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CAIR Says New TSA Security Policies Target American Muslims

By Howard M. Friedman

Last Sunday, in the wake of the unsuccessful attempt to bomb an airplane coming into Detroit, the Transportation Security Administration announced that it "is mandating that every individual flying into the U.S. ... traveling from or through nations that are state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest will be required to go through enhanced screening." On Tuesday, CAIR issued a press release complaining that this policy

will disproportionately target American Muslims who have family or spiritual ties to the Islamic world and therefore amount to religious and ethnic profiling.... Under these new guidelines, almost every American Muslim who travels to see family or friends or goes on pilgrimage to Mecca will automatically be singled out for special security checks -- that?s profiling.... While singling out travelers based on religion and national origin may make some people feel safer, it only serves to alienate and stigmatize Muslims and does nothing to improve airline security.

CAIR said that a policy is needed that looks at behavior, not faith or skin color. Yesterday's Detroit News carried a column by CAIR's Michigan Executive Director, Dawud Walid, making the point at greater length.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 07, 2010 (boomark / email).