WHEN IS IT MY TURN TO BE OFFENDED?

One recent event and one upcoming event, both related to the Muslim community in Chicago, have offended me. According to the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday, August 25th,”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.” The ads are being removed because they are “offensive” to Muslims. I am not offended by the ads, but since Muslims are offended, the ads are coming down.

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 allegedly were killed by their Muslim fathers for "refusing an Islamic marriage, dating a non-Muslim or becoming 'too Americanized,'" according to the Tribune. Below the photo, the ad reads "Is your family threatening you?" and gives a web site for more information, www.LeaveIslamSafely.com."

So the ads are being taken down because they are offensive to Muslims. As a Jew, I find it offensive that there will be a Muslim demonstration in Daley Plaza for International Al-Quds Day, so will they cancel the rally because I am offended? No! Of course not! Jews don’t get the same protection from discrimination as Muslims do in Chicago. There ins a Advisory Council on Arab Affairs on the Chicago Commission of Human relations. Is there an Advisory Council on Israeli Affairs? Do I even have to answer that question? Muslim and Arab countries around the world celebrate the last day of Ramadan with Anti-Zionist demonstrations. The celebration of Al-Quds Day was first introduced by Ayatollah Khomeni in Iran in August 1979 as a Muslim day of solidarity against Israel. This year Al-Quds Day rallies will be held in Chicago, Seattle, Houston, St. Louis, Detroit, Dallas and Washington, D.C. on September 3rd when there will be Arab demonstrations against Israel. The Chicago event will be held at Daley Plaza from 3:00-5:30 p.m. Information on the demonstrations is detailed at http://www.alqudsday.org/. The web site describes the day as,” International Day of Al-Quds is an annual event opposing Israel’s control of Jerusalem, (Al-Quds in Arabic: القـُدْس). Anti-Zionist demonstrations are held on this day in most Muslim and Arab countries and by Muslim and non-Muslim communities around the world, including the United States. It is held each year on the last Friday of Ramadan. Jerusalem Day is not an Islamic religious holiday but a political event open to both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.” The Jews have prepared answers to the Muslims’ anti-Israel hatred and why Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are not holy to Muslims.http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/3691 I am not going to post the information on how people who want to support Israel can participate in the rally because I am afraid to share that information on the web for fear of anti-Semitic backlash. If someone wants that information, they can e-mail me directly and I will provide it. So Muslims can be offended by some taxi cab ads that then must be taken down, but just a week later the Muslims are allowed to offend Jews at a giant rally. I guess freedom of speech and religion only run one way.