Mutiny as passengers refuse to fly until Asians are removed

Passengers refuse to allow holiday jet to take off until two Asian men are thrown off plane


By CHRISTOPHER LEAKE and ANDREW CHAPMAN

12:08pm 20th August 2006

The extraordinary scenes happened after some of the 150 passengers on a Malaga-Manchester flight overheard two men of Asian appearance apparently talking Arabic.

Passengers told cabin crew they feared for their safety and demanded police action. Some stormed off the Monarch Airlines Airbus A320 minutes before it was due to leave the Costa del Sol at 3am. Others waiting for Flight ZB 613 in the departure lounge refused to board it.

The incident fuels the row over airport security following the arrest of more than 20 people allegedly planning the suicide-bombing of transatlantic jets from the UK to America. It comes amid growing demands for passenger-profiling and selective security checks.

It also raised fears that more travellers will take the law into their own hands - effectively conducting their own 'passenger profiles'.

The passenger revolt came as Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary was accused of using the terror crisis to make money. Government sources say he boasted to an official at the Transport Department: "Every time I appear on TV, I get a spike in sales."

The Tories said the Government's failure to reassure travellers had led the Malaga passengers to 'behave irrationally' and 'hand a victory to terrorists'.

Websites used by pilots and cabin crew were yesterday reporting further incidents. In one, two British women with young children on another flight from Spain complained about flying with a bearded Muslim even though he had been security-checked twice before boarding.

The trouble in Malaga flared last Wednesday as two British citizens in their 20s waited in the departure lounge to board the pre-dawn flight and were heard talking what passengers took to be Arabic. Worries spread after a female passenger said she had heard something that alarmed her.

Passengers noticed that, despite the heat, the pair were wearing leather jackets and thick jumpers and were regularly checking their watches.

Initially, six passengers refused to board the flight. On board the aircraft, word reached one family. To the astonishment of cabin crew, they stood up and walked off, followed quickly by others.

The Monarch pilot - a highly experienced captain - accompanied by armed Civil Guard police and airport security staff, approached the two men and took their passports.

Half an hour later, police returned and escorted the two Asian passengers off the jet.

'There was no fuss or panic'

Soon afterwards, the aircraft was cleared while police did a thorough security sweep. Nothing was found and the plane took off - three hours late and without the two men on board.

Monarch arranged for them to spend the rest of the night in an airport hotel and flew them back to Manchester later on Wednesday.

College lecturer Jo Schofield, her husband Heath and daughters Emily, 15, and Isabel, 12, were caught up in the passenger mutiny.

Mrs Schofield, 38, said: "The plane was not yet full and it became apparent that people were refusing to board. In the gate waiting area, people had been talking about these two, who looked really suspicious with their heavy clothing, scruffy, rough, appearance and long hair.

"Some of the older children, who had seen the terror alert on television, were starting to mutter things like, 'Those two look like they're bombers.'

"Then a family stood up and walked off the aircraft. They were joined by others, about eight in all. We learned later that six or seven people had refused to get on the plane.

"There was no fuss or panic. People just calmly and quietly got off the plane. There were no racist taunts or any remarks directed at the men.

"It was an eerie scene, very quiet. The children were starting to ask what was going on. We tried to play it down."

Mr Schofield, 40, an area sales manager, said: "When the men were taken off they didn't argue or say a word. They just picked up their coats and obeyed the police. They seemed resigned to the fact they were under suspicion.

"The captain and crew were very apologetic when we were asked to evacuate the plane for the security search. But there was no dissent.

"While we were waiting, everyone agreed the men looked dodgy. Some passengers were very panicky and in tears. There was a lot of talking about terrorists."

Patrick Mercer, the Tory Homeland Security spokesman, said last night: "This is a victory for terrorists. These people on the flight have been terrorised into behaving irrationally.

"For those unfortunate two men to be victimised because of the colour of their skin is just nonsense."

Monarch said last night: "The captain was concerned about the security surrounding the two gentlemen on the aircraft and the decision was taken to remove them from the flight for further security checks.

"The two passengers offloaded from the flight were later cleared by airport security and rebooked to travel back to Manchester on a later flight."

