Shahid Malik detained with two other Muslims at US airport

repub Mon Oct 29, 2007 at 12:05:21 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

From the Independent.

Britain's first Muslim Minister has described his disappointment after he was detained at a US airport, where his hand luggage was analysed for traces of explosive materials.



Shahid Malik, MP for Dewsbury and International Development Minister, was returning to Heathrow after a series of meetings and talks on tackling terrorism, when he was stopped at Dulles Airport in Washington DC yesterday morning.

He was searched and detained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) - the same department whose representatives he had been meeting on his visit to the country.

Mr Malik said yesterday: "After a few minutes a couple of other people were also taken to one side. We were all Muslims - the other two were black Muslims, both with Muslim names."

Mr Malik said he was particularly annoyed as a similar thing happened to him last year, when he was detained for an hour at JFK airport in New York by the DHS.

This was despite the fact he was a keynote speaker at an event organised by the department, alongside the FBI and Muslim organisations in New York.

The theme of that speech was tackling extremism and defeating terrorism.

Mr Malik said he received numerous apologies and assurances from the USA authorities after that incident.

After his detention yesterday, which lasted about 40 minutes, he said: "I am deeply disappointed.

"The abusive attitude I endured last November I forgot about and I forgave but I really do believe that British Ministers and Parliamentarians should be afforded the same respect and dignity at USA airports that we would bestow upon our colleagues in the Senate and Congress.

"Obviously, there was no malice involved but it has to be said that the USA system does not inspire confidence."



tags: , , (all tags)

Display: Sort:
Shahid Malik detained with two other Muslims at US airport | 23 comments (23 topical)

Re: Shahid Malik detained at US airport (#1)

by rwendland on Mon Oct 29, 2007 at 12:39:21 PM GMT

Don't Ministers (and MPs) get US Class A-1 diplomatic visas? My recollection is that to searching such a visa holder is not allowed, so what happened appears to be a fairly serious diplomatic incident. Amazing incompetence (or worse) it seems by the DHS officials.


Re: Shahid Malik detained at US airport (#2)

by lastword on Mon Oct 29, 2007 at 02:54:34 PM GMT

Disgraceful.


[ Parent ]

Re: Shahid Malik detained at US airport (#3)

by rwendland on Mon Oct 29, 2007 at 03:35:14 PM GMT

I looked it up. The detention of Shahid Malik would be a breech of Article 29 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

However in very limited circumstances his personal baggage could be searched under Article 36, if there were "serious grounds for presuming" that it contained articles not for official or personal use. (Though papers and correspondence and may remain "inviolable" under Article 30.)

So there may be some wiggle room for the DHS if they claim they weren't detaining him, merely being slow about arranging a search. However in poltical terms the US will be back-peddling furiously if they thought we might do the same to Senators travelling through Heathrow! 


[ Parent ]

Re: Shahid Malik detained at US airport (#4)

by swatantra on Mon Oct 29, 2007 at 04:12:58 PM GMT

Congress has elected its first Muslim Representative. The Muslim community in the States have managed to keep on good terms with the rest of the diverse communities in America during very difficult times. Which is more than can be said of them, here. Perhaps we could learn from them why?


[ Parent ]

Re: Shahid Malik detained at US airport (#5)

by repub on Mon Oct 29, 2007 at 05:13:28 PM GMT

Unless I'm reading Swatantra's comments mistakenly it seems outrageous to suggest that the British Muslim community is not on good terms with the rest of the diverse communities in this country...

Don't get sucked in by Nick Cohen and the blinkered bloggers at Harry's Place. How can you tar a whole community like that?


[ Parent ]

Re: Shahid Malik detained at US airport (#8)

by swatantra on Mon Oct 29, 2007 at 06:11:11 PM GMT

Nick who? and Harry's what? Never heard of them. I only go by what my eyes and ears tell me.


[ Parent ]

Re: Shahid Malik detained at US airport (#9)

by AlanJi on Mon Oct 29, 2007 at 09:42:02 PM GMT

I've just looked at CNN, CBS and Fox News websites. Not a mention of this incident. So I'll ask the people I know in the USA if they have read it anywhere.


[ Parent ]

Re: Shahid Malik detained at US airport (#17)

by TonyH on Tue Oct 30, 2007 at 08:07:59 PM GMT

It was covered on MSNBC. Keith Olbermann's show "Countdown" featured the DHS as part of his Worst person in the world section. You can see video on MSNBC website. Incidentally. I have just come back from USA and Canada and was worried about long delays, ignorant border police and being made to feel unwelcome. I was completely wrong. On both borders they were efficient, friendly and pleasant.


[ Parent ]

Re: Shahid Malik detained at US airport (#18)

by swatantra on Tue Oct 30, 2007 at 10:05:46 PM GMT

Ah, but which ethnic category would you place yourself in? It makes all the difference.


