An Air Canada Flagging

Hello Shahid, why should it make you mad? I think it should make you focus on your own short-comings.

At some place in time and history, maybe after community prayers, rhetoric cum whining like yours could have probably inflamed passions everywhere. Fair enough, you set out to achieve something, you use every tool at your disposal to achieve it.

But, in this day and age, on the Internet? Such an attempt to ``find answers`` when all you appear to be doing is to try to whine, maybe even to stir passions, this would not work outside the most crowded of temples or mosques in India now, for sure. Even the most illiterate of labourers would respond at you with a shake of the head.

All it takes is to try to read between the lines of your article. Nobody hassled you on the inbound journey, nobody hassled you on the car hire, and you continue to write freely. In addition, the number of air-passengers still moving freely, in Canada and elsewhere, well, that speaks for itself.

And now, to top it all, you choose to try to call another person`s viewpoint as foolish, dangerous and conjectures? Is this some sort of common ailment with media types with allegiances to ``The Dawn``, where any view other than that of the ruling diety is supposed to be heresy? What next, will anybody dis-agreeing with you also be called a ``Pakistani basher``?

Or was your article written as a Humour piece?

i thought these things happened in the US.

shahid #105 I see you cant stop whining even when trying to be funny - while I am sure YOU wish you had those ``equiline european looks`` you talk about, the fact is that the canadians let your parents in regardless of their lack of such looks.

shahid #111 So Ahmedzai`s post strikes you as being foolish and dangerous. Ha! ha! There is nothing foolish about what Ahmedzai has written. Indeed, it is quite inciseful, as I have pointed out in my response to his post below. I agree though that his post is dangerous - BUT only to you. Because it reveals the truth about individuals like you.

Couldn`t resist with my #111 comment (wink!)...had a bet with some collegues to see how quickly tahemd32 and veeresh would swoop in. You did me proud (and a little bit richer!!) guys!
Shahid

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Mr. Shahid: I appreciate your attempts at humor (you are good cartoonist, after all). I would appreciate even more if you were to stop ignoring the legitimate concern for airline security that has been brought to your attention by self and others. If you dont have a logical answer or rebuttal to criticism to your article, then as a mature adult you need to acknowledge that fact instead of ignoring it.

kkandk: Intent is impossible to prove, and on that count everyone is innocent unless proven otherwise. Nor I think is Ahmedzai or self or veeresh or anyone else raising issues of intent on the part of Mr. Shahid M. I think he just got carried away with what he perceived to be improper conduct on the part of the airline people and the affront to his dignity - but then I wish he would acknowledge that airline security has become a primary concern after 9/11, and the life and death of airline passengers is more important than disruptions to his travel schedule.

You raise an interesting point concerning the roots of the problem that cause hijackers to fly planeloads of people into buildings full of people. To find the answer, I think we need go no further than Master Harimau, the nobel prize winning Hindutva Apologist on chowk: when someone mentions the murder of innocent muslims in Gujerat, he comes running to remind the world that there is an explanation for the killing of muslim families, viz. this was revenge for Godhra. The roots of the problem therefore rest in a mindset that has no respect for human life - in other words, the mindset of the terrorist. Hindu or muslim it does not matter. The mindset is the same.

Next problem (homework assignment): how does one fix the root of the problem, (a) fight it the best one can, or (b) stroke it gently and say ``there, there, I understand, you are unhappy and need to kill a few mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters and husbands and wives and sons and daughters in order to feel better.``

RE: #19 - Tahmed32

TAhmed32... I have never criticized nor ignored the legitimate concern of airline security in the above account or in any of my postings. Why you think otherwise is really beyond me. In my last paragraph I very CLEARLY write:

``A procedure for APPEALING is what is needed here.``

Please note the word ``APPEALING`` - I DID NOT say we need a new procedure for ``security``. I have never said anything other than that and go on to say:

``It is then that the government can attempt to strike an appropriate balance between respecting the values of equality while also ensuring the SAFETY OF THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY.``

Please note SAFTETY OF THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY.
DOST-MITTAR has most eloquently summed up my ``intent`` in his many postings should you continue to misconstrue/misread me and/or my account.

SM

nb. I do appreciate the ``cartoonist-compliment``.

Okay time to find out what this fuss is all about. Cry baby or a typical Pakistani male?

I have a friend with a typical Pakistani last name, the guy travels pretty much every week national or international and every time he is identified for special frisking. He found out that he has a name similarity. Recently, his two kids 11 and 8 along with his wife were frisked and identified for special attention while they went on vacations.
I travel often, at least alternate weeks, and have never been frisked or identified for special treatment. Why? My name is so unique that all and sundry can’t have it. (Hint. Rhymes with Narejo on the other board.)

Recently, I had a couple of drinks at an airport lounge with a typical Redneck looking guy. Went thru the screening, that white chauvinistic male was thoroughly tested. The security gals commented and measured his balls with a measuring tape.
We met again; had some more drinks and he said “Man! They should have checked you out, you look like a ME man!
I said “True! But how often do they see plumbers trying to board a plane?”

Moral of the story: bad karma Shahid! Stop whining and get over it.

shahid: I think we have stated our respective views and it is better we agree to disagree rather than pretend we have the same view. You seem to think that in bumping you off the flight and not your wife the canadian airline staff had subjected you to unequal treatment. I think that you are fussing for nothing and that this is a small price to pay for airline security. After all, it wasnt 19 little old white ladies who hijacked the plane on 9/11, but swarthy totally non-equiline type fellows like you and me. And as HP says, they pick on redneck plumbers with bottoms showing above their pant trousers too. (And little old white ladies too btw, not to mention the senators, nicely suited business executives, mothers with children, and virtually everyone else who travels). This is the price we all have to pay as society struggles to prevent further hijackings (or shoe-bombings).

