British Muslim woman demands apology after being detained for reading Syrian art book on plane

A British woman is demanding an apology one year after counter-terrorism police detained her for reading a Syrian art book on a plane.

Muslim NHS worker Faizah Shaheen says she is being forced to go to court to get the apology after she was questioned under terror laws last July.

She had been returning from her honeymoon in Turkey when was stopped at Doncaster Airport.

A Thomson Airways cabin crew member had reported her for reading Syria Speaks: Art and Culture from the Frontline on the outbound flight.

Ms Shaheen, whose work in mental health care involves looking for the signs of radicalisation in young people, was questioned for around 30 minutes, during which she was asked about the book, her work and the number of languages she spoke, the BBC reported.

She told the corporation: "I felt upset and distressed, followed by anger. I struggled to accept that I was being singled out for reading a book on art and culture.

"One year on, Thomson Airways has failed to provide an explanation or apology despite legal involvement.

"This attitude has left me with no option but to seek a declaration from the court under the Equality Act."

Ms Shaheen's legal team said it had written to Thomson telling the company it believed she had been a victim of discrimination, adding she believes she was singled out because of her race.

Thomson spokeswoman: “We’re really sorry if Ms Shaheen remains unhappy with how she feels she was treated.

"We wrote to her to explain that 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, who would then act as appropriate.

"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.”