11.15.2012

The Man With the Iron Fists [Movie Review]



Movie Review: The Man With the Iron Fists

If you are acquainted with Hip-Hop, you are probably already familiar with RZA’s discography and undoubtedly aware of many of his works. His accomplishments are almost too numerous to list. He created and led to prominence what many consider one of the most influential Hip-Hop groups ever, The Wu Tang Clan. He is an award winning music producer, author of two books (The Tao of Wu and the Wu Tang Manual) and a film and television actor. Like all members of the Wu-Tang Clan, he has several aliases, an alter ego (Bobby Digital) and he seems to always be involved in a new project.



You have heard his music on soundtracks for martial-arts themed and inspired movies such as Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Kill Bill and the anime series Afro-Samurai. His musical compositions have always had depth and cinematic quality that one could easily see transferred to the big screen, and with the film The Man With the Iron Fists, RZA, in his feature directorial debut, allows all the creative energy within his aesthetic mind to spring forth into a marvelously enjoyable motion picture.

The Man With the Iron Fists is a modern take on the old style kung-fu flick however, unlike many of the kung-fu flicks of the past which bring back feelings of nostalgia for fans of the genre, this movie is not campy, not corny, well-paced and well organized. In some action movies, there is so much going on during the fight scenes you are unable to see what is really going on. I don’t like that. In Iron Fists, the fight scenes are definitely fast moving, however, they are shot in a unique and visually striking manner that allows you to appreciate the hand-to-hand combat, transitioning nicely from one panoramic view and landscape to the next.

The Lion Clan during a scene from 'The Man With The Iron Fists' (Photo courtesy: IronFists.com)

We are familiar with the manner in which Hollywood’s film creations are used to propagandize and the sophisticated ease with which the film industry maximizes its awesome ability to create images. Pick any movie aimed at young viewers and you are likely to witness oblique references to the Holocaust, or even aspects of that specific portion of the historical narrative woven into the story lines of the characters. For examples of this, consider Inglorious Basterds, the X-Men series of films and most recently The Avengers, all movies I thoroughly enjoyed. With great skill, RZA authentically and effectively weaves in aspects of the Black slavery experience in a manner that is neither overbearing nor preachy. In this way, he uses entertainment to also educate and does it in a way I wish more Black musical artists, authors, and screenplay writers would emulate.

As if writing and directing wasn’t enough, RZA held down the lead role as the reflective Blacksmith, the leading weapons maker in a rural area of feudal China called Jungle Village. His ethical cognitions and symbolic transformation prove critical in the film providing keys to understanding the entire plot. The struggle for tribal supremacy provides unpredictable plot twists. With so many intriguing parallel story lines, Iron Fists will maintain your interest throughout.

The excellent character development and realistic interaction between them will surely make for interesting analysis and endless discussions by movie fans late into the night and for days and weeks to come.

Byron Mann was outstanding as the callously villainous Silver Lion, and the well-known former professional wrestler Dave Bautista works as the despicably brutal and seemingly indestructible Brass Body. Russell Crowe was cruelly calculating as British soldier Jack Knife, and Lucy Liu was superb as the devastatingly devious Madame Blossom. Rick Yune should also be commended for a good job as Zen-Yi, the deadly X-Blade.

RZA has spoken of how much he learned as an observant pupil during his apprenticeship under acclaimed film director Quentin Tarantino, and it shows. Co-writer Eli Roth’s valuable expertise and experience contributed to the enhancement of the project as well.

For Iron Fists, there is a soundtrack as well as a musical score both available through iTunes. Posters, action figures, books, and undoubtedly sequels will surely be spawned. RZA’s trailblazing and powerful entry into this aspect of the movie industry should be celebrated within the Hip Hop Nation. I think an entirely new movie genre has begun which will provide a source of thought-provoking entertainment for decades to come.

(The Man With The Iron Fists is showing in theaters nationwide. For movie trailers, bios and photo galleries visit www.ironfists.com.)

11.09.2012

Smart'n Up Black Male Summit - NOV.17 in Houston, TX





ACTIVIST DERIC MUHAMMAD HOSTS SUMMIT TO ADDRESS DROPOUT RATE, and the UNIQUE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF BLACK MALES


HOUSTON-- Deric Muhammad and Lone Star Community College will host the 3rd Annual Smart’N Up Black Male Summit on Education.  The event will take place at the Lone Star College Victory Center, 4141 Victory Drive, Houston TX on Saturday, November 17, 2013.

The Black Male Summit seeks to inspire and encourage Black males to diligently pursue the acquisition of knowledge in the classroom as well as outside of the classroom. We believe that education and the proper use of knowledge is the key to stopping the downward social trajectory of the Black male in America. Statistics show that several states have poor graduation outcomes for Black and Latino males.  Fewer than 60% of Black and Latino students in Texas earn regular diplomas alongside their classmates.  A recently released report from the Schott Foundation shows that only 52% of Black and 55% Latino males graduate high school in four years.

Lone Star College-North Harris, part of the Lone Star College System, is passionate about providing quality educational opportunities for the successful development of knowledge, skills and attitudes for a rapidly changing world. At all levels, educational institutions across the country are coordinating activities to promote multi-level success for African American males. Lone Star College-North Harris is proud to partner with community leaders like DericMuhammad in this effort.

This year's program features a diverse group of motivational speakers and will be hosted by Activist Deric Muhammad.  Registration begins at 9A workshops will begin at 10A  On site positive male “day mentors”, GED and college entrance information, door prizes and an iPad Giveaway will take place.

Individuals and groups may register online at www.BlackMaleSummit2012.EventBrite.com.  For more information, please call Alicia Jackson (832) 338-6719 or contact Deric Muhammad directly at (713)539-1079.

10.26.2012

Jill Stein, Green Party: Mobilizing the Dissatisfied

2012 Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein

I really enjoyed interviewing the 2012 Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein. I've stated this to many who have asked me about it that it was one of the most interesting interviews I have ever conducted with a candidate for political office. The depth of her sincerity and conviction is not something you see everyday from those in the political realm, with whom I come into contact often.  I'd like for you to read the interview, share it with others, and as always, let me know your thoughts. 


An excerpt is below: 


On the international front, Dr. Stein is highly critical of Pres. Obama’s expansion of drone wars in Yemen and Somalia, as well as sending armed troops into parts of Africa, which she believes was hastened once it was discovered that there was oil in Central Africa. She is firmly against a war against the Islamic Republic of Iran. She is also in favor of the creation of a “nuclear free planet” and having the same rules for all nations, across the board.

“A war in Iran would be a disaster, an unmitigated disaster in terms of the chaos in the Middle East, what it would do to global energy supplies, that alone is reason enough not to go there. This would be extremely destructive to U.S. interests alone, so from the point of view of just enlightened self-interests, this is an insane thing to contemplate,” said Dr. Stein. If the spread of nuclear weapons is to be checked, other nations should be examined as well.

“Iran is certainly not the first here. There’s a long line of other countries including Israel and Pakistan and India which contain enormous potential for destruction already, not to mention the fact that the United States is the only country that’s actually used a nuclear weapon already,” she noted.

10.20.2012

10/20/11: The martyrdom of Col. Muammar al-Gadhafi

Love him or hate him, agree or disagree, historians will not be able to deny his impact on world affairs and revolutionary movements. Col. Muammar al-Gadhafi’s legacy will be an admirable one. He will be remembered as a theoretician, and a revolutionary always willing to provide inspiration, monetary and military resources—to aid those fighting for self-determination. That is an honorable legacy to leave behind, and more are needed like him in Africa, and in the Arab world.


