"Probes dismiss imams' racism claim"

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Probes dismiss imams' racism claim
By Audrey Hudson
The Washington (DC) Times


Three parallel investigations into the removal of six imams from a US
Airways flight last month have so far concluded that the airline acted
properly, that the imams' claims they were merely praying and their eviction
was racially inspired are without foundation. 

An internal investigation by the airline found that air and ground crews
"acted correctly" when they requested that the Muslim men be removed from a
Minneapolis-to-Phoenix flight on Nov. 20. 

"We believe the ground crew and employees acted correctly and did what they
are supposed to do," US Airways spokeswoman Andrea Rader said. 

Omar Shahin -- one of the imams and the group's spokesman -- said the men
did not behave out of the ordinary while on the plane, and that passengers
overreacted because some of the imams conducted prayers in the concourse
before boarding.
 
US Airways' investigation is "substantially complete" but Miss Rader said
airline officials still want to meet with the imams to review the situation.
"We're looking at it as a security issue and as a customer-service issue and
where we might need to do outreach," she said. 

Airline officials have had several discussions with Mr. Shahin, but a
meeting scheduled for Monday with all six men was canceled at the imams'
request. 

"We talked with crew members and passengers and those on the ground. We've
done what we typically do in a situation where there is a removal or some
kind of customer service at issue," Miss Rader said. "We found out the facts
are substantially the same, and the imams were detained because of the
concerns crew members had based on the behavior they observed, and from
reports by the customers." 

The Minneapolis airport police department's report on the incident said the
imams' behavior warranted their removal. The imams were not accused of
breaking any laws. 

The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Civil Rights and Civil
Liberties is reviewing the actions of department members who were involved
in the incident. 

Secret Service agents questioned the imams, who are accused of making
negative comments about President Bush and the Iraq war. Officials of the
Transportation Security Administration were involved in screening the imams
and their baggage. 

"There is no indication there is any inappropriate activity, at least no
indication at this time," DHS spokesman Russ Knocke said. "To my knowledge,
we are only doing a review, and that is a fairly routine practice with
incidents like this." 

The Air Carrier Security Committee of the Air Line Pilots Association
investigated the incident and said, "The crew's actions were strictly in
compliance with procedures and demonstrated overall good judgment in the
care and concern for their passengers, fellow crew members, and the
company." 

"The decisions made by all the parties were made as a result of the behavior
of the passengers and not as a result of their ethnicity," the report
concluded. 

The suspicious behavior cited in the report included "changing seats,
stating anti-war, anti U.S.-Iraq involvement, negative comments concerning
the president of the United States." The report noted that "two of the
passengers requesting seat-belt extensions when their body size did not
appear to warrant their use." 

Mr. Shahin told television reporters that he needed the seat-belt extension
because he weighs 280 pounds. However, the police report lists his weight as
201 pounds. Weights listed for the other imams ranged from 170 pounds to 250
pounds. 

The imams have retained the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as
their legal counsel. CAIR officials said yesterday that initial claims by
the airline contradict the official police report. 

"The imams are obviously concerned about a number of false and distorted
representation of the facts and events, and one example is initial reports
that all suggested they refused to get off the plane when personnel asked
them to, and the police report said they all got off and cooperated," a CAIR
spokesman said.

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