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FacebookThe Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has rejected a request by the American Freedom Defense Initiative to run advertisements that include the phrase “Killing Jews” on the back of MTA New York City Transit buses.
The mock-up advertisement read, “Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah,” with the attribution, “Hamas MTV.” The ad also depicted a masked figure with the accompanying phrase, “That’s His Jihad. What’s Yours?”
The MTA has concluded that the ad, allegedly a parody of “MyJihad” ads sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations – a set of ads the group claimed were intended to show that jihad is a concept of individual and personal struggle, rather than violent conflict or terrorism – would do the opposite, and “imminently incite or provoke violence or other immediate breach of the peace,” according to MTA Spokesperson Kevin Ortiz.
Under the MTA’s viewpoint-neutral advertising standards, the agency has the right to prohibit advertisements that violate that standard.
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1 comment:
nyco posted at 11:52 am on Mon, Sep 22, 2014.
This organization AFDI has been named a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and because it is a hate group its director Pamela Geller is actually banned from visiting the UK. SO this is not a normal case of freedom of speech.
The object of these ads is of course not anti-Jewish but anti-Muslim-- or more exactly, this series of ads (many of which have been accepted by the MTA against its better judgment) seeks to demonize all Muslims and divide them from other communities of faith. This is very counter productive.
Be careful of this media savvy. litigious group, which is part of a very well funded Right Wing movement. The group has placed ads on mass transit systems around the nation. Instead of raising responsible questions they make claims like "there is no difference between a moderate Muslim and an extremist" etc. The MTA can and should find a way to limit its acceptance of all ads regardless of content. There are principles of truth in advertising, public interest and public safety involved.
There have been at least 14 reported hate crimes against Muslims in NYC since July. There has also been similar number against Jews. Some anti-Muslim cries impact Sikhs. Though international conflicts may help drive a spike in such crimes, hateful subway ads on a national scale help drive a worsening public and political climate. Another form of climate change that we really don't need.