DAR AL HARB - U.S.A. - MINNESOTA: CAIR'S "JIHAD BY LAWSUIT" HARMS SECURITY

CAIR's 'Flying Imams' Suit Harms Security, Public Vigilance, Experts Say
Kevin Mooney
Staff Writer

(CNSNews.com) - Litigation threats against vigilant citizens who report suspicious activity could impede intelligence-gathering efforts and empower terrorists, counter-terrorism experts and security officials warn.

Exhibit A: A lawsuit filed against unnamed "John Doe" defendants who expressed alarm over the allegedly suspicious behavior of six Muslim imams on a U.S. Airways plane last November. The clerics were removed from the plane before the Minneapolis to Phoenix flight departed, as a result of multiple reports from concerned fellow passengers.

The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) is suing U.S. Airways and Minnesota's Metropolitan Airports Commission on behalf of the imams.

The suit, Shqeirat, et.al v. U.S. Airways Group, also cites unnamed "John Does" described as "passengers at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport who contacted U.S. Airways to report the alleged 'suspicious' behavior of plaintiffs' performing their prayer at the airport terminal."

CAIR attorney Omar Mohammedi has said the litigation only targets individuals who knowingly made false claims with the intent to discriminate against the imams, in contrast to those who made reports in "good faith." CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad has argued the suit is designed to protect religious and civil rights.

But Leon Laylagian, vice president of the Passenger Cargo Security Group, told Cybercast News Service the Muslims behaved in a manner that was "unusual regardless of religion."

Laylagian also said there was a very real possibility that the clerics' actions were a deliberate, planned tactic designed to diminish the public's motivation and willingness to respond when they observe unsettling or suspicious activity.

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Pertinent Links:

1) CAIR's 'Flying Imams' Suit Harms Security, Public Vigilance, Experts Say