A US-based Pakistani family claims that they were treated harshly in the Qatar Airways flight QR 1187.
On Thursday, 30th June, Kehkashan Khalid was travelling with her husband and two kids from Jeddah to Doha on her way to Karachi when suddenly a woman in front of their seat started shouting at Kehkashan’s husband. “The lady turned around to me and yelled, ‘I just want some peace and quiet.'” Kehkashan stated.
“At this point, my kids were not even crying or making any movements, so I was thrown off.
“Your voices are too loud” She continued to shout, gesturing furiously.
My only question was, why was she then in economy class?” She added.
According to Kehkashan, they were persecuted because they were non-Arabs and were travelling in an Arab Airline. “Well I am Qatari and this is Qatar Airways! So maybe you shouldn’t be here!” Kehkashan recalls the words of Qatari Woman.
The Qatari woman didn’t stop there, this racial harassment according to Kehkashan, was intensified the Qatari woman tried to forcefully make the Pakistani family change their seats. “She called the steward and began shouting at him. And the funny thing is the steward could only apologise and offer to us to change our seat.” Kehkashan said. Upon the refusal to change the seats, the steward backed off while the Arab lady kept shouting.
Kehkashan reported that her husband was not even allowed to recline his seat in order to put their 3 years old daughter to sleep. “The Arabs sitting behind him started hitting his seat every time he tried to recline, refusing to let him do so, saying that since we were fighting with the Qatari lady in front we must be in the wrong we must all be jerks.” Kehkashan stated.
While recounting the astonishing eventual outcome of the episode, Kehkashan said “My husband called 3 different stewards and air hostesses and they explained to the guy that this gentleman is allowed to recline his seat, he is holding a baby. But they refused and everytime the stewards and air hostesses left they would start hitting his seat till my daughter woke up. Then, with 40 minutes left into the flight, all four men got up, snatched my husband up and started beating him up! Even as he fought back, it was four against one” She added.
“They punched him, threw his glasses, my daughter and son were shaking, the other passengers stepped in to make these mad men stop.” She added.
Kehkashan Complained that nobody from the staff intervened to rescue his husband and equally participated in this racial harassment and persecution.
She said “All through this time, while the flight attendants were very apologetic, none of them could take defensive action. They were not even reprimanding the Qataris for the behaviour, I don’t know what kind of special privileges Qatar Airways allows to Qataris that I am unaware of, but behaviour like this on any other flight would get people banned from the airline. In the end, they made us change our seats and, since the plane was full we could no longer get a full four seats that we paid for.”