Now perhaps you can draw a cartoon of the incident and show us how you can take such things in a stride.

Hi Shahid/116, so now you are a gambling man too, not averse to the little flutter now and then? That`s good, so i do hope you take an unbiased view of matters pertaining to aviation security and figure out the odds there, too?

It is, eventually and always, a question of focus. If you are focused on getting uptight, that also. If you are focused on travel, that also.

And since we are discussing anecdotes, mine has to do with seeing the car in front of me with two dear old ladies being pulled over for intensive checking, while ours with two bearded ME gents was waved through.

Ref veeresh #123

[And since we are discussing anecdotes, mine has to do with seeing the car in front of me with two dear old ladies being pulled over for intensive checking, while ours with two bearded ME gents was waved through.]

You didn`t fall for that, did you, Veeresh sahib?

It is common practice at the gates of the airport to pull off people at random to do a final search before boarding. They always pull off blacks, Hispanics, any foreigners, etc. Just to be sure that they are not accused of profiling people by ethnic origin and have a multi-million dollar lawsuit on their hands, they ALWAYS pull off one elderly white male about 75 years of age and one elderly white female about 83 years of age. It is never a middle-aged or younger white business traveller who is searched gate-side.

Shahid,

Get used to the idea that you will be flagged on ALL flights in the future.

Here is something for you to ponder over when you are in a similar situation next time.

One day, President George W Bush was walking in a New York park on a holiday with his pet dog.

The pet dog suddenly became rabid and started attacking Bush himself.

A man who was sitting close-by on a park bench pounced on the rabid dog, fought with it and killed it to save the life of George W Bush.

Bush was appreciative of the young man and said, ``Thank you very much. You will become famous. All TV channels will flash the news `Young New Yorker kills dog to save Bush```. But the lad said, ``No. Mr. President, I aint a New Yorker``.

``So what?``, said Bush, ``They may say, ``Brave American risks life to kill dog and save Bush```. Again the man said, ``No. Mr. President, I aint an American``, for which Bush asked, ``Then what are you?``

The man said, ``I am a Pakistani``.

In an hour all TV channels flashed the news: ``Islamic Terrorist kills Bush`s pet dog, Hand of Osama Bin Laden suspected``.

;)

Ref mullah32 #118

Looks like you have been the legal adviser to this guy!

Godhra accused wants bail for sex
HARIT MEHTA

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2004 09:58:46 AM ]

AHMEDABAD: Lawyers come up with all kinds of arguments while petitioning courts for their clients` bail. But the application filed by Firozkhan Zafarkhan, an accused in the Godhra train carnage, counts high in originality — he wants to be released on bail so he can go home and fulfil his carnal desires.

The plea may sound strange but there is nothing immoral here — all the accused wants to do is to go home to his wife and enjoy conjugal bliss. In his two-page application dated August 18, Firozkhan has sought a 30-day bail.

Sources say Firozkhan had earlier made an oral representation before the court. ``However, on the instructions of the honourable court, I am giving a written application regarding the same,`` says the application.

The application is slated for hearing shortly. According to jail sources, the plea was to be heard on Monday but did not come up for hearing. The Godhra case is one of several Gujarat riot cases where the trial has been stayed by the Supreme Court.

Firozkhan, who has been in jail for the past 30 months along with 95 other accused in the Godhra train carnage case, claims both he and his wife are undergoing mental trauma because their physical needs have not been satisfied for a long period. ``Our religion prohibits sex outside marriage,`` he states in his plea.

He adds in his plea that establishing physical relationships with people other than one`s spouse is also forbidden in Indian culture.

Hailing Indian tradition, where ``women remain loyal to their parents as well as husbands``, Firozkhan, in his application, expresses gratitude towards women and calls them `Devi`.

Firozkhan was allegedly in the mob at Singal Falia which burnt the S-6 compartment of the Sabarmati Express on February 27, 2002 and has since been booked under Pota.

``Please grant me temporary bail for a period of 30 days or whatever you think right on humanitarian grounds,`` he says.

The accused has also requested the court to ensure that all expenses regarding this issue be taken care of. ``My financial condition is very bad and hence I have not engaged any personal lawyer,`` he states in the plea.

``I am sorry if inadvertently I have violated any law,`` he writes, stating that although ``law is above all emotions``, he would request the court to consider his case only on ``humanitarian grounds``.

Ref mullah32 #118

[You raise an interesting point concerning the roots of the problem that cause hijackers to fly planeloads of people into buildings full of people. To find the answer, I think we need go no further than Master Harimau, the nobel prize winning Hindutva Apologist on chowk...]

Yes, it is the Hindus who caused the planes to fly into the World Trade Center! We already know that the Mossad also had a hand in this! 9-11 was a Hindu-Yehuda conspiracy!

We also know that Harimau is a brahmin. That conclusively proves that Jinnah was far sighted in creating Pakistan!

You got anything else to say?

#117 kkkandk
Profiling is an absurd idea. Besides, for a while, they were letting first & business class passangers thru with the most cursory of searches in domestic US routes. The explanation was that the hijackers had economy class tickets! I see that they now have tightened up the searching of the biz class passangers somewhat but in many airports they still go through a separate line, which is odd since airport security costs are borne by tax payers. At any rate, there has been a certain lack of imagination on the part of the security people, with them only reacting to events. I mean if someone intended to hijack, what`s a few hundred dollars more for a first-class ticket? I also have seen as recently as 3 months ago, some passangers carrying coke bottles into the plane. I guess they won`t be banned until someone hijacks a plane with the help of a broken bottle.