Blog Hill

Friday, August 11, 2006

A Word on Profiling



Profiling, hey?

I'm all for it.

If a guy comes through the airport in hollowed out shoes, a copy of the Q'uran with bomb-making instructions printed in the back and his name is Mohammad Almutadi, then I think it is "fair enough" to bar him from boarding the plane.

On the same token, I have no problem with security taking their time with me because of my Middle Eastern sounding name. If they do this, then I can rest assured in the knowledge that security is good.

What do you think of profiling as a security measure?

posted by The Borg at 8:01 AM

4 Comments:

  • I truck no beef with profiling.

    But I'm a white Anglo male, so what I think doesn't count.

    By Blogger RodeoClown, At 8:55 AM  

  • Kind of a side issue but what I find more interesting is how Islam is treated.

    Some people treat Islam as if it is an inherently dangerous religion, that the religion itself teaches people to commit horrific acts of war against other peoples. These people are right.

    It sounds horribly un-PC, but the simple fact is this: the Muslims that literally wage war on non-Muslims are the one following their religion most accurately. Let me make one thing clear: there are plenty of wonderful peaceful Muslims around. However, they're what you'd call "liberal".

    The idea that Islam is a peaceful religion is a myth. The rumour that the word "islam" means "peace" is also a myth. The word actually means "submit", that myth gets propagated because some Muslims say it does when they really mean "Islam means peace because following the Sharia law will lead you to peace".

    If you think I'm being all judegemental and right wing, you (a) probably don't know me very well and (b) probably don't know much about Islam.

    As for how this applies to profiling, well, then it gets tricky. Like I've said, there are plenty of lovely Muslim people who would never hurt a fly, and just want to follow their god in a peaceful manner (and I don't doubt their faith), so we don't want to judge these people based on the fact there are Muslims who do follow all of Islam. However, it's fair enough to consider an orthodox Muslim a security risk.

    How you balance that... well I don't know. Glad I don't have to make the decision about that ;)

    By Blogger Swil, At 8:59 AM  

  • I'm also white and anglo, so I don't have any problems really. Although I have been stopped three times at baggage x-rays to have my hand luggage checked for bomb residue. Maybe it's my hairy eyebrows.

    But on the whole I think if profiling stops more planes being blown up or crashed into buildings, then fair enough. Still, it would suck for people of Middle Eastern appearance who get searched every time they get on a plane.

    By Blogger Angus, At 10:41 AM  

  • Iraqi insurgents kill key US ally

    President Bush endorsed Abu Risha on a recent visit
    A key Sunni ally of the US and Iraqi governments has been killed in a bomb attack in the Iraqi city of Ramadi.

    Isam means peace? Then what does peace mean?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At 6:24 AM  

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