Posted on Sep 9, 2018
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This is a patch I mentioned but never put on RP. Any discovered Unauthorized patches from the war zone, anyone?

Just for the social justice Warriors on here, as we all know, the term 'Haji' was referring to anybody who engaged or was detained/questioned by American soldiers in Iraq. In Vietnam, it was Charlie. I am not trying to offend any Muslims at all. This was just a patch that I bought at Camp Udhar-Bheuring , Kuwait in late 2004 right before it was banned by the local Commander.
Posted in these groups: Multinational force iraq emblem  mnf i   1 5 Iraq4276e14c Uniforms
Edited >1 y ago
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Lt Col Charlie Brown
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That's a good one!
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PFC Mobile Gun System (Mgs) Gunner
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I'd rock that on my plate carrier
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LTC Self Employed
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Edited >1 y ago
Just for the social justice Warriors on here, as we all know, the term 'Haji' was referring to anybody who engaged or was detained/questioned by American Forces in Iraq. In Vietnam, it was Charlie. I am not trying to offend any Iraqis or Muslims at all. This was just a patch that I bought at Camp Udhar-Bheuring, Kuwait in late 2004 right before it was banned by the local Commander.
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SGT Retired
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1SG (Join to see) - respectfully, while that is certainly the definition of ‘Haji, even muslims (particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan) use it nearly as loosely as I would call you ‘bro’.

Your analogy is inaccurate. As ‘pedo’ isn’t a proper title, even amongst Catholics (you wouldn’t hear disciplined Catholics calling each other ‘pedo’ in Rome, either), it’s only purpose would be derogatory.

The use of the term Haji by American troops (and our allies) is simply an extension of the time honored tradition of demonizing your enemy. Find a reason to hate them. Simplify them down to a group. Vietnam had Charlie. WWII had Gerry and the Japs. Etc. (Note, if you want to laugh/be slightly disgusted, look up political cartoons from those eras that demonize our enemies. Holy shit).

Anyway, they call just about everyone Haji. Or Hafiz (that’s a person who memorizes and can recite the Quran). Or Mullah. Or sheikh. Or...see where I’m going? Those titles, that have a literal definition based in history and truth, have been morphed and bent, used in their everyday languages. So as they don't really mean their literal meaning, especially without context.

For example, if I walked up to you and said, “yo, what up dog?” You would know what I meant. But a foreign speaker would think, “why did he he call that man ‘dog’. We’re kinda the other way. We hear people being called Haji, and just assume he’s made the Hajj. When most likely, he hasn’t. Just don’t forget...those terms and titles have now gotten to the point where they get used in slang, almost like we would say, “yo, What up bro”.

So US forces respectfully took slang language and didn’t change it. (Like ‘japs’). Do they use it disrespectfully? I’m sure it’s happened (happening). But it’s demonizing the enemy, and that has been happening forever.

*note, Haji don’t surf.
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1SG Signal Support Systems Specialist
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SGT (Join to see) - Yeah, I made a pretty sloppy analogy. But I think you got where I was coming from. We are better than we were then and we can be better.
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SGT Whatever Needs Doing.
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In Viet Nam it was "Gook" The word for Person in the indigenous language. Charlie was in reference to Victor Charlie, Viet Cong, not derogatory merely an identification.
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LTC Self Employed
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SGT (Join to see) thank you for correcting me!
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