My experience with Homeland Security as a 50 year old Muslim Woman

In March of this year (2007) I attempted to renew my passport so that I could attend International Women?s events in London, but it was held without explanation (and despite the fact that I called and emailed the USA State Department a total of 3 times). My passport was only released after one of our US Senators? office interceded on my behalf. The passport was only released a few hours before my trip, and I was unable to travel to the UK at that time.

On Monday, 26th November 2007 I returned to Chicago?s O?Hare International Airport from a 4 night stay in London, England. I have traveled to London regularly for 21 years. I am 50 years old, and a devout Anglophile, and an American national born and raised in Chicago, IL. As we departed the plane British Airways flight crew advised us to have our passports opened to the picture page for inspection by customs officials. I did as instructed. Once I exited the plane and showed my passport to the customs official I was asked if I was traveling alone. I informed the official that I was. My passport was then confiscated and I was told to follow her. As I followed her I heard her shout to her colleagues,? 204.? I have no idea what that meant.
The customs official (a woman) checked me in through immigration, and I was not allowed to speak for myself. Also my questions went unanswered when I asked again and again what was going on.
The customs official then told me that she would wait for me while I collected my luggage. She and another official (man) watched as I did just that. Once I collected my luggage I again asked why I was being detained. My question was then met with the question, ?Why are you asking??
Then the man left the woman side and another woman joined the original female customs officer.

Below is a list of the things that occurred:
1)I was asked/told that it was odd that I traveled to the UK for such short periods of time. I told the officers that this was something that I had done for 21 years. They still said that it made no sense.

2)They wanted to know about my friends in the UK. And they were very curious why my friends never traveled to the States. I told them, as I loved the UK I actually preferred traveling to them. They also thought that was odd, and told me so.

3)My purse, carry-on luggage, checked luggage and coat were searched by two female officers.

4)I was asked repeatedly the purpose of my travels - which I answered without hesitation.

5)I was asked to explain all the identification in my wallet. That included my membership to British Museum, why I am a vegan, my religious beliefs.

6)A question on my religious beliefs included enquires on the computer print-out of Muslim prayer times in London that I took on the trip with me. I should mention that my mother was Muslim and my Dad was Catholic. I embrace both faiths, but identify myself as Muslim. Still while in London I attended High Holy Mass at Westminster Cathedral.

7)This prompted both of the female customs officials who searched my bags to ask me if I was in constant struggle embracing both faiths. I informed them that it was not.

8)I was even asked how do I know which way is east. This refers to the fact that Muslim face east when praying.

9)When feminist materials were found in my luggage it was lifted and shown to the two men who never spoke to me, but observed the procedure. At one point one of the female officers said ,?This one is a real women?s activist.?

10)I was required to prove my identity (in addition) to my passport. I produced an official identification card for residents of the State of Illinois (among other identification) only to be asked why I did not have a driver?s license. I informed the inspector that I have never driven a car.

11)Please note that I readily and quickly provided the Customs officials with all my identification which included, library cards, credit cards, voter registration card, social security card, the aforementioned State of Illinois ID, debit card, frequent flyer card from British Airways, Alumni card from the university in which I graduated, an AARP card (American Association of Retired Persons, is a United States-based non-government organization is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people age 50 and over), an American Diabetes Association (ADA) card and even a letter from my doctor of over a decade on her office letterhead stating that I was a diabetic. This letter also included my address and date of birth.

12)I was asked if I have foreign banks accounts, which I do in Western Europe. One of the accounts is with the Islamic Bank of Britain. It has less than 110.00 pounds in it, which I told the officers. Still they wanted to know if the bank had offices outside of Europe. It does not. Please note I informed the officers that I have always reported that information (as required) to the IRS.

13)I told the officers that I had registered my trip with the State Department via travel.gov. And I even provided my login information to the officers, so they could view my information. One of the officers told me that she had never heard of that website, and did not know what I was talking about. I am now aware that the website is travel.state.gov. Still the log-in information created by the website?s wizard was additional proof of who I was and my residence.

14)I was asked if my apartment (flat) of almost a decade was a hotel or temporary lodging. I was asked about my profession, I am self employed as an Accountant.

15)I was asked if I lived alone. I do and I informed the officers that I did.

16)I was asked how I was getting home from the airport. I told the officers I was taking a taxi cab home, which I did.

17)Lastly while the two female custom agents went through my belongings two gentlemen looked on. One appeared to be another uniformed customs official and the other gentleman was in a suit and tie and with a clipboard or note book. As the women officers with through my belongings they showed them to the gentleman in the suit. In fact while this was going on he held onto my passport. I was only let go once the man in the suit gave the okay. The entire process took about 30 minutes. I was never told who the two men watching the searching of my belongings were.

I do understand that we here in the States are in a heighten sense of security since 9/11. Also I know that I am not the ?typical? American, leisure, international traveler, as I am single, childless, black and female. And I usually travel alone. Still I am confused and concerned how I have become such an item for scrutiny after 21 continuous years of international travel. As an Anglophile I would like to continue my lawful travel to the UK. In that light I am petitioning the US State Department for copies of my passport file and any other pertinent information that might shed some light on this most unpleasant incident.

I would like to say that I am proceeding forward with little fear, but that is not true. I am now more acutely aware that in the United States one?s constitutional rights are at best tenuous. It is with a heavy heart that I say that I am now afraid to be a Middle-aged, black, female, childless, single, Muslim (with Catholic leanings), vegan, feminist, accountant with a love of all things British in my own country of birth.
Well that is my story.

Regards,

Debra