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”
This article drew me in because I myself am Jewish. I am a reformed Jew and although I have heard of tefillin and know what it’s for, I have never seen somebody praying with it. I can understand how somebody may be skeptical of this image. Like the boy’s grandmother said, “in America [we] are very, very skittish.” Many people know nothing about Jewish traditions or practices. On one side, I understand completely how somebody, especially after the recent terrorist attempt, may get frightened of what they don’t know. On the other side, however, it’s sad that a boy is unable to practice an every day ritual without somebody pointing a finger.
I find it interesting how calm the grandmother seemed to be about the whole situation. She didn’t seem to be angry at what had happened to her grandson at all. She made everything seem that was done to them to be petty. For instance, she described that both grandchildren were handcuffed but only for a few minutes. And when the she described the police boarding the airplane with guns, she said that they were pointing them at the passengers as a whole. She seemed to have understood the situation and didn’t want to be angry about what had happened to her grandson. People are usually more protective over their religion and beliefs and this seems to be a threat to those who practice these rituals.
I think that it is a shame that this happened and I can only imagine how frightened the boy must have been. We should all take this as a wake up call to become more aware of our neighbors every day practices. We shouldn’t be ignoring the traditions that are not our own. It really is scary the steps that people can take to things that they don’t know out of fear. People in our country are so skeptical of things they don’t know because they are afraid of terrorist attacks. But at the same time, a lot of people in our country don’t know much about cultures other than their own.
I don’t mean to be pointing fingers at others and saying other people don’t know about other cultures. It just so happens that in this case, I am Jewish so I am more familiar with the traditions. However, I myself could know a lot more about other cultures than I do. Even though I try to know about other’s traditions other than my own, I still don’t know as much as I should about other culture’s traditions. I think it would do us all well, if we took the time to know about our neighbor’s traditions, people may become less wary about those around them.
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theglory Reply:
January 30th, 2010 at 2:57 am
I completely agree with what you have to say. It didn't even occur to me how calm his grandmother was about the situation and how good she seemed to take it. Our country definitely needs to be more accepting of other's cultures and more informed about them. However, I think a major part in reaching this step is time. People may say they want to learn and understand other people's cultures, but that doesn't mean their actually going to take the time out of their day to learn about them. It is interesting to note that the reason we won't learn about these cultures is the same reason he decided to pray on the plane: TIME
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I do not think this was an act of racism. I believe that with everything that has been going on lately it is a pretty normal reaction to expect especially on a plane! I would so much rather have my plane land and be alive regardless of there might be a chance that it was nothing than be on a plane hoping it does not blow up. Honestly I feel like if I saw this kid do what he did I would have done the same thing. Now a days its hard to distinguish what is what ..I mean the guy who crossed into some blocked area to simply say bye to his girlfriend? Okay I understand that now but when everyone is so scared and every small strange movement creates some uneasiness in the passengers or the flight attendant then it is completely okay to figure out what is going on. If they say it looked like wires then of course they’re going to freak out and take precautions. It was failing to see the warning signs that caused the other guy to almost blow up a plane full of innocent people.
I understand that people have their religions and have their rituals that they follow but at times like these I think its safe to say that maybe things that seem suspicious should be looked at; especially if its something that not everyone is aware of. Call it ignorance call it whatever you want but I just know that being put in that same position people would see it differently if they had no idea what was going on.
Honestly, because of what has happened in the past I do get nervous and scared flying on a plane and I am one of the first to look around for anything suspicious. I mean it is my life and I would like to stay alive. I wouldn’t want to regret later for keeping quiet on something I may have seen as being suspicious. I remember reading somewhere about how people from the Middle East are automatically looked at as trying something the minute they walk on the plane. I know it’s a terrible thing but I feel like it’s just one of those situations that is almost unavoidable. People are scared and I feel that with all the terroristic attacks and what not it is very reasonable. I know that if it was the other way around I would completely hate it and I feel terrible but I am guilty for having that thought cross my mind and sadly it’s something I can’t help. I don’t think I am racist but maybe I just don’t know and maybe I am just as guilty as a racist.
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Yea this isn’t really that big a deal. People shouldn’t be expected to know everything about every sort of religious ritual. If anybody was on a flight with me and they pulled out a black box and started to pray, I would question what he was doing too. I would have a natural fear for my life and make someone around me alert of the situation and possibly even start an aggressive motion towards the perpetrator. But now that I know of this Jewish ritual I can be more understanding. But maybe, just maybe, someone may now try and use this to get explosives on board of an airplane. So… watch out!
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This is a really difficult position that the flight attendant was in. I can really see both sides of the issue. One side is that it seems incredibly ignorant on behalf of all of the staff on board to not realize that it was a religious practice. On the other side, there is no physical description of a terrorist. Terrorists,as we all know, can be male, female, young, old, and an race imaginable. I feel that while the flight crew may have over reacted by not looking into the situation a little bit further before landing, in the end they did the right thing. I think when dealing with the risk of others lives it is better to take every precaution possible, rather than to regret not doing anything once something goes wrong. I feel bad for the kid who was put through the ordeal. It is unfortunate that it had to happen, but i do have to commend the crew for being able to react so fast. If it really were a harmful situation, they obviously did a good job landing the plane with out making a scene or causing panic through out the other passengers. I feel to prevent further occurrences of similar situations the airline employees should take a course on different tpes of religions practices. It is very common, despite the religion someone is to say a prayer while preparing to take off. Obviously this would be difficult seeing the overwhelming number of religious practices that occur in the united states alone. I feel it would be beneficial to get a better knowledge for some of the more common practices. This could prevent further situations and inconveniences for every individual involved. I sure this simple mistake delayed all passengers travel. The air line probably lost a great deal of money, having to land. Not to mention that this delay most likely made other passengers miss connecting flights, which would have to be compensated for by the airline. Despite all the inconvenience, if i were personally on the plane, I would have to put things into the perspective that at least no one was harmed. If something would have been wrong and the didn't land to check out the situation, myself an others could have lost their lives. I think, despite the ignorance of crew, it is better to see a news story like this, in comparison with a tragic story of a plane that was involved in a terrorist attack. Regardless of security before passengers board a plane, if someone really was really determined to sneak something onto a plane, they will. Despite what religion someone is, we can all agree what is important is that no one was injured due to the ordeal.
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I come from a very small town that is in no way considered diverse. I could count on my two hands how many people of a different race are apart of my town. As far as religion, you are either Presbyterian or Methodist. I know this shouldn’t be used as an excuse for my ignorance, however, I will admit, I had no prior knowledge of tefillin or the purpose it served before reading this article. After “googling” it and viewing different images, I tried to put myself in the place of the flight attendant or a passenger aboard the plane. To be honest, if I had witnessed a boy strapping himself with cables or wires, I would have never guessed it was part of a religious ritual. I would have been scared out of my mind and most likely taken a similar approach to the situation. I’ve only been aboard an airplane once in my life when I was thirteen– two years after 9/11 occurred. I can still remember the nervousness I felt during the flight. I was constantly looking around trying to classify anyone as dangerous. This was two years after the 9/11. With the recent events that occurred in December, it is of no surprise to me that people would be extremely “skittish” while flying. We are taught to always be cautious. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
For the most part, I feel the situation was handled in a respectable manner. By not notifying the passengers until they landed that the plane was diverted was probably the best decision. I, however, do not agree with putting the boy in handcuffs. I feel that took the situation to a level that shouldn’t have been reached. The same results could have been achieved without handcuffing him. I’m glad the Jewish families and community reacted in such an understanding and cordial manner. They realized that most people were uninformed about the tefillin and the police were just doing their job.
Even though they were so rational about the situation, I still question why he used the tefillin. Didn’t he stop to think how other people might perceive him? I guess, technically, it shouldn’t matter. We are Americans. With that title comes our right to freedom of religion. What bothers me is that he should have been aware of the previous events and realized, “Hey, this might not be the smartest thing to do on an airplane. It might make some people feel uncomfortable.”
