Also, forgot to mention that here at all three major DC airports, most of the agents on the floor are black and most of the supervisors behind the podium are white. Not to many people of foreign extraction at all, that citizenship requirement and perhaps the background check tends to disqualify them. .-= Muslim Apple´s last blog ..Isolation to Integration: Befriending our America – Part II =-.

I do not really want to know a lot about TSA. I fly as little as possible; but I am at the airport several times a day and I see them. I am not some FOB Muslim trying to do PR so America will fall in love with me. There are members in my family who were in Iraq, I work with guys who have been to both Iraq and Afghanistan, I have neighbors in the military,and I pick up military personnel all of the time. Guys I went to high school with did not go into the military to be medics they went to the front lines if they went. Most know a little more about Islam and Muslims then the average American but at the end of the day know very little and most have a negative opinion. Perhaps they open up to me more because they do not know I’m a Muslim when they chat with me in my cab they feel free to make all of their ignorant comments.

From your comments here and on your blog, it appears that you do not have more than a superficial understanding of TSA and/or the screening process. As for military-types, we may or may not have had a similar range of experiences (I interact with people in military in my family, colleagues at work, friends, classmates, neighbors, medical personnel, etc) and those that have spent time in the Middle East tend to know more about Islam and Muslims than the average American, their views may not be as nuanced as yours or mine but in general I’ve found it to be better. .-= Muslim Apple´s last blog ..Lions, and Tigers, and Muslims at the Gate! Oh, my! =-.

Remember you are in the DC area, an area that is not typical of the demographics in most American cities. I would venture I guess from my experience that there is not a single TSA agent in St. Louis of non black American or white stock and the same can be said of dozens of airports around the country. Also, I have talked to Iraq and Afghan vets, most have ZERO clue about Islam and Muslims, even after coming home. .-= Umar´s last blog ..Bad Weather, Murder, and Death of a Young Muslim Brother =-.

Both as a passenger and someone who has had to screen and pat-down individuals, I prefer the body scanner. I don’t like touching people and I don’t like people touching me. I think the fears and concerns a bit overblown, particularly here in the US, the way it is implemented, the screener that views the images is in a separate room away from the main screening floor and communicates via headset. .-= Muslim Apple´s last blog ..Getting Gas: When change equals $9.11 =-.

These TSA agents in America, and even a lot of higher level federal agents, I would be very surprised if they know where Yemen was on the map, could tell the difference between a Hebrew or Arabic name, could tell the difference between a Sikh and a Muslim, and they have no clue what to ask for and what to look for so they have to rely on technology to make up for a lack in intelligence.

The situation in the UK should not be as bad.