Estimated reading time: 16 minute(s)
[Source: Hurt2HealingMag.com]
Ebony S. Muhammad (EM): As the social media strategist for the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam, please describe how social media can be considered and used as a weapon.
Brother Jesse (BJ): It’s interesting that we have seen protests where there are Black people who have done and said various chants and have said things against the police, but I have never really seen the police move against those Black people who may have guns. I have seen and we have seen, over this last year in particular, where young people have pulled out their phones in an effort to video tape police misconduct. They have been pepper sprayed, they have been hit with rubber pellets, they have been arrested, they have been harassed, some have been put in jail for extensive periods of time and given no reason as to why they’re being detained. You have people who have been openly threatened on social media by law enforcement to the point where law enforcement is utilizing social media in their “playbook” to go against protesters. So it’s obvious that: Yes, the open carry gun law is in effect in Texas, but I think it shows that they’re more concerned with the weaponry of young people with their phones, which is exposing the corruption; not that it has not been going on, but now it’s not being easily swept under the rug. It can be easily uploaded to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so the open carry of Smartphone, I believe is a bigger threat than an open carry of an AK-47.
EM: Recall Minister Farrakhan’s message on November 29, 2015 when he stated, “We can show you how to use social media”. In what ways does the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan desire us to use social media and what are the benefits of doing so?
BJ: The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has instructed us that we should use social media to raise the level of conversation and consciousness of the masses of the people. He said we should use it for the passing of knowledge, the creation of bonds and brotherly love. Also for the spreading of wisdom that will elevate people one degree higher. He also believes and has taught us and has instructed us that when we engage people in debate and conversation we shouldn’t get down in the gutter with them, we should not attack people personally, but that we should respond with high intelligence and with the best of arguments we’re taught in the Holy Quran. In following those instructions we have found that we have had great success in doing that. The reason the Minister said, as Jay-Z said, “We can show you how to do this son”, is because the Minister has guided a social media army to do all kinds of things without a financial budget that many with millions of dollars have not been able to achieve. You’re talking about a social media movement, under Minister Farrakhan, that has been trending not only nationally but globally on multiple occasions without buying ads, without spreading gossip, without spreading filth and it didn’t have anything to do with a reality show.
Every time he was trending and the Farrakhan Twitter Army has been trending, it was always rooted in the truth. We call it Truth Trafficking. Also, you’re talking about people all around the world that has been introduced to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan that have not heard him before, and he has proven that his wisdom that has been transmitted via social media has impacted countless people online that it has started movements and conversations. It has even made headlines to the point that mainstream media has taken tweets from Minister Farrakhan and have turned them into shows. So yes he can show you, because when you follow the Farrakhan social media playbook it puts you in the position to maximize the weaponry in your hand.
I believe that we have gotten so caught up in America’s push for individualism and this individualistic mindset that we’re so caught up in our Selfie Olympics, our Facebook rostrums and our own self aggrandizement and praise. We just talk about ourselves and pump products to people, but the Minister is so beautiful that he engages people in questions and answers on Twitter and Facebook. It’s not about “I”, it’s about service. It’s such a beautiful thing, and the man has certainly made an impact on social media that is so historic. So I don’t care if no one else acknowledges it, I am a witness that the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has changed the course of social media and has impacted young people and people in general all around the world.
EM: Can you speak more about the Farrakhan Twitter Army and how we engage in social media warfare with various campaigns on behalf of Minister Farrakhan, whether to defend him or in doing things on the offense?
BJ: Absolutely, and I’m glad you said the word offense, because the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches us and Minister Farrakhan reminded us that a people cannot win their freedom being on the defense all of the time. They must at some point go on the offense. People say defense wins games, but if you don’t put the ball in the basket or get that football across the goal line, nobody is going to win. So offense is very important. It makes me think about this too – I was reading in the Bible recently where it talks about the gates of hell coming against Peter, which Jesus said, “On this rock I build my church”. He was talking about Peter. And I read in the footnotes of those who translated this, God help them, they tried their best as Minister Farrakhan says (laughs), but they said that it was not that the gates of hell would not come against, but it was to the point at that point in time the disciples the apostles of Christ were on the offense against the gates of hell. So that doesn’t mean they were sitting back waiting for the attack. They were going out and meeting the opposition. Therefore, with social media and your Tweetdecks and the apps, we’re able to see what people are saying against Minister Farrakhan, but even more now we’re in the position to spread our message and control the narrative.
