|
Sandip Roy
Sandip Roy is an editor with New America Media and host of its radio show New America Now on KALW 91.7 FM.
Bollywood’s biggest star was detained for over an hour, maybe two, over the weekend at Newark International Airport. He says it’s because his name is Khan. The officials say its because his baggage hadn’t arrived. They say there were following protocol. He says the protocol needs to a little more “warm and speedy.” Shah Rukh Khan, welcome to America. Soon after 9/11, Indian-Canadian writer Rohinton Mistry called off his Indian tour after he was stopped at almost every single airport. His full beard was apparently triggering off alarm bells in a jittery America. As he put it , he was worn out by “the 100 percent frequency of the so-called random checks at the airports.” But Mistry is not a Bollywood mega star. No American flags were burned. The blogsphere didn’t buzz with anger. The Home Minister didn’t issue a statement accusing the Americans of overdoing it. Mistry just went back quietly to Toronto. When I interviewed him later, he was mildly annoyed that people wanted to talk more about the “airport” incident than his book. Khan, being a star, has bounded onto the bully pulpit and seized the megaphone. He made an “arresting” spectacle in Atlantic City going on-stage in his tattered jeans (the bags still had not arrived) and apologizing to his waiting fans. He is Mr. India – his face is the one that launches a 1000 brands. No wonder India is indignant. It’s like India Inc. was suddenly stopped by US customs. Is this a man or a mango, manhandled by lowly customs officials? But as Deepa Iyer of SAALT points out in her blog about this storm in a tea cup “Mr. Khan’s incident might be gaining international attention because he is a celebrity, but the truth is that ordinary American citizens and immigrants here in the United States grapple with racial and religious profiling routinely at airports.” A recent report from the Asian Law Caucus says Muslim Americans are being increasingly targeted for unwarranted house searches and questioning especially after trips abroad. These people don’t have a billion people rooting for them around the world. They don’t have the Indian cabinet vouching for them. They don’t get the Indian consulate to intervene. What happens to them when their name pops up by mistake on a list? They disappear. Like Maher Arar who was sent to torture in Syria as a result of mistaken intelligence while in transit at JFK Airport after a family holiday in Tunisia in 2002. Shah Rukh Khan became an even bigger celebrity in India as the host of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. He’s used to “calling a friend” and he has some high profile friends in his cell phone (which he says he was not allowed to use). He is used to saying Lock kya jaaye (shall we lock it?). It must have been a rude shock to have some petty immigration official say it to him. For thousands of other people whose names are Khan the consequences of a mistaken identity are far more serious, far more damaging. Shah Rukh Khan says it made him feel like he doesn’t want to come to America again. Many of the others cannot come to America again. Some of them may even be American citizens, or long time residents, who suddenly find themselves disappearing into the black hole of the state. Tashnuba Hyder, Bangladeshi-American teenager from Queens found herself packed off to Dhaka because of chat rooms she visited on the Internet and essays she had written. And when they emerge, they can be shells of their former selves, trying to pick up the ragged edges of their lives. I don’t even know where Tashnuba Hyder is these days. Khan gets to promote his movie, incidentally also called My Name is Khan about a Muslim man in post 9/11 America! When the super rich and the super famous trip over the machinery of homeland security and criminal justice it makes news. It can even end in a beer at the White House. My colleague wondered if President Obama will now bring together Shah Rukh Khan and the head of TSA for another beer at the White House. Or perhaps this time it should be a cuppa chai? comments |
|
Indians and Americans both amaze me. I am an Indian from Delhi, my father came here and brought his family here for a better future. Like so many other Indians, he too wanted the best for his family, and he found that here in this free and prosperous country. I am appalled at Indians who have the audacity to burn the American Flag. Where is their patronage when they want the best cosmetics, best medical drugs, best education, best future with high paying jobs, etc? Why do we as Indians consistently put down America and its citizens when we want to be so much like them? Why do we as Indians treat the NRI’s as celebrities? Ask the Indians….
