I’ve gotta say, I’m really puzzled by everything about this story…
In this post:
United passenger makes a fool of themselves
@xJonNYC flags a Reddit post about a Facebook post made by a United passenger. This passenger posted a picture in a Facebook group showing the back of a flight attendant, with the following message:
“How is it ok to be dressed as part of a terrorist group and be in uniform working? UAXXXX from LGA to Chicago on January 15, 2025.”
While I’m not part of this Facebook group, some people report that she doubled down when confronted about her baseless claims. You can see the post for yourself below.
The small-mindedness here is staggering. It appears that this United employee is wearing a veil, plus… a red fabric that you can buy at just about any tourist hotspot in Jordan?
Regardless, suffice it to say that this clothing isn’t from any “terrorist group.” Instead, it’s traditional clothing worn either based on religion or culture, none of which is related to terrorism.
Here’s the wildest part of this story, though. The person who posted this picture online is reportedly a non-rev, meaning she has travel privileges on United. She was reportedly a flight attendant at United until 2006.
I can only imagine how she treated people who looked different than her when she was on the job. I don’t think her travel privileges will stick around for long. Reports suggest that management is now investigating this situation. How embarrassing to be hitching a free ride, and then slinging baseless insults at others. Also, regardless of whether you’re a non-rev or not, if you’re going to hurl accusations like this at people, you’ve at least gotta be right.
I don’t understand how this is within dress code?
Accusations of “terrorist group” attire aside, I’m still a bit confused as to how this flight attendant’s attire is within United’s dress code guidelines? I just had a look at United’s flight attendant attire standards. It appears that any sort of headwear isn’t allowed, with the exception of “festive accessories during the week leading up to a holiday and the day of a holiday.”
Personally I have no issues with veils, since they represent sincerely held religious beliefs, but those don’t seem to ordinarily be allowed. Even more puzzling is the red fabric, which is definitely not within uniform guidelines.
One wonders, is there more to this story? Was this actually the flight attendant working the flight? If so, does she usually dress this way, or was this a one-time thing, for some reason? Or was the flight attendant maybe commuting home, and put this on above her uniform (which would likely be allowed)?
Bottom line
Someone who is reportedly a former United flight attendant was non-reving, and then took to Facebook to complain that a flight attendant was wearing “terrorist group” attire. While I’m a confused by why the flight attendant was dressed this way, these accusations are absurd. Talk about a dumb way to lose your non-rev privileges.
What do you make of this “terrorist group” attire situation?
Is it me or is OMAAT always posting controversial topics that appear to deliberately enter the sphere of political / religious debate rather than sticking to travel issues? The purpose of this seems to be to drive up traffic. All this, despite the fact that I remember some guidelines were released to say you can’t discuss politics. Next thing you have topics where politics can’t be avoided and they always go down the deeply divided...
Is it me or is OMAAT always posting controversial topics that appear to deliberately enter the sphere of political / religious debate rather than sticking to travel issues? The purpose of this seems to be to drive up traffic. All this, despite the fact that I remember some guidelines were released to say you can’t discuss politics. Next thing you have topics where politics can’t be avoided and they always go down the deeply divided Republican / Democrat lines that is prevalent in the US but not 6000 miles away where I am.
More eyes. More clicks. More revenue. Throw a bone and watch two dogs fight while sponsors fill your pocket.
Google price Mohamed and Trump and you will see the crown prince of Saudi Arabia shaking the Donald's hand, while wearing the exact same scarf...does that mean Trump is friends with a terrorist? I mean really ,how ignorant can one be
Dress like a terrorist look like a terrorist we’re going to teach you like a terrorist. Go back to the Middle East if you want to dress like that.
Dude, it’s a free country. She can dress how she likes. If you don’t like it, go back to wherever your ancestors immigrated from.
No, she can't - when she's at work she's expected to wear uniform. The hijab is acceptable, other adornments are not.
How does one “teach” someone like a terrorist?
It all becomes clear. Catholic nuns are terrorists. How did we not see it before now?
