Posted on 10/01/2005 12:17:32 PM PDT by Eurotwit
Boeing Co. and its joint-venture partner Bell Helicopter apologized for a recently published advertisement for their V-22 Osprey aircraft that showed soldiers landing on the roof of a mosque.
The ad, published on Sept. 24 in The National Journal, a Washington government magazine, prompted immediate complaints from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which demanded an apology and the withdrawal of the campaign.
The advertisement showed troops rappelling down from an Osprey aircraft to the roof of a building labelled "Muhammad Mosque" in Arabic as smoke billows from a nearby burning car.
"It descends from the heavens. Ironically it unleashes hell," says the ad, created by Boeing and Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc., which jointly manufactured the Osprey.
The aircraft "delivers Special Forces to insertion points never thought possible," says the text of the ad.
The ad "clearly portrays special forces assaulting a mosque, a structure dedicated to civilian worship purposes," said CAIR executive director Nihad Awad, in a letter to Boeing and Bell Helicopter.
"This gives the impression that 'the insertion points never thought possible' are Islamic places of worship."
Apology
Boeing said the ad “did not proceed through normal channels" and that it was mistakenly published.
"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 at Boeing's defense unit.
Bell also apologized and said that it is considering "creative processes" to prevent a repeat.
"At the very first indication that this ad caused discomfort nearly a month ago, we immediately pulled the creative and replaced it with an alternative ad," said Bell vice president Michael Cox, in a statement. "Despite our directive to the National Journal to replace the ad, it was not replaced as requested, which resulted in its publication this week."
The National Journal also admitted it made a clerical error and accepted full responsibility in a statement issued on Friday.
A CAIR spokesman welcomed the companies’ swift reaction, but said that the organization would seek how such an ad was created.
You are absolutely correct.
mc
How insensitive of Boeing and Bell!! Everyone knows the way to make this ad more PC would have been to show the V-22 unloading troops at either a Christian church (extra points for making it a Roman Catholic church,) or a Boy Scout meeting!
The nerve of Boeing!!!
To quote another Muslim, in Islam there is not such concept as "civilian". Islam is the government and all Muslims are called upon to inflict Islamic justice. I guess they make it up as they go.
Just another example of Muslims demanding everyone else follow rules of civilization that they pay absolutely no attention to. Par for the course...
FAITH UNDER FIRE: Does website show Christian massacre? (Religion of Peace Alert)
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | October 2, 2005 | Jeremy Reynalds
Posted on 10/02/2005 10:45:38 AM PDT by Jacob Kell
An American-hosted soft porn Internet site also doubles as a cyber home for radical Islamic video propaganda.
One approximately six-minute video housed on the Japanese site which we will not list because it so horrendous. Titled, "The Ambon Massacre," it starts with a picture of the ocean waves lazily lapping at dusk.
The scene soon shifts to video of a burning building and people being massacred. Then viewers see rows of dead bodies covered with newspaper, followed by scenes of burning, decimated houses.
The horrifying footage is followed by graphic video of burned, dead bodies with holes in their heads, as well as chopped off body parts. The dead include babies and the mutilated corpses of young people with gaping holes in their necks.
The video is apparently of the 2002 Ambon Massacre.
Washington September 30, 2005 - 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.
CAIR sent a letter yesterday to top officials of Boeing, Bell and Textron asking the companies to withdraw the advertisement and conduct an investigation into how it was approved for publication. (Bell Helicopter is a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron.)
"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 would 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.
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We'll still be apologizing when they hit us again. 'What's wrong with this picture?'
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