As Pamela Geller notes, think about all the things that Egypt’s most prominent Islamic authority is not issuing fatwas against: Islamic anti-semitism, the jihad imperative to wage war against and subjugate unbelievers under the hegemony of Islamic law, the institutionalized oppression of women in Islamic law, including even their Qur’an-sanctioned beating (4:34), the sexual slavery of the “captives of the right hand” (Qur’an 4:3, 4:24, 23:1-6, 33:50), and so much more. Instead, they do what Islamic supremacists always do: blame the unbelievers for shedding light on unsavory aspects of Islamic law and practice, rather than cleaning house.
“Egypt Islamic Authority Issues Fatwa Against Philadelphia Anti-Islam Bus Posters,” by Lora Moftah, International Business Times, April 8, 2015 (thanks to Pamela Geller):
Egypt’s most prominent religious authority has issued a religious proclamation, or fatwa, blasting a controversial anti-Islam poster campaign that has been running on public transport in Philadelphia over the past week.
The fatwa from Dar al-Ifta on Wednesday proclaiming the posters racist is the most notable international criticism to be added to the wave of condemnation against the campaign, which features slogans that link Islam to Nazism.
The posters include an image of Adolf Hitler having a sit-down meeting with Haj Amin al-Husseini, a Muslim Palestinian nationalist leader during the 1920s and 1930s, whom the ad characterized as “the leader of the Muslim world.” The ad urges an end to “aid to all Islamic countries” under the slogan “Islamic Jew-Hatred: It’s in the Quran.” At least 84 buses in Philadelphia, the fifth-largest U.S. city, are scheduled to display the posters through the end of April.
The fatwa by the Egyptian religious authority condemned the campaign on the grounds that such a message not only portrayed Islam incorrectly but also spread prejudice, hatred and conflict in the U.S., a statement posted on the institution’s website said. “This hazardous campaign will leave the gate of confrontation and clashes wide open instead of exerting efforts toward peaceful coexistence and harmony,” it said.
The proclamation also argued that failing to respect Muslims in the U.S. would marginalize the religious minority from integrating into American society. Fatwas, which are nonbinding legal opinions issued by scholars, can be given on any subject, however these proclamations can often carry more weight when issued by top religious bodies such as Dar al-Ifta.
Other U.S. cities, including New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., have previously displayed the ads, which are funded by the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), an organization based in New Hampshire that the Southern Law Poverty Law Center lists as an anti-Muslim hate group. The organization spent $30,000 to purchase the ads despite resistance from Philadelphia’s transport authority, which unsuccessfully challenged the ad buy in court. AFDI’s co-founder, political blogger Pamela Geller, has claimed that the bus ads were necessary in order to counter anti-Israel campaigns.
However, the campaign has garnered vocal opposition from public officials and civil rights and advocacy groups. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter led an interfaith rally calling for tolerance to counter the posters’ message, while Philadelphia’s Interfaith Center has also launched a dueling public messaging campaign that encourages people of all faith traditions to seek mutual understanding.
Cair (Council on American-Islamic Relations) called the ads bigoted, though it conceded AFDI’s right to run the campaign. “The First Amendment protects everyone, the hateful and the loving alike,” Cair staff attorney Ryan Tack-Hooper said in a statement. “Instead of suppressing dishonest and offensive speech, the American tradition is to respond with speech of our own. You can be sure we will.”
cs says
“This hazardous campaign will leave the gate of confrontation and clashes wide open instead of exerting efforts toward peaceful coexistence and harmony,”
As they care Sh*T about it.
katherine says
We can see the picture all right and it’s not photoshoped : it’s from historical archives. So too with the passages : they’re from religious sources. So what’s the problem – that we musn’t see the truth, cannot tell the world the truth ?
Compare this to fatwas that the world must be flat for the prophet said so ; or that which says all churches must be destroyed for the prophet said so – nobody’s raising a hue and cry.
These sand-pariahs are not looking for co-existence peaceful or otherwise : only they can exist – others might as well be dead for all they care.
terry says
“it’s not photoshoped : it’s from historical archives. So too with the passages : they’re from religious sources. So what’s the problem – that we musn’t see the truth, cannot tell the world the truth ?”
You said it so precisely, Katherine. Actually I wanted to quote your whole comment, because every part of it was already going through my head before I read it!
free Asia Bibi says
It is ridiculous that 2/3rds of American aid goes to Muslim countries, especially when it is forbidden in the Islamic doctrine to give alms or assistance to non-muslims. Their zakat or charity work only extends to muslims. Non-muslims are considered as being scum by the Islamic doctrine. It is about time we realise every time we assist these people indoctrinated with evil theories (Islam) they gain strength to kill more westerners. America should be giving NO assistance to Pakistan in particular whilst they have the blasphemy law in place. Free Asia Bibi now. That is the priority.
TH says
Charity is a Biblical and Christian concept totally unknown in Islam. Zakat is not charity as it is only directed to muslims and is often giiven to jihadis.
Don McKellar says
The bus ads use only facts, unquestionable historical record, and say exactly what is in the Islamic texts.
And now Egypt’s most prominent Islamic authority has issued a fatwa against them.
Of course. That makes total Islamic logic! Telling the truth about Islam, its texts, and history to infidels impedes the global jihad, so therefore must be stopped! I was confused for a second there… but I used some Islamic logic and now it’s all clear.
Jay Airahs says
Egypt’s most prominent religious authority Muslims display their choreographed prayer dance to the Serpent of Satan and his sock puppet Allah as if they are flogging a piece of driftwood hoping it will turn into a fruit bearing tree.
Norger says
Another example of CAIR’s is brazen lies. “Dishonest and offensive speech?” The Koran says (among other things) that muslims shouldn’t take Jews (or Christians) as friends and that Jews are the descendants of apes and pigs. Islamic Jew hatred IS unquestionably in the Koran. This is “offensive” to CAIR in the sense of the Arab concept of “slander;” this is an uncomfortable truth that CAIR would prefer to keep hidden, like “honor” killings.
Americans are so ignorant ( or in denial) about what Islam actually teaches that it takes freedom fighters like Pamela Geller to put in their faces. It never ceases to amaze me how far CAIR will go to deny uncontrovertible facts about Islam when they think they get away with it, which is most of the time. However, I hope someone calls out CAIR’s staff attorney and insists that he provide CAIR’s promised response to these “dishonest” ads. I just can’t wait to hear (with appropriate citations)how the Koran teaches love and tolerance towards Jews (or any other religion).
Joseph says
The proclamation also argued that failing to respect Muslims in the U.S. would marginalize the religious minority from integrating into American society.
Dar al-Ifta has enormous balls to use the integrating in the above statement. The actual fact is they want to conquer the U.S.A. Posters like these shine the light on what Islam REALLY is, making the job of conquest harder. It is high time America wakes up as to what is going on around them. No longer is it a M.E. thing, it is now happening ALL across America. My hat is off to the sponsor of these posters. May they appear in EVERY city in the U.S.
Nimrod says
The response to them should be that they have no place criticizing the marginalization of religious minorities when they themselves support marginalizing and even killing religious minorities in their own countries.
Until I can legally and safely walk into Mecca as a non-Muslim who denies the legitimacy of all Islamic belief, I have absolutely zero sympathy for any sort of Muslim marginalization or discrimination. If Islam and Muslims want fair treatment then they must first reciprocate.
Jay Airahs says
These ads are a little unfair.
They use the TRUTH
This puts Muslims at a serious unfair disadvantage.
All they have is Muhammad’s life example and the Qur’an
Joe Shmo says
This one time I’ll concede the point: These ads are in fact racist. But they are only racist in the sense that they expose the real racism that sits at the very heart of Islam; in its texts and the people who practice it.
