Cable news pundit Mona Eltahawy out of jail after defacing pro-Israel signs; Muslim Brotherhood cheers

CNN and MSNBC pundit Mona Eltahawy was released from a New York jail cell today after being booked on charges of criminal mischief and graffiti. The Egyptian-American columnist and blogger was arrested yesterday after spray-painting a pro-Israel poster in a New York subway station.

I AM FREE! #NYC

— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) September 26, 2012

Mona is out and about! #FreeMona straight from 100 Center. Now cameras all over. pic.twitter.com/rgbpKzN3

— BillayJohn (@JonnyTurnover) September 26, 2012

A camera crew was on hand yesterday to capture Eltahawy’s vandalism in progress, as well as a confrontation with Pamela Hall, who tried to block Eltahawy. The poster, sponsored by the American Freedom Defense Initiative and blogger Pamela Geller, reads, “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.” Ten of the posters went up in the subway on Monday, after the Metropolitan Transit Authority lost its bid to block the posters on the grounds that they contained “demeaning language.” A federal judge ruled in July that the posters were protected speech.

Eltahawy had given notice of her plans on her Twitter feed.

Spray Can or stickers made at Kinkos for hit&run? Spray can sexier though… #ProudSavage #NYC

— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) September 25, 2012

#ProudSavageTuesday My pink spray paint will match my pink raincoat but my Gaddafi-green fascist dress reveals my true intentions #FuckHate

— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) September 25, 2012

I don't do peace & love when it comes to racist & bigoted shits like Pam Geller & co. There r some who do. Move on & look elsewhere.

— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) September 25, 2012

A former Reuters journalist, Eltahawy says the “whole point” of her act was that she only defaced the poster rather than tearing it down. As shown in the video, her argument is that spray-painting the poster was simply the application of her freedom of speech over the top of someone else’s freedom of speech.

I want to make v clear: never wanted 2 nor did I remove that racist piece of shit poster.I spray painted & u cld still see words.Whole point

— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) September 26, 2012

4 hrs bef my action, man at other #NYC station ripped off half of that racist piece of shit poster saying "This is fucking New York City!"

— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) September 26, 2012

Eltahawy’s arrest drew the attention of Arabic TV and spawned the #freemona hashtag, which was even tweeted by @IkhwanWeb, the verified Twitter account for the Muslim Brotherhood’s English language website.

#freemona MT@TheRobinMorgan tweets 4 @monaeltahawy: held overnght due in criminal crt this AM chrged Crim Mischief misdemeanor…

— Ikhwanweb (@Ikhwanweb) September 26, 2012

That was a retweet of Robin Morgan. Evidently the Muslim Brotherhood keeps tabs on the feminist activist and former Ms. Magazine editor.

https://twitter.com/thepeacemoss/status/251060994556715008

My previous RT of @thepeacemoss informing @monaeltahawy that the Brotherhood/ikhwan tweeted #freemona was happily RTed by @monaeltahawy

— Dr. Petra Marquardt-Bigman (@WarpedMirrorPMB) September 26, 2012

https://twitter.com/thepeacemoss/status/251067696609910784

One person offers a more likely explanation for the newfound common ground between Eltahawy and the Muslim Brotherhood.

@thepeacemoss @monaeltahawy no,it is not sticking with Egyptians,they despise free women,but they are so antisemitic that they swallowed it

— Hany Ragy (@Hragy) September 26, 2012

As the United Nations General Assembly meets this week, New York City is already a charged environment with regard to free speech, what with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation calling for “adequate protection” worldwide against hate speech which targets Islam, and President Obama himself declaring that “the future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.”

Americans with a better understanding of freedom of speech than “journalist” Eltahawy step in to clarify the First Amendment.

Destruction of private property isn't "free speech." Shameful. http://t.co/cLCR9XX2

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) September 26, 2012

No, @monaeltahawy you get arrested for destroying/defacing property: http://t.co/cLCR9XX2

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) September 26, 2012

https://twitter.com/TxSkirt/status/251098106773516288

She can start her ad campaign for whatever cause. She doesnt hv to break the law, vandalize other ppl property @monaeltahawy #freemona

— Kylliki Tennemann (@KyllikiT) September 26, 2012

Forget that video which killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three others; this poster which drives cable pundits to commit vandalism is on the move.

5 people arrested in one night for exercising freedom to protest that racist piece of shit poster. The poster's going to need bodyguards!

— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) September 26, 2012

@monaeltahawy The ad is making its way to Washington DC.. I guess we need to stock on spray dear..

— Shahrazad Kablan (@ShahrazadKablan) September 26, 2012

One Eltahawy supporter has a very American idea for a response.

https://twitter.com/crosstheredline/status/251064377409691648

Keepin’ it classy.

#FuckRacism RT @ScottSellsFL: Fuck Mona the racist #arab bigot. HAPPY to see you spent time in jail. You'll be there again soon! Sharmuta

— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) September 27, 2012