COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The airline industry's profile of suspicious passengers is primarily at fault for two Saudi Arabian men being handcuffed and hauled off a plane, Arab American leaders said Saturday.
"When someone asks a funny question, if he happens to be of color, it's security risk," said Khalil Jahshan, president of the National Association of Arab Americans.Airport officials said Friday's incident began when an America West pilot became nervous after the two passengers asked suspicious questions during the flight to Washington, and one jiggled the cockpit door.
When the plane landed at Port Columbus International Airport, the pilot stopped at the end of a runway and ordered passengers to evacuate while the two were taken into custody.
Hamdan Alshalawr, 37, and Muhammad Al Qudhaieer, 34, were questioned by the FBI for three hours. No charges were filed, and both men, doctoral students studying linguistics at Arizona universities, were released.
The two said they had just asked questions about their itinerary, and Al Qudhaieer said he was looking for a bathroom when he jiggled the cockpit door.
The Washington-based Council of American-Islamic Relations has hired a lawyer, Martin McMahon, to represent the two in possible legal action against America West, local police and the FBI.
The civil rights group also urged Muslims and Arab Americans not to fly America West until the issue is resolved.
Both men accepted an apology, but McMahon said he was considering a lawsuit alleging illegal detention. McMahan said he also recommended filing a complaint with the Department of Transportation asking the government to investigate allegations of airline discrimination against Muslims.
America West officials won't comment until they finish interviewing the flight crew, spokesman Paul Barton said Saturday.
Tony Molinaro, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, stressed that a pilot's primary concern is safety.
"If the captain of the flight decides for any reason that a plane should be met by local authorities, then they are met by those authorities," he said.
The White House Commission on Aviation Security urged airports in 1997 to implement a process for spotting potential terrorists and smugglers. Federal officials have said passenger profiling doesn't target any specific ethnic group.