Would White German Pilot Crashing Plane Be 'Terrorism' if He Were Muslim?

[circlethesquare]

From: The David Pakman Show

[yeoman6987]

1. I guess it would depend if they found anything claiming

He was doing it as a terrorist act. Otherwise probably same reaction.

[msongs]

2. if I was a "loving" god this sort of thing would never happen. oh well nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. I think terrorism would be assumed until proven otherwise

if the pilot had been a Muslim named Muhammed rather than a Lutheran named Andreas. In fact, I bet the assholes at Faux News are a little disappointed that he was just a German guy with mental health problems instead of a Muslim bent on religiously-motivated chaos and destruction.

[GoneFishin]

16. I'd give even odds that at least one asshole at Fox went there early in the event timeline.

You know if he had a dark tan or a beard they would still be trying shove that square peg into the round hole.

[onecaliberal]

4. Yes, because in the eyes of republics all Muslims are terrorists

Or potential terrorists.

[nichomachus]

5. A very good question

It reminds me of the coverage of Hurricane Katrina.

[Fred Sanders]

8. Says it all about media white privilege....as does the Indiana Hate law signing ceremony picture.

[gordianot]

6. If there was even a Koran in his apartment it would be called terrorism by those so inclined.

[louis-t]

11. If there was a copy of a Hannity or Coulter book it would be ignored.

[Journeyman]

7. EgyptAir Flight 990 . . .

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. The pilot believed to have caused that accident

was a Muslim (as are most Egyptians), but there was never any evidence suggesting his actions were motivated in any way by his religion, and he was not known to have strong religious convictions. However, he had been passed up for promotion to Captain and was in trouble with his employer:

Investigators learned from another pilot that Al-Batouti was supposedly reprimanded for repeated inappropriate behaviour with female guests at the Hotel Pennsylvania, a New York City hotel often used by EgyptAir crews. Hatem Roushdy, the EgyptAir official said to be responsible for the alleged reprimand, was a passenger on Flight 990. Investigators confirmed that shortly before the flight, Roushdy revoked Al-Batouti's privilege of flying to the United States and informed him that Flight 990 would be his last on the route.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gameel_Al-Batouti

But just because he was a Muslim, it was initially assumed by many that this was an act of religiously-motivated terrorism.

[Journeyman]

10. Hence, my comment . . .

[libdem4life]

12. Same answer as the question "Would a cop slam a white guy down and put a choke hold on him?" No.

[Liberalagogo]

13. He was a guy with a girlfriend

Why isn't the Jebus media all ablaze blaming heterosexuals for this?

[marble falls]

14. "Would"? Does the head of a western religion defecate in arboreal splender? Not a single doubt.

[WinkyDink]

15. If he did it IN THE NAME OF ISLAM, then yes. Did you just want to stir the pot?

[zentrum]

17. Probably not

Because he had no manifesto, no political reason for what he did. He didn't seem to be making a point at all.

It was narcissistic, not a political act.

At least based on the info we have so far. Now, if he did it as an act against Lufthansa ---maybe a case could be made. But you're point is well taken--they still won't call him a "terrorist".

[zebonaut]

18. I never heard the argument that Bin Laden was "depressed"