So remember last week when I mentioned that Shah Rukh Khan was starring in My Name is Khan, a movie about a Muslim man detained by U.S. authorities on suspicion of terrorism? Turns out the truth isn’t that far from fiction.
Khan revealed he was held at Newark Airport yesterday for two hours by security.
“I was really being hassled, perhaps because of my name being Khan,” actor Shah Rukh Khan charged Saturday, a day after he was detained for two hours. “These guys wouldn’t let me through.” The 43-year-old “King of Bollywood” said he was waiting for his bags Friday when security pulled him aside after his name popped up on a computer screen. “I was really taken aback,” he told an Indian television station. “I did not want to say anything just in case they took everything wrong, because I am a little worried about Americans because they do have this issue when your name is Muslim.”
[Link.]
Another case of mistaken identity? Or just the usual profiling? When my family travels, they factor in an extra few hours because it’s inevitable that one of my brothers, cousins or uncles is going to be pulled to the side and questioned. So it’s not really surprising to hear that Bollywood stars aren’t immune from such treatment.
Better win that Oscar, SRK. Maybe it’ll get you through security faster.
Some Update here, after all no one is innocent
“does it make sense to start body searching old grannies from Iceland?”
And if you were someone hell bent on causing problems in the US, knowing that simple minded racist idiots like yourself make up the majority, wouldn’t you try and find that one old granny from iceland to do the dirty work for you?
hello. i am rahman. i want one job for shahrukh khan’s industry
I have experienced racial profiling in the US and India: my husband is Indian, and we couldn’t return from Canada to the US without being stopped every single time, with at least an hour’s delay, regardless of the time, the fact our children were with us (and often asleep). The problem is that if you are ever flagged for any reason, it can get attached to your profile, and unless someone removes it, you will be stopped every time after that. It was infuriating, and it’s hard to imagine that with this much effort being wasted on spreading such a wide net, we couldn’t do a more efficient and effective job of protecting national security.
On the other hand, when we go to India, I am the constant subject of scrutiny from the moment I walk off the plane. Though I love India, it’s the thing I dread every time we go–like being famous only without the wealth and privilege. I was shaken down for illegal import duties and bribes on our most recent trip. Ambika Soni should realize that Americans are already being profiled in India.