Should the MTA Be Allowed to Turn Down Inflammatory Ads?

The MTA announced this week that ads which feature a strong condemnation of Islam will be posted in 10 subway stations throughout the city, according to the New York Times.

Initially, the MTA was reported to have turned down the ads, but that rejection resulted in a court challenge. The judge held that the ads were protected speech under the first amendment and that the transit authority had no right to refuse them.

The decision comes at a time when tensions in the Middle East have boiled over on multiple fronts. Warring factions are at each other's throats in Syria and Libya, Egypt is trying to hold democratic elections after overthrowing a dictator and Israel fends off daily threats from myriad groups in the region. 

Last week, an American diplomat and members of his staff were killed after riots erupted in Libya over a YouTube clip that denigrated the prophet Mohammed.

Forest Hills is a neighborhood where issues of Middle Eastern security — particularly for Israel — are debated frequently. With a large Jewish population and a Congressional seat that's up for grabs, Forest Hills has become an epicenter for left- and right-leaning philosophies on what to do in the region.

So we're curious to know what you think of this latest issue to flare up. 

Is the decision to allow the ads based on First Amendment statutes the correct one? Or should the MTA's decision-makers be allowed to turn away advertisements that they believe could be inflammatory? 

What would you do if you saw the ad were to be placed in a station in Forest Hills?

Let us know what you think in the comments below.