Two Texas men who are Muslim say they were profiled when their American Airlines flight was canceled after crew members felt uncomfortable because the men waved to each other.
Abderraoof Alkhawaldeh and Issam Abdallah say they have filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation against Fort Worth-based American Airlines. The incident happened as they boarded a flight Saturday from Birmingham, Alabama, to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
The men say they were questioned and searched because they appeared to be Muslim and of Middle Eastern descent.
In this Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019 photo, Imam Omar Suleiman, center, speaks during a press conference at the Council on American-Islamic Relations DFW office in Dallas regarding a profiling incident where two Muslims from North Texas said they experienced during a recent American Airlines flight in Alabama. CAIR is calling on the airline to investigate the incident and implement corrective action to those involved. (Lynda M. GonzalezThe Dallas Morning News via AP)
American Airlines spokeswoman LaKesha Brown says the flight was canceled after a crew member and a passenger raised concerns. Brown says American is obligated to take security concerns seriously.
Independently owned Mesa Airlines was operating the flight. A spokesman said Mesa is investigating.