Muslim Leaders Taken Off Plane

Two Muslim religious leaders say they were removed from a commercial flight in America and told it was because the pilot refused to fly with them aboard.

Masudur Rahman, who is also an adjunct instructor of Arabic at the University of Memphis, on Friday said he and another imam had already been allowed to board a domestic flight out of Memphis when they were asked to leave the plane.

Transportation Security Administration spokesman John Allen in Atlanta confirmed the incident and said it was not initiated by the agency.

A Delta Air Lines spokeswoman said the flight was operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines, which also is based in Atlanta. ASA didn't immediately respond to telephone calls seeking comment.

Two Muslim religious leaders say they were removed from a commercial flight in America and told it was because the pilot refused to fly with them aboard.

Masudur Rahman, who is also an adjunct instructor of Arabic at the University of Memphis, on Friday said he and another imam had already been allowed to board a domestic flight out of Memphis when they were asked to leave the plane.

Transportation Security Administration spokesman John Allen in Atlanta confirmed the incident and said it was not initiated by the agency.

A Delta Air Lines spokeswoman said the flight was operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines, which also is based in Atlanta. ASA didn't immediately respond to telephone calls seeking comment.

Rahman said he was dressed in traditional Indian clothing and his travelling companion was dressed in Arab garb, including traditional headgear.

Rahman said was travelling with Mohamed Zaghloul of the Islamic Association of Greater Memphis.

The aircraft pulled away from the gate, but the pilot then announced the plane must return, Rahman said.

When it did, the imams were asked to go back to the boarding gate where Rahman said they were told the pilot was refusing to accept them because some other passengers could be uncomfortable.

Rahman said Delta officials talked with the pilot for more than a half-hour, but he still refused.

The men were taken to a lounge and booked on a later flight.

They called the Council on Islamic-American Relations, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group in Washington, D.C.

"It's racism and bias because of our religion and appearance and because of misinformation about our religion." Rahman said. "If they understood Islam, they wouldn't do this."

Source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/9334391/muslim-leaders-say-they-were-taken-off-us/

Any thoughts?

Plain racism. This is going to blow up in the media and alqeda will not be happy.

I feel sorry for the two Islamic leaders and I hope they bring their case to court if th government doesn;t solve this problem/

Captain's Authority? This isn't really new and has happened a lot of times since 9/11. Is it discrimination? Well when we have no fly lists of names, it is also that the PRIVATE airlines can actually remove anyone that they wish. People blame the media instead of what happened on 9/11, when in regards to pilots who fly the commercial planes? I highly suspect that those pilots take the reasonings they have not from the media but mostly from on the job status quo. It isn't like a pilot can stop mid flight over a ocean or even over most landmass like a bus or taxi can.

i really wouldnt feel comfortable right now flying with muslims on a plane because it seems like their entire religion is based on death to america.kayoticdreamz

Stop watching Fox News.

[QUOTE="Aero5555"]

[QUOTE="kayoticdreamz"]i really wouldnt feel comfortable right now flying with muslims on a plane because it seems like their entire religion is based on death to america.kayoticdreamz

Stop watching Fox News.

Muslim leaders?

Your average Christian leader will be quick to denounce the actions of the KKK as well as the Westboro Baptist Church. They make it a point to show that all Christians aren't the same as them.

Unfortunately, you don't get a lot of peaceful Islamic leaders denouncing the actions of al Qaeda or Osama bin Laden. Even when Major Hasan did what he did at Fort Hood there wasn't a huge outcry of people saying he didn't represent Islam.

There is an old saying that goes "silence is agreement." That isn't always true, but when you have so few Islamic leaders condemning the terrorists people assume they agree with them and fear the worst.

Don't take this the wrong way. I know for a fact that there are great people who are Muslim, just like there are dirtbags who are Christian. It's just that after the events of 9/11 Islamophobia is still in full swing. Every time there is a beheading, a suicide bombing, or another attempted killing it puts a black eye on them. It's no different than Catholic priests being stereotyped as being pedophiles over the actions of a few perverts.

[QUOTE="kayoticdreamz"][QUOTE="Aero5555"]

Stop watching Fox News.

conistant

[QUOTE="Aero5555"]

[QUOTE="kayoticdreamz"]i really wouldnt feel comfortable right now flying with muslims on a plane because it seems like their entire religion is based on death to america.kayoticdreamz

Stop watching Fox News.

I mean, come on dude...

Plain racism. This is going to blow up in the media and alqeda will not be happy.

specialzed

No one really cares if alqedea is happy or not..Killing innocents makes one happy than thats nuts in my eyes..Alqeda is a bunch of sissy girls hiding behind rocks an killing innocent people..Wish we would hunt them all like we did bin laden..Sorry your quote here upsets me..

Islamophobia in its best forms?

It's not because of their religion. It's because of the idiots that give Islam a bad name.

I bet the pilot watch soul plane the day before, if he did that would fully explain his stupidity. I honestly don't understand why people fear muslims so much, it's not as if everyone of them are terrorists. The world we live in is officially f%*#ed and it will only get worse.

