# Muslim Women Wearing Burquahs-Exempted From TSA Pat-Downs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 19, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslim-women-wearing-burquahs-exempted-from-tsa-pat-downs/561168 "2010-11-19T01:16:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslim-women-wearing-burquahs-exempted-from-tsa-pat-downs/561168/1 "2010-11-19T01:16:16Z")
Some local wag has declared that the TSA has decided to allow muslim women wearing the burquah garments to avoid the pat down body search. Is this correct? I did see (Drudge) that some muslim cleric has denounced the body scan and pat-down searchs. Is this true? ---
**Author:** ![acetylene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@acetylene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/acetylene)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslim-women-wearing-burquahs-exempted-from-tsa-pat-downs/561168/2 "2010-11-19T01:53:50Z")
[According to this](http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/tsa-administrator-advanced-imaging-or-pa), the TSA Administrator says no exceptions for religious or any other reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslim-women-wearing-burquahs-exempted-from-tsa-pat-downs/561168/3 "2010-11-19T02:04:07Z")
The OP is most likely refering to this press release from the Council On American Islamic Relations (CAIR) > [@](#): > > Special recommendations for Muslim women who wear hijab: > > ``` > * If you are selected for secondary screening after you go through the metal detector and it does not go off, and "sss" is not written on your boarding pass, ask the TSA officer if the reason you are being selected is because of your head scarf. > * In this situation, you may be asked to submit to a pat-down or to go through a full body scanner. If you are selected for the scanner, you may ask to go through a pat-down instead. > * Before you are patted down, you should remind the TSA officer that they are only supposed to pat down the area in question, in this scenario, your head and neck. They SHOULD NOT subject you to a full-body or partial-body pat-down. > * You may ask to be taken to a private room for the pat-down procedure. > * Instead of the pat-down, you can always request to pat down your own scarf, including head and neck area, and have the officers perform a chemical swipe of your hands. > * If you encounter any issues, ask to speak to a supervisor immediately. They are there to assist you. > > ``` Full story at the [CAIR Website](http://www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?ArticleID=26681&&name=n&&currPage=1) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslim-women-wearing-burquahs-exempted-from-tsa-pat-downs/561168/4 "2010-11-19T02:14:29Z")
That’s the answer; just let everybody pat themselves down! What could go wrong? ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslim-women-wearing-burquahs-exempted-from-tsa-pat-downs/561168/5 "2010-11-19T02:23:25Z")
If it was true, just think how much it would brighten the spirits of all the “Of course Obama is a secret Muslim, just open your eyes people!!!” people out there… ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslim-women-wearing-burquahs-exempted-from-tsa-pat-downs/561168/6 "2010-11-19T02:30:23Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > That’s the answer; just let everybody pat themselves down! What could go wrong? A whole plane full of people patting themselves? Hmmmmm “Mommy why does that man keep looking at me and patting his lap?”🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslim-women-wearing-burquahs-exempted-from-tsa-pat-downs/561168/7 "2010-11-19T02:42:42Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > That’s the answer; just let everybody pat themselves down! What could go wrong? Well yeah…except for the fact that they have already passed through a metal detector and their hands will be swabbed for explosives… ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslim-women-wearing-burquahs-exempted-from-tsa-pat-downs/561168/8 "2010-11-19T02:44:08Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > Well yeah…except for the fact that they have already passed through a metal detector and their hands will be swabbed for explosives… If it’s that easy, why not do it for everyone? ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslim-women-wearing-burquahs-exempted-from-tsa-pat-downs/561168/9 "2010-11-19T03:02:18Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > If it’s that easy, why not do it for everyone? You tell me…I’m not in charge of TSA…and this is not even put out by TSA either, but rather by the Islamic Council… ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslim-women-wearing-burquahs-exempted-from-tsa-pat-downs/561168/10 "2010-11-19T03:10:01Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > If it’s that easy, why not do it for everyone? Because they have to swab the person’s hands and put the swab through the machine that tests for explosive residue, vs just being patted down by a TSA agent. The security checkpoint would move a lot more slowly if they had to test every passenger for explosives. ---
**Author:** ![Toolie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Toolie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toolie)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslim-women-wearing-burquahs-exempted-from-tsa-pat-downs/561168/11 "2010-11-19T05:41:46Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Because they have to swab the person’s hands and put the swab through the machine that tests for explosive residue, vs just being patted down by a TSA agent. The security checkpoint would move a lot more slowly if they had to test every passenger for explosives. In my experiences at Pudong Int’l in Shanghai, every person _is_ tested for explosives as they enter the terminal building. At the doors, people are grouped into corrals of ten to twenty in a holding area, then each person / bag is swabbed (with the same swab, I believe), and then that swab is tested. Once clear, the batch is let though and the next batch is corralled in for testing. All in all, it takes less than a minute. It’s true they weren’t swabbing everyone’s hands, but it seems like they just as easily could without any significant delays. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslim-women-wearing-burquahs-exempted-from-tsa-pat-downs/561168/12 "2010-11-19T06:57:04Z")
The TSA does seem to search everybody (about the only good thing to be said about them). [Here](http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1140/1418632004_db82f4d635_o.jpg) is a photo of a Roman Catholic nun in full habit being searched by a TSA agent (who’s wearing a Muslim headscarf). ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslim-women-wearing-burquahs-exempted-from-tsa-pat-downs/561168/13 "2010-11-19T07:16:48Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > The TSA does seem to search everybody (about the only good thing to be said about them). dunno about that – this apparent prohibition against exercising any sort of individual discretion or judgment whatsoever is one of the agency’s biggest problems, in my view.