This Israeli company’s bags use Arabic ingeniously to target Islamophobes

A company in Haifa, Israel's third largest city, is producing bags that may cause Islamophobes to run for cover. But that is exactly the intended purpose.

Targeting a perceived fear of the Arabic language, the bags are intended to counter Islamophobia.

They were first spotted when journalist Nader al-Sarras, who lives in Berlin, quickly took a picture of the bag when he saw it during a metro ride. He then posted it on Facebook with the caption, “Meanwhile in a Berlin metro.... The text on the bag reads: This text has no other purpose than to terrify those who are afraid of the Arabic language."



[fbpost link="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1356420867720294&set=a.541149935914062.133003.100000571821572&type=3&theater"]

The post has been liked and shared thousands of times and was re-posted on Twitter, where it has been retweeted more than 30,000 times.

https://twitter.com/zarahsultana/status/765664301961121792

https://twitter.com/StevenLJohnson/status/765672570687410176

surely it doesn't mean nothing? It has an important satirical point for people who don't read Arabic (and it's very funny).

— Samuel West 💙💛 (@exitthelemming) August 17, 2016

https://twitter.com/fattysaid/status/765666055381475328

A cursory glance at Rock Paper Scissors Mafia's Facebook page reveals that the company was also part of a culture festival in Berlin. Another post read: We are overwhelmed with requests and orders.
sorry we cannot answer all the messages."



The item, which is handmade using silk screen prints in a variety of colors, is one of their most popular items locally. They 'never expected' the bag to get so much attention, a spokesperson for the graphic studio told BuzzFeed News. “I think the overall situation in Europe is causing this reaction,” she said of the bag’s sudden popularity.

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