Labour MP Shahid Malik is not very happy at the moment. He was detained at a US airport, and had his luggage analysed for traces of explosives.
Understandable that he should be cross. However, when I started reading the story, I was expecting the reason for his anger to be along the lines of ‘just because you have a muslim name and are travelling with other muslims, it doesn’t mean you are a terrorist.’
But no. This is his complaint:
… 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.
So is it that he has no problem with muslims being searched indiscriminately, so long as they are not ‘British Ministers or Parliamentarians’?
I wonder what his beloved constituents at Dewsbury think of that.
By the way, I am not commenting on the desirability or otherwise of muslims being searched by the American authorities. It is their country to act within as they see fit, subject to the limits of their laws. I am merely surprised at the stated reason for Shahid Malik’s annoyance.
October 30th, 2007 at 6:24 am
I seem to remember, not being a Labour MP, that certain US politicians have had difficulties with the TSA and their lists.
Ted Kennedy, Jim Cooper and this one, who clearly deserved it. Is Mr Malik suggesting that he, not on a state visit, should be treated better than they treat their elected representatives?
Also, he would have known that he was going to be “specially screened” if he had bothered to look at his boarding card (but, of course, he would have a civil servant with him to take care of menial matters.) Also, he might have realised that once you get on the list, you never get off it.