Yes, It was the flight attendants “mistake” of jumping to conclusions, but how can we make sure a scare like this doesn’t happen again? Are flight attendants supposed to learn every religion’s practice? Are we supposed to ignore someone completing a strange or different religious ritual? I’m not sure what is the right way to go about fixing the situation; I just hope in the future a situation similar to this one will never rise again.
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Reading through some of the comments above, I think I am looking at this situation in a different way than many others who have posted comments. Many people jump to ask who is to blame in this situation, and I don't think that is necessarily a question that needs to be asked. As a Jewish person, I know the customs and tradition associated with tefilin. I am not a very religious person, and while these are not customs that my male family members practice, they are customs that I am very much aware of. That aside, I completely understand that the wrapping of tefelin on religious jewish males is a custom that a majority of non-Jewish people are completely clueless about. Unfortunately, in the post-9/11 world, especially the U.S., everyone is ultra aware of their surroundings when flying, and skittish and suspicious of anything that seems out of the ordinary. We constantly have our guards up when we travel, and are constantly on our toes watching for anything or anyone who looks like a potential threat. On the same token, Arab Americans often discuss the issue of racial profiling and how it affects their travels both domestically and internationally. While there is definitely an argument to say how unfair this is that innocent people get searched and pulled out of customs lines, this again goes back to the idea that Americans are scared. Maybe we are being too too nervous, or too careful, but then again can you ever be too careful when it comes to protecting hundreds and thousands of innocent lives? I think that this incident just shows us that there is a lot that we all don't know each other. Had someone of another religion started performing some sort of ritual or tradition using objects I had never seen that looked confusingly similar to a bomb, I would've responded in the same manner. I think that this particular boy should've thought more about the times we are living in now, and known better than to do something like that on a plane. Even the boy’s rabbi recommended “I would suggest, pray on the plane and put the tefillin on later on”. While I think the boy was in the wrong and should have waited until he was off the plane to wrap the tefilin, I don't think this is a situation where blame needs to be placed. I think as Americans we can chalk it up to cultural differences, and hope that others will be more careful in the future because of how nervous and suspicious we as Americans are when we travel. This just proves to us how much we really have to learn about each other and our differences.
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My father is a Rabbi and what I would consider and very observant Jew. He prays every morning with teffilin. My experience is obviously not the typical one of a American Jewish girl. When the story broke last weekend, I was home for the weekend visiting my family. My first reaction was to laugh because I couldn’t believe someone would take an object that is so familiar to my life, and judge for something that could a danger. I discussed the article with my Mom who started recalling stories about my Dad praying in airports. When my Dad flies he likes to get to airport and go pray in the airport chapel, and yes every airport has a chapel.
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This for good reasons makes my Mom nuts. The stress of trying to make a flight topped off with my Dad insisting on this ritual, makes her frantic. As we discussed the story my Mom told me she once made the stewardess keep the airplane cabin door open so my Dad would make the flight. While this is even odd to me, it is quite normal for others. When traveling to Israel on the over nine hour flight, it is quite common for religious men to pray with teffilin on the flight. In fact, the flight staff expect the religious people to pray at specific times. Obviously in Israel this is a typical situation.
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theglory Reply:
January 30th, 2010 at 3:09 am
It is interesting to see the other side of this. I am not Jewish, nor am I familiar with the religion. I feel because this ritual is common, the flight staff should be more educated on it. I understand that different airlines fly different places, but this seems like a common enough ritual that they should be aware of. The flight did leave from a big airport where more diverse people fly out of then for instance, the State College airport. If the flight staff has to work with people, wouldn't it be beneficial for them to have an understanding on people's culture?
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This whole situation makes me wonder if our culture has lost touch with religion and spirituality. In many other countries prayer is built into their daily schedule. So if religious observance has almost completely left American culture, what has replaced it? Where life once revolved around religion, life now must revolve around something else. I think maybe government has possibly taken the role of religion. If not government maybe our culture’s ritualistic way of checking our iPhones or Blackberrys to fill our obsession with checking our e-mail, facebook and news. Or could religion have been replaced with our cultures obsession with sports and celebrities. Something has definitely replaced religion in our culture.
Maybe with this story in mind we should try to figure out what personally is taking place of religion in our own lives. Even as a Rabbi’s daughter, I have definitively lost touch with my religion and observance. I’m not sure what I am filling the gap with. After thinking about this situation, I am going to try to seek to find more meaning in my religious observance.
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This is so ridiculous. I cannot believe that this even happened. I think people have just gotten so caught up in finding something wrong with other people these days, especially since September 11th. I think its ridiculous that a man can't practice his religion without being called a terrorist simply because some people don't take the time to understand those around them. Its as if we are taking place in the modern day witch trials or something. As long as you can call someone out before they point the finger at you, then you're set. Once again history repeats itself and we don't take the time to learn from our mistakes.
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Now, I understand that people are scared of terrorism because lets face it, its out there. But, I think that judging people because they look or act a certain way is completely ridiculous. What anyone can be a terrorist unless they're a white American? That is so ridiculous! As a white American myself, I think that if they really are doing "random" checks at airports and stuff then why not stop me. Sure I have nothing to hide, but neither does the man in the turban behind me, who is stopped simply because he is following his beliefs.
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I completely understand that the plane was diverted. In this day and age you have to take every precaution possible. It’s not the flight attendants fault that they didn’t know his religious customs. I understand some might believe they were ignorant but the actions were not meant to offend anyone. Even the people that were interviewed agreed with what was done.
I guess you could use this incident to further increase the awareness of religious practices. If you’re on a plane or any other type of public transpiration you should be able to exercise your beliefs. Hopefully this wont deter people from doing that.
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The part of this blog that speaks so strongly to me is not what happened, as disturbing as it may be, but rather Sam's comment about so many being so culturally unaware. I will be the first to admit that I live in a bubble and have no idea what is going on around me. Although embarrassed to admit it, I have no idea what tefillin is.
I come from a suburb of Pittsburgh, and although I grew up around a city, there was zero diversity. Everyone was white, christian, and comfortable financially. With that, I have very little experience with people of other cultures. Not that I disagree with what they do/say/believe, I just don't understand.
I feel like I'm not even comfortable in the presence of other cultures. I'm so unaware that I feel like I'm gawking, or being a part of something that is not my business. When unaware, you can learn by the book, but having that experience is extremely difficult to come across.
To be honest, I don't really know who to blame here. Yes, it's my fault for not understanding other cultures, but it's also unfair for one to believe that we should know everything about their culture. The man on this airplane surely knew that people know have a lot of tension while flying, and that acting extreme was not a good idea. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs, but there are times in which it's inappropriate to practice those beliefs. In practicing your own beliefs, there's no reason to make others feel awkward and uncomfortable. If you are making others uncomfortable, then you can't be surprised when they shy away from you and do not understand you.
Jumping off that touchy subject, something else this blog reminded me of was how out of the loop I am when it comes to national news. I didn't even know about the earthquake in Haiti until Sam mentioned it in class. Picking up a Collegian is a rarity for me, so turning on CNN is extremely out of character. It's not that I don't care, I just honestly don't have the time. I'm so wrapped up in my own life's happenings that I don't think to see what's going on everywhere else. I know that sounds terrible, but it's impossible to turn on the news without becoming disheartened. Therefore, I just don't even go there. However, I wish I had the time and energy to catch up on world news each day. To only be consumed in your own life is to not be cultured and worldly. I don't want to be one of those people.
When I graduate, it's my goal to learn more about different types of people. Luckily, I'm moving to Mississippi, with a culture completely new to me, and I think it's really going to change my perspective on a lot of things. If anything, hopefully I'll have the chance to turn on the news each day. So much is happening around the world, and those things really do impact me as well.
