For over 30 years, Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam (NOI), has marked himself as a notable figure on the extremist scene, verbally attacking Jews, white people and the LGBT community.
In recent years, Farrakhan has embarked on a wide-ranging campaign specifically targeting the Jewish community, which has featured some of the most hateful speeches of Farrakhan’s career as head of the NOI. Farrakhan has alleged that the Jewish people were responsible for the slave trade and that they conspire to control the government, the media, Hollywood, and various Black individuals and organizations. He also frequently denies that Jews have a legitimate claim to their religion and to the land of Israel claiming that Judaism is nothing more than a “deceptive lie” and a “theological error” promoted by Jews to further their supposed control over America’s government and economy.
Farrakhan often promotes such messages at public speeches and sermons, some of which attract thousands of followers. During Part 2 of his 2015 Saviours’ Daykeynote address at the Mosque Maryam in Chicago, Illinois, Farrakhan used his platform to discuss the supposed role of Israel and Jews in orchestrating the 9/11 attacks, claiming that “Israelis had foreknowledge of the attacks” and that Jews were warned ahead of time not to come to work that day. He then went on to speak more broadly of Israeli control of the American government, stating that Israel and Jews “don’t fear America because they control it from within.”