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Profiling is Counterproductive and does not work

Reader comment on item: Time to Profile Airline Passengers?

Submitted by Daniel Dubei (United States), Aug 23, 2006 at 11:38

A quick question for Mr. Pipes. Does he even realize that this foiled attempt in Britain was NOT foiled by any airport security measures? It was not profiling that let British police to the suspects. It is not profiling at airports that led British airport security to these suspects as they were about to board planes. No, these suspects were already infiltrated over one year ago through that good old hard work by individual people.

Does Mr. Pipes even ask himself why Britons have now THREE TIMES attempted to murder their own through home grown terrorism. These Pakistani immigrants were British citizens, supposedly assimilated into British culture. But as we know, it is hard in Britain to assimiliate with the British if you are not British. Does Mr. Pipes ask himself what would happen to American Muslims if they felt the same kind of isolation that British Muslims feel? Does he ask himself why no American Muslim has yet attempted to murder his own?

Airport profiling will 1)not work, and 2) be counterproductive.

1. It will not work. Israel is used as an example of airport profiling that supposedly works. Yeah, and how many Arabs like to go touring Israel on their vacation? Airport profiling for the Israelis works because the number of Muslims that even want to consider visiting Israel is so small, for many reasons, the first and foremost being that Israel's actions, including its profiling at airports, are anti-Muslim, that why would Muslims even think about going to Israel on their vacation? Or even to live there?

Secondly, Richard Reed, the shoe-bomber, got on the airplane anyways, and was stopped by, well individual brave people on board. Nothing at the airport (and he boarded in Britain, mind you) stopped him from getting on his plane.

2. It is counter-productive. I believe that this will only further lead to isolation among Muslims, and lead further to their dislike, and possibly hatred of the West, and their belief that, "hey Osama Bin Laden was right. The West is against us."

There is a reason why Britain has now faced three terrorist attacks from homegrown Briton immigrants of Muslim descent. Muslims in Britain are not assimilating well into British culture, and they are isolated very badly. This leads them to not particularly care about Britons dying for a cause they get swept into. In America, our methods of treating our Muslim immigrants is far more lenient, and hey, guess what, it actually works. American Muslims aren't plotting to kill Americans, and if they are, it isn't airport profiling that is stopping them. Take for example the supposed plot to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago by Miami converts to Islam. Did profiling stop them, or good old fashioned strong intelligence?

Profiling will be a counterproductive measure for the United States to take, and I wish people would stop being so fearful. That's what the profiling policy is driven by: fear. Is that what drives American policies these days? Because it certainly looks like it.

Submitting....

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Daniel Pipes replies:

"A quick question for Mr. Pipes. Does he even realize that this foiled attempt in Britain was NOT foiled by any airport security measures?"

I specifically call for intelligence-based protection, which is what occurred here.

"Does Mr. Pipes ask himself what would happen to American Muslims if they felt the same kind of isolation that British Muslims feel? Does he ask himself why no American Muslim has yet attempted to murder his own?"

This commentator has fallen for the myth that American Muslims are less prone to terrorism than European ones. I dealt with this at "No American Muslim Terrorists? [A Reply to Spencer Ackerman]."

