Let the drama begin. Apparently this September, straphangers will see ads on the subway promoting Islam. (Oh nooo !!)
How can we protect our children from these ads that will surely turn them into terrorists instantly?
Unfortunately, that’s not an exaggeration if you ask many New Yorkers including some Congressmen.
“I have no problem with the ad itself, but I have a very, very real problem with those behind it,” Rep. Peter King, a New York Republican, said Tuesday. He is urging the Metropolitan Transit Authority to reject the ads. [CNN]
What didn’t make it into the text version of the story, but did make it in the live interview with Rep. King was when he said that he was especially appalled by the ads running at a time when America will be “…mourning the 7th anniversary of 9/11.”
The opposition was quick to point out that the campaign starts on Sept 15th, and that Rep. King should get his facts straight. More importantly though, it shows that Rep. King is in fact more concerned with the fact that the ads promote Islam and Muslim beliefs. So he does have a problem with the ads themselves.
Personally, SUBWAYblogger says who the hell cares? The ads themselves are very mild (pictured above). I probably wouldn’t even notice them. Even if they were a little inflammatory, what’s the big deal? It’s an ad on the subway. Let them have their free speech. To get it down to redneck logic, censoring the ad is exactly what the terrorists want America to do.
What do you think?
[poll=7]
This should be an interesting topic of discussion.
Rep. King has sent a letter to the MTA demanding that the ads be kept from running. That’s pretty rediculous.
Dear Rep. King,
Wake up and do something that really matters. Here’s a few things if you’re out of ideas:
– Fight another fare hike
– Improve the quality and conditions of service in mass transportation
– Support alternative energy solutions
– Find and fight the corruption in the MTA/New York City Transit
– Improve subway security
– Improve subway technology
I know I know, those things require actual work and probably won’t get you on CNN tonight. Sorry buddy.
The ads will run in 1,000 subway cars. That’s a little more than 15% of the entire fleet.
The ad drives people to visit WhyIslam.org to learn more about the religion. As you can see in the sample, there’s nothing crazy about them. If they were for a Christian group, you’d never hear a word from Rep. King. Ohh, and remember the Jews for Jesus campaign? It drew some notice, but it didn’t get Congressional attention.
SUBWAYblogger 
The web site is boilerplate denial of true Islam. If you want to learn about Islam, read the Koran, watch a beheading video, read Robert Spencer, Daniel Pipes, Ba’at Yeor, Mark Steyn, FrontPageMag.com, JihadWatch, com, etc. Wake up now, America, before jihad comes here. Oh, wait a second, did you watch “Honor Killings in America” this weekend on Fox News? The truth is, that jihad IS here.
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If the MTA Doesn’t raises fairs or get more government money the system will collapse. look at what happened in the 70’s.
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@Eagle
You embody everything that is wrong with this country. No wonder we are falling behind other countries in every possible metric.
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Forget about your particular brand of religious discrimination Congressman King. Free speech rules in our Democracy. If you want to do something then make it illegal to hire illegals !!! How about getting off your big butt and propose a new SWAT TEAM for the subway system. Call it the SQUAT TEAM and send them to smelly staircases to do emergency 10 minute smell eradications – Yo. Do you even ride the subways Mr. King?
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I’d like to say that Eagle is not completely wrong. In last two day, two Indian cities witnessed a series of 25 synchronized bomb blasts. Who did it? Muslim organizations (funded by Pakistan and UK Muslim Orgs.) take the responsibility. Can you beat it? They actually take the responsibility of such gruesome acts, as if killing innocent people in the market and hospitals was some kind of heroic act.
I have had Muslim friends and my whole rant is not just about Islam but religion. I think religion is the major cause of suffering. Major cause of brainwash. Religion is why people fail to see each other as human beings and every religion teaches to people of its faith to increase in number than the other sect.
But still, I would like to say that Islam is the most cruel of them all. The halal food that you eat involves killing of the animal slowly over a period of 15-20 minutes while Muslims recite verses from holy Qu’ran.
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Hi, my name is Azeem, was on CNN last night with Congressman Peter King. I appreciate your honesty and candidness in exploring the issue.
