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 Two prominent Jewish leaders resigned from a state anti-discrimination commission Thursday, as controversy escalated over another commissioner, who is an official with the Nation of Islam.

Lonnie Nasatir, Midwest regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, and Richard Hirschhaut, executive director of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, said they could not keep their posts when commission member Claudette Marie Muhammad remained silent about controversial words recently spoken by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

"I cannot, in good conscience continue to serve alongside a fellow commissioner who remains silent in the face of such hate," said Hirschhaut, who was appointed to the commission in 1999 when he still served as Midwest regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.

The Blagojevich administration was quick to replace Nasatir with Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) Thursday afternoon. Hirschhaut resigned late in the day, and aides to the governor did not return calls for comment Thursday evening.

The resignations followed days of outcry from Jewish leaders and others who lobbied Gov. Rod Blagojevich to take some kind of action regarding Muhammad, who serves as Farrakhan's chief of protocol.

Although Muhammad was appointed to the commission in August, it wasn't until recently, when she invited commission members to attend a speech by Farrakhan, that word of her affiliation with the Nation of Islam began to spread.

During Farrakhan's speech Sunday, he said "the Hollywood Jews" are responsible for promoting homosexuality and other "filth of Hollywood."

Muhammad issued a statement this week in which she said she believes in "fairness to all people regardless of race, creed, color, national origin or religious beliefs." She also said she supports human rights for gays and lesbians.

The conflict continued to gain steam when Blagojevich said Wednesday that Muhammad shouldn't be judged by a history of anti-Semitic and anti-gay statements made by Farrakhan, but rather by her own words in support of tolerance and acceptance.

Nasatir said he was "utterly disappointed" in the governor's decision to stand by Muhammad and that her statement was "wholly inadequate" and "in no way condemns or apologizes for Minister Farrakhan's hate-filled rhetoric that pervades the message and beliefs of the Nation of Islam."

Nasatir, who has served on the commission since last summer, said he had concerns about Muhammad in November when the commission first met and he saw a roster of its members. He said he expressed his concern to the governor's office but didn't resign at that point because it "would have been premature before seeing how it all developed."

Hirschhaut, too, said it gave him pause when he first learned of Muhammad's appointment, but he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt and hoped that there might be an opportunity to establish a "higher and more respectful tone from the Nation of Islam."

Although Lang, who is Jewish, said he would like Muhammad to renounce Farrakhan's statements, he argued that questions about the views of one commissioner should not stand in the way of the commission's goals.

"The notion that people would resign from the commission over the views of one member ... it seems to me is an error," Lang said. "The commission has an opportunity to do some valuable work."The conflict has also prompted several lawmakers to take sides.

State Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago) said Thursday that he has been disappointed so far in Blagojevich's response.

"There are three groups here—the African-American community, the Jewish community and the gay and lesbian community—who are normally united," Silverstein said. "We are being torn apart because of this. I was hoping the governor would show some leadership here and pull these groups together."

But Sen. Kimberly Lightford (D-Maywood), an African-American lawmaker who served on the panel under Gov. George Ryan, called Nasatir's resignation unfortunate.

"What I really enjoyed about the commission is that it was unique, in that we were all different—different backgrounds, different religions, different geographical areas," Lightford said. "If all were alike, or the majority were alike, and you were evaluating an issue that took place, it would be all like minds."

Ill. Governor Stumped by Hate Crimes Panel
Mar 3, 8:08 PM EST


 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- It started as a routine gubernatorial appointment to a feel-good commission - so routine that the governor says he didn't even know the details.

But the naming of a Nation of Islam official to a commission that fights discrimination has exploded into an election-year furor for Gov. Rod Blagojevich, putting him in the middle of a conflict among blacks, Jews and gays.

Even if Blagojevich makes his way through the racial and religious minefield this issue presents, his claim of ignorance about the appointment could reinforce his image of a detached, uninformed governor.

"No matter what he does, he's going to tick somebody off," Rick Garcia, political director of the gay rights organization Equality Illinois, said Friday. "It's completely a no-win situation."

Four Jewish members of the Governor's Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes resigned this week rather than serve alongside an aide to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, known for his disparaging remarks about Jews, whites and gays.

The third and fourth resignations came Friday, when Howard Kaplan of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago said he could not serve on a commission "that, by implication, accepts divisive and bigoted standards."

Democratic state Rep. Lou Lang, who was appointed just a day earlier to fill one of the vacancies, also stepped down.

In dueling news conferences, Jewish and gay lawmakers called for Sister Claudette Marie Muhammad to disavow Farrakhan's comments or step down from the commission, while black lawmakers defended her right to serve.

