Six Muslim clerics were removed from a U.S. Airways flight last week - and, as usual, most of the media and, surprisingly, most of the blogosphere, missed the obvious.

The clerics were praying loudly in the take-off area, and, by some accounts, while they spread out on the plane.

Where does everyone else pray? This is a question no one seems to be asking.

Everyone else either prays in the airport chapel or silently, modestly in public areas. Is that besuited business man at Gate 18 nodding off or praying with his eyes closed? We don’t know for sure. And that let’s everyone else go on with their lives.

More than 80% of Americans tell pollsters that they believe in God. Millions of believers thread their way through airports every day. And, until now, no Christian, Jew or Muslim, has ever sparked a public controversy by worshipping the Almighty.

And, before we get into the freedom of worship arguments, let’s not forget that they were doing more than just noisily praying in Arabic on stretched out prayer rugs in the exit area. They were making loud anti-American statements at the gate, repeatedly invoking Allah. Three of the six had one-way tickets and some had not checked any bags. These are all red flags.

Once on the plane they spread out from the front to the rear of the aircraft in a pattern reminiscent of the 9-11 hijackers.

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