The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville is investigating how it came to print a full-page advertisement Sunday by a fringe biblical prophecy...
The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville is investigating how it came to print a full-page advertisement Sunday by a fringe biblical prophecy group that claimed 'Islam' is set to detonate a nuclear bomb in the city.
The ad, which featured pictures of Donald Trump, Pope Francis, and burning US flags, was credited to the Ministry of Future of America - a group that claims its mission is to 'proclaim the final warning message' from the Bible.
Titled 'Dear Citizen of Nashville', the lengthy 'prophecy' features several paragraphs of anti-Muslim rhetoric claiming that the Bible predicts Islam’s role is to bring 'all men on planet earth together to combat them.'
It also stated that Trump would be the 'last president of the US', warned there would be 'another civil war', and said that 'Islam is going to detonate a nuclear device' in Nashville on July 18.
The bizarre prolix also made mention of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Democratic Party and the 2001 September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center buildings.
The paid advertisement that appeared in Sunday's editions of The Tennessean from the group Future For America claims Donald Trump 'is the final president of the USA' and features a photo of Trump and Pope Francis. It begins by claiming that a nuclear device would be detonated in Nashville and that the attack would be carried out by unspecific interests of 'Islam'
In a story on its website Sunday afternoon, The Tennessean said the ad violated the newspaper´s long-established standards banning hate speech.
'Clearly there was a breakdown in the normal processes, which call for careful scrutiny of our advertising content,' Vice President and Editor Michael A. Anastasi said, adding that the paper's news and sales departments operate independently.
'The ad is horrific and is utterly indefensible in all circumstances. It is wrong, period, and should have never been published.
'Clearly there was a breakdown in the normal processes, which call for careful scrutiny of our advertising content,' Vice President and Editor Michael A. Anastasi said, adding that the paper's news and sales departments operate independently
'It has hurt members of our community and our own employees and that saddens me beyond belief. It is inconsistent with everything The Tennessean as an institution stands and has stood for.'
The Tennessean reported that Sunday’s ad 'was immediately ordered to be pulled from future editions by sales executives and the investigation launched.'
The group also ran a full-page ad in Wednesday's editions of the newspaper, which didn't mention Islam but did feature 'end-times prophecy'.
On that occasion Future of America said its intention was to warn Nashville residents about next month's event 'so that they may be able to make a decision intelligently.'
Tennessean reporters including state government reporter Natalie Allison, investigative reporter Adam Tamburin, health care reporter Brett Kelman and Titans reporter Erik Bacharach, among others, criticized the ad on Twitter.
'It also ran on A20 of Wednesday’s paper,' Bacharach tweeted. 'This is so severely irresponsible. I’ve got no idea how something like this gets approved — I have no inkling into the advertising process — but it’s absolutely unacceptable. My colleagues and I are seeking answers.'
The ad said that Trump would be the 'last president of the US', warned there would be 'another civil war', and said that 'Islam is going to detonate a nuclear device' in Nashville
Future of America is a 501c3 non-profit based in Arkansas, that describes its purpose on its website as 'evangelism'. According to tax returns observed by the Tennessee Lookout, the group brought in $727,520 last year, and has a cash flow of over $1 million.
Its fundraising sources are not itemized on the most recent disclosure, the outlet reported.
According to its website, the group's ministry warns of so-called end-of-the-world Bible prophecies whose fulfillment 'is no longer future - for it is taking place before our eyes.'
Speaking to the New York Times, Jeff Pippenger, who identified himself as the speaker of the Ministry of Future for America, said the paper owed him a full refund. He declined to specify how much the ad cost.
'I stand by all the content in the ad and the content in the website,' he said. 'It seems to me the criticism is more aimed at the editorial staff at the newspaper, and the criticism about my religious convictions is simply what happens when you let your religious convictions out into the public arena.'
Nashville is home to the largest Kurdish-American population in the country and last year elected its first Muslim public official, Metro Council member Zulfat Suara.
Council on Islamic-American Relations spokesman Ibrahim Hooper called the ad 'unfortunate' but said it was 'symptomatic of the overall rise of Islamophobia, racism and white supremacy' in the US, in a statement Sunday.
Cooper said the ad was 'Islamophobic' and added that though the ad was pulled and an investigation has begun, 'we would urge the Tennessean to also implement updated policies and staff training to ensure that this type of hate incident does not occur in the future. CAIR is willing to offer that training.'
Jeff Pippenger, who identified himself as the speaker of the Ministry of Future for America, said the paper owed him a full refund. He declined to specify how much the ad cost
According to its website, the group's ministry warns of so-called end-of-the-world Bible prophecies whose fulfillment 'is no longer future - for it is taking place before our eyes'
The Tennessean newspaper (headquarters pictured) has launched an investigation into the matter to learn how the ad make it to print
While the bizarre nature of the ad will likely to be interpreted as such by readers, Hooper said a minority of people could believe the false claims about Muslims.
Sabina Mohyuddin, executive director of the Tennessee-based American Muslim Advisory Council, agreed, citing the ad to be a major setback for the Muslim community and voiced fears it may incite violence against Muslims in the state.
'Obviously this is very dangerous against our community,' Mohyuddin said to the Lookout. 'It makes you think that if you want to write an editorial and they won’t publish it, then you can pay to have it published with an ad. If this was a white nationalist organization, the KKK, or making racist remarks, or anti-Semitic remarks, would the Tennessean publish it? They wouldn’t have, that’s the truth.'
Mohyuddin added that the Muslim community already suffers from bullying in schools, discrimination in the workplace and threats to places of worship.
'So when things like this come out we live in greater fear. You’re talking about a nuclear attack,' she said. 'You can apologize. You can pull the ad, but once this idea is in people’s minds and it falls further into their stereotypes, this just confirms their stereotypes.'
Terry Heaton, who is an author and retired television news executive, including the former executive producer of 'The 700 Club,' said the advertisement´s claim is not supported in the Bible.
'This idea has been debated in church circles forever, and there have been plenty of historical accounts of those who shouted that "the end is near,"' Heaton said. 'Obviously, nobody has been accurate, so I think it's safe to say this is nonsense.'
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