U.S. apologized after Minister Navdeep Bains asked to remove turban at airport

author-image
ptcnetcanada
New Update
NULL

Minister Navdeep Bains  had passed the usual security checks at Detroit Metro Airport but that was not enough. Then he was asked to remove his turban.

At that point, Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains did something he doesn't always do -- he pulled out his diplomatic passport.
Bains described the episode, which took place in April 2017, in an interview published Thursday in the online newspaper La Presse.publive-image
Advertisment
He shared, "I went through all the security checks without revealing my identity as a minister.I did it knowingly, as is my habit, to understand better what ordinary people are going through when they sometimes have trouble getting along with people in a position of authority."
Following the incident, officials in Ottawa spoke to the US Embassy there as well as to officials in Washington. Officials with the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security apologized to Canada on behalf of the US government.publive-image
Bains said he initially went through a metal detector without any problem, but was then asked to go through an additional security procedure because of his turban.
A security  agent asked him to go through another screening but the machine was not working properly, Bains said.
When it emitted a warning sound, a security officer asked Bains to remove his turban. "I asked him why I had to take off my turban since the metal detector had worked well," Bains told the newspaper. "I will never be asked to take my clothes off. It's the same thing. It's a piece of linen."
After passing a second test Bains was allowed to continue, he said.
But when he reached the boarding gate, less than 20 minutes before departure, a security guard approached him and said he had to go back to security because protocol had not been followed. He again asked Bains to remove the turban.
"I politely replied that I did not represent a security threat, and that I had passed all security checks. He then asked for my name and identification. I reluctantly handed him my diplomatic passport. "
Bains said he was then allowed to board.
canada-news latest-canada-news
Advertisment