In case you have been living under the proverbial rock, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan (SRK), was detained at an U.S. airport. [CNN-IBN]

Contrary to popular reports, SRK was not held hostage by a fan masquerading as airport security who was smitten by his six-pack.

The actor said he was told he had a “common name” and hence the questioning was required.
“It was in Newark where I was detained for questioning. It was because they said my name was common to some name that popped up on the computer. They were asking me silly questions like if I knew someone in the US who could vouch for me, if I could give them numbers of people they could get in touch with,” he said.

The controversy on ethnic stereotyping based on names and skin tones at U.S. airports is not uncommon news. There are those who have claim to having experienced it, those who deny it happens and those who insist it’s essential for national security. It’s a free nation and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but, in an ethnically diverse society like the U.S. with a President whose middle name is Hussein, if Muslim sounding names are the criteria we use to identify terrorists, then unfortunately we have a long way to go.

Khan is understandably not happy about the ordeal mirrored in his reaction and remarks. What is annoying is the media coverage and political traction this issue is receiving. SRK was detained for a grand total of 66 minutes but the fallout from this incident has reached beyond U.S. shores with politicians in India getting involved. [TOI]

Home minister P Chidambram on Monday said the Americans had “overdone it” by detaining Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan for two hours at Newark airport in New Jersey, for questioning. “Had it been for ten minutes or even twenty minutes (of detention for questioning), one can understand it. But one fails to understand how could they hold him for two long hours?”

Reacting to the incident, civil aviation minister Praful Patel on Sunday said that the government will take up the issue with the US government at its highest level. “We will take the issue with the United States government strongly. Such incidents involving Indians due to their religion or nationality should not happen. We will not accept it,” said Patel.

To quote my thoughts on this sycophantic tendency of the Indian media and politicians, from a different post on the same issue:

To this day, there has been very little coverage of ethnic stereotyping encountered by regular Indian passengers, Muslims or otherwise, at US airports. The fact that the Indian media chooses to report it only when a celebrity is subject to the same is not lost on us.

Ditto for politicians. In other words, unless it happens to an Indian VIP or celebrity, it never happened.

My personal experience on this issue is mixed. For a couple of years following 9/11, I was “randomly checked” at every single U.S. airport I passed through. However, a few years back I escaped unscathed where a high-profile gubernatorial candidate was frisked.

What do you think? Is the media and political coverage on this incident warranted? Does ethnic stereotyping at airports take place? Is it a necessity or a nuisance? Have you ever experienced it?

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