Yellow Cab Will Stop Running Anti-Islam Ads

Earlier this summer, the leader of the group "Stop the Islamization of America" took out ads on 25 Chicago taxi cabs--and as of Tuesday, all of them will be removed.

Pamela Geller, who has been dubbed the "Queen of Muslim Bashers" and leads the "Stop the Islamization of America" movement, claimed the ads were directed toward Muslim women wanting to leave Islam--but ended up offending both cab drivers and passengers.

Today, Yellow Cab CEO Michael Levine issued a statement announcing the removal of the ads:

"Recently, the head of the group 'Stop the Islamization of America' took out ads on Chicago-area taxis. The ads in question were carried by independent affiliates of Yellow Cab Affiliation. The fleet owner was contracted and paid by an independent advertising company specializing in taxi top advertising."

"When Yellow Cab became aware of the ads three weeks ago, we immediately called the advertising company and asked to have the ads removed. We were told that they were taken down, but we found out today that three such ads were still running. They will be removed today. Yellow Cab does not regularly approve advertising content carried by our affiliates, but we do reserve the right to ask them to remove ads that offend either the drivers or the public."

The ads, which denounced honor killings, showed pictures of young women who were allegedly killed by their Muslim fathers for "refusing an Islamic marriage, dating a non-Muslim or becoming 'too Americanized,'" according to the Chicago Tribune. Below the photo, the ad reads "Is your family threatening you?" and is followed up with "LeaveIslamSafely.com."

Those against the ads say they paint an ugly and misleading picture of Islam.

"People like Pam Geller have a horrendous record," John Esposito, a professor of international affairs and Islamic studies at Georgetown University told the Tribune. "It's a track record of not distinguishing between forms of religious terrorism and Islam itself."

Geller is also one of the leading voices against the building of an Islamic center and mosque near the site of the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City.

Comments

[soo tuck choong]

11:52 PM on 09/08/2010

"Those against the ads say they paint an ugly and misleading picture of Islam."

It's not misleading, they really do it. But they don't like it to be there, that's all, so why humiliate them? They just like doing it because it gives them dominance, macho, heroine feeling.

[enigmaticblue]

10:56 AM on 08/28/2010

doesnt the old testament call for stoning in case of adultery... isnt that considered "honor killing" too

correct me if i am wrong

[Puncastle]

08:30 PM on 08/28/2010

You're correct.

[Vince Weiguang Li]

08:18 PM on 09/06/2010

Good observation: You only had to go back to BC: Before Christ to find some sort of misguided moral equivalence to modern day Islamic practices in some countries.

It constantly amazes how may liberal thinking persons herein on the Huffpo, that support all nature of civil rights, especially women's rights to equality and reproduction; can turn on a dime and give lip service to Islamic culture an Sharia Law, wherein females are so horribly treated, institutionally.

To be wrapped in cloth from public view, to have unequal or no access to education, subject to severe punishments for even talking to or have relations with unmarried men, acid attacks, morality police, obstacles to equality in the work force, etc etc. Islam has a horrible record in relation to the treatment of girls and women. To think otherwise is a fool's dream.

Yet posters herein, continue to support Islam and the spread of culture and law that is completely inconsistent with their other values. Somehow, the right to free practice of religion trumps all other considerations, making any such unacceptable behavior and values, suddenly palatable.

Consider your support of Islam, the next time you post about anti-abortion religious protesters, or Mormon church contributions to Prop 8 or other anti-gay matters, or just generally rip on Christians. Are you really so morally, obviously inconsistent?

[edejan]

07:32 PM on 08/26/2010

So then "Honor Killings" are OK? Why is it Muslim-bashing to call out a specific cultural action, namely MURDER, which is illegal in America? PC-speak has become misguided.

[riff4u]

10:05 PM on 08/26/2010

Why is when it comes to Islam we must have some new nomenclature "honor killing." It's murder and it has nothing to do with Islam. It is a cultural phenomena that occurs among Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the Middle East......as well as some smaller communities like the Yazidis.

[Nicole Wisen]

10:38 PM on 09/21/2010

"honor killings" also occur very commonly within hindus when their daughters decide to marry below their caste. yes, it happens in some backwards muslim areas, but its common in many other religions as well. her ads are misleading because its obvious to anyone who's read her blog that her goal is to make people believe islam itself is the enemy, and this is the kind of stunt she often pulls to create that image in the public's mind. this practice is a cultural thing, not a religious thing. its in many different cultures.

[alysheba 3]

04:26 PM on 08/26/2010

Yeah, running ads that may get your drivers killed is a bad idea.

