Nation of Islam appointee controversy not going away in Illinois

Last summer, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich appointed Sister Claudette Mohammed to Illinois' Hate Crime panel. Sister Muhammad is the minister of protocol for Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam. Several Jewish members of the panel quit in protest. Blagojevich, a Chicago Democrat, refuses to fire her, and Muhammad won't resign.

From Jewish Political Alliance of Illinois press release. Hat tip, Capitol Fax.

The Jewish Political Alliance of Illinois (JPAI) today submitted 4700 signatures to Governor Rod. R. Blagojevich imploring the Governor to remove Claudette Marie Mohammed from the state Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes. All the signatures were gathered this past Sunday at the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival.

Mohammed refuses to repudiate vile comments that Nation of Islam head Louis Farrakhan spews regarding Jews, homosexuals, Arabs, Asians and many other segments of society. Mohammed says she "respects those who practice the true tenets of their faith" which is coded, hateful language toward so-called "false" Jews who Farrakhan, and Mohammed implicitly, believe, among other things, "are a synagogue of Satan." Furthermore, Mohammed refers to Farrakhan’s comments as "alleged: anti-semitism.

"We collected the signatures to remind Governor Blagojevich that he will not get a free pass on this issue," says Howard Handler, chairman of the Jewish Political Alliance of Illinois. "Governor Blagojevich appointed a hateful, anti-semite to a commission designed to eradicate hate; this is analogous to appointing a member of the Ku Klux Klan." Handler concluded, “a significant portion of the Jewish community is disgusted with Blagojevich and is clear he will suffer politically in November."

The petitions were dropped off this morning at Governor Blagojevich’s Chicago campaign office at 1200 North Ashland, Suite 500. The Jewish Political Alliance of Illinois is a registered political organization which aims to further empower the Illinois Jewish community by participation in the political process; further information can be found at www.jpai.us. Further information on the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival can be found at www.jewishfestival.org; JPAI is not affiliated with the festival.

The festival was in Morton Grove, which I attended. I had the pleasure of meeting Pauline Dubkin Yearwood, author of this superb article about the Thomas Klocek-DePaul free speech case from the Chicago Jewish News. I gave her an update on his case, and thanked her for her efforts.

Illinois Chicago Jewish Politics DePaul Thomas Klocek Blagojevich Nation of Islam louis farrakhan anti-semitism