By Richard Muhammad | FinalCall.com
American media is like a powerful flood that can uproot and wash away everything in its path. But nothing is more powerful than God Himself and his ability to vindicate and clear his servants of false charges, no matter how large the lie and how often it is repeated.
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When the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan delivered a major address in February, a media onslaught and false charges of anti-Semitism followed as he unmasked the deceivers and the wicked ones inside the Jewish community. He shared words from the Talmud, the book of Jewish religious scholars, about the hatred of Jesus and how the prophet was denigrated as a monkey.
The vindication of his words came when Israeli Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, in a March 18 sermon, used the derogatory term “kushi,” and referred to Black people as monkeys.
“You can’t make the blessing on every ‘kushi’ you see—in America you see one every five minutes, so you make it only on a person with a White father and mother,” the chief rabbi said. “How do would you know? Let’s say you know! So they had a monkey as a son, a son like this, so you say the blessing on him,” he was quoted as saying according to timesofisrael.com. The chief rabbi’s remarks were defended as a discussion of elements of the Talmud in a religious context.
“Recently in Israel, there was a Christian monastery and Jewish settlers there burned the door of the monastery. And guess what the Jews wrote on the monastery? ‘Jesus was a monkey.’ Why would they call a righteous servant of God a ‘monkey?’ ” asked Min. Farrakhan in a Feb. 25 message that closed the Nation of Islam’s annual convention.
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“Barack Obama, the man that we sent to the White House with the help of many: The same way they thought about Jesus, who came with the authority of God to straighten them out, they hated Barack who came with the authority of your vote for him, to try to do what Trump is saying he wants to do, ‘make America great.’ But he was a ‘monkey’ in their eyes.
“The Jewish holy book is the Talmud. Jesus, they wanted to boil him in hot excrement. If you don’t know what ‘excrement’ means, it means human waste, cow dung, dog dung, chicken dung; anything that is the waste of the animal or birds, put it in a pot and boil it—and put Jesus in it,” said Min. Farrakhan.
While his words were met with derision and extreme condemnation, including a proposed congressional resolution that accuses him of anti-Semitism, the rabbi’s words went almost unnoticed in American media.
The rabbi’s words were reported in Jewish media and the ADL gave a tepid response: “Racially charged comment made by Israeli Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, comparing people of color to ‘monkeys’, is utterly unacceptable.”
And while the rabbi is a major religious figure and has a history of making offensive statements, the mild ADL rebuke was nothing like the efforts to excoriate Min. Farrakhan for speaking the truth. Once again, the paternalistic Black-Jewish relationship comes into view.
Dr. Ray Winbush, research professor and director of the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan State University, observed: “Strangely enough, those who would readily and I’m talking about Black people—who would readily condemn Minister Farrakhan for what he said seem to not readily be capable or ready to condemn this Israeli Rabbi…. It’s a double standard to say the least. Concerning White people and the Zionists, they do what they have always done. They want to divide us by asking us to condemn our own leaders,” he added.
“The Minister doesn’t say the racist things that these guys say. It goes to the heart of how within the system of White supremacy, one of the strategies is deception and deceit. The Zionists have been deceitful and unfortunately their lackeys have been Black people who seem so readily wanting to eat off the crumbs from the table of the Zionists and they won’t condemn this Jewish rabbi simply because of the fact that they’re afraid of their masters.”
But while Black lawmakers who seek Jewish approval kowtow to their demands, a poll by the Rasmussen organization revealed what is already known: Min. Farrakhan is loved and clearly in Black America’s mainstream, despite the enemy’s efforts to marginalize his impact and deny his leadership.
“Black Voters Like Louis Farrakhan. Everyone Else, Not So Much,” declared the headline for a poll conducted in March.
“Fifty percent (50 percent) of black voters have a favorable opinion of Farrakhan, while 42 percent view him unfavorably,” reported Rasmussen, which is known for conducting political polls. “Among white voters, 12 percent have a favorable impression of Farrakhan, while 57 percent have an unfavorable view of him. Thirty-one percent (31 percent) of white voters don’t know enough about him to offer an opinion.”
The polling organization added, “A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 21 percent of likely U.S. voters have at least a Somewhat Favorable impression of Farrakhan, including eight percent (8 percent) who have a Very Favorable opinion of him.”
