Rev. Wright speaking at the ADC dinner. Photo by Bill Chapman

DEARBORN — Rev. Jeremiah Wright, President Obama’s former pastor, has long been deemed a controversial figure in mainstream America. His criticism of Israel and uncompromising views on racial equality have turned him into an outcast in the popular narrative and even drew accusations of anti-Semitism.

The outspoken pastor did not shy away from his ideals when he spoke at the annual banquet of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) of Michigan, on Friday, Nov. 13.

Wright reiterated his support for the Palestinian people, condemned Islamophobia and called for education and greater cooperation between Arab and African Americans.

Wright said truth and the popular narrative are seldom the same.

He said once the mainstream media and political establishments construct and adopt a narrative, all the debates and analysis will be about the popular depiction of events, not reality. 

“You will never hear the truth, because the narrative has become the truth for people who don’t know any better,” he said. 

The pastor cited misconceptions about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and Saddam Hussein’s links to al-Qaeda as narratives that trumped the truth.

Wright urged Arab and African Americans to live together, labor together and learn together.

“Our common struggle is not against something or somebody… Our common struggle is for human rights,” the pastor said.

He said change can come only when we stand together as one. 

Wright added that the United States has moved from the red scare of communism to the Black scare of the civil rights movement to the green scare of Islam today.

“Muslims are the new n-word in this country after 9-11-01,” Wright said.

The pastor criticized Christian Zionists who support Israel for prophetic biblical reasons linked to the second coming of Christ.

Wright repeated what he said at the Million Man March in Washington in October — that Jesus was born on Palestinian land.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again— Jesus was a Palestinian.”

Wright said Israel does not represent Judaism, though politicians and some church leaders have convinced the public otherwise.

Speaking to The Arab American News, Wright said his support for Palestinians comes within the context of defending global justice.

“Judaism is not the state of Israel,” Wright told the Arab American News in an interview after the banquet.

He added that some people are reluctant to criticize Israel for fear of being accused of anti-Semitism.

Earlier this year, more than 1,000 Black scholars, artists and activists signed a statement supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel to end the occupation. However, a Pew poll, published in April, showed that more African Americans sympathize with Israel than Palestine.

To explain the discrepancy, Wright said, it’s “because of the power of the Zionist lobby, the power of those who bamboozle African Americans into thinking that siding with the state of Israel is siding with Jesus and the Bible.”

Asked about the state of civil rights under President Obama, Wright said the problem with the political system is bigger than the presidency. 

“Protestant presidents; Catholic President Kennedy; Southern Baptist President Carter; now a president of African descent — it’s doesn’t matter who’s at the top,” he said. “The culture is infected with violence. This country was founded on violence.”

Referring to a weekly CIA briefing about potential drone targets with the White House and other intelligence agencies, Wright said the president has a “kill meeting” every Tuesday morning.

“Black people don’t own any gun factories,” the pastor said. “Black people don’t own the cocaine; they don’t grow it. How does that happen? The system that feeds violence, that feeds guns, that feeds gang wars — that’s what we need to look at. The culture of violence.”

At the banquet, ADC honored the Michigan Muslim Community Council (MMCC), international gold medalist swimmer Katya Bachrouche, former NFL star Dr. Billy Taylor and Ali Sayed of HYPE Athletics.