UK Muslim family 'Trumped' after being barred from flight to Disneyland trip 'because of religion'

A UK Muslim family barred from boarding a flight from London to Los Angeles to visit Disneyland with their children believe they've been 'Trumped' after receiving no explanation for why their entry into the United States was denied.

The family of two adults and nine children were told by a US official that their right to travel had been revoked as they waited in the departure lounge of Gatwick airport last Tuesday.

They say they had been granted travel authorisation online (ESTA) several weeks previously and were given no reason for the last-minute reversal.

Mohammad Tariq Mahmood had his bags on the plane and was about to board the plane to Los Angeles before he and family were stopped by authorities. Photo:

The family had been to Disneyland 10 years earlier

"My kids were really looking forward to seeing their cousins, they live in California. We'd planned skydiving and a desert safari and the kids were all keeping up and talking about it through social media," the father from north-west London said.

"We were queuing up to board the plane and a gentlemen from Border Control came over to us and announced if we can surrender our passports, there is a problem with ESTA and they need to be checked,” Mohammad Tariq Mahmood told AP.

The officer came back 15 minutes later and told Mr Mahmood and his family they "received a phone call from Washington D.C that they are not permitting us to boarding the plane."

“That’s what we were told and nothing further.”

The family had been planning the trip for months and Mr Mahmood said his children were very excited, eagerly watching a countdown on their phones leading up to their holiday.

Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump has called for a temporary ban on all Muslims visiting the US. Photo: Supplied

It comes as republican presidential contender Donald Trump calls for a temporary ban on Muslims visiting America over concerns about extremist attacks.

Reports have been circulating that a Facebook page that allegedly contained extremist material credited to a person called 'Hamza Hussain,’ who has the same first name as his 18-year-old son Hamza Mahmood.

"So far there have been no answers. If Facebook was the problem, why has it come out now?” the father added.

Mr Mahmood's sister-in-law Sadaf Mahmood told LBC radio that her husband was arrested and detained overnight in Israel before being put on a plane back to Britain, but the reason was never explained to them.

She claims the incident was blown out of proportion

"If my brother was the problem, why has it come out now?” she told the radio station.
A spokesperson Prime Minister David Cameron's office said: "We are looking into the issue and the Prime Minister will respond in due course."

Mr Mahmood has called on David Cameron to demand an explanation from US authorities, seeking a refund for the cost of the airline tickets to Los Angeles.

Lawmaker Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow, has also written to the PM on behalf of the family of 11, asking for help in resolving the case.

“What’s been troubling is they aren’t the only case I have seen involving a wide variety of travellers," Ms Creasy said.

"One common denominator, people of Muslim faith.”

Stella Creasy is the Labour MP for Walthamstow and has written to UK PM David Cameron seeking assistance on the case. Photo: Getty

David Cameron said Donald Trump's call for a total ban on Muslims entering the US is "divisive, unhelpful and quite simply wrong.”

Ms Creasy said there was a growing fear UK Muslims might be singled out following this month's call by Donald Trump to bar all Muslims from entering the United States.

“The vacuum created by a refusal to provide any context for these decisions is fueling resentment and debate,” she wrote in an article for The Guardian, citing fears that UK Muslims are being “trumped.”

The US Customs and Border Protection agency said in a statement issued in London: "The religion, faith, or spiritual beliefs of an international traveller are not determining factors about his/her admissibility into the U.S,"

"Applicants for admission bear the burden of proof to establish that they are clearly eligible to enter the United States," it added.

"In order to demonstrate that they are admissible, the applicant must overcome all grounds of inadmissibility."

Ajmal Masroor, a London-based imam and broadcaster, said he received similar treatment when trying to travel to the US for business recently.

He said that an embassy official prevented him from boarding a flight and told him his business visa had been revoked.

He claims to have never had any problem travelling on that visa before.

"I asked him why repeatedly and he said 'You must have done something wrong,' without any explanation," Masroor said.

He said he feared that US officials were singling out Muslims.

"This is absolutely discrimination. It is not acceptable and playing into the hands of the terrorists," Masroor said.

The Muslim Council of Britain also said the last-minute denial of boarding privileges without explanation is distressing for Muslims.

"There is a perception that such decisions are being made due to the faith or political activism of individuals," the council said.