Front Lines
EDITOR'S LETTER
Farrakhan's Absurdity
I
t wasn't so much that Rev. Louis
Farrakhan, who in the past has
branded Judaism a "gutter reli-
gion',' in June accused Jews of being the
"worst enemy" of blacks. Anti-Semitic
vitriol is part of his outrageous act.
What annoyed me more was that the
Nation of Islam
leader produced
research" that
"proves" what he
called "an unde-
niable record
of anti-black
behavior" on the
part of Jews.
The so-called
research claims
that Jews for
centuries have
worked to financially undermine
blacks. It maintains that Jews charge
anti-Semitism to silence critics and
obscure the truth.
How absurd is that?
Abraham Foxman, the New York-
based national director of the Anti-
Defamation League, hit the bull's-eye in
his assessment of Farrakhan's latest out-
burst: "Never, in our more than 20 years
of following Minister Louis Farrakhan,
have we seen him so obsessively devoted
to his hate crusade against Jews,His
anti-Semitism is obsessive, diabolical
and unrestrained. He has opened a new
((
chapter in his ministry, where scape-
to see it.
goating Jews is not just part of a mes-
Farrakhan's words are as scathing
sage, but the message
and disgusting toward Jews as they
Farrakhan said Foxman and other
come. "We could charge you with being
Jewish leaders were guilty of "the most
the most deceitful so-called friend," he
vehement anti-black behavior in the
wrote, "while our history with us shows
annals of our history in America and
you have been our worst enemy."
the world."
Amazingly, the letter extended an
In a June 24 letter sent to the ADL,
offer to Jewish groups "and the gentiles
the American Israel Public Affairs
whom you influence to help me in the
Committee, the American Jewish
repair of my people from the damage
Committee as well as the Orthodox and that has been done by your ancestors
Reform movements, the Chicago-based
to mine."
Farrakhan sought dialogue to "repair"
Such hatred is no way to spark
the damage caused by alleged Jewish
dialogue. The important role of Jews
in the civil rights movement and in
mistreatment of blacks.
Accompanying the letter was a copy
continuing to improve black-Jewish
of the two-volume "history" titled 'The
ties reinforces the disingenuousness
Secret Relationship Between Blacks and of Farrakhan's "historical" paperbacks
Jews" — an anti-Semitic
— long on conspiracy theo-
screed written and pub-
ries about Jews and Israel and
lished by the Nation of
Jewish control of government,
Islam "historical research
finance and Hollywood.
department."
The irony is that Farrakhan
If that's a reputable
continues to draw crowds eager
department, research has
to, as Foxman put it, "bear
witness to his bigotry and to
hit a new low.
Not surprisingly,
believe that he holds the truth."
Farrakhan sent the Obama
Like Foxman, I wonder
administration a copy
where the outcry in the black
Rev. Farrak han
of the "history" as well.
community is to Farrakhan's
Obama's strange flirtation
attempt to inflame black-
Jewish relations. Foxman is right: "When
with Israel's enemies hasn't endeared
him to the Jewish community, but I
will good people in the community be
have to think he rejected the abomi-
courageous enough to stand up and say
nable book outright if he actually got
`Enough already!" ❑
Al CONTENTS
July 8 14, 2010
-
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