“Chi-raq” or “Chiraq” (Chicago + Iraq) is a Chicago nickname that compares the violence of Chicago in the 2000s to the war-town country of Iraq. It’s not known who first used the term.
 
”‘s people are out here dying. Why such a low regard for life? What happened to defense head up and not behind a gun? CHIraq indeed” was posted on Twitter on May 20, 2009. “ON 75N HEADED TO THAT CHI-RAQ STUCK IN TRAFFIC AND I’m PISSED!!!” was posted on Twitter on July 2, 2009. “Chicago will now be called CHI-RAQ” was posted on Twitter on Juy 27, 2009.
 
A movie titled Chi-Raq was released in 2015 by director Spike Lee.
   
   
Wikipedia: Chicago
Chicago (/ʃᵻˈkɑːɡoʊ/ or /ʃᵻˈkɔːɡoʊ/; shi-kah-goh) is the third most populous city in the United States. With over 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States, and the county seat of Cook County. The Chicago metropolitan area, often referred to as Chicagoland, has nearly 10 million people and is the third-largest in the U.S.
 
Wikipedia: List of nicknames for Chicago
“Chi-raq” – Due to intense gang activity and the severe worsening of shooting incidents that followed the Roberts Supreme Court decision overturning Chicago’s successful decades old handgun restrictions. Initially used in pop-culture and music, Chi-Raq is also the title of Spike Lee’s film about black-on-black violence in the city. When it was announced, Chicago politicians objected to the title and requested Lee rename the film.
 
Twitter
Doprah
‏@Project_Doprah
‘s people are out here dying. Why such a low regard for life? What happened to defense head up and not behind a gun? CHIraq indeed…
11:44 PM - 20 May 2009
 
Twitter
ⓜⓞⓝⓔⓨ ⓜⓐⓚⓘⓝⓖ ⓒⓐⓢⓗ
‏@Cashaddic
ON 75N HEADED TO THAT CHI-RAQ STUCK IN TRAFFIC AND I’m PISSED!!!
7:06 PM - 2 Jul 2009
 
Twitter
SeVen1
‏@EZY071
Chicago will now be called CHI-RAQ….
8:37 PM - 27 Jul 2009
 
Twitter
Eddie Maisonet, III
‏@edthesportsfan
My dude @jfilly84 just told me that folks in Chicago are now calling the Windy City “CHIraq”...yep, never moving to Chicago now…
11:00 PM - 4 Aug 2009
 
16 April 2010, Wall Street Journal, “Rash of Shootings in Chicago Leaves 8 Dead, 16 Wounded” by Lauren Etter and Douglas Belkin:
In a press conference Friday, Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis said the spasm of violence “is unacceptable in an American city, and it is totally unacceptable in a city as great as Chicago. We are not ‘Chiraq,’ we are Chicago.”
   
Twitter
Kelly R. Barnes
‏@KBTheBuyer
#WelcomeToChicago where they have nicknamed it ‘Chi-raq’ #Unbelievable
6:44 PM - 13 May 2010
 
Twitter
CAUTION: 084 Shooter
‏@Zooka_Zay084
I’m From Chi-Raq, Drillinois where death lurks n ya shadow
12:53 AM - 2 Aug 2011
 
Twitter
Xclusiv Tone
‏@XclusivTone
Chi-Raq ,Killinois
5:50 PM - 2 Oct 2011
 
Twitter
Kiley Morgan
‏@KileyKMo
“this ain’t chicago this chi-raq!”
10:19 PM - 5 Dec 2011
 
OCLC WorldCat record
I need a real hitta
Author: Shimika Rucker
Publisher: [United States] : Don Dyvas, ©2012.
Edition/Format:   Print book : Fiction : English
Database: WorldCat
Summary:
“Welcome to Chiraq, better known to the world as Chicago. Here every killer is called a “Hitta” and every murder performed is called a “Drill”.
 
Urban Dictionary
chiraq
word to describe chicago because of its violent history and crime rates one of americas mos dangerous cities
aye jo its just another 24 in chiraq
#chitown #chicago #windycity #secondcity #chiraqis
by ecstasy February 13, 2012
   
Chicagoist
Is The Term ‘Chiraq’ Offensive?
BY SAMANTHA ABERNETHY IN NEWS ON JUN 10, 2013 5:10 PM
The term “Chiraq” has been casually tossed around in recent years. We don’t know the origin, but we know Urban Dictionary’s definition was written in February 2012. Of course it references Chicago’s violence epidemic, dubbing it a war zone similar to that of Iraq. The parallels are undeniable, but the term makes us queasy. Does it downplay the wars overseas? Is it just attaching a negative stigma to Chicago?
   
