Yellow Cab to stop running anti-Islam ads

[alcibiades_mystery]

Source: Chicago Tribune

Yellow Cab Chicago requested today that a fleet of taxis remove controversial anti-Islam ads.

The ads, sponsored by the group Stop of Islamization of America, appeared on 25 Chicago cabs this summer.

Beside pictures of young women who were allegedly killed by their Muslim fathers for refusing an Islamic marriage, dating a non-Muslim or becoming "too Americanized" was the message: "Is your family threatening you?" The placards also displayed the Web address LeaveIslamSafely.com.

Michael Levine, the CEO of Yellow Cab Chicago, said the signs were offensive to the city's taxi drivers, an estimated half of whom are Muslim.

Read more: http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/08/yellow-cab-chicago-stop-islamization-america.html

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Imagine ads that said

"Stop the Judaization of America."
"Stop the Christianization of America."
"Stop the Hinduization of America."

or, alternately,

"Stop the Irishization of America."
"Stop the Germanization of America."

This is extremely scary stuff coming out of the right wing - it presents precisely the kind of incremental steps towards generalized ethnic violence and genocide that we have all been told to be wary of, and to "never forget." It's actually shocking that any of these ads ran in the first place.

[izquierdista]

1. And yet...

They will be the first ones to try to get atheist advertising pulled down.

[sarge43]

2. And the first to whine "victimization" when they're called on their hate. n/t

[Divine Discontent]

13. the religious people that attack atheists are no different than people who want to spend money on

bulletin boards to say religions are 'fairy tales'. It'd be just as obnoxious if it said, "all atheists(gays) are going to burn in hell". I don't know why people have to be negative in pushing their belief. If someone is atheist, their belief should be respected the same as someone who's into a religion that effects them in a way they claim is positive.

As for the cab company... well, DUH, they think that's probably a good idea to stop supporting that shit?

[wookie72]

3. Thank f*cking Whoever You Believe In

This Geller woman is probably the scariest person in America.

[lunasun]

4. Check out this site and note the name

Also the freak poster of Nancy Pelosi about 1/2 way down page.... whoa yea, fear is name of game here

They actually remind me sortof the anti-choice crowd adverts just new subject..........

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/

[wookie72]

6. Not to mention narcissism

She's a textbook case... all about her.

I'd like to ignore her, but you can't just ignore demagogues these days, because they have the megaphone.

[lunasun]

11. Well its named after an Ayn Rand book

A classic narcissistic personality disorder crazy
(both of 'em)

[mallard]

5. The avenue to alienate 'them' for their religion ...

... is a one way street. Arguments too the effect that this is not about freedom of religion in America are simply full of scheiss. The drive is on to make discrimination and possibly abuse of Muslims - exclusively - fashionable; for all the wrong reasons, especially as to the good nature of qualities in keeping faith ... to God, involved.

That's where the proudly vocal hate mongers - mostly tools of hidden hands - really make the new divide into a beef with untold potency. They're rejecting people who mostly want a chance to perform prayers, as if they were drawing in ... 'the terrorists'. They're saying this without concern for the damage, almost savoring it, as usual. They're here on this thread right away to make in seem ... kosher.

One point of this New-York-minute 'exercise' - even recruiting labar unions into the foool's fold - is to re-enforce the standard, false images of what happened on 9/11, which is of course quite vital for protecting the dignity those who actually made it go down and brought us into war right and yet far away too. So, it's kind of like killing two birds with one stone. Only they are both mockingbirds.

Alienate the entire Muslim world 'for good', blaming them ALL AGAIN for 9/11 whilst ALSO completely ignoring damage done and lives destroyed by undue American agression in waging unnecessary war, blah, blah blah. "They support Hamas!" They support deserate human beings locked in a hellish situation imposed on them by same masters of ... this entire 9/11 Lower Manhattan production!

It's like they were Yankees fans, with the enthusiasm.

We're witnessing a burying of the hatchet ceremony gone awry with no-one apparently concerned about the real consequences of 'building' a huge and hard-to-undo rift in humankind, as has happened time and again for millenia. Bad idea!

Americans, even your average loud, obnoxious New Yorker whose ego gets a lift from belittling some dumbstruck out-of-towner, SHOULD want not to be hated ... back! But that's just not part of the thinking.

Sad day for any person actually still wanting Muslims to join in with the rest of society and help America develop as a better country. Wars are so atrocious, especially from the receiving end.

[Phil The Cat]

7. What is more important?

Free speech or not offending somebody?

I am not sure of the nature of this particular group, but I applaud the idea that people who are victimized by the radical fringe element of ANY group (religious, secular, WHATEVER) has access to an escape!

The trouble is, this particular group seems to have a wider agenda! Be that as it may, I am getting worried when I see so many people willing to shut down free speech in the cause of "Not offending group X"!

[unblock]

8. we're talking about advertising on cabs. does the cab company have no say in the matter?

if the cab owner himself put up those signs, his islamic drivers could sue for creating a hostile work environment.
if the cab owner objects to the advertising, why can't he refuse to permit it?

you'll find great support for free speech on du, but bigots aren't the only people who have rights.


now, if the advertiser, the cab owner, and all the cab employees were fine with it, and THEN there was public outrage, that would be a more interesting question because no one's rights are clearly being violated, it is only other people who are being offended. then it is hard to argue that they have no right to put up such signs. but that's not the case here.

[Douglas Carpenter]

12. so you would have no problem with anti-Semitic adds placed by a group that proclaimed

"that Jews are increasingly taking over schools, financial institutions and the workplace."?

[Phil The Cat]

14. Would I have an issue with it?

Of course!

If I owned a cab company, would I want that crap advertised on my cars?

No way!

Do I want to see offensive, or potentially offensive speech legally curtailed?

HELL NO!!!

When you ban X, you make it easier and easier to ban Y and Z!

Pretty soon, the whole damned alphabet is gone and all you have left is people quietly grunting and hoping their grunts don't attract any unwanted attention!

Freedom of speech is not about protecting what we want to hear (or read, or see)! It is about protecting what we DON'T want to hear!

That's why I get VERY NERVOUS when I read posts about using the law to crack down on Limpballs and his ilk!

Counter his stupidity with every information tool available, but don't fall in the trap of restricting free speech!

It can come back to bite you!

[jberryhill]

16. Yellow Cab can decide what they want or do not want on their cabs

This is not a free speech issue.

When you own a cab, you can put whatever you want on it. Yellow Cab has the same right. Their cabs are not a public forum.

[Realityhack]

9. The ads would be fine if they didn't mention a specific religion.

Did the ads even say who sponsored them?

Let's face it. Many different religious groups oppress their followers, especially women. I have no problem with a website or hotline for people stuck in what amounts to an abusive relationship or cult. The issue is that they are targeting one group. I don't think that is right, especially in the current climate.
OTOH keep in mind that many of us would donate to a charity advancing woman's causes in Muslim countries.

[savalez]

10. Stop the Foxation of America!

[Xenotime]

17. They brainwash more people everyday.

[truthisfreedom]

15. "Stop the Democratization of America." That's the right-wing's message.

Anti-Democracy.