Young girl forced to take off her hijab before boarding her flight

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Fatima Abdelrahman says she feld "degraded" after being ordered to remove her hijab at a San Fraincisco airport.

Even though the 12-year old had already gone through airport security screening, Air Canada employees insisted that the Muslim American youngster to take off her hijab before boarding her flight.

Fatima Abdelrahman, a member of the US national junior squash team, had already gone through airport security  at San Francisco International Airport and was waiting at the Air Canada gate to board her flight early last month.

Air Canada employees ordered the youngster to take off her hijab in full view of San Francisco International Airport employees and passengers  on her way to Toronto to represent the US airport. She requested a he young girl requested a private screening room.

“The Air Canada agent said you need to take that off — he pointed at my scarf — and I said I can’t and he said you have to,” Abdelrahman told CBS television affiliate KPIX in a video call.

“Taking it off isn’t just like taking off a sock or taking off whatever, it’s almost like taking off a limb. It’s a big deal to me. It’s part of my Muslim identity and who I am as a person. So when someone tells me to casually take it off and hurry up, it’s degrading,” she said.

Fatima explained that she wears the head covering for religious reasons and repeatedly requested for a private screening area. However, Air Canada employees denied the request and forced her to publicly remove her hijab. According to Homeland Security policy, an individual can request a private screening when asked to remove a piece of clothing.

The Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights agency, is launching a formal civil rights complaint against the airline, according to the Toronto Star.

“CAIR-SFBA (San Francisco Bay Area), along with our client, are committed to ensuring that in the future individuals hoping to travel with Air Canada or other airlines are not subject to differential treatment based on their religious beliefs and how they choose to observe their faith,” said CAIR-SFBA’s Civil Rights & Legal Services Coordinator Ammad Rafiqi, in a statement.

“We hope Air Canada will show responsibility by coming to the table in good-faith to ensure that Fatima is made whole for having her right to privacy violated and the ensuing distress she felt during the trip."

Air Canada apologized to Fatima's family and said it is investigating the incident.

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