Indian-origin man sparks bomb scare on flight, raises Allah u Akbar slogans

July 29, 2025 by News Desk

An Indian-origin man was arrested on Sunday following a mid-air disturbance on an EasyJet flight from Luton to Glasgow, triggering renewed concerns over Islamophobia after video footage of the incident went viral.

Abhay Nayak, 41, who resides in Luton, was taken into custody shortly after the flight landed at Glasgow Airport around 8:20 am. He appeared before Paisley Sheriff Court on Monday, facing charges of assault and endangering the safety of an aircraft. Nayak made no plea and was remanded in custody until his next court appearance, scheduled for next week.

A video shared widely on social media shows a visibly agitated man onboard the aircraft, shouting politically charged slogans including “Death to America, death to Trump” and “Allahu Akbar” — an Arabic phrase meaning “God is greatest.” He was quickly restrained by two passengers and pinned to the cabin floor.

Counter-terrorism police initially assessed the video but have since clarified that Nayak is *not* facing terrorism charges. Despite this, the footage has sparked a flood of Islamophobic commentary online, with many misinterpreting the use of the religious phrase as indicative of extremism.

Rights groups have condemned the rush to associate the phrase with violence, pointing out that the man in question is not Muslim and emphasizing that the phrase “Allahu Akbar” is commonly used in daily prayers and other peaceful contexts.

“This incident is yet another example of how Islamophobic narratives are fueled by ignorance and sensationalism,” said a representative from a UK-based anti-racism watchdog. “It’s dangerous to conflate religious expressions with violence, particularly when the facts don’t support such assumptions.”

Authorities have not released further details about the motive behind the outburst.