While talking to media reporters, Lindsay Lohan claims that she was “racially profiled” at London’s Heathrow airport recently.
American actress Lohan, 30, says that she was asked to take off her headscarf by security officers while queuing for a flight to New York.
“I was wearing a headscarf and I got stopped at the airport and racially profiled for the first time in my life,” she said. “She opened my passport and saw ‘Lindsay Lohan’ and started immediately apologising but then said, ‘Please take off your head scarf.’”
Lohan claims that the incident scared her by what such interventions might mean for others. “How would another woman who doesn’t feel comfortable taking off her headscarf feel?” she said. “That was really interesting to me.”
Lohan was asked if the incident “freaked her out”, to which she replied: “It did, I’m from New York, I was born and raised there so I was a little intimidated.”
During the interview, Lohan was asked whether she had any considerations of converting to Islam, following her studies about the religion. The actor replied saying that the event was still undecided but “out of respect to certain countries that I go to, I feel more comfortable acting the same as the other women. That’s just a personal respect issue for me.”
A spokesperson for Heathrow airport said: “Heathrow respects the cultural and religious needs of all passengers travelling through the airport. We work hard to provide our passengers with great service while ensuring everyone remains safe and secure.”
A Home Office spokeswoman added: “Those who land at a UK airport to catch a connecting flight would usually have their documentation checked.”
