Sikh actor barred from boarding due to turban

Waris Ahluwalia, 41, an actor and jewellery designer based in Manhattan, who had been on a trip to Mexico, said he checked in at the Aeromexico counter at Mexico City’s international airport on Monday and was given his first-class boarding pass with a code that he said meant he needed secondary security screening. 

He said his feet and bag were searched and swabbed, told to remove his sweatshirt and was patted down, New York Times reported. When asked to remove his turban he refused. The airline staff reportedly said, “OK, then you are not getting on the flight.” “It is a symbol of my faith,” Ahluwalia said, explaining why he would not remove the turban. A statement released by the airline said that Ahluwalia’s screening was in compliance with Transportation Security Administration protocol and that the airline had offered him alternatives to “reach his destination as soon as possible”. 

Ahluwalia was recently nominated for best supporting actor by the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards for his role in a Canadian thriller ‘Beeba Boys’. Ahluwalia is also a social activist who has campaigned for greater awareness of the Sikh religion.