U.S. journalist James Foley (R) arrives with fellow reporter Clare Gillis
U.S. journalist James Foley (R) arrives with fellow reporter Clare Gillis (not pictured), after being released by the Libyan government, at Rixos hotel in Tripoli, in this picture taken May 18, 2011. Islamic State militants have posted a video that purported to show the beheading of American journalist Foley in revenge for U.S. air strikes in Iraq, prompting widespread revulsion that could push Western powers into further action against the group. Foley, 40, was kidnapped on November 22, 2012, in northern Syria, according to GlobalPost. The video was posted after the U.S. resumed air strikes in Iraq in August 2014 for the first time since the end of the U.S. occupation in 2011. He had earlier been kidnapped and released in Libya. Picture taken May 18, 2011. Reuters/Louafi Larbi

An anti-Islam ad featuring beheaded U.S. journalist James Foley's photo was withdrawn from New York City buses after the family of the deceased journalist filed a complaint against it.

The anti-Islam ads on NYC buses have been funded by the far-right American group American Freedom Defense Initiative, which decided to pull one of the mentioned ads after receiving complaints from Foley's family. A photo of Foley, beheaded by the Islamic State terrorists on live camera in August, was used in the ads. The ads were also financed by blogger Patricia Geller who, along with her group AFDI, paid $100,000 for six advertisements that contained messages against Islam. The sum was paid to the Metropolitan Transit Authority of New York. One of the six ads has been withdrawn at the last moment while the other five are scheduled to run on NYC buses for four weeks starting on Monday, Sept 29, Al Jazeera reports.

The photo of the American journalist, which was supposed to be used on one of the ads, had been taken just before his beheading. While the family's complaint may have prevented the use of Foley's photo, AFDI now has plans to include a decapitated head, according to Reuters. Geller's lawyer David Yerushalmi said that that the ads would also feature the masked militant that beheaded Foley and other victims. Foley's family would apparently feel uncomfortable if James' photo was used in the ads on 100 buses and a couple of subways.

"The use of Mr. Foley's photo in your advertisement will cause profound distress to the Foley family," said family lawyer J. Patrick Rowan's letter to Geller. "Having lived in and reported from communities in which nearly everyone was of Muslim faith, he had great respect for the religion and those who practiced it. The advertisement you are preparing to run seems to convey the message that ordinary practitioners of Islam are a dangerous threat. This message is entirely inconsistent with Mr. Foley's reporting and his beliefs."

The ads reportedly portray Islam as an extremist and violent religion. At the same time, the series of ads will apparently ask the U.S. government to stop funding Islamic countries all around the world.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au