In the United States of America, Farrakhan ought to be treated as a persona non grata. It has been going on for far too long that his toxic presence and rhetoric have been allowed to continue.
Antisemitism has been on the rise in American culture and politics for the past 25 years, with a recent uptick being attributed to the rabid antisemitic remarks expressed by famous rapper Kanye West, now known as “Ye.” These remarks have been normalized by other African-American icons such as Kyrie Irving. Antisemitism has been on the rise in American culture and politics for the past 25 years.
Among the antisemitic tropes that West has expressed are the following: Jews are greedy and only look out for their own interests at the expense of others; Jewish Zionists control or have disproportionate influence over the media, finance, entertainment, and broader American society; and antisemitism is impossible because black people are the real Jews and therefore no one can be antisemitic. Additionally, Ye has revealed his adoration for Hitler.
West has managed to maintain his devoted fan following, who are convinced that he and the black community are being persecuted for speaking the truth, despite the fact that he has had to face some penalties for his extreme prejudice. A few days later, NBA superstar Kyrie Irving openly promoted the pseudo-intellectual film Hebrews to Negroes, which is steeped in similar antisemitic ideology about fake, impostor Jews and a global Jewish conspiracy for world domination. Hebrews to Negroes is based on the premise that black people have been oppressed by Jews for centuries.
Antisemitism, in its purest forms, is becoming more and more accepted in the African-American community. As a result, Americans not only have a responsibility to hold those who spew it accountable for their actions, but they also have a responsibility to understand and combat the antisemitism’s source and inspiration: Louis Farrakhan.
The antisemitism of Kanye West is comparable to that of Louis Farrakhan.
Antisemitism experts came to the conclusion very quickly that West’s antisemitism is very similar to that of Farrakhan, the longtime head of the Nation of Islam (NOI), which is an antisemitic organization that promotes the idea that black people are inherently more superior to white people. Farrakhan has been spewing anti-Semitic venom at Jews for decades, claiming that Jewish people were to blame for the slave trade and that they are involved in a conspiracy to control the government, the media, and Hollywood, in addition to a variety of black individuals and organizations. These allegations have been supported by a number of statements.
He does this by stating that “Judaism is nothing more than a ‘deceptive falsehood’ and a ‘theological fallacy’ perpetuated by Jews to advance their ‘control’ over America’s government and economy.” He also does this by denying the legitimacy of the Jewish claim to the Land of Israel.
Many people are unaware of the public connections that have existed between West and Farrakhan for many years. At the National Organization for Inclusion headquarters in Chicago in July of 2005, West was presented with the “Million Man March Image Award.” When West first garnered attention for antisemitism in 2013, when he bemoaned that “Black people don’t have the same level of relationships as Jewish people,” Farrakhan defended him and advised him not to “bend to pressure to apologize.” This was West’s first time drawing notice for antisemitism. West accompanied his family to meet Farrakhan two years later, and in his song “All Day,” which was published in the same year, he boasted: “Just chatted to Farrakhan, that’s sensei.”
Farrakhan “may be the most popular antisemite in America,” according to one source, and his “speeches still draw hundreds of thousands of viewers online and his influence reaches millions through regular mentions in news media, popular culture, social media, and more,” according to another source. It is essential to note that Farrakhan has a massive following and that he “may be the most popular antisemite in America.”
The fact that Farrakhan’s antisemitic message has appeal across the political spectrum, from those on the far left to those on the far right, as well as among extremist Muslims, is extremely concerning. Professor Jack Fischel asserts that “Beyond NOI, a web of white supremacists and black nationalists are linked together by online social networks that propagate antisemitic imagery, wild conspiracy theories about the effort of Jews to control America, and other forms of propaganda designed to foster hatred of Jews.” “Beyond NOI, a web of antisemitic imagery and wild conspiracy theories about the effort of Jews to control America.”
“Kanye is absolutely correct with regard to the Jews.”
We have recently seen this extreme cross-pollination in action as a result of Kanye West’s highly publicized antisemitic rants, which were inspired by Louis Farrakhan. On October 22, 2022, members of the white supremacist group Goyim Defense League hoisted a banner over a central Los Angeles freeway that said, “Kanye is right about the Jews.” At the same time, they saluted in a Nazi fashion with their arms outstretched.
When Kanye West claims that black people are the true Jews, he is echoing the ideals of another black supremacist group known as the Black Hebrew Israelites (BHI). Members of the BHI are frequently radicalized in prison by members of the National Organization for Israel (NOI).
The Black Hebrew Israelites are a religious group that asserts they are the genuine Jewish people as well as the direct descendants of the Israelites who are mentioned in the Old Testament. They portray Jews as bad people who have obstructed the path of the black man, preventing him from reaching his actual potential and preventing God’s purpose from being carried out. This incitement has resulted in actual physical violence being committed against Jewish people.
In December of 2019, two highly armed BHI-connected individuals committed murder at a kosher supermarket in Jersey City, New Jersey, resulting in the deaths of three people. In the same month, only a few weeks later, an individual motivated by BHI attacked a Hanukkah celebration in Monsey, New York with a huge knife, ultimately resulting in the death of Rabbi Josef Neumann, who was 72 years old.
As I have often cautioned, this kind of antisemitism is not simply a threat to Jewish people in the United States; it is a danger to all Americans because it threatens the fundamental principles that we hold dear, like as democracy, freedom of expression, and freedom of religion. It is a portent of violence and extremism that will affect all Americans, as we saw in December 2021 when BHI-inspired Darrell Brooks rammed his SUV into a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, causing over 60 injuries and the deaths of six people. The incident was a direct result of Darrell Brooks’ inspiration from BHI.
Although Farrakhan and others of his black supremacist ilk do not represent the African-American community or their fight against hate and racism, it is becoming increasingly clear that these radicals pose a clear danger to America, empowering and inciting extremists across the country. This is something that is becoming increasingly clear as time goes on.
In retaliation, Farrakhan ought to be regarded as a person who is not welcome in the United States. It has been going on for far too long that his toxic presence and rhetoric have been allowed to continue. Politicians and celebrities who back or echo Farrakhan and the horrible philosophy he espouses should be held accountable for their actions. It is imperative that he and his NOI organs and acolytes are denied the reach that may be attained through social media, particularly on Twitter, where he has amassed more than 350,000 followers. To Facebook’s credit, the social media platform deleted his account in 2019.
In the event that this does not occur, we will be forced to cope with the antisemitic and extremist consequences caused by many more Kanyes in the years to come.