Have an Arabic name? You can forget sending money via Western Union. Considering that Western Union does little to prevent the onslaught of Nigerian scam artists from using the service, I find this highly ironic.
via AP
“Money transfer agencies have delayed or blocked thousands of cash deliveries on suspicion of terrorist connections simply because senders or recipients have names like Mohammed or Ahmed, company officials said.
In one example, an Indian driver here said Western Union prevented him from sending $120 to a friend at home last month because the recipient’s name was Mohammed.“Western Union told me that if I send money to Sahir Mohammed, the money will be blocked because of his name,” said 36-year-old Abdul Rahman Maruthayil, who later sent the money through UAE Exchange, a Dubai-based money transfer service.”
Unsubstantiated anecdotal claims do not a company policy make. Remember the finger in the Wendy’s chili? People lie.
Unlike the Wendy’s scandal, Western Union is not denying this…
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7004139898
Don’t mind malren, he’s just being a dick.
So ultimately all they are being asked is to show ID? WHAT A TRAVESTY.
Smartalix, you are the definition of a dick. You lie, you abuse the English language and you don’t seem capable of grasping the concept of intellectual honesty.
Delayed or blocked service bacuse of names like Mohammed?
If only the airlines had had the same policies 5 years ago.
No, it’s not. This is not about collecting names. Its about a blanket block against a specific name just because of its identification to a movement.
You twist this into your own wierd argument and then attack us for not answering your stupid question.
OK, here’s a short list:
1) Go to the Saudi Government and ask them to track the Bin Laden family’s movements, communications, and financial transactions. Don’t be surprised if they say no.
2) Go to a judge and get a warrant to tap the lines and track the finances of known Pakistani Bin Laden supporters. Good luck there, too.
3) Check on Arabic charities to make sure their money goes to those who the charities claim it is for. Ditto all other charities.
There’s three. I complained about one program, and so here’s three in exchange. Every single one, if implemented, would do far more to curb terrorism than this stupid racist pathetic action.
Now shut up and leave me alone.
Repeating my self here:
Trivia question: What is the most common name in the world?
Answer: Mohammed
That’s a pretty broad brush you use AB CD
You say I can’t read and fail to comprehend anything I have written.
I’m done with you, too. I’ll pretty much ignore your crap from now on.
6 Delayed or blocked service bacuse of names like Mohammed?
Blocking money transfers to anyone named Mohamed after 9/11 makes about as much sense as blocking fertilizer sales to anyone named Timothy after Oklahoma City, or gun sales to anyone named Eric after Columbine.
6 If only the airlines had had the same policies 5 years ago.
Then the people who had spent a lot of time figuring-out how to do it would have bought tickets with names that were not being blocked.
They are all murderous scum, but not all of them are stupid.
Terrorists can send money via Western Union – right now – just by using names which are not being blocked. How tough is it for anyone to get a fake ID?
If they were smart, they’d change their names to Munoz or Garcia and not have any problems at all. Well, maybe there’d be questions since it is going to Iraq or Saudia Arabia, but still…
Exactly. This entire thing falls apart if the people use an alias.
An alias? Gee, why didn’t I think of that.
#1, Unsubstantiated anecdotal claims do not a company policy make. Remember the finger in the Wendy’s chili? People lie.
Could this also mean that Shrub lied about WMDs, or getting bin Laden, or being a great uniter, or mission accomplished, or having served his term in the National Guard, or admires John McCain, …
I think that we should stop all wire transfers out of the country. If we are transfering money out to Latin America, it’s probably from illegal aliens, if it is to the Middle East, it’s probably being transfered to terrorists.
Since the terrorists are Muslims, we should make all wear Muslims wear a distinguishing symbol prominently on their clothing (not a star.. that has been used already.) And hispanic looking people should all wear a symbol indicating that he/she is here legally, with the right of all people to challenge anyone looking hispanic to prove their legality in this country.
But, really, we all know what the real answer is… this is a time of war, and if you are of Middle Eastern origins we should just put you in an internment camp until the war is over.
Delayed or blocked service bacuse of names like Mohammed?
If only the airlines had had the same policies 5 years ago.
Comment by AB CD — 7/7/2006 @ 1:39 pm
If only the airlines had hardened doors five years ago. Or, if only Shrub had acted when warned about terrorists activities a month before 9/11. Or if only FBI senior management had acted when warned about the flying schools. Or if…
Probably you remember that during the Dubai Ports “scandal” people kept saying that “funds for the 911 terrorists were channeled through Dubai.”
What they also could have said was “funds for the 911 terrorists were channeled through the American company Western Union.”
But no! Blame all of Dubai! Neither Western Union nor Dubai were “guilty” of channeling funds to terrorists unless they knew what was being plotted.
Man, the ignorant things said during that debate drove me crazy.
With the prices that WU charges…if a terrorist group WERE using it, they’d be bankrupt already.
13. yep, an alias – this is obviously an example of a program designed to alienate and inconvenience the innocent and hinder only the really, really, REALLY stupid guilty.
If you are really upset about this, get off your lazy ass and call your congressman. When you get him on the phone (don’t take “he’s busy” for an answer) Politely state your name and neighborhood, that you voted for him and onther pleasentries. Then shout GET RID OF THE GODDAMN PATRIOT ACT YOU DUMB CAN OF CRAP. And hang up the phone. Then get your friends and neighbors to all do the same.
But heres the real trick, after that doesn’t work (and it wont) elect someone else. If theres no one else running, run yourself. But, of course thats all too much trouble. Who cares if the country is screwing up at every turn, lets all worry about why the companies influenced by our laws are changing policies to suit them.
It is truly disingenuous to suggest to people that rather than vocally criticize a policy, they should instead do this litany of other things leading up to running for the office themselves. Let’s leave aside anecdotal stories about the very few people who went from rags to representative, and just admit that its typically a millionaire’s club for well networked alphas. For most of us, all the willpower and hard work in the world will not get us into office. (despite the fact that I am smarter and better qualified than every rep or senator from my state – but then, my state is a red state, so of course I’m smarter)
But you are right. We should be vocal to our leaders, we should support leaders we do like, we should do a lot of this stuff…
So, how do you know the poster isn’t also doing that stuff, and why do you support all that involvement – except for posting about it, on-topic, in this public forum?
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