240,000 dollars awarded to man forced to cover Arab T-shirt

[someonesomewhere]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i9_XPfpm0_Xi0USqY-9P3ds2OhJg

NEW YORK (AFP) — An airline passenger forced to cover his T-shirt because it displayed Arabic script has been awarded 240,000 dollars in compensation, campaigners said Monday.

Raed Jarrar received the pay out on Friday from two US Transportation Security Authority officials and from JetBlue Airways following the August 2006 incident at New York's JFK Airport, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced.

So, if anyone is short of a little cash to make the ends meet, or has a couple of unpaid bills they'd like to get tidied up, you might stop by the T-shirt shop this week and think about flying stand by. It's a thought.

[red1gtrubodsm]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i9_XPfpm0_Xi0USqY-9P3ds2OhJg

NEW YORK (AFP) — An airline passenger forced to cover his T-shirt because it displayed Arabic script has been awarded 240,000 dollars in compensation, campaigners said Monday.

Raed Jarrar received the pay out on Friday from two US Transportation Security Authority officials and from JetBlue Airways following the August 2006 incident at New York's JFK Airport, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced.

So, if anyone is short of a little cash to make the ends meet, or has a couple of unpaid bills they'd like to get tidied up, you might stop by the T-shirt shop this week and think about flying stand by. It's a thought.

Completely rediculous! I wouldnt fly on a plane where someone is openly displaying arabic slander. Ive heard of Delta airlines making an "over sexy" girl put her jacket on to cover up her cleavage. She received no compensation. But the press got her a playboy shoot.

In this day and age, everyone is weary when they get on a plane. If I see an arabic on a plane, Im honest, I would panic a bit. Im not a racist, Im a realist. There wouldnt be the stereotype or panic if there wasnt a real reason. What is better, 1 person mad about covering up a shirt, or 150 poepl go into a panic mid-flight?

[jasen]

So you think the airlines should ban all non-English text from clothing apparel?

I mean really, the general public might not be able the tell the difference between Hindi, Farsi, Arabic, Swahili, or even Russian. We might have a riot if the Armenian football team boards a plane and somebody can't read their shirts.

I refuse to live in fear. And the only way a dark-skinned dude on the airplane is going to scare me, is if he jumps up screaming about the infidels. I guarantee you one thing, me and about 10 other passengers are going to tackle him and shove the box cutter where Allah don't shine.

[admin]

The guy deserved every penny. I think it's totally racist and un-American. C'mon freedom of speech - and you mean you can't be proud of your heritage?!

[stefdr]

The guy deserved every penny. I think it's totally racist and un-American. C'mon freedom of speech - and you mean you can't be proud of your heritage?!

racism:

A belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.

I can see how it would be bigoted or prejudicial, but I can't see how it was in any way racist. The term "racist" is tossed out there way to often, mostly by people who have no idea what it truly means. Did those who made this person cover his shirt do so in a manner that implied they thought they were superior to him?

[jasen]

You forgot the other two perfectly valid sub-definitions:

2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.

3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

"Superiority" is optional, not a necessary component.

This incident showed both discrimination and intolerance. I'm going to say the call of racism in this case is in fact correct.

The shirt in question?

Doesn't look very offensive (or slanderous) to me.

[Dre]

It's almost the airline is trying to attempt on making a statement - well, it actually did.

I guess I should tell my roommate to burst out his: I (heart) Black People shirt I bought him last year. Maybe he can get at least half the amount.

[Chester P. Dexter]

I haven't read the article yet, but the first thing that strikes me is that the Arabic lettering could have spelled out anything, and the translation should actually matter to whether a big frenzy followed the wearing of this shirt by an airline passenger.

For example, it could have said, "I <3 Black People," in Arabic.

[jq26]

Keep in mind that while this guy gets a nice quater mil check for his 45 minutes of hassle, you and I are paying for it if we choose to fly on that airline.

[Dre]

I haven't read the article yet, but the first thing that strikes me is that the Arabic lettering could have spelled out anything, and the translation should actually matter to whether a big frenzy followed the wearing of this shirt by an airline passenger.

For example, it could have said, "I <3 Black People," in Arabic.

That gives me an idea...I wonder what that would look like?

[jasen]

That gives me an idea...I wonder what that would look like?

أنا 3> السود

[reverserguru]

Keep in mind that while this guy gets a nice quater mil check for his 45 minutes of hassle, you and I are paying for it if we choose to fly on that airline.

Then don't support a racist airline.

[Dre]

أنا 3> السود

Thanks! That's awesome!

[isislc]

This is so funny because it all comes down to a matter of stereotyping it's too rediculous. A perfect example here is that I've started learning Japanese and of course I've learned the naughty words right away so I can direct them to people. I basically told a co-worker, "Good Morning Idiot" in Japanese and he ran to pull the Spanish-English dictionary to see what I called him. haa haa lmao!

Yes, I'm hispanic. So apparently it is unheard of that a Hispanic person can actually speak any other language other than English and Spanish.

Like I told my daughter, in my line of work in the IT and Technology industry, knowing one of the big Languages like Japanese makes you a hot commodity in business.

[stefdr]

You forgot the other two perfectly valid sub-definitions:

2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.

3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

"Superiority" is optional, not a necessary component.

This incident showed both discrimination and intolerance. I'm going to say the call of racism in this case is in fact correct.

The shirt in question?

Doesn't look very offensive (or slanderous) to me.

I can see the discrimination, but not the racism.

[jasen]

I can see the discrimination, but not the racism.

I guess we'll never know for sure, but I'd bet if my pasty-white self were wearing that shirt I wouldn't get a second glance.

[jq26]

Then don't support a racist airline.

Anytime someone is hassled it isn't racism. That's the point. On my flight to LA last week, I was padded down along with my 7.5 month old son for 20 minutes in a "special room". So was my wife, father-in-law, and mother-in-law. Maybe we should scream racism and call our local scumbag trial lawyer. I can pay my house off and then spend a month in Aruba.

These lawsuits are absurd.

[stefdr]

I guess we'll never know for sure, but I'd bet if my pasty-white self were wearing that shirt I wouldn't get a second glance.

Probably not, but that fact that they were singled out still isn't racist. Prejudicial and possibly bigoted, but not racist.

I have full tattoo sleeves on both arms, and I've been asked if I got any of my ink in prison. I've never been locked up, I've never been in any trouble. Assuming I've been in prison is prejudicial based on my appearance. If it were someone of another race making this assumption about me, would they be racist?