A spokesman for the Civil Guard in Malaga said: "These men had aroused suspicion because of their appearance and the fact that they were speaking in a foreign language thought to be an Arabic language, and the pilot was refusing to take off until they were escorted off the plane."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/li...e#StartComments

Madness!

Daily Mail!

Perhaps we can have some logo to distinguish us from the rest - like they did to the Jews in Germany. Things were so much easier then!

Nice trick.If i don't like a plane or it's passengers i will simply say, i am a muslim folks

perhaps we should all grow beards and have our trousers at half mast...

if i would be one of those guys i would immediately start shouting and abusing those people and would not leave the plane. people it is their right to travel n that plane, they paid for the seats.....and wat those guys should have done was that they shoudlnt have gotten of the plane and should have said that we have a right here, if u dont want to fly, then please get of this plane ( which the people did).

Interesting day given the above story and what happened at the Oval today.

It seems to some people that us Asians are either cheats or terrorists.

Letter to SAA from Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) in reference
to the two passengers who were ordered to leave the aircraft.

The Manager
South African Airways
Gauteng

Sir/Madam

We refer to the recent incident on a SAA flight when two Muslim persons were asked to leave the aircraft allegedly by another passenger.

This incident has sent shockwaves across the country notwithstanding the fact that many South African Muslims travel SAA. We urge your good office to investigate the matter thoroughly and accordingly take the necessary steps. We are confident of your kind co-operation in the matter.

Thanking you and God bless.

Yours faithfully

Maulana A Kathrada

Administrator


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SAA response to Jamiat letter,

Dear Ml.Kathrada
Thank you for your recent fax, the contents of which we have noted with much concern. Moulana, we are aware that many members of the Muslim community are loyal supporters of South African Airways and we certainly understand your dissatisfaction and concern regarding the recent incident onboard our flight to London.

We sincerely regret the perceptions of discrimination against two Muslim passengers concerned. We have conducted a full investigation into the incident in which a first class passengers said he was uncomfortable flying to London, with two other business class passengers. The captain and a South African Airways manager spoke to the two business class passengers and apologized for any inconvenience or embarrassment caused by perceptions that South African Airways was biased in its endeavour to resolve the impasse. We will certainly be taking action against those that contributed to this unpleasant situation.

Moulana Kathrada. I wish to reiterate that South African Airways adheres and complies with stringent security procedures that are implemented by the Airports Company of South Africa. Please be assured that the safety of our passengers and crew is important and will not be compromised. In terms of aviation laws, the captain of an aircraft is obliged to investigate any security concerns brought to his attention.

South African Airways is wholly owned by the South African government and subscribes to this country’s constitution, which outlaws discrimination of passengers based on colour, creed, or religion. Such behaviour will never be tolerated.

Moulana, I hope this information helps in restoring your, and the Muslim community’s faith in our airline.

Thank you, for taking the time to address this matter with us.

Kind regards

Rekha Naidoo

Customer Relations (SAA)



Jamiat comment
It is disheartening to note, despite the outcry from the Muslim community on this issue the most that was done was an apology. The airline claims to uphold safety standards, which are beyond compromise. A question to be asked is, if this was wholly true then how were these passengers allowed to board the aircraft in the first place. It is no secret that recently Muslims worldwide have been target of religious discrimination and this is yet another example of the same. This incident should alert us as to how closely we are being watched and how important it is for us to portray ourselves as true, devout and practicing Muslims.

Ignorance is a sad thing.

I just watched the television news on TV here in Lusaka and they they reported that 3 Muslims of Pakistani origin who were going to visit their families in England were refused boarding Namibian Airlines. They than drove to Lusaka several thousand kilometers and boarded a plane to England

It seems like this Islamphobia is no longer a European/American thing only. The Africans are now joining the bandwagon.

ya so then commondos would be called in and then later they would say we had to injure him because the situation called for it and then they would dig up some dirt or make it up and say see they really were a threat and that's why they were shouting

eff it, just buy tickets ona a pro-muslim airline- i always go saudi normally or emirates.

just hit them in their pockets.

can you blame them?