may 2008 . Vol 1 . Issue 6

Evaluating the Terrorist claimed that 85% of men are easily 10/29/54, and had Army Serial misled, 10% understand some truth but Number 51207085. Subject had the Threat Posed by African- use it for their own benefit, and five rank of Private First Class, served American Muslim Groups percent are enlightened divine beings.5 in Korea, and was last assigned to Under Clarence 13X, or Allah, the Five Company “F,” 39th Infantry, Ft. By Christopher Heffelfinger Percenters (also called the Five Percent Dix, .7 Nation) established a headquarters in the fbi introduction to the Freedom of —the Allah School in —in The final assignment is peculiar, for Information Act (FOIA) file on Clarence 1966.6 Today, the movement includes coincidence if no other reason. Ft. Dix Smith—aka Clarence 13X—reads only, , members of Wu Tang was the site of the foiled plot by six “Smith was the leader of the ‘Five Clan, and many other high- young Muslim men arrested in 2007 Percenters,’ a notorious Harlem street profile hip-hop artists. for planning to essentially embark on a gang. He was shot to death in 1969.”1 shooting spree within the base and kill Yet, as a lyrical sample from Lord Jamar The FOIA FBI file on Clarence Smith as many U.S. servicemen as possible.8 (a prominent Five Percenter and hip- reveals some of the details pertaining to The case is still awaiting trial. Ft. Dix is hop artist) reads in his Greatest Story their concern over his activities: significant to African-American history, Never Told, “Allah [Clarence Smith] as in 1969 “there were rebellions at was assassinated in 1969, that case was …letterhead memorandums the military prisons of Fort Dix, Fort never solved. His movement survived to the Bureau dated 6/2/65, Jackson, three times at Fort Riley, Camp him, today it’s known as the Nation of 6/9/65 and 7/9/65, all captioned Pendleton, and others. At Fort Dix, one Gods and Earths.”2 The Five Percenters “DISTURBANCE BY GROUP of the prisoner demands was: ‘Free are just one facet of indigenous Muslim CALLED ‘FIVE PERCENTERS,’ Huey P. Newton, the Panther evolution in the United States; others, HARLEM, , 21, the Presidio 27, and all political like Jama`at al-Fuqara’, retain ties to 5/31/65; RACIAL MATTERS,” prisoners!’”9 and are ideological affiliates which contained subject under of militant Salafist groups such as al- the name CLARENCE 13X SMITH Toward the end of Clarence Smith’s FBI Qa`ida. This article will examine trends aka “Allah,” and which further File, it reads: among three predominantly African- reflected that subject was the American Islamic movements, at least recognized leader of the “Five On 11/16/65, [REDACTED] BSS, one of which should be considered a Percenters.” NYCPD, advised SA that on domestic terrorism concern for the 11/16/65, subject […] appeared in United States. It also serves to provide It is noted that records of the New York State Supreme Court, counter-terrorism professionals Bureau of Special Services, (BSS), NYC, and was found “unable to with knowledge enabling them to New York City Police Department, understand the charges against differentiate terrorist threats from more (NYCPD), reflects subject’s true him.” Subject was remanded to benign religious groups. name as CLARENCE SMITH the custody of the New York State JOWERS and as CLARENCE Department of Mental Hygiene for The Five Percent Nation SMITH JOWARS, however, for an indefinite confinement.10 Clarence 13X was initially a member of uniformity, subject’s true last the (NOI) and attended name will be carried as JOWARS He was assassinated in 1969 in a case that its Temple Number Seven in Harlem, until such time as investigation remains unsolved. Curiously, the latter where preached from 1960 determines the true spelling of pages of Clarence Smith’s FBI file read: to 1963.3 One rumor claims that he left subject’s last name. “Subject is a Negro male, born 2/21/28 the NOI because he questioned the or 2/22/28, at Danville, Virginia.”11 At divinity of Wallace Fard, the founder CLARENCE SMITH JOWARS, one of Jama`at al-Fuqara’s (Community of the NOI who claimed to bring divine aka Clarence 13X, a Negro male, of the Impoverished, JF) compounds, inspiration to . born 2/21/28 in Virginia, city called “Red House,”12 24 members of the Clarence 13X split with the NOI in not known, NYCPD # B 612230, 4 1963. He adopted the name “Allah” and resided in Apartment 5E, 21 West 7 FBI File #100-444636, available at http://foia.fbi.gov/ th set to the streets of Harlem to educate 112 St., NYC, from August, 1954, smith/smith1.pdf. fellow black Americans on the Supreme through January, 1964. Subject 8 See Troy Graham, “Man who Supplied Guns in Alleged Mathematics, the Supreme Alphabet has Social Security Number 228- Fort Dix Terror Plot Sentenced to 20 Months,” Philadel- and the tenets of his movement, which 28-0034. Subject served in the US phia Inquirer, April 1, 2008. Army under the name CLARENCE 9 “Black GIs, Rebellion and the Fall of the Flag,” Revolu- 1 FBI File #100-444636, available at http://foia.fbi.gov/ SMITH JOWARS or CLARENCE tionary Worker #994, February 14, 1999. foiaindex/smith.htm. SMITH from 10/29/52, through 10 FBI File #100-444636. 