"Geller's ads demonize Muslims at a time when they are under attack. As an educator, I fully support free speech and the open exchange of ideas. But hate speech like the bus ads has a destructive, cumulative impact on society. The term 'savages' has been used to demonize people of color and marginalize them throughout this country's history."

An excellent piece by Hatem Bazian condemning Pamela Geller's racist anti-Palestinian advertising campaign on San Francisco buses and their role in aggravating a situation where the US Muslim community is the victim of hatred and physical assaults.

San Jose Mercury News, 8 September 2012

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American Muslims for Palestine, the Asian Law Caucus, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Jewish Voice for Peace have issued a joint press release cautiously welcoming a statement by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency in response to complaints about the anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic advertisements that Pamela Geller's so-called American Freedom Defense Initiative has placed on San Francisco buses.

The SFMTA has said that although the First Amendment prevents it from removing them, Geller's advertisements have "no value in facilitating constructive dialogue or advancing the cause of peace and justice". The statement went on to commit the SFMTA to directing all resulting advertising revenue to the SF Human Rights Commission.

It would, of course, have been preferable if the SFMTA had defied Geller and taken her on in the courts. She pursued her lawsuit in New York on the basis that the city's Metropolitan Transport Authority had previously allowed ads critical of Israel and that she was being discriminated against. The SFMTA, however, has a policy of refusing all political advertising, so Geller's case would surely have been much weaker here.

Still, at least Geller's money will be going to support an organisation that really does defend freedom.

See Adam Serwer. "Who's behind the anti-Islam ads on MTA and Muni?", Mother Jones, 15 August 2012

And Sheila Musaji, "Bus ads: Of savages and idiots", The American Muslim, 15 August 2012

Also "Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs: Bus ads inspired by Ayn Rand's racist views of Arabs and Muslims?", Loonwatch, 14 August 2012

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San Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency has a policy against political ads on its buses, but an ad being displayed now comes pretty close. The ad says, "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat jihad."

The pro-Israel ad was purchased by the American Freedom Defense Initiative run by Pamela Geller.

The bus message didn't sit very well with the city system in New York. They refused to run them and Gellen took the transit authority to court. "And interestingly enough, the day that I won, was the day that San Francisco approved my ads that are currently running on your buses," Geller said.

A coincidence? Not according to Muni's spokesman Paul Rose. "In this specific case, litigation was brought to this organization and the transit agency lost," he told ABC7 News. So, the buses with the signs will continue to roll for at least the next four weeks.

Asked how this particular ad is not considered political in light of Muni's no-politics policy, Rose struggled to answer. However, the legal action and the fact that the New York MTA has already lost in court have had an impact.

ABC, 10 August 2012

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