Anti-Islam ads ready to hit New York metro stations

New York, NU Online
The anti-Islam forces have reunited once again in the United States as this time they have chosen metro stations in New York to advertise anti-Islam ads calling “Islamic apartheid.”<>

After pro-Palestine billboards went up in Metro-North stations this week that link the Israeli government to apartheid, a pro-Israel group has planned to fire back with posters that depict what it is calling “Islamic apartheid.”

The advertisements, which have been submitted by the American Freedom Defense Initiative to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for approval, feature a picture of men about to be hanged with a caption that reads: “This Is Islamic Apartheid. Gay Under Islamic Law. Stop U.S. Aid to Islamic States.”

The ad also includes a picture of a woman being whipped with the caption: “In many Islamic countries, rape victims are tortured or killed unless they agree to marry their rapist.”

According to the reports, ads paid for by the American Muslims for Palestine are set to go up at 25 Metro-North stations in the area. The ads call for the US to stop giving aid to Israel with the message: “End Apartheid Now!”

Kristin Szremski, spokeswoman for American Muslims for Palestine, argued that there is a difference between her group’s messages, which focus on US and Israeli policies, and the counter campaign led by political activist Pamela Geller.

“Geller’s ads ... are racist and attack an entire religion,” she said. “They’re bigoted and counterproductive to any hopes of creating dialogue.”

Szremski also said that her group’s ads have been defaced or ripped down at some Metro-North stations and need to be replaced.

Scott Richman, Regional Director of AJC Westchester, a Jewish advocacy group, denounced American Muslims for Palestine’s ads, but said AJC doesn’t support counterattacks.

“It just tends to bring to light this tit-for-tat and give the other side more publicity, which is exactly what they crave,” he said.

Editor: Sudarto Murtaufiq