Jakarta – The largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States (US), the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), has raised concerns over UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov being removed from a flight. They have called for an investigation by Frontier Airlines.
Khabib was removed from the plane after refusing to move from his seat near the emergency exit. Khabib deemed the action unfair, leading to his forced removal from the flight.
During the incident, Khabib expressed that “this is not fair.” He also stated that he complied with the flight crew’s instructions.
“When I was checking in, they asked me if I could speak English… and I said yes. So why are you doing this?” Khabib asked.
Khabib also suspected that there was racial profiling involved in the incident.
“We call on Frontier Airlines to swiftly and transparently investigate the actions of its crew to determine what occurred on this flight and why Muslim athlete and advocate Khabib Nurmagomedov was treated this way,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.
“Given the frequent incidents of racial and religious profiling on airlines, particularly against Muslim travelers, Frontier Airlines must also publicly release the results of its investigation and take appropriate actions to address any wrongdoing or mistakes made by its staff,” Nihad added.
He mentioned that Washington-based CAIR also provides an air passenger rights booklet.
“As an airline passenger, you have the right to courteous, respectful, and non-discriminatory treatment from airline and security personnel. It is illegal for law enforcement officers to stop, search, detain, or remove you solely based on your race, religion, national origin, gender, or ethnicity,” he emphasized.