CAIR Calls on United Airlines to Apologize After Forcing Passenger to Remove T-Shirt
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on United Airlines to apologize after a Palestinian-American man was threatened with being kicked off his flight unless he changed his shirt, which bore a message that expressed opposition to killing children.
Sam Saadeh, a Palestinian-American who was traveling from Atlanta to Newark on June 4, was wearing a shirt that said, “Bombing kids is not self-defense.” Flight attendants reportedly told Saadeh he had to change his shirt because someone found it offensive and that he would otherwise be removed from the flight.
He complied and was allowed to fly but said no one could clearly explain what was offensive about the message.
In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“We strongly condemn United Airlines for forcing a passenger to censor a T-shirt that simply declared, ‘Bombing children is not self-defense.’ This unconscionable decision is the latest example of out-of-control censorship aimed squarely at even the mildest, vaguest expressions of support for Palestinian human rights. It is completely unacceptable to threaten to remove a customer from a flight over a shirt bearing what should be a universally uncontroversial message. We call on United Airlines to issue an apology to Mr. Saadeh, protect free speech, and ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.”
END
Comments
Post a Comment