Shahrukh Khan
Photo: AFP
It is indeed shocking to know that Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan was detained for about two hours early at New York airport in the US because his surname featured on the most common list. The actor, who is visiting the US to attend a South Asian event where he was the guest of honour was released after Congress MP Rajiv Shukla spoke to the authorities in the US and the Indian consulate. The actor was detained after his name flashed on the computer. He was asked several questions about the purpose of his visit. His hand baggage was checked. He was not allowed to even make a phone call for nearly an hour. The actor tried his best but he could not convince the immigration officers. This was not the first incident of a Muslim being harassed by the US immigration officers. Previously former president of India APJ Abdul Kalam was also harassed in the same fashion. It is really unfair to judge Muslims in this way. 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 American authorities should adopt a methodology so that well-known people like Shahrukh Khan and APJ Abdul Kalam are not harassed like this in future. They should focus on getting the actual suspects, rather than harassing innocent people.
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