It is not easy being a Muslim now. TV star Iqbal Khan discovered this when he headed for the US embassy for visa to attend a celeb-presence event in the US and Canada starting Sep 20. Iqbal's request for visa was turned down. As a result he will not be able to take part in the event that will go on till Oct 2. "Why me? I've been asking myself since I was turned down. There were 14 of us from television - a majority were ladies including Kanchi Kaul and Sakshi Tanwar. I was the first one to reach the embassy. I was the only Muslim. I was the only one denied visa. Only because my name is Mohammed Iqbal Khan?"

Iqbal tries hard to suppress his emotions.

"The lady at the embassy said there are three bad people (terrorists) with that name and that they'd have to put me through fingerprint scan. She then made me take the fingerprint test. My hands were blackened like a suspected criminal."

Iqbal says for the first time he felt isolated as a Muslim.

"This event in the US and Canada was supposed to pay for the house that I am buying for me and my fiancée before our marriage. Now I can't afford it. Why was I treated this way? It's not as if I'm an unknown.

"In fact, when the lady at the embassy asked me if I was a known face, I was too embarrassed to say who I was. Some Indians in the room told her who I was. I still had to go through the fingerprint test, still treated like a suspect."

He says this is his second such experience in two months.

"Earlier I was denied visa to go to Britain. But I didn't connect it with terrorism. Now when I think back there were two Muslims in that team to Britain and we both were denied visa."

Iqbal admits he is scared.

"We're living in troubled times; anything can happen. Earlier, I used to hear it was difficult for Gujaratis to get visa to the US. I've never had this experience before. Now, I wonder when I'd be allowed out of the country! I'm getting married in January. I had big plans for my fiancée and for honeymoon abroad. Would we be allowed to go?"

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