Another day, another Muslim getting stopped at an airport for a "random" security check, only this time, it wasn't your average Muslim. It was Ramy Youssef, Egyptian-American stand-up comedian and writer who had just won his first Golden Globe for Best Actor in Comedy Series for his Hulu show Ramy.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened the actor's Golden Globe trophy at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Tuesday, a move Youssef indicated was due to him having a Muslim name.
The entire ordeal was filmed by Youssef himself and shared via his now-expired Instagram Story. In the footage, he's seen placing a small briefcase containing the statuette, which shows up perfectly clear on the x-ray screening device, yet the security agent still felt compelled to open the case for extra checkup. The agent then proceeds to wipe it down for "security purposes," which made Youssef ask, "Is that part of the test or what?" while laughing. "Did it pass?"
The issue clearly wasn't funny to him, but the security official took a second to pose for a photo with the trophy in her hands anyway.
We're disappointed, but are we surprised?
The Golden Globe trophy, looking exactly like what the briefcase indicates it holds
A followup commentary on Instagram Story by Youssef
It is worth mentioning that on Sunday and as Youssef was accepting his first Golden Globe award, he mesmerized the audience of non-Muslim elite Hollywood stars by saying "Allahu akbar" in the first few seconds of his speech.
"I would like to thank my God. Allahu akbar," he said to the microphone. "Thank you, God."
Youssef, co-creator of the comedy Ramy, plays a New Jersey-based character that's loosely based on his own life. The show follows him as he "grapples with his Muslim faith while navigating sex, dating and relationships."
Just like the actor shocked the audience by saying the two words constantly linked to terrorists - though they simply mean "God is great" and are used regularly and casually by Muslims - he also made a poignant statement when he was searched at the airport.
In fact, getting randomly stopped happens so often that Muslims even coined the phrase "Flying While Muslim," a term born after countless Islamophobic incidents occurred at airports and in airplanes in recent years.
Followers of the faith getting kicked off airplanes for speaking Arabic is just one example, but airliners are not the only ones at fault. Hate speech has made its way to passengers, some of whom have whispered vile phrases including "kill yourself" to Muslims during flights.
Creating the #FlyingWhileMuslim hashtag quickly became an outlet used by Muslims all over the world to share their stories and sympathize with those like them, realizing their experiences were not once isolated or accidental.
He isn't the first Muslim public figure to let the world know of these random checks
Two years ago, Riz Ahmed made history after becoming the first man of Asian descent to take home an Emmy for his role as Nasir "Naz" Khan on HBO's series The Night Of. But racial profiling knows no fame and no shame. Ahmed, actor and rapper, has been discriminated against multiple times in the past 15 years due to his race.
As he was getting ready to attend a Star Wars convention he was invited to in April, Homeland Security blocked him from boarding a plane, ultimately canceling his appearance at the event.
"I've often wondered, is this going to be the year when they round us up, if this is going to be the year they put Trump's registry into action. If this is going to be the year they ship us all off," he said of the incident last year.