Southwest Airlines has become the subject of criticism over reports that it singled out Muslim or Middle Eastern passengers on two flights this week, after fellow fliers said they feared for their safety if those passengers were allowed to fly.

Those passengers who made the complaints may have been especially fearful in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris and the downing of a Russian carrier jet in Egypt, for which the Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility.

Comments made by a number of Republican candidates for the presidency — including poll frontrunners Donald Trump and Ben Carson — have stoked such fears.

Both incidents involving Southwest occurred at Chicago’s Midway airport. In one, on Wednesday night, a Philadelphia pizza shop owner and a friend said they were forced to call police for help after they were asked by a gate agent to step aside in the boarding process, because a passenger was afraid to fly with them after hearing them speak Arabic, according to NBC Philadelphia.

Read the article “Southwest Airlines Criticized After Incidents Involving Middle Eastern Passengers” on theguardian.com.