Bollywood Star Detained at Newark Airport Because of Muslim Surname

Indian film star Shahrukh Khan today said he was detained for two hours at Newark airport because of his Muslim name. This even did not go unnoticed in India, where a Time of India headline blared "SRK feels the heat of American paranoia."

Regarding being detained, Shahrukh Khan told CNN-IBN network that

“Khan is a Muslim name, and I think the name is common on their checklist. I was waiting for my bags. I thought it was nice of them to take me to another room, but that was apparently a second check. I had my papers in order.”

In fact, a little looking around at Indian media shows they are outraged over Shahrukh Khan being detailed. Imagine if Brad Pitt or George Clooney were treated in the same manner, simply because of their surname, and not because their entire name came up on the computer? It might happen.

The story about Shahrukh Khan being detained has also shown exactly what much of the rest of the world feels about us. For example, one commenter at the Times of India stated anyone visiting the U.S. would relate that U.S. residents have both low IQs and minimal knowledge of the rest of the world. I'm not sure about point 1, but point 2 is certainly true, particularly in terms of historical facts.

Meanwhile, India's Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni commented on Shahrukh Khan being detained, saying that perhaps India should start frisking U.S. citizens as well.

In an effort to calm things down, the U.S. Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer tried some damage control after Shahrukh Khan was detained:

“We are trying to ascertain the facts of the case, to understand what took place. Shahrukh Khan, the actor and global icon, is a very welcome guest in the United States. Many Americans love his films.”