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Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Off to a Fine Start

A Black member of a dance troupe on (of all things) an international goodwill tour was forced to dance by Israeli security upon arriving at the airport in order to prove his identity. The man, Abdur-Rahim Jackson, was singled out by Israel's notoriously tough airline security personnel due to his Muslim-sounding name. As it turns out, he's engaged to a Jewish woman with relatives in Israel.

Fortunately, it appears that this did not derail the entire trip:
Jackson said he did not plan to press the matter further, saying the numerous apologies he has received from American dignitaries and his Israeli hosts is "enough for me." The Israel Ports Authority said it had no comment because it did not receive a formal complaint.
[...]
Jackson said that since the Israeli airport incident, the reception in Israel has been "amazing."

"We're only here to bring positive light to our lives and the people here," he said, calling the group's multicultural appeal "an amazing bind you can't touch, you can only experience."

Via Prom6.

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