FARGO, N.D. - A member of Moorhead's Human Rights Commission has organized a press conference and rally at 2 p.m. today to denounce an advertisement distributed in the The Forum a little over a week ago.
Tammie Yak says the event in front of Moorhead City Hall is meant to "denounce hate literature such as this in our community" and "show great support for our friends, neighbors, who are Muslim."
On Sunday, Sept. 28, The Forum distributed a DVD on cardboard backing titled, "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West."
The hour-long movie shows news images of terrorism and anti-American speeches and compares radical extremists' push to eradicate Western ways with Nazi Germany's war against the Jews.
The video was paid for by The Clarion Fund, a nonprofit group in Delaware. It was distributed to more than 28 million households, mainly through about 70 newspapers.
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Forum Editor Matthew Von Pinnon wrote about the ad in his Sunday column.
"Before the insert ran in our paper, a half-dozen managers from different departments at The Forum sat down together to view it. Even if some of us didn't agree with the content or how it was portrayed, we all agreed there was no good reason to reject it," he said.
"Fact is, advertising by its very nature is meant to influence. In most cases, it is selling a product or service. But, occasionally, it's also selling an idea or philosophy. We're reminded of that daily in this political season," he said.
Yak, in announcing the press conference, said it was important for people to stand against things that are not right.
"Where are the moral standards and what does it mean when there seems to be intention to cause harm, as in this DVD? Does that not bring just cause to not send this to our homes in a paper that is trusted in our community?"
