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The Southern Israelite Vol. LXI The Weekly Newspaper For Southern Jewry Atlanta, Georgia, Friday, August 30,1985 When Farrakhan speaks, Andy Young doesn’t listen Atlanta mayor defends Islamic minister Since 1925 No. 35 Mayor Young in his office. This exclusive telephone inter view with Mayor Andrew Young was commissioned by The South ern Israelite, the Long Island Jew ish World, the Baltimore Jewish Times, the Cleveland Jewish News and the St. Louis Jewish Light. by Edwin Black In a world where blacks and Jews have found tensions between them rising, Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young has always stood out as a voice for moderation and'reason. But in a recent frank interview on the subject, a new Andrew Young was revealed—or more precisely, one that has not yet been disco vered. The candid Andrew Young confirms, among other things, that he agrees with “9/10ths” of what Minister Louis Farrakhan says, and that Farrakhan is a legitimate force for positive change in society. These and other statements made by Young suggest that he is either extremely naive about the issues dividing Jews and blacks, or has developed a tolerance for the grow ing wing of black anti-Semitism. Most poignantly, Young is con vinced that Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, is “a legiti mate player in the mainstream of black ideas” making “a very posi tive contribution.” Farrakhan was widely condemned during the last election for preaching race hatred liberally laced with virulent anti- Semitic and anti-Israel statements. But in May of this year, Farrakhan announced the granting of a $5 million interest-free loan by Libyan strongman Col. Muammar Kha- daffi for the creation of a black commercial concern to be known as POWER (People Organized and Working for Economic Rebirth). Since then, Farrakhan has injected themes of black economic self-help to his public oratory. This has enhanced his appeal within all strata of the black community. Young explains that Farrakhan’s new emphasis on economic power for blacks will provide a “legacy of small business—restaurants and dry cleaners, which if they follow in the tradition of Malcolm X and Elijrh Muhammad, will be extremely success ful across the black community, but which have no political signifi cance.” Rather, Farrakhan’s ideas should be viewed as “simply mech anisms for survival for people who have been locked out of the econ omy...They are no threat to any body,” Young declares. But whereas previous economic self-help schemes, such as those promoted by Operation Breadbas ket and Operation PUSH, did seek to diversely integrate blacks into American economic enterprise, Farra khan’s POWER corporation plans to become a centralized economic conglomerate in the black com munity, manufacturing toothpaste and toiletries to raise money for a central entity. The proceeds would merely enhance its political posi tion, which includes the further ance of Farrakhan’s anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli ideology. Young understands the differ ence between PUSH and POWER but says Farrakhan’s plan is still “wonderful...because it would em ploy lots of people...If his (Far- rakhan’s) primary focus is jobs, then you gotta see that... as a very positive contribution.” Some might raise the spectre of Adolf Hitler who similarly used Jews as a scapegoat to promote economic rehabilitation for Depres sion-wracked Germans. But Young answers that society can endure Farrakhan’s anti-Semitism because unlike Germany, “America is a very healthy pluralistic society... which has the capacity to correct itself, and that is particularly true of the black community.” As such, “Farrakhan is a legiti mate player in the mainstream of black ideas,” explained Young. In fact, according to Young, Farrak- “expressing a certain level of frus tration and hostility.” Young added that this is particularly appealing to black students who invite Far rakhan to address their campuses. “Then they feel good and they go back to studying, and they come out at the end of four years, and they go to work in major white corporations.” Mayor Young by passed the notion that these black students might carry into these corporations Farrakhan’s message of black power through dislodging the mythical yoke of Jewish con trol. On the contrary, Young main tained that despite the rhetoric and methodology, “Up to now, it’s been very innocent...His main themes are...controversial in some sense, but they’re not attacking anybody particularly.” Nonetheless, in the next breath. Young admitted that if Farrakhan were asked, he would indeed probably denounce Young himself “as an Uncle Tom” under the control of white Jewish Zionists. During the interview, Young was confronted with anti-Jewish quo tations of recent Farrakhan speech es, which clearly mixed the philo sophy of black economic gain and absolute political power among blacks with classic Jew hatred. Those quotations included some from a late July speech in Washing- blacks from diverse backgrounds. For example: “Any foolish black leader who would come out to repudiate me based upon Jewish control and Jewish money should be thrown out by every black peo ple organization. Throw them out!... You will not lead black peo ple, in control by Jews... you either come up and stand for us or you get the hell away from us...Who is your master? Is it Jesus Christ, or is Young counters,“He (Farrak han) insists he’s being misread.” The mayor added that he agrees with “9/ lOths” of what Farrakhan says, explaining, “When he talks about the economic empower ment... about people’s self-respect, those are the things people need to hear. In the speeches I have heard him make, I have never heard him say anything against Jews. And that’s on two occasions that I lis tened to him from beginning to end.” Hoping not to be misunderstood, Young asserts that he is willing to deplore Farrakhan for anti-Semitic statements if he can verify them, but he would not go beyond Far- rakhan’s denial that he has uttered even a single anti-Jewish remark. Young was asked how he would feel if the situation were reversed, if it involved the Ku Klux Klan advo cating poor white economic rebirth through hate mongering against blacks—historically a fundamental tenet of Klanism. “I have always said that the Ku Klux Klan is made up of poor white people," responded Young.”...who are part of the mainstream of America’s social and political life, and they need to be helped not hated.” Perhaps black moderates such as Andrew Young are willing to ignore the anti-Semitic side of Far rakhan because the long coalition between blacks and Jews is indeed coming to an end. For his part, Young wants to salvage that coali tion “because I grew up in an... essentially Old Testament tradition of the Children of Israel coming out of Egypt. That was the imagery See Andy Young, page 6. han was doing nothing more than ton, D.C., which attracted 10,000 it the Jewish leaders in America?” The world according to Farrakhan Farrakhan alleged that ac cording to “reports” he had heard, ‘‘Israeli hit squads’’ had been sent to the United States to assassinate (the Rev. Jesse) Jackson. — Philadel phia, March 9,1984. ‘‘Here...the Jews don’t like Farrakhan, so they call me Hitler. Well, that’s a good name. Hitler was a very great man...” — March 11, 1984 radio address. " The presence ofa state called Israel is an outlaw act.. .(Isra el) will never have any peace because there can be no peace structured on injustice, lying, and deceit and using the name of God to shield your dirty religion under His holy and righteous name.” — Sunday, June 24,1984, speech at Na tion of Islam headquarters in Chicago, broadcast on lo cal WBEE radio. Louis Farrakhan “Hitler aided the Jews in getting to Palestine (and) in setting up the Jewish state.” He added that Jews should not condemn Farrakhan for his statements in praise of Hitler “while at the same time you hide a deal that was made with Hitler..." — in Boston and elsewhere during 1984. Farrakhan described Israel as “an outlaw state,” which “is going to produce that which the Scripture calls Ar mageddon.”—June 19,1984, interview, Boston Herald. Farrakhan blamed Jews for the colonial slave trade, for "sucking the blood of our poor people...for the loss of the Miss America title by a black woman, Vanessa Wil liams...” — July 24, 1984, Press account, Detroit, Little Rock Missionary Baptist Church. “The Jewish leadership is spiritually blind If the Ameri can government and the Rea gan administration allow such a lobby which is spir itually blind to have the great power to influence the guid ance of this nation then they will guide this nation to its destruction. ”—J uly 30,1984, luncheon speaker at the Na tional Press Club.