Prayers = danger to airplane passengers

[elf]

Is this... Christian privilege? Racism? English-centrism? All three? YOU DECIDE! Five different news accounts of the same event:

• Jewish prayer ritual alarms Alaska Airlines crew
• Orthodox Jewish prayer ritual spooks Alaska Airlines flight attendants; crew locks down cockpit (with photo)
• Pilots lock down the cockpit after passengers' bizarre Jewish prayer ritual with leather
• Passenger prayer spurs security alert on LA flight
• Alaska Airlines Met By FBI In Los Angeles After Group Of Passengers Perform Jewish Ritual

Quote from one spokeswoman: "We've since learned from law enforcement that the passengers onboard were practicing a traditional Orthodox Jew ritual called Tefillin." Which involves small boxes containing scripture and leather straps. And speaking in Hebrew. Depending on the sensationalism of your news editor, this is either "elaborate" or "bizarre."