Delta pressed to investigate Muslim profiling complaints

The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations wants Delta Air Lines to investigate complaints that some Muslim passengers were subject to religious profiling.

The group says last month, four Muslim men were escorted off a Delta flight when it landed at the Twin Cities airport. The council says a flight attendant had reported one of the men behaved suspiciously after dropping a pen.

In another incident, the group said a Delta commuter plane flying to Grand Forks made an emergency landing in Fargo after a flight attendant feared a Muslim student had tampered with a lavatory smoke alarm. No foul play was found.

Zahra Aljabri, the organization's assistant civil rights director, said the issue is the training flight attendants are receiving regarding what constitutes suspicious behavior.

"We're just asking for that training to be examined, so that incidents don't continue to occur," Aljabri said.

Delta said it takes the accusations seriously and will "take any and all actions necessary" to ensure all passengers are treated equally.