Farrakhan Won’t Disavow Aide’s Speech : Anti-Semitism: He says black leaders who protested the remarks were used as pawns. He accuses Jewish groups of plotting against him.

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan in a speech to his followers refused the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s call to disavow anti-Semitic statements attributed to a key aide, and instead accused Jewish groups of conspiring against him.

The New York Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday threatened court action against Farrakhan because women were barred from the rally at a Harlem armory where Farrakhan spoke Monday night.

In his speech, Farrakhan also charged that other black leaders were allowing themselves to be used as pawns when they were critical of a speech given by Khalid Abdul Mohammad at Kean College in Union, N.J., last Nov. 29.

In that address, Mohammad attacked Jews as “the blood suckers of the black nation,” praised Hitler as “wickedly great” and attacked the Pope as “a cracker.”

The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith has denounced the speech in a full page newspaper ad, claiming Mohammad also urged black South Africans to “kill everything white,” including babies and children and to even kill wheelchair bound old white people by pushing “ ‘em off a cliff in Cape Town.”

Farrakhan’s aide also charged that Jews control the White House and the federal government.

Over the weekend, Jackson called on Farrakhan to repudiate Mohammad’s remarks, labeling them “racist, anti-Semitic, divisive, untrue and chilling.”

Mohammad’s speech also was sharply criticized by Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., president of the NAACP and other leaders including Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus and William H. Gray III, president of the United Negro College Fund.

“They’re trying to use my brother Khalid’s words against me to divide the house,” Farrakhan told more than 8,000 supporters Monday.

“The members of the Jewish community are the most organized, rich and powerful, not only in America, but in the world,” he said. “They don’t want Farrakhan to do what he’s doing. They’re plotting as we speak.”

The controversy overshadowed the anti-drug, black empowerment message also delivered to the audience by Farrakhan.

Women were barred from the meeting held on New York State property even though the rental agreement for the armory specified that there be no discrimination based on sex or race.

The Nation of Islam’s press release for the event also called upon news organizations only to send black male reporters to cover the event, designed to focus on the problems of men.

The New York Civil Liberties Union said it was considering filing complaints both with the city and state human rights commissions as well as going into court to seek to stop the Nation of Islam from holding a rally planned for next month on any public facility.

“There were six women prohibited from entering it (the armory),” said Norman Siegel, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. “Five were news reporters. . . . It is state property.”

In a statement Tuesday, Abraham H. Foxman, the ADL’s national director, charged that Farrakhan, by not rejecting Mohammad’s speech and in his own remarks, had “reinforced his own pattern of anti-Semitism.”

“Farrakhan lashed out at Jews, claiming they were plotting against him and against the black community,” Foxman said. “His bigotry and conspiratorial charges continue the grim and shameful pattern he has maintained for years.”

Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler, president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Tuesday praised black leaders for denouncing Mohammad’s remarks and said their actions will have “a positive effect on the repair and renewal of black-Jewish relations.”