Adeel Akhtar: Four Lions actor questioned over terrorism links after arriving at JFK Airport for audition
British actor Adeel Akhtar has revealed he was questioned by airport security about possible links to terrorist organisations while travelling to the USA for an audition.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, the Four Lions star recalled being detained at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York while travelling with his girlfriend.
Four Lions, released in 2010, is a British comedy about four hapless Muslims who become radicalised and attempt to become Jihadi soldiers. Akhtar’s character in the film, Faisal, accidentally takes his own life by tripping over while carrying a bin bag of explosives - taking out a field of sheep in the process.
While the incident at JFK Akhtar was talking about took place eight years earlier, in 2002, fans of the film saw the irony of the ordeal - while also appreciating the seriousness of him being, in all likelihood, racially profiled.
Akhtar said his passport was taken from him shortly before boarding his flight, with security staff telling him it would be returned once he arrived in New York.
When they landed, the plane was directed to a secluded area of the runway, where a convoy of vehicles approached. Security officers then boarded the aircraft and told him he would be handcuffed “for their own protection”.
Akhtar said he was taken into the airport and questioned for several hours.
He said: “That was the scary bit - it went on a bit longer than it felt comfortable.
“We’re talking four or five hours, not solid questioning, but a lot of waiting.”
He said he was asked whether he had any links to terrorist organisations and questioned about his religious beliefs, including whether he was a practising Muslim. The incident took place during a period of heightened security following the opening of Guantanamo Bay.
Akhtar said he understood the implications of the questions and focused on remaining calm.
He added: “I just sort of held my nerve and answered the questions as honestly as I could, and then got out of there.”
Akhtar still went ahead with the audition, and his father later attempted to sue the FBI over the incident; his legal action was unsuccessful.
Since Four Lions, the Brit has gone on to star in the BBC film Murdered By My Father, as well as crime drama Sherwood, winning Bafta awards for his performances.