Da'wa Ads in the Westby Daniel Pipes
Jul 5, 2008
updated Jun 21, 2014
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 ICNA's New York City aI've become aware over the years that Islamist groups have taken out advertisements in Western countries to promote Islam (known in Arabic asda'wa). This weblog entry occasionally notes these efforts, their sponsors, texts, and responses. |
For starters, the Islamic Circle of North America plans and Siraj Wahhaj, a Brooklyn imam, plan to place ads during the month of Ramadan on 1,000 of the New York City subway system's roughly 6,200 cars at a a cost of about $48,000. Each ad will feature a black panel on the left and a white panel on the right. The left poses questions such as "Q: Islam?" "Q: Prophet Muhammad?" or "Q: Head Scarf?" and the right replies with "A: You deserve to know, 877-WHY-ISLAM or www.WhyIslam.org."
In a letter to Metropolitan Transit Authority officials, U.S. Rep. Peter King (Republican of New York) wrote "I have no problem with the ad itself, but I have a very, very real problem with those behind it," a reference to ICNA and Wahhaj. King described him as "a known Islamic extremist" who would be gaining "credibility and stature" through the bus promotion. King called on the MTA "not to have these ads, not to go forward with them, and I don't see this as a free speech issue at all."
 The "New York Post" front page.
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The New York Post broke news about the ad yesterday with a screaming front page headline titled "Jihad Train" and an inside article titled " Train-ing Day for Jihadists: Muslim Subway Ads Have Terror Tie-In." (July 22, 2008) |
