Muslim woman detained for reading Syrian culture book on honeymoon flight
A Muslim health services worker was in tears after she was detained under terror laws for reading a Syrian culture book on board her honeymoon flight.
British woman, Faizah Shaheen, was coming home from her two-week honeymoon in Turkey when two South Yorkshire Police officers approached her at Doncaster Airport on 25 July.
The 27-year-old had passed through passport control when the officers asked to see her identification again, informing her that she had been reported for reading a suspicious book.
Officers questioned her for 15 minutes under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act.
A stewardess from Thomson Airways had reported her reading Syria Speaks: Art And Culture From The Frontline.
The award-winning book is written by Malu Halasa and includes a collection of essays, short stories, poems, songs, cartoons and photographs from Syrian authors.
Shaheen, from Leeds, works as a child and adolescent mental health services practitioner for UK's National Health Service (NHS) where she assess vulnerable young people at risk of becoming radicalised.
Shaheen told the Independent she was "in tears" over the incident and didn't think it was right.
“I’m actually part of trying to fight radicalisation and breaking the stereotypes.
“It was a very hurtful experience to go through, I fight for different causes and then to be victimised and experience this first-hand made me realise how bad it is.”
Shaheen blames her faith being the reason she was discriminated against.
“I do question if whether it would be different if it was someone who wasn’t Muslim," Shaheen said.
In a statement, Thomson airline said: “Our crew undergo general safety and security awareness training on a regular basis. As part of this they are encouraged to be vigilant and share any information or questions with the relevant authorities.
“We appreciate that in this instance Ms Shaheen may have felt that over-caution had been exercised. However, like all airlines, our crew are trained to report any concerns they may have as a precaution.”
She said she will look into making formal complaints against police and the airline.
