The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today announced the settlement of a major lawsuit over an incident in which Issam Abdallah and Abderraouf Alkhawaldeh, two respected leaders of the Dallas-Fort Worth area Muslim community, were prevented from flying on an airplane based on the pilots’ concerns about their ethnicity.   

The pilot assumed they were terrorists based on their “Arab, Mediterranean” race and refused to fly with them on board, telling security that she was “not flying this plane with a brother named Issam on it.”   

CAIR lawyers brought suit on behalf of the two men in federal court in Texas against Mesa Airlines, who operated the flight on behalf of American Airlines. The district court initially granted summary judgment for Mesa, but the Fifth Circuit reversed given the existence of evidence showing that the pilot’s actions were motivated by racial discrimination.

SEE: CAIR Welcomes Fifth Circuit Ruling Allowing Mesa Airlines Racial Profiling Case to Move Forward 

That decision paved the way for a settlement, which includes a financial payment to the parties.  The amount of the payment is confidential.

“Airlines cannot use racial profiling or other forms of discrimination in deciding who gets to fly with them,” said CAIR Trial Attorney Justin Sadowsky. “The color of one’s skin or the way they dress is not a substitute for rational, evidence-based security screenings.” 

“We believe this settlement vindicates Mr. Abdallah and Mr. Alkhawadeh, who finally have obtained justice for the racial discrimination they have suffered,” added CAIR Staff Attorney Hannah Mullen. 

“Our community should not have to live in fear of ‘flying while Muslim,’” said CAIR-Dallas Interim Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll. “When airlines have to pay for discriminating against Muslims, they will learn to stop.”  

Washington, D.C., based CAIR, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organizations, offers travelers a booklet, “Your Rights as an Airline Passenger,” which states: “As an airline passenger, you are entitled to courteous, respectful and non-stigmatizing treatment by airline and security personnel. It is illegal for law enforcement officials to perform any stops, searches, detentions, or removals based solely on your race, religion, national origin, sex, or ethnicity.” 

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.              

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.     

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CONTACT: CAIR Trial Attorney Justin Sadowsky, 646-785-9154, jsadowsky@cair.com Staff Attorney Hannah Mullen, 202-742-6420, hmullen@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com, CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com