‘I felt hurt and betrayed’: Imam abused on Ryanair flight demands action on hate speech

An Irish imam is demanding tougher hate speech legislation on Thursday after he said he was verbally abused on a Ryanair flight.

Shaykh Dr. Umar Al-Qadri, who is the chief imam of the Islamic Centre of Ireland, told RTÉ that the incident occurred as passengers were boarding a flight from Poland to Dublin. “I was on the plane, just one of the first passengers to settle in my seat. As I was sitting, somebody just pushed me on my shoulder and started shouting at me,” he told the Irish public broadcaster.

He described the emotional effect of the encounter. “I felt hurt and betrayed,” as the attacker yelled insults targeting the Muslim faith. After landing, border officers spoke to both sides, and the attacker apologised for his behaviour. When asked by officers and Ryanair staff,

Al-Qadri said he would not press charges, explaining that he wanted him to learn from the experience rather than suffer consequences.