More Ads With Inflammatory Messages About Islam Appear In NYC Subway
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Another set of inflammatory ads has appeared in 39 New York City subway stations, paid for by the same group that posted ads equating Muslims or Palestinians with savages last year.
The American Freedom Defense Initiative, co-founded by conservative firebrand Pamela Geller, purchased space next to 228 clocks in 39 stations for the ads.
The ads feature an image of the twin towers of the World Trade Center burning on Sept. 11, 2001, and a quote attributed to the Quran saying: ``Soon shall we cast terror into the hearts of the unbelievers.''
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the ads went up Monday and will run for a month.
The group's earlier ads were displayed in 10 stations in September. Those ads read: "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat jihad."
Geller spoke to WCBS 880 in December about the earlier ads.
"It is freedom of speech, and I will not abridge my freedom of speech so as not to offend savages," Geller said. "I cannot imagine why anyone would be outraged by the truth, but this is the era that we're living in. Truth is the new hate speech, and just telling the truth is a radical act. There's nothing that's inaccurate in my ad. It's merely a statement of fact, so what's the problem?"
Geller said she chose the MTA for the ads because of a new ad campaign also running that is critical toward Israel.
"A new anti-Israel campaign is currently running, which virtually everybody ignores," she said. "But if you speak against jihad, or you take a pro-Israel stance, everybody seems to be outraged."
Geller has gained a reputation as a controversial figure for her criticism of Islam, and of President Barack Obama. In a Village Voice feature article in November, writer Greg Howard noted that on her Atlas Shrugs blog, Geller has previously called Obama a "Muhammadan" who "wants jihad to win."
In the Village Voice article, Geller told Howard that she is anti-jihad and not anti-Muslim. She said no when Howard asked her if she thought she was "inciting hatred" with the subway ads.
Geller's ads have also appeared on mass transit property in Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
Do you think the ads are appropriate for the subway system? Leave your comments below...
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