"I think she has the intellect and also the humanity to do what this commission was put together for," said state Sen. Donne Trotter, a Chicago Democrat.

Blagojevich appointed Muhammad to the commission in August, but she drew no public attention until she invited other commissioners to a Farrakhan speech last month. Some commissioners began complaining of her presence on the panel, and the criticism increased after Farrakhan's speech Sunday included references to "Hollywood Jews" promoting homosexuality and "other filth."

The Democratic governor, in a recent interview with The Associated Press, said he did not realize he had appointed a Nation of Islam official until learning about it from news reports.

He nodded vigorously when asked whether his staff should have discussed the appointment and its implications with him, but would say little else about the incident.

But he did say Muhammad should stay on the commission so long as she supports its goals of fighting discrimination.

"I strongly disagree with the things Minister Farrakhan said. They're wrong and hateful and they're harmful," Blagojevich said. "I also oppose guilt by association. Ms. Muhammad didn't say those things."

Muhammad did not return messages left for her at the Nation of Islam, where she is Farrakhan's chief of protocol and director of community outreach, but she issued a statement promising to support the commission's work "to eradicate hate and discrimination against any group or person."

Blagojevich's aides have refused to answer questions about how Muhammad was appointed.

The commission, with 20 to 30 members, was established in 1999 but eventually fell into disuse. Blagojevich appointed a new set of unpaid commissioners last summer. Their mission is to promote tolerance by working with law enforcement, religious leaders, educators and social service agencies. The full commission has met in full only twice since it was reconstituted.

The biggest political risk to Blagojevich is that the controversy could alienate black leaders who are already grumbling because he won't raise taxes to generate more money for schools and social services. One black state senator, who is also a prominent Chicago minister, has talked about launching a third-party challenge.

The Rev. Michael Pfleger, the white pastor of a mostly black Chicago church and a friend of Muhammad's, said Blagojevich would generate enormous anger if he removed Muhammad from the commission.

"If you are not willing to stand up in difficult times, don't pretend to be a supporter of black issues, of the black community," Pfleger said. "Now is a test for him."

Meanwhile, Blagojevich is being accused of "appeasement" and cowardice by gubernatorial rival Edwin Eisendrath, who trails badly in the Democratic primary. Republicans are also calling on Blagojevich to remove Muhammad.

People on both sides of the question are shaking their heads over the Blagojevich administration's failure to anticipate the problem. Some likened it to Blagojevich's statement last month that he had no idea "The Daily Show" was a comedy when he sat down for an interview that ended up mocking him.

Garcia, the gay rights leader, praised Muhammad and said he wants her to stay on the commission. But he said of the Blagojevich administration: "How they could not see it as a potential problem down the road is mind-boggling to me."

Governor botches response to hate crime panel controversy

Monday, March 6, 2006

As I write this, Gov. Rod Blagojevich has made a real mess of things at the Illinois Statehouse.

Through his inept handling of a silly little matter, he has managed to pit black legislators against Jewish legislators and Jews against each other. Tensions are higher than I've seen in a long while.

This all started back in August when Blagojevich appointed members to his Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes. The commission was first formed by Gov. George Ryan, but Blagojevich never appointed any members until last year, when re-election season began to ramp up.

One of those appointees was Sister Claudette Marie Muhammad, Louis Farrakhan's director of protocol at the Nation of Islam.

The appointment became an issue after Muhammad invited members of the commission to Farrakhan's annual "Savior's Day" address in Chicago.

Farrakhan is not exactly an anti-hate type, and his Savior's Day speech was no exception. "Don't be afraid to love and don't be afraid to hate," he said.

"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!"

If Muhammad was simply a member of Farrakhan's congregation, there might be some questions, but few would likely make a major deal out of this.

But Muhammad is a high official with the Nation of Islam and is one of Farrakhan's close advisers. So questions were raised. Instead of addressing those questions, the governor stood by his appointment, claiming that Muhammad was in sync with the commission's mission.

Except that a few days later the governor claimed he didn't know that Muhammad was a Farrakhan person, and it took his office several days to pry from her a weak, generic statement claiming support for the commission's goals.

Understandably, tempers began to flare at the Statehouse, and some Jewish legislators decided to act. Despite lots of pressure from the governor's office, they held a news conference calling on Muhammad to fully explain her positions. Some African-American legislators then took to the podium afterward to lash out at Muhammad's critics, more than just implying racial motives.

Then things really got bad.

