Congressman objects to Islamic ads

NEW YORK, July 22 (UPI) -- A New York congressman has asked the New York City transit agency to drop ads promoting Islam.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said that he does not object to the message in the ads, CNN reports.

"I have no problem with the ad itself, but I have a very, very real problem with those behind it," King said.

The New York Post reported Monday that one of the backers of the ad campaign is Siraj Wahhaj, the imam of a mosque in Brooklyn. The Post described Wahhaj as a radical because he was listed as a possible co-conspirator in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and served as a character witness for Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, who was convicted of planning the bombing.

The Islamic Circle of North America has arranged for 1,000 ads to run in Metropolitan Transit Authority subway cars during the holy month of Ramadan, which this year coincides with the month of September. King also found that timing objectionable since it includes the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The ads direct those who see them to visit whyIslam.org for information on the religion.