In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in which 15 of the 19 hijackers were of Saudi Arabian origin and all were of Muslim faith , Arabs and Muslims complained of increased scrutiny and racial profiling at airports . In a poll conducted by the Boston Globe , 71 percent of Blacks and 57 percent of Whites believed that " Arabs and Arab-Americans should undergo special , more intensive security checks before boarding airplanes . " Some Muslims and Arabs have complained of being held without explanation and subjected to hours of questioning and arrest without cause . Such cases have led to lawsuits being filed by the American Civil Liberties Union . Fox News radio host Mike Gallagher suggested that airports have a " Muslims Only " line in the wake of the 9/11 attacks stating " It 's time to have a Muslims check-point line in America 's airports and have Muslims be scrutinized . You better believe it , it 's time . " In Queens , New York , Muslims and Arabs have complained that the NYPD is unfairly targeting Muslim communities in raids tied to the alleged Zazi terror plot
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims in the United States