Ads hope to dispel fears of Muslims and Arabs

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Once, in college, I got so sick of people asking me if I supported terrorism that I taped a sign to my back that says "I in no way support terrorism."

The only reaction I got was some nice girl telling me I had a piece of paper stuck on my back

In the online realm I have an image in most of my signatures and on my blog to pre-empt the accusation that I support terrorism. It smooths things out, but sadly some people think it's taqiyya.

Which leads me to ramble on to another unrelated point - I was moaning to my husband about how difficult it was to do apologetics online because people kept accusing me of taqiyya. He's like, taqiyya? What's that? But of course, that was all taqiyya too, because according to certain segments of the right wing blogosphere, muslims are trained in the art deception since birth.

Edited December 20, 2006 by rahma

[sarachid 0]

I have written "Rachid and Sarah" in arabic on a paper that I hang by my desk.... I have never heard anything bad from it ... but people will ask "what does that say" then they want me to write there name..... but I only know how to write Rachid and Sarah....

[mybackpages 0]

[quote name='charlesandnessa' post='628092' date='Dec 20

i find your parallel between the two (japanese and muslims) to be farfetched. the japanese americans were locked up en masse due to their ethnicity. i don't see muslim americans being locked up like that.

Charles- do you think we woke up one morning and the Japanese Americans were in prison camps?

[UmmSqueakster 54]

I have written "Rachid and Sarah" in arabic on a paper that I hang by my desk.... I have never heard anything bad from it ... but people will ask "what does that say" then they want me to write there name..... but I only know how to write Rachid and Sarah....

I have a glitter painting a college friend of mine did as a graduation present for me on my desk at work, like this (says peace and love)

And I've gotten quite a few compliments on it as well.

My mom is an elementary school teacher and she used to do a language of the week. When my arabic was better, I did arabic presentations for her class and wrote all the kids' names in arabic. She has her name written in several different languages on her desk. Her kids love it

Edited December 20, 2006 by rahma

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

[quote name='charlesandnessa' post='628092' date='Dec 20

i find your parallel between the two (japanese and muslims) to be farfetched. the japanese americans were locked up en masse due to their ethnicity. i don't see muslim americans being locked up like that.

Charles- do you think we woke up one morning and the Japanese Americans were in prison camps?

why does it look like i'm talking to myself?

Edited December 20, 2006 by charlesandnessa

[peezey 0]

as for the writing on the bus.... well if it was in a country where that language was spoken then fine but its in america and as far as I know we dont speak that language here... so why do I need to see it on a bus...

Are you serious? Who is "we"? Because last I heard, there are hundreds of languages spoken in this country.

[Bosco 1]

OMG paper explosives...... now that was funny

as for the writing on the bus.... well if it was in a country where that language was spoken then fine but its in america and as far as I know we dont speak that language here... so why do I need to see it on a bus...

Funny how all the talk is about how wrong it is to blame muslim people for the acts of terrorisim that have happened in the US and other countries.... but as the people were muslim who did it and they continue to call for the murder of US and British people then I have no sympathy for muslims until the ordinary musilms stand up and stop the terror that is being done in the name of their religion....

Flame away...

Kez

In the name of Islam, I think this post is ridiculous.

[mybackpages 0]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061220/ap_on_re_us/arabic_signs

RICHMOND, Va. - The small beige signs bearing swirling, black Arabic script appear all over town on buses and at colleges.

One panicked bus rider wondered if they were secret messages from terrorists. Should the FBI be contacted? What do they mean?

Actual translation: "Paper or plastic?"

I think this idea is brilliant. History shows Americans are good hearted generous people. Our dark moments in history (and present day matters) seem to occur when our ignorance is fueled by fear.

There are some horrible remarks bantered about towards Muslims in the public arena. I've been shocked at the anger and intolerance being expressed. The only real way to challenge these ideas is to counter them with knowledge.

[Kez/JWolf 6]

As far as I can tell English is still the language of the USA....

May be Americans should go to Muslim countries and place adds on their buses and then we can dispell Muslims fears that we are going to kill them all too.... may be thats the answer to the world's porblems we do not have enough things on the side of our buses to dispel fears....

Kez

[peezey 0]

OMG paper explosives...... now that was funny

as for the writing on the bus.... well if it was in a country where that language was spoken then fine but its in america and as far as I know we dont speak that language here... so why do I need to see it on a bus...

Funny how all the talk is about how wrong it is to blame muslim people for the acts of terrorisim that have happened in the US and other countries.... but as the people were muslim who did it and they continue to call for the murder of US and British people then I have no sympathy for muslims until the ordinary musilms stand up and stop the terror that is being done in the name of their religion....

Flame away...

Kez

In the name of Islam, I think this post is ridiculous.

All the other muslims in this thread better step up and denounce Bosco.

[Bosco 1]

As far as I can tell English is still the language of the USA....

May be Americans should go to Muslim countries and place adds on their buses and then we can dispell Muslims fears that we are going to kill them all too.... may be thats the answer to the world's porblems we do not have enough things on the side of our buses to dispel fears....

Kez

We are doing just that. Look at the multi-million/billion dollar advertising/"information" campaigns in Iraq by the U.S. to show the Iraqis we are not their enemy.

[peezey 0]

As far as I can tell English is still the language of the USA....

May be Americans should go to Muslim countries and place adds on their buses and then we can dispell Muslims fears that we are going to kill them all too.... may be thats the answer to the world's porblems we do not have enough things on the side of our buses to dispel fears....

Kez

Interesting that a significant number of people outside of US & UK speak English, plus their native language, plus another, and another, so they are already a step ahead of you.

Edited December 20, 2006 by peezey

[Bosco 1]

OMG paper explosives...... now that was funny

as for the writing on the bus.... well if it was in a country where that language was spoken then fine but its in america and as far as I know we dont speak that language here... so why do I need to see it on a bus...

Funny how all the talk is about how wrong it is to blame muslim people for the acts of terrorisim that have happened in the US and other countries.... but as the people were muslim who did it and they continue to call for the murder of US and British people then I have no sympathy for muslims until the ordinary musilms stand up and stop the terror that is being done in the name of their religion....

Flame away...

Kez

In the name of Islam, I think this post is ridiculous.

All the other muslims in this thread better step up and denounce Bosco.

Not only denounce me, but you must STOP ME or you will have no sympathy.

[Aymerlu 3]

I have written "Rachid and Sarah" in arabic on a paper that I hang by my desk.... I have never heard anything bad from it ... but people will ask "what does that say" then they want me to write there name..... but I only know how to write Rachid and Sarah....

I also have "Khallid" wrote and pinned to my bulltin board at my desk. I cannot tell you how many times a drug rep will come in and say "what the he$$ does that mean?" Normally I just tell them it's my husbands name. I remember one day though a drug rep came in that I don't really care for. She's made unnessecary comments about middle easterns in the past. So she says "hey what does that say?" I say....."It says I hate stupid people." Never again have I heard her made ignorant comments around me again.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

As far as I can tell English is still the language of the USA....

May be Americans should go to Muslim countries and place adds on their buses and then we can dispell Muslims fears that we are going to kill them all too.... may be thats the answer to the world's porblems we do not have enough things on the side of our buses to dispel fears....

Kez

We already have advertising campaigns in the Middle East...

And at least from my own humble experiences in Egypt, Egyptians don't have an irrational fear of english. They snap up shirts with english on them (often mispelled, tehehehe), and horde american label clothing. They consume american movies in huge quantities. I haven't ever heard of someone not being allowed on a plane in Egypt because they have english written on their shirt.

Now, in american on the other hand...