Mr. King had 2 main points.
1. He said he didn’t like the promotion of the Imam behind the ad.
2. the anniversary of 911
Now his first point doesn’t make much sense does it? The Imam is not “behind” the ads. He’s not paying for it. He didn’t design it. He just heard about it, and expressed that it was a cool idea. So how does this ad promote him? He is promoting the ad, not the other way around.
His second point is a bogus excuse. We run ad campaigns on radio, highway billboards and on buses in cities across the U.S. all year long. Should we stop just for the month of September?
Islamophobes and Bigots want you to believe Islam is the Enemy. NYC is most diverse city on the Planet and its citizens are the most tolerant open minded people in the world. Let them decide for themselves how they feel about the ads. You can see the ads on http://www.youdeservetoknow.org
And if you missed the interview segment last night here it is:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/07/28/islam.on.subways.cnn?iref=videosearch
@AJ
you are way off about the meat issue. I’ve done it before you are supposed to do it quickly and efficiently so its over in seconds. And you just say bismillah (in the name of God) BEFORE starting. You should visit a halal poultry place and see for yourself.
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Yes, the Muslims have an absolute right to advertise on the subway. And I have an absolute right to express my differing opinion by defiling those ads.
I’ll be pasting pig decals over those ads.
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“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”
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Why isn’t anyone addressing the establishment clause question here? The MTA is a public authority, a part of the government. For it to advertise one religion over any others comes way too close to promoting one religion over others.
Also, please note that when churches advertise on the subway, invariably the ad are for services, not religious propaganda. I can’t help but see this as a deliberate provocation, not only in the timing which is too close to 9/11 and the London anniversary for comfort, but also in execution. If these people really wanted to outreach, there’s a plenty of opportunities to get involved. That however , would go against the Koranic dictate against making friends with non Muslims.
I wonder if people would be as blaze about this if the ads were by the FLDS.
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Everybody’s trying to sell me religion. I’m not buying. I’ll ignore this one just like all the others. However, if the MTA bans this advertising, it should ban all religious ads in the subway.
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@Great Kahuna – Well, running the ads is legal. Defacing them is a crime. You could, however, buy ads right next to them in opposition. Knock yourself out.
@KJ – Do you know what your talking about? The MTA isn’t advertising anything first of all. The MTA isn’t promoting Islam. The MTA has ad space for sale, and this group came and bought the space…period.
And because of the establishment clause (sort of), they can’t prohibit the ad because it is religious.
For that matter, the MTA doesn’t even sell the ad space! Most of the ads you see in the subway are sold by CBS Outdoor.
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Actually, it’s not that simple. The MTA is a public agency, therefore it’s space is public. The fact that they use an outside entity to handle the sales does not absolve them of the responsibility for conforming to standards applicable to any other public space. This isn’t Clear Channel using their private billboards to advertise churches. This is a government entity allowing it’s space to be used to promote a particular religion. If they rented a private billboard, there would be no question here.
On top of it, you’re attempting to use two opposing sides of the argument. You say that it IS an establishment cause and so they cannot prohibit it, right after arguing that there is no issue. Please make up your mind and stick to it, unless of course the idea here is to defend the ads regardless of how unreasonable it is. I reiterate again, would you be as content with it if the ads were for FLDS?
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@KJ- FLDS? Yes, I would feel the same. The FLDS is not a criminal organization so they too have the right to advertise.
If they were advertising sex with minors, then yeah there would be a problem.
As long as it isn’t hate speech, obscene, or promoting an illegal activity, there should be no editorial judgment on the part of the MTA.
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The SUBWAYblogger is totally right, Great explanations!
I have to admit there are extremists out there that hate our freedom.
They especially hate our freedom of religion and freedom of speech and are willing to go as far as shredding our constitution to deny others the same rights they enjoy for themselves.
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It’s pretty funny how their are Jewish, Christan, Scientology and other religous ads on the NYC subways, but when Muslims want to put them up, there is all this commotion and trouble.
And then everyone wonders why Muslims are always pissed off.
