Hizballah billboard erected in Windsor, Canada, is taken down

[Nemesis6]

This is what was reported when it first came up:

Members of the Jewish and Lebanese Christian communities in Windsor are outraged by the appearance of a billboard that appears to promote Hezbollah ? an organization the Canadian government considers terrorist.

?That organization is banned in Canada,? said Harvey Kessler, executive director of the Windsor Jewish Community Centre. ?How can that billboard be up in Windsor when it represents a terrorist organization which is banned under the laws of Canada??

Located at the southwest corner of Marion Avenue and Wyandotte Street East, the billboard does not mention Hezbollah by name, but features a central image of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the controversial political and military group that represents Lebanese Shia Muslims and has clashed with Israeli troops for more than 20 years.

Kessler said he feels Nasrallah represents ?the opposite of peace.?

?It should be offensive to all people living in Windsor. It should be offensive not only to the Jewish community, but to any Canadian.?

Emile Nabbout, president of the Windsor branch of the Lebanese Christian political group Kataeb, said he also thinks Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, and he feels the billboard creates a misconception of the views of Windsor?s Lebanese community. ?We really are not in support or in favour of that billboard and it should be removed ASAP,? Nabbout said.

Printed in English on the left side of the billboard are the words: ?Lebanese and Arab communities in Windsor city congratulate the Lebanese people for their steadfastness and endeavor to establish peace in Lebanon.?

But Nabbout said that Arabic writing which appears on the right side of the billboard does not match the English translation. According to Nabbout, the Arabic writing makes a reference to fighting.

?What they mean by ?fight? is basically ?guerrilla? ? using arms and weapons,? Nabbout said. ?Basically, there is a very specific word... That is a definite difference between the Arabic and the English.?

WINDSOR, Ont. - The billboard depicting Hezbollah's controversial leader, which caused an uproar across Windsor, was quietly replaced Monday morning with an advertisement for a car dealership.

The sign was erected Friday morning and immediately drew fire from the Windsor Jewish Community Centre and the Lebanese Christian political group Kataeb.

Among other Lebanese leaders, the sign prominently depicted Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the political and military group representing Shia Muslims.

Hezbollah, considered a terrorist organization by Ottawa, was created in 1982 primarily to resist the Israeli occupation of Lebanon that lasted two decades.

One of the sign's opponents, Harvey Kessler, executive director of the Windsor Jewish Community Centre, said the sign was "the opposite of peace."

Hussein Dabaja, one of the people who came up with idea for the billboard, said it was meant to honour friends and family who have died fighting in Lebanon.

Mr. Dabaja said he's one of a number of local Lebanese community members who had the idea about seven months ago, after discussing other options to honour people back home that included a candle light vigil.

He said community members and leaders of organizations representing about 700 people settled on the billboard plan.

Supplement:

Hussein Dabaja, one of the people who came up with idea for the billboard, said it was meant to honour friends and family who have died fighting in Lebanon.

Mr. Dabaja said he?s one of a number of local Lebanese community members who had the idea about seven months ago, after discussing other options to honour people back home that included a candle light vigil. He said community members and leaders of organizations representing about 700 people settled on the billboard plan.

The image? http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/1246...1cfb-4621-b62c-0942aff84ec6/0813billboard.jpg

 

[K e r b e r o s]

It's good to see they're own community fighting back.

Not much to refute when you've got a picture of the event, nice! :thumbs: