Major Security Threat? Muslim Woman Removed From Southwest Flight Plans to Sue the Airline
- Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:07pm by
Billy Hallowell
- Print »
- Email »

Irum Abbasi (Photo credit: AP)
Southwest Airlines is in for a big surprise. Today, a Muslim-American woman is planning to announce a lawsuit against the company, claiming that she was discriminated against when she was removed from a plane by federal security agents.
The woman, Irum Abbasi, from San Diego, is a Pakistani immigrant who has resided in the U.S. for a decade. The incident her lawsuit will be predicated upon apparently occurred when she was on a flight from San Diego to San Jose back in March.
A flight attendant apparently became concerned after Abbasi, who was wearing a head scarf, told someone on her cell phone, “I have to go.” Many people can relate to making this statement just before a plane takes off, as airlines require that people turn off their phones before takeoff.
According to Abbasi, the attendant thought she said, “It’s a go,” which spurred what staff thought was a major security threat. The mother of three was then taken off the plane and briefly examined by TSA agents.
After the debacle was settled, she was placed on the next flight. The Los Angeles Times has more on the lawsuit:
The lawsuit, filed on her behalf by the Council on American-Islamic Relations-California and noted San Diego civil liberties attorney James McElroy, charges the airline with discrimination. [...]
McElroy and representatives of the Council on American-Islamic Relations have scheduled a news conference Thursday outside the terminal at Lindbergh Field to discuss the lawsuit.
Following the March incident, the airline later apologized. Abbasi has said she wants the crew disciplined.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.



















Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (144)
ares338
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:38pmLife’s a biotch then you become Muslim!
Report Post »Link8on
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:57pmMy wife and I fly southwest alot, we think they are quite generous in not charging for our bags.
TSA screened us both a few times and it distressed my wife greatly. I wonder if they specifically gave this lawsuit happy jerk a pass.
Report Post »dealer@678
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:30pmIf Southwest bows down to these radicals, I will not fly with them EVER again
Report Post »Fantastic Four
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:51pmThey should have their own plane that’s totally controlled by the FEDs, problem solved
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 11:47pmThis is just another set-up to get Sharia Law into America. All these Islamic lawsuits are staged and on purpose.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 11:49pmAnd yes… the lawsuit…. “It’s a go”.
Report Post »Chuck Stein
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 2:33amSouthwest should make Rule 68 Offer of Judgment — to pay like $5,000. If she gets less than that (and in Federal Court, you need a unanimous jury verdict to award to the plaintiff), then she will have to pay costs (plus a good argument exists for capping her attorney fees at where thay are right now).
Report Post »chazman
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 6:41am@FANTASTICFOUR
Now that’s a great idea! A SouthWest airplane only for muslims! Have armed federal agents in the back and front to keep an eye on ‘em! Now we know where they are at all times!
Report Post »Mango Mangone
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 7:12amThe foul stench of the unions are all over this. Unions hate Southwest.
Report Post »Live_Free_orDie
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 9:35amNow…does anyone really think Burka’s do not have there place???
Report Post »Jacque
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 11:23amAll I need to know is she is in bed with CAIR, that says it all. She supports terroriist organizations, Sucks to be you lady!
Report Post »Cindy Rella
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 4:39pmReform the Legal system so Muslims stop filing these ridiculous lawsuits. This is a way of controlling us and our system by threat of legal action.
Rick Perry had the right idea for Texas, and Texas is prospering
Report Post »theaveng
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 10:53pmGUYS YOU FORGOT THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND (and it applies to everyone within the U.S. border)
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” i.e. a Judge-issued warrant.
This woman should never have been forced to a search. NO ONE SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO A SEARCH by the naked-body Xray scanner, or genital-grabbing SA. Especially for internal domestic flights. Or train rides. Or car drives. Or walking down the street. Or your home.
Report Post »Link8on
Posted on October 8, 2011 at 1:09amMost airlines have passenger lists.
The crew can call in the other passengers from the flight to testify.
