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Muslim Woman Wants Apology After Flight Crew Reacts To 'Suspicious' Call

SAN DIEGO (CBS) — A Southland Muslim woman is calling for a written apology and a full investigation after she was removed from a Southwest flight.

KNX 1070's Tom Reopelle reports it all started when Irum Abassi made a call on her cell phone prior to her takeoff from San Diego to San Jose.

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After she was returned to the terminal, Abassi — a mother of three and a graduate student at San Diego State University — says she asked authorities whether she did something wrong.

She says they told her the flight attendant "thinks you're suspicious" and referenced "something with a 'go'" in her cell phone conversation.

Abassi confirms she used the phrase, but says it was only in reference to her flight.

"I said 'I got to go' because I was on the phone," Abassi adds.

A San Diego State terrorism expert says since the woman — who was wearing a head scarf — had gone through secondary security and was cleared to fly, the flight crew had likely over-reacted.

(©2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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