Thursday 4 October 2012

Rabbi/Christian-Sponsored Pro-Muslim Ads To Appear In NYC

‘Choose love’: Pro-Muslim ads to appear in NYC subways 

In a follow-up to a post I made previously, Anti-Islamic Propaganda - Nazi Germany ain't got nothin' on US in regards to the malevolent ads posted in New York Subways, there are some very positive pro-muslim, pro-love, anti-hate ads set to go up in response.

RT news reports that the group called Rabbis for Human Rights - North America and Sojourners Christian group are responsible for the new ads in a joint effort to combat the hate spread by the pro-Israel, anti-Muslim ads that went up in New York City a few weeks ago.

http://www.rhr-na.org/chooselove

 








They are to appear beside the anti-Muslim ads in subways and bus stations that housed the hate-speak ads, which were sponsored by the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) and their executive director, Pamela Geller. The RHR-NA and Sojourners have called upon the people of New York to publicly condemn the ads and Geller.
"“These disturbing and misguided ads are not meant to educate; they are meant to increase hatred and discrimination against New York City’s Muslims, and to drive a wedge between Muslims and Jews. The subway ads demonize Islam and ignore the positive contributions that our Muslim friends, neighbors and colleagues make to our country every day,” says a petition on its website."

Geller is a radical who has spent years advocating against so-called "Islamist Propaganda":

"Geller has long advocated against so-called "Islamist propaganda" in America and has campaigned in the past to call for the shutting down of a Washington DC museum exhibit, that highlighted Muslim contributions to science. The installation was declared "Best Touring Exhibit" by the Museum Heritage Awards in 2011, but Geller claimed "It has indoctrinated hundreds of thousands of children into a rosy and romanticized view of Islam that makes them less appreciative of their own culture’s achievements and more complacent about Islamization in the West.”
The AFDI is widely considered to be a hate group by many organizations throughout the United States. Indeed, the United Methodist Women Church put up their own ad beside the anti-Islamic sentiment, which read “Hate speech is not civilized. Support peace in word and deed.”

Photo from RT.com

I am incredibly inspired and overjoyed to see such an outcry against these ignorant, antagonistic and just plain hate filled ads that were put up by AFDI. I was indignant (as evidenced by my original post on the matter) when I saw that these would go up, especially in the face of the rash of anti-Muslim, pro-[terrorist state]Israel sentiment that has been a far-too-common theme in the news as of late.

We must be able to love and respect one and other if we hope to achieve anything of meaning or value in this world, and sentiment like that expressed by the AFDI ads are damaging. Unfortunately, I don't have enough faith in society left to say that I think people can see through these kinds of things to the core of what they really are - propaganda used to incite division and spark racial, ethnic and religious tension.

Huge points to all of the organizations mentioned in this article that have come out with the ads in response to this. Just when it seems like my faith in humanity is completely lost, things like this come along and show me that there are still people trying to do good in the world.

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