Why Italy

I am of Southern Italian origin, I look slightly Arab, I have noticed I always get harrassed at Airports...?

I am of Southern Italian origin, so my mediterranean good looks also make me look slightly middle eastern, I regularly travel, and in recent times I have noticed I often get singled out for "random" security tests or "random" explosives test, I am wondering, do you think its possible I get singled out because I look middle eastern? has anyone else had these kind of experiences?

Public Comments

1. Happens all the time. Two of my sons have dark hair and good tans and they get 'random' security checks every time they go thru the line.
2. tough break kiddo try and look more fashionable and wear a visible crucifix
3. Just talk loudly in Italian so they can hear you? if they know their languages (and they should by now) They may not pick you for an Arab.?? Maybe wear a tshirt that says Im not Arabian?? or "Im Italian dummy!!!"
4. Yes people are very prejudice. I knew a man who wished to study Islam, and changed his last name of Brown to Ali. He is black, so he looks slightly Arab and so he is always harassed at airports because of his last name. He decided to no longer study Islam and change his name back because of the way people treated him.
5. Maybe. I work with a couple of guys who actually are middle eastern, and they say they get a lot of scrutiny in the airports. But I'm obviously a white North American and I get something like that maybe every 3rd time I go on a plane trip. (So every 6th security screening, I guess). Now what I don't understand is why they don't screen everyone instead of every 6th person if they're worried about someone bringing explosives on the plane, 'cause this way they're going to miss the person with the explosives 5/6 times. How is this useful? Do they really think a 1 in 6 chance of being caught (or whatever the actual statistic is) will deter the sort of person who wants to bring a bomb on a plane?
6. i'm european/african/anglo and am always called italian and spoken to in italian so now i just answer in italian grazie,chow,prego etc etc.Other times I get called syrian and turkish - many many italians look arab, so it's no wonder you get hassled at the airport I would think most southern italians would. Were all related if you go back far enough.
7. I'm of south Indian origin and belong to the oldest Christian community on earth (converted by disciple Thomas). Some time ago Masses were said in ancient Syriac language. So not surprisingly many of my folks look very West Asian. I've been spoken to in Arab, Italian and Spanish on many occasions. Just like you I've been stopped or paid undue attention several times, especially when I travelled to Brisbane soon after the Trade Center disaster in New York.
8. I am a a white man who travels abroad quite frequently (for the past ten years). Over fifty times flying into the U.S. I was pulled aside each and everytime by customs and had my bags searched. They claim it was a random pick but I don't think so. Remember that some of the hijackers on 9-11 were trained here in the States and had white Muslim extremist financial sponsorship and possibly (U.S. government support). Whites are targeted too.
9. I remember that happened to my dad before, he is spanish and flying back from tunis to germany they sort him out and did a security test with him and went through his luggage just because he looked like an arab and thought that he would bring some illegal stuff with him..or he went to a bar in germany and security didnt let him in, until he showed his ID and was identified "non-turkish" and they let him in..funny though the security guys were turkish!
10. my friend llew is welsh he gets singled out a lot in airports too, stupid custom officials just go for likely looking suspects which seems like their doin some stereotyping doesnt it.
11. I get the opposite. My name is obviously middle eastern but I look more average white American. I do not get the random checks at the airports, but have been called to the registration desk once in a while after they see my name. Silly.
12. Twice I was singled out even with a passport saying my citizenship and where I was born to be Mexican . Grant it I am South American (Mexico is not South Americabut ... and most latin countries their is ancestory to the same native /aboriginal indians ...just like in the South of Sicily of you looked it up many also have ancestory of moors( arabs) \ PS my friend is sicilian and he actually was the first to explain that to me