A Toledo man was removed for disruptive behavior on a flight from Miami to Detroit. Mansor Mohammad Asad, a 43 year-old Palestinian-American, was allegedly speaking in Arabic and stating his desire to kill all Jews.
The details of the exchange are surprisingly sparse, as if we’re supposed to just accept that him being Palestinian makes this description of his behavior credible.
Later, he allegedly resisted arrest by pushing an officer who was trying to arrest him (is being disruptive on a plane really a crime — and if so, then they need to arrest Southwest Airlines stewardesses and some damn babies).
The FBI investigated briefly but decided it was a local matter and not terrorism-related, whatever that means.
It may be because the suspect has a history of institutionalization for mental disorders and takes medication for bipolar disorder. Anyone who lives with someone afflicted by such conditions knows how much their actions are beyond their control and how difficult caring for them is.
I wonder to what extent will our paranoia about terrorism disproportionately hurt Middle Eastern-Americans, especially from those who suffer from mental illness and may lack the full faculties to control themselves in certain security-sensitive situations.
Individuals, such as this flight passenger, who have medically grounded reasons for occasionally abnormal behavior are not treated with the care and consideration they may receive in other contexts.
The security of everyone is crucial. While people who suffer psychologically are capable of severe damage (look at the George W. Bush presidency), they are also entitled to security. Surely, removing a disruptive person who is making threats is justified, but was there any special attention with mental health professionals present? Perhaps the security officers were justified to use a tazer on him. I wasn’t there so I cannot really judge their actions. While it may take some time for the courts to work this out, what will happen in future episodes with Middle Easterners who behave a certain way out of mental illness, might they not face deadly violence if the possibility of their existence is not considered by security officials and policy planners?
Too often, those with mental illnesses are left out of public policy entirely,vilified, ridiculed or treated as their condition is non-existent. But to suffer a mental illness and be Arab is to be doubly vulnerable to a jumpy security regime — one, that if taken to its logical end, would be terroristic itself. There must be a balance between fairness, caring for those who need extra care, and the imperatives of keeping people safe. I’m not sure if enough people are raising the issue of mental illness, and I think this case calls that into question.
And I would like to think his use of Arabic had nothing to do with any of this… but I suspect not.
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- Jewish Terrorists Set Church Ablaze
- Bush to strip exclusive “terrorist” naming rights from freelance terrorists
HAHA he looks like Niko Muvakarapolis with that go-t
Posted by Programmer Buydatti | January 8, 2010, 4:22 pmThe mentally ill are the most maligned and marginalized in society. The mentally ill are more like to be victims of crime or killed by cops contrary to what the media likes to portray. Arab descent + mental illness, you definitely better take your meds.
Posted by fed-up | January 8, 2010, 8:32 pmMy daughter has diagnosed bipolar disorder. A person like that can be depressed and manic, but always in his/her full faculties and fully well knows the consequences of ones actions. I don't know what set this guy off, but for sure the foundation is bottomless hatred, which is the fuel of all Islamic extremism. How different is the message Christ gave us. Madela once told that hate is like when one takes poison and expects that it will kill the enemy.
Posted by ArnoP | January 8, 2010, 9:48 pmBipolar disorders are along a spectrum and vary in severity, you cannot generalize from your daughter's case.
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