Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan held at Newark Airport; claims racial profiling due to Muslim name

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who plays a Muslim mistaken for a terrorist in his latest film, says he was racially profiled at Newark Airport and detained for two hours on Friday. The 43-year-old "Tom Cruise of India" - cited last year by Newsweek as one of the world's 50 most influential men - was released only after Indian diplomats intervened. "I was really being hassled, perhaps because of my name being Khan," the international box office sensation charged Saturday in a text message to reporters. "These guys wouldn't let me through." Khan, who has appeared in more than 70 films, said he was waiting for his luggage Friday when his name popped up on a computer alert list. Security then pulled him aside. "Absolutely uncalled for, I think," Khan said. "I felt angry and humiliated." Khan said he endured two hours of interrogation before he was allowed to call the Indian embassy in Washington. An official there vouched for the star, who was then released. "I was really taken aback," Khan told an Indian television station. "I did not want to say anything just in case they took everything wrong, because I am a little worried about Americans because they do have this issue when your name is Muslim." Officials at U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not answer multiple inquiries Saturday about the case. The actor insisted he had all the proper paperwork when he was brought to a detention room at the New Jersey airport. But, he said, Khan "is a Muslim name, and I think the name is common on their checklist." New Dehli-based U.S. Ambassador Timothy Roemer said officials were trying to "ascertain the facts of the case." "Shah Rukh Khan, the actor and global icon, is a very welcome guest in the United States," Roemer said Saturday. "Many Americans love his films." But there were no Bollywood buffs in Newark as Khan came through the airport on his way to Chicago for a celebration of India's independence day. "I told them I am a movie star," Khan said - although the line fell on deaf ears. He recently signed a deal with Fox Star Studios to finance and distribute his new movie, "My Name is Khan" - the story of a Muslim man mistaken for a terrorist in post-9/11 America. The incident caused outrage in his homeland, where the Khan-troversy dominated television news. Last month, Continental Airlines apologized to former Indian President Abdul Kalam for frisking him at New Delhi's airport.

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• due
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• Muslim
• name

[jattrocks1987]

his net worh is 350 million dollars and ne has 2 to 3 billion fans he is bigger than tom cruise

[lahij]

AMERICA ALWAY FRIGHT ISLAM, WHY?

[combatsambonyc]

Way to get India on board for a war with Iran which will no doubt draw a China and Russian response. LOL.

[SonnyTrill]

@kaminoneh no full british as in my whole generation is british..

listen dude SRK's 'sh-sh-shaky' acting contains more talent than you have in anything. however, i'm not going to stoop down to your level and hate on Hrithik, because that would be too easy.. i agree with you that Hrithik is also talented, they both are.. in fact SRK and Hrithik are 2 of my fav actors in the bollywood industry. but i don't agree that SRK's acting is shaky.. watch chak de, don, mnik, ra.one etc.. what shakiness?

[kaminoneh]

@SonnyTrill

HAHAH full British as a British born paki? lol

No dude. SRk and his sh-sh-sh-aky acting is no where close to Hrithik Roshan's talents.

[SonnyTrill]

@kaminoneh i'm full british and SRK is far more talented then anyone you know

[SonnyTrill]

@bhapegandu because actors like salman can only do comedies and action movies. they don't make films that actually have a meaning.. by the way, my name is khan was made after this incident.

[SonnyTrill]

@Minku15 i'm British and i know shahrukh.. people in france, germany, morocco, africa, america.. everyone knows him

[SonnyTrill]

@celph414 yes.. 'Khan' originated from the Mongol Empire and its subjects and was thereafter historically granted to Muslim rulers.. i don't think there is anyone in the world who has the surname 'Khan' and is non-muslim. Also, it is a Pathani (a specific caste) name.

[celph414]

khan is a muslim name?

[MrIndoCanadian]

Fuck SRK.

[mediawatchable]

@jattrocks1987 In West you could be playing in Billion of dollars and next day you could be homless if you are not a right person, so billions necessary does not count if you are a Bad person.