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A sample of emails AAF received on our 'Arab' story. There are still good
people who are reasonable and unbiased. There are also those who are hateful and
racist.
Note: Contents include some vulgar and derogatory words, improper
grammar and diction. However, we are not showing the emails of the
senders..
Dear Dr Assaf,
Thank you very much for your prompt response.
My name is Raji Arekat , resident and vice mayor of
AbuDees, East Jerusalem.
I watched some of your interviews on TV , and do
appreciate the efforts of AAF led by your goodself to give reliable and
credible information about the Arab community in USA , and a truly
positive image of arab nations and their fair cause in general.
Yesterday I read about an online thesaurus (Roget's) pulling an
insulting listing for "Arab". I looked up in their site (www.thesaurus.com)
for the word "Arab" and saw the different definitions among which was :
Offensive slang: waif. But i do remember too that i read somewhere the
definition :abandoned animal. I went to the site this morning to check
again but couldnt find "abandoned animal" ! I thought i might be
mistaken but i'm sure i read it there ! Anyway, even the Meriam-Webster
dictionary defines "waif" as " a stray person or animal,
especially a homeless child ".
I believe that , together, we have to put more and more
efforts to delete the offensive meaning of the word . It's not enough to
add Offensive Slang title , as this may attract people more to
this odd definition.
Maybe Roget's should be advised to give a proper
definition of well known ethnic and ideological state that is making
part of my people HOME-LESS, and locking up
the rest in big concentration camps surrounded by discrimination walls ,
denying them of the basic needs of humanity .
However, it's of our great concerns that the American
people and the rest of the world get the credible source of information
about Arabs to better understand us and bridge the gap and create the
truly good image for the best of all nations.
Thank you again,Dr Assaf, for your efforts and wish you
the best of luck.
Sincerely,
Raji Arekat
Associated Press,
I am responding to an article that I read in my local newspaper today
(Herald News). It was regarding the word "arab" and "Arab" in Roget's On
line Thesaurus. Even though I am not an Arab, I am offended that such
descriptions were listed to describe any group of people.
Unfortunately, it is still listed in some places as of 11:40 am when I
emailed this information to the American Arab Forum. Please check out
the following:
The negative descriptions still persist. I discovered it after I
decided to look up African American, Hispanic, Asian to see what
descriptions it would give. None was listed.
But, I unfortunately stumbled upon the above website in search of
the words "arab" and "Arab" with some offensive descriptions.
If you wish to reach me, you may contact me any day or time via FAX:
(xxx) xxx-xxxx. You may also email me at: xxxxxxxxxxx. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Dawn I. West
cc: The American Arab Forum
American Arab Forum,
My name is Dawn; I am a poet and resident of Paterson, NJ. and I was
appalled when I read in the local Herald News this morning about the
negative descriptions for the word "Arab" and "arab" in Roget's On line
Thesaurus. I am very sorry that Arabs were disrespected that way. As an
African American, I know how it feels to have negative images and
descriptions used to describe your racial group. It is never acceptable
for any group to be negatively portrayed or described as a whole.
However, this piqued my interest; I started a little search of my own
on. I went on the Internet and looked up other racial groups in the
Thesaurus (perhaps they were removed too or did they exist for others as
well?): African American; Hispanic, Asian. They all turned up nothing.
You may want to further investigate why as of August 23, 2005 at 11:40am
this is still listed here (or any where for that matter.) I looked up
Thesaurus.com and the word in both smaller case and lower case produced:
"no entry found". In fact, it was assumed that I forgot to add a letter
before "arab"; they inquired if I meant "crab", "drab", or "grab".
Feel free to reply if you wish. As salaam Alaikum (forgive me if I
misspelled it; please correct me if I did.)
Sincerely (and Poetically) Yours,
Dawn I. West
Dear President Assaf,
An addendum to my previous e-mail this morning: I may have been mistaken in
believing that photojournalist Jacob Riis coined the term "Street Arab"; it
may have already been in use in the 1880s when he used it. However, my
interpretation of its origins seems to be correct : I just checked another
reference book, Webster's Third International Unabridged Dictionary. Under
"Street Arab," it talks about homeless children, or "gamins." But among the
definitions under "Arab," it also has one for "Street Arab" (as a
dialectical usage) that talks about street or door-to-door peddlers
or vagabonds. This would seem to dovetail nicely with my suggestion
that Arabs were thought of as "nomads"--or perhaps this usage was a
reference to the old Arab caravan trade routes throughout North Africa, the
Middle East, and the Orient.
The point remains, though, that the thesaurus's interpretation of
this old term as meaning something negative like "bum" is baseless and
horrifying.
Sincerely,
Joanne Gruber
Don't mess with our language. Why don't you edit some Middle Eastern tomes
to see what they say about Westerners and Jews? Try exerting your influence
there, for a change.
Are you people American or Arabian? If you are here to be Americans, then I
bid you welcome. If you are here to be Arabian, then I suggest you catch the
next available transportation back to where ever you're homesick for. We don't
need any more "sensitive" jerks messing up our nation of mutts. We like being
mutts, or mongrels, if you will. Either join us or go away. Be an American or
be an Arabian. Somewhere back down the generations I was German. Somewhere back
down the generations we were all some other nationality. I'm not a
German-American, though. I'm just an American, and damned proud of it.
Instead of whining about some word in a book, you ought to be proud of being
American, also. Perhaps those of us who are Americans would like you better if
you'd remember where you are. Laugh at entries such as the one you cried
about. That's called self-confidence. Americans have that in abundance
Dear Sir/ Madam,
I've just checked thesaurus about the meaning of the word "Arab", and
unfortunately , still they give the following meanings:
* waif ( homeless , or street kid )
* abandoned animal
This is really very offensive. Kindly try to do something about it.
