10 - 16 January 2002
Issue No.568
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 10 - 16 January 2002 Issue No.568 |
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Racial or racist profiling?
Arab Americans, even when they are US President George W Bush's own bodyguards, are now being taken off planes
The forcible ejection of Arab, Muslim or even "Middle Eastern-looking" passengers from American flights has become commonplace in the wake of the 11 September attacks, reports Anayat Durrani from Washington. The most high-profile case so far has involved the removal of an Arab- American Secret Service agent from an American Airlines (AA) flight on Christmas Day last year. Airline officials and the agent's attorneys have swapped accusations since, both sides charging the other with misrepresenting the facts.
The incident relates to 33-year-old Walid Shater, an Arab-American Secret Service agent who was on his way to Crawford, Texas, to assume security duties at President Bush's ranch. Following the cancellation of his first flight due to mechanical problems, the armed agent, a seven-year veteran of the service, then boarded a second flight from Baltimore, Maryland, to Dallas. The agent was travelling on tickets purchased through the government travel agency.
After boarding American Airlines Flight 363 to Dallas, the agent as well as a few other passengers were asked to disembark so that additional security checks could be carried out. In the agent's absence, a flight attendant went to his seat and looked through his possessions, finding a book that she believed, according to the pilot's account, to have been written in "Arabic-style print." Attorneys for the agent said Shater is not literate in Arabic and that the book was an English language text called, "The Crusades Through Arab Eyes," that the agent purchased through Internet outlet Amazon.com.
Upon the agent's return, the pilot questioned his law enforcement credentials and claimed he had found discrepancies in the paperwork giving the agent the right to carry a weapon on board. The pilot said the agent "appeared nervous and anxious," and became "hostile" and verbally abusive when questioned about his credentials.
Attorneys for the agent provided a different account, arguing that he had been carrying his badge and ID with him at all times, was cooperative and behaved in a cool and professional manner throughout the confrontation. The agent provided White House phone numbers to the pilot but the latter refused to use them to verify the agent's identity, according to his attorneys. At one point, when the agent asked the pilot why he was not allowed aboard, the pilot said, "Never address me directly." The agent was then removed from the plane. After being banned, at first, from flying on AA, the agent was eventually allowed to travel to Dallas on the same carrier on the following morning.
There have been a number of cases where passengers of Arabic, South Asian, or generally Muslim background, have been removed from domestic and international flights because passengers and crew felt they were a threat to security. In a similar event, Republican Congressman Darell Issa, the grandson of Lebanese immigrants, was not allowed to board his flight because of his Lebanese surname.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations has reported over 160 incidents in which airline officials have used racial profiling against American Muslims since 11 September, but the exact number is believed to be much higher. Islamic advocacy groups have cited the incident involving the Secret Service agent as an extreme case in the increasing occurrence of ethnic, religious or racial profiling in security procedures since 11 September.
Federal aviation regulations state, "An air carrier or foreign air carrier may not subject a person in air transportation to discrimination on the basis of race, colour, national origin, religion, sex, or ancestry." US Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, a victim of Japanese internment during World War II, has been an outspoken critic of racial profiling. "All of us will face heightened security in the aftermath of 11 September, but the security and scrutiny must never become pretexts for unlawful discrimination," he declared.
American Airlines has sided with the pilot since, saying it believes he took the necessary precautions to protect his passengers from an armed individual who, they claim, became unruly during questioning. The agent claims he was a victim of racial profiling and believes his civil rights have been violated.
"The only reason why he was not allowed on that plane is because he is an American of Arab descent," said John Relman, a Washington attorney who represents the agent. "Pure and simple, this is a case of discrimination."
American Airlines describes the claims of racial profiling asserted by the Washington, DC. law firm of Relman & Associates as "frivolous." A statement issued by the company said: "American carries out its security obligations according to the guidelines provided by the federal government. Those guidelines are applied equally among all passengers, and the company vigorously resents any suggestion of racial discrimination." The pilot has filed a letter of complaint with the Secret Service.
Last week President Bush said he would be "madder than heck," if a government inquiry found the agent was mistreated because of his ethnicity. On Monday reporters asked him once more about the situation and he described the Secret Service agent as an "honourable fellow." He said he was awaiting the findings of the investigation but reiterated that if the agent had indeed been racially profiled he would "be plenty hot. That means angry."
Attorneys released a statement by the agent that said, "It has never been my desire to make this incident personal. This case is only about the facts. I love my job and I want to thank my fellow agents for all of their support. God Bless America."
The attorneys said the agent wants the airline to acknowledge that the pilot violated his civil rights. They are trying to make this case a landmark and will "try to get procedures and policies changed so pilots do not have unfettered discretion. It's not about money. It's about making sure this doesn't happen again when there is no legitimate security concern," said his attorneys in a statement.
As of now, the agent has not filed a lawsuit against American Airlines but his attorneys say he has not ruled this option out. If a lawsuit were filed, any damages awarded to the agent would go to the victims of the 11 September attacks, according to his attorneys.
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