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Reader comments (103) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Robert Kennedy was assassinated by a Christian not a Muslim [23 words]samJan 8, 2010 14:23167045
Profiling [65 words]tabingins911Oct 7, 2007 19:00110671
Huh? [44 words]Brick FaldoJan 2, 2010 16:55110671
profiling [128 words]JodiMay 10, 2007 19:4292500
Profiling Passengers does not Equal Racism [214 words]Janet SidewaterSep 19, 2006 14:4856484
Profiling [73 words]Fred Schwartz, Merion, PaSep 14, 2006 19:1155970
Mr.Schwartz...Political correctness will be the death of all 'infidels' [81 words]Danish/AmericanSep 17, 2006 09:0655970
Time to Profile Airline Passengers? [71 words]steven LSep 4, 2006 19:5254912
Yes, congratulations! [117 words]alisonSep 4, 2006 02:1954845
...scourge of the earth [171 words]Stephen PhillipsSep 9, 2006 15:0654845
profiling makes sense [88 words]catloverAug 28, 2006 10:2354133
India's Agony, Beyond the Rhetoric [67 words]Vishnu GuptaAug 27, 2006 04:4054071
Plight [79 words]WahabiAug 28, 2006 16:2554071
Plight of Passengers [166 words]JaladhiAug 29, 2006 10:5554071
Jaladhi & Wahabbi [169 words]DaisyAug 29, 2006 17:1654071
Slapstick War Against Dead Serious Terror [779 words]Rakshas 10 AnanAug 29, 2006 17:4654071
Want to stop Terrorism , Support , Ally and Follow Israel [72 words]MohanAug 30, 2006 17:2854071
Israel [79 words]MickeySep 3, 2006 21:3254071
Ban Halal food and head scarves [95 words]muminsalihAug 26, 2006 18:2854056
Really? [39 words]UnbiasedAug 31, 2006 09:1354056
It may look absurd [212 words]muminsalihAug 31, 2006 18:0154056
Profiling [187 words]Timothy A. SkinnerAug 26, 2006 08:5554037
Airlines Drama with Indians! [208 words]Mumbay BoyAug 26, 2006 04:4154026
Jittery Airlines Walking Into the Jihadi Trap with Half-Baked Training and Knee-Jerk Response On-board! [291 words]Rakshas 10 AnanAug 25, 2006 13:2253995
Not 'racial' but 'religious' profiling [44 words]KreshnikAug 25, 2006 11:2653990
Why Muslim only lines are necessary and feasible [189 words]Faqi HussainAug 25, 2006 01:4153966
Why aren't muslim passengers not more suspicious of each-other? [65 words]MontyAug 26, 2006 16:3553966
Airport Profiling [188 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
John RAug 24, 2006 18:5953921
Islamists and Muslims [50 words]John RAug 25, 2006 20:3453921
DeFacto Profiling [56 words]BlackspeareAug 26, 2006 12:4253921
You are right [18 words]JaladhiAug 29, 2006 15:3353921
profiling muslims, a necessity [84 words]G.VishvasAug 24, 2006 15:3653916
What Israeli security could teach us [46 words]rickAug 24, 2006 15:0153914
How can we be so obtuse [217 words]DanAug 24, 2006 13:0053907
Thanks for your article [1626 words]aviAug 24, 2006 11:5953902
Do you remember? [30 words]Faqi HussainAug 25, 2006 02:2653902
I disagree! [11 words]Rodni ChaletAug 24, 2006 02:3153885
Freedom? [438 words]DaisyAug 25, 2006 17:1353885
what a foolish way to think [110 words]JackalAug 26, 2006 04:1953885
Bit of irony, responding in kind [29 words]Hari IyerAug 24, 2006 00:4053880
100,000 lives [167 words]Yuval Brandstetter MDAug 23, 2006 15:2553847
Profiling [40 words]D.O. LipenskyAug 23, 2006 15:1453846
let's roll [124 words]kissedsmileyAug 23, 2006 14:2853844
Profiling is Counterproductive and does not work [505 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Daniel DubeiAug 23, 2006 11:3853835
What Will Work!? [272 words]Another InfidelAug 25, 2006 01:2153835
Profile them, then profile them some more...... [422 words]Sword of Islam & The Babies of BeslanAug 25, 2006 11:3353835
NO to profiling, YES to mass deportations of Muslims [157 words]western kafirAug 23, 2006 11:3253834
Funny [20 words]TroubleAug 30, 2006 12:0753834
Trouble is correct [23 words]InfidelAug 31, 2006 02:2753834
Profiling Muslims [26 words]A.H.Aug 23, 2006 08:3353829
Flipping... [161 words]SHmuel HaLeviAug 23, 2006 07:5653825