Chicago (IL) Tribune
Chiraq: What’s in a nickname? It could be a lot
By Lolly Bowean
JULY 14, 2013
(...)
Chiraq isn’t a territory or a place on the map, but a mind-set that plagues some communities, those familiar with the term said. No one knows when exactly the term Chiraq was coined, but it has become more popular in recent years.

Rapper Lil Reese, a protege of Chief Keef, used the word in his song “Traffic.” (In 2012.—ed.)
 
Where I’m from, this Chiraq, you get left as tragic, he rapped.
 
The Daily Beast
SHOOTING SPREE 04.22.14 5:45 AM ET
How Chicago Became ‘Chiraq’
With dozens of shootings in a weekend, the Windy City has earned another, deadlier moniker. Until Obama can get the guns off the streets of his hometown, the bloodshed won’t stop.
By Michael Daly
 
OCLC WorldCat record
Staying Safe in Chiraq
Author: Andrew Huff
Edition/Format: Downloadable article Downloadable article : English
Publication: Gapers Block Mechanics, (2015-07-21T15:51:52.000Z)
Database: ACI Scholarly Blog Index
Summary:
News video startup TouchVision today released a short documentary titled Brave in Chiraq: Countdown to Summer, focusing at how youth leaders with the ARK of St. Sabina are attempting to keep young people safe this summer….
 
Wikipedia: Chi-Raq
Chi-Raq (/ʃaɪˈræk/) is a 2015 American satirical musical drama film directed and produced by Spike Lee and co-written by Lee and Kevin Willmott. Set in Chicago, the film is a satire that focuses on the gang violence prevalent in neighborhoods on the city’s south side, particularly the Englewood neighborhood. The story is based on Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, a Classical Greek comedy play in which women withhold sex from their husbands as punishment for fighting in the Peloponnesian War. It stars Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Teyonah Parris, Jennifer Hudson, Angela Bassett, John Cusack, and Samuel L. Jackson.
     
(Trademark)
Word Mark CHI-RAQ
Goods and Services IC 025. US 022 039. G & S: A-shirts; Apparel for dancers, namely, tee shirts, sweatshirts, pants, leggings, shorts and jackets; Athletic apparel, namely, shirts, pants, jackets, footwear, hats and caps, athletic uniforms; Bermuda shorts; Bib shorts; Board shorts; Body shirts; Boxer shorts; Boxing shorts; Button down shirts; Button-front aloha shirts; Camouflage shirts; Camp shirts; Children’s and infant’s apparel, namely, jumpers, overall sleepwear, pajamas, rompers and one-piece garments; Children’s and infants’ apparel treated with fire and heat retardants, namely, jumpers, overall sleepwear, pajamas, rompers and one-piece garments; Clothing for athletic use, namely, padded shirts; Clothing for athletic use, namely, padded shorts; Clothing for babies, toddlers and children, treated with fire and heat retardants, namely, pajamas, jackets, shirts, pants, jumpers; Cycling shorts; Fleece shorts; Gloves for apparel; Golf shorts; Gym shorts; Jeans; Panties, shorts and briefs; Rugby shorts; Scientific and technological apparel, namely, shirts, pants, jackets, footwear, hats and caps, uniforms; Shirts and short-sleeved shirts; Short overcoat for kimono (haori); Short petticoats; Short sets; Short trousers; Short-sleeved or long-sleeved t-shirts; Short-sleeved shirts; Shorts; Sliding shorts; Sports shirts with short sleeves; Sweat shorts; T-shirts; T-shirts for ADULTS; Triathlon clothing, namely, triathlon tights, triathlon shorts, triathlon singlets, triathlon shirts, triathlon suits; Underwear, namely, boy shorts; Walking shorts. FIRST USE: 20120701. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20120701
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number 85692666
Filing Date August 1, 2012
Current Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition September 10, 2013
Registration Number 4438406
Registration Date November 26, 2013
Owner (REGISTRANT) Marcus, Randy INDIVIDUAL UNITED STATES 3473 S. King Chicago ILLINOIS 60616
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE
 
(Trademark)
Word Mark CHIRAQ
Translations The wording “CHIRAQ” has no meaning in a foreign language.
Goods and Services IC 025. US 022 039. G & S: Hats; hooded sweat shirts; jackets; pants; shorts; socks; sweat shirts; t-shirts; tank tops; underwear; shirts; long-sleeve or short-sleeved shirts; footwear; dresses
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number 86642163
Filing Date May 27, 2015
Current Basis 1B
Original Filing Basis 1B
Owner (APPLICANT) Michael Owens INDIVIDUAL UNITED STATES 7933 So. Stewart Ave. Chicago ILLINOIS 60620
Attorney of Record Christopher J. Day
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Other Data The name(s), portrait(s), and/or signature(s) shown in the mark does not identify a particular living individual.
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE