Air passenger ‘invokes Sharia law’ to avoid sitting next to a woman – before slapping stewardess who confronted him on flight from Turkey
A passenger on a SunExpress flight from Turkey to Dusseldorf reportedly refused to sit next to a woman, citing Sharia law, before slapping an air stewardess who tried to address the situation. The case has raised questions about passenger conduct and airline crew safety, and is now the subject of a formal police investigation in Germany.
According to German newspaper Bild, the suspect is a 29-year-old German national of Turkish background who invoked the Islamic religious and moral code as his reason for objecting to the seating arrangement. When a crew member intervened, he allegedly struck the stewardess in the face. Police were called after the aircraft landed at Dusseldorf Airport on 1 June, and Dusseldorf's federal police are investigating; the suspect has reportedly confessed.
- Man refused to sit next to woman, citing Sharia law, on Turkey-Germany flight
- He allegedly slapped a stewardess who confronted him
- German federal police are investigating; suspect has confessed