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Passenger who heard remarks by Muslim who was removed from plane speaks Arabic, says his comments were threatening

Apr 20, 2016 9:03 am By Robert Spencer

This incident has been widely reported as an incidence of “Islamophobia,” as an ignorant non-Muslim passenger heard Khairuldeen Makhzoomi speaking Arabic and saying “inshallah” and jumped to the conclusion that he must be a terrorist. But in reality, the passenger who heard Makhzoomi speaking to his uncle speaks Arabic, and thus knew everything that he was saying, and thought it was threatening. But by now this story has gone around the world; this salient detail will not.

“Southwest said its crew’s response followed company protocol and federal law, which requires ‘potential threats to civil aviation’ be investigated and reported to law enforcement.” But if those who are wringing their hands over Southwest’s “Islamophobia” get their way, potential threats to civil aviation when they come from Muslims will not be reported.

Khairuldeen Makhzoomi

An update on this story. “Southwest says passenger who overheard college student’s remarks also spoke Arabic,” by Conor Shine, Dallas Morning News, April 18, 2016 (thanks to Occupy Bawl Street):

A Southwest Airlines passenger who overheard a college student’s conversation also spoke Arabic and perceived the comments to be threatening, according to a new Southwest Airlines statement released Monday afternoon.

The new detail sheds light on the removal of 26-year-old Khairuldeen Makhzoomi from an Oakland-bound flight earlier this month. His removal from Flight 4620 gained national attention over the weekend following a story published in The Daily Californian newspaper.

Makhzoomi, an Iraqi refugee and senior at the University of California Berkeley, was removed from an April 6 flight from Los Angeles to Oakland after another passenger told crew she overheard “potentially threatening comments.” Makhzoomi’s comments came during a conversation with his uncle.

Southwest said its crew’s response followed company protocol and federal law, which requires “potential threats to civil aviation” be investigated and reported to law enforcement.

One new detail revealed in the statement is that the woman who overheard Makhzoomi’s comments, which came during a phone conversation with his uncle, also spoke Arabic.

“It was the content of the passenger’s conversation, not the language used, that prompted the report leading to our investigation,” Southwest said in its statement. “Once the report was made, an Arabic-speaking Southwest Manager at LAX participated in the decision to request the passenger leave the aircraft and continue the conversation in the gate area.”

Makhzoomi told The Daily Californian he said goodbye to his uncle by saying “inshallah”, which translates to “if God is willing.” Makhzoomi said he had called his uncle to tell him about a dinner he had attended in Los Angeles the previous day that featured Ban Ki-moon, secretary-general of the United Nations.

After the conversation, Makhzoomi was removed from the plane, searched in front of a crowd of onlookers and questioned by law enforcement agents, including the FBI, according to a report in The New York Times. An FBI spokeswoman later confirmed that agents responded to the airport but no threat was found.

Makhzoomi’s ticket was refunded by Southwest and he caught a later flight on Delta Air Lines.

Makhzoomi told The Times he’s not planning to pursue legal action but would like an apology from the company.

Although Southwest’s statement from Monday doesn’t include an apology, it does indicate the airline has tried to contact Makhzoomi without any success.

“We would like the opportunity to speak with Mr. Makhzoomi further about his experience and have reached out to him several times,” the airline said.

There have been at least six cases so far this year of Muslims being removed from flights, according to The Times, including a Muslim passenger who was removed from a Southwest flight in Chicago last week.

Read the full text of Southwest’s latest statement below:

Statement: Flight 4620 from Los Angeles (LAX) to Oakland (OAK) on April 6

A passenger onboard flight 4620 requested that our Crew investigate what were perceived to be threatening comments made by another passenger onboard. Both passengers involved in the situation spoke a shared language, Arabic. Our Crew responded by following protocol, as required by federal law, to investigate and report to law enforcement agencies any potential threat to civil aviation. It was the content of the passenger’s conversation, not the language used, that prompted the report leading to our investigation. Once the report was made, an Arabic-speaking Southwest Manager at LAX participated in the decision to request the passenger leave the aircraft and continue the conversation in the gate area. We provided the passenger an immediate refund of his unused ticket.  Federal law enforcement agents became involved and conducted their own investigation.  We would like the opportunity to speak with Mr. Makhzoomi further about his experience and have reached out to him several times.

We welcome onboard more than a hundred millions Customers each year; and we aim safely to transport each, while maintaining the comfort of all. Safety is our always first focus, and our Employees are trained to make decisions to safeguard the security of our Crews and Customers on every flight. We would not remove a passenger from a flight without a collaborative decision rooted in established procedures. Southwest neither condones nor tolerates discrimination of any kind. Our Company could not survive if we practiced or believed otherwise.  In fact, a cursory view of our workforce, as well as our expansive, multi-cultural Customer base is a reliable indicator that we exalt and appreciate diversity.

