Anti-Islam ads coming to NYC buses, subways

NEW YORK -- Anti-Islamic ads will begin appearing on a hundred New York City buses and at two subway entrances next week.

The six ads include an image of American journalist James Foley, just before he was beheaded, standing next to his masked executioner.

The ads are paid for by the American Freedom Defense Initiative run by anti-Islam blogger Pamela Geller. She says the campaign tells truths about Islam and jihad that the U.S. government and mainstream media ignore.

"Our organization has created this campaign in order to educate people about Jihad," Geller told 1010 WINS. "I don't think the truth is controversial. I think we're entering a very dangerous period and I don't think the American people should be disarmed in the information battle space."

All the ads feature a disclaimer that says the viewpoints are not endorsed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Under a federal court ruling, the agency is required to run viewpoint ads. But the MTA requires a disclaimer.

"We review every viewpoint ad under the standards, but a series of court rulings have made clear that our hands are largely tied," MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said in a statement.

The MTA has posted previous ads from the American Freedom Defense Initiative which called enemies of Israel "savages," sparking an uproar. At the time, the MTA sold space to competing advertisements that urged tolerance.

The group's ads have also appeared on mass transit property in Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.