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From a press release:
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today announced its resignation from the Governor’s Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes and expressed its “utter disappointment” in the Blagojevich administration’s decision to stand by the Nation of Islam representative on the Commission. Sister Claudette Marie Muhammad is a top adviser to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who on Sunday once again used the annual Saviours’ Day event to engage in hateful anti-Semitic, homophobic and racist bigotry. Member of the Commission were invited to the event and several attended.
In announcing ADL’s resignation, Lonnie Nasatir, Regional Director of ADL’s Greater Chicago/Upper Midwest office, issued the following statement:
We cannot continue to serve on a Commission that remains silent in the face of bigotry and makes a mockery of the fight against hatred and intolerance in Illinois. It is sad day when we are left with no choice but to resign from the Commission. We are utterly disappointed at the Blagojevich administration’s decision to stand by Sister Muhammad and the Nation of Islam. She serves on the Commission as a representative of the Nation of Islam, just as I serve as a representative of ADL, and she must be held accountable for the statements of her organization’s leader.
Sister Muhammad’s statement is wholly inadequate. She in no way condemns or apologizes for Minister Farrakhan’s hate-filled rhetoric that pervades the message and beliefs of the Nation of Islam. Moreover, in stating that she respects those who practice the ‘true tenets’ of their faith, she echoes Minister Farrakhan’s comments Sunday that, ‘These false Jews promote the filth of Hollywood that is seeding the American people… It’s the wicked Jews, the false Jews, that are promoting Lesbianism, homosexuality. It’s wicked Jews, false Jews, that make it a crime for you to preach the word of God, then they call you homophobic!’ It is clear to us that the Nation of Islam considers the Jewish community to be ‘false Jews’ whom it is acceptable to hate.
As a good friend of mine just said, “All this over a committee designed to produce positive press releases. Amazing.”
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 12:03 pm
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Bravo, ADL, for taking a public position of integrity, honesty, and courage.
Comment by Anon Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 12:16 pm
Bravo ADL for taking the right stand. ADL shouldn’t lend its credibility to this commission which clearly has none.
We’re not talking about some library board here, this is a commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes! Hateful speech must be condemmed by this commission member.
Comment by Goodbye Napoleon Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 12:42 pm
And Blago just sits there and claims ignorance…just another example of his pandering to whatever group he feels he needs for support. Our state needs leadership that leads, not follows.
Comment by anonymous Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 12:45 pm
Simply stunning. We are witnessing the disintegration of one of the great human rights committees in Illinois and ROD DOES NOT CARE!
Yet another entity this guy wants to turn into his personal, political tool. Well, guess what, people are SICK AND TIRED of that.
I will vote for a candidate in the Democrat primary on March 21 but it sure as hell won’t be a re-election vote.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 12:51 pm
I just love it when a plan comes together.Let me see now how many more has he got to throw under the bus until he is out of bodies.Like I have said all along his ego will defeat him.
Comment by DOWNSTATE Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 1:02 pm
Watch for the Governor’s press machine spin this into the ADL demonstrating intolerance…
Comment by Common Sense in Illinois Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 1:09 pm
A Muslim on the committee,
Caused the ADL to complain she was un-fittee
But the Gov played dumb
As he plotted his run
With Jewish Hollywood bucks in the kitty.
Comment by Another Limerick Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 1:10 pm
it is amazing that this has grown into the mushroom cloud that it now is
someone please tell me where the Gov’s approval rating is after a day or two of this news in the liberal lakefront and north shore
and for that matter, in communities that are traditionally African-American…he is gonna take a hit on this
Comment by Mongo Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 1:13 pm
Exodus Bk1, chapter -The Next ! The Rod strikes the Rock and Nuthin’!
Comment by Pat Hickey Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 1:22 pm
This is the break Edwin Eisendrath has been looking for!!!
…Just kidding. Though I have noticed he’s employing the time-honored eight-signs-each within-three-feet-of-one-another-on-a-public right-of-way strategy.
Comment by SenorAnon. Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 1:27 pm
A Hiaku for Rod
Trying to be loved
Oh no, I did it again
I have split the base
Comment by Stavros Popodopolis Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 1:32 pm
Blago has set course for himself directly into a nastt storm.
Comment by John Ruberry Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 1:38 pm
DUH MY PEOLE DIDN’T TELL ME THERE WAS ADL MEMBERS ON THAT COMMITTEE.Famous last words of AROD Blago.
Comment by DOWNSTATE Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 2:15 pm
I am totally appalled by this. Is there something that this woman has said/done that is racist or even inappropriate? Why is she being held responsible for something that she hasnt done? I dont understand what the fuss is. Isnt the point of the committee for folks of different backgrounds to discuss issues? How can you talk about race without having different points of view represented? This is disgraceful.
