[SantyDaya]

I flew to Copenhagen without any prolems. However as I waiting in line to check in for the return flight to the USA, a Delta official with a Pakistani accent named " Nadeem" singled me out and scrutinized my passport etc and then told me I was selected for a routine check. He made me accompany him to the customs office and I was taken into a room where my luggage was screened. After it was cleared, Nadeem insisted that be rechecked. The customs officials apologized to me saying that they had to do what they were told. After it was cleared once again, Nadeem asked me to accompany me. I followed and he took me to the Police office where he asked them in Danish to check the validity of my passport. After some time, when I thought the ordeal was over, they cleared the passport, he appeared to be unhappy and requested that another team of police look at it. They too eventually cleared the passport. I was finally allowed to check in, hoping I would make my flight. At the boarding gates when I thought this was all over, Nadeem asked me to step aside in full view of all the other passenegers and I had to undergo yet another full security screen. Whilst I became very angry I could not display the anger. Knowing that he probably has the aproval of Delta to subject me to this abuse, I would like to know why I was singled out. Is it because I am a non-white, a Hindu and he didnt like that or that he was envious when I tshowed him proof that I am a Professor. Surely he does not have the auhority to act like a police inspector. In doing so he must have been absent from his passenger station for at least 1 and three quaters of an hour. What a waste. Now that I have finallly returned I realised that I could have simply declined the flight and bought a ticket on another carrier. I would be grateful if Delta to give an explanation as it is obvious this definitely was not a routine check as Nadeem had told me.This harrowing experience has left me feeling quite depressed and I would like some sort of explanation from Delta as Nadeem was doing his best to get me arrested. he was obviously looking for a promotion and I became his victim. he did not single out any white person I might add.

[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

Under the US Civil Rights Act of 1964 discrimination, on the basis of religion in the course of boarding public transport, which is operated in interstate or foreign commerce, is prohibited. In addition, if your origin is from the Indian sub-continent you have an additional "protected class," under said Act, of "Asian-Pacific Islander." The mere fact that the act of discrimination took place outside the boundaries of the USA does not, to my understanding, relieve Delta of its obligation of compliance with the Civil Rights Act. Further, the fact that this individual may have been only an employee of a Delta contractor, rather than someone actually on Delta's payroll, also does not relieve Delta of its US Civil Rights obligations. Under US law "the act of the agent (contractor in this case) is the act of the principal (Delta.)"

All that having been said the real problem here is one of proof. Delta can, and probably will, hide behind the US regulations and laws pertaining to air security. Unless you were carrying a hidden recording device and managed to catch this man uttering an anti-Hindu, or anti-Indian, comment its unlikely you'll be able to get any redress. A letter to the Airline Consumer Section of the US Dept. of Transportation, in which you cite your concerns, might some day reign-in the excesses of this not so in the closet redneck assuming similar complaints from others are lodged.

While I'm sure there are many Muslims who have no problems with Hindus, the animosity between the two groups is well known to have existed through most of the 20th century. Accordingly I find it hard to dismiss the possibility that the Delta agent, which you appeared to identify as Muslim, may have had an anti-Hindu bias.