The Catholic League has asked the U.S. Dept. of Justice to undertake an investigation of the growing link between the Libyan government of Muammar Khadafy and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.  Specifically, the league wants to know whether the Nation of Islam has violated U.S. law by accepting financial support from Libya, a nation certified as terrorist by U.S. authorities.  Laws pertaining to the registration of a foreign agent are implicated, and many others may be as well.

It has been reported that a $1 billion pledge has been made between Khadafy and Farrakhan, enabling them to “work together to influence U.S. elections and foreign policy.” News reports also say that Khadafy wants the “creation of a separate black state in the United States with its own army.”  In 1985, Khadafy reportedly loaned $5 million to Farrakhan seeking to help black Americans in an “armed struggle.”

It is because of the notorious anti-Catholicism of the Nation of lslam, as well as its more well-known anti-Semitism, that the Catholic League is proud to join with the Jewish Action Alliance in protesting this outrageous development.  Catholic League president William Donohue will speak to this issue at a demonstration at the Libyan Consulate on February 1 at 5:00p.m.   The event is being organized by Beth Gilinsky of the Jewish Action Alliance.

Dr. Donohue released the following remarks today on this matter:

“The Nation of lslam, under the aegis of Louis Farrakhan, has an ugly record of bigotry targeted at Jews, Catholics and many others.  That this unmitigated hatred might be subsidized by one of the most reckless regimes in the world is unconscionable. Khadafy is a menace to world peace and Farrakhan is a menace to domestic peace, making an alliance between them doubly threatening.

“Those officials in Washington who boast of standing tall against bigotry, hate speech and terrorism must now be held accountable for their deeds.  Catholics and Jews will be watching who does what and when.  And when the watching is over, they will register their sentiments in a way every politician understands.”

The nation’s largest video rental chain, Blockbuster, has recently made the Disney-Miramax movie Priest available for distribution.  Due to its anti-Catholic nature, the movie was the source of strong criticism from tile Catholic League last year and was roundly scored by many others as well.

On May 25, 1995, Catholic League president William Donohue wrote a letter to Steve Berrard, the CEO of Blockbuster Entertainment, expressing his concern that “it would be disheartening to learn that Blockbuster decided to put Priest on its shelves.”  He also asked “what kind of policy you have in making these determinations [of deciding which videos to select].” No reply was given to this letter.

William Donohue made tile following statement about this development today:

“Blockbuster does not distribute every movie made, nor does it randomly select which videos to promote.  We know this because Blockbuster refused to carry the anti-Christian movie, The Last Temptation of Christ.  But apparently Blockbuster thinks there is a difference between an anti-Christian movie and one that is merely anti-Catholic.  It would be most instructive if Blockbuster explained its reasoning.

“Tolerance for bigotry is intolerance and that is why Blockbuster errs in its decision to stock Priest.  By fanning the flames of anti-Catholicism, Blockbuster calls into question its reputation as a family-friendly outlet and contributes to an already poisoned environment.  It gleefully accepted the plaudits of many when it refused circulation of The Last Temptation of Christ.   It will be interesting to see how Blockbuster reacts once the public discovers its new double standard.  We will be sure to inform the Catholic community of its duplicity.”

The Catholic League is the nation’s largest Catholic civil rights organization. It defends individual Catholics and the institutional Church from defamation and discrimination.

The January 10 edition of the ABC show The Naked Truth ridiculed Roman Catholicism from beginning to end.  The show featured two female reporters who dressed as nuns and visited a Catholic Church in quest of determining whether actress Drew Barrymore was entering the convent. In the course of the show, the following incidents occurred:

***One of the reporters mentions that she once thought about becoming a nun but said that when “a little thing called the pill” came out, she changed her mind.

***When asked by a priest in the confessional when was the last time the woman went to confession, she replies, “What is this–the Spanish Inquisition?”

***One of the reporters spots a real nun and recognizes her as an old classmate.  The nun, who is identified as “Luscious O’ Farrell,” explains her decision to become a nun by saying, “I woke up one day and found that being a drunken slut was strangely unfulfilling.”  Her reporter friend says, “Sr. Luscious would be the patron saint of porno actresses.”

***Holy water is thrown at one of the reporters by the priest as he exclaims, “Get thee back, Satan.”

***One of the reporters says she would be a good candidate for the sisterhood since she has no money, kids or sex. “Heck, I’m darn near a nun now,” she says.

***The final scene shows the priest coming out of the confessional taking off his collar saying, “I quit.”

Catholic League president William Donohue had this to say about the program:

“This edition of the ABC program The Naked Truth is another example of the degree to which Roman Catholicism is held in contempt by some in the media.  Offensive and disgraceful, this show demonstrates that there are some in the television industry who have an agenda to discredit the Catholic Church.  There is a difference between light humor and an assault on the beliefs and practices of Catholics, and this show clearly falls in the latter category.

“We will contact the sponsors of the program and will alert our members to take action against them. Knowing our members, they won’t hesitate to do so.”

The January 10 edition of the ABC show The Naked Truth ridiculed Roman Catholicism from beginning to end. The show featured two female reporters who dressed as nuns and visited a Catholic Church in quest of determining whether actress Drew Barrymore was entering the convent. In the course of the show, the following incidents occurred:

***One of the reporters mentions that she once thought about becoming a nun but said that when “a little thing called the pill” came out, she changed her mind.

***When asked by a priest in the confessional when was the last time the woman went to confession, she replies, “What is this—the Spanish Inquisition?”

***One of the reporters spots a real nun and recognizes her as an old classmate. The nun, who is identified as “Luscious O’Farrell,” explains her decision to become a nun by saying, “I woke up one day and found that being a drunken slut was strangely unfulfilling.” Her reporter friend says, “Sr. Luscious would be the patron saint of porno actresses.”

*** Holy water is thrown at one of the reporters by the priest as he exclaims, “Get thee back, Satan.”

***One of the reporters says she would be a good candidate for the sisterhood since she has no money, kids or sex. “Heck, I’m darn near a nun non,” she says.

***The final scene shows the priest coming out of the confessional taking off his collar saying, “I quit.”

Catholic League president William Donohue had this to say about the program:

“This edition of the ABC program The Naked Truth is another example of the degree to which Roman Catholicism is held in contempt by some in the media. Offensive and disgraceful, this show demonstrates that there are some in the television industry who have an agenda to discredit the Catholic Church. There is a difference between light humor and an assault on the beliefs and practices of Catholics, and this show clearly falls in the latter category.

“We will contact the sponsors of the program and will alert our members to take action against them. Knowing our members, they won’t hesitate to do so.”