Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Man Hassled By Jet Blue Over Arabic T-Shirt Wins $240K!
By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 6, 2009
Modified Jan 6, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 6, 2009
Modified Jan 6, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The T-shirt worn by Jet Blue passenger Raed Jarrar at JFK back in August 2006 sported the slogan of famous anti-Nazi group The White Rose, but the phrase "We Will Not Be Silent" was also written in Arabic, and that freaked everybody out. Well, not everybody, but one TSA official at JFK that day did inform Jarrar that his choice of T-shirt was akin to "wearing a T-shirt at a bank stating, 'I'm a robber.'" They made him put on another shirt before being allowed on the plane, and then seated him all the way in the back. Well, now it's payback time for Jarrar; according to the ACLU, the TSA and JetBlue agreed to settle his lawsuit for $240,000. In a statement, he says he hopes officials "will think twice before practicing illegal discrimination."
Tagged
airport
Arabic
JFK
lawsuit
Raed Jarrar
suing
t-shirt
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
6-month-old baby found unresponsive in Brooklyn home dies, NYPD says
Police said officers responding to a 911 call in Canarsie found the infant unconscious. The medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Aug 5, 2026 at 6:25 p.m. ET
Migrant kids, facing deportation, take on the US government alone in immigration court
A contract for legal services briefly expired, leaving many unaccompanied minors without the assistance of counsel.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
Migrant kids, facing deportation, take on the US government alone in immigration court
A contract for legal services briefly expired, leaving many unaccompanied minors without the assistance of counsel.
By
Arya Sundaram
Brooklyn man charged with arson in destructive blaze at historic Bushwick church
By
Samantha Max
New York lawmakers propose lifting 1985 ban on LGBTQ+ bathhouses
By
Giulia Heyward
1 dead, 14 injured in 5-alarm Bronx apartment fire after reported explosion
By
Ryan Kost
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .