Tahera Ahmad and the curious case of Islamophobia

If what she claims is true, then the discrimination must be denounced and the FA should be rightly dismissed. The issue however is the moral hypocrisy

Where shall I begin – with a useless drink that brittles your bones or the media that suddenly disregarded the rule of objectivity by not confirming the veracity of claims? Welcome to the twilight zone where a single shriek of “Islamophobia” is regarded as the golden truth.

Tahera Ahmad, a chaplain at Chicago’s Northwestern University, claimed she was [allegedly] discriminated by a flight attendant (FA) from United Airlines, over a can of diet coke. Based on the details of Ahmad’s own statement, what ensued after an order of diet coke had left her feeling distraught.

Ahmad claimed discrimination after [allegedly] the man sitting next to her was served an unopened can of beer by the same FA who had previously denied her an unopened can of diet coke. Upon questioning why her fellow passenger was given an unopened can while she was denied, the FA said out loud, "it's so you don't use it as a weapon." – And the FA was so loud and abusive, that a man sitting across the aisle from her also overheard the commotion and retorted “you Moslem, you need to shut the f** up.”  Ahmad then claimed due to the shocking behaviour of the man from across the aisle, she exclaimed “what?!” – and the man, retorted again, saying “yes you know you would use it as a weapon so shut the f**k up.”

According to Ahmad, the commotion was loud to the degree where many other passengers also overheard and even shook their heads in dismay at what they had allegedly witnessed. What’s distressing about Ahmad’s description of the event is that there isn’t a single person who has come forward to verify her claims.

Flight attendants are trained to prevent panic and hysteria on a plane, especially when it’s 30,000 feet in the sky. So how does a flight attendant imply eminent danger out loud over a can of coke, yet not a single concern was raised by the rest of the passengers who witnessed the problem? Even the alleged redneck and the fellow passenger who got the privilege of an unopened beer is yet to come forward. All we have are the claims of a privileged woman who is state-funded to preach against “Islamophobia” – a misnomer often used to conjure apologia for violent and misogynistic scriptures.

So, while I was doing research, I wasn’t the least bit surprised when I came across her endorsement [back in 2012] for limiting free speech that would be critical of Islam. Within the link – the person whom Ahmad has quoted explicitly stated the future must not belong to those who “slander” the face of Islam – a sentiment that was echoed by the Kouachi-brothers and the gunmen at the Garland-shooting in Texas.

The moral hypocrisy isn’t merely concerted to the world’s reaction to Tahera Ahmad’s distress over the diet coke, but also the hypocritical attitude displayed by Ahmad herself. Hours after she made the endorsement against free speech on October 6, 2012 – she complained about another alleged discrimination – inside a movie theatre after watching Taken 2 – and began contradicting herself. In this rant, she claimed “We live in a world where media affects every aspect of our global transaction, politics, economy, etc. Media that exhibits Muslims only as the 'bad guys' or 'enemy' without any portrayal of protagonist balance furthers Islamophobic attitudes and stereotypes against Muslims. After leaving the film, several people looked at me and whispered away to their partners/company. I can only imagine what they were thinking....wait...go ahead and ask me not to make assumptions in a world where people 'pay per view' towards ignorance.” Irony alert! Ahmad passionately believes that fictional creations can manipulate the audience into believing a false narrative on Muslims – all the while, stifling criticism of her ideology that has its fair share of fiction and dehumanizing of Jews, Christians, Pagans, apostates, women, girls and minorities and encourages devout Muslims to not befriend them – ultimately fueling real time hostility since the 7th century that has gone onto becoming the most brutal colonial and imperial rule of the Eastern territories that has enslaved and/or annihilated countless cultures and races – and the aftermath remains the ultimate testimony in the 21st century from West and South Asia to Central Africa. Oh…but…Hollywood…!

History aside, Tahera Ahmad went onto claiming “[This is] not about me or a soda can, it’s about systemic injustice”. If what she claims is the whole truth and nothing but the truth, then the discrimination she faced must be denounced and the FA should be rightly dismissed. There’s no question about that. The issue however is, as noted above, the moral hypocrisy. Maybe the minorities who are slaughtered daily by the Muslim majority in the Islamic world should hold a can of diet coke to get a bit of media coverage on how Islam has been used for their genocide and slavery?

How much privilege do Western Muslims have that they can actually glorify Islam under the banner of discrimination over a can of diet soda while using such alleged discrimination to muzzle the criticism of Islamic tyranny in the East? How much degeneracy is prescribed through western-guilt to actually convince Westerners that there is something inherently vile about criticizing Islam? You can relentlessly pursue mockery of any other religion – but hell breaks loose the instant Islam and Sharia are put under the microscope.

Every Islamist is in tune with the license granted by Sharia to rape, murder, enslave, mutilate and torture minorities, non-Muslims, secular and liberal Muslims, apostates, etc. as displayed by the Islamic State to Boko Haram and Taliban. Even Malala Yousafzai was denied justice when the Islamists who had shot her had their sentencing of 25 years overturned behind closed doors – proud moment for Pakistan. Misogyny and sexism is rooted in the scriptures and it will continue to validate the sentiments of misogynistic and sexist attitudes in the Muslim world, much like in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Iran where female modesty is mandated by Sharia.

Sharia also makes secularism impossible – personal liberty cannot survive in a realm where religious appeal is placed above human right – which is why I was empowered to write Death To Infidels several weeks ago. Until individual human rights become more sacred than ancient scriptures – the Muslim world will continue to remain in a state of extremism, much like the past 14 centuries. It is neither “racist” nor ignorant to claim that Islamism has set an embargo against liberal values through its scriptures. And unlike Taken 2, which the audiences are aware is a fictional tale – the adherents of Islamism regard their scriptures as holy and use Sharia to impose Islam.

Tahera Ahmad may or may not have been discriminated 30,000 feet in the sky – media doesn’t seem to care much about verifying facts – or like Rania Khalek would say “f**k objectivity!” – so all I can do right now is present a claim made by a fellow passenger who had contradicted her claims, but since we have all readily accepted to f**k objectivity – I must say that this person’s claim is just as valid as Ahmad’s accusation. We can grab the truth from their hands maybe after the diet coke makes their bones brittle and flakey – but until then, the dubiousness of Ahmad’s claim remains strong in this curious case of Islamophobia! I’ll get the popcorn ready just in case the flight attendant decides to file a lawsuit citing wrongful dismissal against United Airlines and Tahera Ahmad!

Aki Muthali is a freelance writer, who's a feminist. Born and raised in Sri Lanka, she currently lives in Canada. She’s also an illustrator and a painter. Follow her on Twitter 

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