{"id":227,"date":"2010-08-10T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2010-08-10T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/beliefbeat\/2010\/08\/nyc-bus-ads-will-use-911-photo-to-oppose-islamic-center-near-ground-zero.html"},"modified":"2010-08-10T10:30:00","modified_gmt":"2010-08-10T10:30:00","slug":"nyc-bus-ads-will-use-911-photo-to-oppose-islamic-center-near-ground-zero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beliefbeat\/2010\/08\/nyc-bus-ads-will-use-911-photo-to-oppose-islamic-center-near-ground-zero.html","title":{"rendered":"NYC Bus Ads Will Use 9\/11 Photo To Oppose Islamic Center Near Ground Zero"},"content":{"rendered":"

Update: I’ll be appearing on the <\/em>Fox & Friends <\/em><\/a>morning show at about 8:15 a.m. Wednesday morning (August 11), along with <\/em>Stop Islamization of America’s Pamela Geller<\/em><\/a>, to discuss this issue.<\/em><\/p>\n

The New York Times reports that some New York City buses will soon display ads <\/a>opposing the construction of Cordoba House\/Park51 (see prior posts)<\/a> near Ground Zero, showing a plane flying toward the flaming World Trade Center and the text “Why There?”<\/p>\n

I’m glad I’m leaving New York before I spot one of these buses and scream. Frankly, I find the use of this image for political\/advertising purposes far more insensitive and offensive than a city-approved Islamic cultural center — or even a traditional mosque! — going up a few blocks from Ground Zero. (Among all the other houses of worship, fast food joints, clothing stores, hotels, offices, apartments, cocktail lounges and even a strip club<\/a> crammed into lower Manhattan.)<\/p>\n

But, as Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his representatives explain in this and previous stories<\/a>, just as any religion has the right to build in lower Manhattan, so does any group to use free speech — as long as it doesn’t fall under hate speech? — to oppose said project.<\/p>\n

\n

John H. Banks III<\/a>, a mayoral appointee to the authority’s board, said he supported the decision, despite his personal objection to the advertisement. “The wonderful thing about our country is that people have a right to express themselves, as long as it doesn’t endanger anyone’s life,” Mr. Banks said. “I support it, even though I disagree with it vehemently.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Hey, maybe one of these 9\/11 images will pull up next to one of the buses with the “Leaving Islam?” ads on it. <\/a>Wouldn’t that be a hoot?<\/p>\n

What do you think? Share your thoughts on the Comments section below.<\/p>\n

*Click here to <\/span>subscribe to Belief Beat <\/span><\/strong><\/a>and <\/span>click here to <\/span>follow Belief Beat on Twitter.<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Update: I’ll be appearing on the Fox & Friends morning show at about 8:15 a.m. Wednesday morning (August 11), along with Stop Islamization of America’s Pamela Geller, to discuss this issue. 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