posted by Sam Richards
US Airways Express Flight 3079, bound for Kentucky, landed in Philadelphia after an attendant reported a passenger who was praying and wearing tefillin.
Strange how there is so much going on in the world that is boringly normal for one group and totally off-the-hook bizzare for another. While I am undoubtedly in the group of people in the U.S. that could be labelled “more aware” of others and their cultures, I would be quick to admit that there are things going on around me, cultural practices if you will, that I don’t understand and cannot make sense of.
So here is this quirky story about a young Jewish man who made the “mistake” of praying and wearing tefillin while flying on an airplane. Most of you don’t know what “teffilin” is–and why would you if you’re not Jewish? Hmm… Actually, why would you if you’re not Jewish and familiar with a wide range of Jewish religious practices?
What’s interesting about this misadventure in flying and cultural interpretation is how the Jewish families (and other Jews who were interviewed) reacted to it–they were very nonchalant and understanding. “Are you kidding,” you can almost hear them say. “Have you seen someone praying with tefillin?” It’s a very rational response to what could otherwise be seen as a mistake made by a rather provincial and unworldly airline employee.
Read the article from the New York Times: “A Flight Is Diverted By a Prayer Seen As Ominous”
Now if they're able to get on the plane I’m pretty sure that security had to check so I think we can relax just a bit. And with 911 years ago, security has to be the top priority before a boarding any plane. But as United States citizen you don’t think like that when it’s happening right there and now. You just try your best to protect yourself and others. It’s easy to go back and discuss the what if dealing with situations like this. But it’s harder to actually go through it and be as normal as possible as if nothing just occurred.
I just wish that even in air planes we can feel as safe as possible when not even on ground. But hey its life, it’s supposed to be up and downs. And to the Jews, Iraqi’s, etc I apologize to the way most of act when we see you guys on air planes. I know the United States is home of the free and land of the brave, but it’s really not on planes sorry!
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I remember reading this story and having a good laugh about it, especially over the inevitable fallout that occurred. Honestly I feel quite bad for the attendant, many have been quick to label them ignorant of other peoples beliefs, which is certainly true on some level I suppose, but at the same time it seems unreasonable to expect someone to have such diverse knowledge of other religious practices.
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I really can’t decide where I stand on this issue. I keep arguing with myself over whether or not the flight attendant did the right thing in this situation. Were the boy’s rights violated? Most likely. Would I have reacted the same way as the flight attendant? I’m not sure. Do I think she was wrong? I have no idea. Because I can’t decide if I would have done the same, I don’t think it’s fair for me to say the flight attendant was necessarily wrong.
I feel bad for the boy- he probably thought nothing of pulling out his teffilin, since he does it every morning and it’s such a normal thing in his family. It’s sad that we don’t all know enough about one another’s cultures to recognize something like a teffilin, but I can completely understand why the flight attendant was thrown for a loop.
The other thing that really concerns me is the fact that, given all the terrible terrorist attacks, including failed attempts, we have to be concerned when somebody pulls out an unfamiliar object on a plane. The passengers on the flights of September 11th probably had no idea what was going on when the terrorists took over the flight. And most recently, when the foiled terrorist attack happened on Christmas day, it was probably thanks to passengers and attendants noticing unusual behavior by the would-be terrorist that he wasn’t able to carry out his plan.
I can see why the cords would raise an eyebrow or two- looking at the picture Sam posted, it almost looks like some sort of martial arts weapon or dominatrix prop (I hope that’s class-appropriate to say…). But the fact that it’s attached (I think) to a yarmulke maybe should have tipped off the flight attendant to the fact that it was a religiously-related. Even so, maybe she assumed he was a would-be terrorist praying before he commits the act.
See what I mean? I can’t stop arguing with myself over whether or not the flight attendant acted appropriately so I can’t pass judgment. I guess, if pressed for an answer, I would say better safe than sorry. It just stinks that an entire plane had to be sorely inconvenienced in the process- and that a young man had to be detained because of it.
Like Sam said in his post, it’s all about being culturally aware, Yes, he is more aware then most, so I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that he didn’t know what a teffilin is either. It’s too bad that we can’t all learn everything there is to know about every other culture in the world- I guess that’s the only fool-proof way to avoid situations like this.
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After reading this article and learning that a flight was diverted after a man was praying while wearing tafillin, I am very torn on this issue. I see the airlines perspective as being safe, and the passenger’s perspective of not thinking anything of completing his normal prayer rituals. I see the need for security in the U.S., and I see our ignorant society. Where does ignorance go too far to the point that anything unknown is a threat to national security?
Being Jewish, I am well aware that there are certain traditions that people of other religions are unaware of and don’t understand. So I think that if I were in in the position that I wanted to pray, especially on an airplane where security is high and people are often suspicious, I would consider what other people would think and how they reacted if I was wrapping black cable looking material around my arms and head. In general, people are scared of what they don’t understand. In this case, a harmless prayer tradition was misunderstood and was interpreted as dangerous and even associated with terrorist activity.
On the other hand, I also see his perspective. If you are a person that wears taffilin, then you are most likely very religious and live in in surroundings and among people that don’t think twice about your customs, because they are all doing the same things. In that case, you probably don’t see prayer as an interruption to your day, but in fact a natural part of the day that is done in any place, whenever necessary to fulfill the custom.
