Activists are decrying the reported actions of Delta Air Lines employees after a Lynnwood-based imam claimed he was escorted off an airplane last month on the basis of his religious affiliation.
Representatives of the Washington chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, as well as clergy and activists from other local organizations, denounced Delta on Tuesday at the Sea-Tac Airport before delivering a complaint letter intended for Delta.
Complainants suspect a “possible pattern and practice” of discrimination against Muslims on airplanes, though Delta denies that’s the case.
A U.S. Department of Transportation spokesman said the agency is investigating the incident.
This most recent complaint -- CAIR says there have been at least 15 referred to their organization in the past two-and-a-half years -- stems from a March 8 incident in which Syed Muhammad Abbace Ayleya was escorted off a connecting Delta flight in Atlanta, bound for Toronto, and told little other than that his use of the airplane bathroom was “doubtful,” according to CAIR.
The ordeal caused him to miss a fundraiser for a Toronto elementary school at which he was scheduled to speak. The fundraiser ultimately did not happen after the organizers learned Ayleya would not be able to make it.
“I went through a great deal of loss and suffering,” Ayleya wrote to Delta in a March 11 complaint. “I personally feel it’s very offensive and discriminatory.”
Ayleya, the resident imam at Zainab Center in Lynnwood, frequently travels by air and reportedly has never before had a problem with airline employees. He is a Delta Platinum Elite member and is approved by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry program, which expedites low-risk air passengers through security procedures.
Ayleya boarded the airplane in the first class section and used the on-board restroom while waiting for the flight to depart, according to reports.
The airplane left the gate, but then returned to the gate about five minutes later, according to Ayleya’s narration.
A Delta employee boarded the plane and escorted Ayleya back to the terminal, where he was met by two law enforcement officers. He was only told that “the crew was doubtful about the way you were using the restroom,” according to the CAIR complaint.
Ayleya was given a hotel voucher and a ticket for a flight the next morning, but he was unable to make it to the fundraiser at which he planned to speak. As a result, no money was raised at the event, according to CAIR.
Ayleya believed he was removed from the airplane “due to hs racial, ethnic and religious appearance.”
CAIR demanded Tuesday that Delta investigate the incident, issue an apology, compensate Ayleya for losses and discipline employees involved in the matter.
“He’s very disappointed,” said Arsalan Bukhari, executive director of CAIR-Washington. “He was left traumatized, he was left shocked.”
Other religious leaders from the Seattle area also decried Delta’s alleged actions.
“One of the most consistent and radical messages of Jesus is everyone matters to God,” said Rev. John Helmiere of Valley and Mountain Fellowship in the Hillman City neighborhood of Seattle. “We won’t let this go.”
Bukhari said that of the 15 reports of discrimination against Muslims reported in recent years, at least three occurred on Delta flights.
CAIR and the United Firm of Carolina Law filed a lawsuit against Delta and Atlantic Southeast Airlines in 2011 for reportedly removing two imams from a flight to an Islamophobia conference in Charlotte, N.C.
Staff attorneys at CAIR say the case resulted in a settlement, the details of which cannot be made public.
Of the approximately 20 activists who showed up at Sea-Tac to denounce Delta on Tuesday morning, security personnel allowed five to walk to the Delta check-in counter to deliver their complaint letter. The letter was ultimately intercepted by a security officer who said he would pass it along.
A Delta spokesman said Tuesday afternoon that the airline was looking into the matter but could not comment on this specific case.
He issued the following statement on behalf of the company:
“There is no place at Delta for discrimination of any kind, and we rely on the training, experience and professional judgment of our Delta Connection partners to ensure the safety and comfort of our customers and colleagues every day.”
Bukhari declined to comment on whether CAIR would pursue another lawsuit against Delta.