After witnessing the unjustified removal of a group of American Muslims from a domestic AirTran flight due to “security” concerns, it seem some Americans would readily jettison their fellow citizens’ civil liberties in exchange for a temporary and false sense of safety. Atif Irfan, a Muslim American and a tax lawyer, was removed from the plane on New Year’s Day, along with eight family members and a friend, after paranoid passengers misunderstood their benign conversation regarding the safest place to sit onboard.

An FBI agent entered shortly thereafter, escorted the family off the plane, and questioned Irfan over the incident. Even though the FBI cleared the group of any suspicious behaviour, the airline then refused to rebook the American Muslim family on another flight.

“The FBI agents actually cleared our names,” Inayet Sahin, Irfan’s sister-in-law, said later. “They went on our behalf and spoke to the airlines and said, ‘There is no suspicious activity here. They are clear. Please let them get on a flight so they can go on their vacation,’ and [AirTran] still refused.” AirTran later apologised.   »»» The Guardian (U.K.)

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