'FlyRights' App Lets Sikh Travelers Report Complaints Of TSA Profiling
The free, downloadable app called FlyRights lets travelers instantly send their concerns to the US Transportation Security Administration, which would then respond through its own channels.
Launched ahead of Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel periods in the United States, the updated "FlyRights 2.0" also allows passengers to send copies of their complaints to their members of Congress, and it features maps that show which airports have the most troubling records.
An initial version of FlyRights has been downloaded 18,000 times since it was launched in April 2012, according to the Sikh Coalition, the advocacy group that released the app.
Amardeep Singh, director of programs at the Sikh Coalition, said that many travelers did not trust the Transportation Security Administration's own response to complaints and called for an independent review of its screening practices.
"Until that happens, we call on the public to hold the TSA accountable by downloading and using FlyRights," Singh said.
Singh addressed a news conference that included rights activists for African Americans and people with disabilities, who said that they also found the app useful to address concerns about profiling.
"The rights of every individual deserve to be protected, and they can be protected. And we can be safe without violating the rights of individuals," said Wade Henderson, president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
The Sikh faith, founded five centuries ago in South Asia, requires men to wear turbans and maintain beards. The Sikh Coalition says that some US airports pull aside virtually all Sikh men, stigmatizing them and leading outsiders to associate turbans with danger.
Sikhs in the United States have faced a wave of violence since the September 11, 2001 attacks, with assailants sometimes falsely believing they are radical Muslims. In the worst incident, a white supremacist shot dead six Sikhs after barging into their temple in Wisconsin in August 2012.
Singh said that the Sikh Coalition hoped eventually to expand FlyRights beyond airports to include schools, where Sikh children report widespread bullying, and other areas.
- I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
- Colon cancer rates are rising in young people. If you have two symptoms you should get a colonoscopy, a GI oncologist says.
- Saudi Arabia wants China to help fund its struggling $500 billion Neom megaproject. Investors may not be too excited.
- Catan adds climate change to the latest edition of the world-famous board game
- Tired of blatant misinformation in the media? This video game can help you and your family fight fake news!
- Tired of blatant misinformation in the media? This video game can help you and your family fight fake news!
- JNK India IPO allotment – How to check allotment, GMP, listing date and more
- Indian Army unveils selfie point at Hombotingla Pass ahead of 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas