"In the interest of national security I don't mind [being searched]. American Muslims are also concerned about remaining safe. But we should not be singled out because of our religious beliefs," said Amina Sharif, CAIR-Chicago's Communications Coordinator.

After Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab slipped by airport security only to be stopped thanks to the vigilance of fellow passengers, a debate on the effectiveness of airport security and counter-terrorism intelligence is no doubt in order. But trying to fix a problem without actually fixing the problem is misguided. Trying to fix it by introducing a new problem is dumb. This guy seemed to have left every clue short of raise his hand and proclaim, "Arrest me, I am a terrorist!"

The post-9/11 world has been characterized as rife with racial profiling, whether justified or not, in the name of national security concerns. Loyola University Chicago sophomore Osamah Abdallah learned this first-hand after being falsely accused of plotting a terrorist attack.

It is funny to see how the people who criticize President Bush for being a big government conservative would at the same time applaud his efforts to expand the government’s investigative and enforcement powers to curtail civil liberties under the guise of national security (“Safety vs. liberty: How far should we go?” Nov. 20).