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Filed Under: air security, claiming victim status, Featured Tagged With: Khairuldeen Makhzoomi, Southwest Airlines


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Comments

  1. jihad3tracer says

    Apr 20, 2016 at 9:28 am

    Keith Ellison, Andre Carson, and every other American Muslim peddling the victimhood lie will be on this story WITHOUT EXPLAINING WHY WHAT HAPPENED WAS JUSTIFIED.

    If you have not seen David Wood’s video titled “Three Stages of Jihad” — 25 minutes — watch it when you have undistracted time, because he show that such a tactic (using “persecution” deceit) was Muhammad’s way EARLY AT MECCA BEFORE THE HIJRA to gain power and followers.

    • jihad3tracker says

      Apr 20, 2016 at 9:30 am

      OOPS — The comment above is actually from ancient old poster me [ jihad3tracker ] who misspelled my poster name. Sorry.

  2. Jerry says

    Apr 20, 2016 at 9:32 am

    We’re going to be seeing a lot of this baiting by muslims, setting us up for “islamophobia” accusations and lawsuits. A dirty little trick that we know is going to get worse, they’ll do anything to divert from the important issue of islam’s fascist agenda. They hate us and our culture and now the whole world is onto their game. So now they’ll exploit the fact that sentiment has turned against them and their fascist plans by faking race hate and discrimination. Dirty little tricks by a lowdown people.

  3. Andy says

    Apr 20, 2016 at 9:46 am

    Muslim Jihadists are cock-sure that very soon their saviour Mahdi will take over the whole world. No amount of teaching them otherwise will do any good! Why? Because of the brainwashing they have been made to come under. Thier hate on Jews and Israel will never abate in spite of the fact that they lost every war they waged on the itsy-bitsy nation of Israel. Israel became a sovereign nation in one day as prophesied in the Holy Bible in the last chapter of the Book of the Hebrew prophet Isaiah. The six-day war was a miracle on Israel’s side. Google for this: miracles of the six-day war======and read about the miracles the God of Israel did for His chosen Race.

  4. Angemon says

    Apr 20, 2016 at 10:09 am

    One new detail revealed in the statement is that the woman who overheard Makhzoomi’s comments, which came during a phone conversation with his uncle, also spoke Arabic.

    “It was the content of the passenger’s conversation, not the language used, that prompted the report leading to our investigation,” Southwest said in its statement. “Once the report was made, an Arabic-speaking Southwest Manager at LAX participated in the decision to request the passenger leave the aircraft and continue the conversation in the gate area.”

    This is what islamophobia looks like indeed – a manufactured incident that does not hold on to scrutiny.

    • Mockingjay says

      Apr 21, 2016 at 1:36 pm

      Yes, a manifactured incident… but what I REALLY want to know, and what no one is telling us, is what EXACTLY the “threatening content” of the conversation consisted of – WHAT was it that alarmed someone who understood what was being said enough to report it to the flight personel?
      What did he say to his “uncle”? Was it maybe something like: “I’m sitting here on a plane amidst the filthy kuffar. They make me sick just looking at them”…?

      • justamom says

        Apr 21, 2016 at 7:08 pm

        A good story would have told us the content!

  5. linnte says

    Apr 20, 2016 at 10:19 am

    I KNEW it! The airline would never have removed this guy if the woman simply reported he was on speaking Arabic! The whole story didn’t make sense. In this day of overwhelming “Islamophobia”, airlines are especially careful to not rock the boat about simple concerns over language types. They carry millions of different language speakers every day. He is BUSTED and I’d like to know what he was saying.

  6. ICH says

    Apr 20, 2016 at 10:46 am

    Chunky knew EXACTLY what he was doing !!

    This is his 15 minutes.

    Dig deeper I bet you find way more than we are being told.

  7. Oceanside says

    Apr 20, 2016 at 11:19 am

    Makhzoomi’s Twitter feed says it all:

    https://twitter.com/KhairyMakhzoomi

    the usual publicity stunt we’ve come to expect from Muslims. and it only works bec so much of the American public chooses to remain ignorant about Islam.

    • Alistair cromley says

      Apr 20, 2016 at 11:47 am

      2 days before he was removed from the flight he tweeted about the Arab family neing told they couldn’t board the plane. Total scam job. Incidentally the family were told they couldn’t board because of their babies unsafe car seat.

    • Westman says

      Apr 20, 2016 at 12:14 pm

      The tweet from Kieth Ellison: “It’s Muslim Advocacy Day. Working for a future where ppl like @KhairyMakhzoomi don’t have to be afraid because of their religion. Inshallah.”

      Gosh, Congressman Ellison, how about “moderate” Muslims working for a future where ppl don’t have to be afraid of Islam? And it doesn’t depend on Allah’s willingness – it depends on yours.

