Updated: Nation of Islam leader, Minister Louis Farrakhan, is defending Kanye West after the Anti-Defamation League charged that some of the rap star’s latest remarks were examples of “classic anti-Semitism.”
West has been making media headlines for his remarks lately, but this time Farrakhan believes the Chicago native did nothing but tell the truth.
Toward the end of November, the “New Slaves” rapper insisted that it’s hard for President Obama to pass his policies because “Black people don’t have the same level of connections as Jewish people” and people in the oil industries.
While the statement sent some people into a frenzy, Farrakhan says the public is having a hard time accepting the truth.
“You are telling Kanye West he should know better,” Farrakhan said on Saturday during a weekly nation of Islam address where he directed his comments to Abraham Foxman, the ADL national director. “He does know better, and that’s why he said what he said.”
Farrakhan even went on to say that Jews do indeed control the levers of government, although they aren’t “all-powerful.”
Farrakhan took apart Foxman’s allegations line by line and directly responded to his claims.
Foxman also encouraged Kanye to apologize for his comments, but Farrakhan says that the ADL national director is just trying to take advantage of “scared-to-death Negroes,” but that isn’t going to work on him.
“You know what, Mr. Foxman? I wish you and I could have a dialogue,” he said. “You wouldn’t put that small time stuff over on me that you put on scared-to-death Negroes that if they mention ‘Jew’ and you call them anti-Semitic, they start bowing to you and your pressure.”
He then went on to directly advise Kanye not to pay Foxman any attention and not to give in to his demands for an apology.
“Kanye West, don’t bow to the pressure to apologize to anybody,” he continued. “You said nothing wrong. ‘Who are you Farrakhan to say that he said nothing wrong?’ I am directly from the Christ and the Messiah, so what I tell you has more weight than anything that these enemies might want to say. You have nothing to apologize for and it is their fear of the truth and that’s why it gives me pleasure to defend my brother.”
It isn’t very often that any major public figure puts his head on the line to defend West, so it will certainly be interesting whether Kanye decides to thank Farrakhan for his defense.
Hear Farrakhan’s full defense of Kanye West below:
