Actor's US 'detention' prompts outrage in India

[ChromeFoundry]

Source: AP

Sun Aug 16, 8:54 am ET

NEW DELHI – Angry fans burned a U.S. flag in protest Sunday, a Cabinet minister suggested searching visiting Americans and an actress tweeted her outrage after Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan said he was detained for questioning at a U.S. airport.

Though U.S. immigration officials denied he was formally held, fellow Indian film stars and political leaders condemned what they called "humiliating" treatment given to Khan, a Muslim who is well-loved in a largely Hindu country. One Cabinet minister suggested a "tit-for-tat" policy toward Americans traveling to India.

Angry fans in the northern city of Allahabad shouted anti-U.S. slogans and burned an American flag.

Khan said he was detained Friday by U.S. immigration officials at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey because his name came up on a computer alert list.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_india_bollywood_star_outrage

---

Burning American flags? :eyes:

[stray cat]

1. Actors are too special to be questioned

I was pulled aside probably because I bought a ticket at the last minute to rush off to care for a sick relative and had little to no baggage. Another person was pulled aside for a similar reason because he was heading for a funeral. Security happens.

[lsewpershad]

4. Lame.

[Deja Q]

5. Quite.

If something spazzes out the security, I'm not going to stop 'em. Security officers take ZERO risks. Even if it's a child or old woman.

My baggage got rummaged through when I was in Spain, some 20 years ago. No big frigging deal.

In short, a hell of a lot of people are throwing hissyfits over what is a non-issue. Security happens. People need to get over themselves.

[timeforpeace]

11. This is just the media making a big deal out of themselves. No one cares about this.

[Deja Q]

16. Sounds like this actor's followers care. But you're right. Nobody else really does.

[sledgehammer]

38. Actually, the actor's followers are in the hundreds of millions

It's hard to convey Shahrukh's popularity in terms people outside South Asia would understand. But let's say the recognition and madness is close to that of Obama in the US (minus the haters!)

SRK also has a lot recognition among the massive South Asian immigrant populations in UK, US, etc.

So these followers are very large and vocal. It's hard for them to think objectively, because they see SRK as nothing less than a king. So for him to be stopped for security questioning is really unfathomable. Especially since he has been to the US so many times - he's shot so many movies here, and comes here for shows almost every year. I imagine he has traveled to the US at least 2-3 times a year for the last 10 years, if not more.

He even made a presentation at last year's Golden Globes in the US.

I don't agree with the hype being made over his arrest, but just trying to give some perspective.

Though, I do agree that the airport checks are mostly useless.

[InfiniteThoughts]

53. missing the big picture ...

I have no issue in Shah Rukh Khan being questioned by US Immigration. I def. have an issue with them detaining him for 2 hours because his name contains "Khan" - a generic Muslim family name from the subcontinent.

The treatment meted to SRK is racial profiling!

[rhett o rick]

45. Yes I feel so secure when they make me take off my shoes and get mad if I didn't

put my toothpaste in the quart bag. Most of security is for show. "Look how thorough we are, we make you take off your shoes".

[Grinchie]

28. One way tickets will trigger it as well.

Wow, we are so much safer now!

TSA Ganstaz

[bjobotts]

32. Be surprised if your name is NOT on a list

[izquierdista]

29. Where it happens

S____ happens more often in fascist countries where dimwits in uniform run around yelling "security, security, we must see if your papers are in order".

[sasquatch]

2. Gee, he's good enough to work as a Helot for our "tech support", but good enough to go to Hollywood

:eyes:
I wonder if this will harm US-India relations.

[Deja Q]

6. Sad that I'm the one to say it, but let's try not to get into tangents... (re: "the issue")

Having said that, if relations go down, it's over a very stupid reason.

[sledgehammer]

42. Thanks Deja Q!

Though I have seen at least a couple of H1B/outsourcing comments (seems almost requisite for any post related to India).

I doubt relations will go down - this is just one of those dream stories for the media. If you think the US media is bad at hyping things, you really need to watch Indian cable channels. Bollywood stars get as much coverage/attention as Obama gets in the US. And each channel tries to one up the other on sensationalism over any story.

