"It reminded me when the black lady was kicked from the bus because of racism,” said Rahman.

Charlotte Observer

By Franco Ordoñez

Two Muslim religious leaders on their way to a Charlotte conference on "Islamophobia" said they were removed from a commercial flight Friday because the pilot refused to fly with them on board.

Imams Masudur Rahman, an adjunct professor of Arabic at the University of Memphis, and Mohamed Zaghloul said they and their bags were checked twice by security agents at the Memphis airport before boarding the 8:40 a.m. Delta Connection Flight 5452 to Charlotte.

Rahman said the plane left the gate and was taxiing to the runway when the pilot came over the intercom.

"The pilot said: 'There is an issue. We need to return to the gate,'" Rahman said.

A Transportation Security Administration spokesman confirmed the incident Friday and said it was not that agency's decision to deny boarding.

"They were screened and cleared to fly," said TSA spokesman Jon Allen in Atlanta. "The decision to deny boarding was made by the airline, not TSA."

A Delta Air Lines spokeswoman said the flight was operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines, based in Atlanta.

Jarek Beem, spokesman for Atlantic Southeast Airlines, the Delta Connection carrier that was operating the flight, told The Commercial Appeal newspaper in Memphis that the incident was under investigation.

He said the airline regretted any inconvenience to passengers, and that the airline takes passenger security very seriously. He would not comment on specifics of the case.

The imams were flying to Charlotte to attend the North American Imams Federation 2011 Conference this weekend. Organizers said more than 150 religious leaders from across the country will meet through Sunday to discuss prejudice and fear of Islam or Muslims.

"The conference is about 'Islamophobia,' so it's ironic that these guys were stopped on their way here because of this same issue," said Jibril Hough of the Islamic Center of Charlotte. "These guys definitely have something to talk about."

After catching another flight and arriving at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport Friday night, Rahman recounted the incident to reporters.

Dressed in traditional Muslim clothing, Rahman said a Delta official apologized to them after they were removed from the plane Friday morning. He said the official told them that the pilot said some passengers were concerned about them on the flight.

Their attorney, Mo Idlibi, said there was no reason not to allow his clients to fly on the plane after several different security checks.

"I'd really like to know what the pilot based it on."

Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the men called the council after the incident. Hooper said his group would review the incident to see if further action is warranted.

Calling it a "Juan Williams thing," a reference to the fired PBS correspondent who said he was leery of flying with people in Muslim garb, Hooper added, "I think it's possible the whole bin Laden situation factored into this with heightened sensitivity all around."

Rahman said the experience reminded him of Rosa Parks and her famous 1955 stand against riding in the back of an Alabama bus because she was black.

"That racism, I felt today in the plane," he said. "And that should not happen to anyone."

Staff writer Meghan Cooke and The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal contributed.