WASHINGTON (Web Desk) – Transport officials in Washington DC have blocked plans by an American free speech pressure group to have a controversial cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) displayed on the subway.
A group of bikers – who have been encouraged to bring guns – is planning on hosting a Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) cartoon drawing contest outside of a Phoenix mosque.
Jon Ritzheimer, a former Marine and current anti-Islam activist, is the force behind the event, which will be held Friday outside of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix at 6:15 p.m. local time. Friday just happens to be the Muslim day of communal prayer.
A Facebook page has been created for the event, which is being called “Freedom of Speech Rally Round II.” In the event’s description it says that contest is a “response to the recent attack in Texas.”
That attack happened when anti-Islam activist Pamela Geller hosted a “Draw Muhammed” contest and two men opened fire on the event. Both were killed by officers at the scene.
The post also says “people are encouraged to exercise their second amendment right at this event just in case our first amendment right comes under the much anticipated attack.”
On the other hand, ,any are objecting to the rally, including prominent Palestinian-Muslim-American Linda Sarsour:
.@asphaultangel13 @alamanecer armed bikers are showing up to protest in front of a mosque that condemned ISIS lol. Can they be more stupid?
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) May 29, 2015
Washington transport authorities on Thursday banned political, religious and advocacy adverts on the subway.
The transport authority in the US capital voted unanimously to suspend advertisements it describes as “issue-oriented”.
AFDI founder Pamela Geller strongly criticised the decision to ban the advert, describing it as an attack on free of speech.
Ms Geller commented on her website that “rewarding terror with submission is defeat, absolute and complete defeat.
“These cowards may claim that they are making people safer, but I submit to you the opposite. They are making it far more dangerous for Americans everywhere.”
The advert calls for Americans to support free speech and features a bearded, turban-wearing caricature of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) waving a sword and shouting: “You can’t draw me!”
In reply, a cartoon bubble portrays an artist grasping a pencil and saying: “That’s why I draw you.”
Ms Geller insists the cartoon is a “political opinion” which does not contain any violence.
Her organisation, described by critics as a hate group, has run controversial adverts on subways and buses in Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco as well as in Washington’s Metro in 2012.
