Pilot refuses to fly with Muslim men onboard.

[Mlle Antéchrist]

tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/05/airline-pilot-refuses-to-fly-with-muslim-men-on-board.php?ref=dcblt

Two Muslim men were removed from a Delta commuter flight operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines Friday after the pilot refused to fly with them on board.

Masudur Rahman, an Arabic-language instructor at the University of Memphis and Mohamed Zaghloul, a religious leader in the Islamic Association of Greater Memphis told the AP they were removed from a flight leaving Memphis International Airport, heading for Charlotte, after the pilot refused to takeoff.

"He said 'Mr. Rahman, sorry the pilot is not allowing you to enter the plane.' I said 'For what reason, TSA had a problem and we were cleared, we don't have anything and we are respected people in our community'."

But, according to Rahman, the pilot said, "I'm not going to take to you."

"For what reason, he said some 'passengers might be upset or uncomfortable'," Raham said the pilot told him.

If it went down the way they say it went down, it seems like a pretty clear-cut case of discrimination. It would be nice to hear from the pilot and Delta, though -- neither of which have responded to media inquiries. This is certainly one of those cases where you hope there's more to the story, but with all the anti-Muslim sentiment running amok, it's more than feasible that they were discriminated against due to their religion and ethnicity.

Thoughts?

[Art Vandelay]

Somebody's going to be unemployed by the end of the week...

[Armand Tanzarian]

Put it this way. If you owned a diner and your refused to serve black people?

Its the same thing.

[Jodie]

So if there was an electrical failure in the circuitry (leading cause of aircraft crashes) it would be the EVIL MUSLIMS fault, amirite?

[anti-nonsense]

Hope he gets thrown out so hard he breaks the sound barrier on the way out.

[dakotabob]

And he thinks he can get away with that, how?

[Smurfette Principle]

I sincerely hope there is more to the story, or I will be unleashing a large can of asswhupping with my Clue Bat.

[Iosa the Invincible]

May 7, 2011 7:06:07 GMT -5 dakotabob said:

And he thinks he can get away with that, how?

Perhaps he's hoping people will side with him, what with the whole "we will have revenge for Osama" and the government pretty much telling us to worry.

That reminds me, has anyone heard anything about beefing up security for trains?

[discoberry]

May 7, 2011 3:03:40 GMT -5 Armand Tanzarian said:

Put it this way. If you owned a diner and your refused to serve black people?

Its the same thing.

There are also laws regarding airlines, which state that passengers have to arrive at their destination even if the airline has to buy them a first-class ticket on another airline.

[Meshakhad]

Ban that pilot from ever flying. That includes flying as a passenger. And do it when he's in Hawaii (provided he doesn't live there).

[Perturabo]

May 7, 2011 12:27:13 GMT -5 Meshakhad said:

Ban that pilot from ever flying. That includes flying as a passenger. And do it when he's in Hawaii (provided he doesn't live there).

Several problems with that:

1) Hawaii is part of the US. If he has ID and money on him, it won't be much of an exile.

2) It's still possible to leave Hawaii by ship.

3) Why punish Hawaii?

I say strip that pilot of his citizenship, freeze his assets, and dump him and that Houston teacher in Saudi Arabia.

[ltfred]

"He said 'Mr. Rahman, sorry the pilot is not allowing you to enter the plane.' I said 'For what reason, TSA had a problem and we were cleared, we don't have anything and we are respected people in our community'."

But, according to Rahman, the pilot said, "I'm not going to take to you."

"For what reason, he said some 'passengers might be upset or uncomfortable'," Raham said the pilot told him.

Not I, of course. My unwillingness to uphold the contract you paid for is not my decision at all. No, it's those other horrible racists on the plane.

Why are bigots so cowardly?

He's such a concern troll.

[Mlle Antéchrist]

I'd be upset and uncomfortable with bigoted twats onboard.

[Shane for Wax]

May 7, 2011 16:32:46 GMT -5 Perturabo said:

May 7, 2011 12:27:13 GMT -5 Meshakhad said:

Ban that pilot from ever flying. That includes flying as a passenger. And do it when he's in Hawaii (provided he doesn't live there).

Several problems with that:

1) Hawaii is part of the US. If he has ID and money on him, it won't be much of an exile.

2) It's still possible to leave Hawaii by ship.

3) Why punish Hawaii?

I say strip that pilot of his citizenship, freeze his assets, and dump him and that Houston teacher in Saudi Arabia.

4) Hawaii is too pretty for him.

[Thejebusfire]

What an asshole.