ARABIC T-SHIRTS NOW SAFE FOR AIR TRAVEL

[defrog]

An indirect update to yesterday’s post about how Muslims with questions about airplane seating are too dangerous to be allowed to fly ...

ITEM [via Threat Level]: Transportation Security Administration officials and JetBlue Airways are paying $240,000 to settle a discrimination lawsuit against Raed Jarrar who, as a condition of boarding a domestic flight, was forced to cover his shirt that displayed Arabic writing.

As you may recall, the TSA’s reasoning for its actions was strikingly stupid:

As Jarrar was waiting to board, TSA officials approached him and said he was required to remove his shirt because passengers were not comfortable with it, according to the lawsuit. The suit claimed one TSA official commented that the Arabic lettering was akin to wearing a T-shirt at a bank stating, "I am a robber."

Because, as we all know, criminals and terrorists ALWAYS wear t-shirts identifying themselves as criminals and terrorists. Guild rules and all.

Sigh.

Here’s hoping this marks the beginning of the end of the War On T-Shirts®, one of the lesser known but equally stupid legacies of the Bush Years.

Then I can wear this the next time I fly.



Topless,

This is dF

EDITED TO ADD [07.01.09]: jasonfranks reports that the lettering in the t-shirt is Hebrew, not Arabic. Which I should have bloody well realized, as I've got several CDs with Hebrew lettering on them. In my defense, the web site selling said shirt said it was Arabic, and I thought the font was making it look less Arabic than it should be. Which just goes to show how much I know.

I suppose I could always say I was trying to make the point that TSA officials wouldn't know the difference anyway. But then I'd be no better than them. Let this be a lesson to all of you: the Interweb, it lies.

I shall retire to my Shame Cave now. (Yes, I do have one.)

Comments

[thelastaerie.livejournal.com]

phew... i reckon your fellow passengers would just think that's a Japanese Star Wars Tee, unless they stare at the fine prints. :P

[jasonfranks.livejournal.com]

That's Hebrew, not Arabic...

-- JF

[def-fr0g-42.livejournal.com]

Well, hell.

You know, I thought it looked a bit wrong for Arabic, but thought it might have to do with the funky Star Wars-like font. Also, the web store selling it swears its Arabic, and I thought they meant the really small lettering at the bottom anyway.

Apologies. I usually know Hebrew when I see it.

[jasonfranks.livejournal.com]

Ah, it can be hard to tell. Hebrew can look different: there's the 'script' version and the 'printed' version, and oftentimes they leave the vowels markers out completely (as in your t-shirt). Apparently, if you know the language well enough you can deduce the vowels from the consonent order.

It doesn't help that Israelis love to mess with fonts. There's a Pizza Hut in Tel Aviv with a logo so fucked up that I don't think it's legible in English or in Hebrew.

The main thing to look for is flow: even in the script version of Hebrew, the characters are not connected and they're blockier. Arabic looks more like cursive.

-- JF