Actor And Designer Waris Ahluwalia Kicked Off Plane Because Of Turban

[news]

[news]

Aero Mexico reportedly did not allow a Sikh man to board their plane because of his beard and turban.

Waris Ahluwalia shared the following image of himself with his plane ticket on Instagram, with the caption #FearisanOpportunitytoEducate.

This morning in Mexico City I was told I could not board my @aeromexico flight to NYC because of my turban. #FearisanOpportunitytoEducate #humanrights #dignity #lovenotfear

A photo posted by Waris Ahluwalia (@houseofwaris) on Feb 8, 2016 at 5:58am PST

Ahluwalia, a designer and actor, made headlines in 2013 as the first Sikh man in a national Gap ad campaign and has had cameo roles in Wes Anderson films. This isn't the first time he's fallen victim to racial profiling despite his fame.

When his Gap ad ran, many of the billboards featuring Ahluwalia were vandalized with racist graffiti. The slogan for the campaign was "Make Love" but one person wrote "Make Bombs," referencing the misconception many have about Sikhs.

PHOTO: On this GAP subway ad featuring a Sikh man...Vandals have written "Make Bombs" & "Please stop driving taxis" pic.twitter.com/yvw2vhfexW
— Arsalan Iftikhar™ (@TheMuslimGuy) November 25, 2013

After 9/11, many Sikhs in America have been victims of hate crimes and racial profiling due to rising Islamophobia. It has become such an overwhelming issue that the FBI is now tracking instances of racial bias against Sikh Americans, in addition to Arab and Hindu Americans.  

Aero Mexico did not immediately respond to The Huffington Post's request for comment.

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