Nation of Islam to police Miami?

Rasul Muhammad

The City of Miami hired Muslims with ties to the Nation of Islam to patrol streets and keep the peace.

The city will pay $150,000 to Peacemakers, a civilian group run by Progressive Land Development International, as part of a $1 million crime-fighting initiative, Fox News reports. However, a great deal of controversy has been caused by the organization's mailing address – it also belongs to the Miami's Nation of Islam.

Though Peacemakers insists it has no official affiliation with the Muslim organization, the patrolling group is run by well-known NOI member Rasul Muhammad. He is also the son of late Elijah Muhammad, the man responsible for developing the NOI.

Peacemakers' corporate offices are also located in Miami's Nation of Islam Muhammad Mosque 29, the 7th regional headquarters of the Nation of Islam.

According to reports, Andrew Rosenkranz, the Anti Defamation League's Florida Regional Director, said the City of Miami made an odd selection when it chose the civilian patrol group to teach acceptance and civility.

The Muslim group has "a well-documented, irrefutable public record of racism, bigotry and anti-Semitism," Rosenkratz said.

According to the Miami Herald, Muhammad denied claims that the Peacemakers are racially prejudiced.

"We are not anti-Jewish people," he said. "We are not anti-Catholic people. We are not anti-white people. The whole Peacemakers project is being based on being anti-crime, anti-immorality. ... Are they saying that they don't want peace?''

However, Rosenkranz said Miami should look at examples set by other cities who enlisted members of the Nation of Islam for programs.

A $15,000 New Orleans Police Department contract with Nation of Islam's Louis Farrakhan was scrapped in 2005 after the public protested the organization's reputation for anti-Semitism.

"While we appreciate the City of Miami's efforts to improve conditions in the Overtown area, we are concerned that it did not fully understand the nature of the organization that it chose to provide these services," Rosenkranz told Fox News.

The City of Miami stands by its choice, and Ed O'Dell, spokesman for the city's Community Redevelopment Agency, claimed they extended an invitation to their meeting to several community and faith-based groups following requests from home and night club owners for improved safety measures

"Other groups were at the meeting," he said. "Homeowners' groups, pastors, parents – anyone could come. I don't know why they didn't want to be a part of it."

An official agreement has not yet been signed, and O'Dell said there are other positive components to the $1 million contract.

"These are really three separate contracts, the surveillance cameras, extra police and the Peacemakers," he said. "The idea is to have as a component of the whole package, people on the street who are taking charge of their own community, so that it's not just a police state with big brother and cameras watching."

Still, Rosenkranz said he is still concerned about the Muslim group's intolerance, and he is not convinced it will be an asset to the city's streets.

"The Anti-Defamation League strongly believes that there is never justification for racism, intolerance and anti-Semitism and remains concerned about the Nation of Islam's activities."

Special offers:

THE PROBLEM WITH ISLAM: And What Americans Can Do About It

"Everlasting Hatred: The Roots of Jihad"

Definitive work on Mideast ? available only here!

"Israel in Crisis"

"Myths and Facts: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict"

"Judgment Day! Islam, Israel and the Nations"

Get Paul L. Williams' "Dunces of Doomsday" now at discount from the people who published it ? WND Books.

THE PROBLEM WITH ISLAM: And what Americans need to do about it

'Five pillars of Islam' taught in public school

Terror suspect contributed to school 'religion guidelines'

Why Johnny is reading Islamist propaganda