LOS ANGELES: American Muslims are again angered over more anti-Islam ads that have been placed on a number of buses in the Denver, Colorado metro area. But this time, they have support from the Anti-Defamation League, who has condemned the advertisements. The Denver metro (RTD) authorities say the ad appears on 10 buses and will be there through late November. The ads read: “19,757 Deadly Islamic Attacks Since 9/11/01. It's Not Islamophobia, It's Islamorealism. This Ad Paid For By The American Freedom Defense Initiative." “The Anti-Defamation League condemns these ads as highly offensive and inflammatory," said ADL Mountain States Regional Director Scott L. Levin. “These advertisements stereotype an entire religion based on the actions of extremists. There are extremists in every religion whose views reflect hatred and bigotry — and their acts of violence deserve to be condemned — but to condemn the entire faith based on the views of a small minority is unwarranted, hateful and hurtful to our Muslim neighbors." Levin added that at the same time, the ADL supports the free speech guarantees in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. RTD prepared a statement to respond to complaints about the ads. “Just like newspapers and TV stations, RTD does not endorse or support the products, services, issues or candidates that choose to buy ad space. The American Freedom Defense Initiative contacted our advertising contractor about purchasing space for this ad on 10 buses for four weeks. RTD's Legal, Purchasing and Marketing units each reviewed the ads and could find no legally supportable reason to reject them. It is important to know that the American Freedom Defense Initiative, not RTD, is responsible for the content of the ads." The ad, pushed by an ultra-conservative blogger who had led a campaign against the Islamic Cultural Center in New York City won a court order this fall to allow the ad to go up in 10 stations. Now it is heading nationwide, and has Muslim-Americans fomenting with anger and frustration. Arab-Americans told Bikyamasr.com that the ad will undoubtedly spark anger and resentment among the community in New York and across the United States, especially after protests, some violent, erupted across the Islamic world in September after a film clip was posted on YouTube insulting and defaming Muslims and Prophet Mohamed. “We are trying to deliver a message of hope and understanding in the US, but it is hard when the loudest voices are the most radical," said Algerian-American Omar Said. The retail manager told Bikyamasr.com that “the time has come for Americans to stand for justice and end these attacks on a faith and a people." Blogger Pamela Geller, the “brains" behind the ads, filed another lawsuit in the nation's capital to post the ad in Washington's transit system after officials declined to put up the ad in light of the anger over the anti-Islam film. She had last summer posted an ad called “Islamorealism" that alleged there had been thousands of “jihadi" attacks since September 11, 2001. “The ad is just stating a fact. There have been well over 19,000 jihadi attacks since 9/11," Geller said in an earlier interview. “People need to know this. Obviously, everybody is surprised by this number and I think that's part of the reason why we need to run these ads. People need to know this is going on across the world." But the anger and intolerance, Muslims say, must be combated through compassion and a better understanding of Islam to end these “crusades” against faith.
