Anti-Islam Bus Ad Defended By Judge
According to a report by the Associated Press, on July 20, a Federal Judge ruled in favor of Pamela Geller’s right to place an Anti-Islam ad on New York City buses which refers to enemies of Israel as “savages.” Ms. Geller publishes a blog called Atlas Shrugged that warns of the growing threat of “Islamization” or the assimilation of Muslim people, culture, and beliefs into Western society.
Ms. Geller asserts that the decision by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s to reject her bus ad is a violation of her freedom of speech. The MTA rejected the bus ad, defending their decision by stating that its standards say that ads should not demean individuals on the basis of their race, religion, and other categories that are protected by hate crime laws.
Judge Englemayer has granted a preliminary injunction, which means that the MTA wont have to place the bus ads on public buses before the MTA has time to hold a conference on the matter. Further inquiries will likely be necessary, but it seems as though the anti-Islam message that Ms. Geller wishes to promote will be permitted on New York City buses in the near future.
While it is impossible to ever justify taking away someone’s right to express their opinion because it is unpopular or insensitive, this case is a very interesting one. The right for Ms. Geller to have her opinions is sacrosanct, but the rights of the MTA to prevent material that they deem offensive or racist must also be considered. If a group wished to place an ad on a bus that warned of the threat that Jewish or African-American people posed to the foundation of our society, would that even be considered? It seems unlikely.