After well-known Youtube star Adam Saleh claimed he and his friend were removed from a Delta airlines flight in London for “speaking Arabic”, social media was quick to respond with a movement to #BoycottDelta.
Was just forced to leave my bathroom bc I was singing in a different language in the shower. #delta #Boycottdelta pic.twitter.com/z6TI4Ys2zX
— cvff (@cvffvdeus) December 21, 2016
You've got to be kidding me, @Delta. We won't be flying with you again. Unbelievable. https://t.co/Nz92xyIIoI
— olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) December 21, 2016
Disgusting !Shame on u @Delta kicking of People Frôm Your Plane Cause Their Languages .I will Never And Ever Book With u Again #boycottDelta
— Mimi Kabbani L. (@MyMy_KL) December 22, 2016
White people wanna get tattoos in Arabic but get scared for their lives when they hear it being spoken. #BoycottDelta @Delta pic.twitter.com/wEvwrRsbEH
— Omar Silwadi (@Fala7i_King) December 21, 2016
However, details of the incident, and Saleh’s past behavior, have since emerged to undermine his account, inspiring a considerable backlash.
While Delta airlines initial responded by saying that they take accusations of discrimination “very seriously”, they later released a statement asserting that the two customers had been removed from the flight after they “sought to disrupt the cabin with provocative behavior, including shouting.”
Delta has released a new statement in regard's to @omgAdamSaleh and #BoycottDelta.
— Philip DeFranco (@PhillyD) December 22, 2016
PS. I'll be flying only Delta this holiday season. pic.twitter.com/OKTkZ2Q7jE
Many have also pointed out that Saleh has a history of being deliberately provocative for the benefit of his more than two million Youtube followers. In 2014 he produced a staged video in which he claimed to be the victim of racial profiling from a New York police officer, which was later debunked by the Smoking Gun.
This Adam guy knows VERY well that people are afraid of terrorism, so he exploits that for views. He has a history of it. #boycottdelta
— Ashley Rae (@Communism_Kills) December 21, 2016
The guy from the #boycottdelta video literally makes a career going on planes and throwing a scene. pic.twitter.com/9smBtljt8a
— Ashley Rae (@Communism_Kills) December 21, 2016
Others have called into question Saleh's personal morality and political views:
Fake news media spreading #BoycottDelta are literally promoting a terrorist sympathizer. pic.twitter.com/nsjap1a0GX
— Mike Cernovich (@Cernovich) December 21, 2016
Whatever the details of this particular incident, it is undeniable that Muslim passengers, as well as Arabs and people of Asian origin in general, have faced many cases of discrimination on American, British and other airlines.
One Muslim blogger shared the following yesterday:
In December 2015 a British Muslim family were prevented by US authorities from flying to America to see family and visit Disneyland. No explanation was given. In August this year, a British Muslim health worker was detained under terrorism laws on return from her honeymoon, after reading a “suspicious” book of Syrian poetry on a flight from Turkey.
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