The Western New York chapter of Muslim Public Affairs Council wanted to send a very public message to Western New York that it was for the end of violence.
“Our message was very simple, a message that has been adopted by many Americans in recent polls,” said Dr. Khalid Qazi, former president of the organization.
But it found that doing so on billboards was not an option.
After its message ran on the outdoor signs for six days on two of Buffalo’s most heavily traveled expressways, Lamar Advertising removed them with no explanation, Qazi said. The billboards were supposed to have remained for two weeks.
Lamar reimbursed the money for the days the ad was not displayed. Qazi called the decision a violation of the First Amendment and the group’s right of free speech and expression.
Lamar officials did not respond to a request for comment.
Carolynn B. Sozen, who is also a part of the council, said the purpose of the billboards on the Kensington and Scajaquada expressways was twofold: to send a message to community leaders and convey the voices of the people across Western New York who desperately want to see the violence end overseas.
It was also a tool to show solidarity to Muslim community members in Western New York who might feel alone, unseen and unheard, Sozen said.
Those calling for a cease-fire in Gaza have often been accused of supporting Hamas’ terrorist attack on Oct. 7.
“Nobody condones any murder or kidnapping,” Qazi said. “We condemn all kinds of terrorism.”
“We want a simple thing: Stop the killing and stop the war in Gaza,” said Husam Ghanim, a research associate professor at the Jacobs School of Medicine at the University at Buffalo who is also a member of the Islamic Society of the Niagara Frontier.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council is trying to determine whether to pursue legal action about the billboards.
Collin Anderson, a political scientist at UB, said the incident is part of a wider debate around…
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