Court Rules Against Muslim Men in No Fly List Case Against FBI Agents

A U.S. appeals court ruled that three Muslim men cannot sue FBI agents for being placed on the “No Fly List” after they refused to act as informants, Reuters reported yesterday.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan stated that the agents were protected by qualified immunity, despite acknowledging their “improper behavior.” Circuit Judge Gerard Lynch noted that the agents had no reason to believe they were violating the men’s religious beliefs, as none communicated this during interactions.

The plaintiffs—Muhammad Tanvir, Jameel Algibhah, and Naveed Shinwari—sued in 2013, claiming their inclusion on the list violated their religious beliefs and caused job loss and reputational harm. Although they were eventually removed from the list, they sought damages under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Tanvir emphasized that the case was about raising awareness rather than financial compensation, stating, “Even if this decision does not give us everything, we still won.” The No Fly List was established after the September 11, 2001 attacks to prevent suspected terrorists from boarding flights.