The Council on American-Islamic Relations lodged a complaint against Southwest Airlines on Wednesday after an incident in April when a passenger was asked to leave a flight for speaking in Arabic.
Khairuldeen Makhzoomi, a 26-year-old Iraqi-American ended a phone conversation he was having in Arabic with his uncle with the phrase “Inshallah” meaning, “G-d willing”. Another passenger overheard the conversation and Makhzoomi was asked to leave the plane and taken in for questioning.
"One guy came with police officers within two minutes — I can't believe how fast they were — and told me to get off the plane," Makhzoomi told CNN.
Makhzoomi was not allowed to reboard the flight and was given a full refund.
On Wednesday, CAIR filed a complaint with the US Department of Transportation Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings against Southwest Airlines for "racial and religious profiling of a Muslim passenger"
In its complaint, CAIR-SFBA Civil Rights Coordinator Saba Maher stated: “We write to request a federal investigation on behalf of our client, Mr. Khairuldeen Makhzoomi, who was removed from a Southwest Airlines fight for speaking Arabic while sitting in a plane.”