Given the blistering media assault on Min. Farrakhan, the relentless lies and slanderous media assaults on his character, these numbers provide a kind of vindication. Black people aren’t anti-Semitic and Black people aren’t unable to watch, listen and absorb the words of a man who has been in public life for 60 years. And, overall, it appears that one-fifth of likely U.S. voters have at minimum an impression of the Minister that is a positive one. While the lies keep coming and the liars spread their falsehoods, they can’t crush the truth. They try to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, their foul words, but the Holy Qur’an promises Allah will perfect his light.
Min. Farrakhan is a light in the midst of a nation suffering from intense darkness and slandering him will not change that reality. It would actually help the country if its leaders and people heeded the wisdom and guidance that the Minister offers. Their refusal to heed the truth and the media’s efforts to hide the truth only hasten the final, divine judgment against a nation whose history is drenched in blood. Lies simply cannot defeat the truth.
Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan is only the most recent Black leader to be slandered by the Jewish charge of “anti-Semitism.”
Michael Jackson, Ice Cube
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In fact, from early in the last century until the present day, every major Black leader at some point in his or her public life has been tagged with the Jewish scarlet letter “A” for “anti-Semite.”
The list of respected Blacks who have been victimized by the “black anti-Semite” label spans the religious and political spectra, from organizations to individuals, from politicians to entertainers. The roster of “black anti-Semites” includes such eminent figures as Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus M. Garvey, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, as well as President Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. Other Black figures targeted by Jewish slanderers include Julian Bond, Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael), Andrew Young, Kweisi Mfume, and the Reverends Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Joseph Lowery.
Oprah Winfrey, Muhammad Ali
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Whole organizations have been so branded, including the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Black Panthers, the Universal Negro Improvement Association (Garvey’s movement), and the Nation of Islam. The spiritual leader of the independence movement in India, and the model for the American civil rights movement, Mohandas K. Gandhi, was labeled an “anti-Semite” for his advocacy of Palestinian rights. Learned Black scholars like John Hope Franklin, J.A. Rogers, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, and even Julius Lester and Alice Walker have all been castigated as “black anti-Semites.” Black entertainers like the late Michael Jackson, film director Spike Lee, rapper Ice Cube, Arsenio Hall, Muhammad Ali, Public Enemy, and even Oprah Winfrey, if we are to believe some Jewish spokespeople, are all “black anti-Semites.” As was every one of the 2.2 million Black men attending the 1995 Million Man March, as well as those attending the 2000 Million Family March—babies and all!
Even white presidents Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Richard M. Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and George H.W. Bush have faced the charge of “anti-Semitism” for their statements or policies some Jews found objectionable. Within days of his 2009 inauguration, the first Black president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, was declared an “Anti-Semitic Jew-Hater” and caricatured on Israeli posters wearing the traditional Arab keffiyeh (headdress). A campaign in 2010 to impeach President Obama collects petition signatures at suburban Jewish supermarkets, using the same defamatory images.
—Excerpted from The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews, Vol. 2
Erykah Badu, a special artist and free thinker, was hit with the Farrakhan Litmus Test during a recent interview with Vulture.com.
First of all the publication has the proper name as vultures feast on dead things. Like the winged scavengers that feed on death, this interview attempted to pick the singer’s bones.
Perhaps we should begin with a question: What does a profile by Jewish writer David Marchese about Ms. Badu and her artistic work have to do with the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam?
Nothing.
Photo: Final Call Newspaper
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Except that Mr. Marchese, once again interjected the 34-year-old fake anti-Semitic canard against the Minister into the discussion.
The interview went like this:
(Writer Marchese): “Okay, thank you. I know this is maybe a weird pivot, but I think it’s relevant. When I was doing research for this interview I came across an article from after you’d gone to Israel, where the Israeli press was linking you to Louis Farrakhan and his alleged anti-Semitism and it seemed that you were being criticized for defending him rather than denouncing anti-Semitism. I don’t know if those reports were accurate, but isn’t it valid to criticize the hurtful idea in an instance like that? Even if you respect the person who holds that idea?”
(Erykah Badu): “Absolutely. But I never made a statement about Louis Farrakhan—ever. What you’re talking about happened in Palestine. At the time, the working title of my album was Saviours’ Day—which is a holiday for the Nation of Islam but also my birthday. So I’d gone to Palestine and journalists asked me, ‘Do you believe in Louis Farrakhan? Do you follow him?’ Sure I do. I’ll follow anyone who has positive aspects. He single-handedly changed half of the Nation of Islam to clean eating, clean living, caring for their families. He has flaws—like any man—but I’m not responsible for that. I said I’ve appreciated what he’s done for a lot of black Americans. I mean, I’m not Muslim, I’m not Christian, I’m not anything; I’m an observer who can see good things and bad things. If you say something good about someone, people think it means that you’ve chosen a side. But I don’t choose sides. I see all sides simultaneously.”
