University of Montana faculty bombarded by anti-Semitic emails accusing Jews of ‘selling blacks’

The email also prompted recipients to watch speeches by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who has in the past accused “Satanic Jews” of controlling the world.

By World Israel News Staff

Nearly 400 emails accusing Jews of “selling blacks” were sent to the University of Montana (UM) staff and faculty on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, reports the Missoulian.

According to the report, the 380 emails called for recipients to print “a few hundred or thousand” attached anti-Semitic flyers to distribute around town. The flyers included a link to buy the book Jews Selling Blacks, a narrative that falsely blames Jews for the transatlantic slave trade.

The email also urged recipients to watch speeches by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who has in the past accused “Satanic Jews” of controlling the world and called them “blood-sucking parasites.”

According to a spokesperson at the university, the emails were reported promptly to the Montana Human Rights Network (MHRN), a nonprofit organization that aims to promote pluralism, equality, and justice.

“In this instance, the material references the Nation of Islam, which has a record of anti-Semitism, but only represents a small and specific subgroup and is not representative of all Muslim people,” MHRN wrote on their Facebook page, adding  “Bigoted ideas are dangerous to our communities, and the work to build coalitions that cross issues and identities is key to having a strong response to hate incidents.”

University of Montana President Seth Bodnar denounced the anti-Semitic emails for expressing “ideas that are against everything Martin Luther King, Jr. stood for and that are counter to our shared UM belief in the dignity of every person.”

“We believe in the freedom an education brings, but this freedom is only possible when we speak out against hate and continue the necessary work to be inclusive of all. We continue that work today on myriad fronts,” Bodnar wrote.

“The work of many on campus, including student groups, points toward a UM family that seeks to build a welcoming and inclusive campus for all. This is ongoing work that is, as the hateful email highlights, still necessary.”

“To all who received the email, we are saddened and diminished by this act of hatred, and we support you. We are investigating its origin and will take appropriate action,” he wrote.

anti-SemitismLouis FarrakhanUniversity of Minnesota