Harley dealer changes his sign

ADAMS CENTER — The Iron Block Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealership removed a controversial scrolling message from its digital sign Thursday at the insistence of the Harley-Davidson Motor Co., based in Milwaukee.

The message, "Obama, are you kidding? We're not Muslim. You are not Christian!!" came down at the 10 a.m. deadline set by the company's attorneys, according to Claudia Dunk, wife of owner Erik J. Dunk. Mrs. Dunk works at the store.

The message referred to President Barack Obama's comment to a reporter in advance of his Middle East trip that "if you actually took the number of Muslim Americans, we'd be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world. ... And so there's got to be a better dialogue and a better understanding between the two peoples."

Although the Iron Block dealership is independently owned, dealers must sign a contract with Harley-Davidson that includes stipulations about brand association. Mr. Dunk said the company requested that messages say "nothing about the president and nothing about religion."

"If I had no employees, I'd be doing it in a heartbeat," he said. "But I have 20, 30 people whose livelihoods depend on me. It was one guy who complained ... I think the Muslim population of this country is super-sensitive."

On Thursday afternoon, the sign was advertising a Father's Day cookout and bike demo and a July 4 TEA Party. The latter event suggests Mr. Dunk is not shying away from all mixing of politics and business. TEA stands for "Taxed Enough Already" and is part of a national wave of such events.

Khuram Hussain, Syracuse, a Muslim and an education professor at William and Hobart Smith Colleges, Geneva, had complained about the message posted on the dealership's sign. He said when he saw the sign Friday evening, its message read, "Obama is not a Christian! He is a Muslim!!!" and it was that slogan that prompted his complaint to Harley-Davidson and to several area chambers of commerce.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Dunk denied that message was ever displayed, however, and said they made no changes to the message after Mr. Hussain aired his complaint.

"He probably just saw 'Obama' and 'Muslim' and that was it,' Mrs. Dunk said.

Mr. Dunk said Tuesday that Mr. Hussain misinterpreted the message's meaning in addition to misreading its wording.

"I never said Obama isn't a Christian," Mr. Dunk said. "I said he wasn't Christian," referring to the word's more general meaning: a person of integrity, honesty and goodwill.

"There's nothing derogatory about Muslims," he said. "If you want to take it that way, you can do that. I think (Mr. Hussain) is not being fair. I think he went overboard."

Mr. Dunk also said he might have been more receptive to removing the message himself had the complaint been echoed by a groundswell of opposition from the local community.

"Do I like being controversial? Yes," he said. "Do I want to do something to upset an entire community? No. A mass negative response would generate some thought from me."

When asked if a Muslim would have reason to feel unwelcome in his dealership, Mr. Dunk said, "Not if they're a true American."

Mrs. Dunk said Mr. Hussain and others who subsequently complained about the sign "weren't our customers anyway."

For his part, Mr. Hussain, who grew up in the north country and owns property in Watertown, has said his objection to either message would remain the same.

"The religious implication of the message is clear: in order to criticize the president, the banner is making a negative association with Muslims, particularly in relation to Christians," he wrote in an e-mail to the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. "This is certain to cause visitors and residents to feel alienated and unwelcome here."

By phone Thursday, Mr. Hussain said he felt proud that his efforts had resulted in the message's removal.

Mr. Dunk, through his business's sign, "represents an all-American company, and that's a powerful thing," Mr. Hussain said. "I mean, this is Harley-Davidson. It can't get more all-American than that. That is a very powerful forum through which to send a message of divisiveness or unity."

"I'm proud," he said, "and I'm proud of Harley-Davidson for making this choice. I think they did the right thing."

He added that he hoped the matter would encourage more talk about diversity in the north country.