Malik Zulu Shabazz
Malik Zulu Shabazz | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1968 (age 55–56) |
| Occupation(s) | Attorney, political activist |
Malik Zulu Shabazz (born Paris Lewis in 1968[1]) is an American attorney and National Chairman of the New Black Panther Party. He is a frequent guest on television talk shows, particularly on Fox News.[2]
Early life and legal career
Shabazz was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. His father, James Lewis, was a Muslim who was killed under mysterious circumstances when Shabazz was a child. He credits his mother, who became a successful businesswoman, and his grandfather, who introduced him to the Nation of Islam, as strong influences.[3][4]
Shabazz graduated from Howard University and the Howard University School of Law.[3] In 1995, while he was a law student, Shabazz ran an unsuccessful campaign for a seat on the Washington, D.C., City Council.[4][5] In 1996, Shabazz founded Black Lawyers for Justice.[1]
In 1998, he was recognized by the National Bar Association with its "Young Lawyer of the Year" award.[6] Later that year, he again ran without success for a seat on the D.C. Council.[6]
Controversy
Shabazz first came to widespread public attention in 1994, when Unity Nation, a student group he founded at Howard University, invited Khalid Abdul Muhammad, chairman of the New Black Panther Party, to speak.[7] Introducing the speaker, Shabazz engaged in a call and response with the audience:
- "Who is it that caught and killed Nat Turner?"
- "The Jews!"
- "Who is it that controls the Federal Reserve?"
- "The Jews!"
- "Who is it that has our entertainers... and our athletes in a vise grip?"
- "The Jews!"[5]
A year later, Shabazz told an interviewer that everything he said was true, with the possible exception of the assertion concerning Nat Turner.[4]
The Anti-Defamation League describes Shabazz as "anti-Semitic and racist".[1]
During a 2002 protest at B'nai B'rith International in Washington, D.C., Shabazz said: "Kill every goddamn Zionist in Israel! Goddamn little babies, goddamn old ladies! Blow up Zionist supermarkets!"[8]
New Black Panther Party
Shabazz followed Muhammad's lead and joined the New Black Panther Party about 1997. When Muhammad—who greatly expanded the organization and rose to its chairmanship—died in 2001, Shabazz took over as National Chairman.[6] The group is described by the Anti-Defamation League as "the largest organized anti-Semitic and racist black militant group in America".[9]
The principles promoted by Shabazz include:
- Black nationalism[4]
- Black Power[2]
- Support for reparations for slavery[10]
- Conspiracy theories about Jewish involvement in the September 11 attacks[1]
- The view that Jews dominated the Atlantic slave trade[11]
- Anti-Zionism[11].
References
- ^ a b c d "Malik Zulu Shabazz". Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ^ a b Williams, Kam (January 15, 2009). "The New Black Panther Party". Memphis Tri-State Defender. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ^ a b Fenner, Austin (September 5, 1998). "Afrocentric Lawyer Force Behind the Youth March". Daily News. Archived from the original on October 10, 2010. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Plotz, David (April 21, 1995). "The Revolutionary's War". Washington City Paper. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ^ a b Hentoff, Nat (September 29, 1998). "Keep Your Eye on Malik Shabazz". The Village Voice. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ^ a b c Beirich, Heidi; Potok, Mark (Fall 2003). "40 to Watch". Intelligence Report. Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ^ Masters, Brooke A. (February 25, 1994). "Ex-Farrakhan Aide Gets Mixed Reaction on Howard Campus". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ^ Beirich, Heidi; Potok, Mark (Summer 2012). "Malik Zulu Shabaz - Intelligence File". Intelligence Report. Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
- ^ "New Black Panther Party for Self Defense". Anti-Defamation League. April 19, 2010. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ^ Muhammad, Ashahed (March 10, 2005). "One-on-One: An Interview with Malik Zulu Shabazz". The Final Call. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ^ a b Muhammad, Ashahed M. (c. 2005). "TEI Exclusive Interview with Attorney Malik Zulu Shabazz". The Truth Establishment Institute. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
Further reading
- Trescott, Jacqueline (April 6, 1994). "The Student Warrior". The Washington Post.
External links
- "Malik Zulu Shabazz: In His Own Words". Anti-Defamation League.
- "Malik Zulu Shabazz". Truth Conscious Speakers Bureau.
- "Malik Zulu Shabazz". The Truth Establishment Institute Speakers' Bureau.