These are important years in Islams efforts to win respectability in America. Pressing for their rights, keeping their cool and not returning the mindless venom that ignorant people use are essential. Here are my compliments for the measured, but firm, way the Muslim community is holding US Airways feet to the fire for the clumsy way it handled the treatment of Arizona imams in Minneapolis last week.Sadly, it has triggered ugly, anti-Islamic hated and vile comments all over the Internet and media talk shows, including accusations that the Muslim leaders deliberately created the highly publicized event.The incident has given the airlines a well-deserved black eye and raises new doubts about the consistency in protecting civil liberties in this country. The public and the airlines seem too quick to raise unsubstantiated fears about Muslims trying to go about their unique way of life in this country. It is unacceptable that airlines employees and security people could be so fast to respond to nervous passengers to have the imams taken off the plane and handcuffed and then to delay their ultimate departure in what became a national incident. The imams, including five from Arizona (one imam is blind), were flying out of the Twin Cities after attending a conference when a passenger penned a note about six suspicious Arabic men on plane. All were together saying, Allah, Allah. I have followed the reports and heard and read remarks by Imam Ahmad Shqeirat of the Islamic Community Center of Tempe and Imam Omar Shahin of Phoenix as they have retold their accounts. They say they did not chant Allah on the plane, but had prayed inside the terminal before boarding. Surely if the public were more sensitive and aware, such praying would not be a cause for concern. Somewhere came reports that the imams were flying on one-way tickets (a red flag), but the airline and imams discount that. The Muslim American Society and its Freedom Foundation plan to hold both a prayer service and an interfaith rally at 1 p.m. Friday at Tempe Beach Park across the street from US Airways corporate offices. There will be more remarks about the incident and a request for a formal apology from US Airways. We hope that this rally sends a strong message to US Airways, and others, that racial and religious profiling will not be tolerated and that equal protection under the law is still the law of our great nation, said Imam Mahdi Bray, executive director of the foundation. Long discredited, extremist commentator Ann Coulter weighed in immediately after the incident. In her famous mean spirit, she noted that Muslims were calling for a boycott of US Airways, then added, If only we could get Muslims to boycott all airlines, we could dispense with airport security altogether. And another cheapshot: About the only scary preflight ritual the imams didnt perform was the signing of last wills and testaments. Coulter, tongue in cheek, we hope, said, Come to think of it, the whole affair may have been a madcap advertising scheme cooked up by US Airways. It worked for me. US Airways in my official airline now.And Coulter blathers on. The entire incident is one more manifestation of the phony need to fear that is being widely perpetuated, that breeds mistrust and an insidious eroding of respect for others.At the least, the incident points out how wary much of America is about anyone with Middle Eastern features. It shows how knee-jerk people can be. Suspicious activity is one thing. Cultural ignorance is another. Airline personnel could have been quicker fact-finders and could have shown some restraints. And, in an age, where American business must carefully guard against P.R. fiascos, I am amazed someone with common sense didnt step in and nip this thing in the bud.

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