If it was an Indian President/official, it would be different - there's an expectation of protocol. But there's no reason SRK needed special treatment, except for his own recognizance. It's obvious (and not surprising) that the agent did not recognize him, got a ping on his screen, and moved on with due process.

Maybe some of his activities from his upcoming movie (about racially profiling Muslims) got muddled with his record? Perhaps there was some concern over drugs? Maybe his itinerary for his US trip was concerning? Maybe there were some concerns over the validity of his visa - is he here to "work" (i.e. shoot a movie), or just us a tourist? Who knows what brought up the ping?

Having said that, I can't imagine it was too hard for the agent to figure out SRK was a very regular visitor to the US, visiting on an invitation, a very well-known international figure, and had all his paperwork in order. Eventually the agent did the right thing by calling the Embassy, and that's the end of that.

The rest is all media hype.

[Deja Q]

3. I think it's high time more American actors get arrested in other countries.

Then I'll be able to give a response with some substance.

Which American celebs are currently popular, and for that matter how many of them haven't been arrested in America... :D


Wait, wasn't UK celeb George Michael arrested again? Can we burn British flags? Or will someone say it's not 1776 any longer and to get a life...

[tocqueville]

9. Bob Dylan was arrested in the UK recently

just for being "strange". He dedicated some vinyls to the female cop. She didn't know what vinyls were...

[Deja Q]

13. Oops. I thought that was in California... Like I keep up with him anyway...

I'll have to read up on it before saying anything further...

[pitohui]

17. no BOTH incidents were in new jersey, dylan in long branch, nj

not familiar w. that area but apparently the locals saw a wandering older white dude in a primarily hispanic neighborhood and thought "drug seller/user/homeless bum" so phoned him in

it was in new jersey

as is newark airport, where khan was detained

[pitohui]

7. my husband's name is on the list and he gets detained all the time

so fucking what? apparently this guy is so freaking special because he's an actor

what's OK for us regular folks is not OK because he's an actor who is "beloved?"

fuck that

i believe in equality, and if my husband has to endure this treatment for having a common name, sorry, this dude should be treated the same even if he IS rich and famous

i have no use for rich and famous fucktards who think they should be treated differently from the rest of us

if the actor was using his influence to say this is wrong for EVERYONE who has a common name, but he isn't, he's saying he's special because he's from india and he holds out the threat of influencing foreign relations and creating an internat'l incident -- in other words, it's all about HIM, his common name should be removed from the list, my husband's common name can stay on the list because he's not a big important fucking actor

[snagglepuss]

48. I sooooo agree with you. nt

[Ian David]

8. Contrast and compare: Khan vs Dylan

Actor's US 'detention' prompts outrage in India
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_india_bollywood_star_outrage



Police 'did not recognise Dylan'

A young policewoman who picked up a "suspicious" man failed to recognise him as music legend Bob Dylan, it has emerged.

<snip>

When he was unable to produce any identification, Dylan was driven to his hotel where staff were able to vouch for him.

Long Branch resident, business administrator Howard Woolley, said: "I don't think she was familiar with his entire body of work."

More:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8203110.stm



When reached for comment, the TSA officer who detained Shah Rukh Khan had this to say:

KHAN!!!!

[pitohui]

10. yeah, dylan's detention was more severe, as he was actually put in the cop car

meanwhile the guy stopped for having a common name was given what everybody gets in that situation based on my husband's treatment, the search, the computer background check, the detention at the airport and you can't get on your next flight or leave until it works thru the system (which for some reason can't be done instantly even if you've been cleared for the same reason on previous flights) -- it isn't like the dude was cuffed and driven off somewhere in a cop car ala bob dylan

and yet bob dylan is not freaking the fuck out, he's over it

my husband isn't happy, but all i can tell you is, don't give yourself a common name ifyou're an actor and if you're a parent don't give your kid a common name, because customs/TSA is NOT fixing this issue, once your name is on the list, you can't seem to get it off unless you're "special" like this actor who has no idea the inconvenience faced by the rest of the people w. common names

if an american flag was burned every time my husband was detained there wouldn't be too many left right about now

criminals are going to use common names for their aliases, so if you have a common name, sooner or later it will end up on the list, it's a bad situation but this guy is NOT fucking special

[Ian David]

12. Trouble started when Khan started dancing and singing across the airport during questioning.

I would say Dylan got the BETTER treatment though.

