Intifada U.S.A: Who is afraid of the Arabic language?
I’ve reproduced this here, even though it was intended for the a-Rab and was also posted on my blog. I think it has relevance to this community, especially since some posters have already touched on this issue (in the wrong way, unfortunately). Peace.
Update 8/13/07: Shirts in lighter colors and with lower prices are now available at the online store. There are also jerseys, hoodies, sweatshirts, and other apparel.
Who is afraid of the Arabic language?
Enough people to drive Debbie Almontaser, aspiring principal of a new Arabic-themed public school in New York, out of her job. Almontaser was loosely “connected” (read: she shared office space) to a group that produced a benign t-shirt with the words “Intifada NYC” on them.
To certain anti-Arab organizations and individuals, “intifada” is something to fear. It is violent, it is terrorizing, and it is, apparently, unacceptable even to mention the word. In recent times the word has been connected to the Palestinian uprisings of the late 1980s and early 2000s, which have taken many different forms: cultural, artistic, literary, musical, political, military, violent, non-violent.
What these people do not understand, however, is that intifada, even while politically charged, is not necessarily a violent concept, nor does it come exclusively out of the ongoing Palestinian struggle against Israeli apartheid. In 1977, for example, Egypt saw what was termed the “bread intifada” in response to measures taken by then President Anwar Sadat to drastically increase the price of basic commodities. It was over a decade later that the term was commonly held to refer to the Palestinian uprising of the late 1980s.
While to those looking on from a distance “intifada” might only refer to the images seen on television, to those on the ground, its meaning has roots in an inspirational attitude and positive outlook that seeks to overturn an oppressive situation. It is the very essence of giving “power to the people,” of allowing the people to act when their interests are threatened. From that perspective, only those who fear change and justice are afraid of intifada, the concept. Fear of this concept, however, means fear of the American revolution, fear of the anti-slavery movement, fear of the civil rights movement, fear of the Vietnam era anti-war movement–in short, fear of everything that has ever helped change America for the better.
Intifada, as a concept, is one that has deep roots in oppressed sectors of American society. It is only when we call it by its Arabic name that we encounter these hysterical xenophobic attitudes. We should not pretend, anyway, that this current controversy is simply about the word “intifada.” In doing so we would be ignoring the fact that the Arabic language itself has become something worth fearing in the United States. Just last year, an Iraqi man was kicked off of a JetBlue flight (remember the name, boycott it) for wearing a t-shirt with the words “We will not be silent” in Arabic. It should not be difficult to see, then, that this is an affront to Arabs and the Arabic language as a whole, rather than the word “intifada” exclusively.
It is here that we step in to protect intifada, the concept, as well as “intifada,” the word. If intifada is something that can inspire youth in this country to organize within their communities in order to force the political system to work for them (for us), then intifada is something that we encourage in every corner of the United States. Furthermore, we will not call it dissent, we will not call it protest, and we will not call it activism–even though it encompasses all of these things. To resist the efforts by the right-wing and the popular media to demonize Arabs, Muslims, and other immigrants, we will call it by no other name: intifada it is, and in every community in this country, it will be.
The best way to achieve our political goals of pushing people to action, as well as our cultural goals of fighting fear of the Arabic language, is to increase both our political and cultural visibility. We have designed the t-shirt below with those goals in mind.
On the front, it reads:
“shake off the system that oppresses you!
(intifada in Arabic)
intifada u.s.a
act now for your community”
On the back, it reads:
“in*ti*fa*da (n)
an arabic word for ’shaking off,’ politically it refers to popular movements that seek to rectify an unjust situation, whether it be for affordable bread or equal political rights. the civil rights movement might have been called an intifada, if it happened on the other side of the world. is that so bad?”
