'Kafer' tattoo on US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sparks outrage
The picture was part of a post shared on Musk's X (formerly known as Twitter) by Hegseth's official account, where he "kicked off the day with the warriors of SDVT-1," following photos of the interaction.
He wrote, "Kicked off the day alongside the warriors of SDVT-1 at @JointBasePHH. These SEALs are the tip of the spear, masters of stealth, endurance, and lethality. America's enemies fear them—our allies trust them. Proud to spend time with America's best."
Several X users noticed the tattoo and took to the comment section to express their opinions on the matter in question.
An X user wrote, "Do you even know what that tattoo means?" While another added, "Why do you arm the people who call you "Kaffir"?"
This is not the first time Pete Hegseth sparked debate on social media for his tattoos. During an interview with Fox News, the US Secretary of Defense had to explain why he had a Crusader cross tattooed on him, which caused widespread controversy since it's allegedly linked to white nationalist extremists.
Hegseth responded and said, "Ultimately, I was considered an extremist or a white nationalist because of the tattoos I had by leaders in my unit," solidifying that it's a "Jerusalem Cross," which is also known as a Crusader cross.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Ammon
20 hours ago
- Ammon
The Dispossessed Generation
The book 'The Dispossessed Generation: Youth in the Middle East and North Africa', prepared by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and recently published in Arabic by Dar Al Saqi, stands as a highly important and alarming research and analytical document. Its significance lies not only in presenting an accurate, data-driven portrait of Arab youth, but also in documenting a profound transformation in the relationship between this generation and its societies and states—a transformation that unfolded in the decade following a period of great hope, followed by defeat, and then exclusion. The choice of the term 'the Dispossessed generation' in the book's title is far from arbitrary. It reflects what can be described as structural deprivation—a pattern of exclusion that is not tied to a temporary political or economic circumstance, but to a deep-seated system that continually reproduces itself. This is the generation that, a decade ago, carried slogans of freedom, justice, and dignity, believing it stood on the threshold of a new era of liberties and democracy. Today, it finds itself facing a reality that is more closed and harsher than before. For most of these young people, the Arab Spring ended in double frustration: failure to achieve the major goals, and a worsening of the very crises they sought to resolve. The COVID-19 pandemic then deepened this frustration—economic activity stalled, unemployment rose, job opportunities shrank, and poverty indicators climbed. The uncertainty that the first surveys of the Ebert project identified five years ago has solidified into a persistent sense of blockage and fear of the future. In this context, the analysis presented through David Harvey's theoretical lens gains special relevance. According to Harvey, deprivation is not measured by the absence of resources per se, but by the presence of structural barriers that prevent individuals from accessing them—even if they exist. These barriers can be unjust laws, biased economic policies, or closed networks of interests that monopolize resources. In the Arab case, this structure manifests as a complex system of exclusion: a limited labor market concentrated in saturated or monopolized sectors, educational systems that fail to equip students with the needed skills, political opportunities that are almost entirely closed to genuine participation, and the absence of effective social safety nets. The result is a generation trapped—not because it lacks ambition or competence, but because it faces a system that prevents it from translating its abilities into reality. The gap between dreams and imagination on one hand, and the pressures of reality on the other, becomes even starker when viewed through Amartya Sen's concept of development as the ability to act and choose. Arab youth today, as the report's data reveals, lack this capability: they are not free to choose their way of life or future, but are instead forced to adapt to narrow options dictated by reality. More troubling still is that a growing number of young people are losing faith in democracy as a path to solutions, leaning instead toward the 'strongman' model that promises quick stability—even at the cost of freedoms. Yet this is a dangerous equation, for the absence of freedoms, social justice, and job opportunities is precisely what breeds instability and fuels social unrest. The report, which reflects the views of 12,000 young Arabs across 12 Arab countries and societies, warns that the deprived generation, if left to its fate, will seek exits outside the existing system: irregular migration on 'death boats,' joining extremist groups, or retreating into the worlds of drugs and addiction. These are not theoretical possibilities but trends confirmed by the survey data, which show how frustration intersects with feelings of alienation from society and a lack of trust in institutions. While Arab states and societies are not identical in the scale or intensity of this crisis, nearly every country has its own story of a generation that feels its basic rights have been confiscated, living in an environment that prevents it from achieving self-realization. Differences in detail do not erase the existence of a shared structural danger that transcends borders and threatens the region's long-term stability. We are facing a reality more perilous than that which preceded the Arab Spring—not only because of eroding trust or deepening crises, but because we are dealing with an entire generation that feels broken and suspended, with its future confiscated before it could even begin. And if this reality is not enough to awaken those in power, then what awaits us may be even more severe than anything described in the report.
Ammon
2 days ago
- Ammon
Prominent Egyptian writer Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88
Ammon News - Sonallah Ibrahim, the acclaimed Egyptian novelist, died in Cairo on Wednesday at the age of 88 after being hospitalized with pneumonia. Egyptian Minister of Culture Ahmed Fouad Hanno expressed deep sorrow over Ibrahim's passing, describing him as one of the pillars of contemporary Arabic narrative and a creator whose work combined artistic sensibility with critical awareness. He said the loss was a significant blow to the literary scene. Known for his steadfast commitment to national and human causes, Ibrahim's works—marked by a blend of documentary fragments and fiction—have become landmarks of modern Arabic literature. His novels include That Smell (1966), The Committee (1981), Zaat (1992), Warda (2000), Stealth (2007), and Ice (2011), probing themes of power, bureaucracy, and everyday life. Born in 1937, Ibrahim was widely regarded as one of Egypt's foremost modernist writers. In 2003, he famously rejected a prestigious state literary prize on political grounds, cementing his reputation as a principled dissident.
Al Bawaba
6 days ago
- Al Bawaba
Emma Thompson reveals how Donald Trump stalked her on ‘Primary Colors' set
ALBAWABA - Emma Thompson shares shocking story of Donald Trump's unexpected on-set pursuit. Emma Thompson, who is a guest of honor at the Locarno Film Festival this year, told an intriguing story this morning about a weird meeting she had with Donald Trump, the 47th president. Thompson was asked about filming the 1998 Mike Nichols movie Primary Colors during a job Q&A with a large crowd. She said she was in her room one day on the set of the movie when the phone rang. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 09: Emma Thompson (Photo by Jason Mendez /Getty Images via AFP) "Trump was there." "Hello, this is Donald Trump," he said. "How can I help you?" I asked because I thought it was a joke. Thompson made a joke: "Maybe he needed help finding his way." The British star went on, "Then he said, 'I'd love for you to come stay at one of my beautiful places.'" We might be able to have dinner together. I told them, "That's really nice." Thanks a lot. I'll get back to you. Thompson, imitating Trump's unique voice, said she didn't understand why the former Apprentice host called her or how he got the number to her trailer phone at first. But she quickly saw what was going on. Thompson said, "I knew that day that my divorce decree had been sent through." "And I'm sure he has people looking for good people to take out on his arm." He was looking for a kind divorcee, you know. Plus he found the number in my cabin. That is stalking, you know." Thompson also said, "I could have gone on a date with Trump and had something interesting to say." I was empowered to change the course of American history. WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 07: U.S. President Donald Trump (/AFP) In another part of the session, Thompson talked about several movies she had worked on, such as Richard Curtis's Love Actually. Thompson expressed her constant confusion about the movie's popularity, attributing it to its unique approach. "I mean, I'm honestly always amazed that movie made it this long. It's not that I don't like the movie. She said, "I like it a lot, but it's weird." Thompson said that the scene in the movie where her character finds out that her partner has been cheating on her "touched a nerve" because "we get a heartbreak, especially women; we have to hide it because we don't want people to see it." "So what moves you? Isn't she crying?" Thompson said, "It's her covering it up afterward, making the bed, going downstairs, and being happy." When asked about her part in Harry Potter, however, Thompson wasn't as interested in talking about how she did. "That's not really an important part of my creative work." I'm sorry. I don't even mean to be rude to those of you who like Harry Potter, but you know, I came in, did a bit with glasses and a lot of hair, and then left having been quite well paid,' she said to loud laughs from the Locarno audience. Thompson got the Leopard Club Award last night in Locarno for his work over the years. The event lasts until August 16.
