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AFDI free speech victory: Philadelphia must run ad against Islamic antisemitism

Mar 12, 2015 6:45 pm By Robert Spencer

Islamic Jew-hatredAce lawyer David Yerushalmi’s parting words below are worth setting in stone: “A word of advice to government bureaucrats doing the Muslim Brotherhood’s bidding: we will sue you and you will lose. Act accordingly.”

At AFDI, we are not just raising awarness of the nature and magnitude of the jihad threat with our campaigns; we’re also setting legal precedents that have implications that can’t be understated: for decades, the left has been chipping away at our First Amendment rights. Without most Americans realizing, they’ve placed almost as many hedges and restrictions around the First Amendment as they have the Second.

This has to stop. The freedom of speech is the cornerstone of any free society. Without it, a tyrant can do whatever he wants and those who oppose him won’t be able to speak out. That’s just what all too many of our “leaders” want today: to be able to do their evil deeds without a murmer of dissent from the public.

At AFDI, we are standing up and saying no. We are defending not just our own rights, but those of every American. In city after city, we are rolling back rules and regulations that for too long have allowed only one point of view to have a public hearing.

Enough is enough. If we don’t stand now for freedom, it could be lost to us forever. Our Founding Fathers pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to the great cause of the defense of freedom. So do we.

“Federal Judge Orders SEPTA to Display ‘Stop the Islamic Jew-Hatred’ Advertisement,” American Freedom Law Center, March 12, 2015:

Late yesterday, a federal judge sitting in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania granted the American Freedom Law Center’s (AFLC) motion for a preliminary injunction, holding that the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s (SEPTA) refusal to run a “Stop the Islamic Jew-Hatred” advertisement on its advertising space violated the First Amendment.  As part of his ruling, the judge ordered SEPTA to run the ad.  (Read the judge’s Memorandum Opinion here).

The motion was filed on behalf of the advertisement’s sponsors, the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) and its co-founders, Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, and is part of a civil rights lawsuit filed against SEPTA last year.

In May of 2014, AFDI submitted the below advertisement for display on SEPTA’s advertising space:

Pro-Israel Ad

SEPTA rejected the ad, claiming that it “tends to disparage or ridicule any person or group of persons on the basis of race, religious belief, age, sex, alienage, national origin, sickness or disability.”

In its court filings, AFLC argued that SEPTA’s speech restriction is content- and viewpoint-based in violation of the First Amendment.  The federal judge agreed with AFLC on all of the issues presented, holding “that SEPTA’s anti-disparagement standard violates the First Amendment,” and stating further that he was “compelled to [reach this conclusion] under established First Amendment precedent.”

Robert Muise, AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel, commented,

“AFLC has made it clear in lawsuits across the country that government censorship of speech will not stand in the face of serious judicial scrutiny.  Indeed, it is refreshing, but unfortunately rare these days, to have a case before a judge who is ‘compelled’ by the law and not by his only personal biases or political agenda when deciding important constitutional issues.”

David Yerushalmi, AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel, added,

“Across the country, we have successfully litigated cases where government transit authorities permit the Muslim Brotherhood-Hamas front groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations to run ads misleading the public about Jihad and Islamic Jew hatred.  When our clients run ads exposing this Jew hatred, all of a sudden the transit authorities are worried about the ‘tone’ of the conversation and attempt to shut it down.  A word of advice to government bureaucrats doing the Muslim Brotherhood’s bidding: we will sue you and you will lose.  Act accordingly.”

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Filed Under: American Freedom Defense Initiative, Featured, free speech, Islamic antisemitism Tagged With: American Freedom Law Center


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Comments

  1. jihad3tracker says

    Mar 12, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    COUNTER-JIHADISTS — DAVID YERUSHALMI, ROBERT MUISE, PAM GELLER, AFLC, ROBERT SPENCER.

    FULLY EQUIVALENT TO THOSE WHO FOUGHT AGAINST NAZI SUPREMACIST PROPAGANDA IN WORLD WAR TWO.

    • Lee says

      Mar 12, 2015 at 9:08 pm

      Hear hear!

  2. Mike at the Beach says

    Mar 12, 2015 at 8:36 pm

    An unbelievable victory! Keep fighting the fight…all of these seemingly minor battles have a cumulative effect.

  3. mortimer says

    Mar 12, 2015 at 8:47 pm

    Well done, team. Eventually, the opponents of freedom will quit. With your track record, they won’t even think of opposing you!

    The worst part is why so many Americans don’t want Jew-hatred to be exposed! Shame on them!

