9 Muslim Passengers Removed From Jet-Others on Flight Say a Remark Was 'Suspicious'

[babylonsister]

9 Muslim Passengers Removed From Jet
Others on Flight Say a Remark Was 'Suspicious'

By Amy Gardner
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 2, 2009; Page B01


Officials ordered nine Muslim passengers, including three young children, off an AirTran flight headed to Orlando from Reagan National Airport yesterday afternoon after two other passengers overheard what they thought was a suspicious remark.

Members of the party, all but one of them U.S.-born citizens who were headed to a religious retreat in Florida, were subsequently cleared for travel by FBI agents who characterized the incident as a misunderstanding, an airport official said. But the passengers said AirTran refused to rebook them, and they had to pay for seats on another carrier secured with help from the FBI.

Kashif Irfan, one of the removed passengers, said the incident began about 1 p.m. after his brother, Atif, and his brother's wife wondered aloud about the safest place to sit on an airplane.

"My brother and his wife were discussing some aspect of airport security," Irfan said. "The only thing my brother said was, 'Wow, the jets are right next to my window.' I think they were remarking about safety."

Irfan said he and the others think they were profiled because of their appearance. He said five of the six adults in the party are of South Asian descent, and all six are traditionally Muslim in appearance, with the men wearing beards and the women in headscarves. Irfan, 34, is an anesthesiologist. His brother, 29, is a lawyer. Both live in Alexandria with their families, and both were born in Detroit. They were traveling with their wives, Kashif Irfan's sister-in-law, a friend and Kashif Irfan's three sons, ages 7, 4 and 2.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/01/AR2009010101932.html?hpid=topnews

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Cause we all know that only potential hijackers talk about where the jets on a plane are located

:sarcasm:

[islandmkl]

2. wait till you start reading 'defenses' of this action...for example:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3668469

the next timothy mcveigh could have made that statement, and you know nobody would have said a word...

i think anyone REPORTING suspicious comments, actions, etc. should be held for FBI clearance, too...that aspect would not intimidate someone who was really concerned or frightened, but it would keep the f***ing racists and bigots quiet...

how easy is it to 'report' a suspicious incident just to mess with someone??...if they aren't white, i think it would fairly easy...and the system is set up to respond...

hey, who needs ALL of their civil rights...

[RC]

9. Excellent idea

"...anyone REPORTING suspicious comments, actions, etc. should be held for FBI clearance, too..."

The real answer is to get the paranoid skitzo's out of power.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

14. I am SO not surprised at who it is.

That DUer revealed his true nature to me on many occasions during the primaries.

[Marrah_G]

3. Absolutely crazy

I hope they sue the airline for refusing to fly them for the apparent crime of looking Muslim.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. You know, if there were real terrorists on a plane

they would be clean shaven fellows wearing baseball caps and sporting tee shirts advertising beer. The women would either be blond or be wearing blond wigs and be listening to rock and roll while wearing miniskirts.

[lazer47]

5. Right,,Just like the 19 people on 9/11 were all Blond and wearing mini-skirts

:wtf:

[babylonsister]

6. They sure weren't wearing their traditional Muslim outfits, w/beards.

They tried to blend in, which is what that poster was getting at.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

15. No,

but then we weren't expecting things to happen then--but now we do.

[marimour]

10. yep. they would blend in as much as possible.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. "The Land of the Free and Home of the Brave"

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[spanone]

8. all but one u.s. born citizens.....i guess their religion means they are guilty till proven Innocent

[merh]

12. I don't know if you have noticed

but on DU, guilty until proven innocent (or even if proven innocent) is the norm these days.

It's pretty sad.

[babylonsister]

11. m$nbc reporting that one of the people will be suing. That's appropriate. nt

[L0oniX]

13. What ya need is a T-shirt with a bomb printed on the front and back.