Muslim Woman Denied Unopened Soda Can on Flight When Others are Given Unopened

a reply to: Answer

If she was Presbyterian, I guarantee it wouldn't be on every national news station, every online news source, the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, etc. etc.

No - it wouldn't. Kinda my point - sorry you didn't get that

I can see by some of your more recent posts you feel a little bit maligned. This thread isn't about the truth - it's about assumptions

Tahera Ahmad doesn't need for me or anyone else to rush to her defense. She's a grown woman, and can clearly look out for herself. Her story might be true exactly as she told it. Or, it may not have happened exactly the way she tells it, but she's being honest about her perception of the whole thing. Maybe she's working her audience big time. I'm pretty OK with any of those possibilities

This is a national story for more than one reason. The reaction is the bigger part of the story than the cause - which is why I got into this thread in the first place. Such anger...over an attention whore was it?

As long as we're all just guessing and going by what our guts tell us - the one thing that rings true for me is when she says that one guy told her: “You Muslim, you need to shut the .... up."

I've heard something very similar before - and more than once. People really are just that angry - and just that up front about their feelings. Even in public. Even when they're not anonymous

originally posted by: Spiramirabilis


This is a national story for more than one reason. The reaction is the bigger part of the story than the cause - which is why I got into this thread in the first place. Such anger...over an attention whore was it?

No anger here. It generally takes a lot for me to get angry.

If my posts come across as angry, that's a problem with emotions not translating well through text.

Others might be angry at her but those folks get angry about anything involving Muslims. Just as some people get angry about anything involving blacks, or Christians, or Jews, or women, or __________ (fill in the blank).

I'm annoyed that one person's story is being taken at face-value and being blown up into national headlines with no way to know if it's true. I'm also annoyed that people are using this story to boycott the airline.

This sort of thing has happened before... remember the woman who tried to sue Wendy's for the finger in her chili? There's no telling how much money Wendy's lost off of that fraudulent nonsense and you STILL hear people say "remember when that lady found the finger in her chili?" The media went nuts with the story but hardly bothered to report the fact that the lady was found to be a total fraud. People remember the finger, they don't remember that it was a fake story.

originally posted by: reldra
Now, that was one of the most offensive and poorly written internet 'magazines' I have ever seen. The other passenger is anonymous. We don't even have his name. We do have Tahera Ahmad's name, at least. The article goes on to say she has connections to the Muslim Brotherhood and another article on the same site says she has connections to terrorist (spelled that way, apparently she is connected to one unnamed terrorist?) There are zero sources in these articles on this website (and I use the term articles lightly).

There are plenty of other sites that list the same post, and the same information ob her. That info is correct, by the way. So, we have an activist, with a poor;y thought out BS story, and no evidence to back it up, and we have someone else, who even names her seat number, but doesn't post his name online for ISIS people to come after him. You believe who you want. I'll stick with the truth.

originally posted by: LadyGreenEyes
So, we have an activist, with a poor;y thought out BS story, and no evidence to back it up, and we have someone else, who even names her seat number, but doesn't post his name online for ISIS people to come after him. You believe who you want. I'll stick with the truth.

Why would ISIS go after them?

Are you linking this woman with ISIS? If so, how have you made that link?

originally posted by: Answer
I'm annoyed that one person's story is being taken at face-value and being blown up into national headlines with no way to know if it's true. I'm also annoyed that people are using this story to boycott the airline.

OK (and I wasn't jumping on any bandwagon btw, its simply how posts in this thread have read to me) - but isn't it the same with alot of media these days? People use su#ch stories to shove their own personal bias down others throats (from both sides).

I have, however seen similar discrimination directed towards muslims. I have read posts on ATS that were broadly similar. Such events do happen. Its an uncomfortable truth of the world we live in.

Its odd because I posted a thread a while back about discrimination against women, and it garnered the same specturm of reactions.

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

I'll stick with the truth.

What's the truth??

a reply to: Answer

So, you're not angry - just annoyed?

:-)

I'm sure you're probably right - about the whole thing...

She faked the entire story. Everyone knows it's impossible that it happened the way she says it did

The airlines caved and apologized - because: Angry Muslims

The anonymous poster that all the respectable news outlets (!) are quoting remains anonymous, because: ISIS

Others might be angry at her but those folks get angry about anything involving Muslims. Just as some people get angry about anything involving blacks, or Christians, or Jews, or women, or __________ (fill in the blank).

Is that a caveat? OK then - some people might be angry. Some people might be angry because this story happened at all

Do you think there is any open hostility towards Muslims in this country? Any prejudice or bigotry?

I just deleted a few things, because (in all honesty) I don't want to be accused of putting words in your mouth. So - I'd seriously like to know your answer to those questions

Thank you in advance

originally posted by: Spiramirabilis

I think everyone understands the angle you're playing here. You want to paint any criticism of this woman's story as prejudice.

I'll say it again: you're no different than the folks who blame racism for any criticism of Barack Obama.

That is the biggest problem with turning everyone into a protected group. You can't offer criticism without your motives being questioned. Everyone is so worried about offending someone or being blamed for discrimination that they remain silent when they should speak up. It's turning our society into a bunch of wimps afraid to call someone out.

