Note: The original statement incorrectly stated based on initial reports that Nurmagomedov was removed from an Alaska Airlines flight. Nurmagomedov said he was removed from a Frontier Airlines flight.
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/12/25) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on Frontier Airlines to “swiftly and transparently” investigate the removal of athlete Khabib Nurmagomedov from a flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles following an incident with the airline’s staff.
During the incident, Nurmagomedov says, “It’s not fair,” while calmly maintaining he complied with the flight crew. He tells the flight attendant, “When I was in check-in, they asked me do I know English…and I say yes. Then why you guys do this?”
In a statement, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
“We call on Frontier Airlines to swiftly and transparently investigate the actions of its crew to determine what happened on this flight and why athlete and Muslim advocate Khabib Nurmagomedov was treated this way.”
“Given how often incidents of racial and religious profiling occur on airlines, especially against travelers who are noticeably Muslim, Frontier Airlines should also publicly release the results of its investigation and take appropriate action to address any misconduct or mistakes by its staff.”
He noted that Washington, D.C., based CAIR offers travelers a booklet, “Your Rights as an Airline Passenger,” which states:
“As an airline passenger, you are entitled to courteous, respectful and non-stigmatizing treatment by airline and security personnel. It is illegal for law enforcement officials to perform any stops, searches, detentions, or removals based solely on your race, religion, national origin, sex, or ethnicity.”
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com