NEW YORK (AP) - An Egyptian-born U.S. columnist has been arrested for spray-painting an advertisement equating Muslim radicals with savages at a New York City subway station.
Police say Mona Eltahawy was arrested Tuesday on charges including criminal mischief and making graffiti. Her arrest was captured on video by a New York Post camera crew and posted online.
Eltahawy is a women's rights defender and lecturer on the role of social media in the Arab world. She calls herself a liberal Muslim who's spoken publicly against violent Islamic groups. She's seen in the video spraying pink paint on the ad while another woman tries to block her.
The ad is by a conservative blogger. It declares, "Defeat Jihad," or holy war. The ads appeared Monday in 10 Manhattan subway stations.
Eltahawy hasn't returned a phone message seeking comment on her arrest.
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9/25/2012 10:58:40 PM (GMT -4:00)