By Phyllis Stark. Jun 17, 2015
Billboards that have begun popping up in several U.S. cities aim to “showcase Islam as a religion of love and tolerance, aimed at Muslims and non-Muslims alike,” according to Reuters.
The billboards, sponsored by the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) “are part religious invitation to explore the Muslim faith and part public relations,” according to Reuters, which notes that the ads could “spark a backlash amid a spike in anti-Islamic sentiment.”
Support this campaign: www.icna.org/seerah
The Billboards feature messages such as “Looking for the answers in life? Discover Muhammad” and “Muhammad believed in peace, social justice, women’s rights.”
“We thought a proper approach would be to actually educate the larger public about his personality, which exemplifies love and brotherhood,” Waqas Syed, ICNA Deputy Secretary General, told Reuters.
Funded by local ICNA chapters, the campaign will include about 100 billboards from Philadelphia to Baltimore, Atlanta and Miami, Reuters reports. Other target cities include San Francisco and Dallas.
So far, billboards have appeared in Los Angeles; Miami; Sacramento, California; and Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Reuters reports, “Muslims make up 0.9 percent of the U.S. population, but the number is expected to double by 2050, driven by immigration, high birth rates and a young population, the Pew Research Center says.”
Support this campaign: www.icna.org/seerah
Article Courtesy: Scripps Media
