If You Can’t Joke About Bomb Threats in the Airport, Should Airport Staff Be Able To?

A Sikh traveler has gone public about the upset he endured when a staff member at Vienna International Airport (VIE) joked about finding a bomb in his turban. The incident happened on Friday and involved Khalsa Aid founder Ravi Singh, who was returning to the United Kingdom from a mission in Iraq.

A Sikh traveler and humanitarian has gone public about the upset he endured when a member of staff at Vienna International Airport (VIE) made a joke about discovering an explosive device in his turban, Metro.co.uk reports.

The incident occurred last Friday when Ravi Singh, the founder of charity Khalsa Aid, was returning to the United Kingdom after having completed a mission in Iraq.

Singh was undergoing security screening prior to making his connecting flight and was asked by staff if they could scan his turban. When Singh queried staff regarding the results of this scan, one of the staff was alleged to have said, “Yes, we found explosives.”

Speaking out about the incident, Singh said, “‘If I made that comment I would be thrown in jail. I was so upset,” adding that while the staff member appeared to be “smirking” when she made her initial comment, she soon became agitated when asked to apologize.

Singh has filed an official complaint with the airport and would like the opportunity to speak to the staff member about the Sikh faith. “I wouldn’t feel good if the person was sacked. You can’t answer hate with hate, it will never work. You will only fuel more hate,” he has said of the incident.

Offering its own comments via Twitter, Vienna International Airport has offered and apology and said that it is investigating the matter.

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