LOL, if you went to Catholic school you certainly were terrorized by the nuns! They were QUICK with that ruler!
If you are a non-rev passenger, shut up and lay low. Stupid will definitely lose her perk and she deserves it.
Bottom line is the F/A is out of uniform .. end of story
Fine. But she's not a terrorist. Bigot.
Lee did not allege that she is, but merely stated that her shoulder adornment is in breach of United's uniform policy. Covering her hair is not the problem, and neither are her religious beliefs.
Yeah, the whole "terrorist attire" accusation is spectacularly stupid, but if you're expected to be in uniform at work, you need to be in the full, unadorned uniform. And if your employer specifies what color makeup you may wear, or demands you don hosiery, or dictates that you must be clean-shaven on duty, those are the rules. This person wouldn't have made it past the pre-flight briefing at most airlines. It's like the drinking Japanese...
Yeah, the whole "terrorist attire" accusation is spectacularly stupid, but if you're expected to be in uniform at work, you need to be in the full, unadorned uniform. And if your employer specifies what color makeup you may wear, or demands you don hosiery, or dictates that you must be clean-shaven on duty, those are the rules. This person wouldn't have made it past the pre-flight briefing at most airlines. It's like the drinking Japanese pilots story yesterday - the crew aren't idiots, and the rules are clear - follow them!
Okay I will bite. Are you saying that employers in the US can discriminate against legitimate religious beliefs? Can an employer require a Sikh to shave their beard? Spoiler alert they can’t (with some exceptions). It’s in title VII of the civil rights act. The one caveat will make is that as I learned today half of what she was wearing was culture in nature and employers can absolutely tell her no for that.
This is why the United States is in the mess it's in - all "rights", and previous little sense of collective responsibility.
Uniforms communicate that you are not being served by this or that person, from this or that religion, that are part of this or that group, that have this or that political position. Uniforms communicate that you are being served by United Airlines.
This blog is probably struggling if we see this post
It's disgusting that we allow open support of terrorism in our country. These people need to be deported and sent back to where they came from
Except this person wasn't showing support of terrorism. She's wearing a veil - that's not a signal of support for terrorism - and her scarf is...just a scarf. If you have an issue with people supporting terrorism in the USA, perhaps call on your Representatives in Congress and the Senate to fight against the man in the White House who led a coup to overturn a lawful, free and fair election and pardoned his followers who violently tried to overtake the Capitol.
The stupid is strong in Eli.
It’s funny how those who scream the most about “freedom” and “individual liberty” are the quickest to try to claim those principles don’t apply to others. Eat a big satchel of richards, Eli.
Eli your racism is disgusting. Do you even know if and how this person attained US citizenship. For all you Jewish people quit being so damn "righteous".
You know, it’s hard to take you seriously when you counter racism with antisemitism.
I have a Keffiyah under my TV that I use as a table cloth of sorts as decoration and a souvenir from my trip to Jordan, I didn't realize my TV was a terrorist, I better keep a better eye on what it watches so I know it's not planning anything.
Something tells me if this was a blue shemagh the non rev would have been awfully quiet. As others have said, the keffiyeh she is wearing has nothing to do with Hamas, the color and pattern are traditional to Jordan, (Or Saudi Arabia, I can't get a good look at the pattern). I used to wear it all the time even before the recent events in Palestine because it is a common cultural item from...
Something tells me if this was a blue shemagh the non rev would have been awfully quiet. As others have said, the keffiyeh she is wearing has nothing to do with Hamas, the color and pattern are traditional to Jordan, (Or Saudi Arabia, I can't get a good look at the pattern). I used to wear it all the time even before the recent events in Palestine because it is a common cultural item from all across the middle east where my family originates from, and because it was comfortable/practical. That being said, I agree it is unprofessional to wear while working a customer service position
On January 15, 2025 a ceasefire deal was reached between Israel & Hamas.
Perhaps the FA was showing solidarity with Palestine/Gaza.
Here's some helpful info re: the fabric/garment:
'Understanding The Keffiyeh, The Shemagh And The Ghutra'
incl "Women can wear the Keffiyeh as a fashion statement or to embrace cultural diversity. It can be draped over the shoulders or worn as a headscarf, offering a versatile and stylish accessory."
hikmahboutique.com.au/blogs/useful-articles/understanding-the-keffiyeh-the-shemagh-and-the-ghutra
Women worldwide...
On January 15, 2025 a ceasefire deal was reached between Israel & Hamas.
Perhaps the FA was showing solidarity with Palestine/Gaza.
Here's some helpful info re: the fabric/garment:
'Understanding The Keffiyeh, The Shemagh And The Ghutra'
incl "Women can wear the Keffiyeh as a fashion statement or to embrace cultural diversity. It can be draped over the shoulders or worn as a headscarf, offering a versatile and stylish accessory."
hikmahboutique.com.au/blogs/useful-articles/understanding-the-keffiyeh-the-shemagh-and-the-ghutra
Women worldwide wear head coverings.
There is a ton of good info avail on line about the hijab, as worn in the photo, and the hijabis who wear them.
I'm pretty sure the headscarf would be allowed. It looks like they are wearing a hijab, and there are laws in the US which do not allow employers to discriminate rules based on religious beliefs. Even if a company does not ordinarily allow its employees to wear any head coverings, they must make exceptions to religious reasons such as a hijab for Muslim females, and I assume it is the same for Turbans with Sikhs....
I'm pretty sure the headscarf would be allowed. It looks like they are wearing a hijab, and there are laws in the US which do not allow employers to discriminate rules based on religious beliefs. Even if a company does not ordinarily allow its employees to wear any head coverings, they must make exceptions to religious reasons such as a hijab for Muslim females, and I assume it is the same for Turbans with Sikhs. Not allowing that would be a huge opening for a lawsuit and an easy win in court for the plaintiff.
The red piece of clothing however doesn't seem to be allowed as part of the uniform. Either that employee is not working that flight, or maybe they just got cold during boarding and decided to cover themselves with it. They might get a talking to about it, but I doubt any serious punishment will happen to the FA (at least it shouldn't in my opinion).
Uniforms: the mark of professionalism. I miss the days when airline employees used them.
Years ago there was a radio ad for a uniform maker that stated, "Without uniforms, professional hockey players are just a bunch of guys committing assault with sticks".
This thread will not go well...
All right so ignoring all the wild comments I am willing to wager United has a mechanism for those with a serious religious belief to have an exception. We aren’t talking like a burqa here which could be a real safety risk. It’s possible that United allows this as they don’t want to be cruel.
Lucky if you look up federal law you will see that “ In most instances, employers are required by...
All right so ignoring all the wild comments I am willing to wager United has a mechanism for those with a serious religious belief to have an exception. We aren’t talking like a burqa here which could be a real safety risk. It’s possible that United allows this as they don’t want to be cruel.
Lucky if you look up federal law you will see that “ In most instances, employers are required by federal law to make exceptions to their usual rules or preferences to permit applicants and employees to observe religious dress and grooming practices.” Took this from the official EEOC website (which I guess exists still for now lol) regarding Title VII, 29 CFR Part 1605. A lot of the exceptions are if the wearing or said item interferes with performance of official duties/safety.
I have also seen flight attendants wear a kippah. Isn’t this similar. Wish we had more informed discussions about this in the comments.
Charles, to the very best of my knowledge the subject Shemagh or Keffiyeh, is neither classified as religious or female attire.
It is commonly worn by Saudi and Jordanian Arab men.
The Palestinian black and white headdress is known for its terrorist connotations however.
Ah good point I was hyper focused on the veil (looks like she had a Hijab on as well but hard to tell from the photo) part of the article and the comments. But yeah if it’s not religious attire then I would agree she shouldn’t be wearing it. Federal law would not protect this.
Why shouldn’t she wear it???
Well because it’s not a religious accommodation. Employers in the US can absolutely dictate a dress code or uniform. All case law supports that. She should absolutely be allowed to wear a Hijab if she wants to for religious purposes. But Aero is correct and google will confirm that Shemaghs and Keffiyehs are not religious.
