There were a series of anti-Israel ads appearing on NYC public transportation stations a few months ago, that showed how the "Arab" sections of Palestine were shrinking steadily under Israeli encroachment.
The ads, for obvious reasons, annoyed pro-Israeli groups, including one led by one Pamela Geller. More about her in a moment. Portrayed as inflammatory and inaccurate, there were cries to take these posters down. Needless to say it didn't happen. Free speech, even for the speech we hate.
Now a group called The American Freedom Defense Initiative, led by the aforementioned Pamela Geller, has apparently struck back with these ads, which will appear in subways next week, barring court injunction:
The first question is this: is this free speech or hate speech? Well, that depends. Hate speech against whom? "Jihad" as used commonly today has represented violence against everyone from Palestinian vs. Arab to Syrian vs. Syrian. When a guy waving an AK-47 screaming "Death to Israel/the US/France" says he is in a jihad, it's a sure bet it's not a "jihad" to improve his knowledge of the Koran. And "Jihad" is associated with one group: Muslims. Now the Geller ad never once mentions "Arabs" or "Muslims." It makes a clear connection between the "civilized man" and "Israel." And the parallel comparison links "savage" to "Jihad." Not all Muslims, not all Arabs, just the concept of Jihad, with the undertone that it is Jihad against Israel and other nations.
In the strictest sense, no religious, ethnic, cultural, or political group is associated directly with "savages." But it doesn't take a genius to figure out that, just as if A=B=C=D, then Savages=Jihad=Islam=Muslims. Geller isn't fooling anyone, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't intend to. So I would have to say that this comes pretty damned close to hate speech.
Problem is, this particular hate speech is protected by the 1st Amendment. That's what the New York court ruled yesterday in ordering the Transit Authority to start running the ads. So the ads will run. Now let's be honest: given the climate today between Muslims and the West, maybe this isn't the best time to run them. You can be sure these signs will be spraypainted everywhere. They'll be torn down. They'll be pasted over with anti-Israeli posters. God forbid they bring about riots but who knows?
So who put up these pro-Israel, anti-Jihad/Islam/Muslim ads? The American Freedom Initiative, led by Pam Geller. This organization has been vehemently struggling to get pro-Israeli ads out to the public that will be equal to, as they see it, the anti-Israeli ads that the Palestinian support groups pump out every day. So far, nothing wrong with that. But who is this AFI and who is Pamela Geller. I quote the Infallible Source: "[Pamela] Geller and Robert Spencer co-founded the Freedom Defense Initiative and Stop Islamization of America, an organization which is labeled as a hate group by the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center." In other words, the groups behind these placards are labeled "hate groups" by the Jewish Anti-Defamation League. Pretty strong condemnation, I'd say.
So, Stephen, you're going to condemn these posters as hate speech and urge that they be taken down, right? Wrong, on two counts: 1) free speech trumps hate speech unless it incites to violence; and 2) I happen to like the message. Pam Geller may be a nutball, but she's right: those who engage in mob violence against anyone in the name of religion are savages. That includes the Jihadists of whatever group. I support Israel; I support her right to exist in peace and security; and I support her right to protect herself whether it is by combat against invading armies, or by posters in the subway. It's a pretty harsh way to put it, but in the conflict between Israel and Jihad, my money is on Israel.
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