[gemini68]

10:52 AM on 08/26/2010

My question is: Why would someone have to leave their religion to get out of an abusive home? Why isn't Pam Gellar's website dedicated to helping women find safe places to live (like other organization's geared to abuse victims)? She shows her true anti-Muslim agenda in the very name of her website (Leaveislamsafely.org). She has turned what is essentially a cultural issue (like genital mutilation in Africa) into hate speech about Islam. I don't think she cares at all about victims of so- called "honor killings" (which is a term made up in the US- not the East).

[Stephen Gash]

09:52 AM on 08/26/2010

"Yellow" Cabs is just about the right description then.

[Puncastle]

02:40 AM on 08/28/2010

Sacrificing financial gain for integrity is the opposite of cowardice. Your petty attempt at wit came crashing down in flames.

And what does "Gash" mean? It's a deep cut in one's flesh, like the one the taxi cab driver in New York suffered as a result of heightened Islamophobia caused by Pamela Geller's despicable group.

[Stephen Gash]

11:11 AM on 08/31/2010

I see you forget how Muslim cab drivers refuse entry into their vehicles of guide dogs or people carrying alcohol.

Yellow cabs are indeed cowards, afraid of Muslim reprisals. They are the true Islamophobes, which is sensible enough. It's how you confront your fears that is a measure of non-cowardice.

[Puncastle]

01:41 AM on 08/26/2010

If the intention of Pam Geller's web site was truly to help Muslim women safely leave Islam, you would have seen links and resources to help them, in addition to support groups. Instead, you see article after article about why Islam is bad.

The site is an obvious propaganda site set up to attract people to the site so they can be bombarded by xenophobic vitriol.

This is just another attempt to fan the flames of hatred, which will probably result in more backlash against the Muslim community.

Because these ads are incendiary in nature, caused to further the hatred of Muslims, this would be classified as hate speech; not free speech, especially since the irresponsible people behind these ads have already caused a backlash towards the American Muslim community.

[helen1]

09:17 PM on 08/25/2010

Oh yeah,like ALL Christian women are safe and well in comparison .
Look after your own kinswomen first.

[Polichick66]

01:16 PM on 08/25/2010

All inferences aside, this is basically a private matter - the cab company learned that the ads were offensive, and they made the decision to take them down. It could have been an ad that was too racy, or portrayed overweight people in a bad light, whatever. The company decided it would rather take the ads down than risk offending people.
Same thing with Dr. Laura and her sponsors.

[PatriotTeacher]

12:24 PM on 08/25/2010

Truth the new hate speech.

[ZeoGetty]

03:43 PM on 09/09/2010

Wow then I guess ignorance and bigotry is the new enlightenment ?
People who wave the bible at gays and call homosexuality a sin consider it to be the truth yet to us and by us I mean civilized people it's a false claim.
I guess truth is in the eye of the beholder nowadays.

[weirwolf]

11:38 AM on 08/25/2010

I'm taking out a bunch of ads that are cartoons pics of Muhammad doing some inappropriate things.

I hope you all enjoy.

[ChiProgressive]

09:01 AM on 08/26/2010

Good luck with that.

[Gneirre]

10:00 AM on 08/25/2010

I'm astounded at the fact that people move to America and get upset when their family become to "Americanized". Yes, this is the land where you're suppose to be able to practice your religion and culture without prosecution or supposedly persecution, but to get upset when your daughters/sons become to Americanize in AMERICA!?!?! *side-eye*

[beancountr]

09:58 AM on 08/25/2010

This is a fabricated story...the ads were scheduled to end on July 28th, according to the contract. Pamela Geller did not have the signs "removed" ...neither did Yellow Cab (Taxi to be correct). In fact Yellow Taxi did not contact anybody regarding the signs.

Please, people....check out what people are reporting before just believing...here is the email to Pamela from Jeffery Weiss of VeriFone Media Solutions.

Pamela,
Your end date for the Chicago campaign was July 28th 2010 (please review the contracts). There are currently still 3 tops with your ad on them in Chicago, however those are being taken down tomorrow. If anything, your campaign has received a longer run than it was supposed to, and his article about them being “pulled” is completely false. On another note, your ad’s were on independent taxi owners cars and never on Yellow Taxi (the name of the company is yellow taxi) cars, although the vehicle might have been yellow. It appears this reporter is trying to create a story.

Let me know if you need anything else.

Jeffrey Weiss

VeriFone Media Solutions

[GravitonX]

09:15 AM on 08/25/2010

The awareness of honor killings is a good thing. Who is presenting it and why is another.

[wayfarer64]

08:00 AM on 08/25/2010

The statement from Yellow Cab is troublesome. Controversial ads should be part of the American landscape. In another arena, FFRF has been proudly running ads on buses that promote atheism. I would hate to see them removed because an ad was found to “offend either the drivers or the public," which they clearly have in some cases. A free and open society must allow controversial ads in public spaces.