Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan referred to “satanic Jews” while denying allegations of anti-Semitism on Thursday, just days after he and other “dangerous figures” were permanently banned from Facebook for promoting “violence and hate.”
Speaking at the Saint Sabina Catholic Church in Chicago on Thursday, Farrakhan, 85, told an audience that he is “a hated man today,” according to CNN.
“It’s this that they fear,” Farrakhan continued while pointing to his mouth, CNN reported. “I don’t have no army. I just know the truth. And I’m here to separate the good Jews from the satanic Jews.”{mosads}
According to the outlet, the Nation of Islam promoted Farrakhan’s speech as a response to the “public outrage over the unprecedented and unwarranted lifetime ban.” But Saint Sabina livestreamed Farrakhan’s speech on its website and Facebook page, despite the ban.
The speech came after Facebook moved last week to permanently ban Farrakhan from its platforms after it determined that he and other figures, including right-wing commentator and former Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, are “dangerous.” Facebook removed them under their policy barring individuals and groups that promote hateful and violent messages.
Farrakhan, in Thursday’s speech, denied being anti-Semitic despite making several anti-Semitic statements during his remarks, CNN reported. In his speech, the Nation of Islam leader accused Judaism of promoting pedophilia and said Jews don’t like him because he “exposes their hatred of Jesus,” according to the outlet.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said Friday that the group felt it “deeply disappointing that he was given a platform in a church to spew his hateful vitriol.”
“It’s typical that even in defending himself against claims of anti-Semitism, Louis Farrakhan has once again invoked more anti-Jewish hatred,” he added. “His remarks last night were vintage Farrakhan: A litany of tropes about how ‘Satanic Jews’ are corrupting society with immoral acts and that Jewish writings, ‘promote pedophilia.'”
The Illinois Holocaust museum also condemned the speech, according to CNN, saying that inviting Farrakhan gave him a “platform for bigotry.”