Thursday, August 20, 2009

Outrage In India Over Actor's U.S. Detention

Protests in India

India is outraged over U.S. Homeland Security detaining one of their most famous actors, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, in New Jersey, during a visit to America. He was in the United States to promote a film about the racial profiling of Muslims and became victim to it himself.

His name was placed on the terror watch list, in spite of the fact he is known to several hundred million people. Once again, the FBI and Homeland Security face severe embarrassment over a poorly compiled terrorist watch list that at one point even contained the name of U.S. Senator, Ted Kennedy.

It is an embarrassment to national security that these errors by federal law enforcement continue, as it is logical to reason, if the wrong names are getting on the list, senselessly clogging it up, intel is poor and the right names, the real terrorists, are not getting on the list in a timely manner.

Actor's US 'detention' prompts outrage in India

By NIRMALA GEORGE (AP) – 14 hours ago - 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.

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.

The story was front-page news in India, where the ability to avoid being frisked at airports is seen as a status symbol. Politicians, sports celebrities and film stars often claim VIP status to avoid security checks...

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