2 One site that includes the lyrics from the Greatest Story 11 Ibid. Never Told is www.lyricstime.com/lord-jamar-greatest- 5 Mattias Gardell, In the Name of Elijah Muhammad: Louis 12 Ironically, Red House shares the name of the parlia- story-never-told-lyrics.html. Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam (Durham, NC: Duke ment of Trinidad and Tobago. The building was stormed 3 Jane I. Smith, Islam in America (New York: Columbia University Press, 1996), p. 225. by Jamaat al-Muslimin, an Afro-Caribbean Islamist University Press, 1999), pp. 101-103. 6 Michael Muhammad Knight, The Five Percenters (Ox- movement, in July 1990. The group took hostages, in- 4 Ibid. ford: One World Publications, 2007). cluding the prime minister, and announced that they may 2008 . Vol 1 . Issue 6 compound were convicted of firearms Paul Williams, who did extensive study One retired intelligence official with violations.13 Red House sits about 66 on the group, states, expertise on militant Islam explained in miles from Danville, VA, Clarence September 2007, Smith’s birthplace. The locations of JF’s Though primarily based in Lahore, compounds often appear laden with Pakistan, Jamaat ul-Fuqra has At one point they ran private symbolism, but it is not yet known if the operational headquarters in New security firms in NYC and proximity of this compound to Danville York and openly recruits through in Karachi, Pakistan. Their has any larger significance. various social service organizations spiritual leader was Pir Sayed in the U.S., including the prison Gilani who lives in Pakistan, and What relevance do the Five Percenters system. Members live in hamaats arranged training for U.S. Fuqra have to terrorism? There is no material or compounds, such as Islamberg, members in the Pakistan camps link between the Five Percent Nation where they agree to abide by the of the Kashmiri insurgents; some (nor fringe groups like the Seas of laws of Jamaat ul-Fuqra, which American Fuqra members actually David) and terrorism, but they are are considered to be above local, fought in Kashmir against Indian state and federal authority.15 forces. Intelligence shows that Gilani is connected to Pakistan’s “A number of JF members Although JF is estimated to be 95% ISI and al-Qaeda; the WSJ’s Daniel have fought overseas, African-American, it is not purely Pearl was on his way to interview an Afro-nationalist movement in the Gilani when he was kidnapped.18 including in Afghanistan, United States. Its ties to overseas Chechnya, Kashmir, Bosnia militant Salafist trends clearly run A number of JF members have fought much deeper. Sometime in the late overseas, including in Afghanistan, and Lebanon.” 1990s, Jama`at al-Fuqara’ changed its Chechnya, Kashmir, Bosnia and name to the “Muslims of America” and Lebanon. Others in the highly secretive still operates as such. group were affiliated with the Kifah Refugee Center, also known as the on a graduating spectrum in terms of It is possible there is some resonance Jihad Office.19 One member, radicalization. To the extreme of the Five in ideas between followers of the Five Clement Rodney Hampton-El, an Percent Nation is the highly militant Percent Nation and followers of Jama`at African-American Muslim convert, Jama`at al-Fuqara’ that strongly al-Fuqara’. George Johnson, Jr., a was convicted of plotting to blow up rejects the tenets of the Nation of Gods retired serviceman, security analyst New York City landmarks in 1993. He and Earths,14 and instead adheres to a and African-American, said, provided weapons training to fellow Salafist Islam akin to that of al-Qa`ida. members at the Brooklyn Jihad Office, Members may move toward the more I have never personally known an including El Sayyid Nosair who used militant and austere Islam of JF if they admitted member of Al-Furqara’. that training to assassinate Rabbi Meir feel the Five Percenters are ineffective However, some of my Black Kahane in New York in 1990. According at effecting societal change, or if they Muslim friends and relatives who to Hampton-El’s testimony, he had can be convinced that their doctrine is belong to various other Afro- a meeting at the Saudi Embassy in blasphemous per Salafist norms. centric and mainstream Islamic December 1992 where Jamaican-born, sects (NOI, Ansar Allah, 5 per Muslim scholar Bilal Phillips gave him Jama`at al-Fuqara’ centers, Bilalians, etc.) express the names of U.S. servicemen ready to The Salafist Jama`at al-Fuqara’ is a some of the same doctrines and finish their tours of duty. He was to much more potentially threatening beliefs and are sympathetic to Al- recruit the men as volunteer mujahidin group. It could have as many as 30 Fuqara’s ideas.16 and paramilitary trainers for an Usama compounds in the United States and bin Ladin-sponsored insurgency in Canada, with affiliates in the Caribbean. Yet, JF’s ideology is drastically different Bosnia.20 At these compounds, members engage than that of NOI, the Five Percenters, in tactical training exercises and or Seas of David. It was founded by a Bilal Phillips provides more material weapons training, and