Desi pilot sues JetBlue

Tipster Adnan alerts us to the case filed this week in Manhattan State Supreme Court by Pakistani-American pilot Faisal Baig against JetBlue, which revoked his hiring the eve of his start date:

Baig said he asked for an explanation and was told JetBlue considered him “a security risk.”

“I asked if it’s my name or my religion,” said Baig, who had been a pilot for Independence Air for nearly six years, beginning in 2000, before applying to JetBlue in January. “The woman on the phone said she didn’t want to go into it, but basically she said yes.”

“I was shocked,” said Baig, who was not born in this country but came here with his family when he was 7 years old and is a U.S. citizen. “I was devastated. I don’t know how to describe it to you. Her words more or less told me I wasn’t an American.”

Jenny Dervin, a JetBlue spokeswoman, confirmed that the airline had been advised the lawsuit was filed but said the company does not comment on pending litigation.

Now this suit was just filed, so we shouldn’t jump to conclusions about its merit. But I thought I might take a look at the reactions on the popular right-wing site Free Republic, just to check in on the state of the discourse. Here’s a sample:

They better not be hiring muslim pilots. You can’t trust a dang one of them, I don’t care if they were raised in Yonkers!

I would say “your religion has a cowardly penchant for killing women and children and civilians in a cowardly manner, and yes its because of your name and your religion…Next!”

I suspect Jet Blue offered him the job — subject to an extensive background check, and during that background check, they found something they didn’t like, such as membership in a radical mosque, friends or relatives on the DHS terrorist list, etc.

Did it occur to this guy that a major red flag comes up when on his transcripts from pilot school, he did not take courses on how to land?

I would not board a plane with a Muslim pilot, under any circumstances.

Send this camel poker packing

I would think that a slick lawyer could make a VERY strong case that a Pious Muslim — one believing in and following the dictates of the Koran and Haddiths — is by definition a “security risk” to non Muslims…. Damn – from all the horrific news we’re getting related to the lunatics acting out in Pakistan — being a Pakistani should be sufficient grounds to be confined to a straitjacket and deported.

JetBlue’s job offer is contingent on an extensive background check. They offered him the job, and THEN found out he was Paki-Muslim. In other words, he was not forthright in his application, or during his interview.

OR amybe it was all the DUI arrests…who knows & I doubt we will ever see any followup on the story. THe story has accomplished what the writer desired = Jet blue is racist….

Sorry…The American Citizen gig doesn’t work anymore. We said early on they would start using citizens as a strategy.

Finally, a magnanimous perspective:

Although, I will say that at least this guy refers to himself as an American and not an Arab-American, which does win him a couple of points with me.

Have a nice weekend!

35 thoughts on “Desi pilot sues JetBlue

  1. This matter is in the court so there is hardly any scope to say something about it. The only funny thing to me is that why their hired him in the first place and who hired him. If he is indeed a ‘security risk’ then the people who hired him should be dismissed first as they are good at hiring ‘security risk’ only.

  2. i agree with the freepers. yeah it’s totally this guy baig’s fault — he shouldn’t even be allowed to exist. as soon as 9/11 happened, all of the muslamoids and whackistanis should have renounced their religion, reversed any circumsions they’ve had, and voluntarily entered gas chambers so as not to make any of us americans feel the slightest bit unsafe when we travel or see or a brown person on the street. because as we all know, being muslim in itself is anti-american.

    (sarcasm off)

    this SUCKS. i used to love flying jetblue — now i have to go back to flying southwest. grrr.

    oh yeah, and five comments until some whackjob says that muslims should be prohibited from flying airplanes.

  3. i should have added a mention of this (thanks to tipster zahir):

    Gallup: Many Americans Harbor Strong Bias Against U.S. Muslims
    By E&P Staff
    Published: August 10, 2006 10:40 AM ET

    NEW YORK A new Gallup poll finds that many Americans — what it calls “substantial minorities” — harbor “negative feelings or prejudices against people of the Muslim faith” in this country. Nearly one in four Americans, 22%, say they would not like to have a Muslim as a neighbor.

    While Americans tend to disagree with the notion that Muslims living in the United States are sympathetic to al-Qaeda, a significant 34% believe they do back al-Qaeda. And fewer than half — 49% — believe U.S. Muslims are loyal to the United States.

    Almost four in ten, 39%, advocate that Muslims here should carry special I.D. That same number admit that they do hold some “prejudice” against Muslims. Forty-four percent say their religious views are too “extreme.”

    In every case, Americans who actually know any Muslims are more sympathethic.

    The poll was taken at the end of July and surveyed 1,007 adult Americans.
  4. I’m sure many readers will have more intelligent things to say about this, but reading about these studies scares me. Admittedly I live in a sort-of bubble… Here’s to bursting it, I guess.

