Actor/Designer Waris Ahluwalia gets thrown out of plane for wearing turban

[Supersonic 49,376]

Aero Mexico reportedly did not allow a Sikh man to board their plane because of his beard and turban.

Waris Ahluwalia, who was on his way to New York Fashion Week, shared the following image of himself with his plane ticket on Instagram, with the caption #FearisanOpportunitytoEducate.

Link to Instagram

Ahluwalia, a designer and actor, made headlines in 2013 as the first Sikh man in a national Gap ad campaign and has had cameo roles in Wes Anderson films. This isn't the first time he's fallen victim to racial profiling despite his fame.

When his Gap ad ran, many of the billboards featuring Ahluwalia were vandalized with racist graffiti. The slogan for the campaign was "Make Love" but one person wrote "Make Bombs," referencing the misconception many have about Sikhs.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BZ4MZq0CUAEJHFb.jpg:large

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/actor-and-designer-waris-ahluwalia-kicked-off-plane-for-turban_us_56b8ad3ee4b04f9b57da4428?j4dq85mi

[pie-kun 1,765]

Would like to hear the airline's side of the story before I make a judgement. Given the number of people who wear turbans who fly from all over the world every single day, it would seem unusual for an airline to have such a policy and to have it go unnoticed until now. They would have to be turning away dozens of people every day at the very least. 

My suspicion is that there's more to this story than what we've been told. However, if the airline does have such a shallow, ridiculous policy, then it certainly deserves the negative publicity. 

[AlexanderLevi2 5,849]

but but.... Beyonce fans are racist towards white people!!!!!!!

 

*sarcasm*

[AnglerfishbraBENUS 5,734]

Can you change the thread title?  I ran because I thought he was literally thrown out of a plane.

[CyanLights 15,576]

5 minutes ago, pie-kun said:

Would like to hear the airline's side of the story before I make a judgement. Given the number of people who wear turbans who fly from all over the world every single day, it would seem unusual for an airline to have such a policy and to have it go unnoticed until now. They would have to be turning away dozens of people every day at the very least. 

My suspicion is that there's more to this story than what we've been told. However, if the airline does have such a shallow, ridiculous policy, then it certainly deserves the negative publicity. 

Me too, I am interested to hear what the airlines reasoning is. I have flown quite a few times and know individuals who wear turbans who also fly a lot. They  were required to either take them off for inspection or go in the large X-ray machine during security. Many times they just go to a private room in the back to remove it. However if the airline was being shallow then yeah they messed up. 

[Ayo 300]

6 minutes ago, AlexanderLevi2 said:

but but.... Beyonce fans are racist towards white people!!!!!!!

 

*sarcasm*

what does this have to do with anything

[AlexanderLevi2 5,849]

4 minutes ago, gagaboy94 said:

what does this have to do with anything

That thread had people saying "racism" towards white people was so harsh and terrible. When things like this happen daily to those in the minority.

Someone literally said "Black people are more racist than white people"

[Haroon 49,685]

The absolute idiocy  I wish people would go out there and learn things before they act. I don't agree with hate coming his way if he was Muslim either, it just adds another layer of face palm when you know that Sikhs are getting dragged into this when turbans aren't an Islamic thing

[Chuckles 2,549]

3 hours ago, thatguy said:

Me too, I am interested to hear what the airlines reasoning is. I have flown quite a few times and know individuals who wear turbans who also fly a lot. They  were required to either take them off for inspection or go in the large X-ray machine during security. Many times they just go to a private room in the back to remove it. However if the airline was being shallow then yeah they messed up. 

Agreed

As mexican myself I wouldn't like this to really explode on social media without having the other side of the story.

[Chuckles 2,549]

Reading the instagram post, it never says that the airline was the one who told him he couldn't board!

Completely misleading title, first WP I guess