I bet many of those willing to become a target as a non-muslim witness will be well treated in the the future by any of the airlines.
A lot will also depend on a jury of peers, so how many flight staffers, airline passenger parents, and muslim women will be on this jury ?
Report Post »eat-more-bacon-USA
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:36pmSo – who cares what this terrorist has to say? Who cares what any of these terrorists have to say? Why are they allowed to board planes – why are they allowed into airports?
Report Post »dealer@678
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:32pmGod Bless You Bacon
Report Post »123456beatriz
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 10:06amAll of us should lawsuit the muslims, because their religion provoked all this mess. Is their fault to let the islamic terrorists go more far, their silence is accomplice.
Report Post »drybackinpi
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 11:26amMore far?
Report Post »motonutt
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:36pmI’ve been saying for a long time let them wear them…..they stand out like a sore thumb and make a great target….
Report Post »whatthecrazy
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:34pmJust how many times can we say we are sick and tired of these people .Go home muslims or commit apostasy we will not kill you for leaving your disgusting excuse for a religion here as a matter of fact im sure we all would be willing to pay for you all to have an excorcism of sorts to help you wash away the devil .Then we can all get back to our freakin lives…….P.S If you choose to leave please take your brother in chief with ya……………………………..
Report Post »SEM
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:33pmHere we go again. Southwest did the correct thing. Maybe a misunderstanding but better be safe than sorry. This lady is looking for attention, I mean c‘mon who hasn’t been inconvienienced at the airlines and/or other places? I had to get frisked at the airport, you don’t see me wanting to sue.
THese people are a joke. I’m so tired of these goons. People need to take a stonger stance against these muslims. They are trying to take over our country and change our laws and want to impose their Sharia law crap.
Time for some of these judges to laugh these stupid law suites out of court and make THEM pay for using up precious time. They want to sue, if they loose let them pay not the tax payers
Report Post »GardenoftheGods
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:13pmAMEN! What America needs to ALWAYS remember: Not all Muslims are terrorists; but on 9/11 & EVERY incident since– 100% of terrorists have been Muslims. To me, that means you pay MORE attention to those who draw attention to the fact that they’re Muslim. Nuff said!!
Report Post »GuntherHolman
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 11:36pmGarden of the Gods, I like your comments. You may want to vist the following website which has similar views: http://www.remembertheislamo.com
Report Post »Justathinkin
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 12:29am@ gardenofthegods
You are correct. There’s more though. CAIR is in on this one. This woman very well could have said “Its a go.” She could very well have been planted there to make this whole scene play out. It wouldn‘t be out of CAIR’s range of behavior, they are the one’s that backed the Muslims that walked around the airport hollering about Jihad. CAIR is dangerous and ugly. I really hope someone takes them down soon.
Report Post »mach37
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 12:32pmGood point; we should sue CAIR and all Islam for ultimately resulting the complete disruption in airline travel worldwide, and the escalation in cost of travel.
Report Post »bullcrapbuster
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:30pmIn the end the whole muslim/western thing will fail. Civilized people and muslims will never trust each other.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:13pmAlthough, I think the attendant over reacted to what she thought she heard. I have no issue with them removing the woman to question her further. I would expect the same treatment had it not been a Muslim woman. Having said this, if she really was a terrorist and sitting on the plane, would not they have evacuated the plane and searched it before taking off? I mean if you think you heard a terrorist plot taking place you would want to search the plane, search all the bags, and not just the woman by removing her. Just saying.
Report Post »diablosho
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:44pmHad there been a bomb onboard, the Muslim wouldn’t have needed to be on it. The fact that she was there tells you that the bomb, if it WAS present, would be ON her. I don’t fault Southwest for this. I know I’ve been inconvenience to all hell because of these Muslim bastards, it’s only fair that they experience a little of the misery they have brought on us!
Report Post »mach37
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 12:35pmEven prior to 9/11 Caucasian Americans were subject to delay and interrogation if heard making suspicious statements. This women has no grounds for complaint.
