Hadji Singh
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Hadji Singh is a character on the US television animated series Jonny Quest (1964-65). Hadji is an Indian boy, eleven years old. As the adoptive son of Dr Quest, he is also an Asian American. He is seldom seen without his bejewelled turban and Nehru jacket. His name "Hadji" apparently has only an accidental resemblance with the title of a Muslim veteran of the Mecca pilgrimage, Hajji; a fuller name for the character is never revealed.
In one episode, Hadji is said to be a Hindu. In a flashback in the episode "Calcutta Adventure", Dr Quest is lecturing at Calcutta University. The Quests meet Hadji who is an orphan and a sort of street urchin-cum-fakir. He is proficient at both snake charming and the Indian rope trick. He saves Dr Quest's life and is ultimately adopted by the family in consequence. He reveals that he learned to speak English (for which he has a complete idiomatic command) from an "American Marine" who also taught him judo. He has nurtured a longing to "see America" ever since. In the same episode, a character (Pasha Peddler) facilitates Hadji's departure from India with the Quests by obtaining passport, health certificate and adoption paperwork by bribery. (Pasha and Hadji seem to bear resemblances to characters in Rudyard Kipling's novel Kim -- Mahbub Ali and Kim, respectively.) In truth, Hadji is a hodge-podge of exotic "oriental" features and stereotypes concocted by the show's writers who were none too well informed about Asian cultures.
- From at least as early as 2000, and especially during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the term Hajji has been documented among U.S. military personnel as a slang reference to all things "civilian" in the Middle East. The term has gained some minor use beyond the military as well. So used, the term is often collective in sense, describing a community of Muslims or Middle-Eastern people, vehicles used by civilians in the Middle East, civilian dwellings, and civilian authority figures, rather than directed towards a particular individual. This term used by U.S. military personnel may originate with "Hadji" (the Jonny Quest character) rather than the Muslim pilgrim title. (This usage is debated to be considered an ethnic slur, However; the majority of Muslims have not voiced an objection to the term due to its status as a term of honor in the Muslim faith)
- In the episode "Stewie: The Untold Story" of the cartoon series Family Guy, Jonny Quest characters are boarding a plane. When it's Hadji's turn, Stewie orders him to have selective screening based on his appearance (accent, turban, etc.) because he thinks Hadji is a terrorist. Hadji protests by uttering a curse at Stewie, who then tells Hadji that he should tone down the threats, since he is headed for more security screening.
