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Anti-Jihad Ads to Hit NYC Subway Stations

NBC New York

Transit officials say an ad initially rejected for its “demeaning” language is expected to appear at 10 subway stations next week.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Aaron Donovan said, “Our hands are tied.”

A Manhattan federal court judge ruled in July that the MTA violated the First Amendment rights of the group seeking to place the ad, The American Freedom Defense Initiative.

”The judge recognized our intention but found our attempt to be constitutionally deficient,“ Donovan said. ”As a result, under our existing ad standards as modified by the injunction, the MTA is required to run the ad.“

The ad states ”In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man.” It adds, “Support Israel. Defeat Jihad,” in between two Stars of David.

Pamela Geller of the American Freedom Defensive Initiative doesn’t think the poster will provoke opposition after last week’s deadly assault on the US Consulate in Libya and following days of protests in the Middle East.

”How have world conditions changed?“ she asked. ”When is a good time?“

Muneer Awad of the Council of American-Islamic Relations said the ads use an offensive buzzword to ”promote bigotry in New York.“

”They’re not only anti-Muslim, they’re offensive to a large number of people, especially people who know the history of the word ‘savages,’“ he said.

”These ads are about nothing more than making money off of fear,“ Awad added.

Geller denies the ads were sweeping Muslims with a broad brush.

”There are no Muslims in my ad,“ she said. ”There is no Islam in my ad.“

Donovan said the MTA might consider revising its ad policy at its board meeting next week.

Commuters were divided on the poster.

”That’s pretty bad,“ said Louis Gritsipis. ”Ads like this have no place in the subway system.“

Another woman said she had ”no objection“: ”It’s freedom of speech, right?”

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16 Comments

  • CHT

    Not carefully done to target real enemy, but to provoke ALL of the muslim and Israel against each over. Jihad is a core muslim term and interpreted diffirently by different groups.What this major hillul hashem of chalenging entire religion will serve.

    At the very least I would put quotes around Jihad.

  • What is Jihad

    “Holy” war! Kill, maim, destroy, ad infinitum. If that’s not savage, what’s a better word for it?

  • About Time!!

    LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE IT!!!

    It’s about time we fought back. We don’t do it with guns, nukes, or suicide bombers so we use words.

  • LM

    DEFINITION OF JIHAD IS ‘HOLY WAR’ AND TO THOSE WHO SUPPORT IT IT MEANS EVERYONE ELSE.IT IS CALLING EVIL, EVIL. A MURDERER IS A MURDERER; AND THOSE WHO WANT JIHAD ARE MURDERERS. IT IS NOT AN INSULT . IT IS A FACT

  • Milhouse

    #1, what’s ambiguous about it? If someone claims to be a civilised Moslem, and is offended at being called a savage, let him answer this question: “Are you fighting a jihad against Israel?”. If he is not, then why is he offended at this poster? And if he is, then he is indeed a savage, and our mortal enemy, and we shouldn’t care if he is offended.

  • GG

    #5, gut gezukt, you could not have said it better. It is WAAAAY past time that this went public.

  • The Emperor Has Lost His Clothes

    Our mission as Yidden is to stand up for emes.

    If we spend our lives hemming and hawing about “Oh! We’d better not say anything that has even a slight chance of offending anyone!” then we have given evil a secure foothold.

    I agree with LM (#5) and Milhouse (#8).

    Besides, the haters are always going to have something to complain about; if not this, then it would inevitably be something else — just excuses to “justify” their hatred.

  • Milhouse

    #6, Sufi is Reform Islam. How many Moslems are Sufis? And how many Sufis will be offended by this?

    #7, What’s that got to do with this campaign? Do you imagine it’s being done by frum people, or even by Jews?!

  • Hope he-s here long enough

    Ahmaminajab is in town. Hope he’s here long enough to see the ads. But, unfortunately, I think the MTA will make sure to delay
    it until he leaves.

  • Great News!

    This country has become so undemocratic that nobody dares put up an ad that is not ‘liberal’ and opposes terrorism.

  • CHT

    Milhouse, I disagree that Sufi is reform Islam. Funny or not, number of people I talked with who studied Sufism academically, call them “Hasidic Islam”. Or they call it in-depth Islam.

    As far as your point about quantity – between you and me – it is week. People with autism are not large quantity, with cerebreal palsy, Jews and so on an so forth.