Judge rules in favor of bus advertising about killing Jews

[vaskidmark]

http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2015/04/22/a-win-for-the-first-amendment-judge-rules-in-favor-of-killing-jews-bus-ads/

New Yorkers are used to aggressive advertising. Banners for breast implants. Billboards for condoms. But a federal judge’s ruling has opened the door for far more controversial posters on buses and subways across the city. “Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah,” reads one such ad next to the image of a young man in a checkered headscarf. “That’s His Jihad. What’s yours?”

The poster is at the center of heated legal debate over public safety and free speech. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge John Koeltl ruled that New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) cannot stop the controversial ad from running on scores of subway cars and buses. The MTA has argued that the ad could incite violence against Jews, but Koeltl rejected that idea.

And then I lost it.

MTA officials “underestimate the tolerant quality of New Yorkers  ....

And then it got just plain weird:

Making the case all the stranger is that the posters are not the work of an Islamist group, but rather a pro-Israel organization. “This is a triumph for liberty and free speech,” tweeted Pamela Geller, the president of the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), the group that purchased the ads and sued the MTA to run them. “#freedom #victory #shariafail.”

These posters have put AFDI on a crash course with both the MTA and Muslim advocacy groups. In 2011, the MTA refused to run the “savage” ad because it was demeaning to Muslims and Palestinians. AFDI sued, and a federal judge later ruled that MTA’s non-demeaning standard violated the First Amendment guarantee of free speech. The “savage” ads soon went up all over New York City.

AFDI’s ads have also drawn objections from Muslims. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil liberties group that promotes the rights of Muslims and better relations between Muslims and non-Muslims, launched its own public relations campaign to combat AFDI. In 2012 and 2013, CAIR ran posters in several U.S. cities promoting peaceful versions of Islam. “‘#MyJihad is to build friendships across the aisle.’ What’s yours?” But the ads never ran in New York due to a disagreement between CAIR and MTA.

So the Joos run an ad campaign that points out that their declared enemy wants to kill them.  And the bus compasny is worried that the ads might incite those declared enemies to kill Joos.    Just plain  .

I'm asking all of you to act as witnesses that I am putting up a crisp Benjamin Franklin for The Onion to top that.

stay safe.

[brimic]

Very subversive. I like it. 

[Blakenzy]

It's actually discriminatory against Muslims, trying to stereotype them as all being murderous... and recruit people to fight against "the threat".. motivate anti-muslim feelings.

So, if a white power advocacy group put up a billboard of an urban youth with all the wardrobe under the caption "Robbing whitey draws us closer to da bling and b****es... That's his way of life, what are you going to do about it?" how would that be perceived?

[vaskidmark]

It's actually discriminatory against Muslims, trying to stereotype them as all being murderous... and recruit people to fight against "the threat"

So, if a white power advocacy group put up a billboard of an urban youth with all the wardrobe under the caption "Robbing whitey draws us closer to da bling and b****es... That's his way of life, what are you going to do about it?" how would that be perceived?

Yes, it is discriminatory against those Muslims that declare killing Jews is their Jihad.  ("making or showing an unfair or prejudicial distinction between different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex.
synonyms:   prejudicial, biased, prejudiced, preferential, unfair")

But is it discrimination against all Muslims?  No.  ("treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit.)

It's that whole "'Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah,' reads one such ad next to the image of a young man in a checkered headscarf. 'That’s His Jihad. What’s yours?'” thing.  See?  Focusing on those Muslims who declare their Jihad is "killing Jews".  How does that suddenly morph into "all" Muslims?

If you are having trouble telling the radical Muslims from the Moderate Muslims you could always ask what their Jihad is.  Or if that's poking to deeply into individual beliefs, ask a Muslim if they support that Jihad.

Others have given the word wider definitions. Many observers—both Muslim and non-Muslim —talk of jihad having two meanings: an inner spiritual struggle (the "greater jihad"), and an outer physical struggle against the enemies of Islam (the "lesser jihad") which may take a violent or non-violent form.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihad

And just so we can discuss the same issue - where does this "What are you going to do about it" stuff come from?  The ad clearly asks the question "What's yours?"  A completely different meaning with a completely different connotation.

stay safe.

[Scout26]

If Nazi's can parade through Skokie, then AFDI can put up billboards.  And since the buses are semi-government funded, then the first amendment applies completely.

Even if the reverse were the case. (Muslims painting Jews as murderers, etc.)


And RE: the Crisp Ben Franklin portrait.  Does that include the Duffleblog?

[vaskidmark]

And RE: the Crisp Ben Franklin portrait.  Does that include the Duffleblog?

If the Duffleblog is The Onion then yes it does.

But I'll go a Grant for Duffleblog if you copy me on the email you send them explaining what the challenge is.

stay safe.

[230RN]

 I just loves me a good false false false false false flag operation.

[brimic]

I just loves me a good false false false false false flag operation.

Are you sure its not a false false false false false false?

[230RN]

^ I wouldn't doubt it if the President got involved somehow.

I'm not signing this one so nobody will know who posted it.

[Scout26]

Here's one for your Va:

http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/us/you-wont-believe-who-militant-gays-are-attacking-this-time

[vaskidmark]

Is there something there I should be shocked or amazed about?

The LGBT-eieio community has achieved full equality.  They have acheived the ability to protest about something that is not oppressing/repressing them.

America!  What a country.  (/Yakov Smirnoff voice]

stay safe.

[vaskidmark]

UPDATE -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/wp/2015/04/29/new-york-transit-system-moves-to-ban-all-political-advertising/

The url says it all.

One board member blasted the decision saying it implied that New Yorkers were not as smart as people in other cities.

“(It says) that we can’t determine the difference between hate speech and political speech and hemorrhoid-related ads,” said Andrew Albert said. “New Yorkers are pretty sharp in that regard.”

At last - folks who know the difference between their elbow and ....

Insta pundit has quite a bit to say about the decision.  Some of it is repeatable in polite society.

stay safe.