New York: In what is being labelled as a ‘discriminatory’ act by many, a Muslim family was asked to de-board a United Airlines flight after just before it was going to take-off citing ‘safety’ issues.
The flight bound to Washington carried a Muslim family of five – a couple and their three children – who were asked by one of the air-hostesses and then by the pilot to get down from the plane.
Eaman-Amy Saad Shebley, who boarded the plane from a Chicago Airport with her husband and kids, filmed both the air-hostess and the pilot asking them to leave.
When they enquired about the reason of their evacuation from the aircraft, they were told by the pilot that “it was a flight safety issue". However, they weren’t given any details on the matter.
The family had boarded the plane after having confirmed that they would get five-point harness safety seats for their children.
Disciplinary action has been demanded against the staff by American-Islamic Relations Council.
Shebley took to social media to express her displeasure for the airlines. She wrote on Facebook, “Shame on you ?#?unitedAirlines? for profiling my family and me for no reason other than how we look and kicking us off the plane for "safety flight issues" on our flight to DC for the kids spring break. My three kids are too young to have experienced this."
However, the airline extended an apology to Shebley’s family and later rebooked them on another flight.
Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, said in a statement, “We are tired of Muslim-looking passengers being removed from flights for the flimsiest reasons, under a cryptic claim of 'security'. Security means securing passengers, not harassing and humiliating them and booting them off their flight for, of all things, actually asking for security."
