Comments on: Naked Ambition: Airport Body Scanners Only Offensive to Muslim Women?

By: Mel

Mel — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:23:43 +0000

I’m not happy about it, and while I am a woman, I am agnostic. I don’t like the privacy invasion, I don’t like the increased exposure to radiation (“safe”, they say, but for someone who flies a lot? Flying in the first place increases exposure to radiation), and I don’t foresee a stopping point for any of this.

Maybe this “isn’t a big deal,” just like everything else that has changed about airport security in the last ten years “wasn’t a big deal”. All those cumulative “little things” have turned into a flying experience that is exhausting, invasive, and humiliating.

Where does it stop? Mandatory sedation? Body cavity searches? And if those get implemented, we’ll still have people telling us that it’s “not a big deal” for our “safety”, why would we object to a “little body cavity search”, it’ll be done “professionally”.

By: american muslimah

american muslimah — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:31:46 +0000

Assalamu alaikom,
I don’t like the idea one bit, and it’s not ONLY because of the fact that I wear hijab in pubic… I am also gravely concerned about the health risk, the fact that the photographs *can* be saved, the possibility that the scanners may be required without an alternative in the future, and I simply do not want my daughters to have to go through the scanners until they are adults and can decide for themselves. (I realize it’s not mandatory at this point, but like I said, I worry it will become so.)

By: Maverick

Maverick — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:08:12 +0000

salams

A few points some people may not have thought of, or missed:

Here in Canada these scanners will soon be reality. Due to privacy concerns, here are some adjustments that were made:

1.) The scan produces a monotone 3D-image of the body, and does not copy other visual features such as skin color, eye color, hair color, etc.

2.) The person watching the screen will be located in a physically separate room, with no visual access to the person being scanned. Another officer will be guiding people through the scanner, and will be in constant telecommunications contact with the officer monitoring the screen in another room. So, at least for us here, the above image is incorrect – the officer standing at the scanning machine wont be able to see your body or anything.

3.) Travellers are still given another option altogether – that they can opt for a pat-down search, by an officer of their own gender, in a private room. I’ve been in that situation and the pat down took place in an enclosed room with no windows, by male officers.

People need to stop getting so angry over nothing. Check your facts first. Regardles of how bad things seem, you can still challenge these propositions through proper channels, and ensure that acceptable alternatives will be offerred.

By: nina

nina — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:57:10 +0000

this is just another sick attempt to make the world feel the war is justified and make people afraid and pissed of at muslims,its only spreading hatred.

By: SakuraPassion

SakuraPassion — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:43:23 +0000

I agree with the above comments. I would think most people would be offended by these scanners.

By: Southern Masala

Southern Masala — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:36:02 +0000

Yea, I don’t get that coverage angle from main stream media either. I mean most people are generally averse to have EVERYTHING hanging out there for some stranger to see. It’s not as if most non-Muslims are walking around showing their privates, or wouldn’t be upset if someone saw their privates. Also, proponents keep saying that its not a big deal beacuse the person looking at the images will never see the person who is being scanned’s face, so it will be just like looking at anonymous naked people. But I don’t want people looking at my nakedness whether they know who I am or not. I don’t understand why that would make or should make it pyschological ok or less intrusive because the person looking at you is locked away in another room somewhere? Isn’t that what peeping toms do too? Peer at you naked without you knowing about it? I don’t get this whole thing at all!

By: Abdullah

Abdullah — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:01:04 +0000

I agree with Tim, for me, I am a muslim man, and I am not going through that scanner.

By: RCHOUDH

RCHOUDH — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:52:05 +0000

I agree just singling out Muslim women as being the only ones who would object to the scanners, is trivializing the problem with them. There would be plenty of people who would feel uncomfortable with having to go through this of both sexes and of all ages, races, ethnicities, and religion. Even if I wasn’t a Muslim woman I would still refuse to put under that scanner because I worry where and with whom these images will wind up in. Besides most people don’t want to imagine airport officials snickering over their bodies, especially if they harbor deep seated insecurities over their body image.

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:30:38 +0000

Yes, why focus on Muslims and why focus on women? If this technology ever became mandatory for everyone everywhere it would definitely prevent me from flying.