Six imams kicked off a US flight file civil rights lawsuit

March 16, 2007

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Six imams handcuffed and removed from a US Airways flight at a Minnesota airport over "suspicious activity" in November have sued the airline, alleging discrimination against Muslims.

The lawsuit was launched Tuesday against the airport authority, US Airways, the crew and several passengers, said the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a US Islamic civil liberties group backing the men.

The six imams, aged 26 to 55, several of whom are from Arizona, boarded the jet at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on November 20 after attending a North American imams conference in midwestern Minneapolis.

They were questioned for five hours by authorities before being released, following their removal from the airplane. Afterwards, US Airways refused to allow them to take another flight home.

According to the company, airport authorities had alerted them to "suspicious activity," saying the men prayed loudly and made anti-American statements at a departure gate before boarding the airplane.

In November, American media said the imams paid cash for their fares, or did not purchase return tickets, and chanted "Allah" as they were escorted from the flight.

In a statement, the imams denied the reports and all accusations, saying they were guilty only of performing "normal evening prayers."

One of them is blind. Another holds a US Airways loyalty card and had secured a seat in first class, CAIR said in a statement.

Venerated in their communities, these men "were removed from the US Airways flight 'for no reason' and were 'humiliated' by being handcuffed and taken off the plane in the view of other passengers," CAIR said.