Promotional Islam Subway Ads Stir Controversy

WNBC.COM ^ | 7/22/08 | Puppage

[Puppage]

An Islamic subway-ad campaign being promoted by a controversial Brooklyn imam is gaining attention -- with some straphangers angered over the choice of spokesman.

The push to promote Islam on the rails this September, in a $48,000 ad campaign sponsored by the Islamic Circle of North America, was reported in The New York Post Monday.

Although the group says the ads -- which will coincide with the holy month of Ramadan -- aim to educate non-Muslims and reach out to those interested in joining the faith, many are incensed that Imam Siraj Wahhaj was chosen as the face of the ads.

Federal officials have linked Wahhaj to acts of terrorism, and he testified in the trial of convicted terrorist Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman.

City officials said the ads are protected under the First Amendment right to free speech.

Meanwhile, some lawmakers and subway riders want the ad pulled. Rep. Peter King, R-L.I., said “they (the ads) are especially shameful because the ads will be running during the seventh anniversary of September."

[Puppage]

aim to educate non-Muslims and reach out to those interested in joining the faith

GFY!

[the invisib1e hand]

ramadan promises to be a real shindig this year.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Let's hope the graffiti artists express some outrage.

[hunter112]

Sounds like good targets for a magic marker.

[ikka]

Federal officials have linked Wahhaj to acts of terrorism, and he testified in the trial of convicted terrorist Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman.

Sounds like they picked the right guy to be the face of Islam.

[MindBender26]

>>>City officials said the ads are protected under the First Amendment right to free speech.

Cop out. There are no First Amendment rights to commercial free speech.

[mathluv]

I misunderstood what Subway meant. In NE TX, it is a sandwich shop. I thought it was doing something to promote Islam.

[Telepathic Intruder]

This is all I need to know about Islam.

[Old Grumpy]

“Let’s hope the graffiti artists express some outrage.”

Agreed. There will probably be a run on spray paint up there.

[grey_whiskers]

Just buy other ad space with photos of the planes hitting the Trade Center on 9-11.

No other words or text.

If anyone squawks, just say it is "in loving memory" or somesuch.

Remember: AMERICANS LOVE A WINNER. LIBERALS LOVE A VICTIM.

Cheers!

[ClearCase_guy]

It would be interesting to try to pay for an Ad "promoting Islam" --

You could have pictures from 9/11, Mogadishu, etc. and a slogan "There are 1 billion Muslims in the world. Some of us aren't focused on killing you. To find out more about our faith and our hatred of western civilization, visit a mosque today!"

[BooksForTheRight.com]

“City officials said the ads are protected under the First Amendment right to free speech.”
City officials say that only when they favor the particular speech. If the speech is non-PC, they call the police.

[Master of Orion]

For your captioning pleasure.

[Starwolf]

Start a counter campaign of stickers on the ads. Pigs, the cartoon with Mohamend with a bomb in his turban, even gay or womens rights. My favorite one I saw used a while back was Mohamend (MPPHBHLM) as in may pulled pork have been his last meal...

[EBH]

Aren't the subways government subsidized? Wouldn't this equate to government sanctioned proselytizing?

[Puppage]

Start a counter campaign of stickers on the ads. Pigs, the cartoon with Mohamend with a bomb in his turban

I like the way you think. LOL

[EBH]

The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York (the government owns this). By running the ads they are in violation of their “seperation of church and state” clause. No?

[wideawake]

By running the ads they are in violation of their “seperation of church and state” clause. No?

Various local churches have been running ads on the subway for at least 20 years.

[milky]

I wonder if they would object to a few quotes from Elijah Muhammad, in the same spirit...perhaps some of the ones where he calls himself “Allah’s messenger,” or the ones where he names the USA the “enemy of Islam,” or when he declares that Islam is at war with the USA?

Gets the point across for me, anyway. All anyone really needs to know about Islam is how to translate the actual word “Islam” itself.

SUBMIT.

Says it all, don’t it?

[Brian C. Ledbetter]

The obvious answer to this story is for us to start providing "helpful" suggestions of what we think an "unindicted" marketing campaign might look like. Here, I'll get you started—feel free to join in with your own contributions, which I'll promptly showcase over yonder (with full credit, of course!)





Regards,
Brian