More on “Flying While Muslim”

Recall the six imams were taken off a US Airways flight on November 20 while returning home from a conference of Islamic clerics in Minneapolis? Other passengers had gotten nervous when the men were seen praying and chanting in Arabic as they waited to board. Some passengers also said that the men spoke of Saddam Hussein and cursed the United States; that they requested seat belt extenders with heavy buckles and stowed them under their seats; that they were moving about and conferring with one another during boarding; and that they sat separately in seats scattered through the cabin. The plane was cleared for a security sweep, nothing was found, and the jet took off without the imams. The Muslim clerics filed a civil rights suit in March, claiming they were humiliated and seeking unspecified damages from the airline, the Minneapolis airport and, potentially, John Does. CNN reports (here) that the six imams are also threatening to sue passengers who complained they were behaving suspiciously — a move some fear could discourage travelers from speaking up when they see something unusual. Some lawyers are offering to defend the unnamed “John Doe” passengers listed as possible defendants free of charge. They say it is vital that the flying public be able to report suspicious behavior without fear of being dragged into court.

KJ