The Grounded Imams

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The Grounded Imams

Posted by Dean Barnett | 3:09 PM

In his brilliant new book, “America Alone,” Mark Steyn offers a brief but insightful commentary regarding the terms “Homophobia” and “Islamophobia.” Homophobia, Steyn argues, is a misnomer since there are few people who are actually afraid of homosexuality and homosexuals. Sure there’s a handful that actually are, but most people labeled homophobes (or those "correctly" labeled homophobes, anyway) are people who dislike homosexuals because of bigotry. Islamophobia, on the other hand…

Anyone who’s made a habit of watching world events the past five years has had good reason to develop a healthy fear of Islam. When Islam makes the news, it’s usually because one of its adherents has blown himself up in a pizzeria, beheaded a newsman or crashed an airliner into a skyscraper.

We can bewail the fact all day of how unfair this is for the Muslims who want no part of such activities. We can even insist that the people doing these things represent a tiny fringe minority of the worldwide Muslim population. If we’re going to say that, though, we might also acknowledge that if they had free elections in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Jordan, Syria, Iran, etc., all those countries would find themselves with duly elected governments that don’t share our revulsion over sawing off an infidel’s head while screaming “Allah Akbar.” Regrettably, the John Esposito “jihad is merely yoga while facing Mecca” view may have swept the American Academy but has yet to catch on like wild fire in the Middle East.

I KNOW I’M LATE TO WRITING ABOUT this, but I still can’t think about the incident with the flying Imams last week without getting angry. The more you consider the facts, the more apparent it becomes that the Imams were serving as provocateurs. As everyone knows by now, shortly before the Imams boarded their plane to Los Angles, they gathered at the gate in Minneapolis to do their evening prayers while offering a surfeit of Allah Akbars.

It is inconceivable that the Imams were unaware that their prayer ritual would scare the stuffing out of their fellow-passengers. Since we know that Islamophobia is actually a fear and a not particularly irrational one especially when boarding an airliner, the Imams were at best insensitive.

But when you consider the facts that a few of the Imams requested extra-long seatbelts (that they didn’t need) and engaged in a loud dialogue condemning America’s role in Iraq, it’s obvious that the Imams had mischief on their minds. For whatever reason, they deliberately intended to unnerve the plane’s other passengers. One can only wonder, to what ends? Would they really get such a kick out of making the other passengers terrified for four hours? I know Shar’ia doesn’t allow much in the way of fun, but that seems kind of desperate.

Or were they, as seems more likely, trying to make a political statement? Were they trying to show just how bigoted and backwards Americans are? Just because four planes crashed as their hijackers screamed “Allah Akbar!” five years ago, suddenly everyone who says “Allah Akbar” while flying becomes suspect in the eyes of the typical American rube. It’s not fair. After all, a Roman Catholic could make the Sign of the Cross before eating his airline-issued Animal Crackers and no one would look twice.

ONE OF THE REASONS MANY AMERICANS remain unnerved by flying Muslims five years after 9/11 is that Muslim Community leaders have done little if anything to assuage the fears born on that day. Indeed, in my hometown, the Islamic Society of Boston had on its board terror supporters including the notorious “moderate” sheikh, Yussaf Al-Qaradawi. Also in the Boston area, there is a disturbing story about moderate Muslims being intimidated by the radicals in their midst.

On the national level, there is of course CAIR. The less said about CAIR, the better.

It’s sad that all Muslims fall under the same blanket of suspicion. But surely the peaceful moderate ones understand why that’s the case, and why it has nothing to do with bigotry and everything to do with their countrymen’s desire for self-preservation. It would be great if some American Muslims stepped forward to denounce the Imams’ attempt to provoke instead of wrapping themselves in the CAIR-approved cloak of victimhood.

It’s been a week. I’m still waiting.

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