The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
Claire Berlinski, Ed. ·
May 10, 2011 at 5:42am
So, news item: One Rageh Ahmed Mohammed Al-Murisi, 28, carrying a Yemeni passport, tries to ram the cockpit door on a Chicago-San Francisco flight, apparently while yelling "God is great" in Arabic. This episode seems to be puzzling the San Francisco airport police:
San Francisco airport police Sgt. Michael Rodriguez said it's not clear what Al-Murisi had in mind and that the suspect had no known ties to terrorism.
I'm puzzled too. What could he have had in mind? Do you think he just had to go really badly? It's possible to get the cockpit and the toilet confused, sometimes, especially if your English isn't so good.
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Comments :
Feb '11
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
Someone is going to get into trouble for not saying that we know that most Moslems are peaceful, law-abiding folk and for not making it clear that the "heightened concern that terrorists might try to strike at the United States in retaliation for the U.S. killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden" is a problem with our perception and not a reflection of any real threat.
Sep '10
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
He panicked when he realized that under the Obama administration unarmed Jihadists have an increased risk of getting shot in the head unless they've got enough females in front of them to act as human shields.
Sep '10
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
Lets be thankful that some crew members and passengers were not confused about Murisi's intent.
Oct '10
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
The two most likely explanations that come to mind are a trial run for an actual attack, or an attempt to bait the airline and/or passengers into beating him up so he could sue.
Or maybe he thought the Mahdi was flying the plane.
Jun '10
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
The rest of the story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqVhtHapFW4
May '10
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
"He was charged in U.S. District Court with interfering with a flight crew."
Thank goodness he didn't try to smoke in the bathroom or he might have faced serious charges.
May '10
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
Once again, a Muslim man in his late 20's named Mohammed. Fits the profile.
Did I say "profile?"
Mar '11
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
I remember watching, back in 2001-200, a TV interview of actor James Woods. The interviewer was asking Woods about reactions to some statement of his in which he mentioned Muslims and terrorists in the same sentence. His response (I am paraphrasing, since I don't recall his exact words) was something like "Look, not all Muslims are terrorists, obviously, but when you hear about terrorist acts, they usually don't involve Scandinavians".
Mar '11
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
Do Muslims routinely shout "Allahu Ahkbar!" when they realy, really have to go?
Gosh, so much to learn about diversity.
May '10
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
Why was Al-Murisi not shot by the Sky Marshalls? Or is that too much like racial profiling.
If Al-Murisi was on an El Al flight you know he would have not gotten beyond the departure gate; of if he did, the crew would have taken decisive action once he started his screaming.
If anyone (whatever their name, Amish, Muslim, Jedi Knight) tries that stunt on a flight with me in it, she/he better be prepared to be choked out, and possibly permanently crippled at the least.
Edited on May 10, 2011 at 8:02amMay '10
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
I blame peanut allergies.
Speaking of the Amish, I was seated next to a (rather attractive) Mennonite girl on a flight to Saratoga springs for the annual race meeting. She was studying the Guide to Mennonite Communities, and I was scribbling on a Daily Racing Form with one hand, with a gin and tonic tightly grasped in the other. Our conversation was limited to a not-very-successful sally about my recent trip to Belize and the thriving Mennonite industries there. She did not reciprocate with polite inquiries re the Schuyler Stakes.
Hope I didn't radicalize her. Can't remember if she charged the cockpit yelling "It Is Good to Be Simple", as was engrossed in puzzling out a particular tricky first-level allowance race with a claiming option.
Edited on May 10, 2011 at 7:26amJul '10
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
When did this guy enter the United States? Why is he here in the first place?
When will we stop admitting people from known terrorist hotbeds into the country?
Jan '11
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
Rather than report the details that suggest the guy was a dangerous but stupid terrorist (hadn't planned on the door to the cockpit being locked, I guess), several of the news reports omitted any mention of terrorism.
Then why bother?
Some editors decided to go with the story, but without any of the details that make it a story, out of mindless political correctness.
Mar '11
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
KC Mulville:
Some editors decided to go with the story, but without any of the details that make it a story, out of mindless political correctness. · May 10 at 7:50am
Heh, heh, I suppose it is not only politically incorrect to refer to the religious faith of a Yemeni national named Rageh Ahmed Mohammed Al-Murisi who storms a locked airplane cockpit door yelling "Allahu Ahkbar!", but even more politically incorrect to point out how stupid said Yemeni national named Rageh Ahmed Mohammed Al-Murisi really is.
May '10
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
KC Mulville:
Some editors decided to go with the story, but without any of the details that make it a story, out of mindless political correctness.
Is this another one of those "youths" again?
May '10
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
Kennedy Smith: I blame peanut allergies.
Speaking of the Amish, I was seated next to a (rather attractive) Mennonite girl on a flight to Saratoga springs for the annual race meeting. She was studying the Guide to Mennonite Communities, and I was scribbling on a Daily Racing Form with one hand, with a gin and tonic tightly grasped in the other. Our conversation was limited to a not-very-successful sally about my recent trip to Belize and the thriving Mennonite industries there. She did not reciprocate with polite inquiries re the Schuyler Stakes.
Hope I didn't radicalize her. Can't remember if she charged the cockpit yelling "It Is Good to Be Simple", as was engrossed in puzzling out a particular tricky first-level allowance race with a claiming option. · May 10 at 7:19am
Edited on May 10 at 07:26 am
It is the three remaining Shakers that I really fear sharing a flight with
Did you win Kennedy (either the girl's heart, or the at the races)? Perhaps your shiny buttons were a turn off for your Mennonite maedel.
I hear that No.4 on the fifth race at Saratoga is a dead cert.
May '10
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
Kenneth: When did this guy enter the United States? Why is he here in the first place?
When will we stop admitting people from known terrorist hotbeds into the country? · May 10 at 7:31am
This is the question that always sits on the tip of my tongue. I guess we let Muslim primitives in so we can feel good about how tolerant we are.
"No known ties to terrorism." That's rich. Islam and Yemen have no known ties to terrorism? Please.
"There's my argument, restrict immigration!" - Groucho Marx
Feb '11
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
Yeah, baffling.
This made me remember an incident from the failed 1991 coup in the imploded USSR.
The coup plotters for some reason held a press conference. They explained that they were taking over because the current leadership was mentally ill.
Everyone at the press conference started laughing. The coup of course failed.
Today in the US we get that sort of story all the time. Gosh- we don't know why that guy from Yemen started pounding on the cockpit door while screaming something foreign sounding. (Pause to scratch head) But we're looking into it! Don't worry America! We're on it!
Yeah. I think we're rather close to point when Americans just start laughing when we hear this sort of nonsense- assuming we're not there already.
And people will take matters into their own hands. Muslims wearing islamist garb simply won't be able to fly in this country- no matter how many lawsuits and no matter how many bullxxxx assurances from the Inspector Clouseau branch of the government.
My tiny violin will be playing a sad song, thanks to this.
Edited on May 10, 2011 at 10:28amApr '11
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
A few things also pop into my mind when reading stories like this:
Mar '11
Re: The Utterly Baffling Incident on American Airlines Flight 1561
It's pretty straightforward - he is obviously an irrational religious fanatic, most likely a Protestant trying to hasten the Apocalypse (him shouting Allahu Akbar was a ruse).