Joakim Johansson (24), was leafing through a book about Islam on a plane to London, at which the pilot threw him off.
"It's totally absurd! I did nothing illegal."
Joakim, from Arlöv (Sweden), converted to Islam four years ago. A coupe of days ago he was supposed to fly from Kastrup (Copenhagen) to London to visit friends. He boarded the plane and took out manuscripts about Islam. Among other things the text was about interpretation of religion statements.
Suddenly a flight attendant came over, called him to the captain and there he got a cold shower.
"The pilot said that I couldn't read that 'there', that people didn't like it nowadays," says Joakim, who was asked to leave the SAS plane.
The police was waiting outside and escorted him to a detention cell in the airport.
"They said that I wouldn't get to fly and asked me to try again another day. Then they would put me on the train to Malmö."
After an interrogation and several hours in the cell, he got new information. SAS changed its mind and let him fly to London.
Today he's saddened by the response at Kastrup. "I feel terrible that they generalize like this. they seem to think that a religious Muslim is automatically a terrorist."
SAS defends their actions and dismisses the claim that Joakim was thrown out of the plane because he was Muslim.
"It's unfortunate that he was affected, because he's innocent. But he made the staff and passengers concerned because he was reading out loud to himself. Then it's the captain's duty and right to put him out of the plane," says spokesperson Mikkel Thrane.
Joakim did not get an apology from SAS and intends to pursue the matter further.
