THEY TOLD US THAT UNDER DONALD TRUMP WE’D SEE THE MAINSTREAMING OF ANTI-SEMITISM. AND THEY WERE RIGHT! Why Bill Clinton Sat With Louis Farrakhan.
Given his record, the silence about Farrakhan was nothing short of astonishing. The NOI has been appropriately labeled a hate group by both the ADL — which remains the nation’s primary monitor of anti-Semitism — as well as the Southern Poverty Law Center, a left-wing group that has often rebuked conservative groups for drawing attention to Islamist terrorism. But even the SPLC understands that a group that preaches contempt for whites and that singles out Jews for constant abuse should be treated as being beyond the pale.
For decades, Farrakhan has used his NOI pulpit to harp on the “evil” and “satanic” nature of Jews. Using rhetoric straight out of the traditional Nazi playbook, he has relentlessly peddled conspiracy theories about the “synagogue of Satan” oppressing African Americans and controlling the banks, the media, and the “slave trade.”
This ought to have consigned him to the margins of American life, but it hasn’t. His sympathizers may number in the hundreds of thousands. That’s been especially true since the “Million Man March” he organized in 1995, which aided his effort to portray the NOI’s main goal as empowering the black community rather than spreading hate. Representative Keith Ellison (D., Minn.), the deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is a former ardent supporter of Farrakhan, a fact he’s tried to cover up since he sought higher office. Members of the Black Congressional Caucus have also embraced Farrakhan.
They are not the only ones treating Farrakhan as a respected black leader rather than a pariah. Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour — the leaders of the Women’s March in January 2017 and organizers of mass anti-Trump “resistance” rallies — are both ardent supporters of Farrakhan.
As Franklin’s funeral showed, Farrakhan has been just as successful in winning support in the music world. Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan, who sang at the event, also took part in a documentary made by Farrakhan’s son about his father, and they played with him on a companion album set that celebrated the hatemonger’s prowess as an amateur violinist.
The key question is how and why someone with such extreme views can be treated as respected black leader.
Low standards.