A Sikh man, who is standing for election in the upcoming polls in Britain, was stopped at the Dubai airport Monday as he was attempting to return home to the United Kingdom, with airport security threatening to cut off a bangle the man wears on his wrist as part of his religious obligations.
Sikhs wear a steel bracelet on their wrist, known as a kara, as one of the five external articles of their faith.
Late Monday, Amandeep Singh Bhogal, who is also Northern Ireland's first-ever Sikh candidate for the upcoming election, was eventually allowed to board.
Considering how Gulf airways are working to attract business and clients from all over the world - especially the sub-continent where there are many Sikhs - we wonder if this policy is contradictory.
Arabian Business reported that the British Consulate has intervened with the Dubai Airport authorities to resolve the issue.
After tweeting of his plight, Bhogal received an outpouring of support on social media.
Sikhs, who stand out due to their distinctive turbans, have often encountered discrimination in the West over their religious practices, which include a ban on cutting their hair or removing their kara and an insistence on always carrying a ceremonial dagger known as a kirpan.
Bhogal, who claims to be the first Sikh candidate to run for the British Parliament in North Ireland, is not expected to win a seat, but has drawn considerable media attention with his candidacy. And now, even more so with the recent news