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I'm not surprised something like this occurred at all. Truth be told, as much as it sucks, its better to be safe than sorry, The ideal solution would be to become more educated about other's cultures, practices, and religions but with the vast amount of such traditions out there it would be impossible. I think in light of recent events people should be more careful and as much as this person had every right to practice his morning prayer on the plane he also should have been more conscious to the sensitive situation at hand. From the article it seemed as though he was cooperative and at least partially understood the reasons for the panic, which I think is definitely the appropriate reaction to such an event. I'm sure it was an inconvenience to say the least but also a precaution.
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It is absurd to think that in our day and age people are not allowed to pray on the plane. This young boy was probably scared of flights and needed help from a higher power to get through his flight. These rituals, while strange, should be able to be practiced where people feel the need. It is really sad to think that someone can not even pray without everyone being scared the person have alternative motives. America is known for its diversity yet most Americans are not in the know about other religions and practices. I can honestly say I would have had no idea what this young man was doing. It would have been a little strange to me too. The flight attendant should have just felt comfortable enough to ask the young man what he was doing, yet life today can not be like that. America is supposed to be a safe place and most of us took this for granted until 911. I want to be able to say I would feel safe without security and all the precautions taken by the airlines, but to be honest they need to be done. I know there are mean hearted people in the world, which can not see the bigger picture for what it’s worth but there are people like this young man too. He just wants to practice his religion at a time when he needs it most, yet he can’t because of other people and religions have ruined this for him. The movie shown in class the other day really puts our lives into perspective. We are only on earth for a small amount of time in comparison to the earth’s existence. What really is our purpose for being here? I don’t think that question can ever really be answered but my personal answer for it, is to make life better for others. While certain people and religions do not believe this it really needs to be put into perspective. We are insignificant in all reality. I respect that these people find the need to help a greater power; I just wish it was for good. These people need to understand that other people’s lives are just as important as theirs. Just because we all do not believe in the same thing, we all are insignificant. We are all just monkeys. We need to learn to just have fun and work to make everyone’s lives better and last longer. We should all live life to the fullest and start to help other more. I know sometimes I have been guilty of being selfish but that video really puts everything into perspective. My life is insignificant, so the only way to make it a little more significant would be to help others.
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This article raises some good points. I think the most important of those being that something that is perfectly normal for one group of people can be completely ridiculous to another group of people. However rather than assuming things about people who are different, we should learn from them. If we were to take the time to learn from these people we would not only be able to accept others, but also to understand them. However, this problem really spans across society as a whole and is not just something we can fix, rather it something that can only be corrected over a long period of time.
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This story sounds so familiar and almost not a shock to many in America today. This story explains to you how our country stereotypes many races and cultures. It shows the people of America how we let stereotypes have a huge impact on our way of life and how society lets looks and past situations scares us still today. For starters if we are scared of other countries and other cultures we already are losing half the battle.
In many instinces seeing such actions of someone praying and having wires tied around their body bowing their heads is very creepy on the plane after the 9/11 terrorist attack. Things like that pose a huge, huge threat to the minds of a pilot or the flight attendance aboard the flight.
But having these stereotypical images in our minds may sometimes help save us from people who pose a unessesary threat to our country or just maybe to ones family so im not going to say that its a 100 percent bad thing to have stereotypical thoughts.But what im saying is we shouldnt do it to everyone who shares many familer gentic make ups because this is america and our country is mixed together so well that every corner you turn you will see someone who may share the same type of image as the last or the next which will cause you to live a life of fear. How do you plan to ever feel safe in your country if you dont plan to become aware and not intimdated from a different face.
We need to just accept the fact that if they are not following or sharing the same customs and cultures as we are not to be scared. Because you have to remember that maybe they may be citizens of our country this is still not their homeland and if anyone should be scared it should be them being afraid of us. The stories they prolly hear and see on their televisions about what type of country we are I would feel like the upper hand to any unfamilier culture.
But seeing a person with olive skin and dark hair with a litttle hat upon their head doesn't always mean their going to blow or take control of our planes. I believe if america was really worried about another attack they would have some security aboard the planes or at least armed flight attendance. If we actually adapted the cultures of others we wouldnt have to worry about such things. And would know the differences between religions and know when to take necssarry measures when needed.
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So in response to this story I would like to add that this is another classic case of the mixture of how media obscured things in the world since 9/11 but also the fact that how little we know of one another. We are so quick to judge one another based on info gathered by mouth rather than fact. Information is more powerful than you think, especially where in this day and age where information can spread easily, through the internet, radio waves, etc. For a majority of us it has now become human nature to believe everything we hear or say, just because it came from the internet; does Wikipedia ring any bells to you? Basically what I’m trying to say is information can’t be taken too lightly and it is up to us to verify and confirm what we hear. Not to just sit back and believe what is being said just because it comes from a so called reliable source. Just how reliable is the news that we watch? Have you ever wondered where these stories come from? Yes, you see many regular people on the street being interviewed and giving their opinion but how do you know those same people weren’t paid to say what they just said. How do you know that when a story is allegedly reported from the government or the CIA or whatever, is fabricated? We know what they want us to know, and we only know what they want us to know because they are obligated to keep us updated on what is going on with our country. To make a long story short this is related to my earlier blunder of 9/11 because now we are all on our very tips of our toes whenever the weirdest looking thing happens on a plane, bus, train, you name it. Don’t get me wrong, we have every right to be but because the media likes to blow things out of proportion, the very things that we find taboo of others are very normal to those people. What I’m trying to say is, because we’re so quick to believe what we hear rather than investigate and dissect it, we make it hard for people like this young man to practice his beliefs. If we actually take the time to understand one another, things like this wouldn’t happen and just maybe things can be more cohesive around the world. Yeah, he’s Jewish, they wear little hats on their heads (bet you most people won’t know what they’re actually called); they have bat and bar Mitzvah’s, there’s no need to know more right? Wrong. I’m not saying that I go around researching every flipping culture in the world and protesting everything that is being said, but I do have an open mind and I am “aware” of most things and not blinded by just the news that has been spoon fed to me.
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This article was very interesting, at least to me. Being raised as an Irish Catholic, i dont really know much about the Jewish relgion. I was raised in a semi-religious family who went to church every sunday. I was never educated on anything about Judaism or any of the other relgions. Sure, i know the basic ideas and a few of the basic holidays, but other than that, I dont know much. However, it brings up the point that, in all actuallity, I probably know more abnout Judaism then I do about any other relgion. I dont know anything about Hinduism, Buddhism, or even Islam. The fact that i can live in a world where there are so many prominent religions but still so know so little about all of them in this current modern world is a little unsettling. There are so many unfair stereotypes for each religion that we feel and use everyday, but in reality, we, including myself, have no real knowledge of this religion in the first place.
This article talks about a Jewish boy who was praying on a plane during a flight and was stopped. I have never heard of this tradition, and from reading this post, many Jews are even aware of this tradition.
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This however is the perfect indicatior of the times we live in today. We are extremely sensitive, always on nerve, and fearful of the next big terrorist attack. This Jewish teenager did not do anything illegal, and was unfairly judged and trated unfairly as a result of being a faithful Jew. Although this was unfair, embarassing, and certainly a hassle for all involved, in the end, i think this was an understandable mixup. This is an unknown tradition that few know of, including myself. By strapping himself up in tape, it easily could be mistaken as a bomb. Because of the times we live in, this is a situation where it is better safe than sorry. The man did little to explain to the passengers his procedue, and as a result scared many passengers. This is not to say it should not be allowed, but that the flight crew airing on the side of caution is understandable. They are only doing there jobs and making sure that safety is the very first priority. In reality, I probably would have said something to this man if i was on the plane. I am not racist, or a bigot, or anything close: however, if family or friends were on board i would want them to be safe.
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Additional Blog # 2
Wow! People today are truly amazing. It is astonishing to see how much we as people do not know about each other. I mean sure, we know about what other people about each other. Of course we may read on different religions and think that certifies us to know everything there is to know about a certain religion. But honestly, what do we truly know about others and their cultures?
