It is not easy being a Muslim: Iqbal Khan

silverfool81 thumbnail
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Posted: 19 years ago
#1

by Subhash K Jha

It's not easy being a Muslim right now.

TV superstar Iqbal Khan discovered this when he headed for the American Embassy for a visa to attend a celeb-presence event in the US and Canada between 20 September and 2 October.

Iqbal's request for a visa was turned down.

"Why me?! I've been asking myself this since I was turned down. There were fourteen of us from television, a majority were ladies including Kanchi Kaul and Sakshi Tanwar. I was the first one to reach the Embassy early in the morning. I was the only Muslim. I was the only one denied a visa. Only because my name is Mohammed Iqbal Khan?"

Iqbal tries hard to suppress his emotions. "The lady at the Embassy said there're three bad people (suspected terrorists) with that name and that they'd have to put me through a fingerprint-scan in Washington. She then made took my fingerprint test. My hands were blackened like any suspected criminal."

Iqbal says for the first time he felt isolated as a Muslim. "This event in the US and Canada was supposed to pay for the house that I am buying for me and my fiance before our marriage. Now I can't afford it.

Why was I treated this way? It's not as if I'm an unknown. In fact when the lady at the embassy asked me if I was a known face I was too embarrassed to say who I was. Some Indians in the room told her who I was. I still had to go through the finger print test, still had to be treated like a suspect."

He says this is his second experience at visa discrimination in two months. "Earlier I was denied a visa to the UK. But I didn't connect it with the situation of terrorism. Now when I think back there were two Muslims in that team to UK and we were both denied visas."

Iqbal admits he's scared. "We're living in troubled times anything can happen. Earlier I used to hear it was difficult for Gujaratis to get visas to the US. I've never had this experience before. Now I wonder when I'd be allowed out of the country! I'm getting married in January. I had big plans for my fiance and I for a honeymoon abroad. Would we be allowed to go?"

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Gossip_Queen81 thumbnail
19th Anniversary Thumbnail Navigator Thumbnail
Posted: 19 years ago
#2
😡 😡 😡 How can he be denied visa cause his muslim,thats just plain rude.
munizaaa thumbnail
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Posted: 19 years ago
#3
😡 😡 thats messed up i feel sorry for him 😭
sharna2k6 thumbnail
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Posted: 19 years ago
#4
Awwwwwwww!!!! Omgg, thats soo sad!! I hope they grant his visa!! Poor iqbal 😭 😭 😭 !! hey is sneha the girl hes marryin muslim?
serial_bowl791 thumbnail
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Posted: 19 years ago
#5
HOW STUPID!! They shoudn't discriminate just because some of Muslim people are bad!! How UNFAIR!! Stupid people! 😡
Shezaadi thumbnail
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Posted: 19 years ago
#6
this is sooo unfair! 😭 😭 😭

poor Iqbal 😭
hydrogurl001 thumbnail
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Posted: 19 years ago
#7
thats really stupid 😡 they're not being treated fairly..i hate that 😡
Kashiish thumbnail
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Posted: 19 years ago
#8
soo unfairr 😡 😡 😡 i feell soooriee aww poorr guyy 😭 😭 😭
thx for the info 😭 😭
an0nymous thumbnail
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Posted: 19 years ago
#9
Omg.. Poor Iqbal. That's so unfair! Argg! There are bad and good people in every culture, in every religion! ARGG! 😡
Katishna thumbnail
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Posted: 19 years ago
#10

Originally posted by: silverfool81

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<P =padded>[IMG] http://media.santabanta.com/newsite/cinemascope/images/iqbal khan_big.jpg" align=left border=1>by Subhash K JhaIt's not easy being a Muslim right now. TV superstar Iqbal Khan discovered this when he headed for the American Embassy for a visa to attend a celeb-presence event in the US and Canada between 20 September and 2 October.Iqbal's request for a visa was turned down."Why me?! I've been asking myself this since I was turned down. There were fourteen of us from television, a majority were ladies including Kanchi Kaul and Sakshi Tanwar. I was the first one to reach the Embassy early in the morning. I was the only Muslim. I was the only one denied a visa. Only because my name is Mohammed Iqbal Khan?"Iqbal tries hard to suppress his emotions. "The lady at the Embassy said there're three bad people (suspected terrorists) with that name and that they'd have to put me through a fingerprint-scan in Washington. She then made took my fingerprint test. My hands were blackened like any suspected criminal."Iqbal says for the first time he felt isolated as a Muslim. "This event in the US and Canada was supposed to pay for the house that I am buying for me and my fiance before our marriage. Now I can't afford it.Why was I treated this way? It's not as if I'm an unknown. In fact when the lady at the embassy asked me if I was a known face I was too embarrassed to say who I was. Some Indians in the room told her who I was. I still had to go through the finger print test, still had to be treated like a suspect." He says this is his second experience at visa discrimination in two months. "Earlier I was denied a visa to the UK. But I didn't connect it with the situation of terrorism. Now when I think back there were two Muslims in that team to UK and we were both denied visas."Iqbal admits he's scared. "We're living in troubled times anything can happen. Earlier I used to hear it was difficult for Gujaratis to get visas to the US. I've never had this experience before. Now I wonder when I'd be allowed out of the country! I'm getting married in January. I had big plans for my fiance and I for a honeymoon abroad. Would we be allowed to go?"
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