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has been a delta worker He was removed from his position on the airline’s social media channels following backlash over a post made by a legitimate account. Appeared to be anti-Palestinian.
In a statement shared with CNN on Friday, Delta mentioned the company “A comment posted by mistake on X Wednesday was removed because it was not consistent with our values and our mission of connecting the world.”
“The team member responsible for the post has been counseled and no longer supports Delta’s social channels,” the airline said in the statement. “We apologize for this error.”
On Wednesday, an account on X reposted the footage 2 Delta flight attendants wearing Palestinian flag pins on their uniforms. It is hidden which account posted the initial photos.
“Since 2001 we have taken off our shoes at every airport because there is a terrorist attack on American soil. Now imagine boarding a @Delta flight and seeing workers with Hamas badges in the air. What do you do?” the post read, inaccurately comparing the Palestinian flag to those flown by terrorist groups.
The screenshot shows Delta’s legitimate account speaking on Wednesday, writing, “I hear you because personally I would be horrified too. Our employees reflect our culture and we do not take it lightly when our policies are not being followed.” That post has since been removed, and it is unclear which policy the post referred to. Was giving.
This response provoked a strong reaction from Delta activists and leaders of the Palestinian and Muslim communities.
Azka Mahmoud, executive director of the American-Islamic Family Bankruptcy Council in Georgia, where the airline is primarily based, said in a statement that linking the Palestinian national image to Hamas “erases the existence and legitimacy of Palestine as a whole.” ,
“The Palestinian flag represents a country and the national aspirations of more than 7 million Palestinians,” he said. “It is clear that some groups want to completely illegalize the Palestinian flag, suppress any expression of Palestine’s existence, and discourage open support for Palestinian rights.”
A Delta spokesperson said the flight attendants photographed were complying with the company’s stream uniform guidelines and that the company has contacted them in exchange for assistance. The spokesperson said both flying attendants are employed by the company,
Delta, on the other hand, told CNN that effective Monday, the company will only allow American flag pins to be defaced. According to the spokesperson, this development is a departure from previous policies, which allowed pins to be displayed representing international locations and nationalities around the world.
Mahmood criticized the exchange of similar coverage, noting that it “destroys (Delta employees’) freedom of speech.”
“We should be concerned that this policy change comes in response to negative attention specifically related to Palestine. It speaks volumes that in the past flight attendants have been able to wear pins showing solidarity with Ukraine, for example, without any problems,” she said. “Delta must stand behind its employees’ right to freedom of speech and expression rather than bowing to pressure.”
On Thursday, a group of Delta employees trying to unionize posted a searchable letter they sent to the company’s CEO, demanding a public apology for the post.
“For decades, it has been common for crew members to wear pins reflecting their heritage. “The strength of diversity at network airlines is celebrated as a reflection of the places and people we connect with around the world,” employees It has been mentioned in the letter.
“Everyone should be able to freely express pride and support for their heritage without facing hostility or discrimination from employers or customers.”
Following the incident, civil rights activist and American Islamic student Omar Suleiman – who has nearly 8 million fans on social media platforms – exhorted his fans to boycott Delta.
In 2023, CAIR said it won the highest number of anti-Muslim lawsuits in the group’s 30-year history, CNN previously reported.
Civil rights activists said most of the cases he won occurred in the last three months of the year, the closest On October 7, Hamas attacked Israel. Mahmood says this number likely “underrepresents the true extent of anti-Muslim activity in America” because of a lack of data on how incidents are recorded, as well as because some voters “simply accept it as part of life.” are” we”
Correction: A former model for this story mischaracterized the mob of Delta workers who posted a searchable letter to the airline’s CEO. They are no longer known as a union.