Muslim Woman Denied Soda Can on United Airlines Flight for "Weapon" Potential

After refusing to give a Muslim passenger an unopened soda can, United Airlines faces a "customer backlash." Tahera Ahmad was in an internal US flight, but was not allowed a sealed soda can. The flight attendant was worried that she would use the can as a weapon, according to rt.

Tahera Ahmad, 31, a Muslim chaplain and director of interfaith engagement at Northwestern University, was enroute from Chicago to Washington, DC, heading towards a conference in order to promote exchange of dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian youth.

While she was on the flight, she requested the flight attendant for a can of diet coke. However, the 31-year-old's request was turned down. The attendant told her: "Well I'm sorry I just can't give you an unopened can so no diet coke for you," Ahmed wrote on her Facebook page.

After some time, one passenger near her got a can of beer, which made Ahmad ask the flight attendant why she hadn't got an unopened diet coke can.

"We are unauthorized to give unopened cans to people because they may use it as a weapon on the plane," the attendant is reported by Ahmad to have said.

Ahmad asked her co-passengers to support her, but they only abused her further. One man in the opposite aisle yelled: "you Muslim, you need to shut the F** up."

Tahera said: "What?!"

The man just leaned over and stared and added: "Yes you know you would use it as a weapon, so shut the f**k up."

Tahera Ahmad was close to tears, but no one came to help her. Everyone just shook their heads. Many social media users were firm that they would never fly with United Airlines again. Some messages of support for Ahmad have gone out on Twitter, under the hashtag, #unitedfortahera.

Ahmad felt that she was "publically targeted as a threat to people."

"That is a very horrible feeling," said Ahmad, who was later apologized to by the flight attendant.

"The flight attendant also acknowledged that the man who yelled at me was wrong for doing so and apologized that her behavior led to that. She acknowledged it was unethical and said he never should have said anything," she said.

There were a number of requests for comment, but Muslim activists called it "inexcusable" while other social media users decided to boycott United Airlines on the "open discrimination", according to theguardian.

But after the flight landed, the pilot approached her and took her to the help desk so that she could file a complaint. Reports say that United Airlines is trying to grapple with the issue in order to find out the problem and work out the solutions.