Apparently, we know nothing about other people and their cultures because if we did, situations that the one in the story would not occur. I understand that the flight attendant may have made a mistake. However, after asking the young man what he was doing and what was in his hands, did she really take the time to listen. After he explained himself and his rituals, did she take heed to what he said? Did she really care enough or was did she only care about what she saw? Given the turmoil our country has experienced throughout the years involving other races, I can understand how the lady could have been a little skeptical. However, just because something bad happened to our country involving another race, does not mean that all races or religions are bad news. If we really take the time look see what everyone is about and how their religions are, I feel as though we would have no reason to do be afraid or skeptical.
Hmmm….our country is known for being the melting pot. We are known for sharing our country with some of the most beautiful people, cultures, and religions. It is such a shame that we only see what we want, hear what we want, and end up knowing so little about them.
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After reading the article, I completely support the actions of the flight attendant. I don’t understand why some people are saying that she over reacted and made this into a serious situation. Even though the traumatic events on September 11th occurred almost nine years ago, this is the way our country needs to respond with suspicious behavior. Especially when you see actions out of the norm you would only want airport security to act right away. Flight crews and the Transportation Security Administration need to be aware at ALL times. Even if you feel violated with security staring you down, and searching through your bags while going through security, wouldn’t you rather be safe than sorry? It’s sad to say it but there are terrorists and suicide bombers in this world. Put yourself in the other passengers’ shoes on US Airways Express Flight 3079. If you saw the kid next to you wrapping teffilin, small leather boxes attached to leather straps around him, you would start to get a little suspicious as well. Since the flight attendant is trained specifically for situations like this she took the right safety precautions. First by
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simply asking the boy what he was doing. His response, “I’m in prayer.” My first thoughts would be okay maybe he is in prayer about to bomb this plane? I would only assume that because before I read this article I had absolutely no idea what teffilin was or even broader I have no knowledge of observant Judaism. If I saw someone with what could be a bomb on their head say that they were in prayer,, then yes I would automatically tell the pilot to take the plane down. I understand the boy was emotionally hurt by being arrested and having guns pointed at him, but lets’ just say that if it was a bomb, you would be thankful for that flight attendant. I completely understand that this boy is an observant Jew but sometimes you just have to think about things that aren’t normal to other religions or people. Even the boys rabbi and some other observant jews said they weren’t surprised that this ritual attracted this much attention and understood with the events that took place.
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. I don’t think this is an act of racism at all. If you have no knowledge of a certain religion or practice then you technically aren’t discriminating against them. I 100% agree with Rabbi Greenburgs’ statement “ I would suggest, pray on the plane and put the tefillin on later on.” Hopefully people will learn about this and know that when you travel on airplanes, you should always be aware of your actions and those people around you.
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You learn something new everyday! I was not aware of this ritual nor have I ever seen it. I probably would have been concerned as well. Thankfully, I am aware of it now and know not to be alarmed. Given that flying is so tense these days, maybe it would be a good idea to educate airline employees of rituals or traditions like this in order to avoid future issues. I agree that it is truly amazing how the family and those interviewed responded. As a parent myself, I would have been furious that my children of the ripe old age of 17 and 13 had to go through this. It must have been terrifying for the kids to have a gun pointed at them (even if it was only for a short time), handcuffed, and interrogated. Remarkable! Again, I would not be so cool, calm and collected!
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I thought this story was extremely interesting and I’m really glad that it was brought to my attention. I was born and raised in New York and live about 40 minutes from New York City. Like many of you, I will never forget the day that 9/11 occurred and the aftermath of tragedy/hatred that transpired as a result. In addition to myself, countless people I knew were directly affected and it was truly a devastating time. Flying on any airline has never been the same since the incident, so I can honestly say that I’m not all too surprised by this story and the actions that were taken. I typically fly out of JFK, and it’s blatantly obvious that airlines have drastically intensified security and have increased the amount of precautionary measures throughout the duration of flights since the event took place. If I were a passenger on this plane, like the flight attendant, I too probably would have been concerned and I think that many people would agree. In my opinion, I don’t think that the employees of the airline should be looked down upon for the decision they made, because I’m sure they aren’t the only people in this country (or the world for that matter) who aren’t familiar with the practices of religions other than their own. The flight attendant and pilot had to make an impulse decision on what was best for the security of all of their passengers, and they chose to take the safe route. After all that’s happened with history terrorist attacks and bomb scares I think they did the right thing.
Personally, I’m not very familiar with the cultural practices of the Jewish religion. Yes, I have friends who are Jewish and I know numerous Jewish people, but I can’t say that I really know much about the religion as a whole and I think there are several reasons for this. Growing up I attended several Bat(r) Mitzvahs and I went to the temple portion of the ceremonies, but that’s practically as much exposure as I’ve had to the religion. I haven’t had extensive education on any other religions for that matter. We’ve touched upon it in classes and I’ve read articles/stories, but nothing ever really went too far in depth of what different religions entail, their beliefs, etc. I grew up in a Catholic family, attended Catholic school for 3 years, and my mom and grandmother are even lectors in my church. However, once I made my confirmation and was no longer required to attend weekly Sunday school that was kind of it for me. I still attend church on the typical holidays, but other than that I don’t really have any connection to the religion and wouldn’t refer to myself as being a religious person. Also, I don’t think that living in a big city has much to do with at all. Yes, it’s inevitable that you’re probably exposed to more people of different religious/cultural backgrounds more often, but I wouldn’t say that’s necessarily the case for everyone. I am constantly in New York City and I’ve spent time in many other large cities across the country/world and I’ve never actually witnessed a Jewish person pray with tefillin and the leather straps. In fact, I wasn’t even aware of what tefillin was when I first read the article. Looking at the image of the boy featured in the article, if I were to witness this in real life it would be something out of the ordinary for me, so I can understand the reaction of the flight attendant.
I don’t think that these people in particular should be judged/ridiculed based on the incident. However, I do think that it says a lot about society as a whole and our lack of knowledge about people that are different than us, and that is instead what should be judged. I understand both sides of the story and I genuinely empathize with this young boy and don’t think it’s fair that he had to go through this experience. We live in a country in which the diversity between people and their values, opinions, and backgrounds is what makes our country unique and strong. Nonetheless, I think that a lot of times people, myself included, fail to remember that not all people are the same and we go about living our everyday lives in very different ways. More often than not, I think people have a hard time accepting that and keeping it fresh in their minds and instead immediate jump to false conclusions. I think there’s a lot that people can learn from this story and if we took a little bit of time to explore these differences between people that society would actually benefit from it.
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I myself am not Jewish (I’m Catholic), but am somewhat familiar with the religion’s customs and traditions, as I grew up and most of my best friends were Jewish. You tend to pick up on certain things, and understand them too. But tefillin is something I’ve never come across, nor do I believe I would have discovered what it was unless I read this article. In today’s times, an innocent action can be perceived as threatening and dangerous to those unfamiliar with certain practices, especially on an airplane. The innocent boy was simply trying to catch a free moment in his day to perform his ritual while he had nothing better to do. Although understandable, next time the boy should think twice and consider how his ritual may appear to other individuals.
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This issue has meaning for me now that I visited one of the most conservative of Muslim countries where women in the “niqab” or “abeyya” or “hijab” were all around me. Certainly many of the more Western oriented women only worn the abeyya intermittently, and many refused to wear it at all, but many extremely progressive women wore it in the same way that many “progressive” women in the U.S. wear high heels, make-up, and nylon stockings. Like their American counterparts, few claim to be victims of a male-oriented, oppressive culture. Rather, they take it as a matter of course.
