Albuquerque Airport Blues
Uncategorized June 20th, 2007
As salaamu alaikum Sisters and Brothers.
I had a terrible experience yesterday at the Albuquerque airport. I feel that I was treated unjustly, and I am unsure of how to go about remedying this injustice. Please give me your advice.
It was about 8:30 am, and I was going through security after checking in. There were four security lines, and a man in a suit directed people into them in groups. Of the four security lines, one had a special extra security machine, with jets of air in an enclosed space like a telephone booth. I was placed in the line with the extra machine. In that line, passengers had to clear the air jet machine first, and then a normal security scanner. I watched the people in front of me go through the scanners. Soon, it was my turn.
First, I went through the air jet scanner. I was cleared to pass with no problem. After the air jet scanner (”the Puffer”), I walked through the normal scanner. Again, no problem. However, the TSA lady at the end of the normal scanner stopped me. “Take off your jacket,” she said. I took off my jacket, placed it on the belt, and walked through the scanner again. Still, I did not set the scanner off. I started to walk past the TSA woman. She said, “Wait, you have to be searched.”
I was pretty confused by this. “I didn’t set off the scanner,” I told her. The TSA lady blocked my path, and tried to usher me into a glass box where men with scanners were giving a man a body search. I stood still. My heart started to pound. I found the idea of being singled out to be patted down in public in a glass box horrifying.
“Please, don’t search me in public,” I begged the lady. She yelled across to the other security people “I need a private search!”, and my embarrassment turned to fear. I did not want TSA people to lead me away alone. Also, I was anxious about my baggage. As I watched my laptop, suitcase, shoes, camera and purse all cleared their scans just fine. They piled up as other people’s suitcases pushed out behind them. I watched Saurabh frantically trying to corral everything.
A security lady led me away, without letting me talk to Saurabh or put on shoes. She and another security lady led me into a plain little room, with a chair in it. My knees were shaking. One woman leaned against the door and inspected my passport, while the other woman told me to raise my arms. She searched me with her hands from head to toe.
“Why are you doing this to me?” I asked them. “It’s your headgear,” the lady standing against the door said. “Everyone who goes through the Puffer line with headgear like yours has to have a body search.” She made a sweeping gesture around her face, trying to indicated my hijab.
“We are trying to be respectful of you religious people,” she said. “We don’t ask you to take off your headscarves in public.” Now, I was really confused, and I felt like crying. I had many questions in my mind.
How is searching everyone in a headscarf being respectful? What kind of sense does it make that if you go through the Puffer line (with its extra scanner) in a headscarf, then you automatically have to have another search, independent of whether or not you clear the machines? Shouldn’t the extra scanner make the line more efficient, not less efficient? It would be faster to just pull the hijabis out of line at the beginning. But that wouldn’t be legal, would it?
“But I didn’t set off the scanner,” I said. Neither of the women replied. The other lady finished inspecting my legs, and told me to sit down in the chair. She searched my feet. “I did not set off the scanners,” I said again.
When the blond woman assured herself that my feet were not harboring weapons of mass destruction, she bade me stand. The woman blocking the door gave me back my passport. “Sorry,” she said. As I left the search room, I felt the stares of many people on me. I began to weep then, and could not stop for a long time.
June 21st, 2007 at 7:31 am
its ok dear sister,
i always pity these people:they dont know the value of islam and comfort and strength it gives us .
so dont give up my dear or feel bad. always remember that you are ALLAh’s massenger on this land,and its almost our fault that this is happening because we didnt show them the real beauty of islam .
and always be proud of your hijab ..its what makes you a real precious pearl!!
June 21st, 2007 at 1:40 pm
If you’re interested in remedying the injustice, several things come to mind:
1) Write your congresscritters. Petition the government for redress of grievances. I believe one of our Senators was on the no-fly list for a while; I’d expect some degree of sympathy. With enough gripes from constituents, I expect Congress to insert some sense into the TSA eventually, though it may also be that there will be some reform of TSA in 2009 even without congressional action. I expect a great many things to change in 2009, once !W is President.
2) I’m not aware of any existing lawsuits to challenge TSA policies, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some existed. You could join a class action suit if such exists (caveat: possible scam by unscrupulous lawyers) or file an amicus brief in a suit you cannot join (akin to 1), but with the courts rather than congress). I’m not sure you’ll have a real basis for a lawsuit yourself; you seem to have had better luck than many, which would make other potential cases a better avenue for court challenge.
3) Vote. Get involved in the Presidential campaigns. Visit New Hampshire and quiz candidates in public, if you have a chance. If anyone asks if you’re really from New Hampshire, you can be honest and tell them you’re from Iowa.
The rest of the country resents the tyranny of New Hampshire and Iowa, but you probably knew that already, and it’s really orthogonal to this discussion.
4) In theory, you could lend support to an organization that is opposing some of the excessive security procedures, but you would then end up supporting everything else such organizations do, and I don’t think they’re all honest about their agendas. Caveat emptor. I’d be more inclined to trust a secular organization such as the ACLU, but it’s ultimately your choice.
5) It admittedly does nothing to solve the problem on a larger scale, but if want to avoid the hassle and are willing to be a bit less assertive, you might gain less undue attention in airports with a more subtle (less recognizable, less stigmatizing) but equally modest form of head covering. I can understand if you’re reluctant to do this; you shouldn’t have to hide your religion. My next door neighbor does something similar, though, as a matter of habit, even when not traveling. One of the ironies of Islam is that while it’s mostly the men causing problems with other religions (with women only being involved in terrorism in Israel and Russia, AFAIK), Muslim men are typically far less recognizable as Muslims than are Muslim women.
