Rayani Air’s first flight took off on Sunday, kick-starting “Shariah-compliant” air travel in Malaysia. While some people light-heartedly joked that potential passengers should not confuse the company with Ryanair, a budget airline in Europe, others were quite tasteless in their humor. In the wake of the launch, jokes about beheadings and bombs ensued.
Passengers on Rayani Air will only be served halal food, and alcohol will be strictly forbidden. Muslim flight crew will wear a hijab if female, and dress modestly if male. It is also reported that there will be prayer recitals before take-off.
Sharia-friendly airlines do already exist around the world, with Emirates not serving any pork products on their flights and Etihad including a prayer at the beginning of theris.
Despite the Rayani Air rules being far from extreme, some Twitter users took the opportunity to take a stab at the idea of an Islamic airline. The coarse humor was, of course, riddled with Islamophobia.
See below, via Twitter.
Will you be flying beheading or non-beheading today? Malaysia launches its first shariah-compliant airline | https://t.co/HDZDnuvhcS
— Antonio Esq. (@VerumEstLiberta) December 22, 2015Malaysia launches its first sharia compliant airline according to Islamic laws. It has everything, including bomb vests on board!
— principle1984 (@principle1984) December 22, 2015Malaysia launches its first shariah-compliant airline - no security needed cause they don't care if they die https://t.co/ACeQxfAKK6
— trev (@angrytrevor2) December 22, 2015Ping ping "Yes sir, what can I do for you? " "Stone me to death please" https://t.co/ScwwNDSPzK
— Rajesh Dudeja (@Wicked_Monk) December 22, 2015
