Posted on 09/05/2005 10:18:22 AM PDT by Lorianne
NEW ORLEANS (FinalCall.com) - The New Orleans community has become a war-like zone in recent months, due to the senseless gun violence and the escalating tensions between the community and law enforcement. Police officials and community leaders have been dialoguing to come up with answers to this violence tearing the fibers of the neighborhoods. Chief of Police, Eddie Compass, seemed to have found that solution in Captain Dennis Muhammad, CEO of ENOTA (Educating Neighborhoods to Obey Those in Authority).
On June 10, Chief Compass, while being interviewed on a local morning news show, announced that Capt. Dennis would provide sensitivity training to New Orleans police as a part of his new initiative to help better the relationship between law enforcement officers and citizens in the community.
However, the announcement was immediately overshadowed by a barrage of criticism and attacks from a local Jewish rabbi, a Catholic priest and the president of the Police Association of New Orleans (PANO). The opposition was based on Capt. Dennis’ affiliation with the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam.
On June 13, Chief Compass allowed Capt. Dennis to address his command staff and district captains to quell any fears. A meeting was also held with the local mosque leadership, Michael Cowan of the New Orleans Human Relations Board, and Rabbi Ed Cohn of Temple Sinai, who said that he forsaked observance of a Jewish holiday to voice his opposition to the training that Capt. Dennis would be offering to the New Orleans Police Department (N.O.P.D.). At this meeting, Rabbi Cohn compared the Nation of Islam to the Ku Klux Klan and asserted that, “The character of any individual that associates with Louis Farrakhan is tainted.” He left the meeting and repeated his remarks to a reporter.
Mr. Cowan, a psychologist and chairman of the city’s Human Relations Commission, told the reporter that, despite his concerns, he would support the police chief. “The situation here is so desperate and seems to be going in the wrong direction,” he observed. “We’re talking about people being killed. If the chief says this guy is a professional and his religious affiliation is purely his personal business, if he can come in and build bridges between people, I’d say let’s give this guy a chance.”
Later that night, a community meeting was held at Muhammad’s Mosque No. 46 to address the topic of “Bettering Police and Community Relations.” Activist Randy Mitchell spoke about his experience with the N.O.P. D. and displayed an affidavit of a family member who said that a New Orleans Police officer asked him to murder Randy Mitchell.
Chief Compass was not able to make it to a meeting, due to being involved in a car accident while on his way there. Capt. Dennis finished the meeting with a keynote address. He expressed excitement about the opportunity to work with officers and noted that ENOTA has consulted several police departments in other cities, including Buffalo, NY; Wilmington, N.C. and Lincoln Heights, Ohio.
“We have a window of opportunity with a [police] department (NOPD) with which our community has had no relationship. I’m concerned with making the community a safer place for our young people and women. That cannot happen absent of law enforcement,” he maintained.
While some grassroots activists still opposed the idea of Capt. Dennis offering the AT-ONE training to the N.O.P.D.—“I am not in support of working with the police,” said Malcolm Shuber—Capt. Dennis’ message caused others to reconsider their position. During the question and answer session, a Brother explained how Capt. Dennis’ words made him let go of his desire to strike back at some of the abusive police officers.
“Why I’m successful is that I show them how the community has an affect on the lives of the police, and how it makes them relate to their own families,” Capt. Dennis explained. “I show the community how both sides are victims. I show them that police are victimized by working in communities where they see the worst of human behaviors, and the community becomes the victim of the worst in police behavior. Both are desensitized to human suffering; both need humanity poured back into them,” he insisted.
Many left the meeting with a restored hope, and optimistic about the future relationship between the police and the community. However, that optimism would not last very long.
Succumbing to the pressure of the Jewish rabbi, a possible lawsuit by a Jewish police officer and resistance within the department, Chief Compass’ public relations representative announced to the press June 14 that he decided to rescind the contract. “After making the announcement, there were concerns raised by police officers and community leaders about the training. This was never meant to be divisive but, because the feedback was so divisive, he decided it was in the best interest of the community,” department Capt. Marlon Defillo told The Final Call. “The community was not concerned that the training wasn’t going to be effective, but they were concerned with Capt. Dennis’ affiliation with the Nation of Islam and Minister Farrakhan.”
He also stated that the new training was going to be inclusive of all community religions and that Chief Compass did not intend to upset anyone.
