I’m Muslim, should I be racially profiled?

Question

What is the general consensus? As a Muslim, should I be subject to greater scrutiny to assure my fellow Americans of their safety, or are my freedoms, protected by the Constitution and Bill of Rights more important to protect?

What should be my reaction, should I comply or defy?

I feel that I would be remiss if I were not to challenge a presumption of guilt, not for myself, but for those unable to do so. My situation (financial, education, etc) allows me the ability to effectively challenge profiling….something that I have done successfully.

America is great because of our freedoms and Iike a muscle (pardon the analogy), unless you exercise it, it becomes weak.

Some have suggested that I should comply because I have nothing to hide, but I feel that is precisely the reason I should not comply (btw, the result is not jail).

I understand those that support profiling, but I can’t justify compromising the freedoms that we believe are inalienable under any circumstance, and isn’t one of the pretexts to the current war a protection of our freedoms…..for everyone??

Answer 1

Well, It's a pity it has come to this don't you think?

But because of a radical minority you are considered a high risk, as there is no way of knowing otherwise. I guess you have to blame those radical Clerics Mullahs and Mufti's who continuously preach hate, rather than the peace and goodwill that the Quaran is supposed to support.
You can take action, and until Muslims unite and rid the religion of these crapstirrers then expect suspicion.

Peer pressure is required by all Muslims to ensure they are once again accepted without suspicion. The way forward is to ensure Clerics, Mufti's and Mullahs are given some proper religious instruction and made to stick to the beliefs and not place their own ridiculous and biased interpretations upon the teachings of Allah. Get your politicians behind this not the religious leaders who sit back and let it all proceed without comment. or correction

These cranks are what is spoiling it for the majority of good citizens of a once respected and acceptanle religion.

Answer 2

You are a citizen and should have the same rights all citizens have regardless of your religious preference. Now that I have said the school book items, let me tell you about the reality. People don't trust people. Things used to be simpler many years ago...and the government is paranoid. In the past, you could ride a Greyhound bus from coast to coast without being harrassed by security or police. Now, you will definitely be searched at various places, especially Utah...the Salt Lake City bus station, and several others. Now, the government has the right to invade your home if they suspect you are a terrorist. They don't need a warrant, only a suspicion, or a hair up the wrong crevice...you are not the only one to receive greater scrutiny. I can see the day when everyone who has a different belief system from whoever is in the White House will be targeted for home invasions by our friendly neighborhood FBI agents, like my neighbors in Lodi a couple of years ago. Everyone can expect to have their Constitutional rights bent, spindled, or broken...anyone can accuse anyone else of something...and if the accuser is convincing, or in a position of power, tough luck, you no longer have any rights.... Welcome to reality! You truly are not innocent until proven guilty...this thing called presumption of the law or some other crock of lawyer jibberish makes it's own interpretation to benefit the one in charge.

Answer 3

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck... it's probably a duck. Are you denying that many terrorists in the world come from a Muslim faith.

We can compare it to old people and driving. It's a stereotype that they aren't good drivers, but it's based on fact. Should we not scrutinise them when they apply for a license? What if they went on to kill thousands of innocent people every year because they should no longer be on the road.

Should sex offenders not be watched closely? Statistics show that if they did it once, they're likely to do it again.

I'm not saying that the government should only watch Muslims, because they aren't the only group of people that has done harm. Maybe we should profile Catholic preists and Jewish extremists. Maybe we should profile racists. Maybe we should profile anti-abortion radicals.

I'm not too sure what you're worried about. If you're not breaking the law and you have no ties to extremism then you have nothing to fear.

Answer 4

It's a fad thing with American's and British.

First it was the french that were so wrong, then the British, the Africans had it way bad from a long time...now evangelicals that have leaders that get massages from prostitutes get to decide that muslims are next to be targeted.

Freedom = Oil, Oil = Money, Money = Power, Power = Take away other people's freedom = Use of otherwise rusting Military assets = Happy military generals for 5-10 years until their pants itch yet again.

Answer 5

You're fooling yourself if racial profiling doesn't actually occur on the streets, and with blacks specifically. However, even so, technically it is not happening at the airports either, with Muslims. Sorry you feel that way. I do hear a lot of people saying we should forget laws that prevent profiling based on race because of the fact you provided, that most of the terrorists are Muslim. Part of me agrees it is silly to let political correctness stand in the way of us from possibly preventing harm to American citizens, but I will survive. *My wife gets pulled aside nearly everytime we fly somewhere, which is pretty frequent, and she's not Muslim...although she is a quarter Cuban...Hmmmm....

Answer 6

That is a very good question. However to me the whole idea of racially profiling a person seems contrary to the Bill of rights. I really wish I had a good answer for you because it seems you would be damned if you do protest and damned if you don't. My bottom line, I suppose is if you are not guilty of any crime and the authorities do not have anything to hold you on other than your physical appearance, you should officially log a protest. Good luck with that. I hoped you are never faced with this issue in real life.

Answer 7

yes only because most terrorist attack are committed by people that have these traits--Muslim--96.6% are male, middle eastern or north African , 16-40 in age(something like that) , sorry to sound racist I'm not really. just not into being politically correct by ignoring a person at a check point that fits profile of group --while cavity searching a drooling vegetable in a wheelchair. its stupid , i think should be random checks with profiling allowed. we (non Muslim)also have lost some rights(privacy) and also have to pay in taxes and fees for all this extra security, look at oil prices, partly to do with Muslim extremist threats. if i were you i would comply, even though i would not like it either id be more mad at the 3rd world savages that caused this.

Answer 8

I don't know you, you don't know me.
You may not wish to tell me how you truly feel so I'll tell you how I feel.
But I have to ask, how do you feel about the Muslim extremists that are giving your religion a bad name?

If you think they are wrong then you should speak out against their actions.

But if you agree with them and truly think that everyone should convert or die then YES, you should be profiled. What about my freedoms?

If yours is truly a Religion of Peace then prove it by calling out to all your brothers and asking them to stop the killing.
If you don't then I would simply assume that you too are willing to die for your cause and if you are, then maybe you and yours should be accomodated.

The world continues to wait.

Answer 9

It's important to remember that if you are a peace-loving muslim, that this profiling, while an inconvenience to you unfortunately, is as much to protect youe life from some other radical muslim -mascarading as a peace-loving muslim.....but with a bomb under his shirt.
I don't want that guy to blow ME up.
I don't want that guy to blow YOU up.
He doesn't care if he blows us BOTH up.
In fact he's counting on it.
Profile if you must.
Search You.
Search Me.
But by all means,
If you have to search EVERYBODY,
Search HIM!
I promise you it's nothing personal.
The bombers are almost always of middle eastern decent .
If it was up to you to find the bombs and save the lives of innocents, Isn't that who you'd be most careful to be sure and check out?
If the bombers were caucasian europeans or americans, I'd expect to be checked. I'd hope they checked every caucasian getting on my flight.
For my own safety.

Answer 10

You know I have lots of friends who are muslim...I even dated a muslim for a while. I think the muslims who wish harm on America are a very small minority. However, those in charge of security have no way of knowing who is who because the problem muslims have managed to blend in. There is no denying that it was muslims who caused 9/11 and make up al Queda. So I agree with the profiling yet I believe most would agree with me that muslims are not bad people.