Canadian Airline Faces Backlash After Muslim Woman Compelled to Remove Hijab
(MENAFN) A Canadian airline faces backlash after a Muslim woman was reportedly compelled to remove her hijab, or headscarf, publicly at Toronto Pearson Airport on June 20 before boarding a flight to Winnipeg.
The woman’s daughter, Afsara Raidah, took to social media to detail the event, describing how her mother was “humiliated” by “a Flair Airlines employee” at the gate for flight F8641.
“Flair Airlines, you violated my mother's rights and humiliated her at Toronto Pearson Airport today. We will not stay silent,” Raidah wrote.
She further stated, "This was Islamophobia. This was a violation of my mother's religious freedom and basic human rights. It happened in Canada, a country that claims to value diversity, inclusion, and respect."
Raidah explained that the airline employee demanded her mother remove the hijab because her passport photo predated her wearing the headscarf, despite her face being fully visible.
When her father challenged this demand, the staff member allegedly retorted, “Well, you should've updated your passport picture.”
According to Transport Canada regulations, religious headwear like the hijab need not be removed if the individual’s face remains visible.
Flair Airlines responded in a statement to media, clarifying that the employee is part of AGI, its ground handling partner, not directly employed by Flair.
“While the individual involved is employed by AGI, our ground handling partner, not Flair Airlines directly, we expect all service partners to uphold the same standards of respect, professionalism, and non-discrimination that we require of our own team,” said Flair CEO Maciej Wilk.
Flair confirmed that AGI has issued a formal apology and placed the employee on leave pending further action.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) announced Tuesday that its legal team is now involved, stating: “There is no room for Islamophobia in Canada's airports or airlines, period.”
The NCCM expressed grave concern about the incident occurring within an airport and flight service environment, emphasizing the importance of professional conduct for passengers’ safety: “We are very concerned that such an alleged incident took place within an airport and flight service, where so many of us depend on the professionalism of the staff for basic safety.”
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