He was driven to a hotel and vouched for, rather than being detained in the police station over night.

Imagine if Khan had been "casing" a development without I.D. on him?

[pitohui]

15. i guess you've never been "helpfully" picked up and driven somewhere by a cop

that is not my idea of "better" treatment, thank you -- it's the precursor to a shakedown, investigation, or a beating

khan was at newark airport, the chances of him arriving there from india or anywhere without ID are virtually nil

you are supposed to be able to actually walk around new jersey without being interrogated, once you have passed through customs and are strolling about the towns

i've been to new jersey and a cop picking me off the street and driving me around to get someone to "vouch" for me -- well, i had that happen in texas once, and i'm sure it isn't any prettier in new jersey


the cop planned to take him to jail immediately after nailing down and proving him a liar, the cop just got called on it because guess what dylan is who he said

[Ian David]

19. I once had a cop drive me to the car dealership when I locked myself out of my van.

That was when I was 17, and still did things like that.

Anyway, I still think being driven to someone who can vouch for you is preferable to being handcuffed and detained and given one phonecall to ask someone to come to the police station to vouch for you.

But you make a good point- you SHOULD be able to walk around where ever you want (aside from, say, a secure government facility) without being asked, "Ihre Papieren, bitte."

[Deja Q]

14. Seconded. What the fuck is the problem with today's young adults? "DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM!!!" is

their credo.

The narcissism and why the media promotes it so heavily is ridiculous.

Oh, I also looked up my name and there's a uber-left-wing author of the same name, a VP from Microsoft, and a host of other sorts from all walks of life. No doubt every single one of them gets to deal with the TSA from time to time.

Count me in agreement; celebs and their SHEEP-LIKE FOLLOWERS need to get over themselves.

[mule_train]

18. That's odd, I though India was super 'pro-American'

and that's why we need to let in 100s of thousands of them into our job market every year

they're pro-American at least until one of their countrymen get an hour delay at an airport

then, American flags go up in flames all over India

[tocqueville]

23. expect wrath in form of a GENESIS device...

hidden in a mango

[OhioChick]

26. No shit. n/t

[snagglepuss]

50. Ouch. nt

[valerief]

20. Maybe India will stop taking our outsourced jobs now.

Or stop sending H1Bs.
:scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:

[jakeXT]

21. I didn't hear about the Catherine Stevens -> Cat Stevens ->Yusuf Islam -> donations to a group thing

Airlines Set to Ask More of Passengers
Government Says Extra Information Will Prevent Watch-List Mismatches TOOLBOX

By Spencer S. Hsu
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 13, 2009


U.S. airlines on Saturday will begin asking travelers to provide their birth date and sex for the first time under a new aviation security requirement, federal officials said Wednesday.

The change comes as the Department of Homeland Security takes over responsibility for checking airline passenger names against government watch lists. The additional personal information, which airlines will forward to the Transportation Security Administration, is expected to cut down on cases of mistaken identity, in which people with names similar to those on terrorist watch lists are erroneously barred or delayed from flights.

...

The wife of former senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), Catherine, was stopped after a computer flagged her name because of its similarity to "Cat Stevens," the pop singer who converted to Islam and took the name Yusuf Islam. The government said it placed him on the no-fly list out of concern over his donations to groups that it said might have terrorist ties.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/12/AR2009081203000.html?hpid=topnews


And all beause of a false flag in NY & DC

[UndertheOcean]

22. Security based on common names , is rather stupid , dare I say even retarded.

There must be a better way than harassing people

[sledgehammer]

41. I don't think they just use last names

Khan is a name like Jones or Smith - extremely common.

If they just used last names, then you'd have to hire thousands of more officers to keep up with the questioning.

There's a combination of factors that brings up a "hit" on the officers' screens e.g. name, itinerary for current trip, countries visited prior to this trip, length of gaps since last visit to the US, similarity with names on any lists, etc. Still, these checks are probably mostly useless.

