Hadji Girl
Encyclopedia
"Hadji Girl" is a song by Corporal Joshua Belile of the United States Marine Corps
about a fictitious encounter with a family of Iraq
is. A video of Belile performing the song was posted anonymously on YouTube.com
in March 2006. It sparked controversy at a time when Marines were facing public scrutiny over the killings in Haditha
. YouTube subsequently removed the video from their site, rejecting any further uploaded versions as violating the site's terms of use.
In the song, the Marine protagonist meets an Iraqi girl who convinces him to follow her to her house. After arriving, the Marine is confronted by the Iraqi girl's father and brother who are armed with AK-47
rifles. The Marine then uses the girl's younger sister as a human shield
. The father and brother attack, killing the sister, as the Marine laughs maniacally. The Marine then hides behind a TV, returns fire, and kills the father and brother. Cheers and clapping from the unseen audience can be heard in the background of the video.
Belile later said the song was meant only as a joke based on lines from the film Team America: World Police
, and apologized to those who were offended by its content. The performance, according to Belile, was at Al Asad
airbase in Iraq, where Belile's helicopter gunship unit was posted until March 2006. In the video, Belile is wearing parts of a uniform, although not enough to characterize him as "in uniform" as no nameplate or national markings are visible. The US military, like many others, allows service members and military employees to pursue their own interests when not in uniform.
He was later exonerated of all wrongdoing.
planned to record and release the song. While Belile was not to be part of the recording originally because of his commitment to the military, Church indicated that he would still receive royalties from sales.
Further reports indicated that Cpl. Joshua Belile planned to record Hadji Girl with Hits Music Studios, and the conservative talk program The Mike Church Show planned to be the first to air it, said Jimm Mosher, co-owner of the North Carolina studio. These plans were later shelved. Mosher said Belile still plans to record the song. Belile has said he will leave the military when his five-year enlistment ends in October 2007. "We're wanting to record and produce it," Mosher said. "I think it tells a great story."
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
about a fictitious encounter with a family of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
is. A video of Belile performing the song was posted anonymously on YouTube.com
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
in March 2006. It sparked controversy at a time when Marines were facing public scrutiny over the killings in Haditha
Haditha killings
The Haditha killings refers to the incident where 24 Iraqi men, women and children were killed by a group of United States Marines on November 19, 2005 in Haditha, a city in the western Iraqi province of Al Anbar. At least 15 of those killed were civilians...
. YouTube subsequently removed the video from their site, rejecting any further uploaded versions as violating the site's terms of use.
In the song, the Marine protagonist meets an Iraqi girl who convinces him to follow her to her house. After arriving, the Marine is confronted by the Iraqi girl's father and brother who are armed with AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
rifles. The Marine then uses the girl's younger sister as a human shield
Human shield
Human shield is a military and political term describing the deliberate placement of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets. It may also refer to the use of civilians to literally shield combatants during attacks, by forcing the civilians to march in...
. The father and brother attack, killing the sister, as the Marine laughs maniacally. The Marine then hides behind a TV, returns fire, and kills the father and brother. Cheers and clapping from the unseen audience can be heard in the background of the video.
Belile later said the song was meant only as a joke based on lines from the film Team America: World Police
Team America: World Police
Team America: World Police, often referred to as simply Team America, is a 2004 action comedy film written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Pam Brady and directed by Parker, all of whom are also known for the popular animated television series South Park...
, and apologized to those who were offended by its content. The performance, according to Belile, was at Al Asad
Al Asad
Al Asad Airbase is the second largest US military airbase in Iraq and is located in the largely Sunni western Province of Iraq Al Anbar. It was formerly the home of the II Marine Expeditionary Force until January 2010...
airbase in Iraq, where Belile's helicopter gunship unit was posted until March 2006. In the video, Belile is wearing parts of a uniform, although not enough to characterize him as "in uniform" as no nameplate or national markings are visible. The US military, like many others, allows service members and military employees to pursue their own interests when not in uniform.
He was later exonerated of all wrongdoing.
Recording deal
Shortly after the controversy began, many conservative bloggers and radio hosts went to the defense of the Marine, furthermore, talk show host Mike ChurchMike Church
Mike Church is a radio talk show host, and singer/songwriter. In 2006 Church was named to Askmen.com's list of the "Top Ten Shock Jocks in America . He has been called the "American Badass of Talk Radio" and has been called the "The King Dude" by listeners since 2001.The Mike Church Show was the...
planned to record and release the song. While Belile was not to be part of the recording originally because of his commitment to the military, Church indicated that he would still receive royalties from sales.
Further reports indicated that Cpl. Joshua Belile planned to record Hadji Girl with Hits Music Studios, and the conservative talk program The Mike Church Show planned to be the first to air it, said Jimm Mosher, co-owner of the North Carolina studio. These plans were later shelved. Mosher said Belile still plans to record the song. Belile has said he will leave the military when his five-year enlistment ends in October 2007. "We're wanting to record and produce it," Mosher said. "I think it tells a great story."
External links
- "Hadji Girl" video on Google Video
- MSNBC article about video
- "Hadji Girl" song lyrics
- Sheldon Rampton, "Hadji Girl", June 22, 2006.
- "Hadji Girl" song to be recorded, The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, July 7, 2006.