by Cynthia Dizikes
After helping to deliver the District of Columbia's first baby of 2009, Dr. Kashif Irfan boarded a flight to Orlando with his wife, three children and other relatives to participate in a retreat on the peaceful practice of Islam.
But instead of taking off as scheduled Thursday, Irfan, his family and a friend were ordered off the plane and detained at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, surrounded by armed guards.
Irfan, a U.S. citizen born in Detroit, said Friday it was completely surreal.
"I was thinking, what could we have possibly done to arouse a degree of suspicion this high to basically render us liable to this form of treatment," Irfan said.
AirTran Airways' handling of the nine Muslim passengers, after comments one of them made about airline safety aroused suspicions of two teen passengers, caused an uproar among Muslim-Americans on Friday and prompted the airline to apologize to the passengers.
See the rest of the Tribune Washington Bureau's story of the Muslim family's encounter with the airline in the Tribune newspapers and here in the Swamp:
The Orlando-based airline said in a statement Friday that it refunded the nine passengers' airfare and would reimburse them for replacement tickets they bought on US Airways after AirTran refused to let them fly Thursday. AirTran also offered to fly the passengers back to Washington free of charge.
"We apologize to all the passengers--to the nine who had to undergo extensive interviews from the authorities and to the 95 who ultimately made the flight," the statement said. "Nobody on Flight 175 reached their destination on time on New Year's Day, and we regret it."
The airline called the incident a "misunderstanding," but said the steps that were taken were necessary to ensure security and safety.
In recent years, other Muslims have faced similar problems traveling by air in the U.S., including an Iraqi immigrant who attempted to board a plane in New York in 2006 with a T-shirt that read "We will not be silent" and a group of Muslim clerics in Minneapolis the same year who were praying in Arabic. The Irfan family and their friend were boarding when Kashif Irfan's wife made a comment about where the safest spot on a plane might be, according to Irfan's brother Atif, who was also on the plane.
"It was a very lighthearted conversation about the safest spot of the plane," said Atif, 29, a lawyer in Alexandria, Va. "But, I guess, these two teenage girls had gleaned from our conversation that we were going to try and take over the plane."
That conversation led to the nine passengers being escorted off the plane and questioned by FBI agents. Federal officials also ordered the rest of the passengers from the plane, conducted a security sweep of the aircraft, and then re-screened passengers before allowing the flight to depart about two hours late.
The Irfan brothers said Friday that they felt that their group had been profiled based on appearance. The men had beards and the women wore head scarves.
"We are Muslim-Americans and we fly a lot. So we understand there is a lot of scrutiny on us in the first place," Atif Irfan said. "But, we consider ourselves to be model citizens. We were born here, we went to high school and college here. It was appalling to know that this type of stuff can happen to you."
Even after the FBI cleared the family and their friend, AirTran refused to book them on another flight.
The Transportation Security Administration maintained that the proper protocol had been followed.
Comments
This is shameful. I wrote airtran to please give some anti-racism training to their pilots--particularly the one who refused to accept the family even after the FBI cleared them.
Posted by: Shameful how quickly we revert to bad old habits | January 3, 2009 8:27 AM
Um, common sence would tell you to watch what you say at airports these days.. These people where simply not thinking. I watch what i say at airports. What, because they are Muslims they dont have to?
Posted by: Tom | January 3, 2009 9:31 AM
The Captain IS the final authority with what happens on his flight. After the family with KIDS were cleared there was no good reason on earth to refuse them passage. I am an airline pilot. This pilot needs disciplined for letting the racist mob mentality guide his judgment. He's probably an Airline Pilots Association union holier-than-thou, pseudo-cop, smart with all his cult jewelry and attitude.
Posted by: Airline Pilot | January 3, 2009 10:11 AM
The Government and the TSA strongly encourage airline passengers to report suspicious activity. By combining the fact that the vast majority of terrorist activity has been by Muslims, albiet the radical variety, and that the presumably Muslim passengers were talking about safest seats, the teenagers did the correct thing by reporting the suspicious activity. The pilot was also correct in deplaneing them that he is in command and singularily responsible for the safety of the passengers and opted for a "better safe than sorry" decision.
I am glad that some take their citizen and job responsibilities seriously. I, and presumably the other passengers, do not want any issues at 30,000 feet regardless of the source.
Posted by: Better safe than sorry | January 3, 2009 10:13 AM
This incident makes me incredibly angry and incredibly sad. If the teenage girls were uncomfortable with those "scary" people, it is they who should have left the plane.
Posted by: Skepticat | January 3, 2009 10:15 AM
Cripes! The "what's the safest seat in the plane?" conversation is one that most of us have had at one time or another. This is one more of many episodes of racist behavior toward Middle Easterners. Unfortunately, I doubt if there will be very much public outrage about it. That particular brand of racism seldom raises a lot of outrage.