Today, take time to remember a revolutionary. 10/20/11, the martyrdom of Muammar al-Gadhafi.


9.24.2012

Fight Islamophobic rhetoric from the right! Do your part!





Looking at the anti-Islam signs posted on buses and throughout subway stations in NYC, I could not help but think about how as a young tagger and freshman at Senn High School in the mid-80s, I would have performed MAJOR 'edits' on them with a Magnum marker or some Griffin.

This was sent to me earlier today, and represents a stance we all should take against dangerously Islamophobic rhetoric.



9.20.2012

The Message of The Middle East by John Perkins



The Message of the Middle East
By John Perkins (Author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man)

The tragic events sweeping the Middle East, including the murder of the U.S. Ambassador and other embassy personnel in Libya, have left many wondering how people can exhibit such anger against a nation that helped free them from murderous dictators.

On the one hand, we hear accusations that Muslims do not respect women, human rights, and other religions, and that violence is part of Middle Eastern cultures. On the other hand, we hear that U.S. and European policies, dating back for more than a century, have been exploitive and imperialistic, have supported brutal dictators, and created a web of discontent. Both sides draw on the sacred texts – the Quran and Bible – to justify their contentions.

The sad truth is that human history is riddled with violence and that individuals, cultures, and nations have become accustomed to solving differences by picking up weapons and attacking others, rather than by understanding that the only lasting solutions lie in cooperation and compassion.

A movie produced by an individual with suspect motives was used to justify an attack that resulted in the death of a U.S. diplomat who dedicated his life to building bridges between cultures. At the same time that the White House condemned violence in the streets of Benghazi, it also authorized drones that kill innocent civilians in Afghanistan. These two seemingly unrelated actions carry a shared message: violence has become endemic and it is totally and completely ineffectual as a method for settling differences.

Like all crises, the tragic events of the Middle East offer opportunities. They spur us to commit ourselves to finding new solutions. If we want to honor the life of Ambassador Chris Stevens, protest a film that dishonors the Prophet Muhammad, end the senseless killings in Afghanistan, and create a world future generations will want to inherit, now is the time to convince ourselves and our leaders – regardless of cultural or religious leanings – that we all live on a tiny and fragile space station. This one has no shuttles. We simply must come together. The only solution is one that embraces compassion, cooperation and peace.

I travel to Washington D.C. this next week to speak at three very different venues on this very subject. If you live in that area, I hope you will join me. Wherever you live and however you see yourself, please commit to taking some action every single day to helping create a world that future generations of all species around the planet will want to inherit. __________________________________________________________

John Perkins' events in Washington D.C.
Thursday, September 27, 2012, 7PM-Talk – NATIONAL PRESS CLUB
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 3PM-Talk – GREEN FESTIVAL
 Monday, October 1, 2012, 7PM-Talk – IRANIAN CULTURAL ASSOCIATION

(For more information see www.johnperkins.org)

9.18.2012

#AskFarrakhan Social Media Townhall Next Week!

Minister Farrakhan is very excited about answering your questions during the #AskFarrakhan Social Media Townhall on 9/26. Live webcast at http://askfarrakhan.noi.org 


9.07.2012

2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC


Ashahed M. Muhammad at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC, the site of the 2012 Democratic National Convention

I've been in Charlotte, North Carolina for the past few days covering  the 2012 Democratic National Convention.  I've Tweeted and taken a few photos, posted some, and will post more in the coming days that I invite you to check out on My Facebook page. Enjoy, and tell me what you think!

8.31.2012

Depression, Hip Hop and the Death of Chris Lighty by Rosa Clemente, Guest Blogger

Hip-Hop mogul Chris Lighty was found dead August 30, 2012  of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Not Ready to die, but wanting to die: Depression, Hip Hop and the death of Chris Lighty
By Rosa Clemente
(Disclaimer: No cause of death for Chris Lighty has been officially released.)

Right now I should be finishing a paper for my independent study. But I just heard the news about Chris Lighty’s death. Though I never meet him, being part of the Hip Hop village, I always heard good things about him. Reading my sister, Joan Morgan’s, one word post on Facebook, "devastated", I broke down and thought, another possible suicide in our village. Why is this happening? All of us living and breathing are dealing with a myriad of challenges, especially financial ones, so what is it that makes one want to kill themselves? And why is there so much silence in communities of color? 

We all grew up hearing about suicides, and for a long time I believed that only white kids killed themselves. When I was in high school, there was a rash of suicides that I heard about, read about. I would say to my friends, “white kids are crazy”, little did I know that I myself might have been a little bit "crazy."

It was not until 2005 that I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and depression. I was 34 and after a very hard pregnancy, in which I suffered from a rare disease, hyper-emesis, along with postpartum depression, did I finally admit to myself that I had been suffering with depression since my mid-twenties and I desperately needed help. Depression manifests itself in many ways. For me, it manifested as manic episodes of high energy, no sleep, compulsive cleaning and bursts of anger.

As I look back at my life I recall encounters in which I acted irrationally, impulsively and destructively, sometimes publicly. I recall episodes of manic states in which I would stay up for days, clean and write like a fiend. When the panic state ended I would shut down and isolate myself for days in my room and cry myself to sleep, thinking of death. In the subsequent 7 years since my diagnosis I have sought treatment that includes medications, talk therapy, acupuncture and tried more holistic techniques. I have great days and some very dark ones but I believe I am better and as I continue to live I have come to truly understand this disease. One of the hardest things was telling friends who would then tell me all the evils of these meds and urge me to drink this tea, do this exercise, eat this food or just go out and take a walk, it’s just the blues.

As well-meaning as my friends were they just did not get it. Too many times those of us who deal with issues of mental health are silenced, ignored or told, “everything will be all right” “you’re strong” and often we want to scream back at them and say, “How do you know everything will be all right? I am sick of being strong!” When we hear that it makes us shut down even more and retreat into that corner. When we see that look in your eye we wish we never would have told you. No matter how many friends you have, how many people tell you they love you, these things do not cure depression. Some of us need medications, some of us cannot meditate or exercise our way out of it. Most of us inherited this and because of the silence in our families we may never truly know the extent to which this is passed down. I worry every day that my daughter has inherited this from me. Every time she cry’s or shows signs of anxiety or stress I am terrified that my little girl has “the gene.”

I turned 40 this year and I told myself I would live my life in my truth. Every day I wake up and I know that as much as I want to have a great day the slip back into a depressive state lurks around the corner. Unfortunately, so many do not have the information, the networks or the support systems I do. Damn, so many are not privileged enough to have health insurance that covers mental health services. In one of my recent sessions with my therapist she reminded me that there is no cure for depression, there is living with depression. Hip Hop and the larger community of Black and Brown, progressive, radical, social justice activists must figure out a way to begin a dialogue, to not just break the silence around depression, but to stop the shaming of those who suffer this disease. Often times I feel that if I had an ailment that was physical or one that people could actually see people that their hearts and minds would be more open to that disability then to my mental health disability.

Today my silence stops. My shame ends. I am going to say the one thing you are never ever ever supposed to say; I wanted to die. Some of us reach this point, and it is the most frightening thing to say and feel. That day in April 2005, living in Brooklyn, I felt that feeling. The sick nauseating, head spinning, heart pounding feeling of wanting to die, visualizing how I would die and who would find me. As I lay on my bedroom floor ravaged with pain and tears, hoping to get the strength to walk to the 7 on Parkside and Prospect all I could feel is that soon this would be over, this monster inside of me would finally be gone and so would I. At the moment a bit of light broke through and I did the one thing so many cannot and do not do, I picked up the phone; I called my best friend who called my mother who called my aunt who called a friend who is a psychiatrist. She stayed on the phone with me until my husband came home from work and the next morning I was in a doctor’s office. Since that dark day in Brooklyn and until the day I am SUPPOSED to leave this world, I will be living with and battling this disease.

