Arabic T-shirt banned at US airport

[Vladislav]

Arabic T-shirt sparks airport row
Last Updated: Wednesday, 30 August 2006, 10:36 GMT 11:36 UK

An architect of Iraqi descent has said he was forced to remove a T-shirt that bore the words "We will not be silent" before boarding a flight at New York.

Raed Jarrar said security officials warned him his clothing was offensive after he checked in for a JetBlue flight to California on 12 August.

Mr Jarrar said he was shocked such an action could be taken in the US.

US transport officials are conducting an inquiry after a complaint from the US Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

JetBlue said it was also investigating the incident but a spokeswoman said: "We're not clear exactly what happened."

'Authoritarian regimes'

Mr Jarrar's black cotton T-shirt bore the slogan in both Arabic and English.

He said he had cleared security at John F Kennedy airport for a flight back to his home in California when he was approached by two men who wanted to check his ID and boarding pass.

Mr Jarrar said he was told a number of passengers had complained about his T-shirt - apparently concerned at what the Arabic phrase meant - and asked him to remove it.

He refused, arguing that the slogan was not offensive and citing his constitutional rights to free expression.

Mr Jarrar later told a New York radio station: "I grew up and spent all my life living under authoritarian regimes and I know that these things happen.

"But I'm shocked that they happened to me here, in the US."

After a difficult exchange with airline staff, Mr Jarrar was persuaded to wear another T-shirt bought for him at the airport shop.

"We Will Not Be Silent" is a slogan adopted by opponents of the war in Iraq and other conflicts in the Middle East.

It is said to derive from the White Rose dissident group which opposed Nazi rule in Germany.

BBC news (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5297822.stm)

[Jamal]

so fucking democratic!
This Iraqi should teach Bush what democracy is all about.

If this was stirred up in the media in the correct way, something might come from it.

G W Bush

We are the forces of good, against the forces of evil,this guy is pathetic


We fighting for democracy
fight for this guy mister bush...

[Sugar Hill Kevis]

this is typical from the "land of the free"

it's no surprise, but even by American standards it seems a bit petty...

[Mesijs]

It's sad to see this happens in a 'democracy'.

Although it's funny that, when something like this would happen in Cuba, it's allowed by the RevLeft members as 'defending the revolution'.

[YKTMX]

The stupid thing is that they knew he wasn't a "terrorist" (they let him on the plane) and yet they still insisted he removed his t-shirt merely because of the Arabic writing. So it seems you have to make sure that the clothes you wear to the airport don't "upset" any other passengers.

Next time I go to the airport, I'm going to demand that anyone wearing Nike trainers be removed because the image of Indonesian pre-teens working 14 hour days is "disturbing" to me.

[Jamal]

Maybe that Iraqi was one of these Islam Facists Bush was talking about :P



Next time I go to the airport, I'm going to demand that anyone wearing Nike trainers be removed because the image of Indonesian pre-teens working 14 hour days is "disturbing" to me.

:lol:

good one!

[Jazzratt]

Originally posted by [email protected] 7 2006, 05:10 PM
Although it's funny that, when something like this would happen in Cuba, it's allowed by the RevLeft members as 'defending the revolution'.
Could you point to evidence that something like this happened in cuba, with a reliable and neutral source?

[Robocommie]

I guess Arabic culture, including the entire language, is now an enemy of freedom. :P

[chaz171]

There is a deepening problem in this country. Intolerance for other cultures is one of them. this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone living the US that this takes place. The patriot act has suspended the constitution. so claiming free speech is bit of a short leg to stand on...

[Janus]

I think there's another situation somewhat similar to this right now in which a US student is going to court to defend his right to wear an anti-Bush shirt.

[Pirate Utopian]

it war in the middle east raised prejudism against arabian culture and arbians themselves and also arbain looking people, like when that kid got shot by the cops in the subway.
i thought they were fighting terrorism, not motivating racism :huh:

[WUOrevolt]

Originally posted by [email protected] 7 2006, 09:13 PM
Next time I go to the airport, I'm going to demand that anyone wearing Nike trainers be removed because the image of Indonesian pre-teens working 14 hour days is "disturbing" to me.
Good idea.

[Tommie]

This is why I never wear my Yassar Arafat t-shirt when I fly!

[LuXe]

Ill wear this at my next abroad-visit. Out of spite.. ;)

They sure as hell cant stop me. Im a Norwegian citizen. :D

EDIT; i wonder if "white" "western" people are stopped for wearing this...

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Ill wear this at my next abroad-visit. Out of spite.. ;)

Tell us how it goes! :D

i wonder if "white" "western" people are stopped for wearing this...


Good question.

[Rollo]

I got in trouble for wearing a shirt depicting hitler killing himself at a non int. airport. So I put on my nazis failed at life shirt and everybody was happy. :)

[Karl Marx's Camel]

I got in trouble for wearing a shirt depicting hitler killing himself at a non int. airport.

Did they give you a reason for why your shirt was "a problem"?

[Whitten]

I'm so tempted to wear a hammer-and-Sickle shirt next time I fly to America.

[Rollo]

Originally posted by [email protected] 9 2006, 07:15 PM

I got in trouble for wearing a shirt depicting hitler killing himself at a non int. airport.

Did they give you a reason for why your shirt was "a problem"?
Yeah, it was violent and contained gore that made people feel uneasy.

[Jamal]

cool, so hear in a "third world country", we have more democracy... :lol:

[Enragé]

i want a t-shirt like that (:

[Viva Fidel!!]

Originally posted by [email protected] 9 2006, 09:26 AM
I'm so tempted to wear a hammer-and-Sickle shirt next time I fly to America.
Go for it comrade. I live in America and we wear it all the time. It pisses the right wingers off. If you have any Che shirts, don't be afraid to wear them in Miami. The responses you get for them are quite funny. Just don't wear them in Little Havana, thats where most of the criminals that came on el Mariel live. They might do something.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

The responses you get for them are quite funny.

What do they say? :P

[Jamal]

They might do something.

Whats the worst thing they can do?

[Enragé]

kill you?

[Rollo]

Originally posted by [email protected] 10 2006, 12:04 AM
i want a t-shirt like that (:
If you mean me it took a long time to make.

[metalero]

Originally posted by [email protected] 7 2006, 12:10 PM
It's sad to see this happens in a 'democracy'.

Although it's funny that, when something like this would happen in Cuba, it's allowed by the RevLeft members as 'defending the revolution'.
Next time Cuba invades another country, set up concentration camps, and murder thousands of innocents civilians I'll convice them to let you wear a "socialism is so evil" shirt :rolleyes:

[shorelinetrance]

Land of the free my butt.

[Viva Fidel!!]

They will often say "COMUNISTA!!!" "Hijo de puta!" or look at you with an out raged face.

In Little Havana they might kill you or punch your face out your asshole. No joke.