Geller Vs Detroit: City Declares Islam is “Political” — Gamechanger!

New York City Freedom Bus

Freedom bus, Miami Beach

In the coming weeks I will be testifying in the suit I have filed against the city of Detroit for violation of free speech for refusing our pro-freedom bus ads that are currently running in New York City and Miami.

I thought Atlas readers and SIOA members would get a charge out of Detroit Transit's (SMART's) reply to the suit. They are calling the ads ….political. So is the city of Detroit a political system? Are they finally admitting that Islam is a religious, legal, political, economic and military system?

My lawsuit contends that we were denied the right to
express a religious freedom message in a public
forum created by the defendants based on the content and viewpoint.

Here are excerpts:
Download SMARToppositiontoMPI

This case involves a political organization’s attempt to promote their political agenda by
placing anti-Islamic political advertisements on SMART buses that operate throughout southeast,
Michigan. Such political advertisements are in violation of SMART’s established, consistently
applied and viewpoint neutral advertising policy, and, as such, were properly prohibited.

Ah, yes, but they have run other ads of this nature. So what are they saying? They support the killing of apostates?

Further,
in the creation and administration of this policy, SMART has established and maintained a
nonpublic forum in which political advertisement was never allowed.

How is help for Muslims in trouble a political message?

Detroit Transit (SMART) is trying to wrongly convert a viewpoint restriction (not allowed) into a content restriction (permitted in some cases). For example, an anti G-d ad is purely religious, but my ads and the pro life ad (which didn’t oppose abortion, but only sought to provide Jesus to those who had had an abortion) are political. Further, they put me in the category of inviting ridicule/scorn. If anyone is the object of ridicule and scorn, it's the Detroit transit system.

More on the political nature of our religious liberty ads:

….. Offeror shall not allow the following
content:
1. Political or political campaign advertising.
2. Advertising promoting the sale of alcohol or tobacco.
3. Advertising that is false, misleading, or deceptive.
4. Advertising that is clearly defamatory or likely to hold up to scorn or ridicule
any person or group of persons.
5. Advertising that is obscene or pornographic; or in advocacy of imminent
lawlessness or unlawful violent action.

[…]

B.
Throughout the term of the Contract SMART has actively enforced this policy and has
rejected all advertising deemed to violate the Authority’s content policy. For example, SMART
has previously rejected proposed advertisements deemed to violate the policy which were deemed
to be political (Ex. B),…..

It seems also that Rachel's Vineyard had a very good case. How was their ad "political"? And why were ads promoting atheism OK? The atheist ads ran in a month-long run campaign on a dozen
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) buses.
They show the words “Don’t believe in God? You are not alone”
superimposed on an image of blue sky and clouds.

On or about May 12, 2010, Plaintiff Geller contacted CBS Sales Manager Robert Hawkins
regarding the potential posting of advertisements on SMART buses. The advertisement proposed
by Defendants states “Fatwa on your head? Is your family or community threatening you?
LEAVING ISLAM? Got Questions? Get Answers! RefugeFromIslam.com”. (Ex. D).
As set forth in the Contract, having determined that the advertising was a likely violation
of the Contract’s content policy, CBS contacted SMART requesting a final determination.
(Hawkins Affidavit, Ex. E). SMART Marketing Manager Beth Gibbons reviewed the proposed
advertisement and discussed it with staff giving it careful consideration. SMART determined that
Case 2:10-cv-12134-DPH-MJH Document 12 Filed 07/02/10 Page 6 of 19
7
the proposed advertisement violated at least two enumerated prohibitions within the content
policy. Specifically, it was found that the proposed advertisement was in violation of Contract
Section 5.07(B)(1), as political advertising, and Section 5.07(B)(4), as likely to hold up to scorn
and ridicule a group of persons. SMART therefore rejected the proposed advertisement. 

So Islam is political? That's a game changer, folks.

You have to love how "SMART Marketing Manager Beth Gibbons reviewed the proposed
advertisement and discussed it with staff giving it careful
consideration" ….. where was the careful consideration for apostates?

The Truth Must be Told

Your contribution supports independent journalism

Please take a moment to consider this. Now, more than ever, people are reading Geller Report for news they won't get anywhere else. But advertising revenues have all but disappeared. Google Adsense is the online advertising monopoly and they have banned us. Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter have blocked and shadow-banned our accounts. But we won't put up a paywall. Because never has the free world needed independent journalism more.

Everyone who reads our reporting knows the Geller Report covers the news the media won't. We cannot do our ground-breaking report without your support. We must continue to report on the global jihad and the left's war on freedom. Our readers’ contributions make that possible.

Geller Report's independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our work is critical in the fight for freedom and because it is your fight, too.

Please contribute here.

or

Make a monthly commitment to support The Geller Report – choose the option that suits you best.

• $25.00 here
• $50.00 here
• $75.00 here
• $100.00 here
• $250.00 here