No doubt there are more than a few women throughout the Muslim world who feel oppressed by the mandate to cover up, but I’m thinking that the vast majority just go along for the ride–and a much smaller percentage totally embrace the experience as a path toward spiritual and psychological growth. (I have to believe, much like the two women in this video.) So my question is related to the French government and people who think they know best for Muslim women — “We are going to turn you into enlightened French citizens.” What should they wear to demonstrate this? Perhaps skin tight jeans and high heels? A tight fitting shirt with an under wire bra? Thong underwear? That’s enlightened…not to mention comfortable.
Seems to me that truly enlightened governance allows people to pursue the path toward self awareness and growth that best suits them — as long as they don’t harm others in the meantime.
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Although this article is not funny, it amuses me because I am of the Jewish religion. Not only was I unaware of what a teffilin was until reading this article, but I had never heard of the word before as well. I can completely understand why a person would react in such a way and begin to worry about their safety when seeing this unfold on an airplane. However, people need to relax and think things through before taking such an extreme action. That may be easier to say while on the ground, rather than thousands of feet in the air on an airplane, but I believe that I would have been able to identify this young man as a practicing Jew in prayer.
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I am not Jewish, nor do I know anyone who follows Judaism strictly. But, I feel this young man's pain. Although it was accidental, and a complete mistake, it should not have happened. We are in America, a somewhat "enlightened" society. I swear with every stupid mistake we make, we set ourselves years into the past. To redirect a whole flight? Who calmly sits in a seat and straps a bomb to their body? It makes no sense! All that young man wanted to do was worship his Creator in the way he was supposed to. To be treated like a terrorist? Handcuffed and searched? It's sick! America is so backwards. I was not aware of the instrument he was worshipping with, and neither was the flight attendance. But since when is ignorance an excuse to accuse someone falsely. It is disgusting and unnerving. We need to become what we claim to be as American: justice and equality for all! I feel strongly about this topic because America was founded on the beliefs of religious freedom. Although the first ones here killed those who did not follow their religion, this is the 21st century. We should not still be persecuting those who worship differently. I applaud this young good-looking man on having respect for his persecutors and dealing with their ignorance in an appropriate manner. He could have behaved belligerently and had the right to do so dealing with misinformed idiots.
I believe that good can come from this situation. We need to become informed of customs of others and respectful of differences. If everyone jumped to conclusions about everyone else, this world would be in a sorry state. It sort of is because so often people make judgments based on so little information. This can be prevented if we learned to appreciate differences and knew some things about others besides the latest gossip. This story is disheartening; bizarre and just one hundred percent preventable. Maybe if the flight attendants and airport personnel were trained better in recognizing weapons versus religious materials, this situation could not have been considered newsworthy. This could have been anyone in the world. America, we need to wake up and realize we can and should take action against all discrimination. We can be the change we want to see in the world, as Ghandi once said. It starts with one. One act of love or hate can be impactful in so many ways. This ignorant act can also be damaging and leave an everlasting effect on a young man who was simply visiting his grandmother. If we can imagine how this young man felt, we would be extremely less likely to treat another person like this. It is a sign of the times: TRUST NO ONE. It is the wrong mentality to possess and can be extremely devastating in the long run? What can we do as a society to curb our mistrust of the simple daily living of others?
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The incident involving the Jewish teenager being arrested for a daily prayer ritual he performed aboard a plane is really not that surprising. The pictures of the ritual depict a peculiar looking practice with straps. Although there was really no reason for panic, in the environment of terror that we live in, the reaction was pragmatic. It would be easy to say that the flight attendant was ignorant, but, in her position, I would have done the same thing. The War on Terror was supposed to be a reaction to 9/11, but in reality it has simply furthered the goal of terrorist; to invoke fear in their enemies. While it would be far too hasty to suggest that the terrorists have been successful, they have permanently altered the way the world works.
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It is true that there are people who are more culturally aware. But I think there is something to be said about the way New Yorkers do not pay attention or get worked up over odd behaviors. I liked how at the beginning the reporter comments that to plenty of New Yorkers the sight of the Jewish boy praying would not have surprised them. It is interesting to point out how people from a major city are more open-minded about specific rituals. One could also argue that people from cities like New York City are only concerned with themselves and do not really bother to notice people around them. But I do think it is common that people from small towns tend to be set in their ways and afraid of something that is unfamiliar to them. In a small town, there is not much to do. Also, there are not that many people. Everyone gets to know each other very fast and very well. Most evenings are spent gossiping about each other. They become observant of their surroundings and aware of people around them.
Without that picture next to Sam’s blog, I would not know what a teffilin is. I have never been exposed to that before. I have plenty of Jewish friends but none of them are that seriously about their prayers. Even though I would not have known what he was wearing, I do not think I would have gotten nervous about the flight.
I think it was highly admirable of the Rabbi to be so understanding with the entire situation. He could have easily become offended and upset with the way the airline handles their passengers. This is a practice that has been apart of their lives and now that they are being targeted as a threat on an airline, they have reason to be upset. It almost seems like the Rabi was more disappointed with the boy than the police force in this situation. He said that the boy did not think of the ramifications. I am curious as to if the boy had any idea this would happen. He had to have known what he was wearing on the airplane was going to make some people nervous. It reminds me of an episode of the HBO series, Entourage, when one of the characters said he wanted to sit next to a man sitting in a turban so he could make friends with him. He thought they would be the most likely to have a bomb and if he made friends with him, he could talk the bomber out of going through with it. It just goes to show that people in America are very weary of another attack.
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To begin, I totally agree that I would be nervous if I saw someone doing this. Americans are surely traumatized by the events of 9/11, to the extent that any activity out of the ordinary will surely frighten us. When I am on a plane I have often talked myself out of being scared, which is an important part in social change, realize you’re biased thoughts and then work to correct them.
But I do think it’s contradictory to think it was good that the airline used precaution like landing the plane and addressing the boy, but it was too far to hand cuff the boy. Any airplane activity is a touchy subject with Americans, but I think you have to either support the action or not. If this was a real terrorist attempt and they wouldn’t have handcuffed the boy that it would have been a huge issue.
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I find this kind of misinterpreting normal. Many fellow citizens have done this exact same thing; assuming wrong. Especially after 911 , all of our fears have risen. The fact that we are scared is only because the people who committed the attack, seems from an American, that that would be a part of their attire. I do find it funny that this happened, but I have to wonder if the man who this was about feels. If that were me I would be offended. Unfortunately, this is the day and age of which we are living. Now we are being stereotyped by our religious practices, for being terrorism. Many people don't understand all of the who-ha's of various religious rituals, but I can't blame them, because religion is only a belief. Lots of people don't even belief in religion. I think the real big issue here is that you cannot practice your own religious beliefs anywhere you choose. Also, something as simple as wearing a tefillin, can result in someone being scared for their life. The scared part is what blows my mind. Of course people have to be cautious of crime and the natural dangers of life. But, when we have to be in fear of terrorist threats is when our liberty is being stripped. Maybe we should be teaching our children what is actually going on between cultures, instead of shunning them. Even for me, when I went to elementary and middle school, I cannot remember one time when we spoke of other cultures. I know that in school you aren't supposed to speak of religions, but hell, I feel like they are a HUGE part of our society, so why not touch upon them at a young age. I think schools need to stop lying to our children, and actually speak the truth on our day and age, because I am almost certain that during their time, there will be many more pressing issues. It's scary to think that there is an entire race of people that want to destroy us. It makes you think, what have I done? Then I realize, that it isn't me, it is my society's foundation. So obviously the issue here is between our two conflicting groups. I am sure that everyone would love world peace, but we have to start on the little things first. To change our world, we have to change our minds. We have to start facing our issues head-on, between to spokesman for both groups in conflict. However long it will take for this to happen is for God to figure out. Today, I feel like we should open up a part of our minds and make an effort to understand someone else.
