A British Muslim family’s Disneyland holiday was annulled because Americans like Donald Trump assume that all Muslims are terrorists, according to the head of the family, Mohammed Tariq Mahmood. Mr. Mahmood has contacted the British government to get some answers as to why he and ten members of his family were embarrassed by US Homeland Security officials.
A British Muslim family’s Disneyland trip has been cancelled because American security officials refused to let them board their flight to Los Angeles. On December 15, the Mahmood family composed of two adults and nine children arrived at London’s Gatwick airport to board a flight to California where they were supposed to vacation at Disneyland.
The head of the family, Mohammed Tariq Mahmood, told local media that while in line, they were approached by British security, who told them that U.S. security officials did not want them to board the plane. Mahmood, a Pakistani-born gym owner, asked the agent why and he was given no answer. Mahmood stated:
“He wouldn’t tell me anything more. I felt humiliated and my kids were tearful they were so upset. I’d never experienced anything like that.”
The family man went on to say that he believes that since the horrible attacks in San Bernadino and Paris, Americans like Donald Trump view all Muslims as bomb carriers. The English man confessed:
“It’s because of the attacks on America – they think every Muslim poses a threat. I have never been more embarrassed in my life. I felt humiliated and my kids were tearful they were so upset. My son hasn’t left the house, he is so upset.I’d never experienced anything like that before. I live in a multicultural area and I have my own gym so I spend a lot of time with different people from all kinds of different cultures. I respect that these people need to react if there is a genuine concern but they need to make sure this concern is genuine.
He went on to reveal:
“They need to check our backgrounds, check our accounts and check our businesses before they react like that. They can’t react like that just because we are Muslim. We are decent people. My kids are obviously upset. They know why it happened and they know what is going on in the world. It could be because of Donald Trump as why otherwise would all of this spring up on us. I just want an explanation. Or else, where is this all going to stop?”
Daniel Hetlage, a spokesman for the Customs and Border Protection unit of the United States Department of Homeland Security, issued a statement on the incident but declined to share any details on the British family’s case. Hetlage denied that religion was a factor in deciding, who could enter America, and added:
“C.B.P. officers are charged with enforcing not only immigration and customs laws, but they enforce over 400 laws for 40 other agencies.The religion, faith or spiritual beliefs of an international traveler are not determining factors about his/her admissibility into the U.S.”
It has since been revealed that a Facebook page with links to radical Islamist groups like Taliban and Al-Qaeda was set up by someone, who has lived at the Mahmood family home. The account, which allegedly belongs to Hamza Hussain, Mr. Mahmood’s 18-year-old son, reads:
“My job titles are supervisor at Taliban and leader at al-Qaeda”
When asked about the report, Mr. Mahmood blamed hackers and added:
“That could be anything, maybe a mistake. It is not my son’s Facebook page. It has a similar name, but not the same as my son’s. The page is also linked to our home address and that could be coincidence. I don’t know why it is linked there. The name is not even the same. The authorities must have linked it simply because of the name Hamza.”
According to several media outlets, Mr. Mahmood’s brother was refused entry to Israel eight years ago without any explanation. Stella Creasy, a member of the British Parliament, is demanding an explanation and has written to David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, to investigate the matter. Creasy said Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump’s call to have Muslims be banned temporarily from entering the U.S. is the reason that at least half of a dozen British Muslims have been turned away at airports as they attempt to visit the land of the free and home of the brave. Creasy shared:
“All of us want to be confident that we are doing everything we can to tackle terrorism – prejudice is not part of that. This is more than a sad consumer affairs story about missed gate numbers or paperwork problems.The official who stopped them was from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security — and in the ensuing furor, other local residents have come forward to say that they, too, have been summarily refused entry to America.”
Last week, another British Muslim traveler, Ajmal Masroor, was turned away at the gate without explanation when he tried to board a flight to New York. Masroor, an imam, shared his story on Facebook. He wrote:
“The U.S. has the right to issue and revoke visa — I fully understand that. However not forwarding any reasons infuriates ordinary people. It does not win the hearts and minds of people, it turns them off. I am amazed how irrational these processes are but does USA care about what you and I think? I don’t think so
The British Muslim family’s Disneyland trip cancellation may have cost them over $16k.
We need to give all muslims a free pass to Disney World in France or Saudi Arabia then make sure they go and don’t come back.
Why go to USA if you know your unwanted. Another muslim freaks.
There’s many country in the whole world and you want to enter USA where there is a problem and bans muslims. You’re trying to make a scene stupid! G to middle east and enjoy your trip !