Jewish man removed from airplane for praying

Last Updated: Tuesday, September 5, 2006 | 11:12 PM ET

CBC News

 

Some fellow passengers are questioning why an Orthodox Jewish man was removed from an Air Canada Jazz flight in Montreal last week for praying.

 

The man was a passenger on a Sept. 1 flight from Montreal to New York City when the incident happened.

 

The airplane was heading toward the runway at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport when eyewitnesses said the Orthodox man began to pray.

 

"He was clearly a Hasidic Jew," said Yves Faguy, a passenger seated nearby. "He had some sort of cover over his head. He was reading from a book.

 

"He wasn't exactly praying out loud but he was lurching back and forth," Faguy added.

 

The action didn't seem to bother anyone, Faguy said, but a flight attendant approached the man and told him his praying was making other passengers nervous.

 

"The attendant actually recognized out loud that he wasn't a Muslim and that she was sorry for the situation but they had to ask him to leave," Faguy said.

 

The man, who spoke neither English nor French, was escorted off the airplane.

 

Air Canada Jazz termed the situation "delicate," but says it received more than one complaint about the man's behaviour.

 

The crew had to act in the interest of the majority of passengers, said Jazz spokeswoman Manon Stewart.

 

"The passenger did not speak English or French, so we really had no choice but to return to the gate to secure a translator," she said.

 

The airline is not saying if the man was told he was not allowed to pray, but a spokesperson said the man was back on board the next flight to New York.

 

Jewish leaders in Montreal criticized the move as insensitive, saying the flight attendants should have explained to the other passengers that the man was simply praying and doing no harm.

 

Hasidic Rabbi Ronny Fine said he often prays on airplanes, but typically only gets curious stares.

 

"If it's something that you're praying in your own seat and not taking over the whole plane, I don't think it should be a problem," said Fine.

 

The Jewish group B'nai Brith Canada has offered to help give Air Canada crews sensitivity training.

"The attendant actually recognized out loud that he wasn't a Muslim and that she was sorry for the situation but they had to ask him to leave," Faguy said.

 

^ what kind of shit is that??? lol the attendant recognized he wasn't Muslim?? how rude..

 

 

needless to say... the man should have been left alone.. Muslim or not... the man was just praying....

The flight attendent sounds like a reall asshole

People, please remember this is a nervous time - if you do something thats not normal on a plane people will get scared. Justified or not.

still bullshit....

I agree. We live in a nervous time, yes. But a little common sense would make it alot less nervous. If we'd just think for ourselves instead of eating up media-spouted paranoia, we'd be better off. I'm nervous about flying home Friday...what if I start meditating to calm down? Will I be thrown off? Total bullshit!:veryangry:

I see this man was just praying and there is no danger to do it

 

 

I don't know why the other passengers felt nervous

I see this man was just praying and there is no danger to do it

 

 

I don't know why the other passengers felt nervous

Because they're told to be nervous. By the media, by their governments. Here at some of the major train stations, you'll hear the occasional announcement saying if you see any suspicious behaviour, pleas report it immediately etc...Of course we have to be on the look-out in a post 9/11 world, but we're coming dangerously close to calling a witch-hunt on everything we don't determine to be 'normal'. That scares me more than terrorists.

Because they're told to be nervous. By the media' date=' by their governments. Here at some of the major train stations, you'll hear the occasional announcement saying if you see any suspicious behaviour, pleas report it immediately etc...Of course we have to be on the look-out in a post 9/11 world, but we're coming dangerously close to calling a witch-hunt on everything we don't determine to be 'normal'. That scares me more than terrorists.[/quote']

 

 

Is the praying abnormal thing?

agreement

 

Because they're told to be nervous. By the media' date=' by their governments. Here at some of the major train stations, you'll hear the occasional announcement saying if you see any suspicious behaviour, pleas report it immediately etc...Of course we have to be on the look-out in a post 9/11 world, but we're coming dangerously close to calling a witch-hunt on everything we don't determine to be 'normal'. That scares me more than terrorists.[/quote']

i agree with you

Is the praying abnormal thing?