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That’s pretty clear. It was also consistent with Ms. Badu’s declaration that she is a humanist, her belief that everyone has some good in them and how she stayed away from speaking for or criticizing others in the interview.
She pointed to the art of Nazi Adolph Hitler in an attempt to prove a point and was sandbagged. The interview blew up and Erykah Badu was quickly trending on Twitter—and not in a good way.
“People are in real pain. So I understand why my ‘good’ intent was misconstrued as ‘bad’. In trying to express a point, I used 1 of the worst examples possible. Not to support the cruel actions of an unwell, psychopathic Adolf Hitler, but to only exaggerate a show of compassion,” said Ms. Badu via her @fatbellybella Twitter handle.
What she faced, in truth, were the problems at the root of this “controversy.” It came fully into the light in 1984 during the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign: Jewish paternalism and control over Black people and Zionist determination to annihilate anyone who dares criticize or even critique U.S. support of Israel or speak to the need for Palestinians to receive justice.
By: Salih Muhammad
History will absolve me – Commandante Fidel Castro
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad wrote, “Of all of our studies, history is most guaranteed to reward our research.” History examines the patterns of human behavior and relationships, providing its student with a striking understanding of context. A cursory examination of Black history indicates that every great leader we have produced has been met with a litany of obstacles and controversies that impacts their ability to work on behalf of the people. Many of those whom we presently honor did not receive such honors while they were alive. Why?
With more than 60 years of dedication and unwavering commitment to the liberation of All Black People, Minister Farrakhan stands as one of our most consistent and successful leaders. Although he has received praise from global leaders such as Fidel Castro, Kwame Toure, former Ghanaian President Jerry John Rawlings, and Yasser Arafat, Minister Farrakhan remains the central, most controversial figure in Black America. The hatred that is summoned at the sound of his name is rooted not in treacherous action, but the following myths that disguise the underlying truth that exposes them.
Malcolm X
Some oppose Minister Farrakhan on the assumption that he, and the Nation of Islam are responsible for the assassination of Minister Malcolm X. However, in a January 22, 1969 memo, the FBI actually take credit for the assassination of Malcolm X through the Counterintelligence Program (COINTELPRO). COINTELPRO is the same program responsible for the death of Fred Hampton, Mark Clark, and countless other Black Leaders. Malcolm’s secretary, Ms. Sarah Mitchell stated the following in regards to the night before his assassination:
“He said now anyone could kill him and everyone would blame the Muslims … He said, ‘We’ve been set up, and they succeeded.’ Malcolm X planned to recant his criticism of Muhammad at the Harlem rally that afternoon, Mitchell said, but he was gunned down before he could do so. She disputes a widely held belief that angry Muslims were behind the assassination.”
Homophobia & Transantagonism
Although I acknowledge that the spiritual views of Minister Farrakhan & the NOI in regards to Queer & Transgender identities is rooted in Islamic beliefs that conflict, I believe that we can work toward Operational Unity with love at the root. On March 25, 2011, Min. Farrakhan stated, “I love my people who are lesbian, homosexual, transgender. Don’t make no difference, I love you.” The words are very clear and are supported by his actions. Not once, has the NOI or any NOI member committed physical violence upon our Black LGBT family; and we welcome opportunities to build and heal any unintended pain in unity. Furthermore, the love of all Black people is not a transaction; or a consequence of Queer & Trans contributions to our struggle; rather a deeply spiritual and pure love of all Black people.
Gwendolyn Rodgers, a National Black Justice Coalition Emerging Leader (a Black LGBT Advocacy organization) examines this unfortunate reality in this beautifully written article. Gwendolyn asks us to reevaluate our perceived differences and consider, “Can we not operate in our silos for a common cause of liberation? Or do we not want to be truly free?” Is it possible to create unity without uniformity? To listen through disagreement?
