CAIR Calls for Transparent Probe of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Removal from Flight for Possible Religious, Racial Profiling

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on Frontier airline and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to “swiftly and transparently” investigate possible religious and racial profiling as a cause for the removal of athlete Khabib Nurmagomedov from a flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles following an incident with the airline’s staff.

First of all, I need to clarify that it was @FlyFrontier not AlaskaAir. Lady who comes to me with questions was very rude from the very beginning, even though I speak very decent English and can understand everything and agreed to assist, she still insists on removing me from my…

— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) January 12, 2025

During the incident, Nurmagomedov says, “It’s not fair,” while calmly maintaining he complied with the flight crew. He tells the flight attendant, “When I was in check-in, they asked me do I know English…and I say yes. Then why you guys do this?”

In a statement, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:

“We call on Frontier and the U.S. Department of Transportation to swiftly and transparently investigate this incident to determine exactly what happened on this flight and why athlete and Muslim advocate Khabib Nurmagomedov was treated this way and whether religious or racial profiling played a role in his treatment.

“Given how often incidents of racial and religious profiling occur on airlines, especially against travelers who are noticeably Muslim, Alaska Airlines should also publicly release the results of its investigation and take appropriate action to address any misconduct or mistakes by its staff.”

He noted that Washington, D.C., based CAIR offers travelers a booklet, “Your Rights as an Airline Passenger,” which states:

“As an airline passenger, you are entitled to courteous, respectful and non-stigmatizing treatment by airline and security personnel. It is illegal for law enforcement officials to perform any stops, searches, detentions, or removals based solely on your race, religion, national origin, sex, or ethnicity.”

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

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