Much ado about Khan?

From ex-president Abdul Kalam Azad to Badshah Shah Rukh Khan, many Indian Muslims have fallen prey to the US authorities’ paranoia. Are we a victim of religious and racial discrimination or are they simply following procedures? Speak Up asks Mumbaikars.

It’s less about being Muslim than being Indian
I don't know whether to term it religious profiling or Asian profiling. They always tend to treat Indians like this. Bias against a community, especially Muslims, has increased after 9/11. But being racial towards Indians is something that has been going on for a very long time.

Forget about the US, even in Europe, Indians are made to step aside for questioning. I think that the officer who detained Shah Rukh Khan must have been a jerk. He must have had a bad day and probably took it all out on him. Disciplinary action must be taken against that particular officer. It is not that Shah Rukh Khan was travelling for the first time to the US. He has been in and out of that country a lot of times.

Hence, we can't just all of a sudden term it racial profiling, this is an age-old practice.
We are talking about the US, but if we look into our own country, don't we too racially profile a particular community. I think it's everywhere. 

I think the only way Indians can retaliate is that all those who are flying to the US must not bathe for a week. Let them detain or check us and the terrible smell will just kill them and make them think twice. It will be a lesson for them they'll never forget.
—Prahlad Kakkar, ad man

No one deserves special treatment, then why SRK?
I don't understand why celebrities have to make such a big fuss over small issues. Every country has some security measures and everyone should abide by them. Shah Rukh Khan is also a common man in front of the law, so why should he get special treatment. The same goes for the celebrities as well as sportspersons who come to India. It is high time celebrities stop expecting special attention; it's not a big deal that he was detained and questioned for two hours. Anyone who goes to the US or any other country has to go through it.
—Niti Shah, account executive

SRK is a global icon, this  was totally uncalled for
I don't think the detaining or questing was necessary. Shah Rukh Khan is a global icon and it is doubtful that the authorities didn't recognise him. The US has been paranoid ever since the 9/11 attacks, but it is time they shed their inhibitions and treat people with respect. The reason behind SRK's detainment can be both racial as well as religious. Not only Muslims, but others too are harassed if they belong to a specific racial ethnicity. I completely agree with Ambika Soni's comment about treating US citizens the way we are being treated. High time they taste their own medicine.
—Nitin Daruka, businessman

India should learn from US and tighten security checks
I don't think it is wrong if a country frisks anybody or asks a few questions for security reasons. If we look at the larger picture, such measures are only protecting the country from terrorist threats which prevail worldwide. This is not racial discrimination. However, even India should learn a lesson or two from them—improve our security, as well as learn to treat everyone equally. It has been highlighted only because Shah Rukh Khan is a big star but I think it is a normal procedure. There is no need to create a hype about this issue.
—Sunder Rajdeep, professor

We should treat US citizens in the same manner
I think it was not fair to detain Shah Rukh Khan at a US airport because he is a very well known personality. And such a famous celebrity should be treated with due respect even abroad. Do we treat their celebrities like this? Many Hollywood actors have come to India and they have been treated like royalty. Therefore, it is absolutely unreasonable when our celebrities or politicians are treated like this. We should adopt the same procedures and behaviour towards them too and no longer be tolerant towards all this.
—Mahima Sahni, marketing manager

It is a routine procedure, everyone goes through it
Being in the aviation industry and having observed these VIPs, I know that it is just a routine check up and not meant to humiliate Shah Rukh Khan or anyone. This is all for safety purposes. I can understand he is a global figure and he felt humiliated. But keeping in mind the terrorist attacks and attempts in the past few years, it is but natural for the US to take such measures. I don't remember it being a big issue when our former president APJ Kalam was frisked. Kalam didn't make such a big deal about it, when, in fact, he was entitled to.
—Adarsh Ajaykumar, trainee pilot

We expect some respect and dignity from them
This is not acceptable. That a person who is an international icon was detained for two hours is beyond humiliation for Shah Rukh Khan as well as the country. Moreover, this is not the first time that SRK was going to the US, so how can they make such a mistake? Even in India, the US airport agency frisked former president Abdul Kalam Azad. They should have a record of important persons like him to prevent such incidents. When Hillary Clinton came to India we treated her like a goddess. So what is wrong if we expect the same from Americans too? This is racial discrimination against Indians and Muslims too.
—Nasir Engineer, student

Shah Rukh shouldn't have made a big issue out of it
I think it’s pretty normal because the concerned authorities at the airport might have not known who Shah Rukh Khan is. Also, they were just following the procedure and doing their duty. Many innocent people have been judged by their name and have to face similar situations, so why give SRK so much importance? At the end of the day, he is an Indian going to the US. Therefore, even he had to go through the same procedures like anyone else. He should have just followed the procedure and not made such a big issue about it.
—Aditya Naik, student

All Muslims cannot be labelled as terrorists
It is absolutely wrong when person is detained because he is from the Muslim community. The American authorities should stop looking at others suspiciously. If a person like Shah Rukh Khan has gone through such disgrace, then what will be happen to a common man who is a Muslim. I agree that countries have to follow some security procedures but this is not the correct way to control terrorism or crime. People who kill other human beings cannot lead to the entire community being stereotyped. Terrorists can belong to any religion. 
 —Luiza Lobo, businesswoman