August 17, 2009
Posted: 933 GMT

MUMBAI, India - Saturday, August 15. Independence Day in India. News trickled in that one of India’s most recognizable faces and names had been detained at an international airport in the United States. Questions about individual freedom, independence, liberty, and laws of the land are still being furiously debated in India.

Shah Rukh Khan said he was detained by authorities at the Newark, New Jersey, airport.
Shah Rukh Khan said he was detained by authorities at the Newark, New Jersey, airport.

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan says he was detained by immigration officials in the U.S. for up to two hours and questioned. He says he believes it’s because of his Muslim last name, Khan.

"They kept telling me it's because my name is common and I was too polite to say, common to what?" says Khan.

U.S. officials deny the superstar was held up because of his name and say the whole process took just 66 minutes – and that too, because the airline had misplaced his bags.

Whatever the reason, the incident has kicked up a furore in India. There’s an outpouring of outrage and anger at the way an Indian VIP was treated. Ambika Soni, India's Information and Broadcasting Minister, said of the U.S.: “The way they frisk us, I say we frisk them the same way.”

Is she overreacting?

Among all the support fans are offering Khan, there are those who have little sympathy. Fellow Bollywood actor Salman Khan asks: “What’s the big deal? We all have to go through security.”

Do you agree with him? Has this whole incident been blown out of proportion? One observer said: “No-one is above the law of the land, and the U.S. officials were just doing their job.”

We’d love to know what you think. Should Shah Rukh Khan have not made such a fuss about being detained at Newark airport – or do you understand why he felt slighted?

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Filed under: India


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karamjit   September 16th, 2009 255 GMT

sharukh khan is making a big fast is just to promote his new movie"i am khan".

luigi   September 16th, 2009 1505 GMT

If they don't like it go to another country.I remember what a nightmare it was everytime I had to clear customs in Delhi or Bombay.So please........

Ang   September 16th, 2009 2142 GMT

The lack of posts on this article pretty much answers the question. What they did at the airport is standard procedure. Get over it!

abbey mike   September 17th, 2009 2332 GMT

This is united states of America he should be aware that the security procedure had changed since 2001 why is he making noise about it and no one is above the law here.

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