CAIR adds a few more notches to its belt, in blithe disregard for the fact that Iraqis have made many mosques into sites for military operations by storing weapons in them and even launching attacks from them. Here is CAIR’s press release (thanks to Twostellas) demanding that Boeing and Bell toe the line:
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /U.S. Newswire/ — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on aerospace giants Boeing Co. and Bell Helicopter Textron to pull a print advertisement depicting U.S. troops attacking a mosque.
The ad for the CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, published in the September 24 issue of National Journal magazine, depicts soldiers rappelling onto the roof of a building, labeled “Muhammad Mosque” in Arabic. The building has a dome, crescent moon and minaret, all common features of a mosque.
To view the ad, go to: http://www.cair.com/mosqueattackad.pdf
If CAIR finds this ad so offensive, why is it featuring it on its website?
Headlines on the ad read: “It descends from the heavens. Ironically it unleashes hell.” Ad copy states: “The CV-22 delivers Special Forces to insertion points never thought possible.”
In a letter to Textron Chairman Lewis B. Campbell, Boeing Company President James A. Bell and Bell Helicopter Chief Executive Officer Michael A. Redenbaugh, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad wrote:
“(The ad) clearly portrays special forces assaulting a mosque, a structure dedicated to civilian worship purposes. This gives the impression that ‘the insertion points never thought possible’ are Islamic places of worship… This advertisement reflects poorly on Bell Helicopter, Textron and Boeing, and offers a questionable picture of your companies’ collective opinion of Islam and Muslims.”
And here is the capitulation announcement (thanks to LGF):
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ — A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group said this afternoon that Boeing Co., Bell Helicopter Textron and National Journal magazine have apologized for a print advertisement depicting U.S. troops attacking a mosque.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it had received a statement of apology from Boeing, which sponsored the ad along with Bell. Boeing wrote:
“The CV-22 advertisement that appeared in the National Journal is clearly offensive, and did not proceed through the normal channels within Boeing before production.
“‘We consider the ad offensive, regret its publication and apologize to those who like us are dismayed with its contents,’ said Mary Foerster, Vice President of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems Communications.
“‘When the Company became aware of the advertisement we immediately requested that our partner’s agency withdraw and destroy all print proofs of the advertisement and replace it with one that was appropriate,’ Foerster said. ‘Unfortunately despite our best efforts to have the ad replaced, a clerical error at the National Journal resulted in its publication this week.'”
Representatives of Bell Helicopter and National Journal also contacted CAIR to express regret for the publication of the ad.
National Journal Executive Vice President Elizabeth Baker Keffer wrote: “[T]he advertisement for Boeing/Bell’s V-22 Osprey that ran in the September 24 issue of National Journal was run as the result of a clerical error on our part. We had received specific direction from the agency representing Boeing/Bell to not run the ad. We have apologized to Boeing, their partner Bell, and their advertising agency for this mistake.”
A Bell statement sent to CAIR said in part: “We recognize that some organizations and individuals may have been offended by its content and regrets any concerns this advertisement may have raised. Bell and our partners are evaluating creative processes to prevent this from happening again.”
The ad for the CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft depicted soldiers rappelling onto the roof of a building, labeled “Muhammad Mosque” in Arabic. The building has a dome, crescent moon and minaret, all common features of a mosque….
“We thank Boeing, Bell and National Journal for their swift and decisive response to our concerns,” said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. “Mistakes can happen, but the true test of a company’s integrity comes in acknowledging and dealing with those mistakes.” He said CAIR will follow up with all parties involved to determine how the ad was produced and to help prevent similar incidents in the future.
Awad added that American Muslim groups are always ready to consult with corporations and media outlets on issues related to religious diversity and culturally-sensitive advertising.
Thanks, Nihad. Do you explain to them how your support for Hamas fosters cross-cultural sensitivity?