By Muhammad Diyab
The security measures that the United States Department of Transportation doled out to the 14 countries it described as sponsors of terrorism or as being involved in terrorist activity or suffering at the hands of terrorism are measures that impose a strict set of instructions on travelers, the airline carrier and security apparatus at airports.According to last Friday’s edition of Al-Watan newspaper, these instructions include prohibiting travelers from entering the toilet during the hour before arrival, prohibiting travelers from covering parts of their body with blankets also during the hour before arrival, prohibiting the pilot from telling travelers about the landmarks in US cities or of the plane’s location even if they just want to know the direction of Qibla [towards which Muslim pray], stopping the use of electronic maps in planes so that travelers cannot work out their location, keeping an eye on any passengers seen to be going to the toilet more than once during takeoff and in a short space of time, precautionary frisking before entering the plane in a practical manner leaving no areas untouched including passengers’ rear ends and other sensitive areas if necessary, and more security at airport lounges to keep an eye on the movement of passengers, and security personnel watching concealed areas at airports, especially toilets. It also includes inspection by way of full-body scanners with radiation that show the naked bodies of passengers.
In brief, the United States is about to say to the citizens of these 14 countries: “Leave us alone, we do not want you coming to our country!” whilst large groups of travelers from these countries are respond by saying “We swear we will not leave you!”
I understand that a student must travel to complete his studies, or a sick person with a terminal illness must travel in search of a cure amongst those who can’t stand him. But what I can’t understand is why a person would subject himself to all this hassle on the way to that country simply to be a tourist in a country that takes away the right to urinate and the right to cover up with a blanket and subjects travelers to radiation revealing everything they cover up, as well as forcing them to allow someone to touch their rear ends or other areas if necessary!
The United States has the right to do what it wants to protect itself and it has its reasons and justifications to do so. The actions of its enemies are still firmly stuck in its memory but we also have a right and we must preserve our dignity and safeguard it from humiliation. It’s a big world so why America?
Source:Al Sharq Al Awsat