6) Work to reduce the need for such security measures (many of which are admittedly excessive) by opposing terrorism and its advocates. To paraphrase rema, if I understand correctly, this land has seen much of Islam that is not beautiful. I would add that this is hardly the only land for which that is true.
6) Along similar lines, perhaps interfaith outreach activities might help you feel better while simultaneously improving religious tolerance in America. This is admittedly probably less of a problem in Boston than in some parts of the country; I’m not entirely surprised that Albuquerque is lagging.
FWIW, Sonia almost always gets flagged for extra screening, possibly because she has traveled under a passport from a Middle Eastern country, possibly because her underwire tends to set off alarms, possibly at random, though I confess to being something of a determinist when it comes to the TSA. I remember once when she and I flew together, we were both getting patted down at the same time in parallel security lines. She was getting felt up by a guy, and I was getting felt up by a woman. I shrugged; she was amused.
June 22nd, 2007 at 5:14 am
Here’s one approach taken under similar (worse) circumstances, combining several of the above approaches:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1181228568868&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
June 25th, 2007 at 7:14 am
Assalam Alaikum Sister,
I am saddened by what happened to you and my only advice is to remember the verse from the Quran: “And keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His Face; and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, and who follows his own lusts, and whose affair (deeds) has been lost” 18:28.
I visit Morocco everyday, and Iam amazed of the treatement Americans get at airport, hotels and by the police, … if only the people of this country could reciprocate.
Salam Alaikum Sister…and do not let that incident break you down. We are looking forward to your furure posts.
June 25th, 2007 at 8:57 am
I’m sorry to hear about your experience at the Albuquerque airport. Having you come to our wedding means allot to Pat and I and that your return trip was so terrible saddens me. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
June 26th, 2007 at 10:55 am
How awful for you. I don’t have original advice to add, but I keep pondering the meaning of what the security woman said, trying to make sense of it. I can think of two possible explanations:
1) What she really meant, but perhaps couldn’t or wouldn’t say without getting into trouble, was that everyone wearing a religious headcovering is automatically sent through the Puffer line, and then searched anyway - singling people out by religious association as possible security risks. It’s unfortunate but true that people are put into broad categories in the name of efficiency, and in such situations they tend to cast a wide net.
2) If I understand correctly, the Puffer device is intended to dislodge microscopic particles of explosive material from skin, clothing, and hair - much the same as those swabs of shoes and luggage work. So anything that covers the hair might be seen as possibly interfering with the sensitivity of the machine by blocking the puffs of air from passing through the hair. Since hair has a large, porous surface area but it cannot be temporarily removed, it would probably be considered a prime source of the dust they’re looking for. Though that makes me wonder if there are any special rules for people whose heads are bald.
June 26th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
carl raises an interesting point about head coverings possibly affecting the accuracy of puffer devices. Apparently Sikhs are having similar problems: http://indiapost.com/article/communitypost/417/
I’d be curious to learn whether people in less overtly religious head coverings (baseball caps, wigs, etc.) meet with similar scrutiny. I’m similarly curious how a nun in a wimple is treated.
June 26th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
As salaamu alaikum, Brothers and Sisters.
I appreciate so much all of the support and information that you guys have shared with me. Jazakum Allahu khair. May God reward you for your good deeds.
(At the moment, wordpress does not seem to want to let me reply to individual comments, so I’m going to reply in one fell swoop.)
Christine, it was a joy to come to your wedding. Thank you for inviting me.
Mark, your ideas about ways to respond are very much appreciated. I think I will go up to New Hampshire and ask the candidates about their views. I’d like to hire a nun to go through the Puffer line to see what happened.
Rachid, thank you for your encouragement, and for reminding me of the Qur’an. Your solidarity is heartwarming.
Carl, you are a good scientist.
Thank you both for your insight into the Puffer machine, and for your words of encouragement. I hope to see you at Sue’s upcoming wedding!
July 3rd, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Assalamu ‘alaykum,
First I’m delighted you have comments enabled. I wanted to send my salams to you for so long after I discovered you blog. Masha’Allah you have such a talent and gift for writing!!!
Second, methinks it’s their own petty way of ‘getting back’ at the Muslims. But subhanallah, the reward for your jihad in just being a Muslim in the face of injustice may be so great if Allah pleases.
I’m okay at scanners, but I get profiled because I went and studied in Yemen in 2002 and have a Yemeni visa in my passport. I have had some weird moments in Cork (Ireland) and Gatwick. *Sigh*, I feel like shouting to them “but I’m one of the good guys, the ones that work to end hatred and prejudice that leads to violence… you want to treat me well ya know.”
Subhanallah, we are tested by Allah when we say ‘I believe’, so may Allah protect and strengthen you, ameen.
July 16th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
my aunt the hajji always gets searched like that when she comes to the US. It is really upsetting, I feel for you sister. stay strong!
July 18th, 2007 at 9:48 am
Thank you! Your encouragement really helps. I wonder if keeping a stack of cards with the bill of rights printed on them and handing them out to people who are confused about freedom of religion would be of assistance to them. I’d like to think so, but I’m not sure.
July 29th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Stop your fucking whinning! We should do more profiling IMO! The hell with correctness and peoples sensitivities - get over it!
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Albuquerqueans and New Mexicans alike are usually pretty open minded and more gracious then the treatment you received demonstrates. I hope you’ve received more respect after this incident.
February 3rd, 2010 at 6:40 am
You have a very good site. I will be looking forward to more of your insights and have bookmarked it for future reference.