Imams settle lawsuit over removal from 2006 flight

Six Muslim clerics who were taken off a US Airways flight in 2006 after fellow passengers reported what they considered suspicious behaviour have claimed victory in their discrimination lawsuit.

Neither the imams nor their lawyers would comment on the terms of their settlement on Tuesday as it is confidential. It still needs the approval of a federal judge, but it includes an unspecified amount of money.

Marwan Sadeddin, of Phoenix, Arizona, said the settlement does not include an apology but he considers it an acknowledgment that a mistake was made.

"It's fine for all parties. It's been solved," he said. "There is no need for a trial."

Omar Shahin, another cleric from Phoenix and chairman of the North American Imams Federation, said they considered they had "reached our goal".

The tentative settlement was reached during a seven-hour meeting with a judge in St Paul, Minnesota.

None of the parties admitted wrongdoing under the settlement, said a spokesman for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which runs the Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport and its police department.

Authorities removed the clerics from the Phoenix-bound flight in November 2006 while they were returning home from a conference in Minneapolis.

Some passengers became alarmed after the clerics said their evening prayers in Arabic in the airport concourse before boarding the plane.

They also told the authorities some of the imams made critical comments about the Iraq war while aboard the plane.

The imams were handcuffed and questioned for several hours before they were released. They eventually returned home with another airline.

Their lawsuit named the airline, the Metropolitan Airports Commission, airport police officers and an FBI agent who was involved in the case.

The airports commission issued a statement saying its insurance company had exercised its right to take control of the defence and settle the case.

"Law enforcement officials did what they believed was appropriate to ensure the safety of travellers based on the information available at the time," Tom Anderson, a lawyer for the commission, said in a statement.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations said the settlement was a "clear victory for justice and civil rights over fear and the phenomenon of 'flying while Muslim' in the post-9/11 era".

A third imam, Ahmad Shqeira, said four of the men are American citizens. He said they love living in peace and freedom in America and will do whatever it takes to keep it safe from terrorism.

He said the settlement was a tribute to the US legal system and proved they had been right to move to America.

Source