Flying while arab/muslim

[sarah and hicham 3]

I saw a man once on my flight from Casablanca to JFK who raised his hands up into the air and prayed several times... it didn't really bother me but I did wonder why he couldn't wait til he got home? Why did he need to do it on a very crowded airplane? I tend to believe that religion is personal and that religious acts or whatever are better off in a more private setting.

Maybe prayer eases his nerves? Like Mrs. Z, I pray and recite quran when the plane is taking off and landing. It calms my nerves and sets a positive tone for me for the flight. I'll also occasionally make dhikr (using prayer beads) whenever the mood strikes me. If it strikes me on the plane, then I'll do it there. My husband read from his quran the entire trip to the united states because it's something he does a lot anyways, and it kept him occupied for the 30 hour trip.

If religion is something private for some people, then by all means, keep if private yourself. But if someone wants to express it publically, then s/he should be allowed that.

The whole raising of the arms seemed a little much to me since he almost hit the poor girl next to him several times.

When I was Christian I prayed silently in my head to myself. That just seems normal to me.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

I saw a man once on my flight from Casablanca to JFK who raised his hands up into the air and prayed several times... it didn't really bother me but I did wonder why he couldn't wait til he got home? Why did he need to do it on a very crowded airplane? I tend to believe that religion is personal and that religious acts or whatever are better off in a more private setting.

Maybe prayer eases his nerves? Like Mrs. Z, I pray and recite quran when the plane is taking off and landing. It calms my nerves and sets a positive tone for me for the flight. I'll also occasionally make dhikr (using prayer beads) whenever the mood strikes me. If it strikes me on the plane, then I'll do it there. My husband read from his quran the entire trip to the united states because it's something he does a lot anyways, and it kept him occupied for the 30 hour trip.

If religion is something private for some people, then by all means, keep if private yourself. But if someone wants to express it publically, then s/he should be allowed that.

The whole raising of the arms seemed a little much to me since he almost hit the poor girl next to him several times.

When I was Christian I prayed silently in my head to myself. That just seems normal to me.

Well, there's certainly a difference between praying in public and endangering people with your prayers How about pray in your own personal space

[amal 4]

I saw a man once on my flight from Casablanca to JFK who raised his hands up into the air and prayed several times... it didn't really bother me but I did wonder why he couldn't wait til he got home? Why did he need to do it on a very crowded airplane? I tend to believe that religion is personal and that religious acts or whatever are better off in a more private setting.

Maybe prayer eases his nerves? Like Mrs. Z, I pray and recite quran when the plane is taking off and landing. It calms my nerves and sets a positive tone for me for the flight. I'll also occasionally make dhikr (using prayer beads) whenever the mood strikes me. If it strikes me on the plane, then I'll do it there. My husband read from his quran the entire trip to the united states because it's something he does a lot anyways, and it kept him occupied for the 30 hour trip.

If religion is something private for some people, then by all means, keep if private yourself. But if someone wants to express it publically, then s/he should be allowed that.

The whole raising of the arms seemed a little much to me since he almost hit the poor girl next to him several times.

When I was Christian I prayed silently in my head to myself. That just seems normal to me.

Well, there's certainly a difference between praying in public and endangering people with your prayers How about pray in your own personal space

haha ok, you pray in your bubble, and I'll pray in mine....DON'T CROSS BUBBLES!!! Personally...if a person wants to pray...GREAT! I don't see anything wrong with a person asking for a "safe flight" via prayer (outward praying or inward praying) ...... I see no harm in it...

let ppl live their lives as they want. if they are not harming anything or anybody.....what's the problem??? our own boredom? need something better to do?? it's sad really...

[Bosco 1]

haha ok, you pray in your bubble, and I'll pray in mine....DON'T CROSS BUBBLES!!! Personally...if a person wants to pray...GREAT! I don't see anything wrong with a person asking for a "safe flight" via prayer (outward praying or inward praying) ...... I see no harm in it...

let ppl live their lives as they want. if they are not harming anything or anybody.....what's the problem??? our own boredom? need something better to do?? it's sad really...

Exactly

I have never understood this mentality of projecting "what I do" onto other people. What's wrong with diversity?

[vartan 0]

Exactly

I have never understood this mentality of projecting "what I do" onto other people. What's wrong with diversity?

But you have to understand while you have the right to free speech the other individuals have the right to be offended... if you are doing something that may be offensive just dont do it on planes.. I am sure you can pray quietly without speaking out loud.. if I pray I am quiet.. and no one knows..

[noura 0]

Its called profiling. Thats the way it is in airports, especially when there are religious nuts out there that would have no problems killing everyone on board including themselves.

Dont like it?? walk!!

If I've passed through all the security checks, they've looked under my head thing, taken off my shoes, patted me down, dug through my backpack and purse, and taken away my hand lotion, then what's the need to keep me off the plane because my shirt has arabic or because I wear a head thing?

so i guess picking your nose and being an a$$ *is* something *you* do on a plane???

I'm reminded of a shirt I wore frequently in my college days. It's pictured below circled in pink On the back, it says FUNdamentalist. I think I'm going to have to dig through my husband's stuff and comendeer it back for awhile.