Report Post »momrules
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:09pmOh these poor, poor Muslims. Everyone mistreats them in America but they still keep on coming here to cause trouble. I truly don’t care about a Muslims rights anymore. They keep pushing and pushing causing more lawsuits because that is what they do………use our laws to protect themselves while they work to destroy our country.
Report Post »AlmostaCowboy
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 2:01pmI’ll be bringing bacon on my next flight. Pork – it’s infidel-icious!
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:54pmBring it on, ******* propaganda machine.
you LIE! you ARE a lie. you serve satan and nothing more.
In JESUS’ PRECIOUS NAME I, HIS SERVANT and covered by HIS BLOOD, stand against you, your lies and the false religion you spew and the liar you serve.
We are at war, and our HOLY, OMNIPOTENT GOD WINS. your god satan, loses in spades for all eternity. you cannot sue GOD you ignorant witch.
Report Post »ruoncrack
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 11:43pmWOW,
Report Post »You should really take something
LastAmerican
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 8:05amYou tell it grandma!
Report Post »hud
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 1:30pmTry pot
Report Post »Al J Zira
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:34pmShe has no case. Airlines can remove who ever they want if they fell there’s a security threat.
Report Post »capitalismrocks
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:33pmThis’ll get tossed as a frivlous suit… this is a security concern, the woman should be glad that the crew was being proactive and doing the right thing.
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 1:54amI hope that you are right. If not, God help us.
Report Post »oriondma05
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:31pmI wonder if the courts will let the parents of all the molested children sue the airlines as well? Or is this just more Muslim priviledge in our new society or no pork in prisons/schools and courts accepting Sharia Law.
Report Post »momprayn
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:31pmThe crew should be praised and rewarded, not disciplined!!! These ppl are getting more and more bold if you haven’t noticed. Just heard some VERY interesting history re America fighting Islam on GBTV by David Barton, historian. No one in the audience or I had ever been taught it at school. Seems we had Muslim problems back in our beginning – they were attacking our ships, killing, kidnapping, etc. This was before we had a military/Navy. When Ben Franklin & others went over to Europe to have talks about it asking why they were attacking (b/c we hadn’t done anything at all to them anywhere) – they explained it was in their Koran & commanded to kill the infidels, etc. They couldn’t believe it b/c they were ignorant about the Koran. Jefferson then got one & read it to find out the truth & was shocked & tried to get the info out via a book to the people so we would know who the “enemy”. Finally decided they had to have an army/Navy to fight them in Europe. I think they did that for a few years & saw that we were strong & not “weak Christians who wouldn’t fight” — and finally stopped attacking & had peace. Washington had previously come to the conclusion the only way to stop the problem was to wipe them all out (but they never did of course).
Report Post »Which brings us to our problems today………….which confirms that the Crusaders were right about them, agreeing with Washington….and others that peace is best kept by our STRENGTH….
We are in BIG trouble.
Sirfoldallot
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:29pm“Just a test run folk, now move along “.
Report Post »randy
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:29pmC.A.I.R. is a terrorist organization!
Report Post »When I’m president, the second executive order I sign is to get rid of C.A.I.R.
The first one is to kick the UN out of this country!
LiberalMarine
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:50pmWell, good thing you being president will never happen.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:23pmThat‘s a good start Randy but to really fix things we’d have to make government smaller then it is,do away with dept.of energy,education,hud and I’m sure many more.They’re all unconstitutional anyway,and liberalmarine you’re a little too liberal, the U.N has to go they spy on us and in general they’re bad for America.
Report Post »mom4times
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:52pmIt’s just even more obvious that these people only CAIR for themselves…..do the U.S. a favor Irum….GO BACK TO PAKISTAN……and STAY THERE
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:12pmLiberalMarine
And CAIR is not a terro0ists organization?
“The Investigative Project on Terrorism reported that on August 7, 2007, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent testified at the Holy Land Foundation trial that CAIR was “listed as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Palestine Committee”, that it had received money from the Foundation (conflicting with Nihad Awad’s Congressional testimony), and that co-founders Awad and Omar Ahmad were “listed as individual members [of] the Brotherhood Palestine Committee in America.”[57]” wiki
You’re not a marine; you’re a liability.
