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CNN Live Saturday

Arab Americans Forced Off Commercial Flights

Aired September 22, 2001 - 12:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Commercial flying is way down in the United States. But for those flights that have gone ahead, there have been several incidents this past week, at least five, where men of Arab dissent were forced off of U.S. airliners. The problem, fear among the flight crew and the passengers. Here's CNN's Patty Davis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pakistan businessman, Akwar Ali (ph) and Mohammad Naeem Butt say U.S. Airways kicked them off their flight from Orlando Monday, suggesting they take a train to Washington instead.

MUHAMMAD NAEEM BUTT, U.S. AIRWAYS PASSENGER (through translator): A lot of people were looking at us. We were embarrassed. We were terrified. And people were thinking that maybe we were hijackers.

DAVIS: They claims it's because they're Muslims and they're threatening to sue. So is Maged El-Sherbiny who's Egyptian. He says he was told he had to leave a United flight in Chicago.

MAGED EL-SHERBINY, UNITED AIRLINES PASSENGER: They said - the crew said they feel uncomfortable with you because you are a Middle Easterner.

DAVIS: A flurry of such incidents since the terrorist hijackings. No one charged with any crime, all allowed to get on later flights. Arab American groups charge what's happening as outright racism.

HUSSEIN IBISH, AMERICAN-ARAB ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE: This pattern of behavior is really, completely unacceptable. It may be understandable that people are fearful. But we cannot have, you know, a circumstance where anyone can veto the presence of someone who looks, you know, a way they don't like.

DAVIS: The incidence has so alarmed U.S. transportation officials. Friday, they warned airlines about discrimination, saying - quote - "not only is it wrong, but it is also illegal to discriminate against people based on their race, ethnicity or religion."

U.S. Airways wouldn't comment on the case involving the Pakistani businessman but it says it doesn't allow discrimination. All United Airlines would say about El-Sherviny's experience is - quote - "we're following all the security directives put forth by the FAA." Delta, meanwhile, is urging employees worldwide to exercise tolerance.

The airline industry says the FAA allows crewmembers to use their discretion when it comes to suspicious passengers but says many are going too far.

MICHAEL WASCOM, AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION: That is wrong. We do not condone it. It needs to stop.

DAVIS: The industry says it amounts to racial profiling, something long fought on the ground that has no place in the sky.

Patty Davis, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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