TURBAN TROUBLE FOR WARIS AHLUWALIA
Tuesday, 09/02/2016
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
CHANDIGARH: Indian-American Sikh designer Waris Ahluwalia on Tuesday claimed that he was denied boarding an AeroMexico flight bound for New York from Mexico City only because he was wearing a turban.
The New-York based designercum-actor of House of Waris fame posted his photograph with his flight ticket on photo-sharing app Instagram and claimed that he was denied boarding because he refused to remove his turban.
“This morning in Mexico City I was told I could not board my @aeromexico flight to NYC because of my turban. #FearisanOpportunitytoEducate #humanrights #dignity #lovenotfear,” Ahluwalia posted on Instagram.
A Sikh community-based organisation in the US, The Sikh Coalition, condemned the incident, calling it shameful, while several other users took to social media to support Ahluwalia.
SOCIAL MEDIA REACTS
Baljit Rihal wrote on Twitter, “#Sikh American actor Waris Ahluwalia refused access on board .@AeroMexico flight because he wears a turban.#EndHate”
On Instagram, too, many sympathised with Ahluwalia while narrating similar experiences. A user by the name of hhardevbhamra wrote, “A similar incident happened to me in Brussels a few years ago. Patience and educating worked and since then handheld metal detectors are being used at the airport. It feels terrible and is s#$%, but please use this to make things better for others.”
