For now anti-Muslim ads will ride on Detroit buses
A federal court in Detroit has granted a preliminary injunction against the SMART bus system, ordering them to allow an anti-Muslim advertisement to be placed on buses pending the outcome of a full trial on the issue.
Jul 31, 2020163.4K Shares2.8M Views
A federal court in Detroit has granted a preliminary injunction against the SMART bus system, ordering them to allow an anti-Muslim advertisement to be placed on buses pending the outcome of a full trial on the issue.
The suit was filed by the Ann Arbor-based Thomas More Law Center, founded by Domino’s magnate Tom Monaghan, on behalf of anti-Muslim group Freedom Defensive Initiative, founded by Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, after SMART rejected their application to place the ad on buses in the metro Detroit area.
The ad says: “Fatwa on your head? Is your family or community threatening you? Leaving Islam? Got questions? Get Answers!” It also contains the website address for the organization.
Ironically, an earlier ad placed on SMART buses by the Detroit Coalition of Reason, a collection of atheist, freethinker and humanist groups, was a key factor in the ruling. That ad said: “Don’t believe in God? You’re not alone.”
The judge’s ruling was almost inevitable. SMART is a government agency that has allowed other groups to place controversial political and religious ads on their buses. It cannot, under numerous precedents, reject an ad based on its political or religious viewpoint or content.
Rhyley Carney
Reviewer
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