Dems denounce Farrakhan rhetoric amid pressure from GOP
Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan’s history of derogatory remarks toward Jews and white people resurfaced in recent weeks after it was reported that at least one organizer of the 2016 Women's March in Washington attended a February event at which the Nation of Islam leader proclaimed that “the powerful Jews are my enemy.” | Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Several Democratic lawmakers denounced Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan’s anti-Semitic rhetoric Thursday after facing pressure from Republican officials and religious groups to account for their past contacts with the controversial activist.
“I’ve spent my life fighting discrimination in every form, from anyone. I unequivocally condemn Minister Farrakhan’s anti-Semitic and hateful comments,” Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) tweeted Thursday. “This vitriol has no place in our society.”
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) also disavowed the religious leader, writing on Twitter: “Farrakhan's anti-Semitic messages are upsetting & unacceptable. I always condemn hate speech of any kind.”
Farrakhan’s history of derogatory remarks toward Jews and white people resurfaced in recent weeks after it was reported that at least one organizer of the 2016 Women's March in Washington attended a February event at which the Nation of Islam leader proclaimed that “the powerful Jews are my enemy.” Farrakhan bemoaned what he called the “satanic Jew” and took aim at Caucasians, saying: "White folks are going down. And Satan is going down.”
The comments prompted a wave of backlash, with Republicans demanding that Women’s March leaders and Democratic officials forcefully denounce the rhetoric. On Tuesday, the Republican Jewish Coalition called on seven Democratic lawmakers to resign, saying they “sat down with Farrakhan for personal meetings” while in office.
The group targeted Reps. Andre Carson (D-Ind.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Al Green (D-Texas), Lee and Meeks in their calls for resignation, along with Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, over “Farrakhan ties.”
“There can be no question about how abhorrent it is for these Democrats to be connected to Louis Farrakhan,” RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said in a statement. “In this case, for meeting with, and embracing, Louis Farrakhan, nothing short of resignation is acceptable from these seven Democrats.”
Carson distanced himself from Farrakhan’s rhetoric in a statement to POLITICO.
“As a Member of Congress, I have met with a diverse array of community leaders, including Minister Farrakhan, to discuss critical issues that are important to my constituents and all Americans,” he said Thursday. “While many of these leaders have long track records of creating positive change in their communities, this does not mean that I see eye to eye with them on all beliefs or public statements.”
Carson added: “Racism, homophobia, islamophobia [sic], anti-Semitism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance have no place in our civil discourse.”
Davis initially responded by disavowing bigotry without explicitly naming the Nation of Islam leader in a statement earlier this week. But the Illinois lawmaker delivered a direct rebuke of Farrakhan Thursday evening.
"Let me be clear: I reject, condemn and oppose Minister Farrakhan’s views and remarks regarding the Jewish people and the Jewish religion," Davis said in a statement.
Davis had drawn criticism from the Anti-Defamation League, an advocacy group that combats anti-Semitism, for his past praise of Farrakhan.
"We are deeply disappointed with Congressman Davis statements about Farrakhan, an avowed anti-Semite who leads a group that traffics in hate not just towards Jews but also the LGBTQ community," an ADL spokesperson said in a statement. "It is unfortunate that the congressman apparently can’t muster up the courage to denounce Farrakhan’s blatant anti-Semitism and instead chose to praise him instead."
Ellison, whose praise of Farrakhan in 1995 was resurfaced by the Republican National Committee this month, told the Washington Post that he had already addressed the issue, having previously disavowed the controversial leader and his rhetoric.
“None of my colleagues ever asked me about that, only reporters,” Ellison told the Post. “I am telling you, no one cares. I’ve been all over Minnesota, all over Alabama, all over Missouri, all over Pennsylvania and Connecticut, and nobody ever asked me about this."
Last month, Ellison criticized his political detractors for resurfacing the issue, telling CNN that his “opponents keep pushing this out there in order to try to smear and distract from the key issues, but there’s no relationship.”
Representatives for Waters and Green did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday.
The controversy over the Democratic lawmakers’ past interactions with Farrakhan drew the attention of some within President Donald Trump’s inner circle, with his eldest son Donald Trump Jr. and former press secretary Sean Spicer claiming news outlets are not holding legislators accountable on the topic.
“Strange how little coverage this is getting and how few (if any) are disavowing,” Trump Jr. tweeted Thursday. “It’s almost as though they condone and perhaps even agree with it. The silence is deafening. Truly sick.”
Spicer added on Twitter that it’s “not difficult for Capitol Hill reporters to ask the Democrat members to account for their association to #farrakhan & also ask @TheDemocrats leaders - as they would if this was a Republican.”
Farrakhan’s remarks at the February event also received significant attention from conservative media figures, drawing segments on Fox News’ prime-time lineup and grabbing headlines on right-leaning outlets like The Daily Caller and The Weekly Standard.
Davis, in his initial statement, pushed back against “right-wing blogs” covering the issue, accusing them of seeking to “impugn my character” and create a “divide” between the Jewish and African-American communities.
Original article:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.politico.com/amp/story/2018/03/08/louis-farrakhan-democrats-448241#ampshare=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/08/louis-farrakhan-democrats-448241
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