Muslim women wearing hijabs. (AP Photo)
(CNSNews.com) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has issued a travel
warning to Muslim airline passengers on U.S. aircraft in response to the
Transportation Safety Administration’s "enhanced pat down" policy that
went into effect in late October.
CAIR said Muslims who object to full-body scans for religious reasons should know their rights
if they are required to undergo a pat-down, including asking for the
procedure to be done in a private place. In addition, CAIR offered a “special recommendation”
for Muslim women who wear a hijab, telling them they should tell the
TSA officer that they may be searched only around the head and neck.
In the “special recommendations for Muslim women who wear hijab,” it
states: “Before you are patted down, you should remind the TSA officer
that they are only supposed to pat down the area in question, in this
scenario, your head and neck. They SHOULD NOT subject you to a full-body
or partial-body pat-down.”
It also states: “Instead of the pat-down, you can always request to pat down your own scarf, including
head and neck area, and have the officers perform a chemical swipe of
your hands.”
The new TSA pat-downs involving “head-to-toe” screening techniques follow recent airliner
bombing attempts. Passengers who reject a full-body scan or who are
selected for secondary screening may be searched using the enhanced
pat-down.
“Pat downs are one important tool to help TSA detect hidden and dangerous items such as explosives,” a TSA statement issued
on Oct. 28 stated. “Passengers should continue to expect an
unpredictable mix of security layers that include explosives trace
detection, advanced imaging technology, canine teams, among others.”
Posted on its Web site under “TSA’s Head-to-Toe Screening Policies,” the
agency said how people are dressed may lead to closer inspection,
including baggy or loose clothing. Those policies also include
individuals being searched by a “professional” of the same sex.
“It is TSA's policy that passengers should be screened by an officer of the same gender in a professional, respectful manner,” the policy reads.
In February, the Figh Council of North America, a group of Islamic scholars, issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, that full-body scanners violate Islamic law.
“It is a violation of clear Islamic teaching that men or women be seen
naked by other men and women,” the ruling states. “Islam highly
emphasizes haya (modesty) and considers it part of the faith. The Qu’ran
has commanded the believers, both men and women, to cover their private
parts.”
CAIR endorsed the fatwa, according to a Feb. 21 article in the Detroit Free Press.
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