TMP Online

Britain’s first Muslim Minster , Shahid Malik, was said to be “deeply disappointed” after being detained at Dulles Airport in Washington DC where his hand luggage was analysed for traces of explosive materials yesterday.

The Dewsbury MP was appointed in June by Prime Minister Gordon Brown as an International Development Minister and has been a lead voice on tackling terrorism. His constituency of Dewsbury was home to the lead suicide bomber on 7 July 2005 and has the highest BNP vote in the country.

Mr Malik had just completed a series of meetings and speaking engagements in the USA on promoting integration and empowering citizens to defeat terrorism. He was searched and detained by the Department for Homeland Securities at Dulles airport, the very department whose representatives he had been meeting and who Mr Malik has been supporting since 7/7 including organising a meeting for them in Parliament.  His detention is all the more suprising given that TMP has been informed that he was accompanied by British government officials and was not travelling alone at the time.

 
Mr Malik’s disappointment arises as a result of a similar incident last year following which he received numerous apologies and assurances from the USA authorities. Last November Mr Malik had been detained for an hour at JFK airport in New York, again by the U.S. Department for Homeland Securities, despite the fact that he was a keynote speaker at a conference organized by the Department, alongside the FBI and Muslim organizations in New York. The theme of his speech in New York was tackling extremism and defeating terrorism and was delivered to a several hundred strong mainly Muslim audience.

Mr Malik said : “The abusive attitude I endured last November I forgot about and I forgave but I really do believe that British Ministers and Parliamentarians should be afforded the same respect and dignity at USA airports that we would bestow upon our colleagues in the Senate and Congress here. Obviously, there was no malice involved but it has to be said that the USA system does not inspire confidence.”

Mr Malik continued: “although I am obviously deeply disappointed that this type of thing could recur, this experience will in no way deter me from going back to the USA and help continue the global fight against extremism. The United States is a great friend and ally and a country I have great regard for. I’m looking forward to coming back.”

Mr Malik’s treatment runs contrary to the Department of Homeland Security’s stated guiding principles. The Department’s strategic plan states that “building new bridges to one another are as important as building new barriers against terrorism”. It goes on to state that “[the Department] will engage partners and stakeholders from federal, state, local, tribal and international governments” to reach this goal.