These t-shirts have been designed with our overall project in mind and as such, proceeds will go towards funding our new publication, the a-Rab. To order this t-shirt, please follow this link to the same posting on the a-Rab’s website and follow the instructions at the bottom of the post (there are also larger versions there). If you agree with us, please share this post and this t-shirt with your friends. If you have suggestions for other ways of selling these t-shirts, please feel free to contact us at admin@a-rab.net.
del.icio.us
BlogMemes
Digg
StumbleUpon
Technorati
Google
Reddit
Facebook
TwitThis
Mixx
Loading ...
Good call Yaman! Did you try this shirt service? It’s cheaper than most of such services out there:
Zazzle
I haven’t heard of it, but I’ll definitely check it out later tonight when I get back home.
T shirt suggestion: NUKE MECCA - Nuke is from the word nuclear which comes from the root word nucleus, meaning center. See? It means “Center Mecca”
Shake off the USA - the thing that’s oppressing you? Go to one of the lovely Islamic countries for some real oppression.
Uh oh, the easily offended right-wingers are gonna be finding their way to this post =(
Very hilarious suggestion ‘Infidel,’ I’ll get you a Nuke Iran shirt to celebrate your creativity.
Moi, easily offended? I think muslims are tops in the victimhood industry.
Yes you’re right. Our lives are just miserable. All 1.4 billion of us. You sure are rubbing it in, fun guy. Nuke us, pretty plz?
lolol get it? Nuke means center! I’m not offended at all by a shirt that suggests that we should be centered, *lols @ self* oh gawd is this funny, *high five*
The other day I read SUNY was requested to change its name to soothe the feelings of muslims. In fact, every other day there is a something being requested or demanded, or sued over - a word, a dish, a law here and there. I suppose it is all “shaking off” the terrible oppression of the USA, hm? or is it “shaking down?”
Oh shit, really? Infidel, what are you doing on the INTERNET? Muslims are taking over, can you not see it? The government, the media, education, soon your wife and kids! Maybe even your grandma, shiiiit! This is bad and super serious.
I’m so worried about your safety. Do you want me to call for back-up? You should be scared because we are so going to win the war on alcohol, women’s hair, drugs, schooling, gambling, and pork. You will lose your rights and your country to us camel jockies! Oh my… This is horrific… Muslims everywhere like a bunch of creeps…
HELP THE USA NUKE MECCA PLZ IT WILL SOLVE ALL UR PROBLEMZ EVEN GLOBAL WARMING
MUSLIMS R RILLY RILLY BAD, THEY EVEN HAVE SHIRTS NOW, WHAT THE FUCK
KILL ‘EM NUKE ‘EM SUCK ‘EM SOCK ‘EM BARK AT ‘EM JUST GET THEM THE HELL OUT OF ‘MA FACE AND COUNTRY
ps there is no such thing as palestine its called alabama in reality and its ours we gave it as a gift to israel ur all stupid ay-rabs learn your history and geography before you make shirts *rolleyes*
Esra’a, this is hilarious!
Yaman, count me in.
Es, you are writing the typical muslim screech and whine. You probably think that muslim feelings are more important than ours. Seems foolish to wear even a vaguely threatening T shirt. You demand us to change our words. Don’t get all excited if we tell you to change yours.
*Models shirt in front of Infidel*
Check me outttt.
Infidel, you right-wing Evangelical nutjobs are the worst in victimization.
Go back to watching the 700 Club Internet Rambo.
Do you really think the choice of the word intifada was sensible? “Shaking off” NYC? “Shaking off” USA? Get real. It was a threat or an insult.
Shaking off doesn’t mean terrorizing, genius. And besides, I’m pretty sure everything at this point threatens and insults you. A Muslim farts 6 feet away and you’re ducking for cover.
Intifada doesn’t have much to do with Islam, either. What, now you’re confusing it with “Jihad,” the other term that has been unbelievably misused and ill-defined?
Why did you associate this thread with Islam and Muslims right away?
Consider Yaman’s post again:
Cultural and political. Where the hell does it say religious?
