Dear Representative Thompson:

On behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union and its nearly 600,000 members, we write to express our grave concern with the removal and subsequent detention of six Muslim imams as they tried to board a US Airways flight in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 20, 2006.  Ironically, the imams were attempting to return home from a meeting of the North American Federation of Imams, where one of the scheduled themes of discussion was how to dispel misconceptions about Islam.  It appears that these religious leaders were deemed a threat to security merely because they had, in accordance with their faith, conducted their evening prayers in Arabic shortly before boarding the flight.

This is hardly the first instance of religious, racial, or ethnic discrimination in air travel.  In the wake of the attacks of September 11, 2001, “flying while Muslim” became a serious problem for many travelers who are, or who are perceived to be, Muslims.  That problem persists still today.  Though these men were not accused of or charged with any crime, they were handcuffed, denied the ability to travel on the flight they had booked, and publicly humiliated simply because they had exercised their constitutionally protected right to free exercise of their religion.

The Department of Homeland Security’s (“DHS”) Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties has already opened an investigation into this matter.    Unfortunately, this investigation is limited both in breadth and depth, focusing only on the actions of DHS employees in this specific case.  The United States Congress should embrace this opportunity to fulfill its obligation to American people of all faiths to protect our foundational freedom to worship as we see fit.

We urge you to begin the 110th Congress by conducting public hearings on this specific case, and that more broadly explore the issue of religious, racial, and ethnic discrimination in air travel.  Congress must also assess the potential impact on travelers, including members of ethnic, racial and religious minority groups, of the name-based Secure Flight aviation security system.  It is critically important that as the government takes legitimate steps to increase the security of air travel that it protects the rights of all air travelers.

Sincerely,

Caroline Fredrickson
Director

Tim Sparapani
Legislative Counsel