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| Sikh Actor Is Allowed to Fly Home to U.S. Wearing His Turban | Sikh Actor Is Allowed to Fly Home to U.S. Wearing His Turban |
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| A well-known Sikh American actor, Waris Ahluwalia, who was not allowed to board an airplane in Mexico City because he refused to remove his turban during a security check, flew home to the United States on Wednesday, ending a two-day standoff with Aeroméxico. | A well-known Sikh American actor, Waris Ahluwalia, who was not allowed to board an airplane in Mexico City because he refused to remove his turban during a security check, flew home to the United States on Wednesday, ending a two-day standoff with Aeroméxico. |
| Mr. Ahluwalia, who is also a jewelry designer and a social activist, was not asked to remove his turban on Wednesday during a security check before his flight, said Harsimran Kaur, the legal director for the Sikh Coalition, a civil-rights group. “He told us that the check was smooth,” she said in a telephone interview. “We understand he was not asked to remove his turban.” | Mr. Ahluwalia, who is also a jewelry designer and a social activist, was not asked to remove his turban on Wednesday during a security check before his flight, said Harsimran Kaur, the legal director for the Sikh Coalition, a civil-rights group. “He told us that the check was smooth,” she said in a telephone interview. “We understand he was not asked to remove his turban.” |
| On Tuesday, Aeroméxico said in a statement it had apologized to Mr. Ahluwalia: “This incident inspires us to make sure that our safety personnel strengthens its customer service protocols, with full respect for the cultural and religious values of our customers.” The airline has agreed to initiate staff training about how to deal with passengers wearing religious head coverings, Ms. Kaur said. | On Tuesday, Aeroméxico said in a statement it had apologized to Mr. Ahluwalia: “This incident inspires us to make sure that our safety personnel strengthens its customer service protocols, with full respect for the cultural and religious values of our customers.” The airline has agreed to initiate staff training about how to deal with passengers wearing religious head coverings, Ms. Kaur said. |
| Mr. Ahluwalia was not immediately available for comment on his flight back home to New York. On Wednesday morning, he posted a photograph of himself inside an aircraft with his arms around the shoulders of what appeared to be two Aeroméxico pilots. | Mr. Ahluwalia was not immediately available for comment on his flight back home to New York. On Wednesday morning, he posted a photograph of himself inside an aircraft with his arms around the shoulders of what appeared to be two Aeroméxico pilots. |
| “Heading home this morning,” he wrote. “Thank you @aeromexico for understanding the importance of religious and cultural tolerance. I am happy we were able to work together to come up with a resolution.” | “Heading home this morning,” he wrote. “Thank you @aeromexico for understanding the importance of religious and cultural tolerance. I am happy we were able to work together to come up with a resolution.” |
| Mr. Ahluwalia, 41, was born in India but grew up in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and lives in Manhattan. He was recently nominated for best supporting actor by the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards for his role in a Canadian thriller, “Beeba Boys.” He also had roles in films directed by Wes Anderson, “The Darjeeling Limited” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” and in Spike Lee’s “Inside Man,” in which he played a character who was forced to remove his turban. He is also known for his House of Waris jewelry line and other design work, and had said on social media he was eager to get back to New York for Fashion Week. | Mr. Ahluwalia, 41, was born in India but grew up in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and lives in Manhattan. He was recently nominated for best supporting actor by the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards for his role in a Canadian thriller, “Beeba Boys.” He also had roles in films directed by Wes Anderson, “The Darjeeling Limited” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” and in Spike Lee’s “Inside Man,” in which he played a character who was forced to remove his turban. He is also known for his House of Waris jewelry line and other design work, and had said on social media he was eager to get back to New York for Fashion Week. |
| He was in Mexico City to attend an art fair and had intended to fly home on Monday. But when he went to the city’s international airport at about 5:30 a.m. to board his flight, his first-class boarding pass was marked with a code that meant he needed secondary security screening. | He was in Mexico City to attend an art fair and had intended to fly home on Monday. But when he went to the city’s international airport at about 5:30 a.m. to board his flight, his first-class boarding pass was marked with a code that meant he needed secondary security screening. |
| At the boarding gate, Mr. Ahluwalia said during a telephone interview on Monday, attendants told him he needed to wait for other passengers to board. After they did, he was searched and patted down. | At the boarding gate, Mr. Ahluwalia said during a telephone interview on Monday, attendants told him he needed to wait for other passengers to board. After they did, he was searched and patted down. |
| Then, he said, he was asked to take off his turban. He refused, and he did not offer to remove it in private, as some reports had it. For practitioners of the Sikh religion, a man’s turban and his beard are considered articles of faith, and represent equality and justice. The Sikh Coalition has documented incidents in which Sikh men have encountered bigotry and suspicion because of their distinctive appearance. | Then, he said, he was asked to take off his turban. He refused, and he did not offer to remove it in private, as some reports had it. For practitioners of the Sikh religion, a man’s turban and his beard are considered articles of faith, and represent equality and justice. The Sikh Coalition has documented incidents in which Sikh men have encountered bigotry and suspicion because of their distinctive appearance. |
| “It is a symbol of my faith,” Mr. Ahluwalia said. “It is something that I wear whenever I am in public.” | “It is a symbol of my faith,” Mr. Ahluwalia said. “It is something that I wear whenever I am in public.” |
| He was told that he would not be boarding the Aeroméxico flight and that he should fly with another carrier. But he declined to make other arrangements and decided instead to remain in Mexico City until an apology was given and the airline took steps to train its staff about the Sikh religion. | He was told that he would not be boarding the Aeroméxico flight and that he should fly with another carrier. But he declined to make other arrangements and decided instead to remain in Mexico City until an apology was given and the airline took steps to train its staff about the Sikh religion. |
| The impasse was resolved late on Tuesday when Aeroméxico told the Sikh Coalition that it had issued a directive to its staff about the religious significance of the Sikh turban, and that it planned to ask the Transportation Security Administration and the Mexican government to incorporate training about religious headwear into its airport security curriculum, Ms. Kaur said. |