Posted on 01/30/2008 6:06:51 AM PST by forkinsocket
Visiting the Houston Holocaust Museum, activist apologizes for his past hate-filled remarks about Jews
The date was Oct. 15, 1995, the place Washington, D.C. On the eve of the Million Man March, a rally organized by the Nation of Islam, the organization's youth minister was ready with rhetoric and venom.
Angered by Jewish protests over a conference dedicated to "the black Holocaust," 24-year-old Quanell X told the gathering that offended Jews "can go straight to hell," then expounded on his sentiments to a Chicago Tribune reporter.
"The real deal is this: Black youth do not want a relationship with the Jewish community or the mainstream white community or the foot-shuffling, head-bowing, knee-bobbing black community," Quanell said. "I say to Jewish America: Get ready ... knuckle up, put your boots on because we're ready and the war is going down."
A dozen years later, Houston's best-known black activist says he has changed. He is not only older but wiser, no longer beholden to revolutionary politics or an angry young man's immature view of the world.
Now Quanell has something else to tell Jews: He's sorry. He was wrong, he says. And though it may anger some in his community — perhaps to the point of threats to his safety — he wants to make amends.
Toward that end, he toured the Holocaust Museum Houston on Monday afternoon in the company of its executive director and chair-elect. He appeared moved by what he saw and learned, much of it for the first time. Quanell later expressed sorrow that he would have chosen remarks offensive and threatening to people who endured the horrors of Nazi concentration camps.
"I apologize to every Jewish (Holocaust) survivor that may have heard anything I have ever said," Quanell said at the end of his tour, which culminated with his placing a stone at an outside memorial, a Jewish custom at a gravesite. "How could I say anything in a vile, malicious or repugnant manner to anyone who has been in one of these camps? I should have never threatened like that.
"I seek the forgiveness of every survivor who has heard the words I've said," he continued. "I did not say them in the proper manner to make the point I was trying to get across. I can see and understand how they might be utterly paranoid (of) a person such as myself."
Michael Goldberg, the chair-elect of the museum's board of directors, welcomed Quanell's visit despite initial concerns that he might be using the museum as a backdrop for a different agenda.
"I think the apology and emotions I heard today were ones that fall within the scope of this museum," Goldberg said. "Quanell said he understood that I could be taking some risk by having him come here. My view is that the message of this museum is to turn hate into hope. The chance of sharing the message of the museum was too great not to take the risk."
Community reaches out Jewish leaders also were encouraged by Quanell's different outlook.
"I'm pleased to hear that Quanell X is working to change himself," said Martin B. Cominsky, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League. "We've been concerned about his connection to the New Black Panther Party and to other extremism. We hope that he will distance himself from groups which have a history of promoting bigotry and hatred. We're pleased that Quanell X has embarked on a journey of change. We look forward to seeing the results of his efforts."
Rabbi Shaul Osadchey, founding rabbi of Congregation Or Ami, invited Quanell to visit his congregation. "I welcome Quanell X getting to know the Jewish community better and becoming more empathetic with our concerns and issues," Shaul said.
In an interview, Quanell described the evolution of thought that led him to overcome the influence of a radical mentor and the personal demons that have haunted him since childhood, when he watched his grandmother clean the floors of a Jewish household.
He said the change began about six years ago when he came face to face with racism within the Muslim community. After helping to organize a pro-Palestinian protest at the Israeli consulate in Houston, he discovered that some Palestinian protest leaders were not happy that an African-American Muslim would play such a visible role. The source of their discomfort was the color of his skin.
"It was almost like somebody had taken two electrical currents and stuck them to me and touched me. It shook me," he said. "I grew up believing that racism did not exist among Muslims. ... I grew up believing that whenever I saw a Muslim, he would see me as his brother ... no matter where he was from or what racial background he came from, or what race or group of people he belonged to."
That led him first to depression and disillusionment, then to a period of education and enlightenment. He said he found out that racism has existed in the Muslim world since its earliest days, and that Muslims played a role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Challenging thought Quanell said he began to challenge black Muslims who expressed sympathy for Osama bin Laden.
Quanell said he had private debates with Arab Muslims about how they treated their black counterparts in America.
He began to see the error of his most widely spread comments. At the time, he was chided by Nation of Islam leaders for making a tactical blunder. Quanell said he now realizes it was worse than that.
"I always wanted to say to the Jewish community, the manner in which I spoke in October of '95 was wrong and inappropriate," he said. "I had no moral or spiritual command or authority to invite a group of religious people, invite an entire religion of Judaism and Jews to war. That was not my place. ... I wanted to say that for years because my words frightened many members in the Jewish community. My words inspired many in the black community. My words could have brought harm to members of the Jewish community."
Today Quanell, who for years has denied being anti-Semitic despite the implications of some of his rhetoric, said he wants to devote his life to uniting people, not dividing them.
"I'm sick and tired of this fighting going back and forth between blacks and Jews," he said. "I don't want to be an instrument of division between blacks and Jews. God doesn't look at Jews, Muslims and Christians — white, black, brown — and see divisions. And so if I'm going to be an instrument that God that will use and can use, I must be about uniting the human family and not speaking to divisions or help creating or exacerbating old wounds. That's what I want my legacy to be."
I’m sure he has an agenda.
“After helping to organize a pro-Palestinian protest at the Israeli consulate in Houston, he discovered that some Palestinian protest leaders were not happy that an African-American Muslim would play such a visible role. The source of their discomfort was the color of his skin.”
And this was a revelation to Quanell. I’ve got news for him, if the Arabists ever take control the first order of business will be to kick the NOI to the curb.
More NOI rope-a-dope?
I sincerely hope not. The light of truth will be carried by one person at a time. The lights of all will ultimately push back the darkness of hatred and the evil that is Islam. Well, that and good aim.
Lock and Load.
Competition has begun for cabinet appointments in Hillary/Obama administration.
That's not exactly "keepin it real".
When he got run out of town a month or so back, it almost brought tears of joy to my eyes.
Wasn’t this already done on an episode of SOUTH PARK?
Quanell X is the ‘black’ Cartman.
That's the real Q-X. That event is too recent for me to believe Q-X is a reformed character. Unity, my ass.
Remember that both Obama and his minister have close ties to the Nation of Islam. Obama did legal work for them straight out of law school.
Obviously. So, let's waste no time and play 'Predict What Schtick Is Quannell X Up To Next?'
Here's my guess:
He believes that Sen. Barack Obama has a good chance of winning the Presidency. Therefore, he's staging himself as a 'divider turned uniter' hoping to get some acknowledgment from Obama to help him get Black American Diaspora museums erected all over the nation just like Jews have Holocaust museums and tolerance centers.
Naturally, Quannell X would take the role as permanent chief of these centers kind of like Rabbi Marvin Heir. Then, naturally, schoolkids would be forced to visit the centers on field trips, make public donations, and everyone would have to speak of the Diaspora museums and Quannell X with great reverence.
Quannell X would be lauded and invited to speak at universities about his great transformation, personal struggle, and be applauded by liberal dingbats who love to believe that baloney. He'd make a fortune and liberals would be compelled to kiss his ass. Conversely, we'd be mocked derisively for challenging him and become labeled racists.
John Taylor Gato has done some groundbreaking work exploring this subject.
The fact that it took him this long to realize that Arab-Moslems-who call anyone whose skin is black a slave-virulently hate his people doesn't surprise me at all.
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