  4. mortimer says

    Mar 12, 2015 at 9:08 pm

    FREE SPEECH COMES TO OVER 1 BN INDIANS OVER BLASPHEMY ISSUE

    Free speech is spreading, rather than shrinking. India’s Supreme Court, on Monday 3 March 2014, overturned India’s hate speech laws. The court said that it could not curb the fundamental right of the people to express themselves.

    “We cannot curtail fundamental rights of people. It is a precious rights guaranteed by Constitution,” a bench headed by Justice RM Lodha said, adding “we are a mature democracy and it is for the public to decide. We are 1280 million people and there would be 1280 million views. One is free not to accept the view of others”.

    The US Supreme Court already affirmed free speech with respect to blasphemy.

    Implicit in the freedom of expression is the right to offend.

    Justice Clark in 1952 wrote: “…it is enough to point out that the state has no
    legitimate interest in protecting any or all religions from views distasteful
    to them. … It is not the business of government in our nation to suppress real
    or imagined attacks upon a particular religious doctrine.”

    Justice Frankfurter noted that beliefs “…dear to one may seem the rankest ‘sacrilege’ to another,” and added concerning “sacrilegious” speech: “…history does not encourage reliance on the wisdom and moderation of the censor.”

  5. Linde Barrera says

    Mar 12, 2015 at 11:38 pm

    Congratulations, my very best wishes, and continued success to American Freedom Defense Initiative, Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer for having the vision and guts to see this through. Hopefully, it will have a ripple effect in other areas. God bless you all, I am so grateful.

  6. Kim Myers says

    Mar 13, 2015 at 1:23 am

    I love it and I live in Philadelphia. We have a large Muslim area in the ghetto areas mainly. Most are converts from prison and they eventually leave because they are sick with the rules. There are ones who stay in it because of the perks they get from being an evil, violent women beater.

    I wonder how long that will last? If you can please leave it there for a few months. Especially summertime, Historical Downtown Philadelphia we have loads of visitors.

    Thank you Kim

    • Rezali Mehil says

      Mar 13, 2015 at 5:25 am

      Hello Kim,

      You say we Muslims love mainly in the Ghetto areas. Why is that ….do you think we love it in the there…. How horrible are you?

      Now with this disgusting ad – more peoples will look at us more unkindly and less jobs will be available for us. What you are doing is to round us up and keep us down…by using weasel words like the “first amendment” to keep us down as low class citizens.

      We too would like a nice house and a nice job ….what is wrong with you peoples?

      Do not forget we are the chosen and bestest of peoples …of the kitaab and we mustn’t be kept down. You are kuffar…it is your role in life and in the natural pecking order …you need to look up to us ….and after us.

      Allah SWT has ordained that we live in Philadelphia…we *are* the cheese …and you musn’t forget that …and you know …I am going out on a limb here…even though it is not allowed…I will pray for you this time…asking Allah T’allah to change your mindset …and that you see things more our way …and help through Islamic charities …and argue to ban this disgusting poster.

      Please tell your friends too …spread the message…Islam is a religion of peace and you an they need to help some of them out of the ghetto and into a nice house on your street.

      May Allah SWT put his large hand and press on your skull with his blessing.

      More Later …

      Rezali

      • vickie says

        Mar 13, 2015 at 8:41 am

        Where does Kim say the ex-con Muslims love the ghetto?

        Not all Muslims live in a physical ghetto, but all live in a mental ghetto. That is their choice.

        • HARLEY says

          Mar 13, 2015 at 9:58 am

          i THINK RESALI WAS BEING SARCASTIC.

      • Ricky Black says

        Mar 13, 2015 at 1:30 pm

        Islam is the religion of peace, and if you don’t believe me I will kill you

  7. JohnF says

    Mar 13, 2015 at 4:07 am

    I have no direct connection to any religion, believing all religions are fundamentally flawed. Regardless of what anyone says all religions were written by man “Under the belief that ‘God’, ‘Allah’ etc related these words to ‘particular people”. ‘Whereas I fervently believe these words were all written to control people who are ignorant enough to have the masses believe their words’. The answer is simple, send all those people who teach or practice violence to prison with hard labour, every time they violate, ‘for any reason’ peaceful means of deliberation. If they take a life, then in so doing, they forfeit their own, with similar result of Incarceration for broadcasting hatred. Q.E.D.

    • Western Canadian says

      Mar 13, 2015 at 2:40 pm

      Congratulations. Your ‘belief’ system confirms that you are a very ignorant man.

