American Airlines accused of racially profiling two Muslim men who waved at each other

By: Joshua M.

Two Muslim men are accusing American Airlines of racial profiling — saying uncomfortable crew members canceled a flight partly because one of them flushed a toilet twice, they said.

The men, Abderraoof Alkhawaldeh and Issam Abdallah, were flying separately on Saturday from Birmingham, Alabama, to Dallas when they waved to each other from separate sections while boarding. Abdallah then used the bathroom and noticed a flight attendant was standing closely outside when he walked out, the Dallas Morning News reports.

Crew members soon said the flight was canceled, while Alkhawaldeh claims he heard one worker citing security concerns. After getting off the plane, both men were questioned by authorities before being let go.

They were then interrogated a second time in a private room and had their bags searched by Transportation Security Administration officers, the pair claimed.

“It was the most humiliating day of my life,” Abdallah told reporters, according to the newspaper.

Both Alkhawaldeh and Abdallah said they were told by law enforcement officials that their flight was canceled because crew members weren’t comfortable flying with them.

“This is absurd, unacceptable and un-American,” Alkhawaldeh said.

Abdallah, a nonprofit worker in Dallas, said he was told that his decision to flush the toilet twice while inside the airplane’s restroom had raised red flags. The pair ultimately was rebooked and flew back to Dallas on another flight.

American Airlines, meanwhile, said the flight — operated by regional carrier Mesa Airlines — was scrapped “due to concerns raised by a crew member and a passenger,” according to a statement to The Post.

“American and all of its regional partners have an obligation to take safety and security concerns raised by crew members and passengers seriously,” the statement read. “We’re committed to providing a positive experience to everyone who travels with us.”

The incident is being reviewed and American has reached out to Alkhawaldeh and Abdallah “to better understand their experience,” according to the airline.

But Alkhawaldeh — a motivational speaker who said he’s flown more than 1 million miles with the carrier as one of its executive platinum members — said diversity training for the crew and an apology would be a good start.

“I fly for a living,” Alkhawaldeh told KTVT. “And I’m worried what my next flight will be.”