[ April 22, 2024 ]
Freedom of speech will be on trial in in the United Sates Courthouse in Manhattan tomorrow morning. Watch this space for developments. Follow me on twitter, here — I'll update from the courtroom.
Judge to rule on censorship of pro-Israel ads WND
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NEW YORK, April 2, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — The leaders of a prominent national human rights organization will be testifying in a Manhattan court on Tuesday in support of AFDI's free speech lawsuit against the New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).
Pamela Geller, Executive Director of the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) and its Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) program, and Robert Spencer, Associate Director of AFDI/SIOA will be at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse at 500 Pearl St. New York on Tuesday, April 3 from 10AM to 2PM.
Geller and Spencer will be available for comment after the hearing.
The American Freedom Law Center filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of AFDI, Geller, and Spencer, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against the MTA for violating their First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
The suit was filed after the MTA rejected AFDI's pro-Israel advertisement. The MTA claimed that AFDI's advertisement violated its policy against displaying "images or information that demean an individual or group of individuals on account of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, age, disability or sexual orientation."
Geller said in a statement: "This is a pattern by government agencies to enforce the Sharia. The April 3 hearing is historic in our ongoing fight for the protection of free speech, which is the foundation of our great republic, and for the protection of individual rights."
The lawsuit against New York City is the second such lawsuit filed by AFDI. In 2010, Geller filed suit against the MTA over its refusal to run ads against the Ground Zero Mosque and its claim that there was an embargo on 9/11 images. Geller fought and won that case. She has also successfully sued Detroit/SMART Transit and Miami Transit for refusing to run her ads offering help to people threatened for leaving Islam, although the Detroit transit authorities are appealing that verdict.
The AFDI pro-Israel ad reads: "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad."
AFLC lawyers David Yerushalmi and Robert Muise, however, will argue that the MTA, as a governmental agency, must comply with federal and state laws, including the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, which prohibit the government from making viewpoint-based restrictions on speech.
At issue also will be the meaning of jihad, which the MTA is contending means solely an interior spiritual struggle, as well as the questions of how does the MTA decide what is and what is not "demeaning," where do they draw the line, and what objective policy do they follow.
AFDI/SIOA is one of America's foremost organizations defending human rights, religious liberty, and the freedom of speech against Islamic supremacist intimidation and attempts to bring elements of Sharia to the United States.
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14 Comments
12 years ago
best of luck
12 years ago
The former President of the United States , Willian Howard Taft, said “Anti-Semitism is a noxious weed that should be cut out. It has no place in America.”
12 years ago
Good luck. Stick it to ’em!
12 years ago
Will you be wearing your safari outfit? Good luck.
12 years ago
GOD and THE FACTS are with Pamela and Robert.
The MTA claims :”…its policy against displaying “images or information that demean an individual or group of individuals on account of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, age, disability or sexual orientation…”
Now WHERE does it say that calling a Savage ,A SAVAGE, fits into any of THAT?.
And it certainly IS NOT RACIST,unless RACISTS are a new Human “race”.
Now those who would be “offended” at being labeled a SAVAGE,in the context of the AFDI ad, KNOW IT’s TRUE ABOUT THEMSELVES.
Look no further than the BUTCHERED FOGEL FAMILY.
12 years ago
If the advertisement said simply “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man” and not a word more, CAIR and the rest of the MB front organs would self-identify and vehemently object to the advertisement.
12 years ago
Go for it!! I wish I could be in that courtroom to watch the proceedings. You will succeed!! We will have a victory!!
12 years ago
Pamela and Robert we wish you all of God’s divine providence and that you realize that we love you and stand by you. Please realize that we will write, and submit any letters, show up at any demo, and stand by you whenever you call for our support. You know and have seen the impact that you have had on all of us who are forever committed to the same ideas of freedom and free speech. We defend the United States and the Constitution. You are in our prayers.
12 years ago
Hope all goes well. Keep safe.
12 years ago
We defend the United States and the Constitution. You are in our prayers.
12 years ago
Will be thinking of you both tomorrow. I’ll be following on Twitter as well. Give em’ hell!
12 years ago
Stick it to em Pam and Robert. Good luck..we’ll all be praying for you.
12 years ago
Its amazing that these transit authorities fight so hard to defeat free speech. They are just wasting taxpayer’s money because in the end any judge will know that, so unless the judge is ignoring the Constitution, he/she must rule with Pamela and Robert. Sadly, these suits are also wasting much needed funds of AFDI/SIOA. Are not these transit authorities acting just like a Jihadist using lawfare to shut up the opposition? The administrators of these transit authorities need to be fired and replaced with people who believe in free speech as guaranteed by the Constitution.
12 years ago
If the-freedom of speech is taken away then-dumb and -silent we may be led-like -sheep -to the slaughter.–George Washington.
