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NYC Subway Ads for Islam Draw Fire
July 23, 2008 05:32 PM
by
Josh Katz
A New York City subway advertising campaign to promote Islam has generated controversy, with one member of Congress urging the MTA to halt its implementation.
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The Islamic Circle of North America, a grassroots organization, is the leading sponsor of a campaign to line 1,000 New York City subway cars with ads beginning in September, during the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. The black-and-white ads would display key words such as “Head Scarf?” or “Prophet Muhammad?” followed by the phrase “You deserve to know,” and a prompt to call a hotline and visit the Web site WhyIslam.org.
The purpose of the campaign is to explain some of the mischaracterizations of Islam in the post-9/11 United States.
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., wants the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to cease the campaign, not because of its message but because of one of the people promoting it.
Siraj Wahhaj, the imam of a Brooklyn mosque, is supporting the effort and appears in a YouTube video stressing its importance. Although he was the first Muslim to lead a prayer in the House of Representatives in 1991, Wahhaj was also a character witness in the case against Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, the convicted orchestrator of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. He was also named on the list of “170 potential unindicted co-conspirators in the 1993 bombing case.”
Mayor Bloomberg disagreed with King’s opinion on the ads, saying, “If you were to advocate becoming a Muslim, I assume the First Amendment would protect you.”
Almost as controversial as the advertisements was the New York Post’s article about them, which carried the headline “Train-ing Day For Jihadists,” included the phrase “G-had train.”
The purpose of the campaign is to explain some of the mischaracterizations of Islam in the post-9/11 United States.
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., wants the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to cease the campaign, not because of its message but because of one of the people promoting it.
Siraj Wahhaj, the imam of a Brooklyn mosque, is supporting the effort and appears in a YouTube video stressing its importance. Although he was the first Muslim to lead a prayer in the House of Representatives in 1991, Wahhaj was also a character witness in the case against Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, the convicted orchestrator of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. He was also named on the list of “170 potential unindicted co-conspirators in the 1993 bombing case.”
Mayor Bloomberg disagreed with King’s opinion on the ads, saying, “If you were to advocate becoming a Muslim, I assume the First Amendment would protect you.”
Almost as controversial as the advertisements was the New York Post’s article about them, which carried the headline “Train-ing Day For Jihadists,” included the phrase “G-had train.”
Headline Link: ‘Islam Subway Ads Cause Stir in New York’
“I have no problem with the ad itself, but I have a very, very real problem with those behind it,” Rep. Peter King said Tuesday.
Source: CNN
Video: The subway campaign
A promotional video from the Islamic Circle of North America describing the subway project is available on YouTube. Controversial imam Siraj Wahhaj speaks in the video.
Source: YouTube
Analysis: The New York Post article; interview with Wahhaj
The New York Post’s reporting of the subway ads on July 21 offended some in the Muslim community. The title of the article was, “Train-ing Day For Jihadists,” and the first sentence of the piece is “Allah board!” The article goes on to say, “The group insists it is not looking to transform subway cars into the ‘G-had train,’” a reference to the city’s “G” subway line.
Source: New York Post
In a CNN blog, correspondent Mary Snow interviewed Imam Wahhaj, the man whose participation in the ad campaign has caused such controversy. In the interview, Wahhaj says that his involvement was not a mistake, and a spokesman for the Islamic Circle of North America agreed. Snow goes on to write, “Unless the subway system gives into Congressman King’s demand, millions of New York subway riders will have an opportunity to determine where that discussion goes from here.”
Source: CNN
Reference: Islamic Circle of North America; YouDeserveToKnow.org; guide to Islam
The Web site for the Islamic Circle of North America, the organization sponsoring the ads, claims to be “a leading grass roots organization which seeks to obtain the pleasure of Allah (SWT) through working for the establishment of Islam in all spheres of life.”
Source: Islamic Circle of North America
YouDeserveToKnow.org explains the project, describes the concept behind the ad campaign, and presents statistics about New York’s subway system in comparison to the rest of the world.
Source: YouDeservetoKnow.org
Explore the Muslim faith with findingDulcinea’s Web Guide to Islam. The guide includes information about the history and beliefs of Islam, links to Muslim-run blogs and online resources for connecting with the Muslim community.
Source: findingDulcinea
Related Topic: Another controversial ad campaign
A July 16 article from findingDulcinea reported, “South Carolina canceled its contract with an international advertising company because of promotional posters saying, ‘South Carolina is so gay.’”
Source: findingDulcinea
© 2008 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