As I said, I never meet Chris Lighty, but I keep imagining the movement he put that gun to his head, the pain and despair he must have felt is unfathomable. The thought of it makes me physically ill. As many write about his death, some will say he did not commit suicide, some will say that he showed no signs that he was depressed; some will blame his financial issues, some will be angry; some will ask themselves what could I have done and unfortunately, some will pass judgment and some will never be able to admit that he lost his fight. The despair he must have been in might not have been noticeable even to those closest to him. Maybe no one knew. That’s the thing about depression; it’s a disease that is often suffered in silence, alone, behind a closed door, in the corner of a dark closet, under the covers of a bed. 

I have often said that Hip Hop saved my life; now we need Hip Hop to do what it does best; tell the hard truth, bring people together to create the means to battle whatever ails us and try to save lives. For those of us in this Hip Hop village suffering from this wretched debilitating disease we must Break the Silence, we must Stop the Shame. We must do it for those that are still living and in remembrance of those like Chris who did all they could to survive but lost their battle to this demon.

(Rosa Clemente is Hip Hop Scholar and Activist, 2008 Green Party Vice-Presidential Candidate. Currently she is a doctoral student in the W.E.B. Dubois department at UMASS-Amherst and can be reached on Facebook, Twitter @rosaclemente or via email at clementerosa@gmail.com)

8.13.2012

The Strangely Suspicious Death of Chavis Carter in this week's edition of The Final Call






Be sure to check out this week's edition of The Final Call for the latest and most accurate information regarding the Chavis Carter case. The FCN's Charlene Muhammad is all over it having spoken with the young man's mother, and others with detailed knowledge of the case.

7.18.2012

Malcolm X Grassroots Movement Report: Every 36 Minutes, a Black man, woman or child is a victim of extrajudicial killing

Above the Law? 
Extrajudicial killings of Blacks are increasing; activists say human rights being violated 



“Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.”
–Universal Declaration of Human Rights-

“No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.” 
–International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights-

***

When George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, killed young Trayvon Martin in March of this year, sadly, members of the Black community were not surprised.

In their view, these types of killings were nothing new, the difference in this particular case was it became highly publicized. As more facts began to trickle out about the circumstances surrounding Trayvon’s death, many became outraged by what they called the callous disregard for Trayvon’s life and his right to defend himself. Additionally, the actions of Sanford, Florida law enforcement officials in dealing with Mr. Zimmerman raised suspicions that this would be another blatant case of injustice delivering yet another wound to the psyche of the Black community.

The narrative would be reinforced that this was not an isolated incident, and law enforcement has a “license to kill” when it comes to Blacks. The killing also hearkened back to a racially polarized time in the not so distant past, when it was nearly impossible for a White man to be charged with killing a Black man.

Those suspicions seem to have been verified with the recent release of a report compiled by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (MXGM) dealing with extrajudicial killings of Black people in 2012. As the researchers scanned news reports, more suspicious deaths were revealed. The report documents that in 120 cases in 2012, police officers, security guards and self-appointed law enforcers, who some call vigilantes, have acted as judge, jury and executioner, even in situations where it had not been determined whether a crime had been committed.

“Nowhere is a Black woman or man safe from racial profiling, invasive policing, constant surveillance, and overriding suspicion,” said Rosa Clemente of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement. “All Black people—regardless of education, class, occupation, behavior or dress—are subject to the whims of the police in this epidemic of state initiated or condoned violence,” she added.

Activists say a human rights issue confronts Black America, and is on par with abuses taking place in other parts of the globe. The MXGM’s research report states: “The oppression and police occupation of Black communities parallels the brutalization, denial of human rights and killings being committed by the Israeli occupying forces in Palestine, and the persecution of Afrodescendants in Columbia and the Indigenous peoples of Brazil over the past several years.”

Atty. Standish Willis of the National Conference of Black Lawyers traveled to Geneva, Switzerland in 2008 and was successful in bringing American cases of torture representing those seeking justice for decades to the United Nations. He said there are parallels in the struggle by Black people in the United States and the colonial experience of Blacks on the continent.

“It’s very analogous if you study the African colonialist experience,” said Atty. Willis. “Blacks have been victims of this since we have been here in this country,” said Atty. Willis. “In some ways we can definitely say African-Americans are in a colonial relationship in terms of police.”

International law experts have struggled to define the term “extrajudicial killing” however, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions defines them in part as: “Deaths due to the use of force by law enforcement officials or persons acting indirect or in direct compliance with the State, when the use of force is inconsistent with the criteria of absolute necessity and proportionality.” 

The UN Special Rapporteur also pointed to “the misperception that increased use of lethal force by law enforcement authorities is a necessary and effective response to situations of endemic criminality, and that greater respect for suspects’ individual rights must necessarily come at a cost to public security.” According to information found in the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions handbook: “High numbers of police killings are also often seen in countries with high crime rates, and especially where there are high levels of violent or street crime, and where there are organized or semi-organized violent gangs or militias. While police forces face many challenges in insecure environments, some governments and police forces fail to prepare appropriate crime-control strategies, and instead opt to use unlawful, short-term and heavy-handed tactics against alleged criminals. Killings can also be encouraged where there is high-level political or public support for violent policing. Senior police officers or officials can contribute to the number of police killings by tacitly approving of or openly encouraging them.”

It is no secret that racial profiling is a fundamental pillar of law enforcement strategies nationwide. Race is a dominant factor in the controversial “stop and frisk” policies that have recently come under fire from human rights organizations mainly in New York but also in other American cities.


Read the entire article here @ http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/article_9045.shtml

Download the entire report @ http://www.finalcall.com/reports/MXGM.PDF

7.09.2012

Extrajudicial Killings of Black People in 2012





For Immediate Release
Contact: Rosa Clemente
413.345.4018
clementerosa@gmail.com


Malcolm X Grassroots Movement releases report:  Extrajudicial Killings of Black People in 2012

Every 40 hours in the United States one Black woman, man or child is killed by police, and by a smaller number of security guards and self-appointed vigilantes. These are the startling findings of a new Report on Extrajudicial Killings of Black People released July 9, 2012.

What motivated the round-the-clock research for this new Report? More than two years ago, on New Year’s Eve, police killed two innocent men: Oscar Grant in Oakland, Adolph Grimes in New Orleans and shot Robert Tolan in a Houston suburb. Based on research started in 2009 after those murders, we learned there were a lot more killings that had not yet been uncovered. Then, after Trayvon's murder, there was a huge public outcry and a few headlines about more killings. More grieving families and more calls for investigation. Further research became urgent and it demonstrated that Trayvon's death was not an isolated tragedy. Between January 1, 2012 and June 30, 2012, at least 110 Black people were killed by police and their “deputies.”

"Any one of these people killed could have been my son or your husband or daughter”, says Arlene Eisen, member of the Malcolm X Solidarity Committee and co-author of the Report.
Rosa Clemente of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement elaborates, “Nowhere is a Black woman or man safe from racial profiling, invasive policing, constant surveillance, and overriding suspicion. All Black people – regardless of education, class, occupation, behavior or dress – are subject to the whims of the police in this epidemic of state initiated or condoned violence.”