And the Brits show a new way [43 words]Justa ThoughtAug 23, 2006 06:2153818
Security screening and passenger identity- use of Bio-Keys [397 words]G. PrithvirajAug 23, 2006 06:0253817
nice cartoon [21 words]jimmytheclawAug 23, 2006 03:5153812
Don't allow any moslems on airplanes, PERIOD ! [155 words]Joe KaffirAug 23, 2006 01:3253806
Whos Whats and Wheres of Profiling [171 words]JayAug 22, 2006 23:5553797
Swearing on the Qur'an [198 words]lindaAug 22, 2006 23:0853774
Self-Protection [150 words]E. MayfieldAug 22, 2006 22:5053771
Do We really Need More Knee-Jerk Reactions [100 words]BlackspeareAug 22, 2006 21:2553766
Blackspeare's Confident but False Assurance [95 words]InfidelAug 23, 2006 16:3353766
Zero Risk [32 words]BlackspeareAug 26, 2006 12:2653766
blackspeare [59 words]JackalAug 27, 2006 16:2853766
Blackspeare [78 words]DaisyAug 28, 2006 00:4453766
Risk vs. Perception [64 words]BlackspeareAug 28, 2006 13:5153766
Obsessed with Terrorism? [59 words]BlackspeareAug 28, 2006 17:1553766
Profiling is not the answer. [454 words]VictoriaAug 22, 2006 21:1753764
Victoria's Kind but Faulty Logic [200 words]InfidelAug 29, 2006 11:1553764
Learn From The Israelis [101 words]AnneMAug 22, 2006 19:5353761
Profiling is a no-brainer! [85 words]Clark BakerAug 22, 2006 18:5253755
Profiling is common sense! [336 words]RobertAug 22, 2006 18:4453754
Pipes Right Yet Again [76 words]LDCAug 22, 2006 18:1853749
We're part of the problem, or part of the solution. [318 words]James VesceAug 22, 2006 17:0853745
focus on the likely suspects and wage all out war in self defense [133 words]Ralph C Whaley MDAug 22, 2006 16:4653741
Adapting to the times [114 words]mertens stefaanAug 22, 2006 16:3653736
Profiling will not eliminate either... [46 words]Paul DavidAug 22, 2006 16:2353733
Will Saudi Arabia complain about profiling? [51 words]FrankAug 22, 2006 15:5053728
2Don't forget that unclean infidels are not permitted to visit Mecca or Medinah [85 words]SullyAug 23, 2006 15:4853728
Saudi shouldn't be granted visa to USA [20 words]MarkMay 14, 2014 02:4953728
"Education by Murder" [131 words]Nat HooperAug 22, 2006 15:4453726
I wonder how many people know he made that comment [22 words]Madlyn CreekmoreAug 22, 2006 23:3753726
I agree [24 words]ShaunAug 22, 2006 15:3353725
To Profile or Not To Profile [245 words]Robert GuinaughAug 22, 2006 15:3253724
Logic? [137 words]LDCAug 22, 2006 18:2453724
Close a door and they'll find the window. [260 words]PatAug 22, 2006 19:4653724
Choices [69 words]InfidelAug 23, 2006 16:0853724
There's a fourth way [316 words]PatAug 24, 2006 12:2953724
Air safety [386 words]rickAug 22, 2006 15:1453721
a Muslim by any other name [542 words]ChristinaAug 22, 2006 14:5253717
The argument over profiling is more disheartening than the failure to profile [186 words]SullyAug 22, 2006 14:5253716
Muslim Free Air [533 words]Ron ThompsonAug 22, 2006 14:3753715
crazy idea [11 words]budiAug 23, 2006 23:5153715
budi, I'm with you, no profiling [140 words]InfidelAug 24, 2006 23:3753715
Time you learned the difference between race and creed Budi [39 words]PCMadnessAug 26, 2006 07:1653715
I say profile them [192 words]Stephen PhillipsSep 9, 2006 15:2553715
Profiling a necessity [215 words]patJun 19, 2007 05:3353715
Screening passengers and materials [45 words]David W. LincolnAug 22, 2006 14:3653714
Since "Muslim" is not a "race," but a religion with a specific ideology, one cannot call it "racial profiling." [80 words]Dr RJPAug 22, 2006 14:1953709
working man [7 words]d callisterDec 6, 2008 01:5353709
Muslim only line in the airport [246 words]Abdul RahmanAug 22, 2006 13:5653707
Welcome back ! [19 words]UnbiasedAug 31, 2006 09:2353707
A difference [37 words]Danish/AmericanSep 4, 2006 12:5753707
muslims only lines [50 words]Danish/AmericanSep 19, 2006 14:4853707
Danish/American does not know much about the United States [55 words]EmpathyOct 28, 2006 20:4653707

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