Police Raid Black Supremacist Church in New York City
Federal agents and local police raided the headquarters of a New York City-based black nationalist religious group that preaches an anti-white, anti-Semitic message.
The search was carried out on Tuesday聽at the Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ in East Harlem, according to media reports.聽The FBI confirmed that a court-authorized search warrant was executed, but said nothing else.
A second search was carried out at Bethel Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ on Third Avenue,
A Harlem-based news operation, , reported that authorities carried out the search at the Israelite Church of God 鈥渋n relation to an investigation into financial irregularities.鈥�
The church, a black separatist group,聽is on the extremist fringe of the Hebrew Israelite movement, a black nationalist theology dating back to the 19th century that preaches people of color are the true children of God.
鈥淭hose whose fathers are of Negroid and Indian descent make up the 12 tribes of the nation of Israel,鈥� the church's聽literature says.聽Its extremist leaders preach that modern-day Jews are devilish impostors and white people are evil personified, deserving of death or slavery.
The extremist Hebrew Israelites are viewed as the black counterparts of white, Christian Identity believers who claim they are the true Jews, parts of the 鈥渓ost tribes of Israel.鈥�
For the past 16 years, Jermaine Grant, 38, known by his 鈥淗ebrew name鈥澛� Tazadaqyah, has been the 鈥渃hief high priest鈥� of聽the Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ. He has been described as a former rap music label owner and restaurateur with a 鈥渉ighly charismatic鈥� personality.
Grant, who also calls himself the "Holy God Sent Comforter of the Nation of Islam,"聽 posted a video statement, taped as agents were conducting the search in Harlem.
"The church has been raided by the FBI ... the persecution has begun" the Hebrew Israelite leader said. Later in the short video, Grant says:聽 "I want all you brothers and sisters to hold your heads up high because we are doing nothing wrong and we're being persecuted for righteousness.聽 The Lord our God will fight for us."
