Americans support tolerance and reject hate

Rabbis for Human Rights - North America is beginning an advertising campaign called CHOOSE LOVE.

They introduce their Choose Love petition (You can sign the petition here.) with these words: Our subway platforms and buses should not be the platform for messages of hate that divide friends, neighbors, and colleagues.

New York City’s diversity should be celebrated, while those who spread hatred should be condemn. Rabbis for Human Rights-North America invites New Yorkers of all backgrounds to join together to condemn the messages of hatred against Muslims that were placed on our subways and to call on our elected officials to strongly condemn these attempts at bigotry and intolerance.

The petition states:

We join together to call on New York City officials, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg, to publicly condemn Pamela Geller’s inflammatory advertisements on the New York City subways.

These disturbing and misguided ads are not meant to educate; they are meant to increase hatred and discrimination against New York City’s Muslims, and to drive a wedge between Muslims and Jews.

The subway ads demonize Islam and ignore the positive contributions that our Muslim friends, neighbors, and colleagues make to our country every day.

We believe strongly in the right to free speech, but feel compelled as New Yorkers and citizens of the United States, founded on principles of religious freedom, to speak out against words of hatred.

We reaffirm our commitment to religious pluralism and ask that all New Yorkers, regardless of beliefs, join us in a show of tolerance.

They also have an ad that will begin running next week in the same subway stations as the AFDI/SIOA ads. 

The Rabbis for Human Rights ad will read In the choice between love and hate CHOOSE LOVE. 

Help stop bigotry against our Muslim neighbors.

The NY Times reports that:  “We wanted to make it clear that it is in response to the anti-Islam ad,” said Rabbi Jill Jacobs, executive director of Rabbis for Human Rights, whose members include rabbis from all streams of Judaism.”

United Methodist Women has an ad campaign that has already begun.  The ad they are posting reads:

“Hate speech is not civilized. Support peace in word and deed.”

Think Progress reports

The counter-ads will run for as long as Pamela Geller’s ads do. AFDI also ran its campaign in San Fransisco and may be coming to Washington, D.C. in the near future.

United Methodist Women is already preparing to run counter-ads in the nation’s capital, possibly in partnership with local social justice campaign, Sojourners.

Sojourners, a Christian interfaith group , is also posting ads that will read:

“Love Your Muslim Neighbor”.

Jim Wallis, the director of Sojourners introduced this campaign with an article ‘Love Your Neighbor’ Wasn’t Just a Suggestion

Our article American Jews Are Speaking Out Against Anti-Muslim Ads notes many statements opposing bigotry and engaging in Tikkun Olam (healing the world).  Some of those who have spoken out against these ads are:  Russell Simmons, Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, The ADL, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ), Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), and Jews Say No! (JSN!), Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, director of North American Programs for Rabbis for Human Rights, Joshua Stanton, Assoc. Dir., Center for Global Judaism, Ron Meier, New York Regional Director of the ADL, Bradley Burston, Rabbi Mark Pelavin, senior adviser at the Union for Reform Judaism, Marcia Kannry, Founder, The Dialogue Project, Rabbi Ari Hart

At this point, the only positive articles about the AFDI/SIOA ad campaign are from Geller, Spencer, and their allies in the Islamophobia industry. 

Geller & Spencer insist that the ads are not hateful, and that any criticism is unfounded, and a deliberate attempt to misrepresent their message. 

However, it seems that Geller’s message is “misunderstood” as hateful by an awful lot of people.

The Business Insider thought the term “savages” referred to Palestinians generally. Adam Chandler in the Jewish Tablet thought the ad could be read as anti-Israel. 

The San Francisco Jewish Community Center thought the ad was anti-Muslim. 

Ron Meier, the ADL NY Regional Director thought the ad was highly offensive and inflammatory, saying “We support the court’s conclusion that the ad is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment, yet we still strongly object to both the message and the messenger.  We believe these ads are highly offensive and inflammatory. Pro-Israel doesn’t mean anti-Muslim. It is possible to support Israel without engaging in bigoted anti-Muslim and anti-Arab stereotypes.”  The Huffington Post thought the ad was anti-Islam.

Alex Kane thought the ad was offensive and anti-Muslim. The San Francisco MTA who ran the ads thought the ad belittles, demeans, and disparages others. 

Sydney Levy, Director of Advocacy for Jewish Voice for Peace thought the ad was very offensive. 

Tim Redmond of the of the San Francisco Bay Guardian thought the ad was inexcusably offensive. 

The Jewish Weekly thought the ads were bigoted.

Johnathan Vigliotti thought the ads were anti-Islamic.  The Times of Israel thought the ads were anti-Islamic. Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feine thought the ads were offensive and inflammatory and encourages hatred. Bradley Burston] thought the ads represented “At root, the Geller and pro-Kahane brand of “support of Israel,” is little more than a slash and burn Arab–hate that, if left unanswered, will tear apart the Israel and the Jewish community from within. It blinds people to solutions. It convinces people that there are no solutions. It persuades people that there are no options apart from violence, both of word and deed.”  The SFMTA agreed to publish the ads as they are protected speech but posted a notice condemning the description of any group as “savages” and they will donate the money they receive from AFDI/SIOA to a public education campaign by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission ... update: the negative reviews continue to pour in  Robert Mackey in the NY Times called the ads anti-Islam, as did CBS News as did NBC Connecticut, as did Hispanic Business, as did The Stamford Advocate.  The Greenwich Post calls on its’ readers to reject the hate displayed in these ads.   - Salon anti-Islam ad - Business Insider anti-Muslim - Electronic Intifada Islamophobic hate speech - Fox News inflammatory and anti-Muslim - New Republic anti-Muslim - PolicyMic ignorant - Think Progress Islamophobic - Newsday legal but lacking common sense - Big News anti-Islam - Digital Journal anti-Muslim - Haaretz anti-Muslim - New York magazine anti-Muslim - The Gothamist hateful - CNN hate speech - Huffington Post Islamophobic, not pro-Israel - Global Grind Islamophobic, anti-Muslim - The Daily Beast exploiting the first amendment with hateful public message - Haaretz anti-Arab hate

It is clear that most Americans are decent human beings who wish to live together peacefully in a civil society.

In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man.  Support peacemakers - defeat hatemongers.

In any war between the intelligent man and the idiot support the intelligent man.  Support thinking - defeat stupidity.  (IbnPercy)

In any war between the civilized man and the savage, don’t let the media dictate who the savage is.  Educate yourself.  (MeriamSabih)

In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man.  Support humanity, defeat racism.

In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man.  Support jihad, defeat hirabah.

In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man.  Support Israelis & Palestinians, defeat the extremists.

In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man.  Support humanity, defeat warmongers.

In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man.  Support tolerance, defeat hatred.