By Final Call News

While Jewish groups and leaders love to recite the myth of an incredible Black-Jewish relationship, history proves otherwise. And, in their obsessive rage against Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan not even respect for the funeral of Aretha Franklin, the late singer and cultural icon, could keep them from spewing venomous hate.

In The Hill newspaper, published in Washington, D.C., and aimed at federal lawmakers, Dr. Harold Brackman and Rabbi Abraham Cooper, of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, kept up the Jewish complaints and expressions of exasperation because Minister Farrakhan sat on stage to pay tribute to his sister and friend. He was silent, dignified and mourned the loss of a great one.

But to these Jewish demagogues, the Minister was something else. “Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan’s appearance at Aretha’s more than six-hour funeral–seated in the front row with President Clinton, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton–dishonored Aretha’s legacy, American politics and the human rights movement,” the demonic duo declared in a Sept. 7 opinion piece.

Advertisement

“It’s not sufficient, as some mainstream media outlets did, to crop Farrakhan out of photos from the funeral to avoid controversy,” they declared. “First, Farrakhan has contributed nothing discernible to the success of African-American popular music–unlike the Jewish producers he slanders as ‘bloodsuckers’ of black musicians. … Farrakhan is no friend of African-American or American culture.”

These words are as off-base as the twisted mouths, twisted minds and diseased hearts that produced them. The Minister has a long history and undeniable impact on American society and culture. He convened the 1995 Million Man March, once the largest public demonstration in U.S. history. His stand with the Rev. Jesse Jackson during the 1984 presidential campaign helped lead to Democratic Party changes that opened the door for a future Black president. His resurrection of the destroyed Nation of Islam and restoration of honor to the name of Elijah Muhammad are unmatched. His international outreach during World Friendship Tours, African-African American Summits and connections with the late Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi helped internationalize the Black struggle. His brilliant interviews with America’s finest journalists put his masterful intellect and divine spiritual gifts on display. His teaching of millions of people from prison cells to Ivy League classrooms testify to his place and impact on American history.

From Chuck D. of the iconic hip hop group Public Enemy declaring, “Don’t tell me that you understand unto you the man,” “And Farrakhan is a prophet that I think you ought to listen to,” along with the God Rakim declaring, “Peace to the Nation of Islam,” and the Minister’s wise counsel and settling of beefs, he has a history in hip hop.

His struggle through the turbulent 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s connected him with major artists. Not to mention people like James Brown, Sam Cooke, Joe Tex (who joined the Nation of Islam), Kool and the Gang (which included Muslims), Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Aretha Franklin, who he touched or who were touched by the teachings of the Hon. Elijah Muhammad.

Today he has been “sensei” to the likes of The Game, Kanye West, T.I., Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross and embraced by Eminem, singer Fantasia, Arianna Grande and many, many others.

While Jewish impresario Jerry Wexler may have convinced the Queen of Soul to record “Respect” in 1967, she never traded her Blackness for the acceptance of the world. She was a gift from Black people to the world.

But instead of celebrating her gift, Jewish imps Cooper and Brackman tried to lay her greatness at the feet of Mr. Wexler. That’s not surprising. Ultimately, Ms. Franklin was a commodity to them and a sister to us.

The Black-Jewish relationship in entertainment has often been parasitic, with Jewish managers siphoning the financial lifeblood of Black artists–instead of a healthy, symbiotic arrangement.

Jewish writer Justin Jofee, writing for online Observer Music last year, noted the battle between conscious rapper Lupe Fiasco and the Anti-Defamation League. He wrote about a Twitter war between the artist and the leader of the ADL, who didn’t like some lyrics. On the single “N.E.R.D.,” Lupe complained about: “Artists getting robbed for their publishing/By dirty Jewish execs who think that it’s alms from the covenant.”

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt responded: “These lyrics reinforce the anti-Semitic myth of Jewish control of the music industry, a stereotype that has been exploited in recent years by well-known hatemongers. It is irresponsible for a recording artist to perpetuate the hateful anti-Semitic stereotype of the ‘greedy Jew.’ Even if Lupe Fiasco has concerns about exploitation of his artistic output, it’s deplorable to stigmatize an entire group in response. … At a time when there are significant divisions across the country, we are disappointed that he has not chosen to use his platform and voice to promote a more inclusive message.”

Lupe fired back, via Twitter, “Sorry Massa….i’s do better next time, fuck outta here.” And as the ADL attack dog continued his assault, Lupe reloaded and refired, “How bout you & your ADL minions set up some executive ethics seminars for these THIEVES & LIARS & CROOKS defaming artists @JGreenblattADL.” “Fix the problem. Don’t condemn the victims you fucking punk. Shalom Salaam and Goodnight.”

Soon after Lupe took to Twitter naming Jewish music execs he said flimflammed him. He named former Warner Music CEO Lyor Cohen and current CEO Craig Kallman. “Lyon Cohen told me he may not honor the terms of an existing contract unless i signed a contract which changed the terms of the existing one,” Lupe wrote. “Craig Kallman once negotiated a deal in secret which said I agreed to give away 85% of my pub rights to the song Airplanes to his producers,’ ” he said. “Then he tweeted about how the Jewish lawyer he hired to fight Atlantic took him for 5 percent of everything, amounting to $100,000.”

“This history continues when we hear about George Clinton being defrauded of the publishing rights to his most classic songs, or when Ice Cube moaned about how MC Ren ‘let a Jew break up my crew’ in reference to N.W.A.’s debatably criminal manager, the late Jerry Heller,” wrote Mr. Joffe.

There are plenty more examples but the above make the point. While the Minister enjoyed a relationship with Aretha Franklin as a fellow companion in the Black struggle, the Jewish writers of the Hill editorial want to use her against the champion for Black people. By placing the op-ed in The Hill, they seek to incite congressional action against Min. Farrakhan, who is already facing the prospect of congressional sanction put forth by a Republican from Indiana. Min. Farrakhan was already sanctioned by the lily-White U.S. Senate in the 1980s.

The Jewish onslaught against the Minister and the Nation is predictable. It isn’t going to stop. What’s more important is that Black America not be confused, bullied or bamboozled into turning against a man who has loved and defended us. Such cowardice would be worthy of whatever punishment Almighty God Allah would mete out. Let the enemies come. But let us stand, knowing who we are, where we are and who truly stands with us in our struggle. Let’s claim a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T.