By Farrah Hamid
December 23, 2009
Need yet another reason why America is better than France? Well here’s one. The New York chapter of CAIR, an American civil liberties and advocacy organization for Muslims, is currently running an ad in the Mecca of advertising real estate (yes, pun shameless intended) otherwise known as Times Square. The ad, entitled “I am Muslim, I am American,” began airing yesterday morning on the CBS Super Screen. The point of the public service announcement (PSA), according to CAIR-NY Community Affairs Director Faiza Ali, is to highlight “ordinary American Muslims whose everyday lives are dedicated to building community and serving country.”
The 15-second PSA will air every hour for 18 hours each day until January 16th, and is targeted at the over one million people that pass through Times Square each day. CAIR gets a bonus with the timing too: the ad will air during the annual Times Square New Year’s Eve, ball-drop celebration as well.
The PSA features an NYPD sergeant, as well as a Little League all-star, a human rights activist, a doctoral candidate, and an attorney - all pictures with the caption “I am Muslim, I am American”. Click the above to check it out online, or go to: http://www.cair.com/ny/. (Or just go to Times Square).
All in all, the initiative is a positive step in building awareness, much like recent billboards promoting dialogue in Minnesota. Take that, Morano.
Comments
Because CAIR is a foreign financed organisation and the ignorance of its office bearers to the American way of life, the recent efforts of CAIR to sell its brand of Islamic fundamentalism is a PR disaster for American Muslims. These good American citizens say “I am American” then “I am Muslim”. These thinking Muslims, who embrace their faith in the aura of their Allah given intellect via Ijtihad, are in the fore front of fighting and where required killing those ignorant, lead-by the nose, so called “muslims” who betray their intellect and Islam’s true message of peace, love, modesty, acceptance, humility and community by killing the innocent in the name of Allah. These ignorant “muslims” will meet the wrath of Allah when they die for their desecration of Islam’s good name. These American Muslims live their faith with the rest of their fellow Americans. CAIR are the ignorant muslim who live apart from the American way of life.
By Dave of perth on 01/06/2010 at 02:39am Report Abuse
I am so happy to see this ad in NYC. Musilms are Americas - the two go hand in hand.
By Fareeda on 01/13/2010 at 01:19pm Report Abuse
Its ridiculous how this advertising campaign is seen as a postive. Ahh yes, next to adverts of David Beckham in underwear, and models advertising perfumes and clothing, comes a “i am muslim, i am american” ad. And whats being sold? Oh thats right, NOTHING! Lets see if we can remember the last time so much money was spent to show a “i am jewish. i am american” ad, or “i am black. i am american” ad. Yet again, muslims are forced to pay (well not literally, but i’m sure CAIR should have spent all the ad money on something that would actually directly benefit muslims.. more on that after this bracket!) for being muslim. Almost 10 years later, Muslims still have to advertise themselves and apologise for being muslims. If ignorant americans, or tourists in NYC, havent realised that being a muslim american is fine as it is for a jewish american for example, then no amount of wasted money on ad campaigns will work. It really makes me laugh that CAIR should waste all that money on expensive ads which noone will pay any attention to. Maybe they should have contributed all that money to homeless americans, maybe that would have hit the news more than this and showed americans that muslims are really americans by helping their own, ie. americans and not muslims.
By jibreel on 02/23/2010 at 01:28pm Report Abuse
I respectfully disagree. It is negative images of Muslims that create real consequences for Muslims in the US (such as being lumped together with idiots), and it is positive and balancing images of Muslims that will counteract those effects. Real images of real Muslims are essential. They are vital.
By Fareeda on 02/23/2010 at 02:20pm Report Abuse
Its obviously a given that negative images of muslims in the US causes problems for muslims not just in the US, but around the world. However “real images of real muslims” such as major saleh the NYPD sergeant probably wont mean diddly squat to most people glancing at the ads, because most “real muslims” are not integrated or assymilated in the US. Therefore if the non-muslim in america doesnt know, interract or is friends with a “real muslim” , then he/she/them are unlikely to take the words/images of some NYC billboard ad.
Secondly, and most crucially, “real images of real muslims” which you rightly say are essential and vital, do not exist since most americans only believe what they see on Fox News, or watch in a Hollywood movie, or read on a anti-muslim blogs (eg. debbie schlussel), and the whole world knows that its rare or impossible to see a ‘positive’ or ‘balanced’ image of real muslims in the media. Therefore if its obvious that the mainstream Media and media in general will never deviate from their message that Muslims are the enemy, then how will a NYC ad make any kind of difference? I mean, REAL difference? If anything, it seems as if we have to reassure everyone we’r still american, which in essence is in the same ballpark as an apology for being muslim.
By jibreel on 02/23/2010 at 03:21pm Report Abuse