Posted on 04/13/2013 11:16:58 AM PDT by Fast5
LAKE WALES | The Arabic word, translated simply, means "unbeliever."
Ever since Eddie Bryant had it inked across his right calf, the former National Guard member has gotten positive reactions, he said, until last week.
Bryant walked into Florida Skydiving Center on April 3 in shorts, his tattoo of the word "kafir" exposed. A group from Qatar, a Middle Eastern country with an overwhelmingly Muslim population, also was visiting.
A staffer tapped Bryant, 27, on the shoulder as he stood under a hangar at the Lake Wales business.
Would he mind seeing the manager, Betty Hill?
Hill, 59, and Bryant disagree over certain details of what happened next. But the version Bryant posted on his website has spread from blog to blog in the past week, leading to a flood of angry emails and calls to the Florida Skydiving Center in Lake Wales that Hill — still getting criticism a week later — never expected.
Hill and Bryant agree that in a brief conversation in her office, she asked him to cover the tattoo.
A member of the Qatari group, made up mostly of military police from the country and some civilians, she said, had quietly approached a staffer because they found the tattoo offensive.
When Bryant explained he didn't have pants to wear, both of them say, Hill suggested he cover it with a piece of duct tape.
"It seemed like a joke that anyone would suggest that," said Bryant, who has returned to his home in the Cleveland area. "But I knew she was serious."
Here's where they disagree: Bryant said when they came to the impasse, he was forced to leave.
(Excerpt) Read more at newschief.com ...
posting this as it has just been published in another local newspaper. hope Drudge would pick this up.
and this ‘group of f’n Musies is staying at the local Holiday Inn Express in Lake Wales, so i’ve been told.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3004729/posts
Would he support a veteran's right to free speech...or stand with the muslims?
No Kevin you boob, its like wearing a 'not a Patriot' tatoo in Qatar.
In the US we're supposed to have freedom of speech, idiot.
“I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.” — Barack Hussein Obama
The company has gone into our tables, in some detail.
Were they offended to be in the presence of someone who defiantly knows what KUFIR means? Or did they just want non-muslims out of their presence?
THEY use the word. How the hell are THEY offended?
“I will stand with the “them” aka the Muslims..............
Well, we have that Right, here.
I reckon a nice cross would accomplish the same thing.
Too many dhimmis, not enough time to educate them all.
I actually emailed this company after reading Eddie’s post a week or two ago. Here’s the trail (sorry for the length-it covers three emails)
*******************************************************
I heard how your company asked a veteran to cover up a tattoo that was in arabic because it offended some of your customers from Qatar.
Shame on you! Your customers from Qatar are not required to look at anyone’s tattoos. You place the value of business and the dollar over a wounded veteran.
I’ll send my family to skydive at your company when the women there are wearing Burkas. How’s that? Women who do not wear burkas are offensive to look at.
You should be incredibly humiliated. Your web page would be a great place to place an apology to that veteran, in bold letters, at the top. Until then, I will join him in the effort to point out your unbelievably heinous and unpatriotic behavior.
You guys can keep kissing the arab butt.
*************Here is the response I got from Betty Hill*****
Good Evening,
It gives me a heavy heart to ever think that anyone that knows us would think we would be disrespectful to anyone from any country. This is a neutral place for all walks of the world to come to and enjoy. You may have not heard the complete story.
Yesterday afternoon we had an issue with a tattoo and the Qatar General bought it to our attention and that it was very offensive to him and to the other Qatar’s that were here. So manifest said she would ask Eddie to come talk to me about it. I asked Eddie if he had something to wear to cover it up while he was here and he said he did not, I said maybe a piece of tape or a little duct would work. Then he proceeded to say well maybe I will go over to Tampa Bay or somewhere to jump and I said then that was your choice to leave. He left my office and nothing else was said until we start getting slanderous phone calls and the facebook and social media began. He was never asked to leave. He volunteered to leave on his own. Betty
*****my follow up email to Betty********
Sorry Betty. You still don’t get it. Which one of those customers has proven they are willing to fight for your freedom and right to do business? You spit on that veteran. Of course he wanted to leave. Instead of telling your friends from Qatar to ignore the tattoo because this is a free country and perhaps they should concentrate on the jump at hand,,you did indeed disrespect that veteran. It is what you did. It is something you should not be proud of. Where has there been any slander? He is reporting the situation as you are reporting it. Asking a veteran to cover up a tattoo that no one is forced to look at is ridiculous. He is the one who should be offended and he was. Why did you not push back against the other customers? That makes no sense, well to some of us anyway. I suspect Eddie will continue to repeat his story to anyone who will listen. He has a lot of sympathy. We don’t live in Qatar. We live in the USA. To most there is no mystery about where the loyalty lies. I dare say there are more veterans who are customers than customers from Qatar. However, it is clear you and your business have made your choice. It is a sad choice indeed. Perhaps Qatar is a place you should consider relocating to. Clearly you respect people from that region much more than a US combat veteran.
I am sorry to not hear one regret about the situation. Hopefully you will have more Qatar customers in your future. I suspect the customers who are veterans will go elsewhere,,which will probably suit you just fine.
So sad.
“because it offended Muslims” is a stupid reason, there are a lot of better reasons to ban tattoos being exposed on the job.
Question: What were a group of Qatari “policemen” doing here in Florida,anyway? Gonna take some jumbo jet flying & skydiving lessons?
That story sounds like one we remember from Sep 11, 2001.
Good job! Why are people from Qutar wanting to sky dive over here anyway?
That being said, as a Christian I don't like it when other Christians wear caps like the one pictured or make similar statements either verbally or otherwise.
Those Qataris are the ones who are the non-believers. I am a believer, I am not an infidel.
That way they don't have to learn how to land the plane.
I totally agree!
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