We can’t even breath without starting controversy.
Damn man.
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“@Great Kahuna – Well, running the ads is legal. Defacing them is a crime. You could, however, buy ads right next to them in opposition. Knock yourself out.”
Yes, what I will be doing is a crime…but to prevent a greater crime, the crime of permitting the Muslim scum to infiltrate our society because we have given them the freedom to do so.
They are attempting to do here what they have done for the past 1,400 years all over the world: to conquer, enslave and subjugate the unsuspecting and the stupid in every country they have invaded.
Well, I am drawing the line and it may not be much, but it is a beginning. Sooner or later, the rest of the decent American citizens will wake up and see that what the Muslims have done to Europe is beginning to happen here.
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@ Blogger-
Have you forgotten that polygamy is a crime?
Also, your analysis applies to private advertising, not government institutions, such as the MTA.
@Azeem-
No one is constraining your right to believe as you see fit, my opinion on religion altogether has no bearing on the legal question. The very establishment clause which gives you the right to your religion, prohibits the government from endorsing one religion over another, and advertising in public transport qualifies. Why not do what other religions do and do community outreach, provide public services, etc?
@Amir
Those, in my view are as unconstitutional as this attempt. Religion has no place being promoted by the government. Frankly the trouble started with the mass murder downtown. It’s unfair to tar all Muslims with the same brush, but it is very hard when one can’t forget the footage of overseas Muslims dancing in the streets at the news, and the repeat of it all in London.
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i don’t understand why people are so easy to equate islam with evil when if you think about it all religions have the potential to be evil especially if that religious nut job thinks society is full of sin and should pay for their sinful ways.
islam does not equal evil! why are most americans so eager to remain arrogant and ignorant? how scared are you of the truth?
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@Commuter
How many followers of other religions have flown passenger airplanes into buildings full of regular people at work, stoned people for adultery, hung homosexuals, murdered those who oppose them in cold blood ( Theo VanGough)? That’s the difference between potential and reality.
However, that’s not the question here, at least not for me. The issue is that religious propaganda has no place in public transport, regardless of which religion it is.
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When you see a bud light ad on the train do you ask the question.. Why is the government endorsing an industry where one fifth of all drinkers are under-age (illegal)?
And that’s actually going to kill us more times over than any terrorist attack.
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I Agree!
It’s pretty funny how their are Jewish, Christan, Scientology and other religous ads on the NYC subways, but when Muslims want to put them up, there is all this commotion and trouble
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The answer to that, again, is in the establishment clause. My personal opinion on drinking aside, the curb on governmental endorsement of religion is very clear. The advertisement of alcohol itself on public property is not verboten by the constitution, and that essentially is the crux of the matter.
Do I find those ads appropriate? No.
Do they violate the constitution? No.
There is a clear legal difference between business adverts and religious propaganda.
This is beside the fact that these ads do not cater to underagers. When Camel cigarettes put out a an ad campaign for fruit flavoured cigarettes targeting teenagers, the ads were removed very fast.
That said, I’d love to see your source of the 1/5th statistic. Last I checked , a beer bottle didn’t immolate 3,000 people at a time.
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This was a really good thread. You know with the Subway bombing in London that murdered 50 people done by Islamics… the murders in NYC at the WTC by Islamics… the train bombing in Spain that murdered over 200 done by Islamics… I would not suggest the Islamic representitives rub it in our faces by placing ads in the New York City subway where the next targets might be.
And AZEEM when you suggest the beer ads are going to “kill us more times over than any terrorist attack” maybe you should move to saudi arabia where you could rape young Pakistani “camel boys” and then have them executed under Islamic Sharia Law… you won’t have to look at beer ads there which seem to upset you so much.
Why are you here anyway AZEEM? You seem like a nice guy who is probably misguided by people blowing sunshine into your ear about things they have absolutely zero proof of – which is the definition of religion. Stick with reality… we live and work together shoulder to shoulder in NYC speaking 130 languages every day bro.
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I just want to say one thing in response to KJ who wrote: “How many followers of other religions have flown passenger airplanes into buildings full of regular people at work, stoned people for adultery, hung homosexuals, murdered those who oppose them in cold blood”.
