“Jihad” can be understood as code for Islamic or Muslim. It may be understood in its non-code meaning as a “struggle” or “war” and people who think of it as meaning (or embracing) “terrorism” (i.e., violence against non-combatants which the USA dislikes and does not support) will think that “jihad” is properly called “savage”. (Muslims who understand “jihad” more broadly will think otherwise.)
However, because it can be understood as code for Islamic or Muslim, it is hate language. (Someone should ask Transit to demand that Geller revise the signs to actually SAY that “jihad” does not mean “Muslim” or “Islamic”, I expect she’d refuse, citing freedom of speech — it’s her message, after all, not Transit’s. The question of cleaning up misunderstandings in a touchy situation is important and difficult.
BTW, the idea that Israel is properly characterized, here, as “civilized” is remarkable, although, of course, Nazi Germany was also civilized (if you ignore much of the stuff its army and secret police did).
FreddyV
August 17, 2012 10:06 am
Great work. It’s just a shame it obscures the original text. Those ads far better serve to display the evil bigotry of Geller and her ilk than garner support for Israel.
Dan Crowther
August 17, 2012 10:42 am
Not a fan of that, they shouldn’t have blocked it out.
is there a worse term than “hate speech”? I’ve always found it so distasteful, I always think “Thought Crime” when I hear or read it.
“Jihad” can be understood as code for Islamic or Muslim. It may be understood in its non-code meaning as a “struggle” or “war” and people who think of it as meaning (or embracing) “terrorism” (i.e., violence against non-combatants which the USA dislikes and does not support) will think that “jihad” is properly called “savage”. (Muslims who understand “jihad” more broadly will think otherwise.)
However, because it can be understood as code for Islamic or Muslim, it is hate language. (Someone should ask Transit to demand that Geller revise the signs to actually SAY that “jihad” does not mean “Muslim” or “Islamic”, I expect she’d refuse, citing freedom of speech — it’s her message, after all, not Transit’s. The question of cleaning up misunderstandings in a touchy situation is important and difficult.
BTW, the idea that Israel is properly characterized, here, as “civilized” is remarkable, although, of course, Nazi Germany was also civilized (if you ignore much of the stuff its army and secret police did).
Great work. It’s just a shame it obscures the original text. Those ads far better serve to display the evil bigotry of Geller and her ilk than garner support for Israel.
Not a fan of that, they shouldn’t have blocked it out.
is there a worse term than “hate speech”? I’ve always found it so distasteful, I always think “Thought Crime” when I hear or read it.
hey, political art..love it.
Geller will declare the attachment anti-Semitic.