California student, Iraqi refugee accuses Southwest Airlines of discrimination

Los Angeles, Calif. (NBC) — Khairuldeen Makhzoomi was set to fly from L.A. to Oakland, then to the University of California to attend his classes.

Instead, the U.C. Berkeley senior and Iraqi refugee was kicked-off a Southwest Airlines flight after speaking Arabic during a phone call with his uncle. “At the end of my call I said, ‘inshallah’,” Makhzoomi said. “I will call you and he was like, ‘Call me when you get home.’ I was like, ‘Inshallah, inshallah’ which means god willing.”

It turns out another passenger aboard the plane thought she heard Makhzoomi say “martyr” in Arabic, a word often linked to jihad and terrorists.

Moments later he was removed from the plane, searched, and questioned by the FBI. Makhzoomi said, “And while he’s searching me going through my private part, he asked me while i was there, ‘Do you have a knife? You want to cut me?’ I cannot forget what happened.”

Makhzoomi says this is a symptom of a larger problem, “I told him this is what Islamaphobia has gotten this country into.

Anyone can report anyone. Now, Mahkzoomi is saying he only wants one thing, “All I need is an apology to say we are sorry we singled you out because one person who felt threatened, because it’s against the law.”