New York State assemblyman Rory Lancman has called for the CAIR lawyer representing the ‘Flying Imams’ to resign from New York City’s Human Right Commission. Mr. Mohammedi filed suit on behalf of the imams against the “John Doe” passenger who reported their suspicious activities. As you read the excerpts from the following Washington Times story, wonder along with me whether Mr. Mohammedi’s prejudice favors terrorists in general or just his foolish clients:

The lawyer representing six imams who are suing an airline and unknown “John Doe” passengers should be removed from his position as a New York City commissioner on human rights, said a state assemblyman.

“When it comes to suspicious or potentially terrorist activity, New Yorkers are encouraged to say something if they see something,” said Rory I. Lancman, assemblyman from Queens. “Before they do so, I think they have a right to know that they won’t be sued by their own human rights commissioner, Omar Mohammedi,” said Mr. Lancman. Mr. Lancman has asked Mayor Michael Bloomberg to demand that Mr. Mohammedi to resign his seat.

Stu Loeser, Mr. Bloomberg’s spokesman, said Mr. Mohammedi is an unpaid employee on the commission and has the right to choose his clients. Mr. Bloomberg in 2002 appointed Mr. Mohammedi to the commission, which enforces the city’s human rights laws, holds hearings and investigates complaints of racial, religious and ethnic discrimination. It also is empowered to make recommendations to the mayor.
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The imams say they were discriminated against because of their religion, and that bias prompted passengers to wrongly report the imams had asked for unneeded seat-belt extenders, moved about the cabin and made critical remarks about President Bush and the war in Iraq, or that they sat in a seating pattern that resembled the formation taken by September 11 hijackers.

Mr. Loeser said “the mayor supports protecting the people’s rights to report suspicious activities, including the bill sponsored by his good friend, Representative Pete King.”

Mr. King, New York Republican and ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, is pushing legislation that has received initial House approval to protect people from being sued if they report suspicious behavior that might be linked to terrorism. Mr. Lancman said he will introduce similar legislation in the New York State House.

Mr. Mohammedi also is quoted as saying Mr. Lancman should quit, “manipulating the emotions of the public to target a segment of the community.”

The nineteen hijackers indiscriminently murdered men, women, and children of all races and religions on 9/11. If anything, our nation’s aviation security measures have strained to refrain from targeting the typical terrorist, relatively young male Muslims, ranging in age from the early twenties to mid-30’s. I have yet to read where the 6 imams were subject to additional screening prior to boarding the November 20, 2006, US Airways Flight 300.

The formal prayers in the gate area and louder than conversational Allahu Akbar’s as they boarded surely brought attention the 6 imams could have avoided. Yet it was a combination of switched seats, seating reminiscent of the 9/11 hijackers, three imams who are not obese requesting seatbelt extenders with buckles that could be used as weapons, and anti-Bush administration conversations aboard the plane that alarmed passengers. Those reported observations, taken together, worried the crew and a pilot who is responsible by law for safety so the plane was held for further security screening.

Who was manipulating the emotions aboard Flight 300? Having since heard and seen several of the imams speaking in public, it seems to me that men with Middle-Eastern features and accents drew a lot of attention to themselves that night.

While licensed lawyers rightfully advocate for their clients, launching what appears to be an exploratory and intimidating bigot hunt by lawsuit is what brought Human Right Commission Member Omar Mohammedi attention he could have avoided.

Did I mention the 6 imams’ legal bills are being paid by CAIR after it received millions of dollars in donations from the Middle East? That money was allegedly meant to promote understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. Unfortunately, some of it had to be used to file lawsuits instead. Shame on me for almost ignoring the obvious.

Flying Imam says to American travelers: “Security at the airport isn’t OUR problem, it’s THEIR problem.” Hear Omar Shahin in his own words:

[Editor — February 17, 2010: Welcome, fellow Michelle Malkin fans. You’d think President Obama’s top adviser on terrorism and homeland security, the purportedly brilliant John Brennan with his 25 years working in intelligence and counter-terrorism, would have recognized the lead Flying Imam’s face. Not only did Omar Shahin have peripheral connections with one of the 9/11 hijacker pilots, but his mug was also all over the national news for several weeks just three years ago. How quickly some of us forget even the most notorious from the recent past. The audio links noted below were from a friend yet they no longer work as the host he used discontinued service. We’ll have a post related to Michelle’s up this morning on our front page.]

During a teleconference, made the week following the November 20, 2006, US Airway Flight 300 and obviously for public consumption, flying imam Omar Shahin also indicates, in his own words, they were spoiling for an incident:

It will be not one case, it will be many cases. One, in the name of the federation, one in the name of the imams themselves personally, one, in the name of the Islamic Centers we belong to. So it will be many, many, many cases, because that’s what we cannot tolerate in this country any more, to single us out of the passengers every once in a while…we cannot tolerate this anymore. We, like others, go through the security, like everybody else, nobody has the right after that to single us out… Second, if they don’t trust the security, this is their problem, not our problem. [click on that link to hear the audio]

“It [security] is not OUR problem. It’s THEIR problem.” What Americans who watched those planes hit the buildings feel “it’s not our problem?” Five years later, people debate whether it’s effective, but they co-operate at airport security. We’re all in this together. The US against THEM is us against the terrorists. Maybe Shahin doesn’t feel that way because, well, he doesn’t feel antipathy for them. He doesn’t consider them the bad guys. That statement to me is really quite revealing. Hence, many, many, many lawsuits… the fact that it could hurt security: “that’s THEIR problem.”

Omar Shahin later said during the teleconference:

Since minute one of this incident, I then contacted Ibrahim Hooper and brother Nihad Awad and we arranged everything…. we are already in coordination with everything… and we update each other every once in a while, every two hours, three hours. Everything’s being coordinated with CAIR. Even today I asked MAS [Muslim American Society] chapter Arizona, please, whatever you want to do, just let brother Ibrahim Hooper and Nihad Awad know about it before you do. That’s what we are doing and we are going to do that in the future. Inshallah. [click on that link to hear the audio]

They were spoiling for an incident, from “minute one,” minute one beginning with the first shouted “Allahu Akbar” before boarding that plane.

The New York Post today agrees that the imams and CAIR were “spoiling for an incident”:

Last November, US Airways removed six Muslim clerics from a flight preparing to depart Minneapolis after several passengers – including other Muslims and Arabic speakers – noted them behaving suspiciously. Their activities included moving between seats, praying ostentatiously and repeatedly bringing up Osama bin Laden’s name in Arabic.

They were, in other words, spoiling for an incident. They got it.

Responding to passenger concerns, the captain kept the plane on the ground and alerted the FBI. The imams were removed and questioned for several hours.
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CAIR promotes itself as a “civil rights” group – when in fact it has expressed support for such terrorist groups as Hamas and has seen several of its former officials and staffers convicted of terror-related charges. (It has also received millions in funding from Saudi sources.)

Previously, CAIR focused its intimidation strategy on media and political figures who dared to criticize the organization or any actions undertaken in the name of Islam.

With this suit, it is pretty clear CAIR is setting its sights higher – and lower.

It will score a major victory if it can intimidate everyday Americans into remaining silent if they believe they see the beginnings of a terror attack.