A day later, press reports surfaced that Sister Claudette Muhammad, a member of the Governor's Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes, was the minister of protocol for the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakan's group.
Farrakhan added to the dispute by being his hateful self in his annual "Saviours' Day" speech on Sunday, where he insulted Jews and gays.
Moving ahead to Thursday, after Muhammad told the media she wasn't leaving the panel--and Blagojevich said he wouldn't fire her--two Jewish members of the panel quit in protest. State Representative Lou Lang, like Blagojevich, a Democrat, was appointed to replace one of the Jewish members. Lang is also Jewish.
(Marathon Pundit is a constituent of Lang's.)
Lang's district is heavily Jewish, and it should not have surprised him when those he serves in Springfield freaked. CBS 2 Chicago is reporting that Lang resigned today, after just 24 hours on the panel.
A fourth Jewish member of the commission, Howard Kaplan, left today.
Now it gets real interesting.
AP reports that a group of gay lawmakers held a press conference calling for Muhammad's resignation.
But Rick Garcia, a gay man who is a member of the hate crimes commission, wants Muhammad to stay.
But a group behind an Illinois effort to ban same sex marriage, the Illinois Family Institute, is calling for the governor to remove Garcia from that panel.
From that organization's press release:
Many traditionalists have felt the sting of Garcia's Barbs -- including fellow Catholics who, unlike him, adhere to historic Church teachings on sexual morality, including that homosexual behavior is "intrinsically disordered," sinful behavior. Last year, Garcia said Cardinal Francis George was "worse than Fred Phelps (of "God Hates Fags" notoriety), who is at least honest about his bigotry."
Back to Sister Muhammad: Father Michael Pfleger, longtime pastor at St. Sabina's Catholic Church, is silent on Garcia, but is supportive of Ms. Muhammad, as AP reports:
(Pfleger said) Blagojevich would generate enormous anger if he removed Muhammad from the commission.
"If you are not willing to stand up in difficult times, don't pretend to be a supporter of black issues, of the black community," Pfleger said. "Now is a test for him."
And it's a test for me as I struggle to keep this story straight.
Previous Marathon Pundit posts on this subject:
Israeli newspaper Haaretz covers Ill. hate crimes panel controversy
Blagojevich in tight spot over Nation of Islam appointment
Anti-Defamation League quits Ill. hate crimes panel over Nation
of Islam appointee
Farrakhan adviser on Illinois hate crimes panel refuses to quit
Farrakhan adviser a member of Illinois' hate crime panel
Technorati tags: blagojevich Illinois Jewish Judaism Nation of Islam gay anti-semitism glbt Daily Show Politics
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