You see what I find so absurd about people (oh sorry, we’re suppose to be using humor here, I mean “infidels!”) is that anything “different” is associated with a religion that they most likely don’t know a fact about, including this cultural/political movement of sorts that has nothing at all to do with the Muslim faith. But you just had to go off on a rant on Muslims. Brilliant, you are. Totally went against Yaman’s point about xenophobic reactions.
Thank you for making us all realize how important this is.
Our friend “infidel” here (I’m not sure he knows what he’s talking about–has he surveyed everyone here and everyone working on the a-Rab regarding their religious views?) seems to have nothing better to do with his time than to spam his message, one that even Bush wouldn’t agree with, in at least 3 different places. That’s kind of flattering. Maybe one day he’ll have something of substance to add.
I have not mentioned religion, the subject is threatening/insulting/politically inflamatory T shirts. These shirts were not to be worn here and there by assorted idiots, they were for a public organization. An organization that should have known better.
Yes you did.
Reference #1 - “T shirt suggestion: NUKE MECCA”
Religious reference.
#2 - “The other day I read SUNY was requested to change its name to soothe the feelings of muslims.”
Referring to Muslims. Followed by various of such ignorant rants concerning the religion, including this one:
“You probably think that muslim feelings are more important than ours.”
So hush your sassing!
The phrase “you probably think..” was directed at you.
Why do you think SUNY was requested to change its name?
Mecca is a place held dear. Maybe some people hold NYC and the USA as very valuable too.
You don’t think so good, Es…
Or.. do you mean.. Islam is mixed up in politics? So mixed that if you mention one you mention the other?
Gasp! Really? Has Islam sold its soul to politics?
It doesn’t change the fact that you took a post completely irrelevant to Islam and made it about the faith. Why don’t you go back and read your flawed statements, smart guy? Do you bring up Islam as soon as you see the Arabic language or discuss political activities from the region? Because in this post you did. Your rants were based on religion and not my culture or politics.
How do you equate intifada with nuking NYC? You really think that such shirt suggests your death? Wow, you are more paranoid than I thought. People this paranoid usually end up with tumors. You should be careful. We don’t want you dying in the hands of Muslims now do we? That would just be awful.
oh no r u gonna tell this to my ‘ma
Only painfully ignorant people hear “Arab” and immediately think “Islam.”
I implore you to read books every once in a while.
I repeat, Has Islam sold its soul to politics?
Repeating stupid things doesn’t make it any smarter, you know, but to answer your very misinformed question:
“Has Islam sold its soul to politics?”
Only to illiterate people who prefer Fox News over an encyclopedia. Everyone else can understand the extent to which religion is used as a political tool in the region, and those who bother reading about the core values of the faith understand the difference between culture/politics and religion.
And even if you are too lazy to actually do your research, this doesn’t mean that you lump religion in a particular category and you especially should not make the hideous mistake of stereotyping all Muslim individuals and accusing them of doing things a very small minority are guilty of. That’s like singling out an attack by a small group of Americans and then looking at you, going “way to go, asshole!” That’s exactly the type of stupidity that we are being forced to put up with on a daily basis.
Put simply, anyone who sees “intifada” and equates it with religious extremism is of course going to be insulted and threatened by it, because ignorant people are easily offended. If you had read and attempted to undertand the historical and political implications perhaps you would be asking tougher and more thought provoking questions but until then…
What the shirts were saying was “let’s have an intifada, or let’s intifada NYC.” “Whee! let’s make NYC like Gaza! Isn’t it great?” Ugh.
Reading comprehension classes are down to about $20 a course. Want me to register you for one?
What the shirt says or suggests is far from that.