It is sad to me that many people are ignorant and are completely unaware of other religions and customs. After grow up in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, coming to Penn State was quite a shock to me. I am not unaware of the small percentage of Jews in most areas of Pennsylvania- but I actually have met people who have never met a Jewish person before. Forget knowing these intricate details and traditions of Tafillan, some people make it to college never having learned about Judaism- not even in the context of its difference from Christianity. This lack of knowledge is what turns into fear of the unknown and stereotypes that people are ignorant to believe.
It also seems sad, even though I know it is necessary, that this is what causes a flight to be diverted and for someone to be in handcuffs. But national security is highly important, and I know there is a lot of controversy about this- but I’d rather see us erring on the side of being cautious, than missing a sign of a possible danger.
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I thought this article was very interesting due to the fact that our country is very cautious and suspicious when it comes to "foreign" objects that they see on planes because they automatically think that it is an explosive object or that the passenger on the plane is a terrorist and out to cause harm. I think many of us are so ignorant to the fact that there are other religions out there besides the one we decide to practice that others of us are offended when someone else asks us any questions about our faith. It is almost as if they have offended us because they are simply curious to know something about us and not being selfish and only wanting to know about the things that concern them.____I think it is important that professionals (especially those in professions such as flight attendants, pilots, government officials and many more) be required to learn about other religions and customs so that instances, like the one mentioned in this article, don't happen when they do. It is understandable, a l east to me, that this particular flight attendant was just taking precautions because of our terror threat level here in the United States, but I also think that the workers on that plane should have investigated it a little more instead of inconveniencing the other passengers by accusing this innocent boy of doing something that he totally did not mean to happen. I am sure that he did not realize that his prayer process would create such a stir and that he would end up being forced off the plane and placed into handcuffs.____It seems that he and his family did not take too much offense to the fact that he was accused of I guess plotting a terror attack. Many people would have created such uproar about this and had every news station and newspaper knowing that people are being accused of these things.__
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I found this very funny. How a person being spiritual can have such serious causes. I mean implication of being a highjacker is a drastic for a 17 year old kid for doing his morning prayers. It comes down to a case of mistaken ritual. The flight attendant had no clue what was going on so she told the captain and they decided to land and this kid was treated like a criminal for being a good follower. I think that this is BS but in this time and age you don’t want to have another highjacking take place so I guess it’s better safe than sorry.
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This is ridiculous. I cannot believe he was handcuffed for this. I guess I understand where the flight attendant is coming from. People are afraid of unfamiliarity. However I think the police should have investigated the case first before quickly going to the assumption of him being a terrorist. The boy should have thought about it too though; before making the decision to practice a religious ritual, he should think of how others will feel about it. If I were to take out my bible and start praying out loud in Spanish, people may think I’m a terrorist too just because they are unfamiliar with the language.
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I will be the first to say that I am one of those people that isn’t very aware of other cultures. I know about plenty about my culture and that’s about it. This doesn’t mean I am close minded, because learning about other and different cultures truly fascinates me. I love learning how different each and every one of us is, even though at times I can’t fully understand it. It just means that it is impossible to know about every culture and their rituals. I am not Jewish, nor do I live in New York. So personally, I have absolutely no idea what a tefillin is, what it is used for, or what it even looks like. And if I saw, someone strapping this on themselves on a plane, I can’t say I wouldn’t have been worried also.
In our society today, we live in constant fear of what will happen due to past events, especially when it comes to flying in planes. It’s normal. I know I’m extra aware of my surroundings every time I fly on a plane. Its not because of discrimination or anything like that. It is just human instinct. If something seems a little out of the ordinary to me, I will be telling someone as soon as possible.
At the same time, it is sad that we aren’t more culturally aware as a whole. But you can’t really expect everyone to be aware of every culture and its rituals. It is simply just plain American ignorance. It’s almost impossible. I think that this incident might have been taken a little out of proportion. It should have been dealt with differently. Yeah, it was something that seemed suspect to the flight attendants. And Yes, it was something that should have been brought to the pilot’s attention. And Yes, I believe that diverting the plane was probably the best idea, since they weren’t familiar or sure as to what was going on. But, I don’t feel that this 17 yr old and his younger sister should have been handcuffed in front of everyone. More should have been done before this was done. Placing a hand cuffs on someone, changes things immensely. It could have definitely been handled with a better and more different approach.
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I am a believer in the saying that people are afraid of what they don’t know, and I think that this story is a perfect example. Someone, a stranger to those on the plane, began doing things that they were unfamiliar with. And ever since 9/11, Americans have been told over and over again to report activity that seems suspicious. And what could possibly seem more suspicious than a man (wearing what looks like electrical tape at first glance) praying (possibly in Hebrew?) on an airplane. The fact is that since so many of us are unknowledgeable about things beyond our own personal little bubble, chances are high that nobody knew what he was doing, and they were therefore afraid of it. So they reported it out of fear of something “worse” happening. I can’t say that I wouldn’t do the same, so it’s difficult for me to judge these people, but I definitely think that it would be good for all of us to learn about things that have nothing to do with ourselves.
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I believe that this was a a case of misunderstanding. Not everyone is going to know about EVERY culture and their ritual practices. If I was on the plane at the time and seen him "strapping" himself up, I would have panicked as well. The flight attendant did the right thing in taking the appropriate steps in asserting the situation, because in this day and age, ANYTHING is possible, especially when terrorist carry explosives in their underwear and even bombs in breast implants. The teenager should have known that that probably was not the best idea and time or place to do that, and the flight attendant should know of all (or most) religion practices that cold occur on a plane. It is nobody's fault really!
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