[QUOTE="conistant"][QUOTE="kayoticdreamz"] your right. entire countries that are dominated by that faith that are known terrorists breeding crowds is completely relevant to watching fox news or not. face facts extreme islam and what is view as islam in general is hell bent on death to america. this isnt up for debate its a real problem. there are those in charge of that religion that support death to america. and the peaceful islam whereever they are isnt really speaking out too much about it if they even are(well scratch that i have seen a few peaceful islamics on glenn beck....oh the irony of your statement)CreasianDevaili

All of dem are guddamn terrarists I tell ya!

In reality I side with what you just said. However actions of such in regards to how Pakistan just showed the world the opposite hurts the message you are trying to send.

CreasianDevaili

Pakistan's screw up =/= the ideology of Islam and/or Muslim-dominant countries

All religions as a whole have become the target for ridicule and "backwards" thinking. It's turned into a matter of how being religious doesn't fit with the times and how it automatically labels you as somewhat of a unique and/or akward mentality and how being agnostic is the general norm. Even though life in itself is correlated with religion.

*inb4 purpose of life debate*

Plain racism. This is going to blow up in the media and alqeda will not be happy.

specialzed

All of dem are guddamn terrarists I tell ya!

Lto_thaG

Racist pilot is racist.

I hope they sue and win big money.GazaAli

[QUOTE="CreasianDevaili"]

In reality I side with what you just said. However actions of such in regards to how Pakistan just showed the world the opposite hurts the message you are trying to send.

Aero5555

Pakistan's screw up =/= the ideology of Islam and/or Muslim-dominant countries

All religions as a whole have become the target for ridicule and "backwards" thinking. It's turned into a matter of how being religious doesn't fit with the times and how it automatically labels you as somewhat of a unique and/or akward mentality and how being agnostic is the general norm. Even though life in itself is correlated with religion.

*inb4 purpose of life debate*

The Islam religion changed it's image and has continued to do so which in reality does not reflect the actual teachings. This was coupled with national/ethnic backgrounds being a particular one, and you get what happened in the OP. It is NOT the responsibility of the other camps to change X's camp's image. No one HAS to trust it as a whole, nor do they have to forget. Pilots of commercial airlines in USA were burned into their lifetime that they are flying weapons.

Ideals and good meaning are worthless when compared to actions. Pakistan just reopened the wounds and made them a bit more freash. Along with the fact that there are threats of retaliation, even if just an attempt to instill fear, does not matter. To all the people saying they should sue, you are on fumes here.

Pilots look at passenger records? How did he know those guys were on the plane?

No. Most people are logical, however human so flawed, in their relation. If you allow yourself to be represented by a symbolic flag, then you get reflected into the mentality that is foremost in said camp. To be honest as well, I could care less what someone thinks of the afterlife. Their business. However people who represented a religion did take airplanes into buildings in a direct attempt to kill as many non military human beings as possible. Then almost 10 years later a supposed ally who also represented the supposed normalized Islam culture as a majority within itself, and an ally, fumbled the proverbial football on the win/lose play.

CreasianDevaili

What most people fail to realize is that those who used those airplanes do not represent my religion nor its ideology AT ALL. Extremism of Islam doesn't exist, those who are labelled extrimists and support such disgusting acts of terror are in reality not Islamic in their acts. Terrorism is not part of Islam, nor is the killing of innocent lives an Islamic teaching. You have to look deeply into the matter of Jihad in order to understand it. What the media is doing is taking quantum physics and turning into simple ABCs. It does not compute.

You're coming off as one who either has a grudge against Muslims or utilizes the media as the only source of info on what is Islam. The latter being the most likely.

[QUOTE="CreasianDevaili"]

No. Most people are logical, however human so flawed, in their relation. If you allow yourself to be represented by a symbolic flag, then you get reflected into the mentality that is foremost in said camp. To be honest as well, I could care less what someone thinks of the afterlife. Their business. However people who represented a religion did take airplanes into buildings in a direct attempt to kill as many non military human beings as possible. Then almost 10 years later a supposed ally who also represented the supposed normalized Islam culture as a majority within itself, and an ally, fumbled the proverbial football on the win/lose play.

What most people fail to realize is that those who used those airplanes do not represent my religion nor its ideology AT ALL. Extremism of Islam doesn't exist, those who are labelled extrimists and support such disgusting acts of terror are in reality not Islamic in their acts. Terrorism is not part of Islam, nor is the killing of innocent lives an Islamic teaching. You have to look deeply into the matter of Jihad in order to understand it. What the media is doing is taking quantum physics and turning into simple ABCs. It does not compute.

You're coming off as one who either has a grudge against Muslims or utilizes the media as the only source of info on what is Islam. The latter being the most likely.