“I was in total support of that program. I saw him (Capt. Dennis) speak on Monday night and I was willing to try something like that,” stated Jamar Alexander, a local schoolteacher and athletic coach. “I think it was a great injustice for the chief to back out of his arrangement with Mr. Muhammad. That’s going to be a great loss.”
Bro. Vincent, a community business owner, also expressed his disappointment. “That was unjust. I think they are being racist. They’re comparing the Nation to the Ku Klux Klan when they have no record of doing anything like that. I wish Chief Compass would have held his position.”
Radio station phone lines on local talk shows were filled with people calling in expressing their position about the issue. Blacks called in defending the reputation of the Nation of Islam, while Whites called in attacking.
“I have attended several mosque meetings and have even heard Minister Farrakhan speak in person. Each time, I have never left a meeting with a desire to do harm to anyone, White or Jewish,” exclaimed a female caller.
The news media also immediately began to run coverage that only added fuel to the fire. Headlines such as “Training by Nation of Islam official canceled,” “N.O.P.D. to back out of contract after widespread local criticism” and “Compass Scraps Plan To Have Nation Of Islam Member Train Officers” ran simultaneously. Lt. David Benelli, president of the city’s police association, said officers of all ranks, races and religions had voiced “outrage and disgust” about the decision to hire Capt. Dennis. He added that he had concerns about the Nation’s position toward women, Jews, Catholics and the police. Lt. Benelli also went so far as to allege publicly on a local news show that many of his officers opposed the training due to the Nation of Islam’s connection to al-Qaeda. Local mosque leadership believes his words led to six squad cars circling the mosque on Friday.
Capt. Dennis defended himself against the charge that he was anti-Semitic by pointing to his work in Syracuse. In 2002, his sensitivity program was financed by a $35,000 grant from the Rosamonde Gifford Foundation, a local non-profit group led by Kathy Goldfarb-Findling, who is Jewish. Ms. Findling recommended his program to the Gifford board. “As far as the foundation was concerned, they were very pleased” with Dennis Muhammad’s program, said Marie Randisi, executive assistant to Goldfarb-Findling. “He may be a member of the Nation of Islam, but he doesn’t impose that on anybody. It doesn’t influence his work.”
To combat the negative reports against the Nation of Islam and Minister Farrakhan, Muhammad Mosque No. 46 held a press conference to set the record straight. “The purpose of today’s press conference is to help bring clarity to the controversy about the police and community-training program offered to the New Orleans Police Department. Bro. Capt. Dennis Muhammad, who is a member of the Nation of Islam, has used his creative genius and experience to design a sensitivity program that would help to bridge the gap that exists between the community and law enforcement. Although Bro. Capt. Dennis is a member of the Nation of Islam, his business is a separate entity,” stated Minister Willie Muhammad.
Members from all aspects of the Black community came out to defend the reputation of the Nation of Islam and to point out the injustice that was experienced by Bro. Capt. Dennis.
“Under the surface, there is bubbling in this community right now,” said Rev. Dwight Webster of Christian Unity Baptist Church. “It is at every level, and it’s about to break out. If it breaks out—this is not a threat, it’s a prophecy—it’s going to spill out over everybody.”
Rev. Webster said he and Capt. Muhammad had theological views, but Capt. Dennis’ program is “something that should be given a chance” because he did not want his four sons “terrorized” by either street thugs or police officers.
Nation of Islam supporters, including Minister Kojo Livingston of Liberation Zone Ministries, said there was widespread belief that critics opposed Muhammad’s program because they did not want history to show “that Black people were able to participate in an effective and massive and meaningful way in solving their own problems.”
Speakers expressed their anger that those opposed to Capt. Dennis did not consult with community leaders in Syracuse or Buffalo to check his work there.
“They didn’t even pick up the phone and call Syracuse and Buffalo. I find that incredible. In my humble opinion, this program would have been the right thing to do,” said Mtangulizi Sanyika, president of the African American Leadership Project.
Black leaders said they were particularly upset that Rabbi Cohn, perhaps the city’s most visible critic of Chief Compass’s plan, likened the Nation of Islam to the Ku Klux Klan.
“What is even more bothersome is that the opponents of the training are predominantly people outside of the Black community. We are talking about people who literally do not have to worry about racial profiling and constant police brutality. They have not lost a loved one to questionable police practices. They have not had the experience of a loved one having a plunger handle jammed into his rectum. They have not had the experience of having one of their loved ones beaten on camera by police. Their youth have not been shot at 120 times. They opposed the training, yet they offer no alternative. I would like to say to all of those who maliciously opposed this initiative that you have denied the citizens of New Orleans an opportunity to bridge an ever widening gap between the community and law enforcement. Additionally, any blood that is spilled on the streets of New Orleans due to conflicts between the community and law enforcement will be on your hands,” Min. Willie charged.
