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New Airline Security - Necessary Profiling
After a failed and scary terrorist attempt, the Transportation Security Authority (TSA) has (again) released new air security checks. These new rules have drawn the ire of many due to its profiling nature: any passengers on flights passing through or originating in one of fourteen countries are subject to extra scrutiny including full body pat downs. For those of you keeping score, those fourteen countries include: Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen as well as supposed “state sponsors of terror” Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria.
Instantly, what jumps out is the fact that this list is almost exclusively nations with large Muslim populations. As the US belatedly and grudgingly attempts to prove that their policies are not anti-Muslim, this new measure could act as another rallying cry for arguing that the US is unnecessarily targeting Muslims.
However, is it unnecessary? As shown in the latest attempted attack, technology is not doing its job of stopping threats. In fact, what works is people whether other passengers on board intervening or well-trained TSA workers ensuring that technology is not the only layer of security. While technology, especially simple technology that can be easily implemented around the world, can provide a base-level of security, it should be reinforced by trained security guards.
While the countries on the list are predominantly Muslim, it is worth noting that the two nations with the largest Muslim population, Indonesia and India, are not on the list. Also, popular airport hubs like the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and Qatar are also not on the list.
However, the reason why these new rules can be justified is that they are applied equally to all passengers. As an American traveling through Africa and flying out of Lagos, I would be subjected to a pat-down just like my fellow Muslim passenger. Whether I stayed in Nigeria for a year or simply had a stop over, I would be treated in the same way as Nigerians or other travelers going through Nigeria.
As a traveler, I am willing to give up my privacy for some assurance of security. No one wants to get patted down, but the fact that it is based on equally applied standards, I can swallow them for now.
As we move forward, how about we try to solve the real problem. Let’s reach across cultures and avoid policies and violence that inspire hate.
