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UA student interrogation sparks claims of racism

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

The FBI's detainment of two Saudi Arabian students - including one UA doctoral student - at an Ohio airport Friday, was based on ethnic discrimination, an ASUA senator and former president of the Muslim Student Association said yesterday.

Ahmad Saad Nasim said people from the Middle East are often singled out while traveling.

"I would strongly say (it was discrimination) because it's not something new," Nasim said.

Muhammad Al Qudhaieer, 34, a University of Arizona linguistics student, and Hamdan Alshalawar, 37, an Arizona State University doctoral student, were taken into custody after they were accused of "acting suspicious" on an America West flight from Phoenix to Columbus, Ohio.

The America West pilot said Qudhaieer jiggled the cockpit door handle and asked suspicious questions during the flight.

"They were very interested in the airplane, asking questions passengers normally wouldn't ask about the plane and where it was going and where it had come from," said Richard Morgan, chief of safety at Port Columbus International Airport.

Al Qudhaieer said he was looking for the bathroom in the front of the plane but never jiggled the cockpit door handle.

Both men were taken into custody for about three hours and questioned by the FBI before being released with an apology from the airline.

Leaders of the National Association of Arab Americans said the airline industry's perception of suspicious passengers is the reason the men were taken into custody.

"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.

The group is also urging all Muslims and Arab Americans to boycott America West until the matter is over.

Aduowahab Abalkhail, a UA graduate student and a friend of Al Qudhaieen, said he will participate in the boycott.

"I don't think I'll use that airline anymore because they are very prejudiced," he said.

Abalkhail, who has known Al Qudhaieer for four years, said he is a very honest person.

"Just because he looked like an (Middle) Easterner, he was questioned," Abalkhail said. "Let's suppose someone else with light skin and blue eyes did the same thing Muhammad did, no one would have questioned him."

Tony Molinaro, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said safety was the pilot's main concern.

"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.

Nasim said recent allegations that an Egyptian co-pilot caused the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 last month has brought about more focus on Middle Easterners in general.

"Whenever there's a plane crash or terrorist act, Arabics are always held suspicious," Nasim said.

Nathan Buras, UA hydrology professor and a member of the center for Middle Eastern Studies, said there is not enough evidence at the moment to determine if the case was discriminatory.

"If they bring evidence forward of discrimination, then I'll believe it," Buras said. "As of now, these are all rumors."