Washington, Jul 21: In a case of apparent racist discrimination in the US, a 40-year-old Muslim man was removed from a plane after a flight attendant publicly announced his name, seat number and said she would be "watching" him.
The matter came to light yesterday when the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) complained to transport authorities that Mohamed Ahmed Radwan was removed from the American Airlines Flight last December because of his "identifiably Arabic and Muslim name."
According to federal law, airlines are prohibited from discriminating against passengers based on religion, ancestry and national origin, among other criteria.
CAIR sent a letter to the Department of Transportation (DOT) yesterday urging an investigation and also called for a "thorough examination" into prevailing practices of major airlines, The Charlotte Observer reported.
In addition, CAIR said the DOT should develop policy guidelines on objective factors to be looked at while deciding to remove a passenger from a plane.
Radwan, a chemical engineer, said he was flying from Charlotte to Detroit on December 6, 2015, on American Airlines Flight 1821.
As he was taking his allotted seat, Radwan said, a female flight attendant loudly announced, "Mohamed Ahmed, Seat 25-A, I will be watching you."
After a minute, she repeated, "Mohamed Ahmed, that is a very long name, Seat 25-A, I will be watching you." Then a third time, according to Radwan, she said, "25-A: you will be watched."
"I was in total shock. I've been flying for over 30 years, and I've never heard something like that," he said.
The flight attendant did not make such a statement about any other passenger, Radwan said. When he asked about her statements, the attendant said she was going to monitor everyone. When asked why she singled him out, the attendant accused him of being "too sensitive" and walked away, he said.
After a couple of American Airlines employees talked to him, he was told the attendant felt "uncomfortable" and he was escorted off the flight.
"I felt too unsafe to fly with American again," he said. Radwan instead booked a much later flight, which cost him about USD 1,500 and interfered with his travel plans.
Worse than the inconvenience was the humiliation of being treated like a terrorist, Radwan said.
"I've been a US citizen for 13 years, but at that moment I felt my sense of being American taken from me," he said.
In April, a Muslim woman was removed from a Southwest Airlines plane at a Chicago airport after she had asked to switch seats as she was told she had made the flight attendant "uncomfortable".
A Muslim family of five were also escorted off a United Airlines flight in March for "how they looked".
Welcoming the move Dr Arathi Krishna told coastaldigst.com that Indians stranded in any foreign country can utilize this facility. "Initially, I was approached by Mr Zakaria and Mr Sheik who wanted chartered flights to help their employees fly back to India. I asked them to write to the Indian Ambassador in Saudi Araia Mr Ausaf Sayeed. Then I requested the ambassador to forward the request to Joint Secretary Dr Nagendra Prasad, who is in charge of gulf division in the Ministry of External Affairs, and then to Secretary on charge of Gulf and then I requested Secretary of Economic Relations Mr T S Tirumurti who was also in charge of Gulf to follow this up," she said.
Comments
The airhostess should watch her HUSBAND, as to what he is doing outside the house...... Like Naren and Bopanna..
Don't blame whole nation for mistakes of one or two sick minded people's like Bopanna and kotian. They can't think much further.
Stinky jihadist ...they deserve it ....well done America .. Love u ....haha guys don't bark about boycotting ..except population ur community cannot produce anything ...computer which u use ..processor in it ...it is owned by Jews ...apple belongs to Americans ....facebook belongs to Jew ...100% consumer oriented products are designed by non Muslims only da ....boycott Anthe kumda ...hogappa fish market open ago time aithu ...mostly kabali style nalli ...naan jihadi da andirbeku...adakke we will watch u andavle ashte ...
dear muslim brother please avoid all american products ...
American trained by RSS .....
In same country America the boxing legend mohammed ali was honoured , and his name was about to right along with the many legends in a place where it was written in floor. But mohammed ali told if u want to honour me you have to write the name on the wall otherwise I don't want to be honoured ,Because my name resembles the name of prophet mohammed May peace be upon him. So only his name was written on the wall all other name is on floor till today.
Idiots...boycott american n British airways, then they will come under your feet...now days money speaks.... don't allow any flight attendant to insult any passenger.... they r feeding their family with passengers money...so let them shut their mouth and serve the passenger. Let her watch her husband and children or father n mother where they r going in her absent.
well deserved -
What's wrong? His name was mohammed ahmad. So she the flight staff was terrorised and did what need to be done.
Racism and hatred will destroy yourself. You cannot destroy others.
Totally shameful behavior of \Stupid American Airlines\"..."
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