Prayers on a Plane

A Jewish man was removed from an Air Canada Jazz flight for praying:

"Some fellow passengers are questioning why an Orthodox Jewish man was removed from an Air Canada Jazz flight in Montreal last week for praying.

"The man was a passenger on a Sept. 1 flight from Montreal to New York City when the incident happened.

"The airplane was heading toward the runway at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport when eyewitnesses said the Orthodox man began to pray...

"The action didn't seem to bother anyone, Faguy said, but a flight attendant approached the man and told him his praying was making other passengers nervous...

"The crew had to act in the interest of the majority of passengers, said Jazz spokeswoman Manon Stewart."

Nothing could better make the point that taking basic rights away from any group is the first step toward taking them away from everyone.

(Via The Arabist.)