Muslim siblings kicked off flight for ‘looking at IS propaganda’
Dharas believes the accusation was made with malice as she was wearing a headscarf
Sakina Dharas believes the accusation was maliciously made because she was wearing a headscarf PHOTO: Sakina Dharas/Al Jazeera
Three Muslim siblings were ordered off a flight last week after a passenger accused them of viewing Islamic State (IS) propaganda on their phones.
Sakina Dharas and her siblings were escorted off an easyJet plane for questioning while the plane waited. Dharas believes the accusation was made with malice as she was wearing a headscarf. The airline has apologised for the incident.
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Dharas, a pharmacist in London, was on her way to Naples for a weekend getaway along with her brother Ali and sister Maryam. During the interrogation, counter terrorism officers checked their phones and passports and informed them that a fellow passenger had “told us that you are members of IS and they have seen material on your phone," Dharas said.
The family was allowed back on to the plane after an hour’s delay. According to Dharas, the only religious or Arabic material she had on her phone was an electronic copy of the Quran which she had not been looking at the time. “What really upsets me is that the accusers were not brought out of the plane and questioned at the same time,” she said.
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A spokesperson for easyJet said the three had been taken off the flight "following concerns raised by a passenger. The police then confirmed to the captain that the passengers were cleared to complete their journey and they reboarded the aircraft and the flight departed to Naples.”
“The safety and security of its passengers and crew is our highest priority which means that if a security concern is raised we will always investigate it as a precautionary measure. We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused to the passengers," he added.
This article originally appeared on The Telegraph
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Sakina Dharas and her siblings were escorted off an easyJet plane for questioning while the plane waited. Dharas believes the accusation was made with malice as she was wearing a headscarf. The airline has apologised for the incident.
Pakistani-American couple kicked off US flight 'for sweating, saying Allah'
Dharas, a pharmacist in London, was on her way to Naples for a weekend getaway along with her brother Ali and sister Maryam. During the interrogation, counter terrorism officers checked their phones and passports and informed them that a fellow passenger had “told us that you are members of IS and they have seen material on your phone," Dharas said.
The family was allowed back on to the plane after an hour’s delay. According to Dharas, the only religious or Arabic material she had on her phone was an electronic copy of the Quran which she had not been looking at the time. “What really upsets me is that the accusers were not brought out of the plane and questioned at the same time,” she said.
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A spokesperson for easyJet said the three had been taken off the flight "following concerns raised by a passenger. The police then confirmed to the captain that the passengers were cleared to complete their journey and they reboarded the aircraft and the flight departed to Naples.”
“The safety and security of its passengers and crew is our highest priority which means that if a security concern is raised we will always investigate it as a precautionary measure. We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused to the passengers," he added.
This article originally appeared on The Telegraph
Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments section below.