'Safest' seat remarks get Muslim family kicked off plane

**MKE Brother** · 01-02-2009

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/01/fam...ded/index.html

In case anyone has an issue getting to the article.

Why? Why not let the family back on?

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Muslim family removed from an airliner Thursday after passengers became concerned about their conversation say AirTran officials refused to rebook them, even after FBI investigators cleared them of wrongdoing.

A Muslim family was removed from an AirTran flight after a conversation about the safest place to sit.

Atif Irfan said federal authorities removed eight members of his extended family and a friend after passengers heard them discussing the safest place to sit and misconstrued the nature of the conversation.

Irfan, a U.S. citizen and tax attorney, said he was "impressed with the professionalism" of the FBI agents who questioned him, but said he felt mistreated when the airline refused to book the family for a later flight.

AirTran Airways late Thursday said they acted properly and that the family was offered full refunds and can fly with AirTran again.

"AirTran Airways complied with all TSA, law enforcement and Homeland Security directives and had no discretion in the matter," the company said in a prepared statement.

Family members said FBI agents tried to work it out with the airline, but to no avail.

"The FBI agents actually cleared our names," said Inayet Sahin, Irfan's sister-in-law. "They went on our behalf and spoke to the airlines and said, 'There is no suspicious activity here. They are clear. Please let them get on a flight so they can go on their vacation,' and they still refused."

"The airline told us that we can't fly their airline," Irfan said.

The dispute occurred about 1 p.m. Thursday as AirTran flight 175 was preparing for takeoff from Reagan National Airport outside of Washington, D.C., on a flight destined for Orlando, Florida.

Atif Irfan, his brother, their wives, a sister and three children were headed to Orlando to meet with family and attend a religious conference.

"The conversation, as we were walking through the plane trying to find our seats, was just about where the safest place in an airplane is," Sahin said. "We were (discussing whether it was safest to sit near) the wing, or the engine or the back or the front, but that's it. We didn't say anything else that would raise any suspicion."

The conversation did not contain the words "bomb," "explosion," "terror" or other words that might have aroused suspicion, Irfan said.

"When we were talking, when we turned around, I noticed a couple of girls kind of snapped their heads," said Sobia Ijaz, Irfan's wife. "I kind of thought to myself, 'Oh, you know, maybe they're going to say something.' It didn't occur to me that they were going to make it such a big issue."

Some time later, while the plane was still at the gate, an FBI agent boarded the plane and asked Irfan and his wife to leave the plane. The rest of the family was removed 15 or 20 minutes later, along with a family friend, Abdul Aziz, a Library of Congress attorney and family friend who was coincidentally taking the same flight and had been seen talking to the family.

After the FBI interviewed family members, it released them, Irfan said.

AirTran spokesman Tad Hutcheson said the incident began when some passengers reported hearing suspicious remarks by a woman and alerted flight attendants. Two Federal Air Marshals, who were on board the flight, notified law enforcement about the security-related issue, AirTran said.

After the family and Aziz were taken for questioning, the remaining 95 passengers were taken off of the plane and rescreened, along with the crew and the baggage, AirTran said.

Irfan said he believes his family is owed an apology.

"Really, at the end of the day, we're not out here looking for money. I'm an attorney. I know how the court system works. We're basically looking for someone to say... 'We're apologizing for treating you as second-class citizens.'"

"We are proud Americans," Sahin said. "You know we decided to have our children and raise them here. We can very easily go anywhere we want in the world, but you know we love it here and we're not going to go away, no matter what."

Aziz said there is a "very strong possibility" he will pursue a civil rights lawsuit.

"I guess it's just a situation of guilt by association," Aziz said. "They see one Muslim talking to another Muslim and they automatically assume something wrong is going on."

**Whatsthepoint** · 01-02-2009

WASHINGTON — A Muslim family removed from a plane Thursday after passengers became concerned about their conversation about the "safest" place to sit says AirTran officials refused to re-book them, even after FBI investigators cleared them of wrongdoing.

All eight members of the Irfan family from Alexandria, Va., and a friend were kicked off an Orlando-bound AirTran Airways flight after two other passengers overheard what they thought was a suspicious remark, according to the Washington Post.

"My brother and his wife were discussing some aspect of airport security," Kashif Irfan told the Washington Post. "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 other fliers heard them discussing the safest place to sit and misunderstood the nature of the conversation.

FBI agents later cleared the ejected passengers, all but one of them U.S.-born citizens who were headed to a Florida retreat.

But the family members said AirTran refused to rebook them, and they had to pay for seats on another airline secured with help from the FBI.

Federal officials ordered all 104 passengers from the plane and re-screened them before allowing the flight to depart.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475126,00.html

**S_87** · 01-02-2009

wow pretty messed up

**wth1257** · 01-02-2009

Originally Posted by Whatsthepoint

WASHINGTON — A Muslim family removed from a plane Thursday after passengers became concerned about their conversation about the "safest" place to sit says AirTran officials refused to re-book them, even after FBI investigators cleared them of wrongdoing.

All eight members of the Irfan family from Alexandria, Va., and a friend were kicked off an Orlando-bound AirTran Airways flight after two other passengers overheard what they thought was a suspicious remark, according to the Washington Post.

"My brother and his wife were discussing some aspect of airport security," Kashif Irfan told the Washington Post. "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 other fliers heard them discussing the safest place to sit and misunderstood the nature of the conversation.

FBI agents later cleared the ejected passengers, all but one of them U.S.-born citizens who were headed to a Florida retreat.

