Truemors
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
American Imams Sue US Air
Share: 
by Jordan Yerman | March 14, 2007 at 10:33 am
523 views | 0 Recommendations | 1 comment
I fail to see how asking for seatbelt extensions constitutes "suspicious behavior". Also, praying before flights is fairly common; many airports even have dedicated prayer areas. These guys definitely have a case.
Six Islamic religious leaders have filed suit against US Airways for having them removed from a domestic flight last November.Police escorted the imams, all residents of the United States, off a plane in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after passengers and airline staff said the men were acting suspiciously.
Some of the men had prayed in the airport lobby before boarding, and passengers were concerned when two of the men requested seat belt extensions. (Read full story)
The men were questioned and released later that evening without being charged. But, they said, when they tried to book another flight on US Airways, the airline declined to sell them new tickets.
The men said the arrest was degrading and a violation of their civil rights, and the event provoked outrage from several minority groups. At a news conference Tuesday morning, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said the government must work to protect the civil liberties of every citizen.
"We cannot allow prejudice and fear to determine our actions as a nation," said Nihad Awad. "If the civil rights of one American are violated, the civil rights of all Americans are threatened."
What is NowPublic?
NowPublic lets people work together to cover news events around the world.
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (1)
at 05:23 on March 31st, 2007
Asking for seat belt extensions... If you continue to fail to seek all the facts then I can see where you think they have a suit. Its rediculous to think they have a suit. Their entire gripe is based on the fact that they were humiliated by being escorted off the flight. So what - if humiliation were a crime then we would all be filing cases. The is a simple example of a group posturing and threatening with a law suit. And I think its a joke - just like many others do. Americans felt their was somthing suspicious and asked that something be done. Its their right to do so, its the airlines right to remove any passenger that poses a security risk and no law was broke. And I am glad that a law firm has stepped forward to provide legal council to any passenger that these clowns name in their suit. The real crime is that anyone can file a lawsuit and waste tax payer dollars - even when no law has been broken. I guess their job now is to find some liberal trial judge that will hear there case and decide to try and make a name for himself and maybe get his own tv show like that idiot that did the Anna Nicole trial. But these guys dont deserve any time in front of a judge.