Actor's US 'detention' prompts outrage in India

Actor's US 'detention' prompts outrage in India

www.masslive.com

8/16/2009, 5:40 a.m. EDT
NIRMALA GEORGE
The Associated Press

(AP) — NEW DELHI - India reacted with outrage Sunday after Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan said he was detained for questioning at a U.S. airport, though 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.

Khan said he was detained Friday by U.S. immigration

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The actor is in the U.S. to promote a new film, "My Name is Khan," which is about racial profiling of Muslims after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. This just struck me as kind of funny. The guy comes to the U.S. to promote a movie about racial profiling of Muslims after 9/11, and then he gets detained by U.S. Immigration at the airport in New Jersey because his name came up on a computer list! Now I guess he knows what it's like to be a U.S. citizen. Khan seems like it would be a fairly common name in many parts of the world. I wonder what kind of "humiliating" treatment he had to go through, Besides the Airline losing his luggage! I am laughing so hard right now I can barely type. The part that kind of scares me though is that one Indian Cabinet minister suggested a "tit-for-tat" policy toward Americans traveling to India.

www.masslive.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Yea, like the airport checks haven't stopped umm ..... I don't know politicians and typical Americans! The Indians obviously only know part of the story. Starting and ending w/ Khan being detained! Not that I agree with our current airport madness, but the idea just because he is famous he should be exempt. That I got a problem with.

ya I was going to post this
It was on the news on TV all day during the weekend
every 5 seconds they would mention it

However not all actors condemned it, some say it wasn't a big deal
Many fans are saying that it's a publicity stunt for the movie

Pakistan recently decided it will be banning bollywood films, it might also try to slip through the cracks.

in conclusion..... Nothing is at it seems!

Humiliating?

The guy gets stopped and checked out.

Whats so humiliating about it? He may be a pop star over there but here...
Khan who???

I know I'll be called an "Ignorant American" Or worse but so what.

I think the humiliation part is that maybe his ego got bruised.

INDIA , get over yourselves boys and girls, I've been stopped going to the US , AND I was searched as well, and I'm white, it happens , just because he's famous ( to you only) ( I've never heard of him, mind you I don't watch Bollywood films) why should HE be given leeway , the security guards AIN'T gonna know who he is are they?

If he has a name on a computer wheres the problem , a lot of foreign nationals have the same name, and if the 9/11 bombers where white and called Smith how much of an issue would it be to you then eh?

So get over it, and move on, people get held up at the airports all the time, ( mainly due to some jobsworth trying to score brownie points with his boss) , I didn't complain I just let them get on with it. yes it could be 'upsetting' for some as they feel they were targetted for some reason or that they were being picked on by the authorities, who the f**k cares?

Only the big headed arrogant people who think they are someone special believe they were targetted when they get stopped for a search.

Edited to add.

India - next time I get a dodgy Onion Barjee from my local Indian takeaway I'll log a formal protest at the Indian Embassy and be all outraged at my treatment , after all I LOOK like Bubbaray Dudlee and I could almost be famous as I have been on TV once, alright?


[edit on 18/8/09 by DataWraith]