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

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5297822.stm?ls

this makes me sad for some reason...... what ever happened to free speech?

this makes me sad for some reason...... what ever happened to free speech?

 

Who said we ever had free speech? no one is truly free.

its in the constitution...... remember that little diddy of a document??

its in the constitution...... remember that little diddy of a document??

 

Indeed it is, but we've never had true freedom of speech, we have the most freedom of speech compared to the world, but not true freedom.

not since the inception of the good 'ol Patriot Act we don't.... you got that right.

You don't have the most freedom of speech compared to the world. I reckon the British and the Dutch have more

not since the inception of the good 'ol Patriot Act we don't.... you got that right.

 

the patriots act didnt take away many more rights then we already have had taken away since along time ago. we've never been truly free, just the most free out of any nation. this isnt a democrat vs republican idea, its a simple fact we've never been truly free since our nation was founded.

You don't have the most freedom of speech compared to the world. I reckon the British and the Dutch have more

 

yes we do. we are out of most the nations the most free. we can say anything we want except for talking about killing the president. with a few exceptions like what happaned with the t-shirt but that is uncommon.

 

but compared to most nations we are the most free, maybe sweden is a little bit more free.

... just the most free out of any nation

Can you qualify this?

At least he wasn't kicked off the flight.

 

I cause chaos at airports because my leg always sets off the security because I got some metal parts in there because my bone broke when i was little.

Can you qualify this?

 

Can you disprove it?

 

we can say just about anything we want, except for a few occasions and talking about killing the president, we pick our leaders, we can protest, i can share my political opinion no matter how anti it is agaisnt the goverment. most nations you cant do this.

 

we are not the most free, but we are in the top 5 countries.

the patriots act didnt take away many more rights then we already have had taken away since along time ago. we've never been truly free' date=' just the most free out of any nation. this isnt a democrat vs republican idea, its a simple fact we've never been truly free since our nation was founded.[/quote']

 

 

are you kidding me??

 

 

Under the Patriot Act... they can arrest someone solely under suspicion.... how was this in effect before 9/11?? Yea.. it wasn't!! --What about journalist who was arrested for not revealing her source.. and got punishe basically for writting ill of this administration..... you don't think that was personal??

 

This is America.... land if the free!!!!

And it's a shame that they are stopping the program which allowed easily access to america from the uk :(

are you kidding me??

 

 

Under the Patriot Act... they can arrest someone solely under suspicion.... how was this in effect before 9/11?? Yea.. it wasn't!! --What about journalist who was arrested for not revealing her source.. and got punishe basically for writting ill of this administration..... you don't think that was personal??

 

This is America.... land if the free!!!!

 

and you think our goverment couldnt do that before the patriot act?:laugh3:

 

The journalist broke the law and got what she deserved, but the fact is there are so many anti bush people on tv, radio and in the papers proving we have alot of free speech but not total.

how did she break the law??? It was YOUR boy's advisor that cleared the exposure of such intel.... :lol: she was merely reporting the news....

and you think our goverment couldnt do that before the patriot act?:laugh3:

The journalist broke the law and got what she deserved, but the fact is there are so many anti bush people on tv, radio and in the papers proving we have alot of free speech but not total.

 

 

name me one instance in history that this has occurred.. please!

name me one instance in history that this has occurred.. please!

 

you're right, our goverment is good, the cia, nsa and fbi always follow every law and dont break them for political means...my bad:rolleyes:

 

anyone who thinks their goverment does not do secret things like torture or arresting innocent citizens is a idiot. its not common practice but it happens. the media never reports on it though.

A lot of stuff happens behind closed doors everywhere, where the media can't get anywhere near.

It makes me sad that anyone can think forcing a man to remove his shirt simply because it has Arabic words on it can be justified.

 

Anyone remember Cohen vs. California?

"One should not be convicted for wearing a jacket in a courtroom emblazoned with the phrase "Fuck the Draft" (in the Vietnam War context), as this is communication, protected by the free speech clause of the 1st Amendment."

that's it. i'm gonna write all over my clothes in Bengali and show up at the airport. if they make me change b/c of the writing on my shirt, i will go to Crawford myself, knock on Bush's front door, and take it up with him.

you're right, our goverment is good, the cia, nsa and fbi always follow every law and dont break them for political means...my bad:rolleyes:

 

anyone who thinks their goverment does not do secret things like torture or arresting innocent citizens is a idiot. its not common practice but it happens. the media never reports on it though.

 

did I ever say the government was good??? :lol: are you serious?? lol I am the one who has always said I don't trust my government!! But the Constitution isn't the government.... its a doctrine.. and what America was built on.... the politicians who run govt. are the ones who fucked it all up.. lol

 

nice try though.. I like how you are now trying to flip on your beliefs.. lol its cute! :nice:

 

point 1: avoided the question yet again... :)

point 2: just because the torturing of civilans happens.. doesn't make it ok..... regardless of war or not...

point 3: I think some one need their meds.. lol

did I ever say the government was good??? :lol: are you serious?? lol I am the one who has always said I don't trust my government!! But the Constitution isn't the government.... its a doctrine.. and what America was built on.... the politicians who run govt. are the ones who fucked it all up.. lol

 

nice try though.. I like how you are now trying to flip on your beliefs.. lol its cute! :nice:

 

point 1: avoided the question yet again... :)

point 2: just because the torturing of civilans happens.. doesn't make it ok..... regardless of war or not...

point 3: I think some one need their meds.. lol

 

I never have flipped on my belief's, ive ALWAYS stated the goverment does bad thing we dont know about behind closed doors, torture, murder and you DENY it, we've talked about this before.

 

 

the truth is every goverment breaks the laws, they kill and torture to get what they want.

 

Yeah someone does need their meds, you keep forgetting you've acted before like our goverment does not do this, in other threads too.:laugh3: now go take the meds. because you are the one infact switching their beliefs.

Thank goodness he wasn't wearing a "Massive Attack" T-shirt!!:rolleyes:

It makes me sad that anyone can think forcing a man to remove his shirt simply because it has Arabic words on it can be justified

I guess in the currently climate of fear and paranoia it could be considered the same as standing up in a crowded theatre and shouting "Fire".

 

They ought to be doing something about dampening the current climate of fear and paranoia.