The day after the news conference, Lonnie Nasatir of the Anti-Defamation League resigned from the commission in protest. A few minutes later, Blagojevich appointed state Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) to take Nasatir's place. The appointment was obviously designed to show that the Jewish community was divided over the governor's decision and to quell any media uproar.

One out, one in, no big deal, no big story.

But then, later that night, another prominent Jewish leader announced his resignation. When Richard Hirschhaut, the director of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, resigned, the governor was caught flat-footed. Blagojevich's office had spent the day reaching out to other prominent Jewish leaders, but they didn't have anyone ready to go when Hirschaut's announcement came.

Two out, one in, a very big deal — and a national story.

And then, the very next day, Lang resigned, along with another prominent Jewish leader, Howard Kaplan.

Four out, none in — a complete disaster.

Nobody would have uttered a peep of protest if Blagojevich had refused to appoint a Nation of Islam official to his hate crimes commission last August.

Few would have said a word when the story first broke if the governor had removed Muhammad, because opinions had yet to harden and the issue was not well-known.

But that's not what happened. The governor blindly appointed someone from a list, then refused to change his mind, even though we now know that he didn't know whether Muhammad was as hateful to Jews and gays as her boss.

Then he stuck by his position even though it took days to extract from her a generic statement of support for the commission's goals (which should have set off major alarm bells).

And finally, he played a cynical game of divide and conquer with the Jewish community.

The result of all of this is inflamed tension between black and Jewish legislators, who are usually natural legislative allies, and deeply hurt feelings within the Jewish delegation itself, which is now divided between ideological foes of Farrakhan and ultra-partisan supporters of the governor.

All of this over a backwater commission that was so unimportant that the governor didn't even bother to activate it for almost three years, and which nobody ever heard of until last month, and whose only purpose is to write a report that nobody will ever read.

N. Of Islam Official: Come Back Or 'Shut Up'
Nation Of Islam Official Responds To Criticism

   
Nation of Islam officials said Tuesday that Jewish leaders who resigned rather than serve with one of their members on a state hate crimes commission should come back to the group or "shut up."

The commission member, Sister Claudette Marie Muhammad, also said it is ridiculous that she has been condemned for remarks made by her leader Louis Farrakhan, whose speeches have attacked Jews, gays and whites over the years.

"For those who try to condemn me because of the honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan's remarks ... which were perceived by some as anti-Semitic, it's ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous," Muhammad said during an appearance on WVON-AM.

They were Muhammad's first public comments since four members of the Governor's Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes resigned last week rather than serve with her.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed Muhammad to the commission in August, but she was under the radar until she invited other commissioners to attend a Farrakhan speech last month.

Criticism of Muhammad mounted after the speech, which included references to "Hollywood Jews" promoting homosexuality and "other filth."

Farrakhan's chief of staff, Brother Leonard Muhammad, said on the radio Tuesday that the Nation of Islam forgave the people who left the commission because "you left out of confusion. You misunderstand what the commission is all about. Come back to the commission and debate your point."

He later issued a stronger challenge to them to return.

"They need to come back or shut up," Leonard Muhammad said.

"And leave me alone," Claudette Muhammad chimed in.

Calls to the former commission members seeking comment were not immediately returned Tuesday.

Three of the commission members who resigned said Muhammad's support for Farrakhan contradicts the panel's goals. They say she should not be on the commission unless she repudiates Farrakhan's criticism of Jews, gays and other groups. A state lawmaker Blagojevich appointed to fill one of the vacancies also resigned.

Muhammad has said in a written statement that she supports the commission's goals of eradicating hate and discrimination.

During her radio appearance, she said she and her family have been victims of hate crimes and discrimination. She also said she has Jewish family members, has traveled to Israel and has worshipped in Jewish synagogues.

"Please know I am not the victimizer here, OK, but instead I am the victim," she said.

Muhammad also refused to repudiate Farrakhan and recommended that people who disagree with him speak to him.

"He is my minister of whom I love and respect, and he will remain my minister until Allah decides differently," she said.

Blagojevich said Monday that Muhammad was not responsible for Farrakhan's remarks. He also has said he didn't realize he had appointed a Nation of Islam official until learning about it from news reports.

Nation of Islam officials on Tuesday praised Blagojevich for supporting his nominee but said they would have considered legal action if he hadn't.

Callers to Tuesday's radio show included the Rev. Michael Pfleger, the white pastor of a mostly black Chicago church and a friend of Muhammad's.

Pfleger said "good riddance" to the people who had left the commission.

"Leave, go ahead and go on out, we don't need that kind of a spirit or mentality and a narrowness on that kind of commission. I'm glad they're gone," Pfleger said.