"Showdown on San Francisco Transit: AFDI Submits New Bus Ads on Muslim Oppression of Gays"
Written by the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), a group that is “Dedicated to freedom of speech, freedom of conscience and individual rights under the law,” this article explains the recent uprising of the anti-Islam Muni
ad campaign, and specifically, the ads dishing on homosexuality. The AFDI is responsible for the making and posting of these ads.
Analysis of Ad:
Author: Ahmadinejad is the President of Iran and is very conservative, and as a leader, he may just be saying things like this to please his followers and other extremely-right sided citizens. His quote may not be legit; there isn't a cited source.
Words: 'We' is in large font size, implying that all of the people of Iran feel the same way. 'Homosexuals' is the only grey-colored word, and grey can be interpreted as a gross, dull color. This infers that homosexuals may have similar dull characteristics. The word 'Jihad' is used to describe efforts of Muslims to be good Muslims or believers, like doing good, helping inform others of the faith, etc. Here, 'Jihad' is used in more of a negative aspect. Muslims don't all believe that homosexuality is wrong, and preaching that is not 'Jihad'.
Picture: Picture of President Ahmadinejad shows him looking disgusted, like he is disgusted with homosexuality. His subtle smirk screams stuck up, as he thinks he is superior to homosexuals.
Stereotypes: The word 'we' groups all of the people of Iran together. 'Jihad' is a word pertaining to Islam, so the assumption that all people from Iran are also Muslims is proposed. Not all Muslims even believe in Jihad, and not all Muslims have dark hair, eyes, skin, etc. like Ahmadinejad and the 'stereotypical' Muslims.
Analysis of Ad:
Author: 'Her" is an unidentified person, and it's impossible to identify her because she is completely covered, which makes the source uncitable and less credible because it may have been made up.
Words: The phrase 'two such persons', referring to a homosexual couple, doesn't clearly state 'homosexual couple' as if it were a taboo. Homosexuality is called 'evil', which is very negative and not factual, but opinionated. 'Shameful' is another opinionated term, implying that those who are homosexual should be ashamed and, in turn, punished. 'Torture', 'punish', and 'beat' are three more harsh verbs given as instructions to follow when one encounters same-sex couples. 'Mental torture' is another raucous term. No body should ever intentionally mentally torture others, no matter their backgrounds, practices, or lifestyles. Since the word 'torture' is one of the only words colored blue in that area of the ad, it really stands out. The word 'Her' is the color grey, an unfavorable color. This may relate to women in general, making them out to be unfavorable themselves. Again, the word 'Jihad' is used with the wrong meaning and intent.
Picture: The lady is completely veiled, hiding her true identity and exaggerating a stereotype about Muslims.
Stereotypes: As in the ad pictured above, 'Jihad' is grouping all Muslims together. Not all Muslims believe in Jihad, not all Muslims feel the same way about homosexuals, and they don't all veil like the woman pictured on the ad. Also, this ad refers to all homosexuals as evil, shameful, and punishable, which is OBVIOUSLY inaccurate.
Analysis of Ad:
Author: Since Sheikh Qaradawi, who is the leading Islamic cleric of the Muslim Brotherhood, is considered a famous scholar, which may influence others into following his words printed on the ad. However, it cannot be proved that quote on the ad is directly from him.
Words: Again, with the color grey, homosexuality is being depicted as dull and unbecoming. 'Death penalty' stands out because it is the only term colored pink, making it seem important and prominent. It is an extreme punishment, attempting to prove that since homosexuality is, in some areas, punishable by death, being homosexual really is an awful act.
Picture: The man pictured represents a stereotypical Muslim with his skin tone, dark eyes, headwear, and beard. His mouth is open as if he is preaching or speaking the quote, which makes the ad seem more legitimate.
Stereotypes: The man pictured fits common Muslim stereotypes, as stated above. The words 'death penalty' are stereotyping homosexuality and those who are homosexual as punishble and worthy of death. The same stereotypes associated with the word 'Jihad' in the above ads hold true with this one, as well.
Analysis of the Article Text:
Usually, when one author criticizes the work of another, he/she doesn't include that authors gender because it isn't useful information. Here, the author refers to Sparks as 'transgender Theresa Sparks', seemingly in attempt to diminish her authority right off the bat.
It is said that Sparks supports the sharia, meaning she supports the law, though the correct interpretation of sharia is 'a path'.