By Rohini • Posted on Aug 17, 09:57 PM By Rohini Hughes · Posted on Aug 18, 12:48 AMI am a patriotic Indian, it took me 30 years to give up my Indian citizenship. When I finally did a year ago, I was proud to do it. I did it to honor my father and my husband’s grandmother. If after September 11th, we as Indians have been racially profiled, then I say that this is the least I can do for both my countries. I would rather have official authorities be anal, and possibly prevent terrorist attacks, rather than think about whom they might be inconveniencing while they assist in protecting us. Should all the authorities memorize the hottest Bollywood actors and actresses so that they do not inconvenience them? Where do we draw the line? My husband is White, a citizen of US, he serves in the US Air Force as an officer, and has served two tours in Iraq. When my husband read Shah Rukh Khan’s response to all the Indians, his comment was, “What a classy and decent man to address the nation in that manner. He is quite a man to plead to the citizens of India to put it all behind them, think positively and move ahead.” Whenever I travel anywhere in the US with or without my husband, I show my military identification at the Airport and I am still singled out for extra security checks. I am never offended and neither is my family. When I was an Indian citizen, I never once called the Indian consulate for assistance to secure my exception as a US military spouse during a security check!
There is one word that all citizens of all nations need to grasp and be grateful for. “Freedom!” This one word is something that we ALL (Indians or Americans or Chinese or Lebanese or Japanese or Iraqi’s) need to appreciate more and more. Many lives have to pay for freedom, because freedom is not free, there is a price to be paid. Freedom does not know an individual by their status, rank, financial situation, gender, race, or color. My husband has never regretted serving in the US Air Force or in Iraq. Tours, that we as a family never regret serving. Yes, my daughter, my son and I, served these tours with my husband, not in Iraq but here in the US. My children served and payed the price for freedom by being separated from their father for so many months. My children missed having their fahter at graduations and so many other important events. But we as a family know the price of freedom. My husband sacrifices each day for us to have freedom, freedom that many of us take for granted each day. People cannot understand the war, yet they want it to end. Every service member wants the war to end, yet they will stand up and sacrifice their lives to keep their country and people free, even if it means war.
It is extremely immature and foolish of Indians to burn the flag and ridicule the US. India used to be a country rich of its culture, heritage, respect, and traditions. India knows the meaning of freedom, it took them years to be freed from the British. Indians were not thinking properly when they burned United States’ Flag. “I” stands for India in the U.S.’s kinetic alphabet. US recognizes, appreciates and seeks the individuals that bring them such culture, heritage, respect, and traditions with professionalism and education. Indians are the most sought after in a professional market due to their high standards in integrity, dedication, and reliability combined, with their education. Indians are one of the major contributors in the US economy, and any American will clearly admit that majority of Seven Elevens, motels, hotels, and other small businesses are all owned and managed by Indians. US is grateful for all the teachers, doctors, lawyers and especially engineers that are from India. They also are grateful for all the handicrafts that they get imported from India, they understand and recognize the quality of India’s workmanship immensely. Why do we not recognize and appreciate their gratitude? The Americans even praise us for having one of the best foods, they say that they cannot live without curries. I believe that to some extent, we as Indians are hypocrites. How can we use the US and then ridicule it at the same time? I am not stating or trying to prove the US to be the best country, it does have its flaws and weaknesses, but it also has brought many blessings to us Indians.
Let us not forget the many blessings that we receive from each country that assits us in being a proud Indian and a proud American. Let’s continue to contribute our skills and knowledge to strengthen our country of origin, in addition to the country of residency with respect, pride and dignity.
America has a history of racial discrimination, who are we kidding? Forget racial profiling against Asians, there is a constant conflict between whites and blacks even today. In a workplace with black majority, whites have no say and vice versa. Airports are just one of the many places where ethnic, racial and color discrimination takes place.
By rcollins · Posted on Aug 19, 02:41 AM