Plane Passenger Says "Sharia Law" to Avoid Sitting by Woman, Then Hits Crew Member

What Happened?

Imagine you’re on a plane, and a fellow passenger doesn’t want to sit next to someone because of their religion’s rules. That’s kind of what happened here!

• A passenger on a flight said he was using Sharia law to refuse sitting next to a woman.
• Sharia law is just a fancy term for the strict religious and moral code of Islam (the Muslim religion).
• He then hit a flight attendant when she talked to him about it.

Where and When Did This Take Place?

• The flight was going from Turkey to Dusseldorf (a city in Germany).
• It happened on June 1.
• The person involved was a 29-year-old Turkish migrant (someone who moved from Turkey) living in Germany.

What Did the Police Say?

A German police spokesperson shared what witnesses saw:

Important Point: According to early witness statements, the man invoked Sharia law and refused to sit next to a woman. This means he said his religion’s rules told him not to sit by a female passenger.

• The passenger allegedly slapped the flight attendant when she spoke to him.
• After the plane landed, federal police were called right to the aircraft.

What Happened After the Plane Landed?

Here is how things unfolded step by step:

1. The passenger confessed the crime to the police.
2. He insulted the officers — but he did it in Turkish.
3. One officer spoke Turkish, so they understood him and added an insult charge.
4. So, he was charged with:
   • Assaulting the flight attendant
   • Insulting the police officers
5. The criminal complaint went from the Federal Police to the Dusseldorf Police, who are now investigating.

Was It a Specific Airline?

• A German newspaper (Bild) said the flight was with Turkish Airlines.
• But a Turkish Airlines spokesperson told the New York Post: “The incident in question did not occur on a Turkish Airlines flight and is unrelated to Turkish Airlines.”

Important Point: We don’t actually know for sure which airline operated the flight, because the airline mentioned denied it was them.

Summary

A man on a Turkey-to-Dusseldorf flight said his religious rules (Sharia law) meant he couldn’t sit next to a woman. He hit a flight attendant who approached him, got arrested after landing, insulted police in Turkish (which an officer understood), and now faces assault and insult charges. A newspaper blamed Turkish Airlines, but the airline says it wasn’t them.

FAQ

1. What is Sharia law in simple terms?
It’s the strict religious and moral rulebook followed in Islam. The passenger used it as a reason to not sit next to a woman.

2. Did the passenger get in trouble?
Yes. He confessed, was charged with hitting the flight attendant and insulting police officers, and is now being investigated by Dusseldorf Police.

3. Which airline was the flight on?
A newspaper said Turkish Airlines, but the airline says the incident did NOT happen on their flight and isn’t related to them.

4. Why was he charged with insulting police?
Because he insulted the officers in Turkish, and one of them understood Turkish, so they added that charge.