Lawsuit filed after Malaysian flag mistaken for defaced US flag with Islamic State symbols

The association pulled back Munir Zanial's membership even after FBI ended investigation

A lawsuit was filed against an employee association in the United States after it rescinded a Muslim man's membership. The membership was pulled back over a row about what the complainer thought was a defaced United States flag with symbols of the Islamic State (IS).

The Muslim man, Munir Zanial rented a lake house owned by the employee association to host a Malaysian Independence Day Party.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) received a complaint by an association employee, who called in saying that the Muslim guests were displaying a defaced US flag which had symbols of the Islamic State. The investigation was stalled after it was discovered that the feared flag was actually the flag of Malaysia.

Although there were no grounds to continue the investigation, Zanial was banned from hosting events.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kansas has pressed charges against the Spirit Boeing Employees Association, calling them out for 'racial profiling and religious blatant discrimination.'

The restricted member of the association Zanial, is a Muslim Malaysian aerospace engineer who had been paying a membership fee to be a part of the employee association.

Zanial rented the lake house to celebrate the Malaysian Independence Day as well to revere the last days of Ramazan in September 2017.

In the the complaint filed against Zanial, it was mentioned that the gathering included people of Indian-Malaysian ancestry and veiled women.

Even though FBI closed the case in the month of October, the employee association went ahead and hired a private investigator. They also took back Zanial's rental benefits without informing him.

The executive director of the ACLU of Kansas said,"To label someone a terrorist due to their appearance and their celebration of their heritage is shameful, but to continue to use that mislabel as grounds for blatant discrimination - even after it had been discredited by the FBI - is downright reprehensible."

The Spirit Boeing Employees Association has made no comment.

This article originally appeared in BBC News.