U.S flight cancelled because a Muslim man flushed the toilet twice before take-off

What do you get when you mix America, a Muslim and an aircraft? Well, apparently, “uncomfortable.”

An American Airlines flight was cancelled after two Muslim men boarded the plane – one of which used the restroom and flushed the toilet twice which aroused suspicion.

The decision to ground the flight was apparently made due to “safety and security concerns” by staff who said they were “not comfortable” flying with the men. The men, Abderraoof Alkhawaldeh and Issam Abdallah spoke at a press conference which was hosted by the Council about American-Islamic Relations where Abdallah called the incident “the most horrible, humiliating day of my life.”

“It’s put a lot of stress on me and my family; it’s hard to sleep some nights,” added Mr Alkhawaldeh, during his statement. “Those who are responsible must be held accountable.” Visibly distressed by the situation, he explained that he was heading to Alabama for a business trip where he recognised Alkhawaldeh and they waved at eachother.

After multiple delays from the airline, Abdallah decided to use the restroom. “When I opened the door after I finished, I was really surprised to find the flight attendant by the door, eavesdropping. It was a big shock, but I went back to my seat,” he said. Ten minutes later, the flight was cancelled and the flight attendant had called the airport police.

The two men decided to wait in the airport for another flight and headed to Starbucks where they say the police were watching their every move. He was then approached by an FBI agent who asked to speak to him in a separate security area, and told him that his luggage would be rechecked.

Abdallah concluded his statement saying: “To be treated with disrespect and suspicion, to be racially profiled, to be followed by law enforcement officers for hours in front of hundreds of passengers, to be questioned in public, to be singled out to check my luggage again for absolutely no reason – this is absurd, unacceptable and un-American.”