Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Airport officials get lesson in Hajj

By JUSTIN GEORGE
Published December 29, 2006

The pilgrims might look different when they return to the United States. They may be carrying vessels of holy water and religious souvenirs tucked in their luggage.

"Just be a little sensitive," Maysi Hnin, 26, a Muslim University of South Florida student, told Tampa International Airport officials Thursday in a meeting designed to educate them about Muslims returning from the hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca.

Wearing a head scarf, Hnin served as a model for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which arranged the roundtable with airport security officials and federal agents.

Today marks the peak of the annual five-day hajj to Mecca, Islam's holiest city, drawing about 20,000 U.S. Muslims and several hundred from Central Florida. All physically and financially able Muslims must undertake the hajj at least once.

CAIR officials gave airport police and FBI, Transportation Security Administration, Homeland Security Department and customs officials a lesson about the pilgrimage and what they can expect from returning Muslims.

The meeting was part of CAIR's nationwide initiative following the removal of six imams from a US Airways flight in Minneapolis in November after their prayer, conversation and behavior worried flight attendants and passengers. Federal officials questioned the men and released them without charges.

During the hajj, there are several rites pilgrims must perform. Men must wear two simple pieces of large towels while women - even those who don't usually - must cover their heads. Men also have to shave or cut their hair before they leave the pilgrimage. Some may grow a beard. These changes may cause people's appearances to differ from passports or ID cards, but they shouldn't make security officials nervous, said Ahmed Bedier, executive director of CAIR's Tampa branch.

Nor should the vessels of holy water, beads and other items they bring back, he said.

"We don't anticipate there will be any problems," said Rich Stevens, the TSA's deputy federal security director in Tampa. All screeners have undergone training about the hajj, he said.

Justin George can be reached at 813 226-3368 or jgeorge@sptimes.com.

[Last modified December 29, 2006, 05:55:52]