explosives caches Pakistani cleric, Shaykh Mubarak `Ali linkages between these African- have been uncovered in at least one Gilani, in Brooklyn in 1980, when he American Muslims (typically converts) instance. Islamberg, in Hancock, NY, first visited the United States.17 Shaykh and militant Salafism. Phillips’ is considered to be JF’s headquarters. Gilani’s guiding principle is to “purify” biography on his website reads, the Islamic umma through violence. “Bilal, who had read Malcolm X’s had overthrown the government. See Ken I. Boodhoo, autobiography, visited one of the “Islamic Fundamentalism in the Caribbean,” LACC Pub- 15 Williams, “Springtime in Islamberg: Radical Muslim lications Occasional Papers Series, Florida International Paramilitary Compound Flourishes in Upper New York 18 Personal interview, unnamed retired intelligence of- University, Dialogue #135, 1992. State.” ficial, September 2007. 13 Paul L. Williams, “Springtime in Islamberg: Radical 16 Personal interview, George Johnson, September 14, 19 “United States: The Jamaat al-Fuqra Threat,” Stratfor. Muslim Paramilitary Compound Flourishes in Upper 2007. com, June 3, 2005. New York State,” Canada Free Press, May 11, 2007. 17 For more information, see the South Asia Terrorism 20 J.M. Berger, “Al Qaeda Recruited Gulf War Vets in 14 The Nation of Gods and Earths is the current name of Portal file on Jama`at al-Fuqara’, located at www.satp. 1992, Effort Linked To Saudi Gov’t,” Intelwire.com, Jan- the Five Percenters movement. org. uary 6, 2004. may 2008 . Vol 1 . Issue 6 temples of the Black Muslims. Though to Narseal Batiste, the group’s alleged impressed by their organization and the leader.24 fact that their women dressed modestly, he found their ideology useless.”21 He Where They Are Today seems to have turned toward a much Critical for intelligence and law more austere form of Islam. There is still enforcement officials is the ability to much more to be unraveled pertaining distinguish non-violent, pietistic or to Bilal Phillips and his connections spiritualist movements from Salafist- to Salafist clerics in and inspired ones that advocate or practice around the Islamic world. militancy. Today, the Five Percent Nation is largely leaderless, with Seas of David/Liberty City Seven various teachers propagating the beliefs A more recent manifestation of non- of Clarence 13X and poses no serious Salafist militancy is the case of the Seas terrorist threat, although gang activity of David, or Liberty City Seven. On and criminality is a concern. The Seas April 16, a jury was hung in the case of David will, in all likelihood, dissipate against the “Liberty City Seven,” who and pose no further threat. Such were charged with planning an attack movements, however, may serve at times on Chicago’s Sears Tower following a as a gateway to more conservative— 2006 FBI raid on their warehouse and sometimes militant—Salafist groups, such as Jama`at al-Fuqara’. The Jama`at al-Fuqara’/Muslims of America deserves “Such movements, a more comprehensive treatment, as the however, may serve at group is clearly one of the most glaring domestic terrorism concerns for the times as a gateway to more United States. conservative—sometimes Christopher Heffelfinger is a researcher and militant—Salafist groups, consultant for the Combating Terrorism such as Jama`at al- Center at the United States Military Academy. He contributed to the Militant Fuqara’.” Ideology Atlas, the CTC Harmony project, and the continuing CTC-FBI education collaborative at West Point. Prior to that, Mr. Heffelfinger edited two volumes temple in Liberty City, a poor suburb on terrorism (Unmasking Terrorism, of Miami.22 This was the second trial with forewords by Michael Scheuer and against the group; the first ended in Gen.William Odom), and also served as acquittal for one man while the jury editor of the weekly Terrorism Focus. was deadlocked over counts against the He is a fluent Arabic reader and speaker, other six. having spent time in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Morocco. Mr. Heffelfinger lived in The group had no firearms, no explosives Sana`a, Yemen in 2000, and attended and no links to a terrorist group when the same language school as John Walker they were arrested. Its leader reportedly Lindh. He also lived and studied with the roamed the neighborhood in a bathrobe, Naqshbandi Tariqat, where he studied with toting a wooden walking stick.23 The native speakers refuting militant Salafist Liberty City Seven subscribed to ideology through Islamic source texts. teachings that blended Christianity and Islam; the Seas of David, the obscure organized group of which the seven were members, developed teachings partially derived from those of the Moorish Science Temple of America, according

21 For more information on Bilal Phillips, see his official website at www.bilalphilips.com. 22 Justin Rood and Vic Walter, “Second Terror Mis- trial Hurts Bush Administration, Critics Say Hung Jury Leads to Second Mistrial in ‘Liberty City Seven’ Case,” ABC News, April 16, 2008. 24 “Indictment: Suspects Wanted to ‘Kill All the Devils 23 Ibid. We Can,’” CNN, June 24, 2006.