Imams Removed From Plane Bound for Charlotte

(CNN) — An airline is investigating the removal of two imams from a flight headed to North Carolina, ostensibly because passengers felt uncomfortable with their presence of the pair — both clad in Islamic attire.

The incident occurred Friday on an Atlantic Southeast Airlines flight from Tennessee to North Carolina and it involved Masudur Rahman and Mohamed Zaghloul were wearing traditional Muslim dress, CNN affiliate WCNC reported.

The two — who hold high religious positions in the Muslim community — were headed to North Carolina for a conference on prejudice against Muslims, or Islamaphobia. The meeting is sponsored by the North American Imams Federation.

Rahman, who is a professor at the University of Memphis, told the affiliate that the incident reminded him of the prejudice Rosa Parks faced during the civil rights movement.

“That history I found today in that plane, and it shouldn’t happen with any other person,” he said.

CNN

From everything I have read on this incident over the past few days, I cannot see any rhyme or reason for these guys being removed from the plane.  They passed through TSA with an additional screening with absolutely no problem.  It was the pilot who felt uncomfortable flying them.  Unless there is more to this story that no news organization is reporting, these guys have every right to be upset over this.

As for the Rosa Parks comparison, though, I think that’s over the top.  We’re talking apples and oranges here.  Black people in this country were discriminated against for no logical reason whatsoever.  Muslims, on the other hand, as much as I agree these two Imams did nothing wrong, are solely responsible for bringing the ire from others upon themselves.  Damn near 100% of terrorist acts that go on around the world are done in the name of Islam and until that stops Muslims are going to have to accept the fact that they’re going to face this kind of discrimination and apprehension towards them out of fear and distrust.

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