The reactions from Egypt (and of course the MB in America) tell us you’re landing body blows. I wonder if it has helped any ignorant non-muslims find out the truth for themselves? We can only hope.
In any case, even if the transport authority don’t run anymore political ads at least it stops the other side spreading any more lies.
mortimer says
Islam is profoundly racist, calling for only one clan of Arabs to rule the world. Islam only pretends to be broad-minded. The ‘others’ who are invited into Islam are never equal to Arabs. They are allowed to be the servants of the Arabs, if that.
mortimer says
Arab racism is one of the best kept secrets of Islam. Al Azhar doesn’t want the duped millions of foreign Muslims to become aware of how appallingly racist the Arabs are.
Al Azhar is the disseminator of the anti-Semitism that pervades the Muslim world. Anti-Semitism is the second dirty of Arabs.
cs says
Because Judaism just expose how fake they are, they have stolen many parts of Judaism and distort it completely. They claim to be descendants of Abraham but were idolaters, polytheists and buried their daughters alive in the sand.
Betty says
thank you I have been saying this all along.so many black are converting to islam. why? they will never be equal with the Arabs. why cant they see it? they are looked on as slaves to the Arabs. even today.
cs says
The ads hit the target, that is why it disturbs them so much.
mortimer says
Let the mullahs of Al Azhar come to America to debate with Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer and counselor David Yerushalmi.
If not, let them hide in Egypt and send out fatwas calling for the beheadings, murders, vigilante killings and maiming of those who expose the evils of their freedom-killing death cult.
Sam says
How can a person respect someone who says he is Moslem?
Beagle says
Like any cult Islam reveals itself in stages to prospective believers. This is exemplified in the stages of jihad. To a new recruit Muslims emphasize the preaching Meccan Muhammad. Banu Qurayza Muhammad is not likely to appeal to someone unless converting from Nazism to Islam.
I read Muslims trying to convert leftists years ago, pre-9/11, when I posted at Straight Dope. The focus was always on Israel, an area where the jihadi view disturbingly tracks the mainstream leftist view, minus the almost 1,400 year history of Islamic Jew hatred. This was never mentioned, only grievance theater.
In a nutshell, this ad is bad for Islamic business. Hence the fatwa.
voegelinian says
Another indication that Al-Sissy is either ineffectual, or complicit.
pongidae rex says
Muslim authorities always threaten the West with dysfunctional Islamic behaviors and ‘responses’ that have already happened and are the norm in Muslim communities. As if the West would only accept Islamic supremacy in its societies, then such Islamic behaviors would stop? I do not believe so.
CornHolio says
CAIR says the bus poster is spreading “hatred” and not love? Are they upset that we are hating on Hitler and Nazis? Not being “tolerant” of them, and their “non-traditional behaviors”?
Why do some people think it’s acceptable to ONLY hate the Nazi and his ideology in that photo, and not the Grand Mufti collaborator, and HIS ideology?
Apostate says
Thank you folks,good comments.
Demsci says
//“This hazardous campaign will leave the gate of confrontation and clashes wide open instead of exerting efforts toward peaceful coexistence and harmony,” it said.”//
If influential Islamic spiritual leaders still react so egoistic, ignorant, then that for me shows how necessary these ads are.
I mean, in the Western media there is plenty “moral equivalencing” going on; I mean, plenty journalists, politicians, leaders, even church leaders, organisations hasten to compare the exposed bad intentions and deeds of Muslims with the bad apples and bad aspects of their own group. And so this CRITICAL, but non-violent Campaign can be and is perfectly combined with “efforts toward peaceful coexistence and harmony.
But this “Al Ifthar” clearly thinks censorship only, and not more “good speech, more positive efforts”, can help towards coexistence and harmony. These people are so ignorant about how important Westerners consider Freedom of Speech and why it is so beneficial.
And unlike the Western press, I doubt if “Al Ifthar” will ever be as critical to all horrible, vilifying, maligning ads, articles, and tv-shows that target Westerners, Jews.