What Happened: Journalist Leila Hamid was asked by Abu Dhabi airport security to remove a shirt with “Palestine” on it, despite wearing it without issue in other countries.
What you need to know: Sports journalist Leila Hamid shared an incident at Abu Dhabi airport where security asked her to remove a sports shirt with “Palestine” written in large letters. Hamid, who lives in Britain, posted about the experience on her X account, explaining that a female staff member, accompanied by military personnel, approached her four times. After undergoing random checks, they eventually requested that she take off the Palestinian national football team shirt.
More: Hamid mentioned that she frequently wears Palestinian shirts while traveling, as it has become her regular airport attire. She noted that she had recently traveled from Japan and Korea without any issues, and a Korean photographer even took multiple pictures of her wearing the same shirt.
Also: She emphasized that the shirt has a charitable purpose, as proceeds from each purchase go to support children in Gaza.