US media is reporting that dozens of billboards with Muslim themes have been erected nationwide in the latest billboard campaign by the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), According to an Associated Press report:
September 3, 2015 Dozens of billboards with Muslim themes are sprouting nationwide, proclaiming what organizers say is the true message of Islam and its prophet, Muhammad: peace and justice, not extremism and violent jihad.
The New York-based Islamic Circle of North America has erected 100 new billboards over the summer in cities including Boston; New York; Phoenix; San Diego; El Paso and Austin, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; Cleveland; Las Vegas; Milwaukee; North Bergen, New Jersey; Portland, Oregon; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Denver; and Calgary, British Columbia.
They feature statements such as: ‘Muhammad believed in peace, social justice, women’s rights’ and ‘Muhammad always taught love, not hate; peace, not violence.’ Also listed are a website and a phone number people can call for more information.
The group’s president, Naeem Baig, said the idea for the campaign arose after January attacks in Paris by Islamist militants on the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo and a kosher grocery store killed 20 people, including the three attackers.
The perpetrators wrongfully understood the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, Baig said, and the American Muslim community wanted to reclaim the message. As for whether the campaign would face a tougher audience in Boston, with the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings still fresh in many people’s minds, Baig said: ‘That’s the whole point of the campaign; there are extremists in all communities.’ “
Read the rest here.
The GMBDW reported in May of this year that ICNA had announced the latest phase of what the organization now calls its “Historic National Billboard Campaign.” We reported in February 2014 on an iCNA billboard campaign that was being being conducted under the auspices of an organization by a different name. We first reported on the ICNA billboard campaign in 2008 and 2009.
The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) is a part of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood and considered to be closely tied to the Jamaat-e-Islami organization of Southeast Asia, itself allied with the Global Muslim Brotherhood. ICNA is particularly close to the Muslim American Society and the two organizations have been holding joint conferences in recent years.
