Nation of Islam

The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and socio-political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930 with a declared aim of "resurrecting" the spiritual, mental, social and economic condition of the black man and woman of America and the world.

Controversies

Labeled a hate group

In 1998, the Southern Poverty Law Center declared the Nation of Islam a hate group. The Anti-Defamation League has also made similar claims.

Related Topics:
1998 - Southern Poverty Law Center - Hate group - Anti-Defamation League

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Relations with other ethnic groups, other faith communities

Relationships with Christian groups

The NOI has criticized Christianity as insofar as its doctrinal interpretation has been a tool for the enslavement and oppression of black people. At various times NOI ministers have criticized Christian theology and one former minister referred to the Pope as a "cracker" before being publicly reprimanded by the organization for using such language.

Related Topics:
Christianity - Pope - Cracker

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Some Christian leaders and churches, particularly black clergy and black congregations throughout America have a history of close relations with the Nation of Islam, including Rev. Jesse Jackson Jr. and Rev. Al Sharpton. United Pentecostal Churches of Christ Bishop Travis Grant, in explaining his willingness to work together with the Nation of Islam, said:

Related Topics:
Jesse Jackson - Al Sharpton - Pentecostal

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We brought Brothers from all over the country to meet with Minister Farrakhan, so we could go in his home to begin that process of dialogue. Our Bible teaches us, “In all of our getting, get an understanding.” Our Bible says a friend will stick closer than a Brother. Minister Farrakhan has not only been a Brother, but he’s been a friend to our community. Many of our Brothers have seen Minister Farrakhan through the lens and eyes of people who want to misinterpret and misrepresent his words, spirit and heart. ..A tremendous segment of our community loves Minister Farrakhan, but does not have an understanding of Islam. They love our Christian Brothers and do not have a true understanding of what all of us believe. We could all do a great service to our community in putting down our differences and highlighting our similarities and common ground, and allowing our people the freedom and right to choose whatever they want to believe. FCN, 03/10/2005

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Relationships with Jews

According to most Jewish groups, some humanist groups, and many Christian groups, the Nation of Islam has a history of anti-Jewish rhetoric. They accuse the Nation of Islam of claiming that Jews financed Nazi Germany, of describing Jews as "blood suckers", and insisting Jews played a key role in the Atlantic slave trade. In response, the Nation of Islam has argued that it stated that only some wealthy Zionist Jews (such as Goldman Sachs & Company of New York) participated in the financing of Nazi Germany, and that only some Jewish, Asian and Arab merchants in predominantly black, inner-city neighborhoods in the United States have been described as "blood suckers" for alleged profitting from the communities without giving back to those communities. See Nation of Islam and anti-Semitism for detail.

Related Topics:
Atlantic slave trade - Nation of Islam and anti-Semitism

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The secret relationship between Blacks and Jews

In the 1990s the Nation of Islam published an anonymous work, which at the time was presented as an academic, scholarly study of the historical relationship between blacks and Jewish people. This book collectively accused the Jewish people of causing anti-Semitism, of having racist hatred towards blacks, and of being largely responsible for the slave trade. This book was widely accepted as factual among many NOI adherents and was sold on college campuses.

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In a 1991 review of the book, Donald Muhammad writes:

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:The facts, as established by highly respected scholars of the Jewish community, are here exposed and linked by as sparse a narrative as is journalistically permitted.. Every fact was painstakingly footnoted. The research was matchless and worthy of commendation. Attempts to assuage this work as allegedly "anti-Semitic" or "anti-Jewish" falls on its face given the fact that the work contains the contributions of "respected scholars of the Jewish community". ..The power of this presentation is so strong that the facts cannot be refuted. Yet this work does not pretend to be the end-all on this subject of slavery. It provides a window to even more extensive research regarding slavery by its other co-conspirators, the white Christians of Europe, the Arabs of the Middle East, and the Black African leaders who sold their own people to the slave traders. ..In light of the recent allegations of "Black anti-Semitism," this book calls attention to the evil and immoral practice by the Jews in the Black holocaust of which many scholars estimate that 250 million or more perished at the hands of white people during the trade in Black slaves. (Donald Muhammed, Book Review: The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews, Vol. 1, Final Call, November, 1991)

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This book was roundly criticised by Jewish groups as anti-Semitic. Many historians, (not incorrectly,) claimed that the book systematically misquoted individuals, falsified quotes, forged figures, and presented facts out of context.

