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| India-Pakistan |
| Conform or fly jihad Air |
| 2006-09-02 |
| Original link no longer current By Prafull Goradia It's time Muslims looked at passenger profiling positively, in the interest of a safer world By lodging a protest with the Dutch Government over what happened on flight NW 0042 on August 23, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has made Indians of all genres possible suspects and therefore unwanted in the future. The MEA postures as if India has neither produced terrorists nor is wanting in experience in their barbarism. The Indian Government overlooked that every country in the world does not share the mentality that caused our own Foreign Minister to accompany three terrorists in a plane to Kandahar. Northwest Airlines as well as the Dutch Government had every reason to take abundant precaution. It was an expensive precaution in terms of money and time lost in flight disruption, as well as goodwill lost. All these costs far outweigh the inconvenience caused to the 12 irresponsible Indians. Now, by alleging "racial profiling", the MEA has added blunder to bloomer. A country cannot aspire to be a great power and at the same time carry such a baggage of inferiority on its sleeve. Why did Northwest Airlines sell tickets to doubtful passengers? This is the question uppermost in the minds of all right-thinking air travellers. True, there have been any number of hijacks in the past. But after jihad was declared on 9/11, the airlines have no business to sell tickets to all and sundry. Once a hijacker or two boards an aircraft, it is difficult to prevent a mishap. That experience led to the introduction of a security check on every passenger before he boards. Instruments were introduced, handbags began to be screened and later check-in baggage also went under the scanner. But even after all this, hijackings couldn't be prevented. The biggest success achieved by any Government in preventing a terror strike was the British authorities blowing of the plan to plant liquid bombs in a dozen aircraft in mid-August. After this, the hardening of stance was inevitable. The obvious - which was somehow avoided all these years - was taken up. It was decided to check the antecedents of a buyer before selling him an air ticket. Since terrorism today is largely a monopoly (with notable exceptions in a few pockets around the world) of jihadis, the policy of all secular airlines should be to avoid these people. A suggestion has been made in Britain that all its law abiding Muslim citizens should be issued pink cards so that they can be treated like normal citizens and serviced easily at shops, trains, buses and airports. Those who don't qualify would have to depend on the discretion of the authorities. Some people have come up with an idea for having a separate airline exclusively for Muslims - Jahaaz-ul-Islam is the provocative name given. This should not be confused with apartheid. The South Africans segregated on the basis of colour and reserved 80 per cent of lands for people with white skin. But this suggestion is merely to induce law abiding citizens to actively volunteer in the war against their violent brethren. There are terrorists in Japan. The Tamil Tigers are well known. JVP rebels had terrorised Sri Lanka and memories of the Khalistanis are still fresh. The ULFA and the Naxalities are often more ferocious than the jihadis. All these groups must be treated with the same ruthlessness that is deserved by the Islamists. The jihadis, however, stand out in several ways. They enjoy near monopoly in the business of plane hijacking ever since they took an El Al plane to Entebbe airport in Uganda. Their activities have spared no one, even the Australians have targeted. The world map of jihad includes Sydney, Bali, Jakarta, southern Philippines where a secessionist movement is being sponsored by them, Xinjiang province in China, the Thai region of Pattani, Sudan, Chechnya, what to talk of West Asia, India and Europe. Spain was sufficiently tormented by Islamists to withdraw its troops from Iraq. In short, jihad has covered all five continents. In order to combat this huge killer machine, Governments should be ruthless and unhindered by spurious political correctness. No Government should restrain its administration or its law enforcement agencies in the mission to defeat international jihad. This message is all important to the Indian Government. Even the law-abiding sections have their problems, Islam is believed to be a divine entity whose eternal message is to attain a majority among all humanity before doomsday. In Mishkatu'l Masabih, book xiii, Chapter 1, Prophet Mohammed had exhorted his followers to marry women who will love their husbands and be very prolific, "for I wish you to be more numerous than any other people". The jihadis believe that there is no God other than Allah, whose sovereignty extends to the whole world. Those who don't believe this are kafirs, by killing whom a Muslim become ghazi or conqueror. The point being made is that unlike other terrorists who spurt, blossom, wilt and eventually perish, jihadis have the potential for eternity, universality, ideology and, above all, total commitment to divinity. Their guns and bombs are merely the teeth and claws that are backed by a muscular body, a destructive brain and a soul ready to perish in pursuit of a "better" after life. The marshals in the air, who often stand in as stewards, seldom know much beyond their specific functions. Certainly, they are not familiar with the behavioural habits of different nationals, whether Indian or other. They react to what they perceive to be the slightest threat to security. A passenger ignoring their instructions is a serious symptom, especially after 9/11 and more so since 7/7. By the Government taking the 12 Mumbai textile traders' side, it can only prejudice other airline staff against Indian passengers in general. In any case, why haul up the Dutch Ambassador whose Government merely responded to the emergency request by the aircraft pilot. Northwestern is an American airline of many decades' standing. If KLM held some shares in it, as was popularly believed, should it make any difference? Moreover, for several years now, KLM has been taken over by Air France. What kind of diplomacy is the MEA conducting? It seems to be a gesture to appease the Muslim sentiment in India? (The writer is a former BJP MP and author of several books) |
| Posted by:john |
| #6 This was long predicted. They never stop bombing so you get giant squid to control everything which is just as bad but not worse than living UNDER Islam. 2 evils, one of necessity, and one of foolish intent. Islam is not necessary. |
| Posted by: newc 2006-09-02 22:45 |
| #5 The Federal Marshals' Service has experience with the air transportation of questionable characters... And for backup ground transportation we can always rely on General Rashid Dostum.. |
| Posted by: john 2006-09-02 19:37 |
| #4 having a separate airline exclusively for Muslims - Jahaaz-ul-Islam Only if Iran gets to operate it. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-09-02 19:28 |
| #3 Strong Meade. |
| Posted by: J. D. Lux 2006-09-02 16:45 |
| #2 life sucks when your fellows choose a path of war. Ask innocent Germans in Dresden |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-09-02 16:44 |
| #1 Article originally published in the Indian Newspaper "The Daily Pioneer". Winston Churchill was once a correspondent for them... |
| Posted by: john 2006-09-02 15:37 |