The Report, produced by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (MXGM) and the "No More Trayvon Martins" campaign, is part of a larger effort. Kali Akuno, MXGM member and report co-author explained, 

“The Report shows how people of African descent remain subjected to institutionalized racist policies and procedures that arbitrarily stop, frisk, arrest, brutalize and even execute Black people. The killing will continue despite calls for investigations and lawsuits. We urge people to read this Report and join us in demanding that the Obama administration implement a National Plan of Action for Racial Justice to stop these killings and other human rights violations being committed by the government."

To read the entire report visit www.mxgm.org

6.04.2012

Brother Ali - Making Sense out of Society’s Racial & Cultural Confusion







Making sense out of society’s racial and cultural confusion
Hip-Hop artist and activist Brother Ali speaks to the masses

Though hip-hop has grown globally embracing all races and ethnicities, it is dominantly viewed as an external representation of Black culture.

In the opinion of many, this growth also caused hip-hop to lose some of its cutting-edge originality and watered-down the bold, courageous and scathing social commentary that made rappers the undisputed voice of youth and activism.

Minneapolis-based rapper Brother Ali knows this very well, and with song titles like “Uncle Sam Goddamn,” “Self Taught” and “Freedom Ain’t Free,” Brother Ali’s political and ethical sensibilities are clear. His cultural roots are buried deep within the Black community who unconditionally embraced him during his youth, and the religion of Islam, which he embraced in his teens.

“I was raised by Black folks for the most part and the people who taught me to be a man—being an albino, being different or being an outcast—the people who taught me what I needed to carry myself with confidence and pride and believe that I have a place in this earth is the American Black man because nobody knows more about how to maintain that within the human soul than the American Black man.”

During his youth, he had a few White friends, but his peers were mainly Black. Those friends, and some teachers, and elders motivated him to increase his level of self-esteem and self-determination.

Like many at that time, during a point in his early teens, he was drawn to the beauty of graffiti art and the power of hip-hop culture and knew he wanted to be a part of it.

“In the mid-80’s I was attracted to just the people and the sound of the music and the graffiti art and the lifestyle but in the late ‘80s when production took a huge jump and lyricism took a huge jump, this is when men like my friend Chuck D started talking—KRS-One and Rakim—they all started telling us about people like Minister Farrakhan and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X so we started reading,” Brother Ali recalled. “Hip-hop changed not just the way we were partying, but changed the way we lived and the kind of men we wanted to grow up to be.”

The politically charged, often rebellious lyrical content—seemingly ubiquitous in hip-hop at that time—inspired him to learn about Malcolm X, which carried him further on a journey of self-discovery.

Read the entire article @ http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/Entertainment_News_5/article_8898.shtml

5.23.2012

Protesters: 'No to NATO'




Formed in 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has acted as a worldwide security force consisting of 28 independent member countries. Critics of the organization claim its noble sounding ideals of “establishing peace” and constant “humanitarian intervention” during times of conflict are really euphemisms for a strategy of Western powered and financed imperialist expansion.

Organizations covering a wide ideological spectrum representing a myriad of issues protested the NATO Summit May 20 and 21, decrying a behemoth military industrial complex that has grown with NATO’s transformation into the world’s police.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen addressed the Chicago Young Atlanticist Summit May 19, which ran parallel with the NATO Summit. Organized by the United States Atlantic Council and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the “Atlanticists Summit” included students from NATO member nations, high-level NATO officials, scholars and think-tank analysts.

“We face a wide range of security challenges,” Mr. Fogh Rasmussen told the students. “And we will take the necessary decisions to ensure that our alliance can meet those challenges.”

Then, sounding a paranoid alarm that could have been spoken verbatim by any Israeli right-winger or American neo-con, the NATO Secretary General said, “In today’s world, threats know no borders and respect no country’s sovereignty.”

Mr. Fogh Rasmussen’s words ignore NATO’s continued global military actions, which impinge upon the sovereignty of other nations. It is precisely the type of rhetoric causing NATO’s critics to label them "warmongers."


5.16.2012

Protesters, diplomats converge as 2012 NATO Summit nears





Protesters, diplomats converge as 20102 NATO Summit nears
by Ashahed M. Muhammad

CHICAGO—Thousands are converging in Chicago for planned protests during the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit to be held this weekend.

Protesters representing all ideological realms have been planning for this summit like it was the Super Bowl, hoping to use it as a worldwide forum to oppose NATO’s global military aggressions and imperialist expansion.

It is the first time this important gathering of diplomats has taken place in an American location other than Washington, D.C. 24 previous NATO Summits have been held, the last one in Lisbon, Portugal in  November 2010.

Originally, the Group of Eight (G8) Summit was also to be held in Chicago on May 18th and 19th, however, Pres. Barack Obama in a surprise move changed the location to Camp David. While the President maintains his decision to change locations was not based on security concerns, the switch caused considerable embarrassment for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, and Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy.

Recently, Supt. McCarthy, still in his first year as head of the nation's second largest police force, addressed more than dozens of community leaders at Jewish United Fund's joint Government Affairs/Jewish Community Relations Council luncheon, to discuss security concerns related to the upcoming NATO Summit. Supt. McCarthy, says the Chicago police are ready for the security challenges that lie ahead.

Due to the summit, heavy parking and traffic flow restrictions have been in place and Chicago residents are already bracing for traffic problems that are sure to come, as well as disruptions in the public transportation system, which carries on an average weekday 1.64 million riders to various destinations in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Formed in 1949, NATO has acted as a worldwide security force, however, critics of the organization claim that its noble sounding ideals of “establishing peace” and constant “humanitarian intervention” during conflicts are really euphemisms for a strategy of western-backed imperialist expansion.

NATO has come under criticism for its role in Afghanistan and its role in the military aggression aimed at killing Col. Muammar Gadhafi and destabilizing Libya. According to organizers with the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) coalition, the movement towards war with Iran and military intervention in Syria should be vociferously and vehemently opposed, and they plan to “hit the streets to protest the warmongers at the NATO summit in Chicago.”

Monday morning, eight protesters were arrested after an active mobilization at the ‘Obama for America’ campaign headquarters downtown. Although disparate groups are planning protests all week, the date those groups and law enforcement are focusing on appears to be May 20.

I'll be keeping you up to date with the happenings via Twitter and posting images on Facebook.

4.25.2012

Extensive FinalCall.com coverage of Farrakhan's recent HBCU Tour!


Minister Farrakhan recently completed a tour of several historically Black colleges throughout the "Cotton South." I covered it every step of the way. 

It was historic in nature, and its impact will be long-lasting.


Coverage of @LouisFarrakhan ‘Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders' at Univ. of Arkansas – Pine Bluff @ http://bit.ly/IKKLkN

Coverage of @LouisFarrakhan at LeMoyne-Owen in Memphis, TN delivering ‘Lessons in Leadership’ @ http://bit.ly/K4QLnq


Go to www.FinalCall.com to view the extensive coverage and photos. 

4.15.2012

Farrakhan's 'Cotton South' Tour Continues at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff


* Location: University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
* Date: Monday April 16, 2012
* Time: 7:30 pm EDT | 6:30 pm CDT | 4:30 pm PDT
* Live Stream: http://www.NOI.org/Webcast
* The event is free and open to the public. The webcast is also free!

4.14.2012

Farrakhan continues HBCU Tour at Lemoyne-Owen


The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan continued his speaking tour two days ago, Thursday April 12 speaking to students from Tennessee State University and Fisk University in Nashville, TN.