In text, Sister Ruby Ramadan is cited for one of her quotes on an ad, though on the ad itself, her name isn't shown. This information doesn't add up.
'Plight', as defined by Dictionary.com, means dangerous, difficult, or an otherwise unfortunate situation, and in the article, 'plight' is used to describe homosexuals, meaning homosexuals are dangerous and difficult. This isn't right.
In text, Sister Ruby Ramadan is cited for one of her quotes on an ad, though on the ad itself, her name isn't shown. This information doesn't add up.
'Went so far to say' makes Sparks seem like she is exaggerating her point of view.
Sparks, in this sentence, is referring to sexual transition procedures, which are not directly related to sexual preferences, but to human genders. When the author of the article argues that the President insists there are no homosexuals in Iran, he is addressing a completely different topic.
'Hmmm' is unprofessional and takes away credibility from this source.
The President of Iran insists that there are no homosexuals in Iran. This isn't solid evidence. With laws making homosexuality punishable, there is a possibility that there are homosexuals in Iran, they just don't come out in order to avoid the consequences.
'Delusion' can also be defined as misconception, inferring that Sparks is incorrect, even though she may not be, and can't be proven wrong.
'Hellhole' is yet another example of unprofessional language. In the article, it is used to describe Iran, which is already puerile. On top of the use of that term, the rest of the sentence reads "...and see if she escapes with her life", which is making Iran sound like they aren't accepting and making Sparks seem punishable. There are several phrases used to belittle Sparks.
Again, sharia is defined incorrectly.
'Not every Muslim' is one of the few positive points made in this article because Muslims aren't all the same.
Inserting the word 'executioners' implies that Sparks should/will be killed for her lifestyle, and that her life is worth taking because of what she believes and practices.
Sparks is right in saying that these ads "suggest that all Muslims hate gays" because the Muslim population is grouped as one in the ads, and the ads are evidently against homosexuality.
Homosexuals are referred to as 'epidemic in the Muslim world'.
'Where was Theresa Sparks': Sparks is blamed for shootings and attacks that were led by Muslims and geared towards homosexuals because she didn't make claims against those outbreaks like she did in reaction to the ads.
Muslims are grouped together again.
'Appeared to be gay' is another example of stereotyping.
'Shame on Theresa Sparks': The author is blaming her for the lack of media attention that other attacks got, even though she shouldn't have been responsible for covering it, anyway.
Looking at the AFDI itself:
Though Wikipedia isn't alwasy a reliable source, it says that the AFDI is also known as SIOA, which stands for Stop Islamization of America. Going by the AFDI, rather than the SIOA, may be a tactic of the organization's because it sounds trustworthy, it is relatable to those who witness its works, and provides an overall, more influential appearance. In the symbol, the red, white and blue are easily recognizable as the colors of the U.S.A. They are positive and powerful colors. The star shapes symbolize fame/stardom and popularity. The AFDI is a very conservative, American, anti-Islamist and anti-Muslim organization led by Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer. Geller the organization is "a human rights entity dedicated to the freedom of speech, which is under attack, as well as to the freedom of religion and to individual rights." The two founded this organization in 2010 and became known through their ads and campaigning. The AFDI is based in Houston.
The San Francisco Human Rights Commission and Theresa Sparks:
Sparks is known nationally as a human rights advocate. She used to serve as Commissioner for HRC, where she lead the first public hearing in the U.S. regarding discrimination after 9/11, and she also served as a San Francisco Police Commissioner. Sparks was a co-chair of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club (the first transgender person to hold this position).She was chosen once as California State Legislature’s Woman of the Year, and as the Executive Director of this organization, she continues to work towards determining possible policies to fight discrimination. She is working to minimize and eventually stop human trafficking and bullying, especially in the LGBT community. The HRC started when the modern day civil rights movement picked up in San Francisco. The organization focuses on advocating for human and civil rights, investigating and mediating discrimination complaints, resolving discriminatory community disputes and issues, and helping people and groups of people with projects related to human rights and social services.
Conclusion:
It is unfortunate that the first amendment right, freedom of speech, which was created to protect citizens, has been used to directly target and promote hatred towards groups of people. It has even led to violence, using the plastering of messages (as seen in the above articles) on transportation, billboards, and buildings as an example. This article relays the main points of the anti-Islam Muni ad campaign, and specifically, the ads denigrating homosexuality, in a biased, uneducated manor. Through the design, word choice, stereotyping, and authority figures presented in this article and its presented ads, the AFDI argued its side unreasonably and unfairly.