Another Man Taken Off Plane for Praying

In reference with the post by Quick and the Dead: Moslem Prayers on the Plane not such a good idea, it seems that an Orthodox Jewish man was removed from an Air Canada Jazz flight from Montreal to New York City last week.

As the airplane was heading towards the runway at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, eyewitnesses saw the Orthodox man began to pray. It appears he was saying something, not loud enough for other passengers to hear, but was lurching back and forth. Though the action did not seem to hurt anyone, a flight attendant approached the man and told him his praying was making other passengers nervous.

The plane returned to the gate, and the man, who spoke neither English nor French, was escorted off.

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

Jewish leaders in Montreal criticised the move as insensitive, saying that flight attendants should have explained to the other passengers that the man was simply praying and doing no harm.

So the situation is a double-standard. It seems that with a Moslem praying, he is considered to be a security risk, but to an Orthodox Hasidic Jewish, it is normal. Maybe a man practicing his Budda prayers is also a danger to the whole plane. First off, it would have been appreciative of the Jewish passenger to ask his neighbor or neighbors if it was alright to do a prayer. Also, it would seem ill-timed to do his praying just when the plane is about to take off.

I do not find it insensitive. Air Canada Jazz crew did what was necessary to protect the lives of its passengers and the plane. Perhaps Rabbi Ronny Fine should exercised some common sense and pick the right time to conduct his private prayer.

CBC News - Jewish man removed from airplane for praying