A Malaysia Airlines flight returned to Sydney after a fanatical passenger onboard who claimed to be a “slave of Allah” got a bit carried away in his proselytizing and purportedly made a bomb threat, warning that he would “blow up the plane.”
“Slave Of Allah” Forces Malaysia Airlines Diversion For Onboard Threats
On Monday, August 14, 2023, Malaysia Airlines flight MH122 departed Sydney (SYD) for Kuala Lumpur (KUL) utilizing an Airbus A330-300. Just over an hour after takeoff, however, it turned back for Sydney. The reason was a problematic passenger onboard.
Enter a 45-year-old self-proclaimed “slave of Allah.” He began accosting passengers onboard, demanding to know if they too were slaves to Allah. For example:
#Sydney Airport is suffering at the hands of this lunatic as he has taken #MH122 hostage. Praying for everyone's safety and well being.
Where is Airport security?! Its been well over an hour since the plane has landed back!!! pic.twitter.com/rSWExD9EXm
— Jawad Nazir ✈ (@jawadmnazir) August 14, 2023
https://twitter.com/MacroCrude/status/1691007027873828864?s=20
That was annoying enough, but the man became more aggressive and according to Australian media, eventually made a bomb threat. After failing to reason with him, the crew isolated him from other passengers.
His threat forced a diversion back to Sydney, where the plane was emptied and he was arrested. He later claimed he was just “joking” and that his queries onboard were a “test” for true Muslims.
#MH122 Drop scene
Every one off the plane.
Police told to leave all the belongings on plane #Sydney #SydneyAirport pic.twitter.com/akb3ce5ceO— Muhammad Zubair (@chzaib) August 14, 2023
I’m not offended by his “slave of God” comment because there is scripture suggesting precisely that in all three Abrahamic faiths. For example, in St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, he calls himself a “slave of Christ Jesus.” I am offended at the man’s proselyting, which crosses a line from sincere to wholly unacceptable on a crowded plane in which unwilling participants are forced to listen to his rantings.
CONCLUSION
At least based upon media coverage, it seems that most onboard incidents happen in the United States, but here we have an incident that occurred between Australia and Malaysia. I’ve met radical proselytizers of both the Muslim and Christian faiths and therefore I have no basis upon which to say this man was mentally handicapped rather than just a fervent follower of his deity (and there is a difference between being mentally unhinged and being radical).
images: jawadmnazir / X // H/T: One Mile At A Time
I say it all the time and get sh#t for it. These people are savages and want us dead. Anyone flying out of this country to these 3rd world sh#tholes is taking their life in their hands.
If you “really” need to do it for business perhaps it’s time to see what you can do to contribute to our economy and bring jobs back here instead of enriching yourself by using cheap labor and materials from places that exploit workers.
Charlie Hebdo and Salman Rushdie had it right!
That seems silly to extract that conclusion based upon one troubled passenger…
If Sydney and KL are S’holes… What exactly does that make Houston, Atlanta, and Phoenix?
I’d say America has killed more of “them” than the other way around.
They brought it on themselves. Much like most so-called “victims” of alleged police brutality.
As always, thanks for the asinine comments.
You’re the main beneficiary of the cheap labor and materials, fool. The average consumer wouldn’t be able to afford half their stuff if you insourced everything. You might as well roll the clock back a hundred years.
SAD
Behold, the religion of peace! The one created by Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) who married a 6 year old and gracefully consummated the marriage when she was 9 🙂 Truly, the one True Faith! 🙂
This is why Duck Tape should be the #1 accessory every plane had to carry on board. It does wonders. In this example it could be used to shut his mouth and to tie him to the seat. No need to divert the plane.
Banned for Life, and No Joke
“I am offended at Zubair’s proselyting” … I am less offended a his proselytizing and more offended and concerned about the bomb threat.
That too.
This cretin isn’t that much different than the proselytizing, holy-roller, mega-church going woman from McKinney, Texas that I used to work with.
How about the man is mentally ill?
Is this the prequel to the guy eventually claiming asylum status in Australia?
I’ve seen weirder and more twisted things done by people trying to extend their stay in a country where they don’t otherwise have a legal right to remain for work and/or residence permit/visa purposes. Could the future step for this arrested passenger be to burn a Quran? Wouldn’t surprise me as then he could have a stronger claim to asylum status.
For all we know he could already be an Australian citizen.
One of the most common names in the Muslim communities is Abdullah. Abdullah means servant/slave of god.
“Enter 45-year-old Muhammed Zubair, a self-proclaimed “slave of Allah.”
Are you sure? Most news outlets have him listed as a fellow passenger on the flight who posted about the incident on social media…you even included his Twitter post. The man who made the threats has yet to be fully identified….
You are correct.
The man with the gray vest, is a Malaysia Airlines cabin crew. Huge props that he did his best to try and empathize with the supposed suspect in trying to calm the situation and de-escalate this situation. There are not enough cabin crew around the world who have learned conflict resolution, especially in America with Big 3 US carriers. I wonder if such soft skills would make such diversions back to airports necessary. Then again, there are a growing number of “crazy passengers” that take offense over anything small.