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Topic: Sikhs outraged by new turban search policy
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remind
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 6289
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posted 26 August 2007 06:20 AM
And the USA in its ever expanding police state have new policies in place to search Turbans and cowboy hats. quote:
The Sikh Coalition said Saturday it had been informed by the Transportation Security Administration that under its new guidelines, turbans could be subject to manual pat-downs even if their wearers had passed a metal detector test."Telling screeners to search people in turbans is the same as telling them to search black people or Arabs or Muslims," Amardeep Singh, executive director of the Sikh Coalition, said in a statement. "The policy allows screeners to single out travelers on the basis of their religion." The new headwear policy also covers cowboy hats and some berets, the Sikh coalition acknowledged. But it noted that the turban was the only type of mandatory religious garb, the mere presence of which could trigger a secondary screening at security checkpoints. "Since September 11, 2001, hundreds of Sikhs have been harassed, beaten, and even killed because of the association of their turbans and beards with terrorism," noted the coalition statement. "The TSA procedures put an official stamp of approval on this harmful stereotyping by the public."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070826/ts_afp/usattacksreligionsikhs
From: "watching the tide roll away" | Registered: Jun 2004
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bigcitygal
Volunteer Moderator
Babbler # 8938
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posted 27 August 2007 08:38 AM
quote:
Originally posted by marzo:
I don't think it is reasonable to compare the search of turbans to racial profiling.
How lovely that you don't think it's reasonable to compare the two. Sadly for you, however, racial profiling is what it is, no matter what you think is reasonable or not. Aww. quote:
Some men make a choice to wear turbans but nobody chooses their physical appearance or race-characteristics.
This phrase stems from the notion that nobody chooses their skin colour because of course if people could choose, they'd choose white. Buzzzz !! Sorry, wrong answer, but we have some delightful parting gifts for you. People aren't targetted because of the colour of their skin. People are targetted because of racism. Please read that last sentence until you get it. Oh, and if you tried to say "Because a woman choose to wear a skirt she should expect to have her legs and ass grabbed by men", in other words, she should expect to be a target and to be mistreated, I don't think you'd get too far. quote:
The article doesn't say whether men with turbans are being required to remove them and seemed to suggest a manual pat-down to feel for suspicious bumps. I don't think anybody should be mean or unfair to these guys on the basis of their fashion choice,
(bold added by me)If you don't get how offensive it it to speak about a religion in such a way, then I'm not sure anything I say will help. Needless to say, this type of comment is right at home on a site like FD. quote:
but it does seem that a turban could be a place to hide something.
You're right! It is! Look at Martha's friend hiding illegal substances! Arrest him! quote:
I don't understand those guys with their 'holiness hats'. I don't understand why this should be essential to their philosophy and it seems like the issue of 'sacred turbans' causes a lot of fuss and bother.
If anybody thinks I'm being unfair to those guys, sorry, but when it comes to people making a fuss over 'holiness costumes' I just feel like 
I've found recently on babble there's been a shocking and disturbing disrespect for organized religion. I say this as someone who was spared being raised with any organized religion, (I thank the goddess of cats everyday for this  ) and as someone with a huge feminist critique of most patriarchal-based organized religions: mono-, poly-, and pan-theistic. Although that does not include all organized religions, of course. I see a huge difference between mocking/critiquing christianity, the religion with cultural and colonial dominance in Canada, with a long history and present of vicious genocide on this land, and respecting religions of people who are marginalized in Canada from various racist systems which include being racist against the ways that non-christian religion is expressed either on different days than christianity or with clothing/head coverings that differ from mainstream white christian society. And there is also an argument to be made for respect for non-fundamentalist christians on the left who advocate for social justice issues and who don't deserve to be lumped in with the right-wing fundies, but that would be thread drift. There are huge cultural significances to organized religion (chritian and non-christian) for communities of colour. "Going to church/temple/mosque" means so much more than the mean-spirited "worshipping the spagetti monster in the sky" and "holiness costumes" language that gets bandied about on babble at times. Religion can be a way to be with community, feeling a sense of inclusion, even as these same institutions are exclusionary and problematic in other ways. Non-christian queers for example, can find great meaning in their religion while simultaneously having tremendous critiques of it. work for change within it, etc. The PTB have waited for this moment in history, when state actions that have always happened can now be seen to have legitimacy and can be spoken of as if they're real, by folks on the left, like marzo's "but it does seem that a turban could be a place to hide something". So's a white man's briefcase, but you won't see that law any time soon.
From: It's difficult to work in a group when you're omnipotent - Q | Registered: Apr 2005
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marzo
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 12096
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posted 27 August 2007 04:49 PM
Bigcitygal wrote:
"buzzz! We have some parting gifts for you..."
blah, blah, blah...Sorry to hear that you hate me, but I think it's just not worth getting mad about... [ 27 August 2007: Message edited by: marzo ] [ 27 August 2007: Message edited by: marzo ]
From: toronto | Registered: Feb 2006
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