Jul 21, 2008 6:35 pm US/Eastern
Ads Promoting Islam To Appear In Subways Soon
Imam Linked To Bomb Plots Behind Controversial Ad Campaign
Posters To Be Displayed During Month Of Ramadan
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
After being linked to a plot to blow up city landmarks, a Brooklyn imam has a new target - subway ads explaining the true meaning of Islam.
Siraj Wahhaj, once a character witness for Omar Abdel-Rahman, the blind sheikh now doing life for plotting to blow up the world trade center in 1993, was also linked by the feds to a plan to blow up city landmarks. Now he's behind a controversial subway ad campaign pushing Islam.
"Horrible, absolutely horrible," one New Yorker said of the campaign.
"I believe in freedom of religion, but anyone with terrorist ties – I'd be skeptical," said Court Williams, a Fairfield, Conn. resident who works in the city.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the ads, which will begin in September on 1,000 subway cars, are just fine. A committee reviewed them for obscenity and gave the green light.
"There was nothing. There were no objections raised to this ad and of course we have to adhere to the first amendment and there's very little that we can do," MTA spokesman Jeremy Soffin said.
The subway project Islamic Circle of North America will run the ads. Imam Wahhaj wants subway riders to learn more about his religion.
"Every day in this city some 4.9 million people ride the subways. That is a lot of people," he said. "Imagine people sitting on a subway, people sitting there, standing there -- what are they thinking about, what are they doing?"
The group apparently hopes riders will start to think of Islam when they see the ads.
The MTA will make $48,000 on the ads.
"I think it's a fine idea," Alan Schwartz, of Suffern. "It's a free country and if you want to advertize the benefits of Islam, we have freedom of religion here"
"If this person seems like he is a fanatical, they shouldn't be using him in the train system," added Bushwick resident Curtis Lawson.
The ads are timed to run during the month of Ramadan, and offer riders a telephone number to call if they want more information about the Islamic faith.
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