Wheat Ridge billboard links Obama with jihadists

WHEAT RIDGE - A billboard from a local businessman in suburban Denver compares President Barack Obama to a terrorist.

The billboard in Wheat Ridge shows a cartoonish Obama wearing a turban. The billboard says, "PRESIDENT or JIHAD?"

The words "WAKE UP AMERICA! REMEMBER FT. HOOD!" appear on the bottom.

The ad belongs to Wolf Interstate Leasing and Sales. The owner, Phil Wolf, told 9NEWS, "I put up the billboard because I had questions. They haven't been answered. No one wants to ask them.

He says there has been a strong reaction to the billboard.

"My employees have been swamped with calls. They have been threatened and called names. I didn't expect that," Wolf said. "We live in a free country. We have the right express our opinions."

"It's my sign, my business and my property," he said.

The Anti-Defamation League released a statement in response to the billboard on Friday:

"The Anti-Defamation League decries the use of religious imagery and references to make a political point, regardless of ones political perspective on the issues of the day. This billboard exploits the recent tragic shooting at Ft. Hood in a context replete with bigotry. It is divisive and offensive, and perpetuates hateful and harmful stereotypes about Muslims. ADL encourages all individuals to keep political discourse free of hateful sentiment, scapegoating and stereotypes."