      The first honest act could be acknowledging that the terrorists ARE Muslim and you’re going to do something to keep America safe from them. When some nutty Christian Cleric burns Qurans, no Christians are denying that he is a Christian.

      • JawsV says

        Apr 20, 2016 at 2:28 pm

        Why do you have to be “nuts” to burn Korans? I assure you I am not “nuts” and the whole lot of the 7th century war manuals should be burned.

  8. Linde Barrera says

    Apr 20, 2016 at 11:21 am

    God bless the female passenger who understood Arabic and reported it. Call me “Islamophobic and proud of it.”

  9. Ted Tyler says

    Apr 20, 2016 at 11:44 am

    So what exactly did the passenger say that got everyone so upset. Was the speech a threat to the safety of the Airline or any of the other passengers? Where do you draw the line between serious danger and freedom of speech. Even an Islamic terrorist should have the right to bad mouth America and the West. Since we don’t know what was said, we cannot make any reasonable conclusions.

    • Westman says

      Apr 20, 2016 at 12:26 pm

      I’d like to see it as well. That Khairuldeen Makhzoomi stated that he would not take legal action when organizations like CAIR advocates such, indicates that whatever was said would be more damaging to Mr. Makhzoomi than any gains for CAIR, and would have no economic value.

      • Ted Tyler says

        Apr 20, 2016 at 2:57 pm

        You cannot make the conclusion that Makhzoomi did not take legal action because what he said would be damaging to himself or Jihad. (It may be true, but you do not have enough information to make that conclusion.) It seems more likely that he simply did not want to bother screwing around with legal BS and had other thing to do. Besides the headline “Muslim kicked off plane for speaking Arabic” is already damaging to the West. It shows that Islamophobia is alive and well and living in America. We are supposed to be supporters of free speech. Well, this incident suggests that we are not supporters of free speech and that is a major embarrassment.

        • Westman says

          Apr 20, 2016 at 5:39 pm

          OK, Ted,

          “It seems more likely that he simply did not want to bother screwing around with legal BS and had other thing to do.” Considering that he’s a graduate student, that may be true

          I’d say, then, let’s wait until what was actually said, leaks out. It always does. Remember the passenger who took notice understands Arabic so this was no misunderstanding due to language differences.

          Also, I didn’t write anything about jihad, nor do I think that this fellow has any relationship to terrorism. Do you equate CAIR to jihad?

          I’m betting that he said something, on the phone call to his relative, in jest, (much as some people did in English during the early days of DHS), thinking no one knew Arabic, and it was taken seriously.

          Free Speech isn’t fully free.

          You are not allowed, in US free speech, to yell fire in a theater where there is none, make personal threats of violence, or say anything that puts the public in immediate physical danger without redeeming cause. Even in the US “free speech” is not absolute. And since 9/11 the airlines have their own rules that further restrict what they will allow.

        • Ted Tyler says

          Apr 20, 2016 at 6:57 pm

          Well, I tend to lump Jihad and CAIR together as their mission is Islamization. I really like the idea of “free speech” and I am not happy with the epidemic of political correctness that now infects our culture. If we loose the power to criticize and debate, then bad ideas cannot be challenged and eliminated.

        • somehistory says

          Apr 20, 2016 at 6:29 pm

          Regarding *free speech*….there have been incidences of non-moslims saying a word that kept them off the plane. Like the man who, if recalling it right, said something about hoping there was no bomb, was overheard and was taken out of line and not allowed to proceed.

          Anything that includes anything that sounds suspicious, said by anyone in line, at the airport, or on the plane can get law enforcement and an investigation to be sure no danger is involved.
          The sentence or conversation may be harmless, but the authorities can not automatically know the person speaking has no evil intent.

          By now, all moslims should be aware that when they speak about their *god* anywhere near a plane, they just might be questioned about what they said and why.

          Non-moslims have to be careful about speaking *freely* in the airport and other places. Why should moslims get a pass when they are the instigators of terrorism the world over and say things with the intent to cause problems so they can then claim the phobia is at work and get further considerations for themselves? Well, they shouldn’t.

        • Ted Tyler says

          Apr 20, 2016 at 9:48 pm

          Thanks somehistory. Well, it looks like “freedom of speech” is now even less free than I thought it was.

        • Myron J. Poltroonian says

          Apr 21, 2016 at 6:58 pm

          CAIR is an unindicted co-conspirator in a successful indictment regarding the first Twin Towers bombing, as well as other actions which have earned them a place on the terrorist watch list. A “List”, apparently, that bears little scrutiny under today’s administration..

    • Daniel Triplett says

      Apr 20, 2016 at 1:01 pm

      Muslims have no one to blame but themselves and their crime syndicate, aka Islam, for people ostracizing them, harboring enormous suspicion.