Minister Farrakhan was welcomed by thousands of students at Alabama A&M University, Tuesday April 10 as he made the first stop of his scheduled tour of several historically Black colleges and universities throughout the south.

He speaks tonight, at LeMoyne-Owen College. It is being presented live via internet webcast.  Information is listed below.

*Location LeMoyne-Owen College, Bruce Gymnasium, 807 Walker Avenue, Memphis, TN.  
* Date: Saturday April 14, 2012
* Time: 7:30 pm EDT | 6:30 pm CDT | 4:30 pm PDT
* Live Stream: http://www.NOI.org/Webcast
* The event is free and open to the public in person and via webcast!

4.09.2012

Key Points from 'The Secret Relationship Between Blacks & Jews' Vol.1 & 2


This guide provides Highlights and Key Points of the books, The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews Vol.1 & 2 and Jews Selling Blacks.  


Every fact and quote can be found in and verified by the thousands of footnotes in the books themselves. 

All three books have been sent to every leader of the Jewish world and to prominent people in media, business, and politics, including the president, congress and the supreme court.

[New Report] President Barack Obama: Evil Spoken Of



GOP Republican presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, leading Jewish congressional representative Eric Cantor (R-Va.), prominent Jewish congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R- Fla.), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and former U.S. President Bill Clinton are but a few whose shrill voices have contributed to a cacophonous chorus of extremism and intolerance.

This report, compiled by the Nation of Islam Research Group (NOIRG), is a brief for students, researchers, members of the media and fair-minded citizens to see how the “mask of civility” has been removed, making what appears to be escalating levels of racial conflict inevitable.

Get your copy right now! President Barack Obama: Evil Spoken Of (PDF)

4.05.2012

NY African Film Festival Returns to Film Society of Lincoln Center 4/11 - 4/17



AFRICAN FILM IS IN THE SPOTLIGHT AS THE NEW YORK AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS TO FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER APRIL 11 to 17
Highlights Include Opening Night Film Mama Africa, Celebrating the Legacy of Miriam Makeba, The Education of Auma Obama, Offering a Window into the African Family and Father of President Obama, and Centerpiece Selection Relentless, Starring Hip-Hop and Soul Singer Nneka

NEW YORK—Film Society of Lincoln Center (FSLC) and African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) have again joined forces to present the 19th New York African Film Festival (NYAFF). Presented under the theme “21st Century: The Homecoming,” this year’s festival will explore the modern notion of home and homeland, from the legacy of music legend Miriam Makeba—subject of the Opening Night Film Mama Africa—to Diasporic visions like the New York-set Restless City. The NYAFF will also mark the 100th anniversary of the African National Congress (ANC) and the 50th anniversary of independence for Algeria, Burundi, Jamaica, Rwanda and Uganda, as well as give a unique look into the life of President Obama with the New York premiere of a film on his half-sister, The Education of Auma Obama. The NYAFF will run from April 11 through 17 at Film Society of Lincoln Center.

“This is a continuation of the discussion about the shape of Africa that has taken place since Independence and that is now not being embraced by the younger generation,” said African Film Festival, Inc. Executive Director and Founder Mahen Bonetti. “Though these young people have not in many ways been thrown a lifeline as post-Independent conflict emerged, they have somehow managed, through technology, to craft their own narrative, unconsciously drawing on the past and creating something new and very modern without having disavowed the past.”

Special events and highlights include the Opening Night film Mama Africa by Mika Kaurismäki (Special Jury Recognition—Documentary at the 2012 Pan African Film Festival) on April 11, and the Centerpiece film Relentless by Andy Amadi Okoroafor, starring internationally renowned Nigerian-German hip hop and soul singer Nneka, a U.S. premiere, on Friday, April 13. With the election year in full swing, the NYAFF will present a film that offers a window into the African family of President Barack Obama and insight into his father, with The Education of Auma Obama by Branwen Okpako; the film won the Viewers’ Choice Award at the 2011 Africa International Film Festival and the Festival Founders’ Award at the 2012 Pan African Film Festival.

“African cinema was born in the same year as the New York Film Festival—1963—and  it's always been a source of great pleasure and pride for me that for 50 years our programs have provided a vital showcase for the best in African filmmaking,” said Film Society of Lincoln Center Program Director Richard Peña. “We also salute our dear friends and partners at the New York African Film Festival, which for almost twenty years has worked successfully to make African cinema a reality around the United States.”

The popular blog Africa is a Country (africasacountry.com) will present “Africa is a Country: Talking Media and Russian Archives,” a free panel discussion, on Saturday, April 14 from 1:30 pm to 4 pm in the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery at the Walter Reade Theater. Featured bloggers and special guest will examine the relationship between Africa and the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s, as is evidenced by Russia's extensive film archive of the continent, and then explore the relationship between film and social media movements on the continent.

“Africans in the Diaspora: Expatriates and the Homecoming,” a free festival preview will take place  at The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space on April 5 at 6:00 pm to welcome audiences to the 19th edition of the NYAFF; the event, moderated by renowned journalist Femi Oke, will include a special performance by popular artist-emcee DJ Spooky in which he rescores Father of African Cinema Ousmane Sembene’s Borrom Sorret, filmmaker-scholar Yemane Demissie and music and African cinema critic Beatiz Leal. The festival then kicks off at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater at 165 W. 65th Street, Plaza Level, from April 11 through 17, then heads to Columbia University’s Institute of African Studies on Thursday, April 19 for a daylong, free public program exploring the themes of the festival. It picks up on May 4 and 5 at the Maysles Cinema Institute in Harlem and culminates over Memorial Day Weekend at the Brooklyn Academy of Music BAMcinématek—part of the dance and music festival DanceAfrica. For details, visit African Film Festival online at www.africanfilmny.org.

The programs of AFF are made possible by the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, International Organization of La Francophonie, Domenico Paulon Foundation, New York Foundation for the Arts, Divine Chocolate, New York Times Community Affairs Department, The Ford Foundation, Bradley Family Foundation, South African Consulate General, SN Brussels, French Cultural Services, Bloomberg, Lambent Foundation, Columbia University’s Institute of African Studies, WNYC, 57 Main St. Wine Company, South African Airways, Hudson Hotel, Putumayo World Music, Flavorpill, Giant Step and Omnipak Import Enterprises, Inc.  

4.04.2012

On Justice for Trayvon Martin

(L-R) Angel, age 5, and Angelique, age 6, of the Howard University Early Learning Program, were at the Justice for Trayvon Martin rally in Washington D.C. March 24.
 (Photo Ashahed M. Muhammad)


