University Of Pennsylvania Professor Suspected As A Terrorist Because Of A Math Equation

A University of Pennsylvania professor was suspected to be a terrorist after he was seen solving a Math equation while waiting for his American Airlines flight. Another passenger reportedly interpreted the symbols used in the equation as Arabic characters or Islamic code.

USA Today said economist Guido Menzio was asked for questioning because of the equation he jotted down while he waited in a Philadelphia airport for a plane bound to Syracuse. It was noted that the professor was working on the Math equation needed for a paper at Queen's University.

The incident reportedly caused a two-hour delay on the flight which usually only takes 41 minutes. Menzio was also profiled to verify if he was indeed a terrorist or not.

According to Washington Post, a woman who sat beside the professor inside the plane and saw his notes called the attention of a flight attendant about the scribbles the latter was making. It explained that the witness pretended she was sick and was asked to disembark from the pane. The professor followed her shortly after he was personally approached by the pilot of the plane.

However, when authorities told him that the woman suspected him as a terrorist, he just let out a laugh. Menzio explained that he was not writing Arabic characters or a terrorist code but was solving a "differential equation.

"I thought they were trying to get clues about her illness," the professor told USA Today in an email. "Instead, they tell me that the woman was concerned that I was a terrorist because I was writing strange things on a pad of paper."

Menzio also noted that he was treated with respect by airlines and airport personnel. He, however, claimed that there was certainly lack of communication during the incident. "Not seeking additional information after reports of 'suspicious activity' ... is going to create a lot of problems, especially as xenophobic attitudes may be emerging," he added.