A Jordanian-American Muslim woman was offloaded from an American Airlines flight at Newark airport after a passenger complained about her.
Amani Al Khatatbeh, an activist and a blogger from New Jersey, was on a Charlotte-bound flight on 14 November when a passenger told the staff that she made him feel ‘uncomfortable’.
Without giving her a chance to clarify, the staff promptly asked Al Khatatbeh to leave the plane. Upon her refusal, the police were called in to remove her.
Meanwhile, Al Khatatbeh insisted that both she and the complainant be disembarked for questioning.
ALSO READ
Sindh’s Education Minister Announces His Decision on Winter Break
The activist, who had run for Congress this year, started a Facebook Live video, filming the entire incident. As is evident from the video, other passengers shouted at the airways staff in her favor, asking for the complainant to be removed as well.
She also tweeted about the incident:
Recounting the ‘racist’ incident on social media, Al Khatatbeh said she was unfairly removed from the aircraft after a passenger in the first-class harassed her.
“They’re taking his word for it. They are literally coming to remove me instead of removing both of us, for example, or removing him,” she said.
ALSO READ
Medical Students Get Another Chance to Appear in Supplementary Exams
The blogger said things began to go wrong when the man at TSA security cut her in line.
“An entitled white man behind me insisted on cutting me in line because I was “still taking my shoes off. When I said he could wait like everyone else, he started going off about how he’s “pre-check” and “first-class,” she tweeted.
Al Khatatbeh was arrested and charged with trespassing and delaying transportation. American Airlines said it is investigating the incident.