In America, an unarmed young brother can apparently be hunted down, shot and killed, with 911 recordings available and the shooter remains free.
But equally troubling is this: How many more have to die [Yusef Hawkins, Sean Bell Oscar Grant, James Byrd, Trayvon Martin, Ramarley Graham] at their hands before we decide to stop killing each other in Black communities nationwide?
As it is with any developing story, even more painfully tragic details are coming to the fore, however one thing still has not changed: Zimmerman has not been arrested.
Those calling for retaliation that are well intentioned, keep in mind your ethics and morality (2 different things) have to be at a very high level in order to carry out ‘an eye for an eye’ type law. It is more than a slogan. Those who are not well intentioned, it is reckless and irresponsible to throw those terms out carelessly. It is not advisable to pursue that course of action.
Review Minister Farrakhan's Holy Day of Atonement message delivered in Atlanta, GA on October 16, 2007. He spoke specifically about the ‘Law of Retaliation’ and the conditions that must be present prior to that type of law being enacted.
Zimmerman should be found, arrested and should stand trial. If the story is as open and shut as is claimed, why does he fear?
Ironically, Zimmerman now fears for his own life as a result of the reality he created for himself when he killed Trayvon Martin.  
We have received a few emailed inquiries regarding Zimmerman's ethnicity. Clearly, we are aware the name 'Zimmerman' is prevalent amongst the Ashkenazim. We've seen reports that his father is a German Jew and his mother, Peruvian. We are still researching to get actual facts, however, none of that is as important as the fact that Trayvon is dead, primarily because he is Black. That much is clear.
I've never seen anything like this in an effort to conceal racial/ethnic identity. Media has described him as a 'White Hispanic' then said his father was Catholic. (Of course, many Jewish groups are screaming 'he is NOT Jewish!')
We're also looking very closely at the ‘socially conscious’ entertainers who quick fast jumped on #KONY2012 but have no comment on #Justice4Trayvon. To those who showed up late to the party…better late than never. On Twitter, monitor those whom you follow, and see what they are (or are not) saying regarding Trayvon.
The battle has already begun to try to demonize Trayvon Martin and elevate Zimmerman. Before you know it, the controlled media will have transformed Zimmerman into a 2nd Amendment loving American hero and patriot protecting himself from a young Black thug.
Black activists and organizations better focus all of this emotional energy into ensuring the narrative is not altered by the unscrupulous 'objective' talking heads that will 'pop up' in the media.

3.22.2012

Farrakhan assails forces working to miseducate, distort history at UC-Berkeley appearance



Farrakhan assails forces working to miseducate, distort history at UC-Berkeley appearance

There are forces that would like to continue the miseducation of Black students, said Min. Farrakhan. They fear those who would uncover their misdeeds, shining the light of truth and exposing their shadowy nefarious deeds, he said.

He cited segregation as an example: The only reason White people wanted to integrate Blacks into society was to get access to Black dollars. During segregation, Black schools and businesses thrived because Black dollars circulated within the community, he said.

Min. Farrakhan then held up the book, The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews Volume 2. The 512-page book should be on every college campus throughout America, he said.


When he asked how many knew about the Jewish holocaust at the hands of Adolph Hitler and his military henchmen, nearly every hand was raised. When he asked the Black students how many knew the details of the holocaust involving their ancestors significantly fewer hands were raised.

“Now why do you know the holocaust, but you don’t know yours?” the Minister asked. “You don’t know what happened to you that you are still wrestling with now! No Jewish child has to be asked about a mission! Jewish children know their history, know what has happened to them and refuse to let it happen again because their parents teach them!

Jewish people teach their generational history to their group and the world, he said. Black parents have failed the children by not teaching them the stories of what Blacks have been through, he added.

“You should know this! You can’t build on today with no knowledge of yesterday, and who would deprive you of yesterday but somebody who wants to rob you of today and cripple your tomorrow!” said Minister Farrakhan.

Jewish organizations such as the ADL and Jewish students on campus had no interaction or interest in Black students, until they discovered Black students were interested in hearing from Louis Farrakhan, said the Nation of Islam minister.

“They only got interested in you because you got interested in me…So before you have a dialogue with them—read,” said Min. Farrakhan. 

2.27.2012

UNDER SIEGE: NDAA, Islamophobia and the Israel Lobby (PDF)



The well-financed “anti-Sharia” movement that opposes the building of mosques in the United States, fueled by acerbic rhetoric spewing from the mouths of political leaders and media personalities has been allowed to spread unchecked. Now, a dangerously Islamophobic climate exists for Muslims in the U.S. and abroad.

The leadership of the Religious Right with their symbiotic partnership with conservative elected officials makes no exceptions for any particular cultural nuances or unique belief systems. To these Apostles of Hate, Islam is the enemy.

Download your copy of this report @ http://finalcall.com/under_siege.pdf

Spread the word, email it to others. Print it out and make copies to distribute to others. Do your part to spread TRUTH!


2.18.2012

9/11: What Really Happened & Why?


The families of those who died on 9/11 and the American people deserve to know what really happened.

CHICAGO-Word is spreading globally regarding the major plenary session scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25 titled “9/11: What Really Happened and Why?

“9/11 is so important and what happened and what were the forces that were arranged for that thing to take place that allowed for everything in these last ten years of the American government’s national and international policies to be reshaped? It is all based upon this attack on 9/11,” said Ishmael R. Muhammad, Minister Farrakhan's assistant at the Nation of Islam's headquarters Mosque Maryam.

Despite movies like “Third Jihad” being shown to law enforcement officials, and Islamophobe Rep. Peter King’s hearings focused on “radicalized Muslims,” a recent report by the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security found the terrorist threat presented from Muslims to be miniscule.

The plenary session, hosted by Southwestern Regional Representative of the Nation of Islam Robert Muhammad, will separate fact from fiction answering tough questions such as: “Was 9/11 an inside job?” and “Does America have a history of false flag operations?”

Information will be presented by members of Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth as they deliver historical narratives, and technical knowledge to those at Saviours’ Day and watching throughout the world via internet.

Richard Gage, founder of Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth told The Final Call he is looking forward to presenting the fact regarding 9/11 to those gathered.

“We’re excited to bring this information to a group of people who have already been primed for it by in this case the Minister,” said Mr. Gage. “He’s taken some very courageous stands for 9/11 truth and so we’re honored to come and speak to what I understand may be up to three thousand people at one time, which is about five times larger than any group of people we’ve ever spoken to. So we’re delighted that the information will get out all at once to that many people and live streaming as well to many times that many people.”

The group’s 15-minute documentary titled “Architects and Engineers: Solving the Mystery of WTC 7” is already being circulated throughout the Nation of Islam’s online social media networks.

The plenary session, "9/11: What Really Happened and Why?" will take place Feb. 25, 2012 at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.  To attend this event in person, register for Saviours' Day 2012 (http://www.noi.org/sd2012).  The event will also be streamed live via the Internet.

1.28.2012

Israeli Assassinations and American Presidents by Alison Weir




Israeli Assassinations and American Presidents 
by Alison Weir

On January 13th the Atlanta Jewish Times featured a column by its owner-publisher suggesting that Israel might someday need to “order a hit” on the president of the United States.

In the column, publisher Andrew Adler describes a scenario in which Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu would need to “give the go-ahead for U.S. based Mossad agents to take out a president deemed unfriendly to Israel.”

The purpose? So that the vice president could then take office and dictate U.S. policies that would help the Jewish state “obliterate its enemies.”

Adler writes that it is highly likely that the idea “has been discussed in Israel’s most inner circles.”
Numerous Jewish leaders quickly condemned Adler, who has now apologized for the column, resigned, and there are some reports that he plans to put the newspaper up for sale. An Israeli columnist noted that the hatred being stirred up against Obama is similar to conditions in Israel that led to the murder of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a Jewish extremist.

Many of those criticizing Adler claim that he had defamed Israel by suggesting that it would ever do such a thing. Abe Foxman, head of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League (ADL) proclaimed: “There is absolutely no excuse, no justification, no rationalization for this kind of rhetoric. It doesn’t even belong in fiction.”
In reality, however, Adler’s expectation that Israel’s inner circles have explored such a course of action, and would be willing to undertake it, may be entirely accurate. The fact is that Israel has killed and plotted to assassinate people throughout the world; a number have been Americans. One alleged plot was chillingly similar to Adler’s suggestion.

