Jonathan Adams
Alvin Ailey Performer Forced to Dance to Prove Identity
A performer with the Alvin Ailey dance company was forced to perform dance steps for Israeli police to prove his identity, according to published reports in the international media.
Abdur-Rahim Jackson is traveling with the Alvin Ailey troupe in Israel, which arrived in Israel on Sunday, but he was singled out from other members of the group because of his Muslim name.
When Jackson identified himself as a member of the dance group, security officials at Ben-Gurion International Airport ordered him to dance to prove his talent.
[Associated Press]
Posted at 11:53 AM, Sep 09, 2008 in Global Issues | Permalink | View Comments
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Comments
I'm glad you posted this story. I heard about it on the Today Show this morning. This incident is just ridiculous. But not surprising. I remember on the way back to the U.S. after one of my dance performances in Spain, we had a layover in Madrid. Our group of dancers were stopped because one of the people with us - who has been living in Jersey City for YEARS - had a Cuban passport. The airport security said bluntly to the rest of us, "That's what you get for traveling with a Cuban (read: *supposed* communist) person."
Posted by: Samantha | September 10, 2008 7:31 AM
oy! That's something else ain't it? If I were traveling w/ AAADT I'd have been tempted to sit my butt down and not move an inch until the dancer was given the same courtesies and respect as the rest of the company.
Posted by: nosmokes | September 21, 2008 6:56 PM