Court Rules Controversial 'Jihad' Ads Allowed in NYC Subways
A court has ruled that controversial ads can be allowed in New York City subways. During a volatile time for the United States and the Middle East, some people are worried that what can be seen as an anti-Muslim message may spark more unrest. The ads read, “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.”
Muslim activist groups have spoken out, calling it hate speech. Pamela Geller, a blogger who once campaigned against the Islamic Center near Ground Zero in New York, supports the ads but said she is not against all Muslims, just the extremists. “The assassination of Ambassador Stevens was savagery
. Any war on an innocent civilian is savagery.”
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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority which runs the NYC subway system tried to block the ads from going up, but Geller sued and a judge ruled in her favor, citing free speech rights. The MTA said in statement, “Our hands are tied. The court found the MTA’s regulations on non-commercial ads violated the First Amendment. The MTA board may consider revising those regulations at its meeting next week in executive session.”
The ads have already appeared on San Francisco city buses and starting Monday, they will appear in 10 NYC subway stations. In Washington D.C., Geller filed a lawsuit against the transit system after officials declined to post the ads due to the current violence in the Middle East.