Ok, you got me on the airplane thing but, um… The Inquisition. The Crusades. The Holocaust. I seem to remember that a lot of these things had to do with religion. And if I recall correctly, I think Christians were doing a lot of the murdering/torturing/raping…etc.
I mean, let’s just be honest. A lot of shitty stuff has gone down in the name of religion. Most Christians are embarrassed by what has been done in the name of Christianity in the past. Just as most Muslims were horrified by 9/11. Muslim extremists were not the first to do terrible things in the name of religion; they won’t be the last. So I think that part of your argument is a little weak.
I don’t believe in religion in general, but I have no problem with people of faith. For the most part. [Ok, scientology aside.]
Try to find a better argument than the one you’re using, though, because there’s certainly skeletons in the closet of EVERY religion.
And honestly… do you really think someone’s going to convert because of a subway ad? Really?
Bleh, I don’t want to fight, but such a silly overreaction.
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@ KP
Both the Crusades and the Inquisition were how many centuries ago? One would think that in the 21st century we would finally understand that 2 wrongs don’t make a right. It’s like a wife killer walking into court today and saying “Well when my great grandfather killed his mistress he got off with 5 years because it was a crime of passion, so I should get off too.”
I won’t even touch the events that provoked the first Crusade, because that can of worms is irrelevant to the present discussion.
Also, the Quiran is the only book out of the Abrahamic trifecta that does not have a blanket prohibition on murder, and that troubles me.
All of the above aside, my opinion on the matter begins and ends with the establishment clause. I don’t care what religion it is, religious propaganda should not be in public transport. After all, there are a plenty of other ways of conducting community outreach. Get involved, you know, throw a block party, sponsor a Little League team, open up a kindergarten for low income parents. There is a myriad of choices out there that don’t amount to propaganda and political provocation. As I said above though, that may not jive with the Quiranic dictate against making friends with non- Muslims.
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If you think that MTA should NOT accept those ads, and if you think in addition that your opinion is worth at least the stamp to express it then it is easy : do as King did i.e. a letter to the MTA.
(which is nothing more than the Amnesty International method : see http://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=Cf1qrJofX58 )
For the letter itself, it is even easier :
– Print, directly from your explorer (File > Print…) the first page of an article talking about that ad campaign, for example http://www.nypost.com/seven/07212008/news/regionalnews/train_ing_day_for_jihadists_120839.htm
– On the back, print that self-speaking image :
You can eventually add, under it on that same page, another self-speaking image so that you will be understood loud and clear : http://www.coranix.org/stephbergol/piedocul.htm
Name and snail-mail address for the two heads of the MTA are on top of page http://www.mta.info/regularmail.htm
A stamp allows sending at least two sheets of paper, so you optionnaly can add a second sheet printed front and back, for example :
1- another cartoons from Steph Bergol (this one is so true : http://www.coranix.org/stephbergol/simpli/autruche.htm !)
or
2- a leaflet presenting “what you (REALLY!) deserve to know” about islam (see english flagged documents on page http://grouik-grouik.org/2007/09/argumentaires-de-prsentation-de-lislam.html or http://www.coranix.org/action/presentation_islam.htm )
or
3- the two first pages of chapter 12 (english edition) of the 1923 book of André Servier “Islam and the psychology of the musulman” http://musulmanbook.blogspot.com/2005/11/ch-xii-12-mind-of-musulman.html
Put in an enveloppe, write the adress, stamp and send.
It is all that simple and you’re sure your opinion will reach your target.
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It never ceases to amaze me how many bigots there really are in this world, as demonstrated by a lot of the comments here, that’s all I have to say.
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I am perfectly fine with this. If i can see ads promoting chrisianity why cant there be the same for Islam. It is funny when you watch the Post/Fox News depiction of this and how it is a prosletyizing exercise by radical Islam when it is not. Also if there is outrage of this why no Outrage when crazy jehovah witnesses harass me b/c i am not a christian you know them on the tunnell between port authority and the Shuttle.
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