Akiva Freidlin launches ad campaign to rebuke American Freedom Defense Initiative’s hateful, anti-Islamic subway posters
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS by Clem Richardson
Like many people, Akiva Freidlin found the American Freedom Defense Initiative subway ads attacking the Islamic faith offensive.
Unlike many of us, Freidlin did something about it.
The 30-year-old Morningside Heights resident recruited hundreds of the like-minded people online and mounted a crowd-funded advertising campaign to rebuke the odious posters.
Freidlin’s “Talk Back To Hate” campaign began appearing in subway, Long Island Railroad and Metro North stations this week.
“As an American, a Jew, as the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, I find it offensive when you target a religious group because of their beliefs,” Freidlin said.
He said he had a visceral reaction to the AFDI campaign, which has funded ads here and in Washington, D.C., maligning Islam and its devotees with derisive — and, in the eyes of many, hateful — slogans, the most noted being “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man.”
Freidlin said he was offended by AFDI’s initial campaign — launched last September after the group sued and a judge ordered the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to display the ads — but had no way to express his outrage.
“I could tell they were made to generate controversy, but it was still difficult to know how to respond,” Freidlin said. “I’m an individual. I didn’t have a platform on which I could mount a response.”
But then AFDI launched a new campaign in January, this time running ads in 39 subway stations — on the new train arrival clocks — that show a burning World Trade Center with a quote from the Koran, the Islamic holy book: “Soon shall we cast terror into the hearts of the unbelievers.”
That, said Freidlin, who works for a nonprofit agency with offices near the World Trade Center site, was beyond outrageous.
“This is not how things are done in the United States,” he said. “This is not what we do in public discourse. What argument does this make that contributes to anything? It is just intimidation.
“I look at the Freedom Towers every day,” he said. “I did not lose anyone in that tragedy, but I read tweets and blogs online from people who did, and they say they have to live with that every day, and now they have to be reminded of it every day on the subway.”
Then Freidlin had two thoughts: Anyone who has the money can buy an ad and, as the famed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said, “The answer to bad speech is more speech.”
Freidlin had seen how people used Internet “Kickstarter” campaigns to raise money for various projects, and figured he could do the same.
He taught himself how to shoot and edit video and, on Jan. 8, started his online campaign, asking for $25 donations on http://www.IndieGogo.com/talkbacktohate.
In two weeks, 200 people had donated $7,500.
“I knew it would work because I knew a lot of people were frustrated with these ads,” said Freidlin, who has since created a companion website.
Turns out lots of people around the country and world took offense to AFDI’s Islamic baiting.
“I thought this was important to do,” said Omar Gaya, a 30-something upper East Sider who works for a bio-pharmaceutical firm and was offended by the AFDI ads. “I am an American Muslim, and I do not enjoy seeing mis-characterizations of my religion.
“Public discourse has to be at a higher level than this,” he added. “Freedom of speech and freedom of religion are what made this country great.”
Money in hand, Freidlin got contributors to submit proposals for the group’s “Response Ads.” Graphic designer Rebecca Seltzer put together the final ad, using Huntington Beach, Calif., contributor Dorothy Zink’s message that “Hatred is easy. It is love that requires true strength and courage.”
The ads are posted in 10 subway stations, nine of which were selected so they could be displayed near the offending AFDI posters.
For locations, see the websites, http://www.talkbacktohate.org, or http://www.IndieGogo.com/talkbacktohate.
Though the project involved many a late night, Freidlin said the group may mount other campaigns in coming months.
“It is insane to me that people think creating theater around hatred will help us be better off,” he said.
crichardson@nydailynews.com
Akiva Freidlin, with the poster he created to respond to the imfamous “Islam is Hate” poster campaigns in subways, commuter rail stations and on city buses.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/uptown/noble-campaign-talks-back-hate-article-1.1281498#ixzz2NmmEM3xF
Categories: Americas, Crime, Hate Crime, United States
It is a good work to at least speak out against wrong things, bad deeds. What was the fault of Adolf Hitler? He said that he was National Socialist. But he proved that he was neither Nationalist nor socialist.
Hitler planned against a small community of Jews in Germany. They were born there and they were German nationals. He punished them (killed them)for being a Jew. That was an anti-national act.
On the other part, Hitler did not prove to be socialist. He killed many innocent persons, without any trial in any court.
It all started off with some hatred against a peaceful religious (Jewish)community. The Americans should beware and not allow such hate mongers in their midst. It is the love that is needed for all persons. There should be no hatred. Every criminal should be punished after due trial..
Hate mongers should be advised to come to some understanding to improve freedom of speech. Misuse of that freedom will lose any charm for freedom.
Now coming to that important verse of the Quran which is being used against Islam. That is a wrong translation. I can assure every one that is a wrong translation. The verse being shown as a quote from the Koran, the Islamic holy book:
“Soon shall we cast terror into the hearts of the unbelievers.”
is actually as follows:
“Soon shall we cast terror into the hearts of the Kafirs (i.e. enemies of all faiths.)”
The word Kafir is used in that verse. The meaning of Kafir is open enemy of all faiths. Kafir is not a simple peaceful disbeliever, who does not believe in Muhammad. Kafir is a harsh disbeliever, an enemy, a belligerent, hostile disbeliever of any faith, i.e. active enemy of Jews and Christians and Muslims and Hindus.
A Kafir is (and had been) an opponent, hostile disbeliever of Moses, Jesus, Muhammad and Krishna and enemy of Abraham and Budha in their own times. That is Kafir. He/she is not a peaceful disbeliever. Quran does not say anything against any peaceful disbeliever (non-believer). I challenge those promoters of hate to show any harsh verse from the Quran without the word Kafir.
Quran is justified to oppose such persons (enemies) with full force.
Quran fully supports the anti-hate group who have come out peacefully to oppose the hateful advertisements.