  5. i think it is incendiary to position the freerepublic opinion in the same section as the report on baig’s lawsuit.

    there may be more to it than we know of. faith is good but religious fervor is probably not a good trait among pilots. could it be a psychological exam on baig turned up some thoughts that were linked to his religion. yes, it is thought policing, but I call to your attention egyptair 990.

    Gameel Al-Batouti, at the controls while the captain was out of the cabin, turned off the autopilot, and deliberately crashed the plane into the ocean, while calmly reciting “Tawakalt ala Allah” (“I put my trust in God”)

    should anyone have done a random psych test on this dude, it would have likely turned up some disturbing thoughts on life and religion.

  6. How interesting that the right-wingers think all muslims should be straitjacketed, sounds a bit radical.. kinda like the radical muslims who think all Americans should be slaughtered… hypocritical assholes…

  7. I realise that JetBlue are asses for firing an employee merely for his religion, but really what purpose does it serve to post comments here from a right-wing website?

  8. I realise that JetBlue are asses for firing an employee merely for his religion, but really what purpose does it serve to post comments here from a right-wing website? At the very least, it warns people how ridiculous some other people’s opinions can be. Forewarned is forearmed.

  9. there is a diff. between free republic & stormfront 🙂 trust me, otherwise i would redirect links into my site from free republic to interracial porn as well!

    re: americans being biased against muslims

    1) they have reason to be (just as a smaller, but non-trivial, minority of americans have reason to be biased against evangelical christians) 2) they are even more biased against atheists, but in terror do i not live 3) half of americans have IQs between the median (1/4 thing interracial marriage should be legally banned for god’s sake). in other words, they’re morons. it is the top 10% that you have to look too, and i feel safe in that regard

  10. between the median

    below i mean. i.e, below 100. and those aren’t very data rich sorts, i guarantee they can’t distinguish between hindus and muslims, et alone sikhs & muslims.

  11. Ah, I see. I had never heard of the site called Free Republic. I assumed from the comments posted that it was an extreme right-wing site.

  12. Talking about opinion polls, also worth reading would be this post by one of the editors of Foreign Policy magazine.

    A recent opinion poll of British Muslims,… …makes for sobering reading. Only 31 percent support free speech if it offends religious groups. 78 percent want those who published the cartoons of Muhammad to be punished. A mere 29 percent believe the Holocaust happened as history teaches it. 45 percent are convinced that 9/11 was an American/Israeli conspiracy—and that number rises to 51 percent among Muslims aged 18-24…

    When extremist islamic rightwingers make statements as “Death to America” etc. etc.. is it not surprising that extreme american rightwingers make such comments as the ones listed above.

  13. Quite an unfortunate incident. In the spirit of the holding back our views until proven guilty, I would like to know what tangible reasons Jetblue has got to show against this guy.

    The comments quoted in the blog were even more appaling, especially the one who accused Baig that he might have withheld the information that he is a “Pakistani American”. If the guy is naturalized, what difference his country of origin makes?

  14. it’s easy to dismiss these comments as “extreme.” but then how do you square that with the poll’s finding that 39% of Americans think Muslims in the US should carry special ID? Calling a view held by four out of ten people “extreme” minimizes the threat it poses, and the degree to which it challenges our society. Perfect for people who don’t like uncomfortable challenges.

  15. There is something fishy in Jetblue( rumoured to be backed financially by Dawood Ibrahim, without proof though).. Remember that the Heathrow airport employee arrested in Britain (among 24) is an employee of Jetblue.. I think a lot of spy organisations have strong suspicions on Jetblue.. So they would not have wanted to take chances with a Muslim pilot from US..

  16. Let’s withhold judgement on JetBlue for now. All we have is this guy’s statement that he was denied a job based on his name/religion. Simply pasting the “thoughts” of Freerepublic whackjobs does not negate the possibility that there may have been legitimate reasons to consider him a security risk. I’m going to continue giving my business to JetBlue until I learn more.

  17. Oops, I was sleepy, I confused Jetblue with Jet airways of India.. my bad.. sorry..

  18. I’m going to continue giving my business to JetBlue until I learn more.

    their ethical and moral issues in regards to discrimation (or i believe sharing information with the Man), straight up, jet blue rox! (of course, they aren’t burdened by enormous pension systems like other airlines)

  19. i agree with the freepers. yeah it’s totally this guy baig’s fault — he shouldn’t even be allowed to exist. as soon as 9/11 happened, all of the muslamoids and whackistanis should have renounced their religion, reversed any circumsions they’ve had, and voluntarily entered gas chambers so as not to make any of us americans feel the slightest bit unsafe when we travel or see or a brown person on the street. because as we all know, being muslim in itself is anti-american

    Are you living in the same America as I am? How many Muslims have been murdered by rednecks from West Virginia in SUVs out to avenge 9/11? Where’s the deadly backlash? Oh I see it’s on the internet where these rightwingers are taking it out. Which is indeed terrible and probably some of these same people will effortlessly switch gears and rant against immigration, outsourcing and Hindus. But please have some perspective. These nutjobs are not blowing up innocent men, women and kids like those Muslim , I repeat Muslim nutjobs are. Quoting such rants indeed amounts to taking the low road. One can easily quote equally repelling rants from left wing websites too.If the purpose is to stanch imminent discrimination against Muslims, your post is noble. If however you are just shouting attention to how racist Americans ( read Whites ) are, I am not convinced. Oh and it’s all about root cause, right? Well someone should try to understand these nutjobs’ grievances against Muslims. You are quoting the results of a survey. What if the results of an earlier ‘ UK deserved 7/11 ‘ survey led upto the results of the survey that you cite?

