Two Muslim religious leaders were asked to leave a commercial airliner in Memphis - and were told it was because the pilot refused to fly with them aboard.Masudur Rahman and another imam had already been allowed to board their Delta Connection flight from Memphis, Tennessee, to Charlotte, North Carolina before they were asked to get off the plane.
'It's racism and bias because of our religion and appearance and because of misinformation about our religion.' Mr Rahman said. 'If they understood Islam, they wouldn't do this.'
Mr Rahman said he and Mohamed Zaghloul, of the Islamic Association of Greater Memphis, were cleared by security agents and boarded the plane for an 8.40am departure.
The aircraft pulled away from the gate, but the pilot then announced the plane must return, Mr Rahman said.
When it did, the imams were asked to go back to the boarding gate where they were told the pilot was refusing to accept them because some other passengers could be uncomfortable.
Mr Rahman said Delta officials talked with the pilot for more than a half-hour, but he still refused to fly with them aboard.
The men were taken to a lounge and booked on a later flight. They flew on to Charlotte later the same day.
Mr Rahman said a Delta manager apologised for the pilot's actions, but that he and Mr Zaghloul never spoke directly with the pilot. Read More
