Dublin, Feb 22 (IANS): Michael O'Leary, the chief of Irish budget airline Ryanair, has been criticised for saying Muslim men should be profiled at airports because "that is where the threat is coming from", it was reported on Saturday.

"Who are the bombers? They are going to be single males travelling on their own. If you are travelling with a family of kids, on you go; the chances you are going to blow them all up is zero," the BBC quoted O'Leary as saying in an interview to the Times newspaper.

"You can't say stuff, because it's racism, but it will generally be males of a Muslim persuasion. Thirty years ago it was the Irish. If that is where the threat is coming from, deal with the threat."

In response, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said that O'Leary's comments were "racist and discriminatory", adding that Muslims face institutional discrimination in many aspects of life.

"Institutional discrimination against Muslims is well established: whether it is the ability to get a job, buy a flat or even getting car insurance. The challenges of #flyingwhilstMuslim are well documented across the globe," the BBC quoted an MCB spokesperson as saying.

"It is a shame that such racism is being expressed so openly, and that the CEO of a large airline would so want to discriminate against his customers so brazenly."