Muslim Football Fans Profiled?

FiveMuslim football fans were detained and questioned during a game at GiantsStadium September  19 because they were congregating near an air duct on a night formerPresident Bush was in the stadium, the FBI said last week. Some of the Muslimscomplained thatthey were subjected to racial profiling while they were praying, as their faithrequires five times a day.

“I’m as American as apple pie and I’m sitting there and now I’m made tofeel like I’m an outsider, for no reason other than I have a long beard or thatI prayed,” said Sami Shaban, a 27-year-old Setan Hall law student. At a news conference last Wednesday, Shaban said he and four friends had just gottento the New York Giants-New Orleans Saints game when they lefttheir seats to pray. Around halftime, 10 security officers and three statetroopers approached the men and told them to come with them.

The men were questioned and then were not allowed to return to their seats, butwere instead assigned to seats in another section, Shaban said. Three guardsstood near them, and escorted them to their cars when they left the stadium, hesaid.

FBI agent Steven Siegel, a spokesman for the bureau’s FBI office, said the menhad aroused suspicion because they were congregating near the main air intakeduct. Bush was in the stadium that night as part of a fundraising campaign heand former President Clinton were leading for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Source: AP, Nov. 2, 2005
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