which is the reason for the poll.

[b]Homeland Security apologizes to Muslim woman who was strip searched

The Homeland Security Department has apologized to a Muslim woman who was detained at the Tampa airport and strip searched at a county jail, the Associated Press writes.

The St. Petersburg Times has the story as well.

Safana Jawad, 45, a Spanish citizen who was born in Iraq, was detained on April 11 because authorities thought she might be connected to a suspicious person -- who those authorities have not identified. Jawad was held for two days before being deported to England.

The Times says Jawad "had flown to the United States to

visit her son, Hany Kubba, 16, who then lived in Clearwater with her ex-husband, Ahmad Maki Kubba."

Jawad told the Times that once she was in the local jail, she was subjected not only to a strip search but to a full body cavity search.

Pinellas County sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Jim Bordner, though, told the newspaper that only a regular strip search was performed, and there was no body cavity search.

Jawad's former husband, the Times says, has been a U.S. citizen for 27 years. According to the newspaper, Ahmad Kubba "left Iraq in 1979 after being sentenced to death" for criticizing Saddam Hussein, "and his father was beaten to death by Hussein's agents."

Last year, the Times reports, Kubba was "lauded ... by Gov. Jeb Bush after organizing a trip where about a dozen friends went to Nashville to vote in the Iraqi election."

In a letter to Jawad, Timothy Keefer, acting chief counsel for the Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, said that "on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security, I offer you my sincere apology for having to undergo a strip search."

Posted by Mark Memmott at 02:01 PM/ET, December 28, 2006 in Nation, Travel | Permalink[/b]

[maggieNomar 0]

I think a muslim woman should dress as she feels comfortable to meet her religious requirements. Unfortunately, it may mean additional screening even though TSA is not supposed to do racial profiling. When I traveled to Morocco, I found that most if not all of the women in traditional muslim dress were subjected to the physical pat down at the gate, while those of us in more 'american' attire were not.

[melly 0]

I don't wear hijab on a regular basis. Yet.

When I travel to Egypt, I will sure as heck not be wearing hijab during the flight portion. The last thing I want is to hassle with the security people and have to go through whatever ####### they think is acceptable.

I know some women would not even consider taking it off while traveling, and maybe there will be a time when I feel the same, but it isn't now.

There's been too many problems lately with Muslims flying and being detained and taken off of flights.

[kofuku 0]

Hijab or not, it doesn't really matter. I have been searched several times while travelling overseas wearing regular clothes. I don't expect much of an apology for some of the inappropriate groping. At least in the US there is some accountability for such behavior.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

I don't regularly wear hijab either, and I have endured many pat downs in my "civies" at the airport in several Muslim countries. Strangely enough, never in western countries.

[cbd2cai 0]

Once again I think this depends. I'd say if the woman is used to wearing the hijab all the time she should just keep it on, but understand that there might be more scrutiny. If she is comfortable not wearing it, then that would be fine to take it off. But if she wears it all the time, then it might possibly hard for her to be comfortable without it . So this choice for travel should be at her discretion.

[Visa4habibi! 0]

My first trip back from Morocco I had henna on my hands and regular clothes on, long sleeve blouse with the sleeves rolled-up a little. Boy! I got searched everywhere: London and Philly.

It was terrible!!! They got my cell phone, all of my electronics and stuff!!! Even went through my laggage at Philly!

Since then I don't put henna on and don't go thru Philly!

I go thru JFK and then take a van to Philly. Last time I wore a hijab during the flight from Morocco. I got patted down and carry on search at CMN (Moroccan airpoirt) same as before. I wore hijab during the flight but took if off before getting off the plane. I didn't want to be searched again in JFK, so I put the scarf around my neck. I've had more then enough on my first time and if I ever go back, I'll do the same and would recommend everybody to take my advice on this - it's your choice, of cource.

But once burned.... now I know better.

[sarah and hicham 3]

Whenever I am leaving Morocco I get taken into the small curtain area and get patted down by the same woman everytime which makes me think she just likes me

[Pam&Mbaye 0]

Whenever I am leaving Morocco I get taken into the small curtain area and get patted down by the same woman everytime which makes me think she just likes me

Cute response, thanks for the laugh. I must share that I used to travel a lot with my job (3 weeks out of the month), and without fail have always been patted down sometime during my trip whether on departure or arrival. I went to Kenya in June in hijab and leaving the states was not a problem, went through security with no problem, however upon return to the USA the nightmare began at the Nairobi airport, then England, then Chicago and finally into Cincinnati. My trip home wore me out with all the security pat downs. I will start traveling again here shortly and the thought of all the hassles is not something that I look forward to.

[maggieNomar 0]

Whenever I am leaving Morocco I get taken into the small curtain area and get patted down by the same woman everytime which makes me think she just likes me

I must not be as fun to pat down as you Sarah. I only got it on my first exit from Morocco. The 2nd two times, nada!! But in this case, I"m not jealous!!

OK somehow I managed to quote myself! This is Maggie, not Pam. (maybe I managed to fix it)

Edited January 1, 2007 by maggieNomar

[Henia 11]

I did not vote on this poll, as I somewhat confused... I have heard of this story a while back... and was surprised, maybe even shocked but not upset.... I mean if she was *suspected* of being connected to something/someone dangerous, then they had the right to ask her to remove the hijeb. I heard mixed version of the story...one where they just asked her to remove it, another they manhandled her.... so did they ask for search for in a public or private area? Cos I have never heard of situation where a women was asked to "strip" in a public place? I am sure *most* people are humane enough that they would ask her to take the hijeb off a secured and privcate area...

And in my opinion, if the officer asking her is a women...and she is shown to a priavte area to do so, then she should. This is done for *safety* reasons...

I myself have a problem with women wearing the niqaab. I mean if you wear that, first you are asking for people to stare, *talk* and hassle you... but if you are traveling with niqaab it is worse. If you are up for that, fine...it is your business... But a smart person would take it off... or even lift the veil when approaching these checkpoints... to ensure the officer will not ask her to remove it... cos they will ask anyway...How to ID someone whose face you cannot see?

And also I think unless the officer you are dealing with is total jerk (which most times they are not)... or unless you provoke them...I see no reason why they could not *handle* this situation ...