Western Union Blocking Money Transfers to Arabs

lowrydr310 writes "Western Union is blocking money transfers to people with Arab names. They have delayed or blocked thousands of cash deliveries on suspicion of terrorist connections simply because senders or recipients have names like Mohammed or Ahmed. '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 claims they are merely following U.S. Treasury Department guidelines that scrutinize cash flows for terrorist links. I agree that Western Union shouldn't allow anyone supporting terrorism to use their service, however I'm fairly certain there are millions of people named Mohammed or Ahmed who aren't terrorists. I wonder if any other financial companies such as banks are doing the same thing."

Comments

Re:Racism

[Moofie]

You may define it as racist, but that doesn't make it so.

There are white people who are not in any meaningful way "rednecks". I'd venture to say there are non-white people who could be described as "rednecks".

So, there you have it. Not racist.

Did anyone actually READ THE ARTICLE?

[DaveV1.0]

Dubai-based representatives from Western Union Financial Services, an American company based in Colorado, and Minnesota-based MoneyGram International said their clerks are simply following U.S.
Treasury Department guidelines that scrutinize cash flows for terrorist links. Most of the flagged transactions are delayed a few hours. Some are blocked entirely.

Gee, a U.S. company is following U.S. law and flagging financial transactions that may be related to terrorism. Most of said transactions are delayed a short time, some are blocked entirely. Yeah, lots to get upset with there.

Profiling you say? Profiles are like stereotypes, they exist because the is truth to them.

Racism you say? You do not know if the list only covers Muslims. Is it still racist if the list contains the known aliases for members of the IRA, or Red Dawn, or the other terrorist organizations?

"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.

Sounds to me like the Western Union employee didn't understand what actually happens, that or he was deliberately misleading people.

Do you actually know any rednecks?

[MikeRT]

The rednecks I have always known aren't big on PC things like raping our political and legal systems to accomodate potential terrorists. They'd rather just shoot the fuckers that our military catchs abroad than subject everyone, including Muslims, to police state type tactics in the United States. Bush is not a redneck. You can't be a redneck and go to Yale for a MBA. Many of the people that Bush represents, probably most of them are country club dads and soccer moms, not your average yeehaw redneck.

And btw, dumbass, there is nothing "ignorant" about the Bush Administration. They know EXACTLY what they are doing. The word your PC mind is groping for is "evil," not "ignorant." Idiots and ignorami don't get elected to the Presidency. Evil people, well, that's a compeletely different matter, ain't it?

I guess I must be a redneck because I agree with them. No trials for people caught carrying explosives to a terrorist attack. Line them up and shoot them dead like they're an enemy soldier. No stasi-style surveillance state. A nice 0.50 round to the head is just fine with me.

OT

[Scrameustache]

there are two reasons to oppose gay marriage: bigotry and political pandering to bigots

#3:
Dude, marriage means one thing, and changing it to mean a new thing is not something I approve. Let 'em get civil unions and change the laws to include benefits and visitation right to civil unions, instead of changing marriage, change the technicalities that make marriage a necessity.

Fuck, don't pigeonhole people in your lil' prejudiced categories just because they disagree with you on one issue.

P.S. Couldn't care less about the sanctity of marriage or any of that, it's been one thing since it has existed, and changing it is not a move. Ancient greeks weren't opposed to homosexuality, but they had the same meaning for marriage that we have now.