Writer's airport interrogation is the dumbest kind of bureaucracy

Those of us fortunate to be at the Aotea Centre last Saturday when the winners of the 2009 Commonwealth Writers Prize were announced were appalled when the winner of the Best First Book, Mohammed Hanif for A Case of Exploding Mangoes, told us of his apparent racist treatment by immigration officials when he arrived at Auckland Airport.

It was marvellous therefore to read in the New Zealand Herald yesterday a story on the subject by columnist Rebecca Barry under the heading Terrorism won't be found in underwear. Link here to read her thougtful piece.