This is the latest YouTube video that’s making news in Canada:
A few thoughts cross my mind:
- Does this shaky spy-cam action and rock music show anything other than the film-makers bias?
- Why does this paranoid bigot feel the need to film a check-in gate?
- And does this not worry airport security more than a family of travellers who have already passed the main security gates?
- On a related note, what’s the real, scientific explanation of why we feel this need to see faces? We know people are very easily deceived, so what does seeing someone’s face actually accomplish?
- If they are not who they say they are, won’t getting through customs in England be quite a bit more difficult?
- Why question the gender of one of the passengers other than to suspect that most Muslims are terrorists?
- If this “error” was so egregious, then I guess we must just be lucky that these veiled “women” didn’t use this opportunity to strike with plastic knives and bring down the plane. Or of course, there is no real need to be any more secure at the gate other than to ensure that people paid for their seats.
And while I deplore Islam and its brutal subjugation of women, ignorant accusations like this do nothing to help bring peace and freedom to the victims.
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Heya Ian,
Obviously, this is being exploited by people who just have a hate on for the “terrist ferr’ners” and pretty much destroying any useful discussion, per http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIzivCJ9pzU
That being said, a few thoughts:
– Last few times I flew, they didn’t check my ID until the gate (they just checked that I *had* a ticket). That’s when they check this stuff.
– These women(?) did go through x-ray and metal detectors, so it’s safe to say that they didn’t have any more weapons than anybody else.
– The positive ID is important to ensure that, for example, a blacklisted terrorist isn’t boarding the plane incognito. Or fleeing the country, or whatever.
– Thanks to that terahertz radiation you like so much, even a niqab won’t protect their modesty from the prying eyes of the CATSA soon enough.
– Our IDs currently don’t have an easily checked biometric other than the picture. Therefore, that’s what we use for positive identification (and why the hutterites have run into trouble).
– I’ve heard many discussions back and forth about the niqab and why people are obsessed with seeing the face. I think the thing that causes people trouble (outside of being “strangely foreign”), which isn’t the case with the head scarf, is that a lot of our interpersonal communication is based on the subtle facial cues. When you talk to someone with a niqab, I think you might as well be talking to someone on the phone (disclosure: I haven’t actually ever talked to someone with their face covered). Furthermore, it seems lopsided because they benefit from those cues from you. However, other than for Israeli-style emotional reaction based security, I think this is more of a sociological discussion and not an airport security one.
“- Thanks to that terahertz radiation you like so much, even a niqab won’t protect their modesty from the prying eyes of the CATSA soon enough.”
Actually, as far as I understand it, the rules are so nonsensical (as with most airport security regulations) that you can turn down the THz scan and instead get a pat-down. Don’t quote me though.
I would choose to go with the pat-down given the option. However, I don’t know how long they will let us get away with that.
And the US will be even worse. They STILL make you take off your shoes. Stupid security theatre.
Great post, Ian! One of the most sensible I’ve seen on this issue. A slightly different slant has also come to my attention, and that’s Baird/Harper’s cutting of Airline security inspectors positions as well – which of course wasn’t mentioned in the Con brouhaha! The Cons gearing up to ban Niqab in Canada no doubt. But I think you took it back to the source – what WAS this dude doing in the first place?! Obviously has some problems – & nobody else in print, except you seemed to catch that!
Just one more quick comment about part of your last statement – “I deplore Islam and its brutal subjugation of women” …. I have to take issue with this statement in that “deploring” an entire religion is pretty extreme, imo. Islam is actually very close to Christianity in terms of it’s teachings – all except that they think Mohammed was the latest prophet, who came after Jesus. They still accord Jesus an important place in their religion as one of God’s rare prophets on earth. And Christians & Jews are both called “people of the book” in Islam & are to be accorded respect. You are perhaps confusing normal Islam of the Koran with extremists who profess to act in the name of Islam, but in fact have no theological basis to do so. And who are as despised by normal everyday Muslims as Christian extremists who blow up abortion clinics are by normal average Christians. It is a very big mistake to confuse the religion & followers of real Islam with the Right wing crazy extremists, or to equate the two.
As to the “brutal subjugation of women” – again, very little of this is actually in the Koran. It is in SOME Hadiths – which are men’s interpretations of the Koran – often from 2 or 3 centuries ago. Muslim who are educated & aware do not practise subjugation of their women. Some CULTURAL practises have been linked, incorrectly, to the religion when in fact they have nothing to do with it. As usual, some men in power have taken the words of the Koran & re-interpreted them to maintain control of women – just as the Pope & Catholic Church have done for centuries.
It’s a huge topic, but I just wanted to comment on the last phrase. Thanks!
I deplore Christianity and every other religion that shuts minds and demands obedience (the very core of Islam is the idea of submission). If it’s just “culture” then it’s wrong. Islamic leaders don’t denounce genital mutilation, they don’t denounce honour killings. These aren’t uneducated Muslims, they’re Europeans and Canadians.
Putting faith above reason almost always leads to negative consequences. End the cultural relativistic bullshit and call a spade a spade.
Hell, even if you want to call them “cultural practices” they’re still WRONG, IMMORAL and ILLEGAL. Not all cultures are equal and such beliefs are poisoning the left.
I have to take issue with this statement in that “deploring” an entire religion is pretty extreme, imo. Islam is actually very close to Christianity in terms of it’s teachings – all except that they think Mohammed was the latest prophet, who came after Jesus. They still accord Jesus an important place in their religion as one of God’s rare prophets on earth. And Christians & Jews are both called “people of the book” in Islam & are to be accorded respect.
Hell, even if you want to call them “cultural practices” they’re still WRONG, IMMORAL and ILLEGAL. Not all cultures are equal and such beliefs are poisoning the left.
Hell, even if you want to call them â??cultural practicesâ?? theyâ??re still WRONG, IMMORAL and ILLEGAL. Not all cultures are equal and such beliefs are poisoning the left.