      • JawsV says

        Apr 20, 2016 at 2:30 pm

        You are right, Daniel. The mass-murdering Muslims have only themselves to blame.

  10. Angry Aussie says

    Apr 20, 2016 at 12:40 pm

    We should all make it our mission to learn Arabic just as they should all travel Camel Class.

    • Myron J. Poltroonian says

      Apr 21, 2016 at 7:02 pm

      LOL! Now that’s a “Heap o’Dung”! “Good on’ya, Mate!”

  11. R Cole says

    Apr 20, 2016 at 2:01 pm

    There you go – the airplane passenger – who overheard him spoke Arabic.

    Which is probably why he is not interested in perusing the case further.

    “Islamophobia’ though is something everyone can understand – kind of!!

  12. from Texas says

    Apr 20, 2016 at 2:20 pm

    “Makhzoomi’s ticket was refunded by Southwest and he caught a later flight on Delta Air Lines.” So what was the point in removing this twenty-six year old ungrateful refugee Berkeley student from the first airline ? Yes I have flown Southwest but haven’t had occasion to do so for many years (this was way pre-9/11). Sounds like they’re on the ball.

  13. LR says

    Apr 20, 2016 at 3:08 pm

    “There you go – the airplane passenger – who overheard him spoke Arabic.
    Which is probably why he is not interested in perusing the case further.”

    Interesting point.

  14. somehistory says

    Apr 20, 2016 at 4:45 pm

    And will we see his name again? Maybe a report saying at some point that k hairy was on a ‘watch list’ or being monitored by the FBI for statements about isis or some other, at this time, hidden facts?

    And if an apology means so much to him, why is he not responding to the airline’s reaching? Does he know he doesn’t deserve, and likely won’t get, one?

    It was just another in a long line of set-ups…set up the situation, make the problem, wait for the response, complain and deny and lie and before the dust can settle, sue or settle for all that can be gained.

    moslims are experts at the scam. Beast of islam teaches them all of the worst possible behaviors, straight from satan.

  15. UNCLE VLADDI says

    Apr 21, 2016 at 4:34 am

    “Potentially threatening language!”?

    TSK TSK – he was probably only quoting the Qur’an, which as we all know is only a form of protected religious speech, and consists of entirely “peaceful” death-threats, you hatefully racist bigots LOL!

  16. DrSique says

    Apr 21, 2016 at 8:40 am

    Refugee in the same way that the Boston Marathon bomber scum were. Send him, and his entire family, back to where they came from. Time to stop letting jihadists use the good will of Americans, and the stupidity of our government, against us. Trump is right, cease all immigration from muslim countries until they’re able to be vetted properly, no matter how long that takes.

  17. steve says

    Apr 21, 2016 at 8:54 am

    All international airplanes should have air marshals. They should be ordered to shoot if passenger exhibits Islamic terrorist ‘tendencies’. It is harsh but in the interests of all other passengers. The option is for ALL Muslims to travel on Islamic airlines only.

  18. Keith Jordan says

    Apr 21, 2016 at 9:04 am

    I did not realize that “if God is willing” is an evil statement. How is that?

    • linnte says

      Apr 21, 2016 at 10:50 am

      Insha Allah is not evil from the perspective of Christians who believe in YHWH. It is the knowledge that the “God” of Islam is NOT the same God of the Old or New Testament that makes a Muslim saying insha Allah creepy. If you have read the Qur’an and compare YHWH to Allah, there are stark contradictions. And if you are a Christian or Jew, you realise that the characteristics of the God Allah are identical to Satan. Qur’an 3:54 says Allah is the greatest deceiver. In the Bible, who is the greatest deceiver? Satan.

      But it wasn’t the Insha Allah that the woman who overheard his conversation was alarmed by. It was his whole conversation in Arabic. Muslims who speak Arabic are reassured and not afraid to talk in that language because they know no Americans speak it. He got caught with his pants down by this Arabic speaking woman.

  19. Len Vaness says

    Apr 21, 2016 at 3:23 pm

    So…this rectal sphincter WAS looking to cause fear…and claim that it was misunderstood. This is using the ‘crying Wolf’ story to enure the public to future such situations, and make real terror attempts less-suspicious.

    • linnte says

      Apr 21, 2016 at 5:46 pm

      Exactly!

  20. Sid Krimsky says

    Apr 21, 2016 at 5:51 pm

    The Koran encourages taquiya or lying to infidels. True believers of the Koran can not be believed.
    Nidal Hassan took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. He lied and killed 13 unarmed
    Americans at Ft Hood. True believers do not accept US Courts because our laws are man-made. Islamic law comes from Allah; the single source of truth and justice. . Don’t be fooled by claims of Islamophobia.
    They are crying wolf to lower our defenses.

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