6 Muslim Imams Removed From Plane

(AP)  Six Muslim clerics who were refused tickets by US Airways booked flights back home Tuesday on another airline, but it still wasn't clear what led to their removal from their original flight.

The imams had attended a conference in Minneapolis of the North American Imams Federation, said Omar Shahin of Phoenix, president of the group, who was one of those removed from the flight. Three of them said their normal evening prayers in the airport terminal before boarding the Phoenix-bound plane, he said.

"They took us off the plane, humiliated us in a very disrespectful way," Shahin said after the incident on Monday night.

The next morning Shahin called for Muslims and non-Muslims to boycott US Airways unless the company changes its ways. "They know what they have to do, they have to be fair and just with everybody," he said.

A passenger raised concerns about the imams through a note passed to a flight attendant, according to airline spokeswoman Andrea Rader. Police were called after the captain and airport security workers asked the men to leave the plane and the men refused, Rader said. She said the rest of the flight's 141 passengers and five crewmembers were re-screened for boarding and the plane took off about three hours after the men were removed.

Airport spokesman Patrick Hogan said some witnesses said some of the imams made anti-American comments about the war in Iraq before boarding the flight, and that some of the men asked for seat belt extensions even though a flight attendant thought they didn't need them.

"There were a number of things that gave the flight crew pause," Hogan said. It wasn't immediately possible to verify whether the passengers who reported suspicious activity witnessed it themselves.

Shahin said Tuesday that three members of the group prayed in the terminal before the six boarded the plane. They entered individually, except for one member who is blind and needed a guide, Shahin said. Once on the plane, the six did not sit together, he said.

"We did nothing" on the plane, Shahin said.

Shahin said no one from the airline asked the six to leave, but when police arrived, the group complied.

Of the six Muslim scholars, five of them were from the Phoenix-Tempe area, while one was from Bakersfield, Calif., Shahin said.

When the imams went to the airport Tuesday morning to try to use their tickets or buy new ones, US Airways refused, and said their payment for Monday's flight had been refunded. Airline spokesman Morgan Durrant said afterward that he was not aware of the ticketing decision and could not comment.

They eventually booked a flight to Phoenix on Northwest Airlines for later Wednesday.

US Airways Group Inc. issued a statement saying it was interviewing crew members and ground workers to find out more about what happened.

"We are always concerned when passengers are inconvenienced and especially concerned when a situation occurs that causes customers to feel their dignity was compromised. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind," the airline said.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations planned to file a complaint, said CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper.

"Because, unfortunately, this is a growing problem of singling out Muslims or people perceived to be Muslims at airports, and it's one that we've been addressing for some time," Hooper said.

Hooper said the meeting drew about 150 imams from all over the country, and that those attending included U.S. Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, D-Minneapolis, who just became the first Muslim elected to Congress. Shahin said they went as far as notifying police and the FBI about their meeting in advance.

Shahin expressed frustration that — despite extensive efforts by him and other Muslim leaders since even before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks — so many Americans know so little about Islam.

"If up to now they don't know about prayers, this is a real problem," he said.

[bradmack44]

In perspective, this has little to do with religion or discrimination. So far, there is nothing to suspect misbehavior of US Law Enforcement.

According to the press, the collective behavior of the 6 clerics was significantly suspicious...enough so that pilots, crew, passengers, police, etc., decided that they must be removed from the aircraft. A large collection of citizens decided that these six men posed an abnormal and unusual threat. In another final characterization, these six muslims behaved abnormally.

3,000 Americans died because muslim extremists crashed several commercial airliners into significant targets. (I travel every week for a living.)

If one is a guest in a strange land, such would earn credit through courtiousness and obiding by that land's customs/habits. In a post 9-11 environment, EVERY, I repeat EVERY one-way ticketed passenger, without checked baggage is entitled to enormous extra scrutiny.

Fuuthermore, those that kneel to pray just before boarding any commercial aircraft, in any airport departure lounge, dressed as a so-called "muslim imams" deserve extra scrutiny too.

US Airways and TSA did a great job. If the muslim population wants to boycott US Airways because of the misbehavior of a few knuckleheads, likely they can find another form of transportation alltogether...

I would suggest that if the Muslim population wants to fit within American culture, perhaps they absorb some of our habits and concerns first.

