Air Canada Bans Salman Rushdie

[Airbubba]

Would they ban OJ or Jane Fonda? I'm sure they would require a little extra security.... .. ._________________________________________________. .. .Air Canada Bans Salman Rushdie . .. .OTTAWA (AP) - Air Canada has banned author Salman Rushdie from its flights because the extra security required for him to fly could mean long delays for other passengers, airline officials said Friday.. .. .Rushdie, whose book "The Satanic Verses'' was considered blasphemous by some Muslims, was threatened with death by Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in a 1989 edict. While the Iranian government has since said the edict had ended, hard-line groups have renewed calls for Rushdie to be killed.. .. .According to Air Canada, a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration directive requires special security measures if Rushdie is on an airplane entering the United States.. .. .Air Canada spokeswoman Laura Cooke said the airline concluded the same measures would be required on flights within Canada. It chose to keep Rushdie off its planes instead.. .. .Those measures, which she declined to describe, could delay flights up to three hours.. .. .Cooke said Air Canada chose against adding lengthy delays for its other passengers.. .. .FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown confirmed Friday night that such special security directives exist, but she refused to confirm or deny that Rushdie was the subject of a directive.. .. ."We have security directives that call for additional measures for certain high-profile individuals,'' she said.. .. .A spokeswoman for WestJet, a smaller Canadian airline that only operates domestic flights, said Friday that it knew of no reason to keep Rushdie off its planes.. .. .Air Transat, which operates flights to foreign destinations, was unaware of any security issue involving Rushdie, a spokesman said.. .. .Rushdie was supposed to speak in Toronto in September but canceled the trip after the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States. According to Cooke, the FAA directive was issued before Sept. 11.. .. .British Airways previously banned Rushdie from its flights for security reasons, but lifted the ban in 1998, nine years after Khomeini's fatwa.

[ijp]

No Backbone

[sanket_patel]

Can't blame Air Canada, they're trying to pick up since the events of 9/11. Letting him on board might mean losing some sales and ofcourse some of the pax will not feel safe knowing there's a man behind/upfront that is convicted in other countries...

[PaperTiger]

Of what was Rushdie convicted ? (Fatwahs don't count.) Or did you mean OJ ?. .. .Easy for WestJet to state 'no reason', they don't fly to the US.

[Arkroyal]

He's banned from some UKairlines as well.

[Rollingthunder]

A prudent action. Better safe than...

[polzin]

Air........... .. .Has any Islamic group threatened to kill OJ or JF ?

[Hooking Fell]

Polzin: nice thought , but you forgot Mike Tyson!. . Hope one of these groups picks up your idea <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" />

[polzin]

Hooker..................... .. . just could not understand how the Nevada boxing commision could possibly turn down Tyson to box. Horrible !!!!!!!! After all , a man must EAT !!!!!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" />. . . . <small>[ 18 March 2002, 16:53: Message edited by: polzin ]</small>

[Airbubba]

Looks like AC is giving in to PPRuNe pressure.... .. ._______________________________________________. .. .Report: Air Canada Says It Will Fly Author Salman Rushdie. .. .The Associated Press . .Published: Mar 19, 2002. .. . . .OTTAWA (AP) - Air Canada has reversed its position and will take author Salman Rushdie as a passenger after all, Canadian Press said Tuesday. . .The airline had banned Rushdie, whose book "Satanic Verses" generated death threats from some hard-line Muslims, from its flights because the extra security required could mean long delays for other passengers. . .. .Rushdie's Canadian publisher, Knopf Canada, said Tuesday the author was immensely relieved by the turnaround. . .. ."He is very, very relieved that it's resolved," said Knopf spokeswoman Kelly Duffin. "Obviously it's a personal matter to him and was hurtful on many fronts." . .. .Air Canada confirmed the policy reversal, but declined to say what prompted it, except that it had consulted with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and security experts, Canada's nationwide news agency reported. . .. .Airline spokesmen couldn't immediately be reached for comment by The Associated Press Tuesday night. . .. .In a news release, Knopf said Air Canada thought there was a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration requiring special security measures if Rushdie is on an airplane entering the United States. . .. ."However, in January 2002, the FAA issued a directive to all carriers indicating that in fact there is no restriction on Mr. Rushdie's travel," the news release said. . .. .Duffin said Rushdie hopes to come to Canada in the fall if a book tour can be arranged. Asked if he would fly in on Air Canada, she said: "That would be our hope." . .. ."The Satanic Verses" was considered blasphemous by some Muslims and Rushdie was threatened with death by Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in a 1989 edict. While the Iranian government has since said the edict had ended, hard-line groups have renewed calls for Rushdie to be killed. . .. .British Airways previously banned Rushdie from its flights for security reasons, but lifted the ban in 1998, nine years after Khomeini's fatwa.

[Willit Run]

kenny,. .. .You are a sick puppy!!!!!

[frazhm]

Why should security need another 3 hours to process a "Rushdie" flight. Surely the post 9/11 additional levels of security should be sufficient to prevent an act of armed violence against any passenger/crew aboard an aircraft.. .. .Were AC saying that the ordinary security levels were somehow inadequate? Are "normal" AC flights in receipt of a second best security screening?

[Captain Speeking]

Arkroyal. .. .Not sure you are right? As far as I know all of the major airlines have relaxed their ban on SR!. .. .It would be a bit difficult for one member of an alliance to carry hin and another to ban him!. .. .CS. . . . <small>[ 23 March 2002, 20:55: Message edited by: Captain Speaking ]</small>