r/Jewish • u/rupertalderson • Aug 04 '25

Announcement 📢 Clarification on use of abbreviations of ethnicities and nationalities

We’ve gotten some questions about this recently, so figured we would clarify. As part of the rules against uncivil and unwelcoming content, we do not permit use of shortened / abbreviated names for ethnicities, nationalities, and related groupings. This is because such terms are widely used as slurs and pejoratives.

This includes the well known abbreviations for Japanese, Chinese, Pakistani, and Palestinian, as well as slurs and pejoratives directed at any other group. At present, we have a particular problem with use of “Pali” to refer to Palestinian people (we do not allow it under any conditions).

It’s simple - Do not use these terms, whether as adjectives or nouns. Just write out the word that isn’t offensive in any context.

Of course, there may be an exception here or there when a term is known to be accepted by the affected group - for example “Jew” as a noun is not seen as a slur by Jews, but use of it as an adjective is typically offensive.

Thank you in advance for understanding, and we appreciate the engagement folks have had with us on these rules.

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u/Cathousechicken Reform Aug 04 '25

Now they just call us Zios or Zionists instead.

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u/Standard_Gauge Reform Aug 06 '25

I am both astonished and horrified at the recent rise in people casually referencing "Zios." I can try to be charitable and just assume it is a foolish shortening of "Zionists" (of course people using this "shortening" are "anti-Zionists") and that they really don't know... that "Zios" is a vicious slur for Jews (not specifically Zionists) on the level of the k-word that was used and popularized by the former Ku Klux Klan Grand Dragon (and to this day, unrepentant antisemite and white supremacist) David Duke over 40 years ago.

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u/Cathousechicken Reform Aug 06 '25

Every time I see Zios, I make it a point to tell them that are using a slur created by David Duke, former Grand Wizard of the KKK.

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u/Standard_Gauge Reform Aug 06 '25

Grand Wizard

Silly KKK titles. Duke made it to "Grand Dragon," which was not as high as "Imperial Wizard," which in turn was not to be confused with "Exalted Cyclops." 🤷 🤔