The Subway innuendo ads may be a safety threat
Fox news had interviewed
me on the topic, and I am glad they were able to show a few clips on
Sunday. Through the interview, I have urged the organizers of the subway
campaign not to place the ad at this point in time, and I pray for the safety
of passengers in the New York Subway from inciting the nut cases.
- Will controversial subway ad spark outrage? http://video.foxnews.com/v/1857657615001
- Controversial subway ad calls Islamic jihadists 'savages http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/19631912/2012/09/25/controversial-anti-muslim-ad
First of all, as
Americans we defend one’s right to free speech, an enduring value of civil societies. No compromises need to be
made; it is a God-given right of the individuals despite its negative consequences.
However, as a society, we have a responsibility to keep law and order and faithfully
guard the safety of every citizen. Hate is one of the many sources of disrupting the
peace in a society and it is our duty to track down the source of such hate and
mitigate the conflicts and nurture goodwill.
The timing of the ad is
wrong; it has the tit for tats element in it, what those ruthless ugly men did
to our Ambassador in Libya does not justify this poster.
I am confident a majority of the subway commuters will laugh at it and move on, but I am worried about the nut cases and the consequential safety of the commuters. Here are the crime stats for New York, for 2010. Of the 19,378,102 New Yorkers, 19,334,235 were law abiding citizens, while 43, 867 were booked up on aggravated assault, of the same number of people, 2771 were rapists, and 866 were murderers. We cannot blame the law books, New York State or the religion of the nutcases for the crimes they committed; it was them and not anyone else, because the other people, the 99.98% of the population have the same law books to follow, they live in the same state and follow the same religions. It is never the state, religion or the books, it is always the individual we need to blame.
I am confident a majority of the subway commuters will laugh at it and move on, but I am worried about the nut cases and the consequential safety of the commuters. Here are the crime stats for New York, for 2010. Of the 19,378,102 New Yorkers, 19,334,235 were law abiding citizens, while 43, 867 were booked up on aggravated assault, of the same number of people, 2771 were rapists, and 866 were murderers. We cannot blame the law books, New York State or the religion of the nutcases for the crimes they committed; it was them and not anyone else, because the other people, the 99.98% of the population have the same law books to follow, they live in the same state and follow the same religions. It is never the state, religion or the books, it is always the individual we need to blame.
The ads are subtle
innuendos to the nuts; they are coded for the crazies to cross the boundaries
of law and order.
We have plenty of nuts
in the world, there was one who beat up the Jewish kids in subway four years
ago for saying Happy Hanukkah, the nut who went on a rampage at Sikh Temple in
Wisconsin confusing Sikhs for Muslims, and the loony who opened fire
in Norway or the crazy who massacred fellow soldiers in Fort Hood, or the one
who opened fire in Luby’s in Kileen. Those
nuts or terrorists who killed our Ambassador and his staff in Libya and those
who are defacing our embassies overseas are all a threat to the safety of the
people no matter where you go, facts don’t matter to them.
It is dangerous to
fellow Americans, particularly Muslim women wearing a scarf, Catholic women
coming from a Church, Sikh Women, the older Hindu women with part of the Saree
covering their head, the Non-Muslim women from Africa donning their cultural
headdress. Does the city have a role in imbuing a sense of security in her
people, or they on their own?
If a nut case sees the
innuendo loaded Jihadi ad in the subway, and sees a woman next to it, be it a
Muslim, Sikh, Catholic, Hindu or other, he is tempted to hurt that woman, the
woman can scream that she is not a Muslim; do the nut know any difference? What
if she is a Muslim?
I hope the Jewish
Federation of Greater New York makes it clear that they did not authorize the
ad to represent the interests of Israel or the Jews, and I hope the New Yorkers
don’t fall for this trap to hate Muslims in the “innuendo” ads.
- Huffington Post -Muslims don't get it http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/freedom-of-speech-and-the-legitimacy-of-muslim-protests_b_1902427.html
- Dallas Morning news -Separation of church and state http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/09/texas-faith-is-separation-of-church-and.html
- Dallas Morning news - right to free speech http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/09/texas-faith-religion-and-right-to-free.html
- Smirking Chimp - More Fatwas coming http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/mike-ghouse/45664/more-fatwas-on-the-way-on-the-anti-islamic-film-maker
Mike
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MikeGhouse is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a professional speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, civic affairs, Islam, India, Israel, peace and justice. Mike is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio
Thanks Mike - I realize that you are a public figure and so speak in a language that resonates with Americans -- although that is a big price to pay I feel and I am glad I am not a public figure. As a matter of principle I don't find the ads constructive and would hope that there is a law that could prevent them from being placed. Is there such a law? It was ingrained in me when growing up that two wrongs do not make a right. Blessings.
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