As Twitchy reported Friday, Women’s March co-president Tamika D. Mallory found herself in a bit of a controversy after it was revealed she attended Louis Farrakhan’s 2018 Saviours’ Day event Sunday in Chicago.
CNN’s Jake Tapper, no fan of Farrakhan, brought the news to light for many:
On Sunday, Rev. Farrakhan gave his Saviours' Day 2018 Address, attended by thousands including one of the co-founders of the Women's March.https://t.co/WE5ys7It8R
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 28, 2018
As Twitchy reported, Mallory attempted to explain after being called out — though it didn’t go well.
If your leader does not have the same enemies as Jesus, they may not be THE leader! Study the Bible and u will find the similarities. Ostracizing, ridicule and rejection is a painful part of the process…but faith is the substance of things!
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) March 1, 2018
1/ Wherein the co-chair of the @womensmarch, amidst criticism of her attendance at an anti-Semitic Farrakhan speech, tweets praise for those leaders who "have the same enemies as Jesus." https://t.co/LaZlYobsGj
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 2, 2018
2/ This convo, too, is a hot mess.
a) A woman asks Mallory about Farrakhan
b) Minister Foy immediately hops in and demands that she answer for Netanyahu (?)
c) Women's March board member Linda Sarsour jumps in to encourage Foy. https://t.co/1rsd1YABai— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 2, 2018
Well, that wasn’t all Mallory had to say on the subject. Seems she’s taking an “I’m the real victim here” martyrdom pose.
I am not a slave. I am a strong black woman who will not live in fear of any man or woman. You can try to take everything I have, but only GOD can have ME.
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) March 1, 2018
Family…thank you for loving me and for knowing the truth about who I am. My work speaks for itself…my words have been clear…my love for people is deep. Whatever else they say about me is a LIE. Thank you for continuing to hold me up. I stand on my reputation!
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) March 2, 2018
Funny how folks interpreted my mention of one having enemies the same as Jesus, as me describing a certain group of people. That’s your own stuff. My point…Jesus had a number of enemies as do all black leaders. Period point blank.
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) March 2, 2018
It’s important to understand that my sisters @lsarsour @msladyjustice1 and me live under constant attack. So while some folks say all they want is to understand more about me, other people don’t care who I am, they just want to tear us down.
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) March 3, 2018
What we’d really like to understand is why Mallory won’t disavow a rabid anti-Semite like Farrakhan and instead play word games.
The attacks can make us defensive at times. We are literally fighting for our lives. With that being said, someone bought to my attention that over the past few days I never tweeted my absolute position on how wrong anti-semitism and homophobia is.
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) March 3, 2018
Now’s good for us. Go right ahead.
Because we work so hard on behalf of ALL people. Because we have done intersectional work for 20+ years, we believe it is clear who we are. And it is clear. What I know is these latest attacks are not just abt my views & beliefs. It’s bigger than what many even understand +
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) March 3, 2018
OK, but just using the word “intersectional” still isn’t an “absolute position” about how wrong anti-Semitism and homophobia are. What’s so tough about tweeting, “Farrakhan is wrong”?
The black community is very complex. We have been & continue to suffer thru incomparable circumstances. This means other ppl may not understand how we organize and all that it takes to deal with our pain. I am dedicated to bringing ppl together. However, I will not be bullied!
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) March 3, 2018
Sorry if it’s “bullying” to ask if she agreed with every horrific thing Farrakhan said at the event she attended.
jfc she for real https://t.co/SD66TbLx7L
— non (@eligdeon) March 3, 2018
You’re not the victim here. You chose to publicly support Farrakhan. There’s only two acceptable things to do: apologise and denounce him. https://t.co/IH3ZcSXOpO
— ines helene (@inihelene) March 3, 2018
Purity test? Not being antisemitic is purity testing? I guess it is to a bigot. https://t.co/O9StFKOiyZ
— Queen Jynx (@Chartoc) March 3, 2018
The constant attacks might stop if you stopped constantly excusing antisemitism. Just a thought. https://t.co/6DA0iVCcNL
— Ben ???????????? (@BenjaminoKnobi) March 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/clompthestrong/status/970059551444697088
Oh Tamika. You cannot demand justice when you are perpetuating injustice. Just as whites cannot decide what constitutes racism, you cannot decide what constitutes #Antisemitism. There are many good people who can teach you. Listen and learn. #ADL https://t.co/9YmXbHXn7U
— Michele Chabin (@MicheleChabin1) March 3, 2018
Elad Nehorai writes at Forward:
My latest:
“Now is not a time to mince words: The left’s silence in this instance signals their complicity in anti-Semitism.
They are allowing naked, open bigotry to grow in front of them without a word of protest.” https://t.co/SCYyRugC1W
— Elad Nehorai (@PopChassid) March 2, 2018
“The media has also hardly responded. The story of Mallory’s attendance at the speech and the left’s silence about it is only alive thanks to a few Jewish publications and a few lone voices like @jaketapper’s.”https://t.co/SCYyRugC1W
— Elad Nehorai (@PopChassid) March 2, 2018
“In fact, when @jaketapper tweeted criticism of Mallory’s attendance, he was himself criticized on the grounds that Mallory is not important enough to castigate.
This is both false and insidious.”https://t.co/SCYyRugC1W
— Elad Nehorai (@PopChassid) March 2, 2018
“Tamika Mallory has not just gone to see a man oozing of such hatred speak. She has publicly endorsed him. She has refused to back down for her attendance. She has refused to denounce his words. She has composed her own anti-Semitic dog-whistling comment.”https://t.co/SCYyRugC1W
— Elad Nehorai (@PopChassid) March 2, 2018
“It is our job to speak up, not because she is powerful (which she is), and not because she is influential (which she is) and not because if we don’t speak up, the hatred will spread (which it will). We must speak up because it is the right thing to do.”https://t.co/SCYyRugC1W
— Elad Nehorai (@PopChassid) March 2, 2018
CNN contributor Symone D. Sanders is defending Mallory against charges of anti-Semitism — but not very well.
https://twitter.com/bungarsargon/status/969653897387302912
https://twitter.com/SymoneDSanders/status/969661741004214273
https://twitter.com/bungarsargon/status/969661999218118656
https://twitter.com/SymoneDSanders/status/969663036393951242
denouncing someone who's violently antisemitic and homophobic isn't unreasonable. it's not asking for much from a leader of an important movement.
— marisa kabas (@MarisaKabas) March 2, 2018
https://twitter.com/SymoneDSanders/status/969666033995931649
As far as we know, Twitter’s still free … any moment now that it strikes Mallory to denounce Farrakhan’s anti-Semitic words, we’re ready to hear it. Sooner rather than later?
But maybe we’re expecting a bit too much from a movement whose other co-president is buds with a deported terrorist bomber and that celebrates the birthday of cop-killer Assata Shakur?
Related:
Finally: New York Times editor takes closer look at the Women’s March, doesn’t like what she sees https://t.co/A5qkzVzNX1
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 1, 2017