Secret Service warned of Israeli assassination plans

There is evidence that in 1991 an Israeli undercover team planned to assassinate a U.S. President. The intended victim was George Herbert Walker Bush.

The first person to write of the plot was a former 11-term Republican Congressman from Illinois, Paul Findley. In a 1992 article in the Washington Report for Middle East Affairs, Findley described the alleged scheme and how it was revealed.

Findley writes that the U.S. Secret Service had received a warning that elements of Israel’s spy agency might target Bush when he went to Madrid for the opening day of the peace conference to be held that year.
According to Findley, a former Mossad agent named Victor Ostrovsky who had written a book exposing Israel’s spy agency told a group of Canadian parliamentarians that he had received secret intelligence suggesting that the “the Mossad's hatred of Bush – and support for Vice President Dan Quayle – might lead to an attempt on the president's life.”

Israel considered Quayle much closer to Israel than Bush. Bush had particularly angered Israel by attempting to pressure Israel into ending its illegal settlement expansion on confiscated Palestinian land by withholding loan guarantees until Israel ended this practice.

Findley writes that Ostrovsky’s statements were relayed to Findley’s friend and former colleague Paul “Pete” McCloskey, a prominent former Republican Congressman from California who had recently been named by Bush to the National and Community Service Commission.
McCloskey, a decorated Marine veteran and graduate of Stanford law school who had at one time been considered a presidential contender, flew to Ottawa to debrief Ostrovsky in person and evaluate his information.

Findley reports that Ostrovsky told McCloskey that the Mossad wanted "to do everything possible to preserve a state of war between Israel and its neighbors, assassinating President Bush, if necessary." Ostrovsky said that a PR campaign was already underway in both Israel and the United States to "prepare public acceptance of Dan Quayle as president."

Convinced that Ostrovsky was legitimate and his information significant, McCloskey jumped on the next flight to Washington, where he reported Ostrovsky’s intelligence to the Secret Service and State Department.
The apparent plot never went forward, perhaps because Ostrovsky and McCloskey had given it away.
Ostrovsky gave more details about the plot two years later in his 1994 book, “The Other Side of Deception: A Rogue Agent Exposes the Mossad's Secret Agenda,” published by HarperCollins.

In the book Ostrovsky writes that an extremist group within Mossad was responsible for the plan. He says they kept the plan secret from then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, though they believed that Shamir would have ordered such a hit himself if he hadn’t been constrained by politics. In the lead-up to Israel’s 1948 founding war, Shamir had headed up a terrorist group known for its assassinations.
In his review of Ostrovsky’s book, Ambassador Andrew Killgore, a retired career foreign service officer and publisher of the Washington Report, called the book an “insider's probing exposé of some Middle East realities that have been hidden too long from all but Israeli eyes.”

Ostrovsky writes that the Israelis planned a “false flag” operation in which they would pin the assassination on Palestinians. They kidnapped three Palestinian militants from Beirut who were to be the scapegoats, took them to Israel's Negev desert, and held them incommunicado.

“Meanwhile,” Killgore writes, “Mossad-generated threats on the president's life, seemingly from Palestinians, were leaked. These were designed to throw suspicion on the organization of rogue Palestinian terrorist Abu Nidal. Names and descriptions of the three terrorists were leaked to Spanish police so that, if the plot was successful, blame would automatically fall on them.”
Ostrovsky reports that after the assassination plot was eventually cancelled, the three Palestinian prisoners were “terminated.”

Targeting Americans

If the plot had gone forward, this would not have been the first time that Israel targeted Americans for death. Nor would it be the first false flag operation.
    • In 1954 the Mossad planned to firebomb American installations, libraries, and other gathering places in Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood was to be blamed for the attacks, thus causing American animosity toward Egypt. An accidental early detonation of one of the devices caused the plot, known as the Lavon Affair, to unravel before it could kill or mutilate the intended Americans.
    • In 1967 Israeli air and sea forces perpetrated an almost two-hour assault in which they tried to sink a US Navy ship with a crew of 294. While the attack failed to sink the ship, it succeeded in killing 34 Americans and injuring 174. Some analysts have conjectured that this was also a false-flag operation; it is highly likely that Egypt would have been blamed for the attack if the ship had gone down.
    • In 1973 Israeli fighter pilots were ordered to shoot down an unarmed U.S. reconnaissance plane (at the time the U.S. was delivering massive weaponry to Israel to prevent it from losing the “Yom Kippur” war with Egypt and Syria). While the Israelis were unable to reach the altitude of the U.S. plane, they did manage that same year to shoot down a civilian Libyan airliner that had strayed over Israeli territory, killing 104 men, women, and children. One was an American.
    • In 1990 a Canadian-American scientist and father of seven, Gerald Bull, was assassinated in Belgium. All indications are that it was an Israeli Mossad hit team that drilled five bullets into the back of his head and neck. (Israel has assassinated a number of scientists of various nationalities. The most recent is a 32-year-old Iranian father with a young son.)
    • In 2003 it came out that Israeli leaders had officially decided to undertake assassination operations on U.S. soil. An FBI spokesman, queried about the Israeli plans, said only: "This is a policy matter. We only enforce federal laws."
    • In recent years a growing number of American peace activists have been intentionally killed, maimed, and injured by Israeli forces, including 23-year-old Rachel Corrie, 21-year-old Brian Avery, 37-year-old Tristan Anderson, 21-year-old Emily Henoschowitz, and 21-year-old Furkan Dogan.
All of this has been minimally reported in the U.S. press. While major news media from England to Israel to Australia covered the Jewish Times’ apparent endorsement of a possible Israeli assassination of a U.S. President, the scandal has been largely missing from U.S. media. Even Atlanta’s AP bureau inexplicably initially decided not to write a report on it, only finally sending out a story many days later.

Such news omissions concerning Israeli partisans are not rare. In 2004 a fanatic Israel loyalist wrote a letter saying that he was going to burn down Presbyterian churches while worshippers were inside (he was furious at the Presbyterian Church’s decision to divest from companies profiting from the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian land). This grisly threat also received minimal media play.

Despite Israeli violence against Americans (even while American taxpayers have given Israel far more of our tax money than to any other nation) American presidential candidates, with the exception of Ron Paul, continue to vie over who is most devoted to Israel.

It is ironic that Adler considers Obama so bad for Israel, given that Israeli analysts have rated him second only to Mitt Romney in his fidelity to Israel. And Obama has now released a seven-minute video that may catapult our first African-American president into first place in pandering to an apartheid nation.
But perhaps he’ll be safe from assassins.

[This article was originally published by Antiwar.com, Jan. 25, 2012.]


Adler, Andrew. "What Would You Do?" Atlanta Jewish Times 13 Jan. 2012: 3. Print. Online at https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/284979-ajt.html

"Jewish Times Publisher Resigns over Obama Assassination Column." Atlanta Journal Constitution. 23 Jan. 2012. Web. 23 Jan. 2012. <http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/jewish-times-publisher-resigns-1313944.html>.

"Jewish Publisher Is an Idiot - but His Hatred Is Shared by Many." Haaretz (blog). 21 Jan. 2012. Accessed 22 Jan. 2012.http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/west-of-eden/jewish-publisher-is-an-idiot-but-his-hatred-is-shared-by-many-1.408466

Anti-Defamation League. ADL Condemns 'Outrageous' Column By Atlanta Jewish Times Publisher. 20 Jan. 2012. Web. <http://adl.org/PresRele/Extremism_72/6224_72>.

"List of Israeli Assassinations." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. Accessed 22 Jan. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Israeli_assassinations>.

