The Toronto Star – February 16, 2011
Questions remain after a British man who was flagged for being on the U.S. no-fly terrorist list was suddenly cleared to go home when his story became public. Dawood Hepplewhite, 30, a self-employed auto mechanic in Sheffield, England, identifies himself as a white Muslim. He ran afoul of the air rules while attempting to fly home Sunday with his Canadian wife and their three children, ages 1, 3 and 5. He says Air Transat flagged his passport and turned him away. The same thing happened when he tried to fly on Air Canada and British Airways.
He has been in Toronto since Oct. 29 visiting his wife, who was raised in Toronto and was trying to sponsor him so they could live together in Canada. He has travelled to Toronto several times in the past year. His visitor’s visa was to expire April 29.
Hepplewhite believes he has been put on the U.S. no-fly list because about three years ago, he applied for a teaching position in Yemen, considered a breeding ground for terrorism. He later abandoned the idea after he was pulled aside by police in England. U.S., British and Canadian authorities would not comment on the specifics of the case.
