Hey, fellow Hoosiers! I mean you sitting smug over there oblivious to the rantings of Louis Farrakhan, one of the worst traffickers of anti-semitic stereotypes in our country. At a Feb. 25 meeting of the Nation of Islam in Chicago, Farrakhan declaimed he was doing the work of Jesus by denouncing the Jews—saying that Jesus called the Jews “Children of the Devil.”
Farrakhan charged that Ukraine, France, Poland and Germany are controlled by Jews. As an aside, Jews are leaving France en masse as a result of France’s inability to control the steep rise in anti-semitic violence most often perpetrated by radicalized Muslims. According to Farrakhan, Jews control the agencies of government, including the FBI. He also promoted the “pot plot” conspiracy that Jews and the U.S. government are manipulating strains of marijuana to feminize black men.
You may be laughing at these ridiculous character assassinations and thinking “not my problem.” but you would be mistaken. In his February speech Farrakhan also targeted the majority community with “the greatest thing that is happening is a natural death of the white race.” Are you surprised? Turn over the rock of anti-semitism and you’ll find hatred of all kinds. To the LGBT community he said, “Do you think Allah is pleased with you bringing the evils of Sodom and Gomorrah to the entire world?”
Farrakhan is a classic bully who never got that requisite punch in the nose. He continues unchecked—encouraged by a hard-core entourage and lack of censorship by leaders who should know better.
After basking in the success of his Million Man March, Farrakhan seemed to be losing his place on the world stage, a minor though not insignificant outlier like the American Nazi Party and the Ku Klux Klan. But today, anti-semitism on the rise worldwide, he resonates particularly with African-American youth. He has been called perhaps the most popular anti-semite in America.
It is worrisome that National Women’s March leader Tamika Mallory extols Farrakhan and attacks the Anti-Defamation League, which questioned her alliance with the Nation of Islam. She accused the ADL of “constantly attacking black and brown peoples” when even a cursory look at the record shows the ADL has defended and protected all Americans over decades. What a shame. One of the goals of the Women’s March is to spread inclusivity and equal treatment. Yet Mallory abandoned those principles when it came to Farrakhan.
U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita, although never my favorite U.S. Senate candidate, deserves applause for introducing a resolution condemning Farrakhan for promoting ideas that create animosity and anger toward Jewish Americans and the Jewish religion.
The reaction from African-American community leaders has been tepid. Why? Is it reflective—support of another African-American by those who fail to limn the difference between the Muslim faith and the Nation of Islam? Is it animus toward the Jewish community? Is it a failure of courage? Surely no one believes the vile poison spewing from that hateful mouth.
Farrakhan deserves to be censured along with all those who espouse the hate that separates people. Perhaps if he dares bring his circus to Indiana, our leaders and role models will deliver that punch in the nose. We should expect no less.•
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Maurer is a shareholder in IBJ Corp. To comment on this column, send email to mmaurer@ibj.com.
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