Posted on 09/25/2006 8:51:52 AM PDT by presidio9
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A car dealership's tongue-in-cheek radio advertisement declaring "a jihad on the automotive market," will not be changed, the company said, despite drawing sharp criticism that the ad's content is offensive to Muslims.
Several stations rejected the spot from Dennis Mitsubishi, which boasts that sales representatives wearing "burqas" - the head-to-toe traditional dress for some Islamic women - will sell vehicles that can "comfortably seat 12 jihadists in the back."
Jihad is a holy war waged by Muslims in defence of Islam.
"We firmly believe the ad does not in any way disrespect any religion or culture, but we feel, I guess, that maybe poking a little fun at radical extremists is fair game," dealership president Keith Dennis said on Saturday. "It was our intention to craft something around some of the buzzwords of the day and give everyone a good chuckle and be a little bit of a tension reliever."
While Dennis defended the ad as a harmless attempt to bring levity to a serious situation, the Columbus chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called it disrespectful.
"Using that as a promotional pitch when so many are dying from the criminal activity of suicide bombers, that's not funny," chapter president Asma Mobin-Uddin said. "I don't think it's appropriate when it causes real pain. It exploits or promotes misunderstanding in terms already misunderstood or misused."
In the ad, Dennis talks about "launching a jihad on the automotive market."
"Our prices are lower than the evil-doers' every day. Just ask the Pope!" the ad says. "Friday is fatwa Friday, with free rubber swords for the kiddies."
A fatwa is a religious edict.
Some radio stations are balking at the dealership's attempt to poke fun at extremists.
"With no disrespect to their creativity or their desire to build business, everything we're about is promoting the values of diversity. To air things of that sort would go against our mission statement," said Jeff Wilson, general manager of three Radio One stations in Columbus.
The dealership claims nothing in the ad is intended to promote a negative stereotype of Islam. A group that previewed the ad didn't raise any objections, although no one from the group was Muslim, Dennis said.
During the first Gulf War there were tv ads with "The Mother of All Sales" and statements like "That's not Saddam (so damn) good...".
More cheese and whine from the language police.
well, let's hope the home office isn't attacked.
"...will sell vehicles that can "comfortably seat 12 jihadists in the back."
I do think he's setting himself up for a lawsuit if a group of terrorists DOES buy one of his vans. Tongue and cheek or not, he'd have to defend his involvement after making that statement.
Muslims are offended by everything even remotely refering to the 'religion' by the infidel.
Actually, the jihadis prefer trucks. In this country they usually rent them from Ryder. They rarely return them.
And whose f'n fault is that, Asma? Not the car dealership's.
"Our prices are lower than the evil-doers' every day. Just ask the Pope!"
Waiting for the media to ask some Catholics if they are outraged. Waiting... waiting...
Could someone get back to me if the media bothers to ask some OTHER demographic?
bump for later
"Why buy? That's a bad return on your investment? Rent or lease. Come on down..."
Ya just made me wonder... whaddaya suppose she would have to say about all this...
...and why has she been silent on the subject?
"Jihad is a holy war waged by Muslims in defence of Islam." ????
I thought it was more often offensive .... too aggressively pursue expansion and coversion for the "faith"
LOL .... this reminds me of Robin Williams' skit about Colonel Qudaffi's chain of chicken stores
colonel Qudaffi's Bomb in the Bucket ... come on down ... kids get a grenade !!!
ping
There are only two radio stations I listen to in Columbus anyway...
1460 for Buckeye games and 107.1 for music....
that's about it...the rest of them suck.
"3 out of 4 infidels can't be wrong!"
I hope the dealer sells a crapload of cars.
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