  8. Ricky Black says

    Mar 13, 2015 at 12:39 pm

    And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of GOD, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, Revelation 20:4

  9. Loretta Pienaar says

    Mar 13, 2015 at 12:50 pm

    Ricky Black, God bless you. As someone said, all religions err. BUT in 2015 neither Christians, Jews or Buddhists are evil sons of Satan!
    Bravo Philadelphia! And all who work at freeing the West of this evil scourge.
    KEEP STANDING. KEEP ON AND YOU WILL CONQUER. AND GOD BLESS YOU NOW AND ALWAYS!!!

    • Ricky Black says

      Mar 13, 2015 at 1:25 pm

      Thank you very much, I’m so glad somebody is listening. Revelations’ of Jesus Christ gave unto John the Divine, to the churches of Asia. I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Revelation 2;9

  10. Ricky Black says

    Mar 13, 2015 at 1:19 pm

    Revelations’ of Jesus Christ gave unto John the Divine, to the churches of Asia. I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Revelation 2;9

  11. Ricky Black says

    Mar 13, 2015 at 1:38 pm

    the Koran tells muslims don’t try to convert the Christians because they only want the Truth. LOL

  12. Rebecca says

    Mar 13, 2015 at 2:54 pm

    I think that it’s great the these ads are getting good coverage in the press, etc.
    But it was a wasted opportunity.
    I liked David Horowitzs posters better. Where it educated ppl on how vile Hamas treats its own ppl. Or u shud have an ad highlight the corruption of the palestinian authority.
    or how women and christians are treated all over the middle east except israel.
    I just feel that this ad just confirms what ppl know, it doesnt educate ppl who are being fed such false propaganda against israel.

    I think that many jews have a “ghetto” mentality, and don’t defend themselves enough when being abused.
    like whats happening now on college campuses:
    See video–

    http://www.aish.com/jw/s/Crossing-the-Line-2-The-New-Face-of-Anti-Semitism-on-Campus.html?s=show

  13. BlueRaven says

    Mar 13, 2015 at 9:05 pm

    Great ads and great movers. Congratulations.

  14. Linde Barrera says

    Mar 13, 2015 at 9:07 pm

    This comment is directed to Rezali Mehil: 1. Having the opinion that Muslims are the best people is not to be used as a justification for supremacy; including acts of beheading, crucifixion, burning people alive, rape and Jew Hatred or hatred of any other ethnic group. Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims hate each other, and what that is about is who has the power at the end of the day. 2. Muslims in America are just one of many groups that have lived in the ghetto.With education, skills, proficiency in another language, scoring high on exams for jobs and community support, Muslims can get out of the ghetto just like countless Europeans did upon coming to America in the 19th and 20th centuries. I am the granddaughter of a German illegal immigrant who worked his butt off but retired in style many years after coming here. 3. The Nile River is the longest in the world, but many people are in Da Nile about Islam bring the so-called “religion of peace”. Islam actually invites, incites and provokes people to commit violence against innocent people. It’s delusional to call Islam “the religion of peace.” 4. Just as water has 3 states of matter, the God that Christians worship and believe in is 1 God with 3 manifestations. The proof for this in the Holy Bible. I pray for your conversion to Christ, redeemer of us all, and I bid you peace that passes all understanding.

    • BlueRaven says

      Mar 13, 2015 at 9:23 pm

      Linde – I’ll not take Rezali guy/gal seriously. I think he is a clown. He writes a piece and leaves – anything he writes is full of contradictions. He appears to be some non-Muslim guy making fun of us.

      • Linde Barrera says

        Mar 13, 2015 at 9:36 pm

        Thank you BlueRaven (pretty name). I don’t know how to size him up. On the surface, he appears to really be quite passionate about his “radio frequency” if you catch my drift. Speaking of writing to Muslims, I am proud of myself because I addressed several terrorist issues by emailing The Middle East Monitor, a forum used by The Muslim Brotherhood! Some of the replies I received were really in Da Nile! Take care, God bless you and yours.

  15. 11B40 says

    Mar 14, 2015 at 12:10 pm

    Greetings:

    Pleas forgive my tardiness to this post, but I came across this interesting coverage of this issue this morning. Read it and weep.

    http://news.yahoo.com/philly-buses-ordered-accept-ads-featuring-hitler-200901893.html

  16. matt says

    Mar 14, 2015 at 6:00 pm

    I think it’s time we start printing these on t-shirts and wearing them to church.

    Of course the specific Quranic verses should be included.

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