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AFDI files appeal over politically correct censorship of anti-terrorism ad

Mar 13, 2014 8:28 am By Robert Spencer

AFDIFacesofterrorismNot running an ad featuring photos of wanted terrorists because they are Muslims, and “moderate” Muslims who supposedly oppose what they did in the name of Islam would be offended, is the height of suicidal idiocy. And so we are appealing.

“Appeal to Ninth Circuit Filed after Federal Court in Seattle Upholds Censorship of Anti-Terrorism Advertisement,” from the American Freedom Law Center, n.d.:

The American Freedom Law Center (AFLC) filed its opening brief on Friday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, appealing a lower federal court ruling that denied AFLC’s motion for a preliminary injunction.  AFLC’s motion requested that the court order the King County, Washington, transit authority to display an anti-terrorism bus advertisement that it had refused to display.

The proposed advertisement, which was submitted by the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) and its executive directors, Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, included pictures, names, and a similar message from an earlier anti-terrorism advertisement sponsored by the U.S. State Department, which was accepted for display on King County buses.  The State Department advertisement depicted the “Faces of Global Terrorism” in an effort to “stop a terrorist” and “save lives.”  In addition, the advertisement offered an “up to $25 million reward” for helping to capture one of the FBI’s most wanted terrorists.

Moreover, in the State Department advertisement, thirty out of the thirty-two listed terrorists had Muslim names or are wanted for terrorism related to organizations conducting terrorist acts in the name of Islam.  After complaints from a Washington State politician and two Muslim-American advocacy groups that claimed the list of wanted global terrorists appeared to include only Muslim terrorists, the federal government terminated its “Faces of Global Terrorism” advertisement campaign.

In response to the government’s decision to remove its advertisement, AFDI created its own, similar advertisement to replace it.  Despite originally accepting the government’s advertisement, King County rejected AFDI’s ad, claiming that it was offensive to Muslims.

On January 27, 2014, David Yerushalmi, AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel, presented oral argument before Federal Judge Richard A. Jones, sitting in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. [See video of oral argument here.]  Yerushalmi argued that King County’s refusal to run the advertisement was an unconstitutional prior restraint on free speech and therefore the court should order the agency to display the advertisement immediately.

Nevertheless, Judge Jones ruled that King County’s decision to reject the advertisement was “reasonable,” specifically noting that displaying pictures of Muslim and Arab terrorists and labeling them jihadis is offensive to Muslims.

David Yerushalmi, AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel, commented:

“We are confident that the Ninth Circuit will reverse this decision.  The trial court sacrificed Free Speech for political correctness.”

AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel Robert Muise commented:

“Simply put, the government’s position is inconsistent with reality – namely, sharia-adherent jihadists pose a significant threat to our national security.  This case is a classic articulation of political correctness as a form of tyranny, which violates our fundamental right to freedom speech guaranteed by the First Amendment.

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Filed Under: American Freedom Defense Initiative


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Comments

  1. Joanne Zabielski says

    Mar 13, 2014 at 8:50 am

    Enough is Enough! STOP PUTTING US AT RISK. We need to be aware and informed and on guard…

  2. pongidae rex says

    Mar 13, 2014 at 9:40 am

    Multi-culturalism is a stealth path to totalitarianism. The only way a government can sponsor mass immigration of people with a violent, intolerant and expansionist ideology who are openly hostile to the host culture is to place ever more stringent restrictions on freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and the right to bear arms. Similarly, the government will ally itself more and more closely with the most violent and extreme elements of immigrant groups as a form of politically correct appeasement. Witness the parade of terrorism associated characters parading through the gates of the White House, and the movement to brand ‘offensive speech’ against Islam as a ‘hate crime’; a total abrogation of the US Constitution. This is happening in Europe with the arrest and trial of elected officials who have dared to criticize Islam and were formally charged with ‘hate crimes’ while Muslim hate preachers imported from Saudi Arabia spew calls to murder infidels unmolested. Your freedom is on the line folks. Make no mistake. The time is coming when political correctness will be enforced from the barrel of a gun through kicked down doors of homes.

    • kikorikid says

      Mar 16, 2014 at 1:07 am

      “Multiculturalism is the path to totalitarianism.”
      But now we are looking at a two headed snake.
      A totalitarian Islamic State under Shariah Law.
      A totalitarian Socialist state by Karl M.
      Both are feverishly working on their separate
      agendas as we speak.

  3. Peter Buckley says

    Mar 13, 2014 at 10:04 am

    “Nevertheless, Judge Jones ruled that King County’s decision to reject the advertisement was “reasonable,” specifically noting that displaying pictures of Muslim and Arab terrorists and labeling them jihadis is offensive to Muslims.”

    How does that work exactly when MUSLIMS THEMSELVES USE THE TERM “JIHADIS” IN ORDER TO DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM JIHADIS???!!!

    What a joke…….

  4. Scott in PA says

    Mar 13, 2014 at 12:09 pm

    So Muslims have a constitutional right not to be offended?

    And we all remember the NY federal judge who rejected atheists’ right to advertise the following billboard because it was “offensive” to Christians, right?

    http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/christmas8.jpg

  5. Bezelel says

    Mar 14, 2014 at 6:43 pm

    I’m offended at being deprived of the information about the reward.

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