Swedish tourist halted for having 'terrorist name'
Published: 14 Feb 12 11:02 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/39098/20120214/
A Swedish man set to take off on his "dream holiday" to Mexico was turned away before boarding, as flight officials claimed he shared the name of a wanted terrorist.
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“They said I was a terrorist. I’ve never been suspected of a crime in my whole life."
When he was detained on Monday, it wasn't the first time that Mohamed, 30, has met with problems at international border controls.
This time it was Oslo airport border police that delayed the processing of his ticket.
After a call to the United States, a decision was made that he would not be allowed to board the flight, according to Aftonbladet.
He was recommended by airport staff to contact the American Embassy, saying they couldn’t do more to help him.
Mohamed's two travelling companions, who were allowed to continue, had to leave him behind. Stranded in Oslo, Mohamed was forced to turn back to Arlanda airport in Sweden.
“We’d planned the trip for so long. I was so damn irritated. What can I do? I feel powerless and offended,” he told the Aftonbladet.
“My friends who don’t have Muslim names can go straight through while I am taken into a room by the side of the desk. I am actually thinking about getting rid of the name ‘Ahmed’ as it’s always that bit which causes problems.”
It is unclear why American officials got involved in the case, as the passenger was heading elsewhere. At the American embassy in Stockholm they are not aware of the incident.
“As the traveller wasn’t travelling to, or through, the USA, this case shouldn’t have had anything to do with American authorities,” said Chris Dunnett of the American Embassy to the paper.
The FBI has had the Egyptian terrorist Ahmed Mohammed Hamed Ali on its most wanted list ever since the 1998 US embassy bombings in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
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Swedes do the same with their -son and generally just a handful of names they give their children, but they are less often actual terrorists and there are only ten-ish million of them.
To answer his question about what he can do: Change your name and learn from this, don't give your children similar names as in general it will make their international travel experience a lot more convenient.
coz seriously what a lack of criativity.
Wait a minute, are we talking about a sovereign country here or one of the 'state' within USA?
Waw, I thought African countries are the only ones under the imperialist fangs even after the so-called fall of colonialisim.
18:15 February 14, 2012 by Sgrock
Let us do away with the PC nonsense. It is highly unlikely that this person is Swedish. A Swedish citizen, perhaps. But Swedish? Most certainly not. Careful editing would prevent such foolish headline mistakes.
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True. But let's worry about racism to non-Muslims before we address the racism towards the biggest change in Swedish history.
BIg fuss about nothing. In the 80s a friend of mine once missed his holiday flight out of Manchester because it turns out that he had the same name as a convicted IRA bomber. Did it make the news? No.
Mr. Hussein, a Swedish citizen, had entered Thailand on Swedish passport.
Considering your track record as a terrorist cheerleader hopefully you are on more than one list already. Perhaps, you'll get a layover in Guantanamo.
What's wrong with my name??