My bro is a US citizen since birth. He spent his entire college/university years here, then came back about a decade ago to live permanently. He was traveling for work from the US to Mexico, and was brought in for questioning for no reason whatsoever (he travels internationally around once a year, and had been to Mexico a couple of times already). They talked to him for an hour, figured out he wasn't some terrorist, and eventually let him go. They said they put a note in his file so that he won't be stopped again like this. They were polite, my brother was compliant, and life went on.

Many of my friends (most of them US citizens) have also been stopped/detained for no reason whatsoever. Some for upto 4-5 hours. A friend of mine was stopped for 5 hours at Atlanta airport, but his wife/kids were free to leave.

It's not fun, but it happens to lots of people everyday.

[BunkerHill24]

24. This seems to be a pattern with Indian muslims

U.S. airline irks India by frisking ex-president
updated 10:56 a.m. EDT, Tue July 21, 2009

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- Indian authorities Tuesday filed a police complaint against Continental Airlines for frisking a former president of the country as he was to travel to New York in April.
Civil aviation officials in New Delhi accused Continental of gross violation of Indian security rules that prohibit pre-embarkation body checks on certain dignitaries like a former president.

The police complaint followed a probe that had established that APJ Abdul Kalam was subject to frisking before he boarded a flight from New Delhi to New York on April 21, the Indian civil aviation ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also alleged the airline did not respond to its show-cause notice in connection with Kalam's body checks.

In its police complaint, Indian civil aviation authorities accused the airline staff of "willful violation" of their directions on exemptions from pre-embarkation frisking.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/07/21/india.continental.frisking/

[Submariner]

25. If you want to land in my country asshole

then get used to the body search. Now Mr. ex-President, take your shoes and belt off, walk through the scanner, and STFU!

[Vehl]

31. The Frisking of the Ex-Indian president happend in India, where Indian laws apply

It would be great if you could get your facts right before penning such offensive posts :)


US laws do not apply in India and vice versa. The only place any country has jurisdiction outside its borders is within the premises of its embassies. This does not extend to planes sitting in foreighn airports. Any plane/ship that touches down on a foreign country is subject to its laws and regulations.


The Ex-Indian president was frisked while boarding the continental Airways flight in India. The Indian laws stipulate that such people are exempt from body searches. hence the onus was on continental to follow the law...they messed up and that is why they apologized. furthermore, contrary to what you might have thought, the complaint was not lodged by the ex president, but by Indian security officials.

U.S. airline apologizes for frisking ex-president
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/07/22/india.continental.frisking/


To compare that event, to this current event of an Indian actor being frisked/checked in American jurisdiction is akin to comparing apples and oranges...to say the least. I do not have any issue with the Indian actor being frisked in America, but i do have with the former.


its a good habit to read up on the issue before posting one's views on it :)

[Submariner]

33. The Frisking of the Ex-Indian president happend in Indian soil, where Indian laws apply

No sh*t Sherlock! I read that too.

BUT the plane was to land in New York, so it would be prudent to search individuals BEFORE departing for and landing in the U.S., and if that offends his political sensitivities, then tough sh*t for him.

[sledgehammer]

34. There is something called respect

Which you obviously lack. But let me educate you.

In airports across the world there are lists of people who, based on their position/reputation/etc, are normally granted an exemption from security. These are usually ex-Presidents, Prime Ministers, etc. Advance notification is given to the airlines.

President Kalam was on this list and, therefore, the airlines should have exempted him from the full search that everyone goes through. What Continental Airlines did was against India's rules, and that's why the Ministry investigated it. Continental needs to respect those rules. If they can't, then they shouldn't fly to India.

Ex-US presidents/secretaries fly all around the world. They are always exempted from security/immigration lines, whether in the US or in the other country. It's a matter of mutual respect.

As for Shahrukh Khan, I don't see his detention as that big a deal. Thousands of people go through it everyday. He was not harassed, the agents were not apparently rude, nor were any accusations made against him. I say big deal. If he was that important, then a representative of the Indian Consulate in NYC should have given the airport advance notice.

I think he is hyping it a bit more because of his upcoming movie which is, coincidentally, about being racially profiled in the US for being Muslim!

Here's some info about the movie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Name_Is_Khan

[TuxedoKat]

47. Now that you said that, it makes me wonder

if this wasn't a publicity stunt for his movie, because of the subject matter. Normally when
celebrities fly they have VIP service to check them in, escort them through security, etc.

I'm sorry he felt he got bad treatment though, I like SK and have always enjoyed his movies.

[Vehl]

36. you do know what the word "LAW" means right?

you almost sound like bush...to hell with the law of other countries!


It IS prudent to search Before it leaves, no doubt about it. BUT if that is ILLEGAL then its NOT prudent :)
I'm sure that he can be frisked while above international waters after it leaves indian airspace(lol if you really want to split hairs) or, more sensibly, make arrangements with the indian Equivalent of the TSA/FAA to have such a search conducted on indian soil

this has nothing to do with political sensitivities and EVERYTHING to do with the LAWS of nations. If you have trouble differentiating the two, I'm sorry i cant do anything about it.

and pls...knock the patronizing tone off...it seems lame when you are missing the point by a mile :)

[InfiniteThoughts]

54. so ..

so, i assume you are OK with Bill Clinton, Bush father & son, Jimmy Carter getting a physical check ...

[MetaTrope]

27. Not one respondent so far seems to know who Shahrukh Khan is?

He's the biggest star in India...

[BOG PERSON]

51. Bollywood movies are popular in much of the "Muslim world" too.

For example, Amitabh Bachchan is huge in Egypt.

[snagglepuss]

52. Just like few would know the bigggest star in China, Indonesia, Russia etc

Me included.

[greiner3]

30. I say a big;

FUCK YOU to anyone who posts on this site that does not have the outrage, anymore, over the wrongful incarceration of anyone. Fuck you!

Go back to voting republican. I for one do not want your vote. Seems that the republicans don't want it either. That's it, form your own party, the FUCK ME PARTY!

[ChromeFoundry]

37. So this has now jumped from questioned and frisked, to detained, to incarcerated...

by tomorrow, he will have bee arrested and beaten... so the next time you are randomly selected for a security spot-check while boarding a plane in a foreign land (where they do not have instantaneous access to your credentials), we should all jump up and down and burn the nations flag???

I mean after all, you are "GREINER3"!!! They should know better than to inconvenience YOU for a time measured in minutes, while trying to ensure that their airways are safe... Very obvious that you did not lose any family members or friends in one of the many hijackings not too long ago.

Did this actor miss his plane? Did they perform a body cavity search? Did they handcuff him?
Just curious, which of his rights were actually violated? I'm all ears.

[sledgehammer]

35. Wanna know what Shahrukh Khan's next movie is about?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Name_Is_Khan

[mackerel]

39. Don't piss off Ballywood...largest film industry in the world.

[sledgehammer]

43. Bollywood. n/t

[Wizard777]

40. No way this is a publicity stunt for the movie?

:shrug:

Hey I have an idea. Maybe India should search every American and wave every Pakistani through no problems. Just a thought. It's probably evil too.

[Beartracks]

44. "tweeted her outrage" just sounds funny! n/t

[JI7]

46. He is Muslim

that's why he was detained.

[BOG PERSON]

49. That's cool

If alleged mistreatment of a Muslim who's had a very inoffensive acting career unites Indian people who probably need a hobby I wouldn't call that a total waste of energy.

[MetaTrope]

55. Coincidentally, a news item from last December

Muslim cast and crew members of My Name Is Khan denied US visas

After wrapping up the publicity and promotional drive for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Shah Rukh Khan has embarked along with good friend Karan Johar to Los Angeles for the shooting of his next film My Name Is Khan. The film re-unites the super-hit jodi of SRK and Kajol after a hiatus of nearly 7 years (they were last seen in Karan Johar's Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham in 2001).

However, even before shooting could commence, the unit of My Name Is Khan has been hit by a roadblock. Some Muslim members from the cast and crew of the film have been denied US visas. Among these include SRK's personal staff and also actor Aamir Bashir, who was last seen in A Wednesday.

[Sultana]

56. Whatever Biatches....!