Another episode of the never-ending grievance theater, this time in a lawsuit against Air Canada: Muslim artist files complaint against airline.

A Muslim political cartoonist has filed a complaint against Air Canada, claiming he was barred from a flight because of his race, his religion and his criticism of the Bush administration.

Shahid Mahmood, a Toronto resident who grew up in Pakistan, said he was flagged for security reasons in May 2004. He filed a complaint this week with the Canadian Human Rights Commission. “We made an attempt to resolve matters non-adversarially before being forced to pursue legal options,” said his attorney, Nicole Chrolavicius.

Air Canada refused to sell Mr. Mahmood a ticket to Vancouver but sold a ticket to his Chilean-born wife. “They denied having a no-fly list and indicated that Shahid was barred entry because he did not have proper identification,” Miss Chrolavicius said. “Not so; he had a valid Canadian driver’s license with photo ID.”

The airline then said Mr. Mahmood arrived past the boarding time, although it allowed his wife to board, the attorney said. “We are worried that Shahid is on the U.S. no-fly list, perhaps due to his political cartooning. He has been critical of the Bush administration in the past,” Miss Chrolavicius said.

Editorial cartoons drawn by Mr. Mahmood, which are syndicated by the New York Times Press Syndicate, are also critical of the war in Iraq. The cartoons can be viewed here.