Muslim Family Who Got Kicked off U.S. Flight Seeks Apology
The United Airlines is under fire after a Muslim family revealed that it had been kicked out of a flight last month reportedly because the family was "Muslim-looking."
Ahmed Rehab from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), who is also representing the family, said, "We are tired of Muslim-looking passengers being removed from flights for the flimsiest reasons, under a cryptic claim of 'security,'" according to CNN.
The family is now requesting for United to release a formal apology for the SkyWest 5811 incident that reportedly started after the parents asked for an extra strap to ensure their youngest child's booster seat is safe all throughout the trip.
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Eaman-Amy Saad Shelbey, the matriarch, posted a video on YouTube that has since acquired hundreds of thousands of views. In the clip, United employees are seen telling the family to leave the plane for safety reasons.
The airline in question has said in a statement that the family had to be rebooked to a later flight "because of concerns about their child's safety seat, which did not comply with federal safety regulations." The statement further explained that both United and SkyWest employees have been trained to keep discrimination out of the question at all times.
Rehab said the family of five had their child's seat checked at the gate but since the computer system was down, they were then told to just carry it inside the plane. A flight attendant informed them that they could not use the booster seat so they complied but later on, they were asked to show their tickets.
Finally, the three children and their parents were told to leave the flight. A man in the video who appeared to be a pilot said when asked why they were being kicked off, "Because it's my decision." The mother then asked if the reason had any connections with discrimination. The man explained that they had to get off due to safety issues.
According to The Chicago Tribune, the clip has been viewed over 2 million times and has been shared around the internet for more than 38,000 times.
