A misheard cell phone phrase led to a hijab-wearing passenger’s removal and body search.

Evidence

On March 13, 2011, Irum Abbasi, an American Muslim of Pakistani descent, was pulled off of a plane because a Southwest Airlines crew member thought she heard Abbasi say “It’s a go” on her cell phone. Abbasi actually said, “I have to go” because her flight was about to take off, but her hijab rendered her suspect in the eyes of the flight attendant, resulting in her removal from the plane and a search of her body. After she was cleared to return to the plane, the pilot refused to allow her back on because the crew was uncomfortable with her presence. — , Selod, Saher - Forever Suspect_…, 206

Categorization

• XREF: Concrete visceral material for the reader’s interest in how surveillance scripts innocent speech as threat, and how gender/hijab matters. — connects to: Wearing the hijab, not skin tone, triggers routine airport stops and searches. — , Selod, Saher - Forever Suspect_…, 308; Saying the word Allah on an airplane can get passengers handcuffed and interrogated. — , Selod, Saher - Forever Suspect_…, 205; Muslim bodies are treated as potential terrorists until proven otherwise — , Selod, Saher - Forever Suspect_…, 282

Broader Connections

• Wearing the hijab, not skin tone, triggers routine airport stops and searches. #exemplifies (0.70) — , Selod, Saher - Forever Suspect_…, 308