Praying Passengers Spark Security Concerns At LAX

March 13, 2011 1:14 PM

(credit: AP Photo/Ric Francis)

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LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Authorities Sunday said three people were questioned and released following a security-related concern on an Alaska Airlines jet approaching Los Angeles International Airport.

A flight crew called agents about 7:45 a.m. to report suspicious activity by three passengers.

Airport Police Sgt. Belinda Nettles said the Federal Bureau of Investigation determined the passengers were praying in Hebrew and did not pose a threat to passengers or the plane.

The FBI said the men were very cooperative and have since been interviewed and released. No arrests were made.

Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Bobbie Egan said Flight 241 took off from Mexico City at 5:54 a.m. and landed at LAX at 8:44 a.m.

Praying Passengers Spark Security Concerns At LAX

drozone69

You are not a passenger,but a hostage while aboard any air flight due to the patriot act.

Elizabeth

Amen to that.
Ran

You have a right ‘ not to fly ‘

johnny chingas

Terrorists win, now you can’t even pray in public without getting questioned by cops as to what your motives are. What is this world coming to?

concerned flyer

@johnny, its coming to~~~~~~a point that to make the usa feel safe..including myself and others…everyone should be thought of as a terrorists till they are sure that there not….Praying in an unusual matter, means one thing…most people pray, but when it comes to the way these people were praying (muslin style) it makes one wonder…its never to percousios to take these extra steps to keep us safe azzhole

brown-and-proud

@ concerned flyer you are just paranoid, if they were really terrorist that plane would have exploded. terrorist have the means to go undetected. The latest policies implemented by the us are designed to take away the few liberty we have. so please stop being a little beeeeeaaaaaach
WHITE N PROUD

@brown n proud, it appears you didnt even read the post, helloooooooo it was about praying in a unusual matter, that led to the paranoia at the airport, far be me be paronioid….I could care less, I dont fly…..but I would be extra causeous when flying if others around me were doing something unuusal…but besides that ..you pegged me wrong guy….so please dont say i was being a beachhhhhhhhhh….Enjoy your day
lisa bowman

How unusual can it be while your inside the plane? As hard it s to admit, paranoia may already got the best of the general public. Its damn if you do, and damn if you don’t situation now.
Josh Butts

@WHITE N PROUD: I wouldn’t call you a beach. Of course I don’t know why anyone would call you a beach. Maybe you mean beatch?
Josh Butts

Oh same thing with brown-and-proud. I guess he doesn’t want to be called a beach too.
rich

concerned flyer i agree to a point that we need to be extra vigilant now a days but do read the story they were prayin in HEBREW which would make them JEWISH not MUSLIM and praying in public no matter what you faith is happens to be a protected right as in FREEDOM OF RELIGION i feel the flight crew got over excited here ive seen jewish people pray and its not any diffrent then how a christian or any other faith prays with the obvious exception of the language

comic_guy

When you see the crowd running away from someone yelling “Allah Akbar”, don’t panic Mr Liberal, they have the right to pray. Just cover your ears cuz it’ll get Very Loud.

Trisha

Haha. Thank you!

johnny chingas

I beg to differ concerned flyer, i don’t fly as much as i did in the past since i prefer a nice road trip national lampoon style. Not because of potential terror attacks, i dont worry about terrorists. Not even on my radar, what does terrorize my air travel plans is having some “federal agent” grabbin at my junk or wantin to take a peek under my shorts. These policies do nothing but criminalize the law abiding people they’re meant to protect. I, being american and of a christian faith, feel like im going to be arrested if i pray before take off. I did that before 9/11 without thinking twice, with all these backward laws in place post 9/11 i feel like i have to hide that out of fear that i will be labeled a terrorist. You can have your federal gropings, i want my civil liberties and peace of mind restored.
Mommy

@concerned flyer – Your ignorance is showing!!! Orthodox Jewish prayer is about as far as you can get from “muslin style”!!! (P.S. Your even greater ignorance – muslin is a cotton fabric – Muslim is a religion! ) Guess in your eyes, if its not whitebread Protestantism, it MUST be suspect!! What’s next?? Catholics crossing themselves considered making gang signs? We are a world of many Faiths. People should educate themselves on FACTS before jumping to idiotic conclusions.
joshua

praying muselm style? are you stupid? hebrews were jews like jesus. we are innocent till proven guilty not guilty till innocent. let them take your freedoms to feel “safe” ill take my chances and live free

Ran

Many Moslems and Christians could be once considered Hebrews too
Jews were from Judea. Jesus from Nazareth. Northern Hebrews, Samaritans, Druze, culturally differ as do religious sects of judaism

Jack

Deport them back to Mexico!
the wolf

Come on people, don’t be stupid! It is all about security. Being careful. Get it? These Hebrews were praying OK, Big deal. However, It is still about security. It maybe profiling , but oh well. The Airlines have their rules, And if you don’t like them, well people DON’T FLY. So get over it. The hebrews did.

Eddie

Right on Wolf..

at least you gave common sense..the same human sense that so many are lacking in this country…wonder where they got educated at??? By fools, of course.
ShamanNora

The “hebrews” did? lol

joshua

how about if you wanna feel safe you dont fly and drive. and the rest of us risk takers can fly
joshua

you can profile all you want in the privacy of your car
Eddie

Amazing how you dummies can complain about security measures taken after 9/11, the same azzholes who complained about the LACK of security measures that caused 9/11….Can’t have it both ways…..dumb, naive people.
ShamanNora

Just goes to show how ignorant people are – can’t tell Hebrew from Arabic, can’t tell a real threat from no threat. We are safer today, right?
Mel Gibson

terrorists win again
Mark

Didnt they say that they were already on the plane arriving to LAX, I would think they were a little late about the safety aspect, they were already in the air and nothing was done until the plane was on the ground seems to me that if there were some terrorist on that plane it would be a flaming mess by now. Wonder if flight attendants intervened at some point to tell the men they were making people nervous. Maybe with some additional information the whole mess could have been averted. Doesnt hurt to ask one what they are doing and get educated…