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Michael O’Leary criticised for male Muslim profiling comments
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has been criticised for saying Muslim men should be profiled at airports.
In a lengthy interview with the Times, he said profiling should be targeted at ‘males of a Muslim persuasion’ who are travelling alone.
The wide-ranging interview, in which O’Leary discussed several topics, had the headline: Airline boss wants extra checks on Muslim men.
His comments were criticised by Muslim Council of Britain as being ‘racist and discriminatory’.
Ryanair issued a statement later, saying O’Leary was ‘only calling for more effective airport security checks’.
In the interview, O’Leary said: "Who are the bombers? They are going to be single males travelling on their own. If you are travelling with a family of kids, on you go; the chances you are going to blow them all up is 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. If that is where the threat is coming from, deal with the threat."
In the statement that followed, Ryanair said ‘no call for extra checks on any group or persons was made’.
"Michael was only calling for more effective airport security checks which would do away with much of the unnecessary queues at airport security today for all passengers," a spokesperson said.
"He apologises sincerely for any offence caused to any group by today’s inaccurate headline."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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