Its because ppl dont want with ppl wearing head thingies and chanting in some language...its not something you do on an airplane. Airplanes are for getting from point A to point B safely. Wanna chant, pray, kneel, bow, etc. do it at home or in some church...its not something we do in public and especially on airplanes.

Dont like it...sue em!!!

drive, walk, take a banana boat, ride a donkey, rtc....I dont care

[sarah and hicham 3]

haha ok, you pray in your bubble, and I'll pray in mine....DON'T CROSS BUBBLES!!! Personally...if a person wants to pray...GREAT! I don't see anything wrong with a person asking for a "safe flight" via prayer (outward praying or inward praying) ...... I see no harm in it...

let ppl live their lives as they want. if they are not harming anything or anybody.....what's the problem??? our own boredom? need something better to do?? it's sad really...

Exactly

I have never understood this mentality of projecting "what I do" onto other people. What's wrong with diversity?

Right, and diversity also means people of differing opinions, tastes, preferences etc. so some people are ok with it and some are not... that's diversity also.

[desert_fox 32]

bigots....hahaha..thats funny...not me

look up the meaning of assimilate please......I could care less what religion you belong to....just keep it private and do it in your home, church, synagogue, mosque, wherever,,,,but not on the airplane that Im on.

dont wanna be a part of our society, then Im sure that some other place would suit you better.

really, not you

How do you assimilate to America?

What behavior do you consider appropriate to being part of "our society"?

This is difficult to understand??

Maybe you want a job. You have some kind of skill that is needed. You show up groomed as a Westerner, appropriately attired. Dont show up with a cross, star of david, turban, etc for a job interview. You will be politely denied. Isnt this obvious??

Otherwise you are relagate to buying a 7-11 store or driving a cab in NY, assumin a passenget would want o get in.

[Bosco 1]

Exactly

I have never understood this mentality of projecting "what I do" onto other people. What's wrong with diversity?

But you have to understand while you have the right to free speech the other individuals have the right to be offended... if you are doing something that may be offensive just dont do it on planes.. I am sure you can pray quietly without speaking out loud.. if I pray I am quiet.. and no one knows..

Sure people have the right to be offended, but I disagree - that does NOT mean anyone needs to curtail their behavior. The rights of the offended, especially the easily offended, do not take precedent over anyone else's freedom. People are free to pray planes, silently or aloud, just as people are free to engage in conversation.

I see no reason why the sight of someone praying should be "offensive".

There are people that may find crying babies offensive, the language that someone talks in or the manner in which they talk. If we cater to the easily offended, they might as well hand out muzzles as we board the plane.

[vartan 0]

There are people that may find crying babies offensive, the language that someone talks in or the manner in which they talk. If we cater to the easily offended, they might as well hand out muzzles as we board the plane.

Good then no one would be offended.. But religion is a big one .. and you have to respect everyone else.. pray silently and no one will bother you .. pray out loud.. and you face consequences that may come your way..

Except that I am offended by muzzles

Edited August 22, 2006 by vartan

[UmmSqueakster 54]

This is difficult to understand??

Maybe you want a job. You have some kind of skill that is needed. You show up groomed as a Westerner, appropriately attired. Dont show up with a cross, star of david, turban, etc for a job interview. You will be politely denied. Isnt this obvious??

Otherwise you are relagate to buying a 7-11 store or driving a cab in NY, assumin a passenget would want o get in.

What does this have to do with flying while arab and/or muslim?

I'm a paralegal. I work at a mid sized firm in the business litigation department. I've sat in on meetings with clients, gone to trials and have other normal paralegally responsibility. I do all of this in hijab. I interviewed in hijab. I got this job in hijab. As long as one presents a profession image of themselves, if they accessorize or cover their heads, it shouldn't make a difference. Isn't it obvious that we're members of this society and that's that?

[sarah and hicham 3]

I think expecting no one, not one person to be offended, annoyed, angry etc. at someone praying out loud in public is asking a bit much.

I know everything thinks they should respect everyone so we shoudl recpect those who want to pray wherever whenever and to those who don't like it well why not respect what they want as well which would be keeping it inside. Not everyone can win. Is God going to be upset if you pray silently? I don't think so.

[ya falaha! 0]

What's so offensive about asking God to let you have a safe flight? So what if it's in another language.

[desert_fox 32]

muzzles would be very appropriate in this case then.

Dont mess with anything regarding the flying public right now...the pilot will divert the aircraft for any minor reason whatsoever in this day and age. Exercise your rights??...expect to make an unscheduled landing and you can explain for the next two days about your civil rights.

They can hold you 3 days without filing charges, and you will have no recourse.

I guess you have a civil right to tell them that you have a bomb with you too....see what that gets you.

[Bosco 1]

This is difficult to understand??

Maybe you want a job. You have some kind of skill that is needed. You show up groomed as a Westerner, appropriately attired. Dont show up with a cross, star of david, turban, etc for a job interview. You will be politely denied. Isnt this obvious??

Otherwise you are relagate to buying a 7-11 store or driving a cab in NY, assumin a passenget would want o get in.

Not sure what part of the country you live in, but I see turbaned, yarmulked, hijabed, dread-locked people in professional jobs all the time.

Arab-Americans in general are better educated and earn higher salaries than the the national rate. The Arab American population has a lower unemployment rate too. I guess the turbans and hijabs are not interfering the way you would like them to.