Star Parker
Posted on 04/09/2002 12:06:19 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
Star Parker |
An interesting sideline to America's egg walk regarding the Middle East is watching African-American opinion shift away from its traditional support of Israel to embrace the Palestinian worldview.
Historically in this country, blacks and Jews developed healthy relationships, especially during the civil rights movement. In fact, Jews were so visible in our struggle that while on one hand their financial resources and support helped establish the NAACP, on the other, some in the forefront lost their lives.
The dispersion started after Dr. King's death when the civil-rights movement shifted from defining justice as a divine order into a political resolve. I suppose this fork in the road began because as a group, Jews did not look to the government to solve their problems. Their philosophy had been to simply be left alone. Blacks, however, gravitated toward politics to continue their quest for freedom and mobility. This move is what instigated black tensions against Jews.
Disheartening today is how the same black leaders that led their people to the bankrupt ideas of social engineering are now using the Palestinian/Israeli conflict to divide African-Americans from their loyalty to the God of the Jews.
With 8 million members of the Church of God in Christ, 6 million AMEs, 5 million Baptists and 4 million in other Christian-affiliated denominations, one would have to conclude that the majority of blacks ascribe to a religion rooted in Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
So why is the black establishment portraying the suicidal terrorists tormenting Israel as victims and insisting that black church leaders support their position?
It is no secret that the least religious and most political African-Americans are hostile to Jews. What has been interesting and under the radar is that Christian blacks outside of the political process are sympathetic to Jews.
Have liberals played the victim game so long that they cannot see that this conflict of interest is beyond politics? Or, do they truly understand what is at stake and therefore have rendered the religious tradition of Christian blacks as standing in the way of their political agenda?
When Louis Farrakhan came to Los Angeles this February, I was astonished that two major Bishops representing two of the largest black Christian denominations were his sponsors. Disturbing enough was that the city of Los Angeles waved most of the fees for Farrakhan to spread his disdain for Americanism at its convention center.
More shocking, however, was that Farrakhan was in a church when he vehemently scolded thousands of African-Americans in attendance to rethink their Christianity and allegiance to Israel.
For 25 years, Farrakhan has attempted to convince blacks that their ancestral religion is Muslim and was stolen from them during slavery. Now, he contends that the Palestinian cause is simply about Jews stealing real estate from fellow Muslims. If this is true, then why was Israel attacked in 1948 when the Arabs already had the land?
It was not until 1967, when Muslims attacked Israel again, that the Israelis seized the land in question. Then, in 2000, Israel agreed to give 95 percent of the land back. Jerusalem was the only area off the table. Arafat walked away from the negotiations, saying no. Interestingly, like Arafat, Farrakhan also wants his own independent state.
When will blacks tire of being the political football in someone else's pursuit of power? Not one African-American I know would trade his freedom of religion here in America to live in any of the existing 56 Islamic states.
And if there is any lesson blacks should have learned from the civil-rights movement it is that trying to find technical answers to moral questions will only drive one into more despair, welfare and heated debates.
We have 30 years of proof that bitterness, hatred and political power cannot result in prosperity, independence or peace. As long as there is someone else to blame for one's problems, it becomes harder to turn pain into something positive and to build. That is the message black Americans should convey to the Palestinian people, not "We understand your terrorism."
Those of us that have overcome great obstacles to master the American dream should stand against the prevailing opinion of liberalism and tell the Palestinians that true religion is to live and to encourage their children to live.
Dr. King understood this, which is why he focused his attentions on obligations, responsibility, and yes, non-violence. He understood that the political process is to protect one's purpose and pursuits – not replace them.
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So true. A lot of the church going Black people are pro-Israel.
The press just glossed right over it...We don't have riots in Seattle...Yeah Tell that to WTO/Mardi Gras survivors!
Probably but the Saudis are behind it. There's a pattern in Muslim takeover of countries ---they start with groups that are uneducated and illiterate and convert them to Islam. The Arabs have had some limited success with Blacks ---but otherwise they haven't had too many conversions to Islam. Blacks have a strong enough Christian faith for the most part which will keep them from falling into this evil.
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