When Mammootty became a suspect in New York

Though the special check at New York's John Fitzgerald Kennedy airport was a clear case of racial profiling, award-winning Malayalam superstar Mammootty does not take it personally.
Mammootty had taken a British Airways flight on April 29 to attend a series of fundraising events for his friend, attorney Stanley Kalathara, who is contesting the election for the New York City Council from District 25, which includes Jackson Heights and Corona.
At JFK airport, immigration officials delayed Mammootty's exit for almost two hours. The reason? Mammootty's real name, which appears in his passport as Muhammad Kutty Ismail.
When the immigration official saw the last name Ismail, he sent the actor to a separate room for questioning.
Mammootty has visited the US 22 times, once after the 9/11 attacks. But this was the first time he was questioned.
"Every country has its laws and systems. We too have it. We should obey those laws. I did not feel discriminated or harrassed when I was questioned at the airport," he told rediff India Abroad.
Kalathara, upset over the delay, informed the Indian consulate. But before consular officials could step in, Mammootty asked the New York immigration officials to check his Web site, which includes information and photographs of the more than 300 films he has acted in.
"Once a person is marked for questioning, it seems they need confirmation from their Washington office (before releasing them). The officials themselves forwarded details from the Web site to the Washington office and his name was immediately cleared," Kalathara said.
07/06/09 Rediff

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Categories: Airports May 2009, Foreign May 2009