I am also not interested in getting to an argument if she “should” be allowed to wear it. I am...
Well because it’s not a religious accommodation. Employers in the US can absolutely dictate a dress code or uniform. All case law supports that. She should absolutely be allowed to wear a Hijab if she wants to for religious purposes. But Aero is correct and google will confirm that Shemaghs and Keffiyehs are not religious.
I am also not interested in getting to an argument if she “should” be allowed to wear it. I am just focused on the legal principles of if she can wear it and if the airline has a right to tell her no.
"The Palestinian black and white headdress is known for its terrorist connotations however."
What an asinine and ignorant comment.
Arguably, the AFA-CWA is the true terrorist organisation with their threats of C.H.A.O.S. and similar industrial action intended to scare passengers away from flying certain airlines. By that logic, anyone in a United crew uniform is wearing terrorist attire.
Sure, we live in a world where thousands of people die each year from actual terrorist activity, but why not trivialize it by comparing it to flight attendants threatening what amounts to an unsanctioned strike?
It would appear that one aspect of this story is the fact that the messenger is being ’shot’ because of her social media post.
Yet, on the other hand, her observation that the subject flight attendant was inappropriately dressed when on duty would appear quite valid.
As for the type of Shemagh or Keffiyeh, the FA is wearing, it is not normal for Middle Eastern women to wear such a garment, except, as...
It would appear that one aspect of this story is the fact that the messenger is being ’shot’ because of her social media post.
Yet, on the other hand, her observation that the subject flight attendant was inappropriately dressed when on duty would appear quite valid.
As for the type of Shemagh or Keffiyeh, the FA is wearing, it is not normal for Middle Eastern women to wear such a garment, except, as a sign of association with typically a terrorist organisation, etc. Therefore, it is understandable that offence could easily be taken by some observers.
That said the red Shemagh is a common form of headdress worn by both Saudi and Jordanian Arab men.
Surely, in the first place, the cabin management should have corrected the dress code error, thereafter, it is for the airline management to uphold compliance too.
If it was a violation of policy and the FA in question was working the flight, every UA employee knows from yearly training, you don’t post it on social media. If this poster is retired, they should still know the policy. UA employees also know there is a proper avenue to address this, the employee help line (either by email or phone.)
"as a sign of association with typically a terrorist organisation"
You can keep repeating this stupidly ignorant comment as much you like, but that does not make it true.
I saw UA crew the other day at an Asian airport in what I call “ don’t give a s.t uniform “. She was buying a ramen
Embarrassing. Unkempt uniform with heavy black stockings and dirty shoes. So bad was it that I actually told her that she looks like she’s been sleeping on the streets. American crews in general dress like they are homeless. Makes Ryanair look hate couture.
With regards to...
I saw UA crew the other day at an Asian airport in what I call “ don’t give a s.t uniform “. She was buying a ramen
Embarrassing. Unkempt uniform with heavy black stockings and dirty shoes. So bad was it that I actually told her that she looks like she’s been sleeping on the streets. American crews in general dress like they are homeless. Makes Ryanair look hate couture.
With regards to the alleged crew in the photo she’s right albeit completely out of order using the word terrorist.
Do US carriers not bother with dress codes ? I guess not as it sums up the country.
I've been harping on this for years. I have family that were cabin crew - the very kind of "sky hag" that people complain about: old, out of shape, in no way EVER capable of assiting in an emergency and would actually be in need of rescuing themselves, there solely for "[our] safety", and so forth. That said, she had about 17 variations of the UA uniform. And all of them are "acceptable". There are...