But the family members said AirTran refused to rebook them, and they had to pay for seats on another airline secured with help from the FBI.

Federal officials ordered all 104 passengers from the plane and re-screened them before allowing the flight to depart.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475126,00.html

I won't be flying with them any time soon. Mistakes are mistakes but after the FBI cleared them? That's absurd.

Of course I hate flying, so they wouldn't be getting a lot of buisness in the first place

**Muezzin** · 01-02-2009

Threads merged.

**Whatsthepoint** · 01-03-2009

The airline has apologized to the family and has offered them a full refund.

**NYCmuslim** · 01-03-2009

This was clearly racial profiling. The ignorance of the other passengers and airline amazes me. I mean, these muslim folks had children with them!

At least the family got compensated for their troubles. When will people start to think?

Peace

**Muezzin** · 01-05-2009

Originally Posted by NYCmuslim

This was clearly racial profiling. The ignorance of the other passengers and airline amazes me. I mean, these muslim folks had children with them!

To a bigot, or a scared-to-the-point-of-paranoia passenger, they're not children - they're bombs with legs.

**AntiKarateKid** · 01-06-2009

Originally Posted by Muezzin

To a bigot, or a scared-to-the-point-of-paranoia passenger, they're not children - they're bombs with legs.

These things make me laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of them rather than get insulted

**Najm** · 01-06-2009

AsSalamOAlaikum WaRehmatuAllah WaBarkatuhu

US Airline Apologizes to Muslim Family

By Ibtihal Alkhidir Ahmed, IOL Washington Bureau

AirTrans described the removal of the Muslim family as a "misunderstanding". (Google)

WASHINGTON — An American airline has apologized to a Muslim family booted off a domestic flight to Florida over a chat about the "safest" seats in the plane.
"We regret that the issue escalated to the heightened security level it did," AirTran Airways said in the statement.

"But we trust everyone understands that the security and the safety of our passengers is paramount."

Nine members of a Muslim family were removed from a domestic flight to Orlando, Florida, after they chatted about their seats in the plane.

Two passengers overheard the talk and reported it as "suspicious" to the pilot, who ordered the flight postponed and the plane evacuated.

"I read in an article that the best place to sit in an airplane is in the back," Inayet Shahin told IslamOnline.net, recalling the chat while walking through the aisles to get their seats.

"No, I heard that the best place to sit is in the wing," her brother-in-law replied.

As they settled in their seats, they noticed two other passengers walking back and forth.

"They were looking at us in a funny way," Shahin said.

Just a few minutes later, two federal air marshals walked up to the family and asked them to get off.

They were later surrounded by police officers.

"We were put on display," recalled Shahin.

"They lined us up outside and put us in a spot so that everyone would see us."

Ordeal

The Muslim family members were detained and taken for interrogation for two hours.

"We were surrounded by dogs and my children [two, four and seven] started crying," said Shahin.

"They wouldn't even let us get food."

After interrogation, federal authorities cleared the Muslim family of any wrongdoing.

The FBI and AirTrans described the incident as a "misunderstanding".

However, the American airline refused to rebook the Muslim passengers, who paid for seats on another carrier.

America's main Muslim advocacy group, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), said the incident would not have occurred had the passengers not had beards and hijabs.

"This is what sparked the incident," Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR National Communications Director, told IOL.

"[They] were Muslim and had a darker skin complexion."

In 2006, six imams were removed from a domestic flight for what passengers considered suspicious behavior.

They were removed from the flight, handcuffed and detained in the airport for questioning for over five hours.

Since 9/11, American Muslims, estimated between six to seven million, have become sensitized to an erosion of their civil rights, with a prevailing belief that America was targeting their faith.

...Source...

FiAmaaniAllah

**jeff d** · 08-01-2009

How awful. I believe the family has every right to sue the crap out of the airline. If I were to have asked about where the safest place to sit was (I'm a white guy) they wouldn't have done a thing.
This shows how people's fears can spring out of misinformation and lead to tension, mistrust... even racial profiling if you will. This is quite a horrible way to treat people...that's all they are....people!! This poor family didn't deserve this mistreatment. What a horrible event to go through while you are on vacation. I will never travel this airline for any reason!!! (or at least until they get past their racial and political kilters!!) May Allah bless this mistreated family.
Sincerely, Rev. Jeff Dishong

**Maryan0** · 08-02-2009

if they were planning on blowing up the plane would there even be a safe seat?
some people.
salam

**jeff d** · 08-02-2009

I just posted some comments to AirTran Airways about the family that they kicked off for no legitimate reason. I really don't think they will like what I said, but I feel it important to make a stand. I was civil in my remarks, as you can never resort to the level of the people oppressing you. I told them that I was ready to go visit my family in Ohio, but I don't think they'll let me on the plane as I might ask where the safest place to sit would be. I also told them that they should be ashamed of themselves for this. How would you respond to such racially/religous oriented biggotry? Let me know your thoughts! Praise to Allah the ever merciful!!

Sincerely, Rev. Jeff Dishong

**Woodrow** · 08-02-2009

Two wrongs never make a right and it is often the innocent are who suffer from the wrongs.

The reason I say 2 wrongs is that this is the result of 2 things happening.

1. We do have radicals that wear the name of Muslim and do not always follow Islam.

2. We do have people who over react to the actions of radicals and place all Muslims in the same category

When these are combined distrust, fear and mistreatment of innocents is the result. But, I do not see this as an excuse for the airline's actions. If a person or agency is in the business of selling a service, they have a high responsibility to assure they act with professionalism and not emotionalism.