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| Great White North | |
| Jewish man removed from airplane for praying | |
| 2006-09-06 | |
| 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.
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. | |
| Posted by:mcsegeek1 |
| #7 This self-inflicted BS is only helping to accomplish bin Laden's goals, which were not military victory, but economic demise and disillusionment/deterioration from within. Good catch, Sheesh. Terrorism has its most significant impact, right at the bottom line, exactly where it intends to. The fact that, every day, it causes the needless deaths of another 9-11 full of 3,000 people whose lives we might have saved were we not so busy spending uncountable treasure and so much military blood interdicting Islamofascists needs to be more keenly highlighted. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-09-06 22:56 |
| #6 Intimidation is not a federal crime. |
| Posted by: FBH 2006-09-06 22:55 |
| #5 The terrorism terror-mongering has turned some power-hungry flight attendants into little Atillas. You hear lots of horror stories about flight attendants weilding power over hapless passengers. Recently heard one about a flight attendant trying to get the air marshall to throw a man off a plan for allegedly calling him an asshole, even though the man had not even spoken to him. When the man asked to take his 13 yo old who was fearful of flying off with him, the air marshall told him he should have thought of that before calling the flight attendant names. Fortunately, he was rescued by another passenger who insisted on speaking up in his behalf. He was told this was a federal crime of intimidation. This self-inflicted BS is only helping to accomplish bin Laden's goals, which were not military victory, but economic demise and disillusionment/deterioration from within. |
| Posted by: Sheesh 2006-09-06 22:44 |
| #4 Soooo typical. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2006-09-06 14:10 |
| #3 Canada has it's own sick strain of anti semitism. I have encountered it, but they always try to hide it behind anti Israel's treatment of the Paleos or some other specious drivel. This is just more of the same. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2006-09-06 13:21 |
| #2 I've had several "dealings" with Air Canada, and on every one of them they have done something(s) so stupid it would make you want to tear your hair out. They don't care, they don't have to! They seem to have a culture that seems to get their rocks off on this kind of stupidity. Little Tin Gods. Their behavior needs far more media exposure, but sadly they'll probably never get it. I doubt that any passengers were complaining, and even if they were there is something called an "explanation". Duh. Pinheads. |
| Posted by: gorb 2006-09-06 13:06 |
| #1 Oh for phuechs sake. That really does take the cake. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-09-06 13:06 |