Last night on AMC, I caught the last few scenes of the film True Lies with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis. What blew my mind was not so much the explosive climactic action scene with Ahnold in the cockpit of a US Marines jet fighter, trying to save his daughter who's hanging off it by a couple fingers over the streets of Miami while a terrorist comes at him from the back with a machine gun and a knife ("You're fired!")
I just couldn't believe that the terrorists in the film were conspicuously Middle Eastern! Not blond-haired, blue-eyed Swedes like I could have expected. I forgot that a world in which people called a spade a spade (usually) actually existed not that long ago! Furthermore, I found out James Cameron was the director. And he's definitely no conservative. I doubt any upcoming films will have similar casting or plot, and Cameron will never cast such villains again. However, such a depiction could not be more relevant in a post-9/11 world.
In fact, on August 30, authorities arrested two Muslim men after their United Airlines flight from Chicago landed at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. Yemeni citizens Ahmed Mohamed Nasser al Soofi, currently living in Detroit, and Hezem al Murisi from Memphis, were suspected of "a conspiracy to a terrorist criminal act." As of September 1, they have been freed from all wrongdoing. However, some of the details of the case still seem fishy.
Al Soofi went through extra security at the Birmingham airport in Alabama because of bulky clothing. Authorities found $7000 on him, but he was cleared to fly to Chicago. Then, while the FBI maintains they don't know each other, both men missed their flight from Chicago to Dulles, and United put them on the same one to Amsterdam. However, al Soofi's luggage went without him to Dulles, which raised concerns with US authorities.
Customs officials called back the plane from Dulles to Dubai and searched al Soofi's luggage, where they found some strange things: watches taped to an empty shampoo bottle, a cell phone taped to an empty Pepto-Bismol bottle, and other watches and cell phones taped together. Officials have said that box cutters and knives were eventually found in the luggage of both men.
While it's not illegal to carry those items in a checked bag, and while there was no evidence of physical explosives per se, it's still a bit strange. Although reports now coming out say that Yemenis often travel this way, to make sure their stuff stays together in transit, they should probably not be allowed to do so for security reasons. And if it is common practice among Yemenis, wouldn't authorities be more aware? These guys can't be the first two from that country to have their bags searched. Also, if there is a pharmacy shortage in Yemen, why would you bring empty bottles? And why pack knives and box cutters? I'm sure they probably have those where they're going.
While the authorities believe this was a false alarm, and though I'm glad they took action, I'm still a bit concerned by the details. I also fear that this incident may be fodder for the left's claims that not all Muslims are radical and that they're being wrongly profiled. Scarily enough, considering the Air Marshal's legitimate concerns, they got further than they should have in post-9/11 airports.
It's fortunate that we're not now lamenting the deaths of 200 people vaporized over the Atlantic, although it's certain that some people in this world would celebrate such a thing. If it had been a large-scale tragedy, you can be sure that Obama would express his condolences with a disclaimer: "While our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families, let us remember that we should not paint Muslims with a broad brush. Remember, in America, everyone has the right to practice their religion and to be treated equally. More dangerous are those racist religious fanatics who attended Glenn Beck's rally last weekend. Did you notice that the majority of them were white Christians?"
Though this may have been a false alarm, we must be ever-vigilant. Islamic extremists are still plotting ways to kill thousands of Americans. And for those who maintain that this group is a very small minority of Muslims, what comfort does that give anyone when they're so organized and streamlined and committed to their cause? That small, practically harmless minority killed over 3000 people on 9/11 and has kept the Iraq and Afghanistan wars going for years!
The self-righteous warnings against Islamophobia that Obama and the left direct at the American public are absurd and offensive. How dare they lecture us on the importance of religious freedom and respect for different cultures! They should instead blame those who have caused so much of the recent strife in the world, who often seem to be Middle Eastern. Maybe when pigs fly. Jihadists would love that, right?
Rob Stanley is a guitarist, recording artist and creator of Rockanomics.com - http://www.rockanomics.com, a leading online community for conservative news, new music, political opinion, pop culture interests, and career building resources. For more information on this article, to read others like it, and to experience our dynamic community, visit http://www.rockanomics.com/public/389.cfm
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