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Henry Louis Gates, Jr., professor of the Humanities at Harvard University said:

Related Topics:
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. - Harvard University

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:The Secret Relationship itself is an invidious document of anti-Semitism; that is, it’s hard to think of any historical motivation for it other than the fomenting of hostility toward Jews and as a defense for anti-Semitic rhetoric. Unfortunately, its ‘scholarly apparatus’ is likely to impress lay persons who aren’t familiar with the relevant historiography... Now, nobody who is familiar with the vast body of archival material on slavery is likely to be impressed by the book’s approach. … But that’s how this book works: the accretion of anecdotes, with no honest attempt to place them in an historical or demographic perspective.... And the generalizations it makes are unsupported by the ‘evidence’ it provides. "The Secret Relationship" charges that Jews were ‘key operatives,’ incurring ‘monumental culpability’ in slavery; given its historical method, they could as easily have concluded the same about the left handers... or Scotsmen... or (had the tract considered the African side of the trade) Blacks themselves....

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While the book is considered to be debunked by all mainstream scholars in American and European universities, Farrakhan still preaches the ideas in this book as factual. For instance,:

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:In my hands is a manuscript, brothers and sisters, that arose out of the controversy between myself and the Jewish community. I want to tell all of you I have never been antisemitic. I have never been a hater of Jews, nor am I now that. ..some Muslims in the Nation rose up to defend me and went into libraries and did research and compiled a manuscript of over 300 pages from their own writings not from us. And not one scholar that we quote is an antisemite. Here are Jewish rabbis, Jewish scholars, Jewish writers. They document their own hand in the slave trade.

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Alleged relationship with dictators

It is alleged by the Anti-Defamation League that the organization at times has become dependent on funding by world leaders widely considered to be dictators, however many have rejected that notion citing the fact that the Anti-Defamation League has never substantiated the allegations.

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In January 1996 Louis Farrakhan went on a 27-day world tour. Farrakhan met publicly and privately with leaders of Mali, the Palestinian Authority, Niger, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya and Nigeria, as well as meeting with former President Nelson Mandela in South Africa. The Nation of Islam's chronicalization of the world tour is documented online at the World Friendship Tour website.

Related Topics:
1996 - Mali - Palestinian Authority - Niger - Zimbabwe - Malawi - Cuba - Iran - Iraq - Sudan - Libya - Nigeria - Nelson Mandela - South Africa

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Attitude to Hezbollah

According to an October 9, 1996 press release from the Anti-Defamation League, the Nation of Islam believes that Hezbollah are freedom-fighters, as do many governments around the world, including most of the Arab world and many Lebanese, while the U.S. State Department and several groups within the European Union view them as terrorists. According to the October 9, ADL press release, Farrakhan said the following:

Related Topics:
October 9 - 1996 - Anti-Defamation League - Hezbollah - Arab world - Lebanese - European Union - Terrorists

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:They call them terrorists, I call them freedom fighters... No one asks why they would do such a thing. Why would they do such a thing? What has driven them to this point? That's what the UN, the U.S. and Europe doesn't want to deal with because the Zionists have control in England, in Europe, in the United States and around the world.

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::Speech at the District Council 33 Union Hall, Philadelphia, PA., (Source: ADL) 22 April, 1996 http://www.adl.org/special_reports/farrakhan_own_words2/on_jewish_con.asp

Related Topics:
22 April - 1996

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Splinter Groups

Several splinter groups have formed since the passing of Elijah Muhammad. Farrakhan's NOI is the most prominent but the teachings continue in other groups.

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• Lost-Found Nation of Islam
• United Nation of Islam
• Nation of Islam Canada
• New Nation of Islam
• Messianic Nation of Islam