Airline chucked me off for being Muslim
Sahin told to leave plane after women complain
A KEBAB shop worker was marched off a flight after two women passengers accused him of “making gestures” to another Muslim man.
Scot Sahin Lim, 60, was made to disembark and go through airport security again before he was allowed back on the plane.
He is now threatening to sue Thomas Cook, who admit the claims made by the women passengers were “unverified”.
Sahin’s humiliating experience happened when he boarded a flight to the UK in Izmir, Turkey, after visiting his mum.
It is understood the two British women told cabin crew that he and the other Muslim man – who had never met – were seen “skipping security scanners” and gesturing to each other. There was also claims that they were “going to the toilet to use their phones”.
The women refused to fly with the men on board and the plane was delayed for an hour.
Sahin, from Glasgow, said: “It was a really upsetting experience and I think it was a racist thing for Thomas Cook to have done.
“These two women, whoever they are, have made completely unfounded claims about me and this other man.
“It is just ridiculous. I didn’t miss any security checks – I went though them all just like everyone else.
“I was talking on my phone for a while and I wasn’t making any gestures to anyone.
“I had never met the other gentleman who was kicked off the flight with me.
“These women have seen two Muslim men and decided that they must be terrorists.
“What really upsets me, however, was the reaction of the Thomas Cook staff.
“If they had any fears over security, they should have taken everyone off the flight and put them through security.
“It is completely unacceptable to have instead singled out two Muslim men and forced them through this humiliating experience. I am going to contact a lawyer and take whatever action I can because I think this is unacceptable.”
Sahin added: “One thing I would like to say, however, is that I was very heartened by the support that I had from other passengers on the flight.
“I felt everyone was behind me and a few spoke up and asked why the other man and I were being singled out.”
Another passenger on the Manchester-bound flight said it was “an embarrassment”.
She said: “Two innocent Muslim men were marched off the plane and searched as two English ladies refused to fly with them on the plane.
“The result was a delay for everyone and the men flew, while the women were left behind.”
A spokesman for Thomas Cook Airlines confirmed the concerns raised were unverified and thanked the men for their cooperation.
He said: “Two customers on this flight were asked to go through security a second time as a precaution after unverified concerns were raised that the initial airport security check had missed them out.
“We’d like to thank these two customers for their patience and apologise for any inconvenience.”
In August, armed police and MI5 agents marched three British siblings off an EasyJet flight at Stansted, Essex, after being falsely accused of having “Isis material” on their phones.
Several Muslim passengers have been kicked off flights in the US, including a couple accused of sweating suspiciously.