A man named Mohammed, who is a Muslim, was on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH122 from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur. He was wearing a backpack on his front side and was behaving disruptively. He asked several passengers if they were “slaves of Allah.” A flight attendant replied that she was. The plane was forced to turn back to Sydney Airport due to the man’s behavior. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is investigating the incident.
Mohammed, who is from Sydney, was on the flight with his wife and two young children. He was wearing a traditional Muslim garment called a thobe and a backpack on his front side. He began asking passengers if they were “slaves of Allah” shortly after the plane took off.
Some passengers were initially confused by the question, but Mohammed became increasingly agitated when they did not answer him. He began shouting and pointing at passengers, demanding that they answer his question. A flight attendant eventually intervened and told Mohammed to calm down.
Mohammed continued to be disruptive, however, and the captain of the plane decided to turn back to Sydney Airport. The plane landed safely at Sydney Airport at around 4:00 p.m. local time.
The AFP is investigating the incident and has interviewed Mohammed and several other passengers. Mohammed has not been charged with any crimes, but the AFP is considering whether to charge him with public nuisance or disorderly conduct.
The incident has caused some concern among Muslims in Australia. They fear that it will reinforce negative stereotypes about Muslims and make it more difficult for them to live peacefully in Australia.
The Australian National Imams Council has condemned the man’s behavior and said that it does not represent the views of the Muslim community in Australia. The council said that the vast majority of Muslims in Australia are peaceful and law-abiding citizens.
DEVELOPING: An emergency situation is unfolding at Sydney Airport after passengers onboard a Malaysian Airlines flight claimed a man was threatening to blow the plane up. @biancabalzer #9News
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— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) August 14, 2023