[wingrider3]

These Imam complain about being singled out. Well I am so sorry for them. I have heard very little from the Islamic community in the way of condemning those who attacked us on 9/11. That event should be enough to make any one of the Islamic Faith hang their head in shame. So they were imbarassed a kittle when they got booted from the plane, fine. Let them be embarassed, but keep the planes as safe as possible. We all have to act a little different in airports these days. It doesn`t bother me one bit to have to behave in a certain manner in the airport. The Islamic community has so far failed to dialogue with Americans concerning terrorism, and until they do they will always be under a cloud of suspicion. My feeling about this latest incident is that they were just trying to push some buttons to see what reaction they would get. Well they got their reaction, now they should shut up and apologize for making an *** of them selves. BTW I am a middle of the road liberal. I believe in compromise. I do not believe in giving the people who attacked us the benefit of too much doubt.

[canadu-2009]

Fear of those who are different is born of ignorance. That's all I have to say.

[wendyhoo-2009]

ONCE again these so called scholars should have known better then to say and do the things they did ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY TOOK THE EFFORT TO NOTIFY THE FBI OF THE TRAVELS ... Nice job tell the fbi about the travel and they wont suspect us. Just because the majority of the group that met for this meeting they had are not terroist doesn't mean a handful aren't. Since you don't live in our country and would be okay with muslims flying planes into your buildings please keep hated american comments to yourself... that we are the laughing stock... I doubt it if that is the case then why ... why so many people want to come live here. I think you need to go to lunch because your brain is starving honey.

[wendyhoo-2009]

Oh gosh... I haven't read this since yesterday... I have a lot to catch up on. Canadu... I AM CERTAINLY NOT OUT TO LUNCH...lol No one threw off 6 OLD men based on thier looks alone. First of all unless you are 12 these men were not old. Second they weren't thrown off because they area muslims. They were viewed saying a prayer and of course in a language that MOST DON'T SPEAK IN OUR COUNTRY... So yes people are going to be nervous of something they can not understand. EX.. not sure what languages you speak but if I was speaking spanish with a friend and was looking at you and laughing (not saying these men were just ex) would you not wonder *** I was saying about you. So other passengers got nervous over watching these men pray. Then to HEAR THEM SAY anit american comments... UMMMM yeah that is not ideal to say when boarding a PLANE IN THE US... DUH Then to ask for seat belt extentions THESE MEN WERE NOT FREAKING FAT no need for the extensions. THEN TO HAVE NOT SAT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. God Forgive those who cared about the other 200 so passengers. They were asked to leave and refused GEEZZZ Reg flags everywhere....

[ronniehm]

"Shahin said they went as far as notifying police and the FBI about their meeting in advance."

I wonder if priests ordinarily notify the FBI when they have meetings. Shahin wouldn't perhaps be admitting that he could foresee his group arousing suspicion. Nah, that would be inconsistent with his other statements.

[ronniehm]

"would you say the same things if 6 Hasidic Jewish Rabbis were removed from a plane"

If a passenger accused them of being terrorists.

If they refused to submit to questioning.

HeII yes.

[ronniehm]

There's just one TINY LITTLE flaw in your argument. The airline didn't single out the imams. A passenger did. If the passenger had accused christians of being terrorists, the airline would have done exactly the same thing.

[urkiddingme4]

wow. it looks like the majority of you people ARE what is wrong with the us these days. first-if you actually read the article, "three members of the group prayed in the terminal before the six boarded the plane," not IN the plane. second-it is NOT ok to single people out because they MIGHT be adherants of a particular religion. third-Muslims are NOT wearing clothing and following customs 1,000 years old. EXACTLY like Christianity, Islam has evolved. so have fashions. would you say the same things if 6 Hasidic Jewish Rabbis were removed from a plane, and prevented from flying the next day--even after having been cleared? do any of you even know what that means? McCarthyism is supposed to be a bad thing.

clearly, most of you have never left the US, have never studied anything unnecessary to your occupations, know nearly nothing about anyone other than those exactly like yourselves, and have TINY LITTLE MINDS.

i hope those Imams sue, and i hope they bankrupt the airline.

[ronniehm]

By the way ... you know what the absolute least racist policy is?
INVESTIGATE EVERYTHING.

You know what USAirways' policy is?
INVESTIGATE EVERYTHING.