Last Saturday my wife and I were in Times Square, heading to Olive Garden to have a nice dinner for our anniversary. We got off the train at 42nd street and walked through Times Square to do a little site seeing first. I was surprised to see what looked like a hate group preaching in the middle of Times Square.
When we were there, I didn’t really pay too much attention to them, other than to stop and take the above photo and note that they were yelling loudly about black people being oppressed. When I got home, I looked them up on Wikipedia and found the following information:
Israelite School of Universal Practical Knowledge (ISUPK) is a non-profit organization based in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, United States. The group is part of the Hebrew Israelism movement, which regards American blacks as descendants of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled ISUPK an “extremist” and “black supremacist” group.
I zoomed in on the info boards they had set up and saw some things I didn’t expect:
They apparently consider Jesus to be the anti-Christ. I’m no expert on Jewish theology, but I think that’s a harder line than the average Jew would take, fears of antisemitism aside.
Islam wasn’t spared either; not that anyone thinks to spare Islam these days when there’s an opportunity for criticism. The ISUPK has apparently equated the Ka’aba (the square structure in the photo) with an idol. They’ve gone so far as to tag the ‘black stone’ as a “clitoris”. If you’re not aware, Muslims believe that Abraham visited Hagar and his son by her, Ishmael, and helped them construct a home near a spring which came up out of the ground when struck by Ishmael’s feet as a baby. That’s the black square structure. Or, at least, the rebuilt and maintained representation of it. Muslims pray facing this structure, regardless of where they are in the world and perform a pilgrimage, but not because they worship the structure. It’s just a symbol; it’s the focal point that unites all Muslims. Islam as a religion is big on the concept of unity, though you couldn’t guess it considering some of modern day politics.
The black stone which the ISUPK referred to as a “clitoris” is a black stone said to have fallen from Heaven to show Adam and Eve where to build an altar for sacrifice to God. It was, according to tradition, placed in the Ka’ba by the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims attempt to touch it or kiss it on one of their seven circuits around the Ka’aba during the Hajj, or pilgrimage.
Neither the Ka’aba nor the black stone are idols in the sense that they’re worshipped. They’re merely focal points for the religion. I’d put good money on Jesus Christ not being the anti-Christ as well.
Bradley Farless 
They are takeing men women and children off drugs, corners, and out clubs. An tell them they are a righteous people an bring them into schools. Feed and dress and teach them laws of the land which they don’t know. This guys do not commit any crimes. If you are willing to understand and accept there veiw point these guys will go out there way to help you. No matter your race.
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Thanks for your comment. I can understand where you’re coming from when you say it’s a good thing to get men off the street and give them some discipline, education, and a foundation to build their lives on. However, I don’t see the Black Israelites as the right kind of role model any more than I would say the Westboro Baptist Church is a great organization for giving errant young white men direction and purpose.
If young men need direction, structure, and an improved sense of self-worth, they can join the military.
If they want to feel righteous and in touch with the divine, they can do that by getting into a religion that doesn’t teach negativity and hate.
I’m pretty sure these are the same guys that provoked the incident in DC by yelling racial slurs at that group of school kids (both black and white). They’re not a role model for anyone.
I also don’t see them helping out people who are part of their group as anything to be overly proud of, since that’s something that’s expected. It’s when you can reach across and help out those that don’t believe what you believe because of shared humanity and love that you’re doing the right thing.
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