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CAIR Demands Apology For Discrimination On BWI Flight

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its Chicago chapter called on Spirit Airlines to issue a public apology to the four passengers who were removed from a Chicago-bound flight at the Baltimore Washington International Airport Tuesday morning.

Spirit Airlines Flight 969 was preparing for takeoff from Baltimore when a passenger alerted a flight attendant of "suspicious activity" on board the plane.

The "suspicious activity" she referred to was a man who appeared to be of Middle-Eastern descent watching a news clip on his phone. The incident then resulted in four passengers being asked to exit the plane at the flight captain's request.

None of the four were charged with any crime.

"We call on Spirit Airlines to issue a public apology to all four passengers and take steps to ensure this does not happen again," said CAIR Maryland Outreach Manager Zainab Chaudry.

SEE RELATED: Suspicious Activity on Spirit Airlines Flight At BWI Was Passenger Watching News

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

"Americans of all faiths and ethnicities should be able to travel freely without being harassed or subjected to unconstitutional racial or religious profiling," said Chaudry. "These passengers were inconvenienced and forced to endure humiliating treatment and invasive questioning for no apparent substantial reason."

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