When contacted by the local newspaper, Rabbi Cohn stood by his opposition to the plan and comparison of the Nation of Islam to the Ku Klux Klan. “I see the analogy as being completely accurate. I don’t think it’s off at all,” he maintained. “I don’t have anything to reconsider. I congratulate Chief Compass on making a wise decision and pledge to work with him in any way possible.”
Nevertheless, Capt. Dennis stressed that his work speaks for itself.
“I think this is a sad day for the community and law enforcement that must work together. To deprive me of this opportunity bears witness that sensitivity training is a must. I was a victim of the very same thing I teach,” Capt. Dennis told The Final Call. “This is a case of religious profiling. This is a difficult time for me, but a great opportunity to bring to court the liars who like to destroy good people. I hope the people will apply pressure to the outsiders who don’t care about the countless homicides, but rather focus on my affiliation with my leader, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.”
Please forgive me but for a brief moment I thought this was an article about how the Jews were advised to leave NOLA well before the storm was known to be aimed at the LA coast.
That urban legend will be circulating around the projects across the land by week's end, if it hasn't already.
Is there anyone in NO who isn't a whackjob? We have the mayor of New Orleans thinking the CIA is going to take him out and now the chief of police has affiliations with Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam.
I've been wondering why we're seeing some Islamic charity group collecting money for New Orleans victims; now I know.
Interesting that the story would the Chief's Last name and the Captain's first name. I guess they don't want to advertise the fact that the Capt. is a Mooslim.
Sad but true. Many will believe that the Jews are to blame just as Im reading on Moonbat sites that Katrina was a HARRP created storm by Skull and Bones/Illuminati to depopulate the poor black areas of LA so the Feds can take over the area.
Some will think you are joking but I have seen Bush hating Rats pushing just such crap about this storm being man-made and controlled.
Same as they tried to say about the tsunami.
Liberalism is a mental disorder.
I've questioned if the levee was deliberately hit by a terrorist. Certainly has caused as much destruction and unrest as they would want to create.
And for the record, they are not domestic terrorists, they are muslim insurgents.
Read this again, paying close attention to the grammar. This was written by someone who thinks he can write. Kind of like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson THINK they can orate. It's full of pretentious phrasing, malapropisms, and poorly constructed sentences, a gaudy package with nothing in it.
"Some will think you are joking but I have seen Bush hating Rats pushing just such crap about this storm being man-made and controlled."
You really dont have to look to far to find the crap.
LooK here:
http://www.cyberspaceorbit.com/
here:
http://rense.com/
here:
http://darkwhite.com/talkshop/national/
AND OF COURSE,HERE:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=latest_threads
The internet has allowed the deranged to spread their views far and wide. Anyone who thinks humans can control hurricanes is not to be taken seriously. Anyone who thinks the hurricane was steered at New Orleans intentionally needs therapy and medication.
KFI NEWS has obtained a copy of a flyer that's been circulated in South Los Angeles, calling on members of two violent street gangs to join the Nation of Islam in a jihad, or holy war, against the LAPD.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1477483/posts
Very interesting, and thanks for the cross-post, Peach. The police chief appears to be clueless (surprise!).
There is a significant Black Muslim population down there, and having the police department cater to them is not the way to go - they are hostile to the US, and I would not be surprised in the least to find that some of the violence was promoted by Black Muslims in NO.
BTW, I think most of the looting was probably not violent but was directed solely at getting goodies such as sneakers and jewelry. This is not defensible, but generally these people dropped the stuff when confronted. However, there were some people who went way beyond looting, and it would not surprise me in the least to find NOI or some other Muslim/AQ front group involved in this.
I think one of the reasons we are not hearing a lot of details is that a decision has been made to downplay this aspect rather than stir up the rather large contingent of these types who probably exist in every major city. Granted, outside of NO, they probably wouldn't get too far, but who needs the stress right now?
OK, taking off the tinfoil hat...
No tinfoil. I believe those aspects are being downplayed as well. Check this out, and if even half of it is true, you'll see how much is being downplayed:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1477931/posts?page=16#16
bttt
Wow! Incredible post.
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