The Press Release That Prompted the Call for Deportation

MUSLIM IMAMS TO SUE U.S. AIRWAYS TUESDAY

~EXPERT WHO BROKE STORY AVAILABLE~

On Monday, MinnesotaMonitor.com’s Abdi Aynte broke the story that Muslims Imams will be suing U.S. Airways for discrimination Tuesday … story: http://www.minnesotamonitor.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1429
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In November, the Muslim Imams were kept from flying from Minneapolis to Arizona … story: http://www.minnesotamonitor.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=822 … and now they are taking their story to court.

Abdi Aynte has been featured nationally for his coverage of this on-going story and is available this week and next for interviews.

This story is sure to have talk TV and radio discussing the issue.

To interview Aynte, call him at XXXXXXXXXXX or Robin Marty at XXXXXXXXXXX.

Both linked stories below:

Breaking: Muslim Imams to File a Discrimination Lawsuit Against US Airways

Mar 12, 2007 — 3:26 PM CDT

Abdi Aynte

The six Muslim imams who were removed from a Minneapolis US Airways flight in November will file a discrimination lawsuit against the airline on Tuesday, their legal representative announced today.

The imams retained the Council on American Islamic Relations as their legal counsel. Three of them are expected to announce the lawsuit in a press conference in Washington, D.C. tomorrow.

The six Muslim imams were removed from a US Airways flight bound to Phoenix after a passenger voiced a concern over their religious activity. They were attending a national imams conference in Minneapolis in November.

Abdi Aynte :: Breaking: Muslim Imams to File a Discrimination Lawsuit Against US Airways

Muslim Imams Fly Back to Arizona; Call for US Airways Boycott

Nov 21, 2006 — 3:35 PM CST

Abdi Aynte

***Updated***

Six Muslim Imams were removed Monday from US Airways flight bound to their home in Phoenix on a passenger’s suspicion, but they flew back Tuesday Impromptu on Northwest Airlines.

The five Phoenix-area Imams and one Californian flew on US Airways on their way to Minneapolis late last week to attend the fourth annual conference of North American Imams Federation (NAIF), which featured more than 170 Imams from around the country.

After hours of being in handcuffs and under questions by the FBI, the Secret Service and the Police, the men were released from the airport late Monday evening. By early Tuesday morning, they showed up at US Airway’s ticket counter, only to be informed that they will not be flying on US Airways, and that their tickets will be refunded.

“This is a discrimination against Imams,” said visibly irked Imam Omar Shahin, who led the groups’ unsuccessful negotiation with a US Airways supervisor. “We Love America, but we condemn this action.”

“We call Muslims and non-Muslims to boycott US Airways until they change their policies.”

The unnamed US Airways supervisor gave no reason for her refusal to transport the Imams, despite being cleared by the multiple security agencies the night before. But she asked the Imams to “please leave the counter,” after Shahin repeatedly asked her to sale him six new tickets. She offered him a “customer satisfaction phone number,” but Shahin wasn’t interested.

It wasn’t immediately cleared if US Airways had actually refunded the Imams’ tickets.

Abdi Aynte :: Muslim Imams Fly Back to Arizona; Call for US Airways Boycott

The Imams were removed from US Airways flight on Monday evening, apparently after a passenger notified the airline staff of a suspicious, anti-American sentiment coming out of the them.

One of the Imams, Ahmed Shqeirat, whose cell phone was saturated with media calls, denied of such accusations. He also denied that they refused to get off the plane when asked by the pilot, as previously reported on the news media.

“In fact, the pilot misled the passengers by telling them that he’s delaying the take off due to some paper work,” he said.

“The fact is that only three of us decided to say the evening prayer in the terminal, not inside the plane as was falsely circulated,” he said.

Muslims are allowed to merge their daily five prayers into three while traveling. Shqeirat said the three who were praying, “performed their prayers quietly in an isolated corner.”

US Airways issued a statement saying that it doesn’t condone discrimination, and will investigate the incident internally.

Airport spokesman Pat Hogan said that airlines retain the right to refuse to carry anyone they deem inconveniences their business.

Asked if praying in airports is a good idea to continue, the Imams said while they wouldn’t bend for a social pressure, they will consider alternatives.

In response to the accusations that the Imams were chanting “Allah,” Shqeirat said that some people might have discerned it in the context of “Allahu Akbar,” which is the phrase Muslims use throughout the prayer’s motions.

Local and national reaction

What it boils down to, says Dr. Waleed Meneese, the Imam of Daralfarooq mosque in Southeast Minneapolis, “is that the faith of 1.5 billion people is becoming a suspicious practice in America.”

Imam Meneese, a ranking member of NAIF and co-organizer of the Minneapolis conference, hosted the six Imams at his home after they were refused to fly.

“Our community feels injured by this incident,” he said.

Imam Shqeirat said that they were “treated as if they were terrorists.” He and the other five Imams were handcuffed and questioned for hours, while police dogs sniffed their luggage.

Airport trouble is not new to him, Shqeirat said, “but I’ve never been handcuffed.” A big “S” meaning “select” stamped on his ticket, he said, is routine as he travels around the country. “And that’s understandable,” he said.

In Washington, Corey Saylor, the government affairs director for Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR),characterized the incident as a “Muslim stereotyping,” and said it was “deeply troubling.”

Saylor said his organization is examining options to lodge a complaint with the appropriate authorities, to “determine if proper procedures were followed.”

In Phoenix, “a special homecoming” that features “Muslim, Christian and Jewish friends is awaiting to receive the Imams in celebration and solidarity,” said Mohamed Abu Hannoud, a civil rights officer at CAIR’s Arizona chapter.

Tags: Religion/Religious Right, (All Tags)