Tank21

This is becoming a new norm...

Arabic-speaking student kicked off Southwest flight
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/17/us/southwest-muslim-passenger-removed/index.html

Otterbox

Sounds like his actions alarmed fellow passengers and it was investigated.

I'm going to give the kid the benefit of the doubt and say this wasn't intentionally done as a PR stunt, but I'm also going to say that waiting until you've boarded a plane to call someone in an ISIS controlled country and have a really animated conversation in Arabic is a very poor idea.

Sometimes we willingly subject ourself to increased scrutiny to use services provided by companies, this sounds like one of those cases. Everyone appears to have acted conservatively from the safety/security standpoint yet fairly and open minded by listening to his side of the story and allowing him to continue on his way, and issuing him a refund.

FirstClass

He says he wants an apology.

CanoePilot

sounds like another one sided article without all the facts.

Ray Red

How can he jump to the conclusion that speaking Arabic led someone to think he was Muslim? Does speak English make someone a Christian?

Tank21

Honestly, I think the everyday American is afraid of what's different and considered scary and in present day, it's somebody from the Middle East speaking Arabic (Christian or Muslim, doesn't matter). I would bet that 99% of the people think Arabic and Muslim are one in the same.

LAXative

I don't like either of them. I'd prefer that they just "go away" in an instant by the fusion of Lithium-6 Deuteride.

Qotsaautopilot

I'm islamaphobic and not scared to say so. The 9/11 attackers did share that religion and executed that act in the name of Islam, no? Those in ISIS causing havoc, destruction, rape, and torture across Syria, Iraq, and the terrorist attacks in Europe do so in the name of Islam, right?

I'm also arachnophobic. Of course I know not all spiders are bad and will cause me harm but if one is crawling on me or in my living room I'm not waiting around to see what type of spider it is. I squish first and examine later knowing I kept myself safe. Those really bad spiders give the good spiders a bad reputation. It's unfortunate but reality.

Grumble

The San Bernadino shooters got away with what they did because people were too afraid of political backlash if they said anything. To hell with this kid, zero situational awareness. He may get his feelings coddled at Berekly but in the real world, where Muslims his age/gender are committing mass murder every day, he needs to wise up.

OP, you spend any time in the Middle East? You might change your tune.

Tank21

Any time in the Middle East?

4 deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and numerous amounts of time in other Middle Eastern countries.

Present day - on military leave from my airline job and writing this post from a deployed location in one of those other Middle Eastern countries where we are fighting some very bad people that you see and hear about on the news everyday.

That's why I started this thread because I'm reading about this more and more and idiots like LAXative stating that a hydrogen bomb should just be used and you stating that he needs to wise up and have some SA because he is a young Middle-Eastern man speaking Arabic on a plane is asinine.

Yes, we as a society can't be politically correct all the time but just because he said "Inshallah" during his conversation does not have anything to do with being a martyr. Inshallah is used for everything because they believe everything is God's will.

With that, I'm going to bed because it is almost 0030 and I have to fly in the morning.