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Muslims removed from U.S. plane

WASHINGTON: Nine Muslim passengers were kicked off a flight from Washington, D.C., to Florida after other passengers reported hearing a suspicious remark about airplane security.

An AirTran Airways spokesman called the incident on the New Year’s Day flight from Reagan National Airport to Orlando, Florida, a misunderstanding, but defended the company’s response. He said the airline followed federal rules and did nothing wrong.

One of the Muslim passengers, Kashif Irfan, told The Washington Post the confusion began when his brother was talking about the safest place to sit on an airplane.

“The only thing my brother said was, ‘Wow, the jets are right next to my window.”’

He said they were profiled because of their appearance. The men had beards and the women wore headscarves. Mr. Irfan (34) is an anesthesiologist and his brother is a lawyer. They were travelling with their wives, Mr. Irfan’s sister-in-law and his three sons. Five of the six adults were of S. Asian descent — AP

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