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Ear to the Ground

Arabic T-Shirt Keeps Man Off Plane

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Posted on Aug 29, 2006

An Iraqi architect at JFK airport was wearing a shirt that read “We Will Not Be Silent” in Arabic and English. Security officers said it was upsetting other passengers, and said he couldn’t board until he turned it inside-out or put on something else. He chose the latter. (h/t: Raw Story)

This is pretty ridiculous: If security guards were worried that he was a terrorist, a new shirt wouldn’t have thwarted his plot. And if they didn’t suspect he was a terrorist, why can’t he wear a shirt of protest?


WNYC:

... JARRAR: 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 U.S. Especially that I moved from Iraq because of the war that was waged in Iraq under titles like democracy and freedom.

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By Bukko in Australia, August 31, 2006 at 4:08 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Broiler, you fall into the fallacy of saying “Other countries are bad, so it’s not that bad if we are too.” He would be festooned with bullets in other countries, so it’s OK to hassle this guy in the U.S.? Is that your standard? What about the supposed nobility of the United States?

And if it’s dangerous to wear a T-shirt for the wrong team in a different city, maybe you’re not the paragon of enlightenment that you think you are. I can wear the colours of the St. Kilda Saints (an Aussie rules footy team) into other parts of Melbourne (even Collingwood, where the magpies fans have a reputation for being rabid) and the most I might get is some good-natured piss-taking. Not physical assault. Perhaps you should ask yourself what’s wrong with the U.S. that people can get attacked for their shirts?

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By Broiler, August 30, 2006 at 6:12 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

You’ve got to be bright enough to pick your battles.
Then this guy feigns shock. In the old country
he could wear a cryptic message on his t-shirt.
He would never be asked to change it. It would
simply be festooned with bullet holes.

Look, my son being a Yankee fan wanted to wear
a “Boston Sucks” t-shirt on our trip to Cape Cod.
It was his “right”. That didn’t make it the right
thing to do. As his parent I didn’t allow it
explaining that it was both insulting and rude.
(BTW, I don’t let him wear it to Yankee games or
to school for the same reasons.)

Neither of these actions are expressions of individuality,
just provocation and confrontation.

Have a care for others!

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By Ignorance IsNotBliss, August 30, 2006 at 7:34 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

You have to be kidding me. I understand the need for concern, but this is taking it way to far. Who cares if it upsets other people? If it upsets you, don’t look at the shirt. Just like, if you don’t like a television program, turn the friggin’ channel.

When will all of this be over? It’s becoming total ridiculous.

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By the watcher, August 29, 2006 at 9:40 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

the death of common sense drives the nail into the coffin of freedom. terrorists aren’t winning any ‘war’,they’re only egging millions of americans to surrender to an irrational frenzy of fear…and the usa thereby seen as nothing more than a collection of self rightous and cowardly bigots. running and hiding from a tee-shirt.  bring down the flag, mama..it’s all over.  shame, shame, shame.

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By Bukko in Australia, August 29, 2006 at 9:03 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Further proof that the U.S. is turning into a fascist nation. “They hate us for our freedoms”? What freedoms? You have the freedom to speak whatever everyone else agrees with…

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By Lynn, August 29, 2006 at 2:18 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security.

Benjamin Franklin

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