Comment by anon Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 3:06 pm
If you have principles, you must live by them. Kudos, ADL, for showing courage and taking the path of right good principle.
Comment by my father's son Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 3:27 pm
anon 3:06 you have never listened to the church that she is a minister of.They want to kill whitey and she believes in this belief enough that she will not renounce it.There is no talking with this group.They are the black version of the KKK.Would you say if she is on it they should let a member of the KKK and Neo-Nazi party on?
Comment by DOWNSTATE Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 3:36 pm
Where the heck is Rick Garcia of Equality Illinois on all of this???
Comment by Coloradem Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 3:39 pm
Louanne Peters! Come on down! You’re the next contestant to be thrown under the bus on “The Price is Too-High”.
“Why didn’t you tell me that a Farrakhan disciple might alienate the Jewish vote?”
Comment by Nunymus Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 3:41 pm
Just as Lonnie Nasitir is the commission representative for the ADL, Sister Muhammad is the commission representative for the NOI. The person and the group she represents are not inseparable.
Comment by Former MC Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 3:43 pm
Huh? When has anyone from the Nation of Islam said “kill whitey”? Your ignorance of the nation of islam and the history of race (and racism) is staggering. When has the Nation of Islam ever said “kill whitey”?
Comment by anon Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 3:49 pm
Apparently, the guv has done his polls and decided that the benefits in terms of securing the black vote significantly outweigh any negatives in the state’s liberal and Jewish communities.
Blago is all votes all the time. And in addition to securing the black vote even more firmly, it is likely that urban liberals and Jews would vote for him anyway because he is a Democrat and because EE is simply not viable.
I think it’s time to move off this topic and get back to more vital issues like the state budget, the need to reduce the grossly overstaffed state payroll, pension funding reform, and state government corruption. The composition of this fluffball committee is not vital to anything.
Comment by Cassandra Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 3:51 pm
If I had read this posting prior to posting on the other post, I would have known that the person I was speaking about had resigned from the Commission. Good for him. In the position on the Commission, he would have been easily accessible for scrutiny in the coming days.
And this is a little bit much about a Discrimination and Hate Crime Commission.
Question: How does this Commission relate to the work of the Illinois Department of Human Rights?
Do they work collectively or do they have entirely different functions?
Comment by ONEMANCANMAKEADIFFERENCE Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 4:57 pm
I’m with you Coloradem! Where’s Rick Garcia on this? He was one of the first out of the blocks to support this woman? Seems he and the Gov are about the only ones left.
Comment by On the Fence Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 6:53 pm
What an absolute nightmare for Blago.
With Farrakhan’s involvement, this story has the legs to go national, wait and see. Lou Lang won’t end it.
Comment by Bubs Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 7:38 pm
It’s national now. It made the O’Reilly Factor tonight.
Hummm, Bill O’Reilly + Louis Farakhan… I’m sure this will produce a lot of intelligent discussion. A MESS all the way around - With no end in sight! Well Done Rod
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 7:59 pm
Amen, anon 7:59…. 2 of our nations’ biggest brains…. or at least biggest mouths.
Comment by Governor "Smith" Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 8:55 pm
Cassandra -
Its obvious that you don’t know the African-American community very well. They do not blindly follow the NOI in a robotic lockstep. Its pretty much the opposite. The NOI is a small but loud group and Minister Louie knows how to get headlines better than Blago.
In order to get back to the vital issues you mention, there is one good way to do it. Vote out Blago!!!
Comment by Papa Legba Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 9:01 pm
He’s gotta be kidding. This is from Forbes.com. Indredibly absurd that something this stupid would come out of even Blagos mouth.
“On Wednesday, Blagojevich expressed support for Claudette Marie Muhammad, director of community outreach for the Nation of Islam, led by the Rev. Louis Farrakhan. But Blagojevich said he did not know he had appointed Muhammad until learning about it from news reports, and wished his staff had discussed it with him.”
Comment by Papa Legba Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 9:07 pm
Good for the ADL. The only thing it can do.
A gutless, clueless wonder of a gov.
Comment by Backyard Conservative Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 9:18 pm
“On the Fence - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 6:53 pm said
I’m with you Coloradem! Where’s Rick Garcia on this? He was one of the first out of the blocks to support this woman? Seems he and the Gov are about the only ones left. ”
Little Rick Garcia was on the cover of the Freepress the gay newspaper with Dean Maragos at some party event. I am troubled that Rick as a member of the Gay community would stay on this Commission. As far as Lou Lang goes I guess he is a self hateing sell out.
Comment by Anon Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 7:37 am