Praying While Muslim

by Sheila Musaji

In October of 2005 a flight from Cyprus to England was grounded because of the ‘suspicious’ behavior of two Muslim men who took a long time in the bathroom.  It turns out they were praying, a pretty stupid way to do things, but stupidity is not yet illegal.

In November of 2005, five Muslim men were detained and questioned for praying at Giants Stadium in New York.

This past week a Muslim doctor was removed from a United Airlines flight after a drunken passenger was alarmed by his quietly praying in his seat.

Well, you say, at least praying in my local mosque should be safe.  Not so fast.  If you type MOSQUES in the search engine on The American Muslim site you will turn up 801 articles about various incidents at American mosques.  There are 87 incidents involving vandalism, arson, shootings, bomb plots, threats, cross burnings, assaults, driving cars and trucks into mosques, firebombing, etc. that have taken place in 32 of the 50 U.S. States. 

California (11 incidents) and Texas (10 incidents) seem to be the two most dangerous states for praying in mosques.

All of this is not surprising when every alarmist story involving a Muslim and terrorism or any other criminal behavior has to get in the obligatory photo of Muslims praying.  I think it is time to increase the insurance policies at American mosques.