Best Regards
A proud Arab Citizen
We look forward to working with them, should they need a proper definition
of the word. The easier definition is 'anyone who is Arabic,' which would
have been more than sufficient," he said.
Who is arabic? The guy on the subway with a
backpack that is rigged to explode...thats who...
The guy driving the plane into the worl trade
centers, thats who.....
The guy blowing up a market in Iraq, thats who.
The guy in Guantanamo, thats who....
The ones kicking the jews out of Gaza, thats
who.
F You
They are still using negative definitions in their sister site (www.dictionary.com).
arab
Arab, multiplying; sowing sedition; a window; a locust
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Source: Hitchcock's Bible
Names Dictionary |
Alaa
just a quick and happy note....Arab is
now no longer a word....because you were offended. Did you ever think that
I am offended for being repeatedly called "infidel", or "satan", when those
doing the calling are being offended at being called Arabs...even though you
call yourselves Arabs. The on line thesaurus is there to give truthfull
alternatives to words! Simple as that! by removing it, you only show less
intelligent infidels that you are not comfortable being Arab, or called
Arab, or reading the different terminologies associated with the word Arab.
Do you think that by eliminated the word, that somehow all the ignorant
infidels that infest the United States will just begin calling you something
other than Arab?
I know the difference, I know the
countries, the people of said countries, and it puzzles me that you think
that removing the word will change the perception. All you have done is to
leave room for some far more insulting terminology, because instead of
listing the terms as "insults about Arab peoples" wait, sorry, Islamic
peoples from Arab regions? There is that pesky word again! ok, ok, wait.
How about, terms describing those who reside in the middle eastern part of
the world? I hope you arent offended by my words here, I just need to point
out that by removing the word, perhaps you should remove Fatwa, or Jihad, or
death to America from your texts....fair is fair you know.
anyway, hope you got a kick out of
it...Salaam O Alaikkem! TOM, typical western infidel who knows better.
oh, the majority of americans are like me. Uh, just remind whoever is
calling the shots not to wake them up.
The online thesauraus got it right when
it listed "ARAB" as a street or homeless person, welfare bum, etc.
Arabs, particularly the "men" are, by
and large, nothing but dirty, filthy, hate-filled psychopaths who slit their
own kids throats over honor conflicts, such as slitting their daughter's
throat if she is raped, and hold absolute dictatorial control over the women
in their societies.
Also one of your own Islam bums who
bombed Britain was a welfare bum, sucking, oh, what, about $80,000 in
benefits over the years, and the fact is all these "holy" Jihad warriors
around the globe fucked prostitutes, gambles, watched porn, and clearly they
finance their operations by selling drugs, particularly Opium,
before committing acts of mass murder.
ARAB could easily be replaced by the
term SAND NIGGERS. Eat shit and die.
I take great comfort in knowing that
ALL muslims will eventually burn in Hell for eternity. It's just a shame
they have to die first.
J. Baker
Indianapolis
I would like to commend your organization for convincing Roget's to change
their thesaurous entries. Clearly it was offensive.
Now then, while on the topic of offensive errors, I happened to notice on
your site references to a "massacre" at Jenin. Any neutral observer
recognizes that to refer to that as a massacre is an offensive and wholly
innaccurate representation of what happened. I had hoped that your
organization was interested in presenting a fair view. Apparently when it
comes to Israel though, the playbook is always the same, no matter whether
Hamas, Hezbollah, Fatah or the American Arab Forum is calling the plays.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to a response and hope to see the
deletion of such slander of Israel. As much as I agree with your group on
the Roget's issue, it hurts credibility to complain about the slandering of
Arabs while slandering Israel yourself.
Brad Copeland
__________________________________________________
Hello,
I just read
about your victim cry over the Thesaurus.com entry for Arab. As usual, when
Arabs whine, the media listens, and we are all the more censored and less
free because of it. If you are so offended and think it is racist, why don’t
you try entering “Welsh” (like I am) “Dutch” or “French”. Just as “racist”
but no one is whining.
Just face
it, you are islamofacist sissies. I know there are Arab Christians, but the
other 98% of Arabs want them dead. In “Palestine” they say “first the
Saturday people, then the Sunday people.” That’s real love there.
Have a day,
Nate Orme
street arab
(noun) : a homeless vagabond and especially an outcast boy or girl in the
streets of a city :
GAMIN
I looked this up online and found this definition in the Merriam-Webster
dictionary on AOL. Just thought you should know.
Ikey
I pray for the day that Isreal and India nuke
your kind into the trash heap of history-You abuse women and you infect the
planet with your evil terrorist- loving religion. I believe that Mohammed
really did see an angel, but it was an angel of death, a spawn of satan,
which led to your cursed backwards people infecting this planet with
your violent religion. I can only hope that Isreal and India hurry up and
nuke your kind from Syria to Pakistan, and send you to hell where you
belong.
Until then, may your kids feed on bacon fat, and
your women continue to have sex with dogs!
Later
You and your deceitful propaganda is sickening, you apparently
forgot that in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973 and the "war of attrition"
were started by you and your 'people' who don't have a
compassionate bone in your collective body (culture), except for
your Arab/Muslim brothers (hah! even then you people are the
most violent culture of the latter half of the 20th Century with
your own people). Your people refuse to assimilate and sooner
or later the duplictic (hateful), subterfuge of your ilk will
be confronted.
Sincerely,
Roger
Definition of "Arab":
A Sand Nigger, Camel Jockey, worthless piece of
human debris, a useless, worthless culture/religion worthy of genocide, but
barely worth the cost of the bullets necessary. Waste of space. Waste of
resources. Waste of air.
Get out. You're not wanted here.
Charles Ross
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