Report Post »BOUGHT YOUR SILO YET?
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 11:26pmNo doubt about it, the UN must be booted. We need a total and complete shake-up in WA. We need leaders who will go after the thugs who are presently in office and who have created the damage already. We need to get rid of the FED, Department of Education, Environmental Protection Agency, and we need to kick the UN OUT! All of this will take immense courage. Anyone having the guts to do this has my vote.
Report Post »Bum thrower
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 9:07amYou got my vote………..hey; #3 needs to be ‘reduction in all non-uniformed federal employee pay by 25% in the NEXT fiscal year….it‘s called ’deficit reduction’….
Report Post »chips1
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:28pmIf she floats, She’s a Witch!!!!
Report Post »randy
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:27pmThe woman, Irum Abbasi, from San Diego, is a Pakistani immigrant who has resided in the U.S. for a decade.
Is that the whole story? Or did someone forget to say she was an illegal immigrant?
Report Post »I’d like to know Blaze..
Walkabout
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:14pmWhy would she come here after 911?
Report Post »Van Bones
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 11:44pmTo celebrate.
Report Post »lobo2525
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:27pmThis would have never happened if she had been flying with her husband as Islamic law states….Whats funny to me is I fly through the middleast all the time , some countries will think nothing of pulling supected person off plane…If that happened to her in Egypt she wouldnt say a peep.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:13pmGood point. She should not have left home without a male relative escorting her.
Report Post »Dug2Dark
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:26pmHey muslim woman, U don‘t like how you’re treated here go back to the middle east & see how good you’ll be treated over there & if U don’t like your treatment over there, U can always file a law suit against them. What a bunch of BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »lobo2525
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:23pm2012….and she wins billion dollars and South West airlines becomes no more…..and then Muslims can say anything and NO one will dare do anything……………hmmm almost sounds like a plan.
Report Post »auntmoxie.com
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:17pmLook. It happens. If mid-40s brunette women had been terrorizing France, and I was suspected of doing the same on an Air France flight, I’d be annoyed, but I’d understand. Cut people some slack; not everything warrants a freaking law suit.
Report Post »ReadItToday
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:16pmMore proof that the Department of Defense is using the media to create chatter. Has anyone else read this one today
Report Post »http://BiggestCoverUp.blogspot.com/
Nlitend1
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:33pmThat site was incredibly interesting…which mental disorder is that? Schizophrenia? I encourage everyone to read it, quickly…before it is taken down. There is little to no doubt that this is all true. AMAZING!!!!
Report Post »carbonyes
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 8:30amDa! I think you have been smoking peyote. Saw the blog before. Far fetched is an understatement. Get real!
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:15pm.
Report Post »Most of the time when American’s see someone in a mask or covered up, we tend to think your up to no good. And yes because you look like the Crazies that blew up a plane and killed alot of folks, you gonna get singled out. So get rid of the Burka already and you won’t have to worry as much…..
jnt4136
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:13pmF___ This Woman
Report Post »RighteousTyrant
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:18pmThe flight attendant is dumb for mishearing a common phrase that is probably uttered a thousand times every day on flights all over. Yes, there is such a thing as “too safe”.
The woman is dumb for making such a big deal about what is obviously a mistake that has been apologized for (per the article).
Report Post »Nlitend1
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:12pmNot much of a lawsuit, the airline has a right to make the judgment call. I imagine it may depend on the constitutionality of other TSA activity, but it all seems appropriate in order to protect travelers.
Report Post »mils
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:23pmAgreed. the airlines must do what they feel is necessary.
The word “discrimination” is thrown around rather freely with no basis.
I could go on and on about how this obama’s fault, if Sarah had run for president this wouldn’t happen, how the wall street protesters are supplying the phone service…etc.
Report Post »….But suffice to say, she’s wrong, and the airlines acted to protect “us”, from what they perceived as a threat, it’s their job.