Sikh actor demands Mexican airline change staff behavior

[CopyBoy]

(RNS) Sikh actor and designer Waris Ahluwalia, who was kept off a flight because of his turban, is demanding that Aeromexico agree to train its security staff on religious sensitivity. And he says he will stay put in Mexico City until they do.

Ahluwalia was boarding a flight home on Monday to New York City, where he had appearances scheduled for Fashion Week, when he was told to publicly remove his turban for a security screening — even though he had not triggered a metal detector.

“I’m afraid if I leave, this will happen to someone else. I can’t in good conscience allow that,” Ahluwalia told CNN on Tuesday. “So I’m here until we can have a dialogue about training their staff and about education.”

religionnews.com/2016/02/09/sikh-actor-demands-mexican-airline-change-staff-behavior/

 

[Micosil]

This isn’t the first time Sikhs have been harassed and targeted because they’re confused with Muslims because of their generally darker skin complexion, beard and turban.

There was an unfortunate incident last year where after the Paris massacre, a Sikh’s face was mistakenly posted in a Spanish newspaper as one of the people responsible for the attack.

Lots of ignorance in the world.

 

[John_Lazarus]

A Sikh was shot dead after 9/11, mistaken for a Muslim.

More proof that bigots are not the brightest bulbs on the tree.

Side note: I would be more concerned with the kirpan than the turban. Just sayin’.

 

[WJeffrey]

How is asking him to remove his turban any different than asking him to remove his jacket? Either one can hold a weapon.

I understand the religious aspect of the turban, but it can hold a weapon. Security Screeners ask those questions to keep people safe. I always carry a rosary, and any Screener is welcome to inspect it.

The rules apply to everyone. Even famous people. If you don’t like it, there are alternative means of transportation. If you want to fly, you give up privacy rights. If you don’t like it, voice your grievances to the Islamic State.

 

[Micosil]

…

I understand the religious aspect of the turban, but it can hold a weapon. Security Screeners ask those questions to keep people safe. I always carry a rosary, and any Screener is welcome to inspect it…

Ask a Jewish man to remove his yarmulke, see what kind of PR nightmare that would be (rightly so). Would you want a bishop be forced to remove his zucchetto?

As far as a rosary is concerned, in Western culture, mostly everyone knows what a rosary is what its purpose is – things that look foreign and alien and not of the specific culture always get eyed with suspicion.

 

[Son_of_Niall]

How is asking him to remove his turban any different than asking him to remove his jacket? Either one can hold a weapon.

I understand the religious aspect of the turban, but it can hold a weapon. Security Screeners ask those questions to keep people safe. I always carry a rosary, and any Screener is welcome to inspect it.

The rules apply to everyone. Even famous people. If you don’t like it, there are alternative means of transportation. If you want to fly, you give up privacy rights. If you don’t like it, voice your grievances to the Islamic State.

Baloney.
A people who give up thier freedoms to stay ‘safe’ have neither safety nor freedom.

 

[WJeffrey]

Ask a Jewish man to remove his yarmulke, see what kind of PR nightmare that would be (rightly so). Would you want a bishop be forced to remove his zucchetto?

As far as a rosary is concerned, in Western culture, mostly everyone knows what a rosary is what its purpose is – things that look foreign and alien and not of the specific culture always get eyed with suspicion.

Micosil, I don’t have a problem with asking anyone to remove anything that an airport screener feels could be hiding a weapon. The world changed the day a group of men boarded aircraft and took over planes with box cutters flying them into buildings.

As a nation and as a world, we agreed to give up certain rights to privacy when we use air travel. Those rules apply to everybody. If you don’t like those rules, there are alternative modes of transportation that you can use that allow you to reach anywhere on earth.

That is the reality of a post 9/11 world. If you don’t like it, you are free to take it up with the Islamic State and all of the other organizations of terror. When they all agree to stop committing acts of terrorism, we can return to a pre 9/11 world.

If a airport screener tells me that I have to strip naked, I have two options. I either strip naked or I find another means of transportation. Complaining and asking for sympathy should never be an option.

I have as much sympathy for a person who refuses to vaccinate their children. Both the non vaccinator and this actor/designer are making the world less safe for the general public.

If the actor/designer wants to effectively channel his anger and disgust, it should be toward the people who created this problem. It should not be directed toward the men and women who are keeping us safe.

 

[Faith1960]

Micosil, I don’t have a problem with asking anyone to remove anything that an airport screener feels could be hiding a weapon. The world changed the day a group of men boarded aircraft and took over planes with box cutters flying them into buildings.

As a nation and as a world, we agreed to give up certain rights to privacy when we use air travel. Those rules apply to everybody. If you don’t like those rules, there are alternative modes of transportation that you can use that allow you to reach anywhere on earth.

That is the reality of a post 9/11 world. If you don’t like it, you are free to take it up with the Islamic State and all of the other organizations of terror. When they all agree to stop committing acts of terrorism, we can return to a pre 9/11 world.

If a airport screener tells me that I have to strip naked, I have two options. I either strip naked or I find another means of transportation. Complaining and asking for sympathy should never be an option.

I have as much sympathy for a person who refuses to vaccinate their children. Both the non vaccinator and this actor/designer are making the world less safe for the general public.

If the actor/designer wants to effectively channel his anger and disgust, it should be toward the people who created this problem. It should not be directed toward the men and women who are keeping us safe.

 

[Micosil]

Baloney.
A people who give up thier freedoms to stay ‘safe’ have neither safety nor freedom.

Micosil, I don’t have a problem with asking anyone to remove anything that an airport screener feels could be hiding a weapon. The world changed the day a group of men boarded aircraft and took over planes with box cutters flying them into buildings.

As a nation and as a world, we agreed to give up certain rights to privacy when we use air travel. Those rules apply to everybody. If you don’t like those rules, there are alternative modes of transportation that you can use that allow you to reach anywhere on earth.

That is the reality of a post 9/11 world. If you don’t like it, you are free to take it up with the Islamic State and all of the other organizations of terror. When they all agree to stop committing acts of terrorism, we can return to a pre 9/11 world.

If a airport screener tells me that I have to strip naked, I have two options. I either strip naked or I find another means of transportation. Complaining and asking for sympathy should never be an option.

o_0 Really? A bishop is going to be hiding a ‘weapon’ in his skullcap?

As for the tragic events of 9/11, bans on certain items were already in place before the horrific events of that fateful day.

cbsnews.com/news/boxcutters-werent-allowed-pre-9-11/

usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/news/2002/2002-11-11-box-cutters.htm

This is a very common blunder people keep walking into, pretending that 9/11 is the singular event that effectively banned these things – no.

It made security stricter and it got TSA and the Federal government involved, but these restrictions were already contemplated in the pre-9/11 aviation industry.

I have as much sympathy for a person who refuses to vaccinate their children. Both the non vaccinator and this actor/designer are making the world less safe for the general public.

I am having a hard time comparing this Sikh gentlemen to someone who through sheer stupidity/ignorance subjects their child to things like polio.

If the actor/designer wants to effectively channel his anger and disgust, it should be toward the people who created this problem. It should not be directed toward the men and women who are keeping us safe.

And Sikhs, when mistaken for Muslims and thus victims of institutionalized idiocy and discrimination generally do point out publically that, no, they are not Muslims.