Today, the American Freedom Law Center (AFLC), filed a motion for summary judgment, asking a federal judge sitting in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington to rule that King County, Washington violated the First Amendment by rejecting two âFaces of Global Terrorismâ ads submitted by AFLCâs clients, Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, and their organization, the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI).
The Countyâs principal objection to the ads is that they allegedly âdemean or disparageâ Muslims.
The proposed advertisements appear below.
AFDIâs âglobal terrorismâ ads include pictures, names, and a similar message from an earlier global terrorism advertisement sponsored by the U.S. State Department, which was accepted for display on King County buses.  The State Department ad displayed these âFaces of Global Terrorismâ in an effort to âstop a terroristâ and âsave lives,â offering âup to $25 million rewardâ for helping to capture one of the FBIâs most wanted terrorists. The State Department pulled its ad after receiving a handful of complaints, mostly from Muslim organizations, complaining that the ad demeaned Muslims.
AFDI submitted its ads following the State Departmentâs decision, which was based on political correctness and not national security or the underlying facts. Indeed, the âfacesâ appearing on the State Departmentâs ad and AFDIâs ads all come directly from the FBIâs most wanted terrorists list. Itâs not surprising that of the thirty-two terrorists listed at the time, thirty had Muslim names or were wanted for terrorism related to organizations conducting terrorist acts in the name of Islam.
AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel Robert Muise commented:
âThe Countyâs rejection of our clientsâ ads is a clearcut form of viewpoint discrimination which is the most egregious form of content discrimination prohibited by the First Amendment. And not only is the Countyâs position contrary to the First Amendment, it is contrary to realityânamely, that jihadists pose a significant threat to our national security. Denying this reality will have serious consequences beyond violating our Constitution.â
AFLC Co-Founder and Senior Counsel David Yerushalmi added:
âItâs not surprising that a county in Seattle, Washington is taking such an absurd and unlawful position. Recall that the Washington State Attorney General is one of the leaders in the ill-advised challenge to President Trumpâs temporary ban on foreigners travelling from terrorist-producing countries. If I lived in Seattle, Washington, I wouldnât feel safe when my county and state officials place political correctness above local and national security.â