Muslim Woman Told on Flight She Would ‘Bring the Whole Plane Down’
I’ve got a story for you that’s going to make you angry. Fair warning.
Fatima Altakrouri was on a Southwest Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale to Dallas on May 22. She was traveling with her sister, Muna Kowni. They both wanted to sit together in the emergency exit row – there were two empty seats.
Here’s what happened next, according to a complaint filed with the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
A flight attendant told Fatima she couldn’t sit in the exit row. The reason? The flight attendant allegedly said Fatima “couldn’t speak English and would bring the whole plane down in an emergency.”
Fatima Altakrouri was born and raised in America. English is her native language.
The difference between her and her sister? Fatima was wearing a hijab. Muna was not. Muna was allowed to sit in the exit row. Fatima was told to move.
Insider reports that Muna told the flight attendant twice: “She speaks English.” It didn’t matter.
The sisters ended up returning to their original separate seats. When the plane landed in Dallas, they spoke to a manager and filed a complaint.
At a press conference Tuesday, Fatima said: “I think I was really disappointed that the passengers around us did not say anything. Me being born here, I know when to speak up. I do this on behalf of myself and other Muslim women. I hope this will change something with the way we are dealt with in public.”
CAIR-Texas DFW filed a religious discrimination complaint on her behalf. Their executive director, Faizan Syed, called it “textbook religious discrimination and profiling.” Cases like this echo other instances where people face hostility simply for who they are.
“You have two sisters, one who wears the hijab and the other who does not, and both board at the same time,” Syed said. “One is denied the right to sit where she wants, while the other is encouraged to take a seat based on nothing else then perceived religiosity.”
Southwest said they “do not tolerate discrimination” and would look into the situation.
I tell you what – I’ve covered a lot of stories about discrimination on flights. It’s not a new phenomenon. But something about this one sticks with me. Two sisters. Same family. Same language. Same flight.
And only one of them was treated like she belonged.