I've been harping on this for years. I have family that were cabin crew - the very kind of "sky hag" that people complain about: old, out of shape, in no way EVER capable of assiting in an emergency and would actually be in need of rescuing themselves, there solely for "[our] safety", and so forth. That said, she had about 17 variations of the UA uniform. And all of them are "acceptable". There are SUPPOSED to be different accessories for different times of flight, but that has either gone away of late or is simply not enforced. But take a look at literally ANY UA/AA/DL flight you're on next. You're bound to see the following - all on different FAs
FA in sweater vest and dress/skirt
FA in coat and trousers w/ or w/out neck accessory
FA in sweater vest and trousers w/ or w/out neck accessory
FA (male) in some for of suit vest without a coat and trousers
FA (male) full jacket and vest and trousers
FA in full seater and trousers w/ or w/out neck accessory
FA in button down shirt and trousers w/ or w/out neck accessory
FA in button down shirt and dress/skirt w/ or w/out neck accessory
And that's before you even discuss how ill-fitting their uniforms are and how poorly they're generally kept. There's nothing "uniform" about how American carriers dress their FAs. It's unfortunate. The majority seem to have zero pride in both their own appearance or in how they represent the airline.
And the jewellery, chewing gum, hair accessories, running shoes... Classy!
Breaking the dress code vs a snowflake.
God bless America.
Looks like a terrorist scarf to me.
Didn’t realize this was an antisemitic blog.
It’s not. So you may want to take your ignorant, antisemitic, Zionist posts elsewhere.
My god, we live in a country of such ignorant people.
People like Simon certainly lowering the bar by a considerable margin.
Zionists in the comments embarrassing themselves by not knowing the difference between a Keffyeh and a shemagh, neither of which is a symbol of terror by the way.
Sisyphus in the comments embarrassing himself by not knowing what "Zionism" means. Keep blowing the dogwhistle, dude.
It certainly is Hasbara propaganda.
It doesn't appear to me that she is wearing a veil. It appears she is wearing a head covering (hijab). If she were wearing something to cover her face (where's that picture?) I would call it a veil.
As the non rev goat I had to retire from the game after 8 consecutive flights in Flagship First on a buddy pass. Microphone drop.
What kind of story is this ? That is some boorish behavior. Looks from the photo like they are deplaning. Can you update if Jon finds out anymore to the story ?
Do you think United would allow wearing an "upside-down sno cone"?
Ben - If she was wearing a pointy white hat - would you say she was wearing a KKK hat - or a white fabric triangular fabric from materials easily purchased at Jo-Ann fabrics?
It’s about the meaning that has now been assigned to that “red fabric” which the rest of the world recognizes as a keffiyeh which is driven by and associated by most people with terrorist organizations.
Give me a break man - can you please take a more balanced perspective here?
"the rest of the world recognizes as a keffiyeh which is driven by and associated by most people with terrorist organizations"
That's a load of bovine fecal matter. Most of the world recognizes it as a cultural item of clothing worn by people in the region - Palestinians included - who were wearing it long before Israel was created.
As a prolific non revver and a prolific poster in non revs groups, the cardinal sin broken here is complaining about ANYTHING on social media.
@ben- While I agree with all your points and the fact that the non-revs claims were baseless, can you please acknowledge the fact that it's a keffiyeh? Like, who are we fooling by calling it a "red fabric"?
Who says she’s a retiree or was on a non-Rev ticket?
she posted this in a UA non-rev facebook group and the initials of her name were on the standby list for the flight
sounds like a retiree and someone is about to lose their flight benefits for life.
Education in Merica is the g r e a t e s t.
Or rather, fascism has been rebranded as autism!
The problem with this logic is that this didn't happen in Jordan, but in the United States, where this is not traditional dress but worn by people to show solidarity with groups officially designated as "terrorist groups" under United States Law which commit acts of murder, rape, and kidnapping against Jews and Israelis, recently committed the largest mass murder of Jewish people since the Holocaust, call for acts of murder against Jews around the world,...
