Muhammad Ali’s son Muhammad Ali Jr says airport detention made him feel 'violated' when immigration officials questioned him about his religion at a Florida airport.
Ali and his mother say they were pulled aside and separated from each other on February 7th Fort Lauderdale‑Hollywood International Airport as they returned from a trip to Jamaica for a Black History Month event.
The 44-year-old says he was detained for about two hours, despite telling customs officials that he was the boxing great's son and a native‑born US citizen.
Ali says he was just appalled, as he is a US citizen and they were asking him, what was his religion?
He showed officials his passport and driver's license.
A US Customs and Border Protection spokesman confirms that Ali was held for questioning by customs officers, but says it was not because he is a Muslim and it was not because of his Arabic‑sounding name.
The agency said in a statement that its officers processed more than 1.2 million international travellers daily, with vigilance and in accordance with the law.
Source: ABC
