A Philadelphia man was temporarily barred from boarding an airplane Wednesday after a fellow passenger overheard him speaking Arabic and complained that it made him uncomfortable, The Associated Press reported.
Pizza shop owner Maher Khalil was about to board a Southwest Airlines flight from Midway International Airport in Chicago when he was briefly held at the gate following the passenger’s complaint, according to the report.
Khalil called police for assistance, but when they arrived, other passengers thought it was in response to a terrorist threat, Khalil told the AP.
Passengers were further suspicious when Khalil ultimately boarded the plane, carrying a white box, which some onlookers asked him to open.
He said he opened the box and shared with them some of his baklava.