[ Parent ]

Re: Shahid Malik detained at US airport (#21)

by TonyH on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 08:24:09 PM GMT

All the difference. Really? I'm Irish. Enough said.


[ Parent ]

Re: Shahid Malik detained at US airport (#22)

by swatantra on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 11:39:29 AM GMT

Would that be White' Irish or 'Black' or 'Asian Irish'?
Malik would perhaps describe himself as Asian British, and thats why he was singled out. I don't believe it could have been a random search. 


[ Parent ]

Re: Shahid Malik detained (#6)

by Jag Singh on Mon Oct 29, 2007 at 05:14:29 PM GMT

"The abusive attitude I endured last November I forgot about and I forgave but I really do believe that British Ministers and Parliamentarians should be afforded the same respect and dignity at USA airports that we would bestow upon our colleagues in the Senate and Congress."

In fact, he was afforded precisely the same amount of respect and dignity. Ask Ted Kennedy, the Senator from Massachusetts who shares his same name with an IRA terrorist - or Rep. John Lewis from Georgia.


Howler gets targited (#7)

by HOWLERMONKEY on Mon Oct 29, 2007 at 05:40:11 PM GMT

Some five years ago I travelled to the States with my new wife for a multiple destinations trip starting Chicago. Being of a swarthy and bearded description I was targeted by US immigration into and out of every airport I transited through,. including the internal flights from Phoenix to San Francisco and then back to Chicago. Obviously the computer thought that my name was made up and that I had been associating with dodgy characters. Considering the number of MPs that I was associating with then they may well have been right. (Or maybe it was because I was given a very informative tour of Chicago by a former Black Panther.)


Re: Shahid Malik (#10)

by Loz on Mon Oct 29, 2007 at 10:20:56 PM GMT

It is a shame this has happened but its not a big incident in the US.

More than likely more muslims are being stopped and searched, and it is a shame to pick on one individual community, but they are just going by what they know - at this time, most terrorists are muslims.

Ultimately, this could be a big mistake - who's to say the next muslim terrorist isn't a texan muslim convert  named Bob?

These terrorists are sneaky bastards - and the US should be better prepared.


Re: Shahid Malik (#11)

by swatantra on Mon Oct 29, 2007 at 10:30:20 PM GMT

I wouldn't call a member of HMG Shahid Malik 'a sneaky bastard' or 'a terrorist'. Not within his hearing at any rate. The fact is the Americans wouldn't recognise class even when its staring them in the face. 


[ Parent ]

Re: Shahid Malik (#12)

by Loz on Tue Oct 30, 2007 at 12:22:42 AM GMT

"I wouldn't call a member of HMG Shahid Malik 'a sneaky bastard' or 'a terrorist'

Good, because neither would I.

"The fact is the Americans wouldn't recognise class even when its staring them in the face."

No need for racist/xenophobic comments Swatantra.


[ Parent ]

Re: Shahid Malik (#13)

by lastword on Tue Oct 30, 2007 at 10:15:36 AM GMT

How is it racist to say the Americans don't have class?  Don't be so sensitive!


[ Parent ]

Re: Shahid Malik (#14)

by treborc on Tue Oct 30, 2007 at 11:42:31 AM GMT

Was he working or on a holiday or trip for himself, your classed as being a diplomat when working not just because your an MP.


[ Parent ]

Re: Shahid Malik (#15)

by Loz on Tue Oct 30, 2007 at 12:40:38 PM GMT

It certainly can be considered a racist comment.

It is an insult to a great nation - completely uncesessary.


[ Parent ]

Re: Shahid Malik detained (#16)

by jonesythered on Tue Oct 30, 2007 at 06:39:46 PM GMT

Like many, I was appalled by this story simply because it showed how many from the Muslim community are being targeted in this way.

However my sympathy for Shahid individually diminished slightly when I found him on TV shamelessly defending the Saudi dictatorship. It's a bit unfortunate that he will speak out when his own civil liberties are infringed - but acts as an apologist for a regime responsible for far worse abuses of human rights.


Re: Shahid Malik (#19)

by purelabour on Wed Oct 31, 2007 at 05:53:36 PM GMT

Does anyone stop to think the guy who searched him may be just doing his job , earning a living and may be bollocked or sacked by his superiors for not doing his job.


Re: Shahid Malik (#20)

by rwendland on Wed Oct 31, 2007 at 07:30:53 PM GMT

No, Shahid Malik would have told him he had diplomatic immunity, and had a US Class A-1 diplomatic visas to prove that. I suspect the guy didn't understand, couldn't remember, or worse ignored, his training. He caused a diplomatic incident.


[ Parent ]

Re: Shahid Malik detained at US airport (#23)

by AlanJi on Mon Nov 05, 2007 at 10:28:11 PM GMT

I met the man himself at the weekend:

publicly diplomatic
privately much more angry


Shahid Malik detained with two other Muslims at US airport | 23 comments (23 topical)