I don't see why it sould be...Orthodox Jews HAVE to pray in a certain way at certain times. But now that you mention it. If a bunch of Muslims all got up on an airplane, turned towards Mecca and started praying, we'd all be pretty nervous. EVen though it's their right to do it.Tough to determine what's normal. I guess it's back to good ol' common sense...

 

Where do I go to drew the line?

i have question which making me shocked when i heared it

why didt there any jewish was dead in 9\11 ?and mosad arelting all jewish about what will happened in 9\11

I don't see why it sould be...Orthodox Jews HAVE to pray in a certain way at certain times. But now that you mention it. If a bunch of Muslims all got up on an airplane, turned towards Mecca and started praying, we'd all be pretty nervous. EVen though it's their right to do it.Tough to determine what's normal. I guess it's back to good ol' common sense...

 

Where do I go to drew the line?

 

 

But the religious practice guarantee by human rights

i have question which making me shocked when i heared it

why didt any jewish dead ?and mosad arelting all jewish about what will happened in 9\11

 

 

It's out of the thread

sorry

i aplogize

But the religious practice guarantee by human rights

You're right. That's my point. We should all be allowed to pray in our own way. People are so suspicious of muslims as a race now, that they'd be put off the plane for it and possibly arrested and held as terrorism suspects. It's sad. I'm all ffor tighter security, but all this hype and paranoia about all things Islam isn't going to help anyone.

 

EL MASKRY...I don't want to start an arguement with you, but Jew WERE killed in 9/11. It sounds like a racist statement, but it's not, it's a fact that many large American business and FInancial institutions are owned by Jews, and many of them went to work that morning. But, I believe Mossad probably did warn their people...as the Bush government should have done when the FBI warned them. I believe noone needed to die that day, but there are other threads for that, so I won't go into it here. Not arguing, just clarifying!:)

Yes it's a bad thing when man can't practice his religion:(

I see this man was just praying and there is no danger to do it

 

 

I don't know why the other passengers felt nervous

 

Wait i thought the west was controlled by the jews? why would they not know much about them or kick one who is praying off a flight?

Wait i thought the west was controlled by the jews? why would they not know much about them or kick one who is praying off a flight?

He had olive coloured skin. Aren't they all the same???

 

(anyone who thinks I meant that doesn't know me too well.)

He had olive coloured skin. Aren't they all the same???

 

(anyone who thinks I meant that doesn't know me too well.)

 

 

wow.....:shocked2: lol

 

No but that one dude Maldini thins the jews control the west.

wow.....:shocked2: lol

 

No but that one dude Maldini thins the jews control the west.

Are you referring to my post where I said Jews do run certain American Business and FInancial institutions?? A few Jewish CEO's isn't the same as controlling the west, if that's what you meant. I've got a really bad cold, so I may have missed your point...

Are you referring to my post where I said Jews do run certain American Business and FInancial institutions?? A few Jewish CEO's isn't the same as controlling the west' date=' if that's what you meant. I've got a really bad cold, so I may have missed your point...[/quote']

 

 

girrrrrl, please... sober or not, this kid makes no sense... he's full of fluff.

Are you referring to my post where I said Jews do run certain American Business and FInancial institutions?? A few Jewish CEO's isn't the same as controlling the west' date=' if that's what you meant. I've got a really bad cold, so I may have missed your point...[/quote']

 

 

No, i was talking about that kid from egypt.

 

sorry i was talking about the Maldini dude.

It's interesting...because I'm politically left and ethically a bit right...not too right, mind you,:lol: , I've found myself agreeing with certain of his points. Other times, we're exactly the opposite. Anyway, I dn't think anyone said Jews run the West...and even if they did, it's not really the topic...lol!:lol:

 

EDIT: I don't see Maldini saying that here.

girrrrrl' date=' please... sober or not, this kid makes no sense... he's full of fluff.[/quote']

 

hahaha and calling someone a racist because they cite polls makes sense? :laugh3:

 

You make no sense, devoid of common sense