UPDATE: Sikh American Actor Waris Ahluwalia Flies Home, Ending Dispute Over Turban
Waris Ahluwalia posted this photo on Instagram Wednesday, revealing he was “heading home this morning” after protesting his ban from a Monday flight in Mexico City (Photo: Instagram)
By Reid Nakamura, Beatrice Verhoeven, The Wrap
UPDATE #2: Sikh actor Waris Ahluwalia is finally on his way home Wednesday after being banned from an AeroMexico flight for refusing to remove his turban at security. “Heading home this morning,” he captioned a photo on Instagram (see above). “Thank you @aeromexico for understanding the importance of religious and cultural tolerance. I am happy we are able to work together to come up with a resolution. #lovenotfear #fearisanopportunitytoeducate.”
UPDATE #1: Waris Ahluwalia, the American actor and fashion designer who was barred from an AeroMexico flight for refusing to remove his turban at security, accepted the airline’s apology on Tuesday.
“The apology is a brilliant first step, and I want to thank AeroMexico for that,” Ahluwalia, a practicing Sikh, told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. “But it’s a first step and that’s past-looking. The apology’s about the past, and that’s great. But now we’re talking about the future.”
Ahluwalia is still refusing to leave Mexico City more than 24 hours after the incident. The Grand Budapest Hotel star explained to Amanpour that he turned down other flights from both AeroMexico and other airlines because he sees this as a teaching opportunity.
“I’m afraid if I leave, this can happen again to someone else,” he said. “I can’t in good conscience allow that.”
Ahluwalia said he will not board another flight until there’s a “dialogue” with the airline. He called for “education about the Sikh religion and other religions” for employees.
ORIGINAL STORY: American actor and fashion designer Waris Ahluwalia remains in Mexico City, more than 24 hours after being barred from his AeroMexico flight to New York for refusing to remove his turban at security.
The actor, who starred in Wes Anderson‘s The Grand Budapest Hotel and is a practicing Sikh whose religion requires him to wear a turban in public, posted an update to his Instagram account on Tuesday.
“Good morning from Mexico City,” he wrote. “On this day, and each day hereafter we must remember that our struggle against fear and ignorance is fought with love. That is the only way forward for humanity.”
Related: ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’ Actor Claims He Was Barred From Aeromexico Flight ‘Because of My Turban’
The actor wrote on social media Monday that his first-class boarding pass had a marking on it indicating that he needed to go through a special secondary security screening. Once at the gate, he was taken aside, searched, swabbed, and patted down, but he refused to take off his turban.
After being denied a private screening, he was told that he could not get on the plane — or on any other AeroMexico flight — until he complied with the security procedures.
Ahluwalia later told the Washington Post that he denied offers by AeroMexico and other airlines offering him other flights back to New York, and was instead refusing to leave Mexico City until he received a public apology from the airline and Sikh awareness training for airport employees.
AeroMexico posted a response to its website on Monday night, apologizing to Ahluwalia for the ordeal.
“This case motivates us to ensure that security personnel strengthen its care protocols, always respecting the cultural and religious values of customers,” the airline wrote.
Watch a ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’ featurette:
