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

The ad reads, 'In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.'

Metro riders waiting for trains in Glenmont Metro Station Thursday afternoon might have noticed small 'Hate speech' signs affixed to an advertisment that read, "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad."

The ad is paid for by the American Freedom Defense Initiative, whose executive director is blogger and political activist Pamela Geller, and has been in place since Monday. Similar ads have been posted in the U Street, Georgia Avenue and Takoma Metro stations.

The Huffington Post reported that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which operates the D.C. Metrorail system, at first delayed putting up the advertisements because of their controversial nature, but the American Freedom Defense Initiative successfully sued.

Last week, U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer told Metro to display the ads by 5 p.m. on Oct. 8, citing First Amendment protections, according to the Huffington Post.

The ads will run for four weeks, Politico reported.

Bill Samuel October 12, 2012 at 01:03 pm
Since the fact is that both sides in this conflict come from some of the oldest civilizations on earth, painting one side as "the civilized man" and the other as "the savage" is very clearly hate speech. So the labels are clearly accurate. But as despicable and offensive as the message is, I think the court was right that if Metro is going to take paid ads, it can't discriminate based on the views expressed. I might also say that both sides have frequently stooped to actions that are very far from at least my ideal of where civilization should take us.
Keith Glass October 13, 2012 at 04:00 am
One side sends people wired as bombs into public places and kills innocents. That, at least in my view, is not "civilized" behavior. And if it **IS** civilized behavior, I want no part of that "civilization". . .
Keith Glass October 13, 2012 at 04:17 am
There is no such thing as "hate speech": it's a purely political notion to attempt to censor speech a given group doesn't like. The right to free speech for POPULAR opinions is easy: tolerating UNPOPULAR speech is the true test of freedom of speech.
Don't like what one group is saying ? Counter it with speech of your own. That, however, does NOT give you the right to censor or deface messages you don't like. . .
Deborah Sternberg October 13, 2012 at 11:58 am
*Jihad* is the operative word here. This ad is against jihadis who maim and kill, using children and animals as bomb carriers. Why is that a bad thing to decry?? This is not an ad targeting a whole religon, unless one believes all of that religion are jihadi.
George Kafantaris October 13, 2012 at 02:34 pm
The ad might have been more effective of it read:
IN ANY WAR BETWEEN THE CIVILIZED MAN AND THE SAVAGE, SUPPORT THE CIVILIZED MAN. LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO CIVILIZE AND EDUCATE MAN. SUPPORT ISRAEL AND OTHERS IN THIS EFFORT.
C.Z. Guy October 13, 2012 at 03:11 pm
This is how the liberal media manipulates the news. This headline should have read: Metro Advertisements Defaced by Those Opposed to Free Speech
Bill Hussein O'Stalin October 13, 2012 at 03:37 pm
The ad would have been more effective if Mohammed had been portrayed as a farmer in bib overalls, raising some pigs, and looking over a fence while eating a BLT sandwich.
Mune Shadowe October 13, 2012 at 07:05 pm
So why are they being Anti Jew?
jnrentz1 October 13, 2012 at 10:36 pm
Keith Glass:
Very well said. Bill Samuel: Would you care to join me as I murder some Jews? I thought we might send a few missiles and mortar bombs into parts of Israel, especially where some children might be. After all Jewish children grow up to be productive citizens of the world, contributing far more than they take from the world, and we anti-Semites cannot have that, now can we? Because we are useless blood suckers, and resent those who achieve and give. Then I feel that we must teach our ill educated children, not to read, study, love, inquire, critically think, but we must teach them to be like us, and KILL, KILL, KILL, as long as Jews, their fellow travelers, and friends are killed. Is all that OK with you? We need to keep killing Jews as they have contributed more to the welfare of the entire world than any other single group. And we do not want the world to be a better place. Why did, and why does America let jihad lovers, anti-Semites and their ilk into America in the first place? They should not be here.
jnrentz1 October 13, 2012 at 10:37 pm
Deborah Sternberg:
Well said.
jnrentz1 October 13, 2012 at 10:37 pm
George Kafantaris:
Well said.
jnrentz1 October 13, 2012 at 10:38 pm
C. Z. Guy:
Well said
jnrentz1 October 13, 2012 at 10:38 pm
Bill Hussein O'Stalin:
Well said.
jnrentz1 October 13, 2012 at 10:39 pm
Mune Shadowe:
Good question.

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