Islam Billboards on New Jersey Turnpike Stir Controversy
9 August 2011
15 Comments
By CHRISTINE PERSICHETTE
MYFOXNY.COM – While most billboards you drive by on the New Jersey Turnpike advertise things like hotels or cars, the billboards getting attention recently advertise a certain religion and are stirring up controversy.
One billboard shows an American flag with the words “Islam? Get the facts.” Another reads “Ramadan– 1.57 billion celebrating– find out why.” The Islamic Circle of North America put them up. They want you to call their information hot line.
Mohamed El Filali from the Islamic Center of Passaic County said it is all about educating people.
“Prejudice is built on misinformation or ignorance,” Mohamed El Filali said. “I think it’s extremely important for people to hear information from the source as to what is Islam, who are Muslims and what have you.”
But some aren’t convinced the public is ready to be educated. The pain of 9/11 is still too raw. Some told Fox 5 that the billboards shouldn’t be up there.
Drivers on the turnpike aren’t the only ones who will see these billboards. Similar ads are going up on highways in dozens of other states.
Original post: Islam Billboards on New Jersey Turnpike Stir Controversy
People who don’t like these billboards are making excuses about the pain of 9/11 being still “too raw”. A decade has passed. It’s more of a problem of those complaining individuals as opposed to the presence of the billboards. Some people have already prejudged Muslims as being associated with the bombing of the World Trade Center, which is irrational and myopic. It is important to challenge these preconceptions now. It is the only way to create an understanding in society that can then put the bigots in their proper place, back in their dank and dingy caves.
9 August 2011 at 11:56 am