Family ejected from flight at Memphis airport because they were ‘dressed in attire that would indicate some Muslim-type religion’

Comments about seeing people on a plane who appear to be Muslim got National Public Radio analyst Juan Williams fired last week.

Some cannot help but think their appearance had something to do with a family’s removal from a plane Tuesday morning at Memphis International Airport. “My understanding is they were dressed in attire that would indicate some Muslim-type religion,” said airport vice-president Scott Brockman.

The Delta flight in question was operated by Comair and made a stop in Memphis on a journey from Dallas to Toronto. “On taxi, the crew became concerned when a passenger exited the lavatory after an extended period of time and damage was found in the lavatory,” said a Comair spokesperson in a written statement.

“The family was asked to leave the aircraft, which they did peacefully,” said Brockman.  “At that point, the aircraft was inspected and cleared,” he added. A bomb-sniffing dog and other measures resulted in a two-hour delay.  The family was placed on a later flight following an interview with the FBI.

WMC-TV, 27 October 2010