Muslim Woman on Plane Detained for Reading Syrian Book

Crew member got nervous
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 4, 2016 2:22 PM CDT
Muslim Woman on Plane Detained for Reading Syrian Book
The book Shaheen was reading that aroused suspicion.   (Amazon)

A Muslim woman who works for the UK's National Health Service as a mental health services practitioner—and whose job includes preventing youth from becoming radicalized—describes a "hurtful" experience she had on a Thomson Airways flight back from her honeymoon in Turkey, the BBC reports. Faizah Shaheen, 27, says she had disembarked her plane at Doncaster Airport on July 25 when she was pulled aside by airport officers. Turns out a crew member on her flight had become nervous because she had been reading a book on Syrian art and culture, the Independent reports. She was released after 15 minutes of questioning, but she says she plans to file complaints. "Our crew are trained to report any concerns they may have as a precaution," says an airline spokeswoman.

In the US, meanwhile, two American Muslim women were asked Wednesday to leave an American Airlines flight waiting to take off from Miami, the Independent reports. Niala Mohammad—also known as Niala Khalil, a reporter for Voice of America who last year dined with teen activist Malala—says she and an unnamed friend were confronted by a male attendant after her friend complained about no food or water while the plane was grounded for hours. Mohammad says the attendant accused the friend of "instigating." An American Airlines rep says the friend violated the airline's picture policy (she apparently took a photo of the flight attendant during the disagreement). "This was a case of non-compliance. At no moment did discrimination come up," says the rep. (More Muslim stories.)

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