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A traveler has stated that he was compelled to conceal a sweater with the word “Palestine” on it during a trip on an American Airlines plane.
A male passenger on American Airlines flight 2829 from New York JFK to Phoenix posted on social media to criticize the airline for their alleged involvement in the death of Palestinian children in Gaza.
The man stated that he had on a sweater displaying the word “Palestine.” He clarified that the garment did not have any offensive or vulgar content.
However, upon boarding the aircraft, he alleges that the flight attendants instructed him to turn his sweatshirt inside out and warned him that he would be forcibly removed from the flight by law enforcement if he did not comply.
The airline staff supposedly informed him that wearing politically-themed attire is not allowed for passengers, and expressed worries over how other passengers may react to the sweatshirt.
He responded, “What about my emotions?”
The man stated that he chose to follow the flight attendants’ instructions because he was unaware of his rights.
Per American Airlines’ guidelines for passenger clothing, travelers must “dress appropriately”.
It is stated that bare feet or offensive clothing are not permitted.
The policy does not prohibit wearing political attire.
The ADC expressed concern over the airline’s reported incident, stating that it is highly troubled by the situation.
The statement posted on the American Airlines website states that their decision is not only biased, but also adds to the larger issue of discrimination against Palestinians and their ability to identify themselves.
The decision given to the traveler – to either hide their identity or risk being kicked out – shows a troubling lack of respect for people’s basic rights to display their cultural and national identities.
This situation represents a common occurrence of prejudice against Palestinians and their advocates, underscoring a worrying tendency to censor and exclude their perspectives.
The Airline Discrimination Complaint (ADC) requested that the airline apologize directly to the passenger and participate in a “direct dialogue” with the ADC in order to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib expressed criticism towards the airline for the incident.
“On X, a person I have known since their youth shared with me that while on flight AA2829 with @americanair, returning home from New York, a flight attendant requested for them to take off their sweater bearing the word Palestine.”
Is there a prejudice against Palestinians within American Airlines? Is there a specific rule or practice that allows for discrimination and unfair treatment?
“He was deeply distressed and felt that the eradication of Palestinians in our country knows no bounds. I have sent an email to @americanair and am currently awaiting a response.”
A representative from American Airlines stated to The Independent that their goal is to ensure that all customers have a positive experience during their travels with the airline.
“We are currently investigating the issue and one of our team members will be in touch to gather more information and address any concerns they may have.”
In October, after Hamas launched an attack on Israel resulting in 1,400 deaths and numerous hostages, the American Airlines pilots’ union instructed its members to not fly to Israel.
The president of the union, Ed Sicher, stated in a message to members that the pilots of the company should refrain from flying to Israel until they can be confident in the safety and security of the area.
Source: independent.co.uk