The problem with this logic is that this didn't happen in Jordan, but in the United States, where this is not traditional dress but worn by people to show solidarity with groups officially designated as "terrorist groups" under United States Law which commit acts of murder, rape, and kidnapping against Jews and Israelis, recently committed the largest mass murder of Jewish people since the Holocaust, call for acts of murder against Jews around the world, and regularly harass Jews in North America and Europe. So this person wasn't wearing this keffiyah in it's allegedly traditional use to herd sheep in a pasture in the Levant, but as a symbol to confront Israelis, Jews, and their supporters in the United States generally and on this airplane specifically. United has an ethical duty to make all of their passengers comfortable, and shouldn't allow this for the same reason they wouldn't allow somebody to wear Ku Klux Klan garb or a Nazi armband, but United also has a legal responsibility under the US civil rights laws to make their service available to all people and not to allow them to be harassed on the basis of factors including race, religion, or nationality. It is a highly privileged position to look at this simply as "Jordanian" garb, but those subject to the hatred and harassment of this person, and/or the murder, rape, torture, kidnapping that this person expresses solidarity with, do not have that luxury. This is outrageous and illegal and should not be permitted.
How do you know why this person is wearing this?
I don't think your KKK/Nazi examples work as those are specific symbols to represent the association with those organization, where as this seems like an everyday attire in some parts of the world.
Doesn’t matter. It’s not regulation uniform. It’s pathetic how Americans generally live up to their reputation of being badly dressed. What on earth makes it acceptable to wear it at work.
It is literally the wrong color to ‘show solidarity with terrorist groups’. Someone who was actually affected by Hamas would damn well know that, but it seems that you don’t know anything so why don’t you sit this one out?
Lastly, this is neither outrageous, nor illegal, though I assume it is against policy and that should be addressed for sure.
It would appear that one aspect of this story is the fact that the messenger is being ’shot’ because of her social media post.
Yet, on the other hand, her observation that the subject flight attendant was inappropriately dressed when on duty would appear quite valid.
As for the type of Shemagh or Keffiyeh, the FA is wearing, it is not normal for Middle Eastern women to wear such a garment, except, as...
It would appear that one aspect of this story is the fact that the messenger is being ’shot’ because of her social media post.
Yet, on the other hand, her observation that the subject flight attendant was inappropriately dressed when on duty would appear quite valid.
As for the type of Shemagh or Keffiyeh, the FA is wearing, it is not normal for Middle Eastern women to wear such a garment, except, as a sign of association with typically a terrorist organisation, etc. Therefore, it is understandable that offence could easily be taken by some observers.
That said the red Shemagh is a common form of headdress worn by both Saudi and Jordanian Arab men.
Surely, in the first place, the cabin management should have corrected the dress code error, thereafter, it is for the airline management to uphold compliance too.
Apologies for this duplicate post, I have no idea how it came to pass, however, I am sure that the Mason, or his fanboy Eskimo will attempt to ridicule it.
You need to apologize for your asinine and ignorant comments.
"it is not normal for Middle Eastern women to wear such a garment"
Women do wear it as a scarf, actually.
"worn by people to show solidarity with groups officially designated as "terrorist groups" under United States Law which commit acts of murder, rape, and kidnapping against Jews and Israelis"
Again, stupidly ignorant, this was being worn by people - Palestinians, Jordanians, etc - long...
You need to apologize for your asinine and ignorant comments.
"it is not normal for Middle Eastern women to wear such a garment"
Women do wear it as a scarf, actually.
"worn by people to show solidarity with groups officially designated as "terrorist groups" under United States Law which commit acts of murder, rape, and kidnapping against Jews and Israelis"
Again, stupidly ignorant, this was being worn by people - Palestinians, Jordanians, etc - long before Israel was established as a nation.
The keffiyeh is worn prominently by Hamas, Hezbollah, and the PLO. These groups have been designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S. and EU. It is quite literally terrorist attire.
Not a red Shemagh, it is usually the Palestinian black design on white which is preferred by terrorists and their sympathisers.
Red on white is normal in Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
You are both ignorant fools for equating a cultural scarf with terrorism. Hasbara propaganda at work.
Aaron is a one trick dog.
If I follow your logic, then similarly, wearing the six pointed blue star—which adorns every IDF uniform—would render it, a symbol of crimes against humanity, as zionist leaders; the IDF Chief, Yoav Gallant, and his boss, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are both wanted war criminals by the ICC—mind you, not designated but wanted.