American Imams Sue US Airways

"We were humiliated and treated as if we were criminals," Didmar Faja, one of the imams, told a press conference held Tuesday, March 13, to announce the legal action.

The imams were traveling to Phoenix from Minnesota after attending a national imam conference on November 20.

They all had valid tickets for US Airways flight 300, cleared the security screening and headed for their designated gate for departure.

Three of the imams performed prayer prior to departure. Subsequent to boarding the plane, the six were removed from the flight, handcuffed and detained in the airport for questioning for over six hours.

Upon release, US Airways and other airlines refused to allow them to purchase tickets for other scheduled flights to Phoenix.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for violating the American imams' rights.

"This civil rights lawsuit is brought to ensure that the promise of equal treatment embodied in federal and state anti-discrimination laws does not become a meaningless guarantee for persons perceived to be Muslim," it reads.

It accuses that unnamed airline employees, passengers and the airport authority "maliciously, recklessly, and, without regard to their privacy and integrity, defamed and made false reports against [the imams] to justify legal action."

Equal Rights

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which sponsored the press conference, said the suit aims to ensure equal rights and treatment of all Americans.

"The decades-long movement to advance civil rights in this nation must not be sent into retreat because of post-9/11 fear and stereotyping," said Nihad Awad, CAIR director.

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