ExtremismFarrakhan Remains Most Popular Anti-Semite in America

Published 21 July 2020

Anti-Semitism has stained the speeches and statements of Nation of Islam (NOI) leader Louis Farrakhan for decades. This past 4 July was no different, as Farrakhan delivered an address replete with anti-Semitic lies and stereotypes, and calls for his listeners to speak out against Jews. Farrakhan’s speech has been viewed over 1.2 million times (as of 15 July) on numerous YouTube channels.

Anti-Semitism has stained the speeches and statements of Nation of Islam (NOI) leader Louis Farrakhan for decades. This past 4 July was no different, as Farrakhan delivered an address replete with anti-Semitic lies and stereotypes, and calls for his listeners to speak out against Jews.

His speech reverberated in the ensuing days among celebrities and garnered over a million views on social media. Louis Farrakhan may be the most popular anti-Semite in America, as his messages that espouse hate and division have been given a pass in mainstream society.

During his 4 July address, Farrakhan repeated the false claim that Jews are enjoined by their religion to poison prophets and that Jews had “broken their covenant relationship with God.” He referred to Jews collectively as “Satan” and the “enemy of God,” and claimed that white people “are born with lie [sic] and murder in their nature.” He encouraged listeners to “fight Satan the arch deceiver [and] the imposter Jews who are worthy of the chastisement of God.”

Farrakhan’s speech has been viewed over 1.2 million times (as of 15 July) on numerous YouTube channels. One of the YouTube channels that live streamed the event was Revolt TV, a digital cable Network founded by Sean “P Diddy” Combs. (The video has since been removed.)

Combs, like other musicians, athletes and celebrities, continues to lend Farrakhan a measure of legitimacy by amplifying and supporting his well-established record of anti-Semitism and hate. According to the Nation of Islam newspaper The Final Call, several celebrities attended Farrakhan’s 4 July event, including Nick Cannon, Stephen Jackson, TI, 2Chainz, Rick Ross, Jay Electronica, Stephanie Mills and Syleena Johnson.

Indeed, several celebrities, including a few of the attendees, have since been embroiled in controversies surrounding their own expressions of anti-Semitism and embrace of Farrakhan:

·  On 4 July, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson expressed his agreement with Farrakhan’s 4 July speech and repeated his antisemitic sentiments in several posts on Instagram. In one post, Jackson wrote that Farrakhan “spoke facts” during the speech. In another, Jackson included a screenshot of a quote falsely attributed to Adolf Hitler that Black people are the “real Children of Israel and to keep Americas [sic] secret,” and that Jews will “blackmail [and] extort America.” After outcry and condemnation, Jackson apologized for his statements and has committed to educating himself on these antisemitic tropes and conspiracies. The Eagles fined Jackson for “conduct detrimental to the team.”