Originally Posted by
Ahmedanator
Hi I am muslim. I am an aspiring pilot in America. With the charged/heated environment currently in America I am beginning to second guess my dream career choice. I want to know what airline has liberal hiring policies and what airline hires diverse pool of open minded people.
I really want to change the societal stigma that is associated with muslims, airports and airplanes. I mean you have to be a muslim at a western airport to really know what Im talking about.
Or if American society really won't accept me as a pilot. Then what other country airlines would be good options?? I had thought about Emirates or Etihad or Qatar but to my dismay they have poor Quality of Life.
I know about shaving, time away from home etc etc
So basically. I am muslim. Have the aviation bug. Want to have a good professional life. But am overwhelmed and outspoken in face of tons of movies, tv and news showing the muslim as the other and the evil.
Need help as Im nearly done with high school.
I'm a Muslim too. Here's my story.
Sept 2001 was 17 yrs old and just started senior year high school. My college apps were ready for Embry Riddle, Jacksonville University (Comair Academy), and Florida Tech. These were 4 yr flight school/college degree programs (Aviation Science). Just several days later 9/11 happened and then thousands were laid off and the airline industry entered one of its most tumultuous times in history. At the time, I had done an intro flight in Summer '01 but no official flight training. I decided to switch gears and applied to a large state university and did engineering as a career backup to aviation. Because I was a green card holder at the time, I didn't pursue flight training in 2001. 2002 I became a US citizen and 2003 I started as student pilot.
Going through Private, Instrument, Commercial and Multi,
not once did I ever face discrimination, made fun of, joked with, harassed, questioned, or put down for being Muslim. Religion hardly ever came up. People saw I was highly motivated, eager to learn, and wanted to pursue a career in aviation. Even my father told me I was living in a fantasy land and that no US airline would ever hire me after 9/11. I never let that stop me. In 2007 at 23 I was hired at a regional, first airline pilot interview and passed first attempt. In 2012 at 27 I interviewed with my current employer and passed the interview first time. My religion never came up anywhere, nor was I ever discriminated against, or ever felt put down. It just never happened. Today I'm an A320 CA at a legacy US airline. Aviation is a tight knit community and in my experience, a pretty fair community that gives anyone a chance if they're willing to work hard at it.
Moral of the story: Go for it! Nothing is stopping you.