I knew I stood in the wrong line almost
immediately. There were several
Irish couples (fifty-ish) and in front of them a young Muslim family of five. The wife wore a "hijab" with full-face cover and I was wondering if
she was going to get through without disclosing who she was. I wasn’t the only one. As she went forward (with her family)
literally every one of the Irish folk careened their necks to see what would
happen. Well, after a lengthy
wait, with lots of hand motions and consternation, she turned discretely toward
the customs-officer and revealed her face.
Ok, are you ready for what happened
next? Wait, wait…ok. The Irish people in line literally
applauded. It was a public
outburst. The young woman, after re-positioning her scarf, turn and looked back with a surprised and embarrassed look. I was standing there not
really knowing what to think or feel – kind of staggered. To be honest, I didn’t want her to get through
without disclosure for security reasons (regardless of religion or heritage), but
I was taken aback by the stridency of the white Europeans. Standing behind one of the couples I
listened in as the husband said to his wife, “Dear, we have to make a stand.” The same guy, as he went up to show his Passport leaned into the guard and said loud enough for most to hear, "Bravo!!!"
They were applauding the security guard. It was a surreal moment.
Question is: did they applaud the security guard – or the young woman? The man you overheard admired the guard; I admire the woman who was willing to yield to societal protocols that create a sense of safety – especially from some of her fellow-believers.