Just because of our appearance

Khurram Zeb, 22, told the Daily Mirror newspaper he felt sorry for those people on board the Monarch airlines flight who thought they were terrorists but did not blame anyone for what happened.

"Just because we're Muslim does not mean we are suicide bombers," he was quoted as saying.

Zeb and his friend Sohail Ashraf were escorted from the plane at Malaga airport in southern Spain after other passengers voiced concern to cabin crew about the appearance of the men who were presumed to be speaking Arabic.

The Urdu-speaking pair -- both students at Manchester University, in northwest England -- were questioned by police for several hours before being put up in a hotel and allowed to fly back the following day.

Ashraf, also 22, appeared to laugh off the incident, telling the newspaper: "We might be Asian, but we're two ordinary lads who wanted a bit of fun. Just because we're Muslim does not mean we are suicide bombers."

In the hotel after questioning, he recalled: "We sat on our beds and Khurram said, 'You don't look like a terrorist'. I said, 'Neither do you'. Then we both collapsed with laughter."

"I suppose we were a bit hysterical. It all felt very odd. We've never experienced racism before so it was very unnerving."

The incident -- nearly a week after a major alert in Britain over an alleged plot to blow up aircraft bound for the United States that led to unprecedented airline and airport security -- was condemned by British Muslim leaders.

One group said it demonstrated the "increasing Islamaphobia" in Britain.