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First off, I was raised Jewish. This story intrigued me of course because well, it was about Judaism. Growing up I remember my grandfather showing me teffillin. I never ever knew what it was before I asked. It looks so out of the ordinary. I spent a semester in Israel in high school and became very familiar with seeing people use them. It did not seem weird anymore, seeing these people tightly wrap leather straps with wooden boxes around their arms and head. My mom called me when she saw this article on the news the day it happened. I remember thinking, "What do you mean they did not know what it was? The landed a plane because of it?" I then stopped for a second and realized, so so so many Jews do not even know what it is. So why would anyone else of a different religion? Even if you knew a ton about the religion, culture, anything, wearing teffillin is not exactly the "basics" of Judaism. It is a subtle extra fact that people use to enhance their prayers and remind them about why they are praying. I mean honestly, they do look rather out of place. Even with all of that it does not excuse anyone, anyone from not knowing about other cultures. I am NOT saying that only towards the people who freaked out about the teffillin. This goes for Jews, Christians, Muslim, Buddhist, you name them, I really think that it is horrible to not know about other religions. I am also not saying I don't violate this. I do think that there should be something to educate. Even to educate atheists and people who do not believe in G-d. I am also not saying to teach religion. I think that cultures and and customs should be taught. It would show why certain religions do certain thinks. Knowing why Christians have to have Communions, Muslims in Israel pray with megaphones out of their windows and wear head scarves, and why Buddhists believe in mediation. I think that if everyone was able to learn about everyone else, these problems would be gone. It is so sad so so many people are unwilling to open up and learn about other religions. Many people think that learning about other religions is to force them to accept those ways. No. It is to be able to be respectful and learned about everyone else around you. Saying that, I also think he should have thought about it before going on a plane. It is obvious most people will not know and understand what the teffillin is. He obviously got through security with out any questions, but he should have informed the attendants he would be using it. It is quite an odd contraption, so letting people know beforehand is safe.
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needed a second to come to conclusions with my thoughts after reading this article. I think I can favorably argue both sides of this story. I can totally understand why the flight attendant did what she thought was right. I mean looking at someone strapped like that the first time especially in an airplane gives excuse to react the way she did. And who knows? Maybe she’s had a frightening experience flying with people and terrorists as a whole, which is why she went about the situation as she did. We don’t know her past history and who she has run into. It is scary to think that there’s a kid with straps all over him..I am sure those are her thoughts exactly. Its also human tendency to judge someone else based off of their looks or what they do to themselves. So I totally get it, flight attendant- I understand why you did what you did.
As far as the seventeen year old boy strapping himself in tefflin, he’s doing what he thinks is religiously right. I mean who are we to judge what he’ s wearing and why he’s wearing it. Isn’t this a country that we pride ourselves on being who we are, and expressing ourselves however we feel? Is he supposed to put a sign on his forehead saying “jewish coming through?” I think if I was him, I would be enraged. I would be so angry that someone judged me on what I believed in, and my culture. If I want to wear something that represents me, I should be able to have that much respect from others to see that point of view. How is the plane going to stop based of his beliefs in Judaism? Based off of one person feeling uncomfortable, I am supposed to understand when I have been living my life the same way for seventeen years? I honestly would want to push everyone out of the plane if I was him in that situation.
Overall, I couldn’t put a finger on whose side I would really choose. Both are equally understanding and just shows how people really are these days..I think irrespective of what people do in this age, you are always going to have surprises with culture and how people react to them. It’s because we don’t know about them, making half of us Americans ignorant of how the outside world really is portrayed. Whether they react in a good way or not, it’s just how we Americans are. I wouldn’t be surprised what the next thing would be…or what kind of commotion that’s going to cause next.
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I enjoyed reading this article because I went to Hebrew School for all of my elementary school years. Although my Temple was reform, I was exposed to practices that I didn’t really understand but became aware of them. I can definitely see how a flight attendant would be frightened at the sight of someone wearing Teffilin because if you have never seen anyone wearing it before, it can definitely be quite odd. People generally are afraid of what they do not understand. To be honest, I would probably be frightened if I saw someone practicing a spiritual ritual that I had never seen before on an airplane. In today’s age, we are almost trained to be scared of something that seems out of the ordinary and are afraid of the next extremist terrorist attack. I still get nervous when I see someone with a turban at the airport – that is what we as Americans have associated with the image of a terrorist, someone who is Middle Eastern and of the Muslim faith.
I do however sympathize with the young boy who did practice this and did not know any better. He obviously was not intending any harm and was just trying to remain true to his religion. As a young Jewish male who grew up in a reform household, I was never exposed to the more orthodox sect of the religion. Most of the practices I have heard of, I do not understand but can appreciate. If that is what makes someone happy, then good for them. I personally could never follow the rules of being kosher and do not believe in the purpose that it is there for. I also don’t understand the rules of the extreme orthodox Jews, such as the extreme laws for the Sabbath or the distinguishing characteristics between men and women. I do not understand the rules of having to separate men and women at religious ceremonies and placing sheets in between the aisle so they do not see each other.
Going back to racially profiling terrorists, I do find it interesting how the Israeli Army El-Al takes extreme measures to prevent terrorist attacks on their airlines. Most middle-easterners shy away from taking the airline because of the hassles that they are put through to actually get on the airplane. After you pass through US security at the airport, you must then go through El-Al’s personal security. This includes sitting down with someone who interviews you and is trained to spot odd behaviors. It is a joke in the Jewish community that a Muslim has no chance of getting on the plane; they are always selected for “Random Security Checks” and it becomes such a hassle and embarrassment that many do not even consider flying the airline. However, there is something to be said for their security track record as they have never been hijacked in the history of the airline.
Is racial profiling correct? That’s a whole debate in itself, however I know I would feel much more comfortable flying on El-Al than any other airline around.
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This article was very interesting. If I were a passenger in that airplane, I also would freak out about what the teen boy was doing, especially when we see so many suicide terrors on news in these days. Even I already knew about how Jews practice their religious prayer in certain time a day, I wouldn’t notice or understand him before I terrify or have suspicious on him. I think it happened just because there’s a gap between different cultures. I feel terribly sorry for the boy; however, it is part of his mistake, making people afraid about what actually he was doing. He might know that his religious practice was unusual or strange to other people as he lived in states. It would be better if he asked or explained at least to flight attendant before he began the practice.
It is neither his nor flight attendant’s fault. The situation he was in was absolutely terrible. He was handcuffed by participating in his religious practice. It is not affair. However, for the passengers’ safety, the flight attendant had no choice since he was very suspicious as a terrorist. Therefore, I strongly recommend all the flight attendants should be aware of different cultures and how they participate in.
I lived in Asia for 16 years before I came here; I am not an American. For me, there are so many cultural differences and gaps that I still try to understand or to be familiar with. The first year, I had hard time to accept new culture and to fit me in total strange life style. Accepting whole different culture is that hard, it is like changing the way you lived before. One of my friends, exchange student in Oklahoma back that time, believed in Buddhism. His whole family was very intense and conservative Buddhist, and still they are. One day he was murmuring dharma talk at school during every lunch. He said that it was his habit. One day these three white guys came to him, and make fun of him in front of all students in cafeteria. Murmuring dharma talk is not usual. It is even strange and weird in Asia countries. But it is not right to make fun of him because he is different with others. There are so diversity races and thousands different cultures. Because there are not many Buddhists in America, it wasn’t common things to do one of Buddhist prayer. If one catholic Christian do his prayer and read the holy bible in India, they will make fun of him/her; because it is not common in India.
There are so many international students from different country with unique cultures in penn state. It is fun to talk about how the cultures are different with various friends. Through this experience, I’ve learned about diversity and unique values that I never thought about. I think it is good opportunity to share and rethink about each individual’s different traditions, ethnicity, and thoughts.
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Some people hate flying in airplanes. People are paranoid about the plane crashing and after 9/11, the fear of your plane being hijacked seemed like a possibility (although highly unlikely). Unfortunately because of these incidents, it increases the paranoia people feel towards airplane travel. When some people get on the plane they are so paranoid that they make sure to check out where all the exits are and check and make sure there are no suspicious people on the plane. Unfortunately, this paranoia has lead to many negative stereotypes. Anybody who is dressed different then the “norm” or acts suspiciously gets scrutinized and stared at. It is very ignorant that people do this, but some people are just overcome by the fear of flying. This ignorance stems from fear.
