Last month, we told you that Minister Louis Farrakhan, speaking at the Nation of Islam’s annual “Saviours’ Day” celebration, mentioned his organization’s relationship with Scientology, saying that he planned to stick by the church as it was being buried under negative press, and as Leah Remini “went in hard” against it on her A&E television program.
Farrakhan mispronounced Leah’s name, saying “Mrs. Remmy” as he speculated that she was criticizing her former church because “she’s hurt, by something.”
Since then, we’ve learned more about Scientology’s relationship to the Nation of Islam and how that relationship got started. We got our hands on a document that provides some surprising perspective about who helped David Miscavige and Louis Farrakhan bring together their two odd organizations, supplying some of the effort — and substantial amounts of money — to bring Nation of Islam members into Dianetics counseling.
Would you believe, it was Leah Remini?
According to the Nation of Islam’s official publication, The Final Call, Louis Farrakhan began having NOI members take courses in L. Ron Hubbard’s Dianetics on May 8, 2010. Two weeks later, on May 23, an official Scientology commendation was awarded to Remini, giving her credit for helping to create “one of the most important dissemination cycles of Scientology in history to get LRH Tech to Black People.”
The commendation was signed by the two people most often associated with the relationship between the two groups — the Nation of Islam’s Minister Tony Muhammad, and Scientology’s Rev. Alfreddie Johnson Jr.
According to the document they signed, Leah was instrumental in forging the bond between the two churches by, in part, “sponsoring” courses for Tony Muhammad (in other words, paying for them), and for spending the money to help build the Inglewood Ideal Org, which opened in a prominent greater-Los Angeles black neighborhood the next year, 2011.
“Leah has always had huge affinity and desire to help Black People through out the world,” the commendation says. “As a Result of her help on this cycle, Min. Louis Farrakhan and all of the top NOI Execs are now on services.”
That’s right — it was through the largess of Leah Remini, this document says, that Minister Farrakhan himself was taking Scientology courses. But seven years later, he can’t remember her name and dismisses her expose of Scientology as a personal vendetta because she’s “hurt.”
Besides revealing Leah’s role in bringing the two groups together, the document also confirms something we’ve long assumed — that for Scientology’s part, bringing in Nation of Islam members for courses was mostly about trying to increase black involvement in an overwhelmingly white church.
But what is Farrakhan getting out of it? In his address last month, he seemed to be aware that the accusation has been made that he’s receiving cash commissions for sending his people Scientology’s way. But he claimed that he hadn’t made any money on the two groups coming together.
“I can prove that I didn’t get a dime from Dianetics or Scientology. We spent a lot of money buying the books on Dianetics. I saw something of value,” he said.
“Well, someone is getting a commission from Scientology for bringing in those new people,” says Jeffrey Augustine, a frequent contributor here who has been studying the Scientology-NOI connection for more than a decade.
Before Farrakhan put out the order for his followers to train in Dianetics in 2010, for years Scientology had been spreading its “study technology” to the Nation of Islam, as Augustine pointed out back in 2006 when he spotted a bizarre reference by Scientology leader David Miscavige in an issue of Scientology News. Miscavige was quoted as saying, “They [the Nation of Islam] virtually invented black pride and black unity in the face of white discrimination, and they also adhere to a pretty high moral code and learning is all but sacred. But without LRH tech they can’t realize it.”
As Augustine pointed out at the time, Miscavige appeared to be saying that Nation of Islam members held learning sacred, but they wouldn’t amount to much without the help of L. Ron Hubbard.
Whatever Miscavige actually thinks of Farrakhan’s followers, the Remini commendation helps confirm what Augustine says he’s long suspected.
“I can’t think of another group that is getting sponsored and having their courses paid for by other Scientologists,” he says. “Celebrities like Tom Cruise and John Travolta will often get a lot of things for free, even the very expensive upper levels. But paying for other Scientologists to get through courses and levels? Only Nation of Islam people are getting that.”
And at first, in 2010, it was Leah Remini who was helping to foot the bill.
You’d think Minister Farrakhan would at least remember how to say her name.
Here’s the full document, first in text form, and then on our Scribd platform…
CONFIDENTIAL
ETHICS SECTION CCIN
ETHICS SECTIONFSO
CC: CO CCICOMMENDATION
Leah Remini
On May 23, 2010, Leah Remini participated to helped with the creation of one of the most important dissemination cycles of Scientology in history to get LRH Tech to Black People.
Leah was one of the first to recognized the significance and the potential impact that Min. Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam would have on benefiting, using and disseminating LRH and Scientology to hundreds of millions of people through out the world.
Leah has always had huge affinity and desire to help Black People through out the world. As a result, when briefed on the cycle, she eagerly offered her help to sponsor Min Tony Muhammad’s initial Life Repair and other services as well as helped me draft a letter to Chairman of the Board — Mr. David Miscavige.
As a Result of her help on this cycle, Min. Louis Farrakhan and all of the top NOI Execs are now on services. In addition we now have 300 new NOI execs training to become Dianetics Auditor at five Ideal Orgs across the USA and London.
It was also Leah Remini who helped with a huge initial dono towards the establishment of the Inglewood Org Cycle in the Black and Latino communities.
On behalf of Min Louis Farrakhan, Min Tony Muhammad, Rev. Alfreddie Johnson and all the Black People in America and the world, We thank you Leah for what you have done to bring spiritual freedom to our people.
This is True
Min Tony Muhammad
Western Regional Minister
Nation of IslamRev. Alfreddie Johnson
Founder World Literacy Crusade
Founder True Faith Christian
Leah Remini: Commendation for helping NOI by Tony Ortega on Scribd
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Bonus items from our tipsters
Doing the purif in Medellin!
Dissemination Royale: “That’s the beauty of it! Sure, you’re just prince consort in this life. But 10 million years ago on the planet Fuckwit you might have been queen!”
And free candy…
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HowdyCon 2017: Denver, June 23-25. Go here to start making your plans.
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Scientology disconnection, a reminder
Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 4,686 days.
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Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,110 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,085 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 441 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin in 4,743 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 850 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis for 1,252 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,125 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 706 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike in 1,211 days.
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Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 12,564 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on March 10, 2017 at 07:00
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The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2016 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Undergound Bunker (2012-2016), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | Scientology’s Private Dancer | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | Scientology boasts about assistance from Google | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Our Guide to Alex Gibney’s film ‘Going Clear,’ and our pages about its principal figures…
Jason Beghe | Tom DeVocht | Sara Goldberg | Paul Haggis | Mark “Marty” Rathbun | Mike Rinder | Spanky Taylor | Hana Whitfield
