LETTERS

Marketing
Campus Racism

One expects to find racism
and anti-Semitism, even on
college campuses. But you
don't usually expect to find
campus programs distribu-
ting racist, sexist and anti-
Semitic materials.
Ferris State University's of-
fice of Minority Affairs main-
tains a subscription to
Alkebulanian, which is
published out of Detroit. The
editor of the magazine,
Joseph Ben-Jochannan, refer-
red to as "Pharaoh," was
brought to our campus last
year to lecture. The
magazine's statement of in-
tent says they wish to offer
the reader "the power of
African pride and dignity
revealing a dignity of
spirituality as lived during
the great era of Egyptian
Kings and Queens." The
magazine "will speak the
truth and expose the false-
hoods that have weakened a
precious people through the
course of history?'
Among the "truths" that
the magazine speaks is that
the Jewish Talmud was writ-
ten by "racist dogs" and that
the Jews have manipulated
the world into grieving over
the Holocaust as a way to
make "black people forget
that it was this same handful
who participated in the
African Holocaust?'
Another example: Ashra
Kwesi, director of Kemet Nu
productions, is a Los Angeles
based campus lecturer. His
topics include the "African
Origins of Civilization" and
the "African Origins of
Judeo-Christianity."
Mr. Kwesi is racist, sexist,
anti-Christian and anti-
Semitic. He uses such terms
as "faggot America" and
"faggot Pope" in his talks. He
has spoken at Stanford,
Southern Methodist Universi-
ty, UCLA, University of Il-
linois, and numerous other
schools.
Patsy Julius, program direc-
tor for the Student Union at
the University of Texas at
Austin, enthusiastically
recommended Kwesi to me as
a campus lecturer. She said
he had spoken several times
at the University of Thxas. I
specifically asked about

direction and guidance of our
president, who was granted
the power by the Congress, at-
tacked Iraq. We are now at
war. Like it or not, we have
committed ourselves to pro-
tecting another country from
agression .. .
It is with a prayer in my
heart and pen in my hand
that I write now, praying it
will only be a short time
before our people are brought
safely home, and offer my
words of allegiance.

MINNA konlftaradaybyAmlmylrAtimsaCapyript. 1110. Plowdev. Cistntwed byLos Angie Toss Sy•icate.

Kwesi's use of terms such as
"the faggot Pope" and his
numerous anti-Semitic
remarks. She indicated that
Kwesi was "controversial"
and some students did object,
but that he was personable
and was willing to "dialogue"
with students who objected to
his terminology.
She said that he instilled
pride in African American
students.
I wrote to Joan Watson,
executive director of the
Detroit office of the NAACP,
asking her if the NAACP had
"a statement or policy as to
the advisability of minority
affairs offices offering such
material to students."
Instead of a reply, I receiv-
ed a lecture in which I was
told that "the primary
catalyst for African American
students concerns on college
campuses is the rise of
organizations like the neo-
Nazis, the skinheads, W.A.R.
and the KKK ."
I immediately wrote back to
say that I was in complete
agreement with her on the
danger of white supremacist
organizations, but I "presum-
ed" the NAACP "was con-
cerned with combatting
racism wherever it appeared."
I pointed out that my concern
was prompted by the fact that
students on my campus were
reading that the Talmud was
written by "racist dogs," and
that this material was
targeted at African American
students by the office of
Minority Affairs.
I was once again treated to
a lecture on white supremacy
somewhat longer than before.
I was also informed that the
"NAACP has been fighting
racism vigorously and
vigilantly since 1909" and
that she was sure my use of
the term "presume" did not
"mean to suggest that the
NAACP needs to validate our
consistent stands against
racism and anti-Semitism?'
She told me she would for-
ward my request for a "state-
ment" to Benjamin Hooks.
That was in November. I have
heard nothing since.