If I were on that plane, I probably would have felt that the passenger was trying to hurt himself . In a plane, you are in such an enclosed place that you can’t help but stare at other people because there is nothing really else to do. If I saw this man on an airplane, I would definitely be confused and anxious. It would never occur to me that he was just doing a religious ritual. I don’t want to come up with excuses for this, but I am just not educated on this matter. I come from a small area. It’s so small I don’t even know any Jewish people. It’s not that I’m ignorant or racist in any way, I just am not educated. How would I know about this ritual if there are no resources where I come from to learn about it?
What can be common for you is not always common for other people. I guess the only answer is to make people more educated about world religions. I have no idea how to go about that, but it just seems like a logical answer. I think if one person was educated on this ritual, this whole ordeal would of not happened. He or she would have explained to the flight attendant what he was doing and prevented this whole thing. I feel bad for this individual who was handcuffed. Was he supposed to tell the flight attendant that he was going to pray before he was going to do his ritual? Maybe he shouldn’t have done his ritual there, but he obviously didn’t know it was going to make people uncomfortable. There are no rules about playing on a plane. This man had probably thought that he would have spare time on the plane. Instead of wasting time in the future on the ritual, why not do it on the plane in his spare time? I bet he would of never guessed his ritual would result in the plane landing in Philadelphia instead of Kentucky, not to mention being in handcuffs.
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Well as crazy as this sounded, i do agree with the article ending. Tefillin should not be put on during flights and he should wait til a later time after the flight to put these "wrappings" on. What i do not agree with is in some sense is the flight attendant should be aware of the type of rituals that a lot of other cultures partake in. She sees a lot of people as it is everyday and of course there is rising suspension about everyone but they should be educated about this kind of work. Overall I feel that the authorities did a wonderful job about not blowing this thing out of proportion like it has been on the past. I feel bad for the boy and sister and i hope this situation does not give them a bad idea about our security at airports.
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This article was very interesting to me because the same thing happened to me once on a plane. The man sitting the row in front of us was praying teffillin and I thought it was strange, but since it was a flight to Australia and we had a lot of time to get to know each other he explained it to me. I found it very interesting and he was a very nice guy, so it’s sad to think that I judged him right off the bat. I am Catholic, and I am also very scared of planes. I would have to say that I pray more on an airplane than any other time in my life, so if this happened to me just for praying I would be very upset. On the other hand, I do understand the reaction, although I do find it a little extreme. Being afraid of planes, and losing someone in 911 I get the whole being overly suspicious of people thing. Before I walk on any plane I check out who is waiting in the terminal, we are all guilty of it. That does not mean that if a teenager were praying on the plane, as strange as it might look to me, I would report it immediately in such a way. I do not really understand how it all got so out of hand. What is normal for him and me may be two totally different things, and I think that people have to learn to respect that. I do admit that if I had not had this experience myself I might feel differently about this story, so yea maybe I am biased. But than again I know that when I saw it my first reaction was not land the plane! That poor kid was probably so scared and embarrassed. Also, the fact that people thinks he should be more aware of our culture is just not fair. Why should he change who he is and what he believes in just so other people feel more comfortable? I am sure that he prays at the same time every day, so why should that day be any different for him. Yes, there are protocols that need to be followed on any flight, but where does it say watch out for fire, weapons and Jews? That is just not fair he has as much right to pray on a plane as anyone! The problem is that many people in our society are very close-minded. We need to open up our views and get to know other cultures, and we also need to learn to except and respect them. Of course safety should be a huge priority, but what about respecting others I feel that should also be high on our list. Just for a second put yourself in his shoes, and think about how you would feel if that had happened to you. That is something I don’t think a lot of people are addressing.
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I hate this.
It is a damn shame that we need to take such precautions in everyday activities. It has become a world that we cannot even travel without a defensive nature against anyone that is different than the majority. I do not disagree with the action that was taken – the captain was unsure of a situation and he went with his instinct and investigated. Had his instinct been right, he would be seen as a hero, ut becuase it was wrong he is seen as a bigoted, ignorant jackass. He was in charge of the situation and it was his call. In fact I feel it is ridiculous that becuase of this incident people are questioning why he didn't know this. It is his reponsibility to fly a plane and keep his passengers safe – he is not an acedemic and it is not his job to keep religious practices straight. Perhaps that is a job we can employ on such planes. But probably, added to the sign of: no liquids, no shower razors, an no foreign religious practices. That sounds good. I do wish we lived in a more knowledgable world. It would be fantasic if we all respected and understood each others religions, lifestyles, and culture. But we DONT, so I don't understand why everyone is so suprised at this incident! And what if this man was muslim! He would be the victim: the poor man who escaped his awful country to come to the land of opportunities, only to be treated as a terrorist. YES THIS IS AWFUL but it is not the fault of the pilot – it is the fault of out culture, the news, our goernment, and the paranoid head honchoes that influence our opinions. Its a shame that we base the whole on the individual. But its an even bigger shame that we were given reason to.
Now for an anecdote: My best friend’s name is Hayavadan, but I call him Hay. He is straight out of India and at highschool was like the class pet. Everyone wanted to know about him and have him bring in his mom’s chai tea. He was even voted class president. But no one ever wanted to see im outsde of class, and in college he only has Indian friends. He is constantly saying how nice Americans are and how glad he is to be here, and I find that schocking because I constantly feel bad for him, and I can’t figure out who is more ignorant – me or him. Who am I to feel bad for someone, assuming that he is mistreated or misunderstood, when he is unaware and happy? Or does it not matter at all.
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Misinterpretation is a big issue in the world we live in. Take a moment to situate yourself in that very same flight. Your searching for your seat, same procedure as always, you find it and sit down. Just like anyone possibly flying alone your sitting there waiting, a wait that everyone takes in which they engage an inter debate on trying to find out who's going to be the one who may choose to or not partake in conversation with you to pass the time. A young man sits down next to you. He seems normal, friendly and possibly a little tired from flying all morning long. As the airplane is taking off the young man pulls out these little black boxes and starts wrapping these cords around him. Being a person who is not culturally aware of the ancient Jewish traditions you freak out, as well as everyone sitting around you. Soon the whole plane is in commotion and the pilot is setting tracking coordinates to land the plane. The young man is then escorted out as well as the flight at the time cancelled. Now imagine that you were in that very same position but lets change things up for a moment. The young man is still sitting next to you but instead of the teffilin lets change what he had to a rosary and a bible. Would you still freak out? Would the plane have been landed as though it were an emergency? Would there have been the same misinterpretation of cultural tradition?
I’m not here to state that this was wrong but to bring up a point that society here has been lead astray to the border of social panic when it comes to anything strange that does not sit with your understanding or open mind on what may seem bizarre but is something accepted in other parts of the world. I brought up the point of the rosary because if you were to see that no one would have freaked out and it all would have been normal — just another Catholic praying the rosary.
I have a Jewish friend from Panama here who prays with teffilin every morning. I have been able to observe this but I did not freak out. Being from Mexico I grew up more aware of the foreign and "bizarre" being that we have customs that we partake in that may seem weird and strange to others. Non-the less I still partake in these things even though they may seem weird. The US has been oppressed from understanding of the outside world not because it may not be common but because we have this fear that today might be our last day as if it were a bad thing. So anything that may seem to be a possible danger to them with an air of social paranoia they freak out. If this were not on an airplane this possibly would have been averted.
What I am trying to bring out in this is awareness, be it that my argument may not be as in depth as it should, be aware that there are things out there that should not disturb your state of conscious being. I want to leave you with a thought. What if we were a culture that grew up with utilizing the teffilin? What if someone pulled out a bible and a rosary in an airplane during a time in which paranoia takes part of our social life? Would we still have reacted in the same way if someone started practicing some form of meditation that was in every way foreign to us? We possibly would.