Misogyny, Misogynoir, and Black Women
What has been most interesting around the charges of misogyny, misogynoir, and sexism within the Nation of Islam has been the complete absence of the voices of NOI women on the subject. Kathleen Currin interviewed such women and found that “all the women interviewed expressed over and over again that they loved their experiences in the Nation of Islam, precisely because it taught them that they could accomplish what they wanted.” Professor Ula Taylor of UC Berkeley offers that “many women joined the ranks of the Nation of Islam because of the “problematic dynamics within the Black power movement.” In fact, every NOI Mosque is constitutionally mandated to have women in leadership, up to and including Mother Clara Muhammad’s active leadership of the NOI from 1942 to 1947. Similarly, a survey conducted by Dr. Bayinnah Jefferies found that 89% of respondents (both male and female) agreed that “women were always highly respected within the community” and “had comparable roles to men” in the NOI.
Minister Farrakhan’s prolific support of Black Women and girls for six decades has been unprecedented. Phrases like “The Black Woman is God,” or “A Nation can rise no higher than its Woman,” find their roots in NOI theology and Minister Farrakhan’s spiritual exegesis. In 1998, Minister Farrakhan made Dr. Ava Muhammad the first woman to lead a Mosque (Atlanta, GA) in the world. Today, Dr. Ava is his National Spokesperson, a role comparable to the one Malcolm X’s once held. Dr. Ava is a just one example of the type of empowerment, renewal, and upliftment that Black Women across the country experience from their relationship with Islam. Similarly, the Million Man March and Justice or Else gatherings featured legendary Black women, including Maya Angelou and Dorothy Heights.
Anti-Semitic
Since the 1980’s, Minister Farrakhan has weathered the storm of being consistently and repeatedly called anti-Semitic. The accusation has been so intense that it has lead to Zionist protest with slurs such as “Who do we Want? Farrakhan! How do we want him? Dead!” The accusations have been so misleading that the white-led Southern Poverty Law Center classifies the NOI and Minister Farrakhan in the same grouping as the Ku Klux Klan, although the NOI has never been known to purvey violence. The KKK has a long record of murder and terrorism; the NOI has none. The truth of the matter is that the charge of anti-semitism has been used historically and presently to condemn those critical of Israel. Consider this August 14, 2002 interview between NPR’s Amy Goodman and former Israeli Minister of Education Shulamit Aloni:
Goodman: Often there is dissent expressed in the United States against policies of the Israeli government, people here are called “anti-semitic.” What is your response to that as an Israeli Jew?
Aloni: Well, it’s a trick. We always use it.
Anti-semitism is vastly different from a political critique of Israeli imperialism.
Is Farrakhan still relevant?
Some may suggest that Minister Farrakhan no longer carries relevance, except the controversy that seems to follow him. Min. Farrakhan is responsible for hosting the four largest gatherings in Black History, most recently Justice or Else in October 2015, each averaging at least one million Black people. No other leader has been able to maintain such a strong appeal, especially in spite of a complete media absence in coverage before, during, or after the march. Or consider that under his leadership, the Nation of Islam maintains bases in more than 120 cities across America, and more globally. Countless artists, entertainers, politicians, and other renowned Black folks have embraced Minister Farrakhan publicly; and the Nation’s impact on Black social and political realities has remained consistent. Lastly, the Nation of Islam under Minister Farrakhan’s leadership is one of the only remaining strong, independent, Black Organizations we have.
The harsh reality is that too often our perception of Black leaders is shaped and influenced by white popular media, long standing assumptions, and a sheer lack of knowledge. The notion that he is no longer relevant is as unfounded as it is absurd. The reality is that corporate (read: white) sponsored media has intentionally excluded anything related to Min. Farrakhan, creating the false appearance that Minister Farrakhan is no longer relevant. How does Justice or Else happen and without one corporate (read: white) media entity covering it? The media’s opinion of the Minister can be found in a March 1999 New York Post–America’s 7th largest newspaper–cartoon depicting Minister Farrakhan’s decapitation.
One may not agree with every single thing that Minister Farrakhan says, but certainly 60 years of sacrifice for Black people deserves respect. To his example, we owe gratitude. I conclude with a remarkable reminder from Sister Assata Shakur: “The first thing the enemy tries to do is isolate revolutionaries from the masses of people, making us horrible and hideous monsters so that our people will hate us.”
Reposted from: http://afrikanblackcoalition.org/2017/01/05/the-misunderstanding-of-minister-louis-farrakhan-the-nation-of-islam/
(On January 14th, The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan will be speaking at this year’s Afrikan Black Coalition Conference. For more information see the flyer below and visit: http://afrikanblackcoalition.org/abc-conference/)