While the Wikipedia entry appeared on the day it was accessed to contain an accurate list, it is important to remember that anyone can edit Wikipedia at any moment and inaccurate changes can be made. Israeli partisans have consistently attempted to promote an Israeli agenda on the Internet. See http://www.councilforthenationalinterest.org/news/israellobby/item/1300-israeli-students-to-get-$2000-to-spread-state-propaganda-on-facebook and http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/142374http://www.ifamericansknew.org/media/wikip.html and

Findley, Paul. "Special Report: Peril in Being President." Washington Report for Middle East Affairs (February 1992): 10. Print. Online at http://www.wrmea.com/component/content/article/137/6255-special-report-peril-in-being-president.html

Ostrovsky, Victor, and Claire Hoy. By Way of Deception. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. Print. http://books.google.com/books/about/By_way_of_deception.html?id=nKJBF8RS2LMC

Murphy, Dan. "US Says No Plan to Cut Israel Loan Guarantees, but It's Been Tried before." Christian Science Monitor [Boston] 11 Jan. 2010, Global News Blog ed.http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0111/US-says-no-plan-to-cut-Israel-loan-guarantees-but-it-s-been-tried-before

“Pete McCloskey Leading from the Front.” Dir. Robert Caughlan. Perf. Narrated by Paul Newman. The Video Project, 2009. Film. Web. <http://petemccloskeymovie.com/>.

Nakhleh, Issa. "Chapter Seven: Zionist Crimes and Terrorism in Palestine 1948." Encyclopedia of the Palestine Problem. Intercontinental, 1991. Online at http://www.palestine-encyclopedia.com/EPP/Chapter07_1of7.htm

MacIntyre, Donald. "Israel's Forgotten Hero: The Assassination of Count Bernadotte - and the Death of Peace." The Independent [London] 18 Sept. 2008. Print. Online at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israels-forgotten-hero-the-assassination-of-count-bernadotte--and-the-death-of-peace-934094.html

Killgore, Andrew. "The Other Side of Deception: A Rogue Agent Exposes the Mossad's Secret Agenda." Washington Report on Middle East Affairs April-May (1995): 58-81. Print. Online at http://www.wrmea.com/component/content/article/161-1995-april-may/7775-the-other-side-of-deception-a-rogue-agent-exposes-the-mossads-secret-agenda.html

Melman, Yossi. "Targeted Killings - a Retro Fashion Very Much in Vogue." Ha'aretz [Israel] 24 Mar. 2004. Print. Online at http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/targeted-killings-a-retro-fashion-very-much-in-vogue-1.117714

"Iran's Nuclear Scientists Are Not Being Assassinated. They Are Being Murdered." The Guardian. 16 Jan. 2012.<http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jan/16/iran-scientists-state-sponsored-murder?newsfeed=true>.

Curtiss, Richard H. "The Lavon Affair: When Israel Firebombed U.S. Installations Print." Washington Report on Middle East Affairs July (1992). Print. Online at http://www.wrmea.com/component/content/article/141/6852-the-lavon-affair-when-israel-firebombed-us-installations.html

Moorer, Admiral Thomas H., General Raymond G. Davis, Rear Admiral Merlin Staring, and Ambassador James Akins. "Findings of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Israeli Attack on the USS Liberty, the Recall of Military Rescue Support Aircraft While the Ship Was Under Attack, and the Subsequent Cover-up by the United States Government." Congressional Record October 11 (2004): E1886-1889. Print. Online at http://ifamericansknew.org/us_ints/ul-commfindings.html

"The USS Liberty - Compilation of Articles." If Americans Knew. Web. <http://ifamericansknew.org/us_ints/ussliberty.html>.

“Sharon Pattern from of Old.” United Press International, 17 Apr. 2002. Online at http://rense.com/general30/down.htm

"Who Remembers LAA Flight 114?" Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (September 19, 1983): 3. Print. Online at http://www.wrmea.com/component/content/article/56-september-1983/278-who-remembers-laa-flight-114.html
Redford, John. "Gerald Bull, Gunsmith." Apr. 1992. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. <http://world.std.com/~jlr/doom/bull.htm>.

"The Man Who Made the Supergun." FRONTLINE. PBS. 12 Feb. 1991. Television. Transcript. Online at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/programs/transcripts/911.html

"Think of the Prestige." The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (Sept, 1992). Print. Online at http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/SGbull.htm

Sale, Richard. "Israel to Kill in U.S., Allied Nations." United Press International 15 Jan. 2003. Print. online at http://www.rense.com/general33/trarg.htm

Some researchers suspect earlier operations on U.S. soil, one presenting evidence suggesting an Israeli connection to the strange 1949 death of U.S. Secretary of Defense James Forrestal:: Martin, David. "New Forrestal Document Exposes Cover-up." 17 Sept. 2004. Web. 2012. <http://dcdave.com/article4/040927.html>.

Sheehan-Miles, Charles. "Israel Goes Too Far." Alternet.com. Alternet, 27 Jan. 2003. Web. 21 Jan. 2012. <http://www.alternet.org/story/15028/israel_goes_too_far/?page=entire>.

Weir, Alison. "The Manufactured Controversy Over Former Senior White House Correspondent Helen Thomas." CounterPunch June 9 (2010). Web. 2012. <http://ifamericansknew.org/media/thomas.html>.

Porter, Gareth. "UN Report: American Citizen Executed By Israelis During Mavi Marmara Raid." Alternet (September 27, 2010). online at http://www.alternet.org/investigations/148314/un_report:_american_citizen_executed_by_israelis_during_mavi_marmara_raid/

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"Atlanta Jewish Times Owner Says Sorry for Obama 'hit' Column." The Guardian. 20 Jan. 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/20/newspaper-owner-sorry-obama-hit-column?newsfeed=true.

Shalev, Chemi. "Uproar after Jewish American Newspaper Publisher Suggests Israel Assassinate ..." Haaretz. 20 Jan. 2012. Web. 24 Jan. 2012. http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/uproar-after-jewish-newspaper-publisher-suggests-israel-assassinate-barack-obama-1.408429 .

"Editor Laments Column's Call to Assassinate Obama." Sydney Morning Herald. 23 Jan. 2012. http://www.smh.com.au/world/editor-laments-columns-call-to-assassinate-obama-20120123-1qdul.html.

Chang, Pauline J. "Arsonist ''Promises Violence'' Against Presbyterian Church over Divestment Policy." The Christian Post (Nov. 12, 2004). Print. Online at http://www.christianpost.com/news/arsonist-promises-violence-against-presbyterian-church-over-divestment-policy-3180/

"U.S. Military Aid and the Israel/Palestine Conflict." If Americans Knew. Web.<http://ifamericansknew.org/stats/usaid.html>. Contains Congressional Research Service report.

Rosner, Shmuel. "Israel Factor: Only Romney Better than Obama." Jerusalem Post 11 Nov. 2011. Online at http://www.jpost.com/Features/InThespotlight/Article.aspx?id=244925

Abunimah, Ali. "In Scandalous New Campaign Video, Obama Takes Israel Pandering to Dangerous Levels." Electonic Intifada Blog. 21 Jan. 2012. Web. <http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/scandalous-new-campaign-video-obama-takes-israel-pandering-dangerous-levels>

ReMillard, Frances H. "Is Israel an Apartheid State?" ICAHD-USA. 6 Mar. 2010. Web. 24 Jan. 2012. http://icahdusa.org/2010/03/is-israel-an-apartheid-state/.