Signs written in Arabic are showing up on GRTC buses around our area. Bus riders are wondering exactly what’s behind the messages, and who put them there.

The signs first showed up in the past few weeks on 170 GRTC buses covering routes all across the area. There is a meaning behind them, but it’s probably not what you would think. It’s a short Arabic phrase that has some people confused.

“We have had some people concerned that there is Arabic on our buses, they’re a little scared that maybe there’s a secret message or it’s calling on a terrorist cell," says Rev. Douglas Smith of the Virginia Interfaith Center.

So what does the sign actually say? If you look close enough it’s written right below: "Rock, Paper, Scissors."

"We react before we know and we need to take time to just think for a second and not just fall prey to our emotional, visceral reactions," says Dr. Archana Bhatt of A More Perfect Union, a non-profit group that’s behind the awareness campaign. They want to get riders re-thinking their biases and maybe start a discussion during their ride through downtown.

The group plans to extend the campaign to include other South Asian races and religions. They also plan to run public service announcements to get the message across — but those will be more straightforward.