Iraq war veteran fights to keep license plates Virginia deems offensive to Arabs..."ICUHAJI"

www.foxnews.com...
Iraq war veteran fights to keep license plates Virginia deems offensive to Arabs

In what is being disputed as a matter of taste over a matter of law, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles revoked a former U.S. Army sergeant’s choice of vanity license plate letters, saying that the seven-letter series "ICUHAJI" is an affront to American citizens of Arab descent.

The letters spell a derogatory phrase sometimes used by service members.

The sergeant, Sean Bujno, a veteran of two tours in Iraq who was honorably discharged in 2009, responded to the determination by pursuing legal action against the state, contending his right to free speech – and due process - was stampeded by the DMV, the Virginian-Pilot reports.

"The government can't be charged with deciding what we can and cannot say," Bujno's lawyer, Andrew D. Meyer, told the Virginian-Pilot. "There are going to be people who don't like a certain message, but that is why there is the First Amendment."

It's a tough call to make, as to if this man should place the letters "ICUHAJI" on his license plate. What is not a tough call to make, is whether the man has a right to it or not... which at face value should be yes.

It could be argued that an individual can change his or her name to whatever they want, that your official signature can be whatever you want... which are all means of identification. Then why would a person not have the right as to choosing their identification on their license plate?

Granted.... this "ICUHAJI" is in poor taste, and the man who wants to place it on his vehicle is an idiot... but there is a world full of idiots who point themselves out everyday. I say screw it... and when the day comes that someone does something about this blatant expression of disrespect, we can all say... "We saw that coming".

To end the article...

However, the legal director for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee said the DMV made the right call.

"What else could he mean? I mean, we aren't hiding," Abed Ayoub told the paper. "What if it was ICUJEW? Would we tolerate that? Absolutely not.”

'Cat Stevens in this wild world, where do I begin?'

ICUYusef Islam

I don't think that would fit

LOL I think it's hilarious

If the idiot wants those plates let him keep them.

It really just underscores the blokes disrespect and disregard for the lives he undoubtedly took over in the middle east.

I hope no one goes crying when he's blown to smithereens by a car bomb...

Driving and vehicle licensing are not rights. They're priveleges. He can write that phrase on his car if he wants but a government agency allowing it strikes me as wrong. He should have gone with D-BAG or something. Though I doubt that would fly either.

Do you know what a hajji is? It is the term used to describe a muslim man who has made the pilgrimage to mecca. To most arabs it is not a derrogatory term like it is for most americans. Although coming from us it could e construed as such. When in Iraq we would always ask for the hajji of the houshold as a way of asking for the man who was in charge.

en.wikipedia.org...

El-Hajj, is an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca,[1] and is often used to refer to an elder, since it can take time to accumulate the wealth to fund the travel.

I don't see what the fuss is all about.

AHAHAHAAHAHAHAHHAAHAHA!!!
Oh my god. It's brilliant! I love it.
I want it.

"Haji" overseas by the arabs is actually a very RESPECTFUL term. It means they did a pilgrimage or something.
He totally has the right to have that, that may have been a valid argument. It's not an OVERALL derogatory name.

Originally posted by usmc0311
Do you know what a hajji is? It is the term used to describe a muslim man who has made the pilgrimage to mecca. To most arabs it is not a derrogatory term like it is for most americans. Although coming from us it could e construed as such. When in Iraq we would always ask for the hajji of the houshold as a way of asking for the man who was in charge.

en.wikipedia.org...

El-Hajj, is an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca,[1] and is often used to refer to an elder, since it can take time to accumulate the wealth to fund the travel.

I don't see what the fuss is all about.

edit on 21/5/12 by usmc0311 because: added content.

Oh man, how to break this one down...

again, 'cat stevens in this wild world, where do i begin'

This is disrespect and irony at its finest.
You think those that use this in a derogatory fashion, aren't recognizing the Hajj to Mecca...? it is in reference to it. It's not racism... nope, it's just straight up hatred of a religion. Blatantly

It's similar to the use of the racist word of 'Cracker', White Americans and African Americans both know what it means. Just like the use of 'Haji', it's identifying a characteristic, a means of relationship, or a difference to symbolize all of ones hate on the other.

These wars on terrorism have a christian/catholic vs islam with some undertone that isn't to be ignored. and the perception of the west has been so blasted back into the stone age, that much was accomplished while riding the back of propaganda, ignorance, and straight up hate.

I see you Haji, coming from a soldier... and then putting it on a license plate, I don't see how this is not recognizable as derogatory. What does a soldier look for? Enemies. What is this soldier identifying his enemy as? Answer at will.

That isn't to say that nothing good will result from this. The effect of this actually results in increased kindness, hope... never mind, you read it...

"According to terror management theory, people deal with their awareness of mortality by upholding cultural beliefs and seeking to become part of something larger and more enduring than themselves, such as nations or religions," said Jamie Arndt, study co-author and professor of psychological sciences. "Depending on how that manifests itself, positive outcomes can be the result."

"Both the news media and researchers tended to focus on the negative reaction to these acts of terrorism, such as violence and discrimination against Muslims, but studies also found that people expressed higher degrees of gratitude, hope, kindness and leadership after 9/11." Vail said. "In another example, after the Oklahoma City bombing, divorce rates went down in surrounding counties. After some stimuli escalates one's awareness of death, the positive reaction is to try to reaffirm that the world has positive aspects as well."

www.sciencedaily.com...

Interesting article...

Is Haji a racist term? If so then hes a bigot. Otherwise hes just your basic low IQ idiot

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
Is Haji a racist term? If so then hes a bigot. Otherwise hes just your basic low IQ idiot

Yes, yes, and yes. This is of course dependent on context, who is saying it, and why...

Either way, Idiots and Bigots have a right to hang themselves every once in a while, dependent on state.

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
Is Haji a racist term? If so then hes a bigot. Otherwise hes just your basic low IQ idiot

Do you know him personally? Big assumption on your part that he has a low IQ and an idiot. You know what happens when you assume don't you? You make an ASS out of U an ME. So a simple license plate is offensive yet their culture is full of bigotry across the board and they do things to our flag and effigy's of our people all the time.

reply to post by MESSAGEFROMTHESTARS


While I think the DMV has every right to decide what they will or won't put on a license plate, I am also confused as to why ICUHAJI is offensive?

Even if it said ICUJEW, why would that be offensive? Sometimes, I also see Jews. Sometimes I see men, women, kids, cats, dogs, etc. Why is it offensive to say you see someone? Now if it said KILLHAJI or KILLJEW, that would be offensive, but I just don't get the the offense of ICU.

Is HAJI an offensive slang term I am unaware of? I know they won't put up the n-word, or other offensive slang terms. Is this one of those, or is this a regular term like Jew?