In the immediate aftermath of the death of Bin Laden, and the reaction from many Muslims around the world, I'm not entirely surprised that some people would prefer not to travel on the same flight as Muslims. I don't agree with it, but I'm not surprised by it. I suspect some of us - including some liberals if they were honest about it - would be uncomfortable on a flight with Muslims.
I'd feel no more uncomfortable on a flight with Muslims than with Jews. Their holy texts are no different.
But is some White guy gets on wearing sunglasses and reading
The Turner Diaries and whispers to another guy next to him 'I can't believe we got it on the plan', I might be a bit nervous. You see, peop[le who aren't bigots make such judgments on a case-by-case basis.
If someone's gonna hijack a plane, blow it up, or use it as a weapon of mass destruction, the law of averages says it is more likely to be the Muslim than the Jew or the white guy reading The Turner Diaries.
It's not bigotry that makes people uncomfortable, it's that inner voice that warns of potential risk. Like a female who knows certain guys send an inner alarm ringing. Defense mechanism. Bigotry is acting on that initial 'gut reaction'.