Muslim passenger on United Airlines flight 'told she can't have unopened Diet Coke in case she uses the can as a WEAPON' - 'Unequal treatment': Ahmad said she was targeted because of her religion - as a man sitting near her had just been given an unopened can of beer with no implication he might attack people with it.
'Tears of humiliation': Ahmad said that incident made her cry after other passengers jeered at her. The plane's pilot later apologized, she said
► Tahera Ahmad said she was discriminated against on flight Friday night
► Was headed from Chicago to Washington, D.C., for a conference
► Ahmad claims she asked for canned soda at 30,000ft and was refused
► Said flight attendant told her decision was 'so you don't use it as a weapon'
► Other passenger reportedly took opportunity to hurl anti-Muslim abuse
► Ahmad wrote tearful Facebook post from plane detailing the incident
A Muslim passenger on a United Airlines flight was allegedly refused a can of Diet Coke she asked for because the flight attendant thought she might use it as a weapon.
Tahera Ahmad, a chaplain at Northwestern University, was flying from Chicago to a conference in Washington, D.C., Friday night when she said her request was refused.
Ahmad, a moderate Muslim who has been personally commended by President Obama, said that the incident was motivated by her religion and left her humiliated.
She said the discrimination suffered was plain to see because a passenger next to had been a canned drink just before her request was turned down.
According to Ahmad, the incident left her 'in tears of humiliation' and opened her up to anti-Muslim abuse from other passengers on the flight, which was operated by Shuttle America, a United partner airline.
Writing about the incident on Facebook just after it happened, Ahmad described how she asked for the soda when a female flight attendant came round, and was first given a can which had already been opened.
When she pointed out that an unopened beer had just been given to someone else, Ahmad said the attendant opened the beer can, then clarified: 'It's so you don't use it as a weapon.'
Ahmad said she was 'appalled' and asked other passengers to stand up for her - only to be met with foul-mouthed abuse.
She wrote that a man sitting a few seats away said: 'You Muslim, you need to shut the f**k up.... yes you know you would use it as a WEAPON so shut the f**k up.'
She added: 'I felt the hate in his voice and his raging eyes. I can't help but cry on this plane because I thought people would defend me and say something.'
Ahmad's account of the incident, which she posted to Facebook while still on board the plane, had been shared thousands of times by Saturday evening, and prompted many on social media to threaten to boycott United.
A United spokesman said that the airline was 'discussing' the alleged abuse with Shuttle America, which ran the service.
He added: 'We and our partners do not discriminate against our employees or customers'.
DailyMail.com has contacted representatives of Shuttle America for comment.
Ahmad said that the flight attendant had a change of heart at the end of the flight and 'acknowledged that her behavior was utterly rude'.
She said the pilot also apologized and helped her lodge a complaint, but said she has yet to hear back from the airline.
Ahmad, who says she has suffered worse abuse before, has previously been honored at the White House for her work in the Muslim community and has visited Afghanistan on behalf of the State Department.
According to a news release by Northwestern, Ahmad has been invited to a Ramadan meal by Barack Obama and was also invited to the White House during Women's History Month last March to recognize her achievement.
