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Aug. 17 – The detention of Bollywood superstar, Shahrukh Khan, on Friday by Newark Liberty International Airport authorities in New Jersey has triggered outrage from Indians and sparked a debate on airport security procedures.
A spokesman for the Customs and Border Protection division of the Department of Homeland Security, Kevin Corsaro, told The New York Times that Khan was selected for an in-depth interview, called the “secondary inspection” and was questioned for a little more than an hour.
Khan was on his way to Chicago to attend an Indian Independence Day parade. Coincidentally, the star was also in the United States to promote his new film, “My Name is Khan,” about an Indian Muslim mistakenly arrested by U.S. airport authorities after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Khan is Muslim and is a famous Bollywood actor, film producer and television host. This is not the first time that U.S. airport procedures have courted controversy in India. Other prominent Indians have also been subject to questioning at U.S. airports. The most recent incident happened in July when Continental Airlines employees subjected former Indian president, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, to a security check prior to boarding a flight to New York.
On Khan’s detention, Congress MP Rajiv Shukla told the Times of India that, “It is really not fair. Just because he has a common surname does not mean that every Muslim can be taken as a suspect or considered to be a terrorist. The Amercian authorities should adopt a methodology so that well-known names like Shahrukh Khan and APJ Abdul Kalam are not harassed like this. They should focus on getting the actual suspects.’’
Other Indians have lamented that the incident is indicative of India’s V.I.P. culture and that everyone should be subject to a country’s laws, famous or not.
Sridhar Kondoji wrote on the blog eNews: All these people demand VIP status wherever they are. This is a virus like symptom only in India and has no cure for it. Shah Rukh Khan has created an embarrassment for Indian and American officials by exaggerating his 2 hour ordeal which is otherwise a routine questioning.
August 17th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Quote: “The star was also in the United States to promote his new film, “My Name is Khan,” about an Indian Muslim mistakenly arrested by U.S. airport authorities”
Thats a somewhat delicious irony isn’t it? To be fair to the US, the Newark authorities only detained him for an hour or so. They have their jobs to do, and I’m sure we’ve all been subjected to delays or frustrations by the US Homeland Security since 2001. Khan may be a superstar, and he has my sympathies, but it wasn’t a big deal and it’s at least comforting to realise that the US immigration authorities are still on their guard. It’s a storm in a cup of Orange Pekoe.
August 17th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
It is not fair. If SRK has a common surname does not mean that every Muslim can be taken as a suspect or considered to be a terrorist.
Gyandeep
August 19th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
The real cause of concern is not that SRK was held for 1-2 hrs for questioning. Anyone can be held that way and should be asked questions. The real question is why a significantly large % of muslim surname people have to go through this”. BTW..I am a hindu and I live in the US and in India. I have muslim friends..and it is a very known fact the the US has a bias against muslims in general (esp in security matters).
August 19th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
I thought that prior to departure all airlines flying into the US had to provide the passenger manifest to Homeland security for checking. Clearly part of the system isn’t working, otherwise Khan would have been identified as a movie star rather than a threat. I’m also sure that he wasn’t exactly dressed as a low end terrorist either. They’re not known for their fine silks, gold jewelry and LV luggage in first class.
It is also true to observe that the US loves its paranoia. It used to be Communists as the bogey man, now its Muslims. However, I guess we just have to put up with it. I’d rather that than a slip up. I also always get singled out for “Special Treatment” whenever I fly in the US, and with a name like Christopher it’s rather obvious which religious faction I belong to. Thanks for your comments – Chris