Liam O'Hare
A WOMAN who was questioned under the terrorism act after reading a book about art in Syria on a plane is considering legal action against the airline.
Faizah Shaheen, 27, originally from Glasgow, was detained by police at Doncaster Airport in July after returning from her honeymoon in Marmaris, Turkey.
The interrogation took place after a member of Thomson Airways cabin crew reported her to the police for “suspicious behaviour” after she was seen reading the book Syria Speaks: Art and Culture from the Frontline.
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Following the incident, Ms Shaheen, who is an NHS mental health practitioner, made a complaint to the airline about her treatment.
However, she expressed surprise that Thomson Airways failed to acknowledge any fault or give any assurances that a similar incident would not happen again.
Instead, Thomson Airways apologised to Ms Shaheen for how she “feels about this matter”.
The response from Thomson read: “While we appreciate that in this instance you may have felt that over caution had been exercised, the safety of our customers and employees is of primary importance to us and like all airlines, our crew undergo general safety and security awareness training on a regular basis.
“As part of this they are trained to report any concerns they may have as a precaution and are encouraged to be vigilant and share any information or questions they have with the relevant authorities, who would then act as they see appropriate.”
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Speaking to The Herald, Ms Shaheen said she believes the firm’s response was inadequate.
“In my complaint, I raised many questions regarding my mistreatment, emotional distress and addressing the fact that this is a case of racially aggravated harassment,” she explained.
“Thomson ignored all of these and responded with a dismissive and minimal email.
“They vaguely state that the staff undergo training on a regular basis, precisely what training do the staff get that led to this situation arising. Do Thomson stand by that training? Or, do they believe their training has gone awry?”
“Thomson must explain the actions they have taken. At the very least, they owe me an apology for the wholly unacceptable experience I was subjected to and an explanation for the actions they pursued.
Ms Shaheen says she is seeking legal advice on her ordeal.
She said: “We have discussed positive and creative ideas to move forward and create awareness.
“I am also seeking legal advice in relation to Thomson and schedule 7.”
In addition to this, an online petition is set to be launched demanding that the airline make a proper apology.
Jo Glanville, director of writers’ association English Pen, which promotes freedom of expression, said Ms Shaheen’s case represents a worrying precedent.
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“We are extremely disappointed that the airline hasn’t apologised and hasn’t recognised that it was clearly at fault in thinking anything suspicious about Faizah’s activities,” she said.
“All she was doing was reading a book which happened to have the word Syria in its title.”
A Thomson spokesman said: “Our crew undergo general safety and security awareness training on a regular basis.
“As part of this they are encouraged to be vigilant and share any information or questions with the relevant authorities.”
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