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After reading this article, I immediately thought of the reason I am glad to be in college. For less fortunate people, they do not have the opportunity to learn about other people and about the world in general as much as they could, without travelling around the world of course. So many people in today’s society do not know that much about other people and other cultures and what happened to the young teenager on the plane is a prime example of the repercussions. One major component of my decision for which general education classes I would take was to broaden my scope of education. I love math, science, and history, but only to the extent of basics that they teach in regular classes. When I picked my classes, I decided to take classes about specific historical influences, such as musical influences in the 1980’s, and sociology, race and ethnic relations. I feel that if people were able to go to college and take similar courses, we wouldn’t have as much of a problem in our society with being so “skittish.”
The part that I liked the most about the plane incident was that the teenager was very calm and understanding. Some people might be shocked and offended that they were suspected terrorists trying to blow up a plane, especially in today’s circumstances. However, this teenager was very cooperative with all of the confusion. The reason why I thought this was very respectful was because imagine if you were in his shoes. If the world was different and majority of the population was Jewish, even though there were plenty of Christians, and you brought out your prayer beads on the plane because you were going to pray. I am fairly certain that flight attendants would act the exact same way as they had with the Jewish teenager last week. I feel that not only was the teenager mature considering today’s circumstances, but the flight and crew handled the situation perfectly. Now I don’t think that a terrorist would be that obvious about trying to blow up a plane, but I would not want a flight attendant to think something might happen and not do anything about it.
This is a huge problem that unfortunately cannot be fixed overnight. I agree with Rabbi Greenberg when he said, “Nobody would have assumed it would create panic, but in today’s environment, I guess everything creates panic.” I hope that I use the information that I learn in my classes, especially about race and ethnic relations, to not be so “skittish,” as Frances Winchell stated, when I am faced with an unfamiliar cultural practice. I only wish that more people could be as fortunate and learn more about this type of our society so that we, as Americans, will not be so “very, very skittish.”
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Part 1:
After reading this article, I immediately thought of the reason I am glad to be in college. For less fortunate people, they do not have the opportunity to learn about other people and about the world in general as much as they could, without travelling around the world of course. So many people in today’s society do not know that much about other people and other cultures and what happened to the young teenager on the plane is a prime example of the repercussions. One major component of my decision for which general education classes I would take was to broaden my scope of education. I love math, science, and history, but only to the extent of basics that they teach in regular classes. When I picked my classes, I decided to take classes about specific historical influences, such as musical influences in the 1980’s, and sociology, race and ethnic relations. I feel that if people were able to go to college and take similar courses, we wouldn’t have as much of a problem in our society with being so “skittish.”
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Part 2:
The part that I liked the most about the plane incident was that the teenager was very calm and understanding. Some people might be shocked and offended that they were suspected terrorists trying to blow up a plane, especially in today’s circumstances. However, this teenager was very cooperative with all of the confusion. The reason why I thought this was very respectful was because imagine if you were in his shoes. If the world was different and majority of the population was Jewish, even though there were plenty of Christians, and you brought out your prayer beads on the plane because you were going to pray. I am fairly certain that flight attendants would act the exact same way as they had with the Jewish teenager last week. I feel that not only was the teenager mature considering today’s circumstances, but the flight and crew handled the situation perfectly. Now I don’t think that a terrorist would be that obvious about trying to blow up a plane, but I would not want a flight attendant to think something might happen and not do anything about it.
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Part 3:
This is a huge problem that unfortunately cannot be fixed overnight. I agree with Rabbi Greenberg when he said, “Nobody would have assumed it would create panic, but in today’s environment, I guess everything creates panic.” I hope that I use the information that I learn in my classes, especially about race and ethnic relations, to not be so “skittish,” as Frances Winchell stated, when I am faced with an unfamiliar cultural practice. I only wish that more people could be as fortunate and learn more about this type of our society so that we, as Americans, will not be so “very, very skittish.”
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I found this story pretty interesting. I believe that no one did anything wrong in the decision to land the plane early because it could have easily been a matter of terrorism/ safety. That is a very unusual practice to do in public, and especially on an airplane. As smart and intelligent as his rabbi says he is, he should have thought about this before doing it on a plane full of other cultures of people, or perhaps even inform the flight attendant beforehand. Although informing the attendant would automatically make him suspicious…so, it's hard to say.
Anyway, the police chief was correct: People were just unfamiliar with that form of prayer. The leather box and straps look very suspicious when strapped to oneself on an aircraft. Even if everyone aboard realized it was a prayer and a ritual device, it still begs the question, "Why do this on an airplane?" It is definitely not equivalent to turning on a movie or reading a book to pass the time.
I find the jewish community's reaction interesting that they are so nonchalant and understanding.
It'd be great if we could live in a world where everyone had some cultural knowledge and accepted rituals as normal, but that's just not the way it is or it ever will be. There is just too much to learn, and for many people there is absolutely no reason to learn about other religions. Many christians don't even know about their own religion. Once again, it is no one's fault. It is just unusual behavior for such a regulated environment (aircraft).
In times like these it seems that police go too far…raiding the plane, pointing guns in the direction of passengers . This is very dangerous seeing that the boy in question wasn't armed. Cuffing him is a bit much because at this point they probably could've found him innocent, but cuffs are just another normality in dangerous situations like these. Jews shouldn't feel offended, but this should show everyone that people need to use discretion when practicing religious rituals because many times they are very strange and outlandish to do in public. All in all I think this is just another event that needs to happen for people to understand other cultures. It may seem like we need to be called to action and learn cultural ways of every ethnicity, but I don't think that is necessary. If you don't want to learn about this, you shouldn't have to. It's just a natural slow process of integrating cultures. Now we know what a 'teffilin" is….next time we'll learn something else.
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I agree that this could be seen as a little scary to see someone strapping themselves up due to all of the fear that follows people when it comes to flying but on the other hand i find it a little closed-minded to not know of the religious practices of other faiths. I am a catholic and I know that if I was to ever get on a plane with a bible and whip out my rosary beads no one would say two words about it to me, let alone think twice about it or god forbid land a plane to make sure i wasn't dangerous.
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I find this article truly hilarious. To think that someone could be doing something so innocent and have it be looked upon as something so harmful. If I was a passenger in the plane I would be worried too, but I think I would get more details before I landed the plain and handcuffed everyone. Sure they asked him what he was doing, and he told the truth, so why ask him if you weren’t going to believe him in the first place.
I think our world has just become so complicated, it’s so complicated and different that people can’t even be on a plane together without someone thinking people are going to die. I think our whole world just need to relax a little and have a little more faith in the human race. We are all human and we all have the same basic needs. Its hilarious when people get hung up on things like land and religion, these things are not tangible, you can draw a line in the sand but that doesn’t mean you own it, the earth is the earth. Religion is worthless so I don’t know why people get hung up on it. But that’s beside the point, the attendant should have asked and believed him, and if they didn’t believe him they should have inspected it before they landed the plan made a huge deal out of it.
I also think it was funny how his family didn’t think it was that big of a deal. Even his Rabbi said he probably shouldn’t have done that. His mother even pointed out that the kids were only handcuffed for a little while, as if it was no big deal. I’m not sure what my mom would have done but I’m sure she wouldn’t have been that relaxed about it. I’m not sure if she was that relaxed about it because she really didn’t care that much, or is she did care but wanted to put on a good face and show the public that it wasn’t a big deal.
I think this is just an example of what happens in the US everyday, just on a broader scale. We have so many cultures in the US, so many different people, but no one seems to care. People here should be jumping at the chance to get to know other cultures, other cuisine, food, languages and traditions, but we only seem to want to stay within our own. Your world might be good for you, but that doesn’t make it any better than anyone else’s, In the US especially we almost need to branch out and learn about others. We are the United States, not individual communities tolerating each other side by side.
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