    Tamasha please don’t cite American aberrations to counter the typical bloodthirstiness of Islamic terrorists. In the same piece that you have linked it clearly says the US soldier if found guilty will most likely get the death penalty.

  20. These nutjobs are not blowing up innocent men, women and kids like those Muslim , I repeat Muslim nutjobs are

    You forgot about the nutjob in the White House 🙂

  21. You forgot about the nutjob in the White House 🙂

    If by that you imply the killings in Iraq, well the fact is most of the casualties are a result of Muslim upon Muslim violence rather than American troops murdering Iraqis. And to be precise mostly Sunni on Shia.

  22. If by that you imply the killings in Iraq, well the fact is most of the casualties are a result of Muslim upon Muslim violence rather than American troops murdering Iraqis. And to be precise mostly Sunni on Shia.

    Ah yes, it is all the Iraqi’s fault. Damn them!! They had it coming. Destroy govt, implement lawlessness, hire death sqauds, kill dozens of thousands. But hey muslim thugs are killing more. Well, that happens if your police is sodomizing farmers in Abu Ghraib and there is no police in the recently bombed lawfree streets. Ah the birth pangs of democracy.

  23. That’s right Desibandit, it’s only natural for Sunni & Shiite to off each other in the absence of Baathist police. I’m sure you would be able to blame the ongoing sectarian violence between Sunni & Shiite in Pakistan on the US as well.

  24. It is in fact Iraq’s fault. After WWII both German and Japan were able to reboot their societies even though they proportionally suffered way more damage. Let me say it is not necessarily the Iraqi people’s fault since that country is an artificial european construct.

  25. Just a correction to a previous comment, the desi pilot implicated in the London plot was an employee of Jet Airways from India, not related to the similarly named JetBlue.

  26. What a cheap tactic, putting user comments from some right-wing website in your article simply to be inflammatory. Hey look! Some random person with a cable modem is anti-Islam! We can now declare that all conservatives hate Muslims!

    I thought Sepia Mutiny was more level headed. In this case, the article itself is a troll. I’m not a conservative either, but stop cheapening yourselves.

  27. his alleged treatment is surely racist, but we only know what he is saying and nothing from the company. But, it really puzzles me that a company such as Jetblue would fire someone based on race and religion and then tell the person that is the real reason for firing him. They would surely then expect a backlash and a lawsuit, it doesnt make sense why they would do that then.

  28. This is a perfect example of what is wrong with America. People spout off their mouths without knowing the facts. If some of the commenterÂ’s took the time to learn what Islam is about they would not make such ignorant comments. Just because a small population of a religious group claims they represent their religion, it does not make it so. Any religious extremists (remember the branch dividians) are potentially dangerous. The teachings of Islam are inherently peaceful, like Christianity. The problem is when you think you are morally superior then others you may tend to engage in immoral acts and pass it off as God’s will. That’s the same if youÂ’re Jewish, Christian, Muslim or other religious group. If youÂ’re afraid to get on a plane because someone that is flying the plane is of a certain faith, then you are too ignorant to travel. To label all Muslims as violent and supportive of killing women and children is nascent.

    I happen to know for a fact that Faisel Baig has a spotless record, passed all background checks at JetBlue and has been an outstanding citizen. He was also one of the many Muslims detained for days after 9/11 with no charges. He was released when it was decided (after an extensive FBI check) to have absolutely no ties to Muslim extremists. This citizen of America did not complain about this detention because he felt it was a necessary act to find other potential threats to keep other Americans safe. This man comes from a family of Doctors, Bankers and Businessmen none have been associated with crime or terrorism in any way. This is an honest man a very nice guy, a good father and husband. JetBlue will settle this suit because they were wrong.

    If you really feel we should lock up all immigrants from Pakistan, then we need to do the same for all Germans and Japanese….

  29. Amazing it is that some people can make a blanket statement about Faisal without knowing him. I have flown with him many times at his former airline ( Independence Air/Atlantic Coast Airlines) and found him to be a great guy. We talked about religion and politics, and let me tell you, you would have a hard time finding a more committed individual of a muslim faith against terrorism and muslim fanatics. Without going into his personal history, he is one of the most open minded people( toward other religions and specifically christianity) that I have ever met and he was raised in a fine fashion by his parents. He is an extremely nice person and I hope to fly with him again.