04-25-2008Chilling effect feared after imams sue US Airways
Patrick Condon
Associated Press
Mar. 31, 2007 12:00 AM
MINNEAPOLIS - Six Muslim men removed from a plane last fall after being accused of suspicious behavior are suing the airline and threatening to sue the passengers who complained, a move some fear could discourage travelers from speaking up when they see something unusual.
The civil rights lawsuit, filed earlier this month, has so alarmed some lawyers that they 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.
The six imams were taken off a Phoenix-bound US Airways flight on Nov. 20 while returning from a conference of Islamic clerics in Minneapolis. advertisement
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 each other during boarding; and that they sat separately in seats scattered in the cabin.
The plane was cleared for a security sweep, nothing was found, and the jet took off without the imams. The Muslim clerics say they were humiliated and are seeking unspecified damages from the airline, the Minneapolis airport and, potentially, the John Does.
Omar Mohammedi, the New York City attorney for the imams, said the intent is not to go after passengers who raise valid concerns about security. But he suggested some passengers may have acted in bad faith out of prejudice.
Ellen Howe, spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration, would not comment specifically on the imams' lawsuit. But she said the agency counts on passengers to help it do its job.
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