You entirely bypassed "does not reflect the actual teachings" part with surreal grace. As I also said, it is not everyone else's reasoning to change the image made. What you have is an internal fight that regardless of your feelings has erupted and been bled into the rest of the world in a very violent method. Most other people are going to research and take at face value the quickest means to the information in regards to something that might go against their own fundamentals. Also, isn't the reason why there are no large concentrations of outspoken Islamic "Truth" is that if they do, they might, well, be killed for going against Islam by the "radical and false Islamic sect"?CreasianDevaili

The statements I've highlighted in bold are all cooked up by the mass-media. It's as if I'm talking to the media itself. In other words, debating with you is pointless not because I doubt your ability of debate but because you seem entirely fixated on what the media has fed the world on Islam and the false image it's gotten thanks to it. I'm not gonna bother anymore.

[QUOTE="CreasianDevaili"]You entirely bypassed "does not reflect the actual teachings" part with surreal grace. As I also said, it is not everyone else's reasoning to change the image made. What you have is an internal fight that regardless of your feelings has erupted and been bled into the rest of the world in a very violent method. Most other people are going to research and take at face value the quickest means to the information in regards to something that might go against their own fundamentals. Also, isn't the reason why there are no large concentrations of outspoken Islamic "Truth" is that if they do, they might, well, be killed for going against Islam by the "radical and false Islamic sect"?Aero5555

The statements I've highlighted in bold are all cooked up by the mass-media. It's as if I'm talking to the media itself. In other words, debating with you is pointless not because I doubt your ability of debate but because you seem entirely fixated on what the media has fed the world on Islam and the false image it's gotten thanks to it. I'm not gonna bother anymore.

I have zero idea why you bolded surreal.CreasianDevaili

My bad. I bolded surreal due to how I mistankely read it as "unreal" meaning my statement on how terrorism is against Islamic teachings is not reflecting the truth (or that's how I mistankenly read your post. The mass media falsely state how terrorism is part of Islam). Kindly disregard that bolded word.

Awww man...This just going to fuel the flames even more now...

It's funny cause a terrorist, would be clean shaven and try to look as western as possible to avoid making the least amount of suspicion.

I bet thats not the reason they got kicked off, and they are pulling the muslim card to get attention. STAR_Admiral

I think no opinions should be formed with only one side of the story......LJS9502_basic

So American pilots fly with snakes on their planes yet they refuse to fly with muslims on it?

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"]I think no opinions should be formed with only one side of the story......STAR_Admiral

I think no opinions should be formed with only one side of the story......LJS9502_basic

i agree, even if most people here are simply stating their opinion on the story they have been told. And i dont find it to be wrong, as they can still change their opinion if there should come more information coming later.

And that very common with two sided stories. The other side (which is often less interesting from a media perspective, and might not have gotten as much attention) is usually told later. Simply delayed.

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"]I think no opinions should be formed with only one side of the story......Half-Way

i agree, even if most people here are simply stating their opinion on the story they have been told. And i dont find it to be wrong, as they can still change their opinion if there should come more information coming later.

And that very common with two sided stories. The other side (which is often less interesting from a media perspective, and might not have gotten as much attention) is usually told later. Simply delayed.

[QUOTE="Half-Way"]

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"]I think no opinions should be formed with only one side of the story......LJS9502_basic

i agree, even if most people here are simply stating their opinion on the story they have been told. And i dont find it to be wrong, as they can still change their opinion if there should come more information coming later.

And that very common with two sided stories. The other side (which is often less interesting from a media perspective, and might not have gotten as much attention) is usually told later. Simply delayed.

well i like to hear both sides too, as im sure most people would.

But the "truth" is a weird thing, its never as it seems, and it very often stays hidden :P

You dont always get the chance to hear both sides of the story, but you always get the chance to make up your own opinion about something ;)

Rediculious. If someone were an extremist intent on hijacking or blowing up a plane they wouldn't be dressed in traditional garb. They would be dresed in western styles, probably clean cut/shaven, and looking as nondescript as possible.

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"][QUOTE="Half-Way"]

i agree, even if most people here are simply stating their opinion on the story they have been told. And i dont find it to be wrong, as they can still change their opinion if there should come more information coming later.

And that very common with two sided stories. The other side (which is often less interesting from a media perspective, and might not have gotten as much attention) is usually told later. Simply delayed.

Half-Way

well i like to hear both sides too, as im sure most people would.

But the "truth" is a weird thing, its never as it seems, and it very often stays hidden :P

You dont always get the chance to hear both sides of the story, but you always get the chance to make up your own opinion about something ;)

Seems perfectly reasonable to me.

Who would want to fly with some dirty Muslim onboard?

What if one of those things brushed up against me and I caught the suicide bomber virus?

Or imagine if I had to sit beside one of them, What would stop it from sucking my belief in Jesus right out of my eye sockets and condemning me to perpetuity in hell?

That pilot should get a raise.

Seems perfectly reasonable to me.

Who would want to fly with some dirty Muslim onboard?

What if one of those things brushed up against me and I caught the suicide bomber virus?

Or imagine if I had to sit beside one of them, What would stop it from sucking my belief in Jesus right out of my eye sockets and condemning me to perpetuity in hell?

That pilot should get a raise.

SUD123456

Not sure if serious.