Posted by: MJ | January 3, 2009 10:57 AM
A regrettable story...the terrorist have succeeded in making a mockery of air travel. Until the moderate and lawful Muslim world and rest of us demand an end to the Islamic radicals within our societies ( kiss off ACLU) and stop quietly tolerating their preaching and behavior, and exporting their vile against "the Infidels" these sad incidents will continue. Could you imagine what would happen to Christians boarding Islamic Air if a radical "brigades for Jesus" suicidal bombing group targeted their airplanes worldwide and had a history of unmitigated slaughter of the innocent...and least we forget not many Muslim countries tolerate non-believers at all ( go fight that one, ACLU). They reap what they sow...and American Muslims are just collateral damage. Yes, pretty sad isn't it...let's blame it on America, liberals do.
Posted by: Bubba Porter | January 3, 2009 11:38 AM
This once again shows how fragile civilization really is. I recommend watching "Sorry, Haters" - a great little film that shows how little work it takes to ruin a person's life.
Posted by: Joe | January 3, 2009 11:52 AM
The fact that this is happening means that the terrorists have won. They have made us all overreacting paranoids victimizing each other.
Posted by: Rey | January 3, 2009 12:04 PM
I think there should be intensive screening of teenagers before they're allowed on planes.
Posted by: Stephanie | January 3, 2009 12:20 PM
AirTran claims that discussion of the safest place to sit on an airliner is "troubling." I've had similar discussions with gate attendants and air crews (probably including AirTran's people since I fly them quite a bit) and I wasn't hauled off by the FBI. Of course, I'm a clean shaven white guy, not a bearded and dark skinned.
What a crock. What a lame attempt to justify bigotry and disregard for the freedoms this country was founded to protect.
Posted by: commentator | January 3, 2009 12:27 PM
Does anyone else cringe when they see the term "Muslim-American"? I haven't seen Cardinal George described as "Catholic-American", or Woody Allen as "Jewish-American". It's bad enough that the "ethnic-American" usage has proliferated to such an extent that it divides us as a people; let's not go back to the past and bring up religion as an excuse for continued divisiveness.
Let's just be honest and say that AirTran acted in a racially AND RELIGIOUSLY intolerant manner toward the Irfans in that they took action due to outward expressions of their Muslim faith (women's head scarves, etc.) as well as physical characteristics.
And let's also agree with the Irfans that subjecting American citizens to racially- and religiously-motivated persecution is reprehensible, not to mention in clear violation of the Constitution.
Posted by: Don | January 3, 2009 6:41 PM
Aviation is a much different place since 9/11, and a much different place to work. I don't care who you are, I've removed white passengers for the exact same thing. Its everyone responsibility these days to be cognizant of what's going on, because you never know who will try something next. The airline acted in complete compliance with the TSA and FAA (government agencies) So if you have a problem with the way things went down talk to your government not AirTran Airways. Everyone who says the airline is in the wrong are the same idiots who would complain that they and the TSA,FAA dropped the ball if something did happen. They deserve a refund, but NO apology, next time watch you mouth.
Posted by: JD | January 4, 2009 3:29 PM
Thanks to the pilot, and the airline company for de-planeing them. I don't care if they were caused delay...you make suspicious comments, you SHOULD have a delay. Thanks also to the people who reported them. If you were flying, wouldn't you want someone to report any suspicious activity? What about all the planes in the past that have been hijacked all over the world? I bet THEY wish someone would have reported the suspicious activity BEFORE the disaster occurred....thankfully at least some people have common sense.
Posted by: Arfemis allen | January 4, 2009 4:56 PM
Oh, PLEASE don't invoke 9/11 as reason for losing our SANITY and HUMANITY.
Watch Loose Change.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?
docid=7866929448192753501
I hope the Irfans find a great attorney and end all this stupid hassle we all go through at the airports for NO GOOD REASON other than to train us into turning off our brains and shutting up.
Posted by: the 9/11 attack was a planned inside job, not a muslim job | January 4, 2009 7:02 PM
Posted by: Bubba Porter | January 3, 2009 11:38 AM
Yesah, let's blame every musllim for the acts of a few. That's exactly the plan that I think we should follow to it's logical end. Arrest every person with a Fish or a Christian bumper sticker on the back of their car if they drive near an abortion clinic. Until Christians completely end the violence of the zealots in their midst, we must assume they are all cold blooded terrorists, right? Let's balame everyone of the same religion, right Bubba? Ready to be "Collateral damage"?
Posted by: Lou | January 5, 2009 9:52 AM
If education [meaning educating our youth about prejudice, stereotypes and BEING NOSY] and being informed is the key to this misunderstanding then we need to include the two teens who made the egregious & sweeping assumption based upon a snippet of a conversation.
With that said..keeping one's mouth closed is probably the best policy...when in airports...other than...'excuse me', or, 'is this seat yours'....that's safe enough, I would think. [Also, the family should have this convo in their car or at home and in private...OR...they could have spoken in their native tongues....the idiots!]
Posted by: melC | January 17, 2009 11:37 AM