Indian-American photographer Pervez Taufiq was met with an unfortunate incident when a fellow United Airlines passenger attacked him and his family with racist remarks. He recorded the interaction when they boarded the shuttle bus after flying from Cancun to Los Angeles and posted it on Instagram on November 24, 2024.
The incident happened after the lady harassed Taufiq’s son who was seated beside her on the flight. As they got on the transfer bus, she told his four-year-old son to shut up after which Pervez Taufiq protested. Some of the racist comments that the passenger made include:
“Your family is from India, you have no respect for the rules, you think you can push everyone... that's what you think you are. You guys are f*cking crazy.”
“I'm going to record your f*cking tandoori a**... your tandoori stinky a**," the woman shouted, taking out her phone to film Pervez.
The lady allegedly accused the kids of stumbling on her after which she asked them to shut up. She reportedly raised a complaint against Pervez but the United Airlines authorities did not entertain it. They also got her off the bus.
As per the latest media reports, the woman has been put on a ‘No Fly’ list due to this incident. Toward the end of Taufiq’s Instagram video, he applauded United Airlines for handling the situation like a ‘champ.’
Pervez Taufiq is a renowned photographer who began his career as a singer in Boston’s Living Syndication. Despite being a proficient singer, he now takes an active interest in wedding photography and has a website ptaufiqphotography.com.
Pervez Taufiq said only one person stood for his family
According to The Independent, the lady’s encounter first began with his 11-year-old son during the flight, when she questioned the boy, asking if he was Indian and whether he was from New Delhi. When the boy responded that his family was from Bombay, the woman insisted she needed to speak with his parents.
Pervez Taufiq said his son was respectful and quiet, noting the flight attendant had even praised his behavior, as the boy spent the flight playing quietly on his iPad. After the flight landed, the family encountered the same woman on the shuttle bus, where she told Taufiq's four-year-old son to "shut up."
According to Taufiq, only one passenger stood up for his family during the ordeal, and even that support came later in the interaction. He shared that while others expressed solidarity after the woman was removed from the bus, the lack of immediate support during the incident troubled him and his children. He mentioned,
“We are very appreciative of all the support, seeing our community pull together. It’s nice to see people saying that would have stood up for us. I would love to believe that.”
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Regarding his profession, Pervez Taufiq mentions that his photography is driven by vision and emotion rather than just equipment, highlighting that his "eyes and heart" are his most important tools. He now leads a team of skilled photographers and videographers who share his dedication to the craft and the couples they serve.
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