our government has gone completely insane

[winterbadger]

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/09/22/plane.diverted.stevens/index.html

An entire planeful of people had to be delayed for *SIX* HOURS because they needed to get a dangerous man like Yusuf Islam off the aircraft as soon as possible. And because "According to U.S. officials, he is an active supporter of Muslim charities." After all, he might sing at someone. Like the Syrian musicians in that transcontinental flight.

So, *ALL* Muslim charities are now considered to be "organizations believed to be aiding terrorism"? This is just crazy.

Comments

[mazzie.livejournal.com]

that was my initial reaction, too.
here's hoping it's actually more complicated than that.
i think it's funny, though, (and hope in my way that it's editorial satire) that the first song of his they mention is "peace train."

[kevinrtaylor.livejournal.com]

I'm flabbergasted:
Much more comment (here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/vatoengland/56418.html))

[motherwell.livejournal.com]

The question is, did the charities he supported contribute to any terrorist groups or actions? And if so, did Yusuf Islam know this? And even if the answer to both questions is Yes, there's still no need to divert his flight, since it doesn't mean he himself was a threat, and our cops could just as easily have detained him at Dulles as in Maine.

If anything, this action will erode public support for internal security measures.

[liatha.livejournal.com]

Oh but see... detaining him in Dulles would have put him far too close to the capitol, and been a potential risk that he could have done something to hurt the president.

*smirks*

Personally, I long ago lost any respect I might have harbored for this administration.

[winterbadger]

And even if the answer to both questions is Yes, there's still no need to divert his flight, since it doesn't mean he himself was a threat, and our cops could just as easily have detained him at Dulles as in Maine.


Agreed. That part of it, including the inconveniencing the otehr passengers, is just crazy, and makes me wonder whether the original mixed identity thing is up; was he mistaken for someoen much more dangerous? On the other hand, truly stupid things are happening right now (http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/09/21/flight.canceled.ap/index.html).

I'm looking at his webpage this morning (http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/index.shtml) and I notice among other things that he has started a charity of his own. And it has opened branches, among other places, in Baghgdad, where the government thanked him for the job training centre it sponsors... sounds like really dangerous work, there.

[curiousangel.livejournal.com]

As I understand it, he was tied to a specific organization [the Islamic Society of North America], but the story that provided that ID has now been changed to more generic "Muslim charities", so I don't know if that was incorrect, or if the ISNA threatened legal action, or what. I'm also too disgusted by the whole thing to spend a lot of time researching it. It seems obvious to me that this was meant to inconvenience Yusuf Islam, and it just seems too petty for words.

Real security issues need to be addressed, but things like this are just bullshit, and they're wasting time and effort that could be better spent in so many other ways.