Barry Mehler
Ferris State University
Big Rapids

Contractors Could
Help The Allies

Allied forces are now facing
an enemy which has been
equipped with the best offen-
sive and defensive systems
that money can buy. As a
result, French, German, Rus-
sian and even American sup-
pliers to the Iraqi war
machine have a tremendous
wealth of information which
they could provide to the
allied forces in order to ex-
pedite victory.
For example, almost all of-
fensive missiles (including
Russian Scuds) have self-
destruct mechanisms which
may be activated by remote
signal — we should have the
codes.
In addition, the contractors
who built Iraqi blinkers have
definite information regar-
ding not only their locations
but also design weaknesses.
The same could be said with
regard to every other facili-
ty and piece of equipment
within Iraq.
It may not be good for
return business to give away
trade secrets but this is the
least that these companies
can do now to make up for
what they did.

Aaron Lerner
Kfar Sava, Israel

Back Our Troops
In Persian Gulf

Today, as I observe this
world of uncertainty, there is
one feeling, above all others,
that I am certain of. We must
support our service people.
It is our responsibility to
acknowledge and express our
deepest appreciation for the
men and women that risk
their lives, leave their
families, and face the grave
challenges evoked by war as
they represent and go to bat-
tle on behalf of our country
with courage, determination,
and dedication.
Whether we agree that we
should have entered into war
or whether we should have
waited longer before entering
into war or whether, in fact,
we should be at war at all, is
now of little consequence.
We have, in fact, under the

A Response
To Intermarriage

Regarding Rabbi Schach
and justification of the
Holocaust because of the sin
of the Jewish people in
Europe:
First of all, we don't need
accusers among us, we have
enough accusers from the
enemies of the Jewish people.
Secondly, he is not the one to
make that judgement. Even
Moses, when he got impatient
with the Jewish people in the
desert because of their sin,
and he complained to God,
God reprimanded him and
told him that he would not go
into the Promised Land
because he bad mouthed His
children.
As for European Jewry, if it
exists in utopia, mercy,
justice, kindness and
selflessness were Eastern
European Jewry. They faced
hardship; yet they still wor-
shiped God with love. That is
the greatest form of
worship . .
I think Rabbi Schach
should start fasting and ask
for forgiveness from the six
million martyrs who were ex-
ecuted in the Holocaust. Even
God cannot forgive him for
what he said. He may be a big
authority in Halacha, but his
compassion is not there.

Dr. Nancy Gad-Harfs arti-
cle (L'Chayim, Jan. 18),
"Creating Jewish Memories,"
has once more raised the pro-
blem of intermarriage and
quoted some terribly gloomy
statistics.
The spiritual holocaust of
U.S. Jewry should be the bur-
ning issue of the Jewish com-
munity leadership today.
A simple comparison study
of sample-groups of families
from each of the major
streams of U.S. Jewry will
yield a straightforward con-
clusion. Only one group can
claim that 99 percent of their
youth follow in the ways of
their parents, that drug-
related problems hardly exist,
and that divorce is
infrequent.
One can only agree with Dr.
Gad-Harfs plea not to turn
our backs on any Jew, but her
prescription for more of the
same watered-down potion
which caused the problem
will only exasperate the ail-
ment, not cure it.
Lubavitch has achieved
remarkable success com-
bating this plague, not only
directly by its projects, but
also by its influence on other
groups, creating an avalanche
effect. The Lubavitcher Rebbe
has enjoined his followers not
to sit on their laurels, as he
recently remarked to the
Chief Chaplain of the
Australian armed forces who
was lauding the stalwart
work of Lubavitch emissaries,
"if a rabbi feels satisfied with
his achievements, pity his
community."
If, in this spirit, Lubavitch
emissaries will continue and
intensify their efforts in
fighting the flames of
spiritual destruction, then,
with God's help, they shall be
rewarded with success, and
U.S. Jewry will have a future.

Aaron Friedman
Farmington Hills

Dr David Kagan
Chabad Lubavitch

Libbie Richman
Oak Park

European Jewry
And Rabbi Schach

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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

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