Zayn Malik Describes Being Held At Airport Security For Three Hours As A Teenager

'They kept me there for three hours, questioning me about all kinds of crazy stuff.'

Zayn Malik has opened up about his past experiences of being discriminated against as a British Muslim, specifically detailing one incident at an airport.

In a new interview with the Evening Standard, the ‘Pillowtalk’ singer described an incident that occurred during the early days of his fame with One Direction, when he was held for three hours at the age of 17 by airport security.

Zayn Malik
Zayn Malik
Raymond Hall via Getty Images
Zayn was just 17 when the events in question took place
Zayn was just 17 when the events in question took place
Claire Greenway via Getty Images

During the interview, Zayn was also asked his feelings about being a high-profile British Muslim, claiming: “I take a great sense of pride — and responsibility — in knowing that I am the first of my kind, from my background.

Last year, Zayn - who was born to a British mother and Pakistani father - opened up growing up mixed-race in Bradford, revealing that he was frequently in fights “due to racial things”.

Read his full interview with the Evening Standard here.

February 2016

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