Perspectives

An Open Letter to Glenn Beck

By Jackie Muhammad | Last updated: Mar 15, 2012 - 1:21:03 PM

What's your opinion on this article?

To: Glenn Beck
From: Jackie Muhammad
Date: February 28, 2012
Re: Your Attack on The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

glenn_beck2012.jpg
Glenn Beck

Recently you attacked The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan for his comments at the Nation of Islam’s Saviours’ Day Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on February 26, 2012. That date commemorates the birth of the founder of the Nation of Islam, Master Fard Muhammad.

From the outset you accuse the Nation of Islam of having a “sordid and violent” past. In the 82-year history of the Nation of Islam, no organization has focused on the plight of the poor, downtrodden and dispossessed Black masses as the Nation of Islam has. We have brought knowledge, truth, peace, and tranquility to the most volatile communities in America, despite the opposition we have had to face from detractors like yourself. No other independent Black organization has the track record the NOI has in cleaning up crime, effectively dealing with the scourge of drugs, providing employment opportunities, and establishing independent Black educational institutions in the bowels of the most blighted cities in America.

In spite of this record of success, based on our adherence to the teachings of Master Fard Muhammad, The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has been the victim of the most racist vitriol any Black leader has had to endure. You have the unmitigated gall to call The Minister and the NOI racists. Allow me, for the purpose of historical and scriptural accuracy, to familiarize you with just a small taste of your own racism.

spacer-400w_32.jpg

'As a devout Mormon you are familiar, I am sure, with your holy writ called the Book of Mormon. That book, written by Mr. Joseph Smith, the founder of your “religion,” is replete with racist characterizations of Black people. That book (2 Nephi 5:21), which I believe helped to shape your view of Black people, depicts us as a people who have been cursed black by God, ordained to be slaves to White people, and deprived of the priesthood until 1978.'

As a devout Mormon you are familiar, I am sure, with your holy writ called the Book of Mormon. That book, written by Mr. Joseph Smith, the founder of your “religion,” is replete with racist characterizations of Black people. That book (2 Nephi 5:21), which I believe helped to shape your view of Black people, depicts us as a people who have been cursed black by God, ordained to be slaves to White people, and deprived of the priesthood until 1978—this, in spite of the fact that the God of Israel placed Aaron, an African, in charge of the priesthood. How, then, can Joseph Smith in direct contravention of God’s directive prohibit Black people from being priests, when the Original priests were men of color. Either Mr. Smith is right or God is right. Either God is a liar or Mr. Smith is a liar.

By the way, your “inspired” “prophet” used as his source material the Jewish Talmud, whose rabbis invented out of whole cloth the “Curse of Ham” myth. Could he not have shown some degree of originality?

Further, not only are Blacks the descendants of a “cursed race” and made an inferior people by God, but the Native Americans, according to the Book of Mormon, were descendants of the Lamanites (Alma 3:6), who, according to “prophet” Joseph Smith, were made a cursed people as well. Mormon theology, which you so ably represent, is an inherently racist religion. So before you condemn Islam and The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, I suggest you look in the mirror and examine your racism and the deep-seated racism inherent in Mormonism, which appears to be one of the sources of your hatred of Black people.

Just as you seem to relish calling President Barack Obama a “racist” and a “Marxist” and mischaracterizing him with both of those terms, you have also lied about what Minister Farrakhan actually said when you took excerpts from a four-and-a-half-hour speech (that you probably didn’t even listen to) and distorted his words and their meaning. According to your history, this seems to be a perpetual pattern of behavior.

For example, on May 21, 2009, you appeared on the ABC television program The View starring Barbara Walters and Whoopi Goldberg. Ms. Goldberg called you out as a “liar” and said, “you’re a lying sack of dog mess.” Ms. Walters concurred with Whoopi Goldberg’s astute analysis. Ms. Walters accused you of not checking your facts and distorting the story you reported on your radio program concerning the two women. You have similarly distorted The Minister’s Saviours’ Day speech.

Your peers in the industry have not only questioned your veracity, but have also questioned your mental stability. Alison Hines of News One for Black America asked if you were “Satan’s mentally challenged younger brother.” Former Congressman Joe Scarborough, the host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe and the former editor-publisher of the Florida Sun, on his February 25, 2011 program, said not only were you bad for the conservative movement, but you were also bad for Fox News. Scarborough proceeded on national television to question your sanity. He said, “Glenn Beck is losing it before our eyes.”

spacer-400w_33.jpg

'A fellow ideological traveler, the conservative columnist and political analyst Pat Buchanan and a host of conservatives and neo-conservatives, including leaders like William Kristol, have all criticized and rebuked you for your incendiary comments. Mr. Buchanan added that Republicans have a “responsibility and a duty” to make sure that you do not speak for Conservatives. Those on the right, left and in the center of the political spectrum seem to be in a rush to distance themselves from your poisonous venom.'

A fellow ideological traveler, the conservative columnist and political analyst Pat Buchanan and a host of conservatives and neo-conservatives, including leaders like William Kristol, have all criticized and rebuked you for your incendiary comments. Mr. Buchanan added that Republicans have a “responsibility and a duty” to make sure that you do not speak for Conservatives. Those on the right, left and in the center of the political spectrum seem to be in a rush to distance themselves from your poisonous venom.

In a blog by your fellow conservative Peter Wehner, a Commentary writer and senior fellow at a conservative public policy institute, you were identified as “the most disturbing personality on cable television,” and other conservatives view you as “pretty shallow.”

Your propensity to tell lies laced with racial innuendo and your propensity to distort the truth disqualify you from objectively evaluating the deep spirituality of Minister Farrakhan’s Saviours’ Day message.

While the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan travels the earth addressing the numerous problems facing humanity (he has travelled to over 110 nations and has spoken to more than 100 million people), you sit back and spew your venomous, vile, vicious rantings. You are not qualified to evaluate or sit in judgment of The Minister.

I find it particularly interesting that you chose not to mention the learned White scientists from the 1600-member Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth who, in a recent Nation of Islam plenary session, proved that “Muslim terrorists” did not bring down the World Trade Center buildings—the destruction of which the U.S. Government has used as a justification to invade seven Muslim countries, a despicable act that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. The founder of that organization, Mr. Richard Gage, went through a meticulous, scientific presentation to show that airplanes could not have brought down those three buildings.

You insidiously insert the killing of Minister Malcolm X into your diatribe. For the record, the Nation of Islam had nothing to do with that tragedy. In fact, we have requested that the government open up the files on the murder of Malcolm X and let the American people make their judgments after all the evidence has been placed on the table. While you’re at it, we should also reexamine the assassinations of Martin Luther King and a host of other Black leaders. What we will discover is that the U.S. Government has played a key role in the murder of our leaders. The American people need to know what happened to their leaders. That’s why Minister Farrakhan is sounding the alarm about the current political climate that could possibly engender an assassination of President Obama. The same forces that were at play then are at work now. Minister Farrakhan is the only person bold enough to expose this truth.

Instead of wasting your time spewing ridiculous racial lies and impugning the character of one of the most revered men in the world, why don’t you join The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan in calling for the government to release the Malcolm X assassination files? This would show that you are serious about finding Minister Malcolm’s real murderers.

The picture you have painted of The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan is inconsistent with his message (What Will 2012 Bring To America, the World and Black And Oppressed People) presented at Saviours’ Day. But given your history of bigoted race baiting, what else should we expect from you?

-- FinalCall.com News

Jackie Muhammad is a former presidential appointee, member of the Oxford round table, educator, youth-trainer and businessman. He can be reached at jacrb519@aol(dot) com.