No it isn’t, Es. That is what it says. That is what the fuss is about.
hey.. i’m not muslim, or arab.. but i live in new york.. i think the shirts are provocative. but that’s the point of a good slogan, to provoke thought.
there is no way you can appeal to people’s logic on this one. the people leading this anti t-shirt fight are simply using this t-shirt issue as a political pawn. they are people like daniel pipes, who troll the internet or where ever else looking for an opportunity to prove his thesis that islam is inherently violent, backwards, facistic, and dangerous. he doesn’t know about the work of a small non-profit for arab girls and he doesn’t care. the sad thing is, this recent coverage will do alot to poison the thinking of rational people.
oh, and another thing.. why do you even respond to infidel? the dude is obviously not going to at least for a second be moved by anything any of you are saying. i guess it’s funny to play with him but you do give him a forum by responding.
Esra’a just ignore infidel boy here… it’s a waste of time.
Once a right wing, always up for a brain swing..
I guess that should work as a shirt to walk in..
Esra’a, don’t waste your time trying to grow a second brain lobe for that person..
In that I touched on this topic (the wrong way) I think I should chime in here. I am not defending the rights of people who should or should not wear such a shirt, I am not defending the rights of people to make or not make such a statement with a piece of clothing. What I wanted to talk about in regards to these shirts (mostly the use of Intifada without cultural reference to what MOST Americans understand the word to mean) is stupid and self destructive.
If one was to walk around a town in France or Germany with a shirt that said something like I only eat freedom fries or something as ignorant you would be most likely be spat on. Now up the price. If you get a shirt that says Hitler was right, (but you don’t explain WHICH Hitler) who is at fault when there is outrage?
And Infidel, shut up. You sound very silly and are not helping your cause (whatever it might be) and you are degrading the level of conversation held here.
Peter, the point you are making is the same one I am making about the shirts. I think it is impossible to degrade the level of conversation here, it has sunk to profanity and personal insults.
I would also say that it’s not religion itself that is the problem but religion, any religion, as a system of governance, imposing its conformities on all in society, creates a grossly oppressive environment.
Infidel, your comments from this point onwards have been marked for moderation. Ones that are nothing but insulting have been deleted in an effort to maintain the site’s atmosphere and relevance of the threads. Read our policy for more information, and consider being less of a clown next time you post.
Infidel, this is where you falter: it is anything which imposes its conformities on all in society that creates a grossly oppressive environment. This includes your conception of what an “American” should be.
Peter, your comment now that it is just the context which makes the word inappropriate is a significant step back from the vitriolic comments you made the other week that intifada means terrorism. You didn’t say “it means terrorism to SOME,” you just said it was. And when I commented about IDF shirts, you did not concede that they were even relatable issues. I agree with you that the context is important. That is why these shirts explain the meaning of intifada.
LOL @ “Mecca is a place held dear. Maybe some people hold NYC and the USA as very valuable too.”
because there are no arab americans or muslims living in NYC? or the entire country? check the statistics. maybe we want to make the places we live better and safer for all of us by promoting the message of intifada–”shaking off” the systems that oppress us.
Look at this article at the website of the newspaper of the NYC United Federation of Teachers ( http://www.uft.org/news/teacher/around/irish_duo/ )
were it refers to the terrorists of Hagannah as freedom fighters. It says,
“He later became a stakeholder for the Hagannah, a defense lawyer for Jewish gun-runners and had his brother, Mayor William O’Dwyer, call off a police detail from the docks so guns could be sent to Israel.
… [caption of photo] Manhattan attorney Brian O’Dwyer (left), who told a vignette about his father defending Israeli freedom fighters caught with guns in Manhattan; with Joel Shiller (center), chair of the UFT Jewish Heritage Committee, and Callaghan.”
Here is some of what the Hagannah did to the Palestinians
http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2002-05/16/article23.shtml
Not only did they terrorize the Palestinians, they also terrorized Jews. There is a book by Naeim Giladi called Ben Gurion’s Scandals: How the Haganah & the Mossad Eliminated Jews. Read about it here http://www.bintjbeil.com/E/occupation/ameu_iraqjews.html