I'm not going to continue to address your points and answer your questions only to have you twist everything I say to fit what you think you know about me.

a reply to: Answer

I'm not going to continue to address your points and answer your questions only to have you twist everything I say to fit what you think you know about me.

Go back and read my posts - from the beginning. And try not to take it all so personally

As I've said more than once - this thread is not about the truth. It's about assumptions. I've read through this thread - twice. All the way - post by post...

It is absolutely fascinating - at least it is to me. We all pride ourselves on our critical thinking skills - do we not?

What is it you're afraid of?

originally posted by: Spiramirabilis
a reply to: Answer

I'm not going to continue to address your points and answer your questions only to have you twist everything I say to fit what you think you know about me.

Go back and read my posts - from the beginning. And try not to take it all so personally

As I've said more than once - this thread is not about the truth. It's about assumptions. I've read through this thread - twice. All the way - post by post...

It is absolutely fascinating - at least it is to me. We all pride ourselves on our critical thinking skills - do we not?

What is it you're afraid of?

I'm not going to continue to address your points and answer your questions only to have you twist everything I say to fit what you think you know about me.

Savvy?

a reply to: Answer

I'm not going to continue to address your points and answer your questions only to have you twist everything I say to fit what you think you know about me.

Savvy?

Yes - I savvy. You're not actually here to discuss anything with anyone that challenges your thinking or your position

Because - you don't have what it takes to defend your position? I don't actually believe that's true - but have it your way

Or, you could read through my posts - and try not to take them personally. I know you don't get angry, so I'm not sure what the problem is

This thread is as close as it gets to: Blue/Black or Gold/White Dress?

Everyone is so worried about offending someone or being blamed for discrimination that they remain silent when they should speak up. It's turning our society into a bunch of wimps afraid to call someone out.

I also see something else happening. I see people that over identify with their own clans. Whether that group leans right or left - it makes no difference. People are often more courageous in the face of adversity while defending their own clan than they are defending what they actually believe to be right

When it gets to this point, facts become not only unnecessary - they're treated like a threat

Call me crazy - but this scares the peehoodlies out of me

There were very few facts that came with this story. The story is not the story - it's the reaction to the story. It's not about the can of coke

I'm sorry you weren't a little braver

originally posted by: Spiramirabilis

Yes - I savvy. You're not actually here to discuss anything with anyone that challenges your thinking or your position


I'm sorry you weren't a little braver

a reply to: Spiramirabilis

Even short of being afraid of extremists most people are not going to want to be publically associated with an incident like this either to confirm or deny the story. The same way people would be reluctant to get involved in verbally defending the woman during the incident on the flight regardless of what happened. Regarding newsworthy events that's only going to get worse as more people realize the potentially horrible personal consequences of being associated with controversial events in the internet age. So, we're left with this woman's subjective account and an anonymous account that can't be vetted either and a media that is more interested in various agendas than in determining the truth.

originally posted by: Spiramirabilis
a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

I'll stick with the truth.

What's the truth??

Not what she's saying, that's pretty clear. Everything about her story is too pat. The person who she claims got a full can got alcohol, the person that supposedly yelled at her was doing so because she's Muslim, the flight attendant apparently had no training at all, and no one came to her defense, and she was, of course, perfectly polite. It reeks of made-up BS. Even the way she phrases what the guy who she claims yelled said isn't how people phrase things. The "shut the *bleep* up" would typically be before the insult, not after. Add this to not one single person corroborating her story, and you get a propaganda event. That is what she dies, after all. Remember the theater incident? She "knew" people were talking about her, even though she couldn't hear anything they said. More likely, she was staring at people, and that caught their attention. She is no more believable than a HS kid faking a racist attack by planting evidence. Remember that case?

a reply to: DelMarvel

Can't argue with a single thing you've said

You've pretty much allowed for all possibilities - and dismissed nothing. You did it without bashing a single person - except the media

And they pretty much have that coming

:-)

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

I asked you - what's the truth?

Do you know?

originally posted by: Spiramirabilis
a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

I asked you - what's the truth?

Do you know?

Do you? I know a lie when I hear one. She lied. And that's the truth.

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

This whole time - I kept thinking you would (eventually - finally) admit you don't know

:-)

No - I don't

a reply to: reldra

Unopened or not shouldn't matter. I was shocked we were given cans at all on a flight in October 2001. They were opened, they were beer, and we made sure to have at least one each in hand all the way to our destination.

Sure, maybe it was just an excuse to get (manure)faced by the time we got to our destination, but those cans are far more dangerous empty and torn in half than they are full. Fists are already blunt objects, who needs a can? Our plan was to reach have 2 razor sharp half-cans if the # went down (and our belts, and the air-phone cords, etc.)

Airplane cabins are full of weapons. Thank God terrorists have weak imaginations, no access to Hollywood action-hero movies, and have obviously never seen Macgyver (oddly, my 2nd Macgyver reference on ATS in 2 days.)

ETA: I meant it shouldn't matter in terms of whether they should be scared of the big bad tewwowists. Regardless of the stupidity of what constitutes a weapon, their discrimination deserves ridicule, though their punishment is already being fulfilled (living lives full of irrational fear.)


ETA II: ugh, I didn't read deep enough before posting, and so now that I realize this story is questionable, I need to add to all of the above "if this is true and really happened, then..."

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

You're lying.