County Human Rights Commission Condemns Metro Ads

The Montgomery County Human Rights Commission issued a statement Wednesday condemning the American Freedom Defense Initiative ads placed in the D.C. metro system in October.

The ads, one of which was displayed in the Glenmont Metro Station, read, "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad."

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority initially delayed posting the ads, but a judge cited First Amendment protections and ordered WMATA to run the ads, according to the Huffington Post.

Soon after, a coalition of interfaith organizations produced their own counter-ads saying, "Hate speech is not civilized. Support peace in word and deed. #mysubwayad."

And in the latest response to this controversy, the county's human rights commission released this statement Wednesday:

“The Montgomery County Human Rights Commission works to eliminate discrimination, prejudice and intolerance, and to promote goodwill, cooperation, understanding and human relations among all residents. The hateful rhetoric expressed in the AFDI ad not only demeans the Muslim community but offends all of us.  The Commission condemns this offensive language and requests that the AFDI remove or modify its ad and engage in civil discourse rather than hateful expressions."

Related Articles:

Pro-Israel Ad in Glenmont Metro Station Marked as 'Hate Speech'

Hate Speech or Free Speech? Metro Ad Sparks Counter-Ad