A series of bus ads featuring photos of wanted terrorists is sparking fury in the United States over fuelling hatred and stereotypes against the Muslim community.

“When you start saying that this is the face of terrorism, you are really stigmatizing a whole group of people,” US Representative Jim McDermott was quoted as saying by The Seattle Times on Wednesday, June 26.

Ads featuring photos of 16 wanted militants sought for terrorist activities have appeared on buses in Seattle.

The ads show the faces of 16 people sandwiched between the tagline “Faces of Global Terrorism” and “Stop a Terrorist. Save Lives. Up to $25 Million Reward”.

The featured men are affiliated with extremist groups around the world.

Seven are from African countries, four are from the Philippines, one each is from Malaysia and Chechnya, and three were born in the United States.

The ads are part of a campaign by the Puget Sound Joint Terrorism Task Force for the US Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program.

The ads have triggered uproar for fuelling hatred and stereotypes against the Muslim community.

“The impression you get is that terrorism is caused by brown-skinned men with beards, and occasionally they wear a turban — which isn’t true,” McDermott said.

In a letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller, McDermott said the ad would “only serve to exacerbate the disturbing trend of hate crimes against Middle Eastern, South Asian and Muslim-Americans.”

A dozen of complains have also been sent to the King County Metro bus advertising over the ads.

Several ads campaigns tarnishing the image of US Muslims, estimated at between six to eight million, have been launched in several US cities in recent months.

Islamophobic blogger Pamela Geller has championed a campaign equating Jihad with savagery.

The ad says "in any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man".

Geller also championed ad campaigns linking Jihad to violence and terrorism.

In response, US Muslims launched campaigns to explain the true meaning of Jihad as practiced by the majority of Muslims.

Misconception

Muslims have complained that the ad help fuel misconceptions linking their community to terrorism.

“It is affecting all kinds of people who have no experience with Muslims, who look at it and say, ‘Oh, Muslims are the face of global terrorism,’” said Jeff Siddiqui, founder of American Muslims of Puget Sound.

He said that he received complaints from Muslim residents in Seattle concerned for their safety.

Siddiqui said the Muslims would also object if the ads were targeting another ethnic group on billboards with the tagline “the face of murders in the United States.”

After the uproar, the FBI decided to withdraw the controversial ads.

The decision to remove the bus ads was “a result of our continued engagement with the community and the feedback we are getting,” FBI Special Agent Fred Gutt said.

King County Metro spokesman Jeff Switzer also confirmed the decision to remove the controversial ads.

He, however, said that two different ads without photos will remain on billboards, light rail and at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Since 9/11, US Muslims have become sensitized to an erosion of their civil rights, with a prevailing belief that America was stigmatizing their faith.

A US survey has revealed that the majority of Americans know very little about Muslims and their faith.

Another survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life in May 2013 found that American Muslims are the most moderate around the world.

It showed that US Muslims generally express strong commitment to their faith and tend not to see an inherent conflict between being devout and living in a modern society.

An earlier Gallup poll found that the majority of Americans Muslims are loyal to their country and optimistic about their future in the United States.-http://en.shafaqna.com

Source: On Islam