Outrage as Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary calls for extra security checks on Muslim men
- UK lawmaker says airline boss is ‘encouraging racism’ while Muslim Council of Britain calls comments ‘racist and discriminatory’
- Remarks came soon after stabbing attack at London mosque and right-wing mass shooting in Hanau, Germany, targeting Muslims and people of foreign descent
Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary called for profiling of Muslim men at airports because “that is where the threat is coming from”, in an interview with The Times newspaper.
The budget airline boss told the British newspaper that checks for families should be less stringent, while calling for the focus to shift to Muslim men travelling on their own.
“Who are the bombers? They are going to be single males travelling on their own,” the Irishman said in comments published on Saturday.
“If you are travelling with a family of kids, on you go; the chances you are going to blow them all up is fucking zero.
“You can't say stuff, because it's racism, but it will generally be males of a Muslim persuasion. Thirty years ago it was the Irish,” the 58-year-old said. “If that is where the threat is coming from, deal with the threat.”
British Labour parliamentarian Khalid Mahmood said the Ryanair boss was “encouraging racism”.
“In Germany this week a white person killed eight people. Should we profile white people to see if they're being fascists?” The Times cited Mahmood as saying. “He's being very blinkered and is actually encouraging racism.”
The Muslim Council of Britain called the comments “racist and discriminatory.” A spokeswoman said it was a scandal that such racism was expressed “so openly and brazenly”.
Scotland's Justice Minister, Humza Yousaf, condemned the comments on Twitter, writing, “awful from Michael O'Leary suggesting racial profiling to be introduced at airports”.
Police identify Ryanair racist – but charges unlikely, thanks to airline
Nasir Ahmad, a German Muslim blogger pointed out that O'Leary's remarks came shortly after a stabbing attack at London Central Mosque on Thursday, and a right-wing mass shooting in Hanau targeting Muslims and people of foreign descent.
O'Leary is famous for his controversial statements. He once called for a fat-tax on overweight passengers and famously considered a “pay-per-pee” plan on board Ryanair flights, though the Irish airline never carried out the plans.
