Guantanamo teasing leads to racism lawsuit

LONDON, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- A Muslim man who was teased by London co-workers about having the same name as a terror suspect at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has filed a racism lawsuit.

Anwar Khan, 24, said there were three incidents while he worked at Royal & Sun Alliance insurance company in which references were made to the prisoner, The Independent reported Wednesday.

"On Tuesday, Sept. 18, one week after the anniversary of Sept. 11 and a few days into the holy month of Ramadan, I was welcomed into the office rather unusually -- with a colleague from a different team shouting across an open plan office 'so they have released you from Guantanamo Bay,'" he told the newspaper. "I made no comments. I was shocked and speechless."

Khan left the company last month before filing his lawsuit, the report said.

A spokesman for the insurer confirmed Khan had complained.

"Although Mr. Khan is no longer with R&SA, we are still in the process of hearing his grievance and as the investigation is ongoing we cannot comment further at this stage," the spokesman said.