Pictured: The French mother, 33, BANNED from entering the United States on a family vacation because 'the name on her passport sounded like Al Qaeda'

Aida Alic, 33, a French national, was traveling to New York with her husband and two young children

During a connection in Geneva, Switzerland, Swiss Airlines officials told her access to the United States had been denied

She was not given a reason



The family were forced to return to their home in the French and forfeit $3,800 in non-refundable tickets

She has made contact with authorities in the U.S. but has not heard back

During an internet search she realized her name appears surname first on her passport as Alic Aida, which is similar to terrorist network Al Qaeda

A young French mother who was flying to New York via Switzerland for a holiday with her husband and two young children was told she not allowed entry to the United States, seemingly because her name sounds suspiciously like terrorist network Al Qaeda.



Aida Alic arrived with her family at Geneva airport on Wednesday preparing to board a connection to JFK.



However she was told by Swiss Airlines officials that her access to the country had been denied.



Forced to cancel their trip and return to their house near Chambery in the French Alps, it wasn't until the 33-year-old got home and started googling for answers that she realized her name appears surname first on her passport and reads 'Alic Aida'.



'Religious profiling': Aida Alic, 33, was denied access to the United States because, she believes, her name appears on her passport as 'Alic Aida', which is suspiciously similar to terrorist organization Al Qaeda. She even had her nails painted as the American flag in preparation for the trip

Ms Alic feels there is no other explanation for being turned away by customs.



'Alic Aida, Al-Qaeda.,' she told the French news website Dauphine Libere.



'When friends make the play on words to wind me up, I am used to it, but not this.

'Especially as my name is pronounced Alitch.



'It is of Yugoslav origin.



'And now here I am labelled as a risk.'



The family are out of pocked almost $3,800 on the trip because their return flights to the states were not refundable.



Access Denied: Aida Alic was turned away by officials at Geneva International Airport in Switzerland, en route to New York with her family

Ms Alic continues to make inquiries about the trip but is yet to receive any answers.



The US embassy in Paris said it does not comment on individual cases of people appearing on the US no-fly list.

