DATE=7/6/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43810
TITLE=CHURCH OF THE CREATOR
BYLINE=MICHAEL LELAND
DATELINE=CHICAGO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE MAN ACCUSED OF A HATE-FILLED SHOOTING SPREE IN TWO
MIDWESTERN U-S STATES THIS PAST FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WAS AN
ACKNOWLEDGED WHITE SUPREMACIST WHO FELT BLACKS, ASIANS AND JEWS
HAD NO PLACE IN AMERICAN SOCIETY. BENJAMIN SMITH WAS A MEMBER
OF ONE OF THE FASTEST-GROWING HATE GROUPS IN THE UNITED STATES,
THE WORLD CHURCH OF THE CREATOR, WHICH IS BASED IN THE MIDWESTERN
STATE OF ILLINOIS. FROM CHICAGO, V-O-A'S MICHAEL LELAND TELLS US
THE ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH VIOLENT ACTS IN THE
PAST.
TEXT: BENJAMIN SMITH MADE NO SECRET OF HIS HATRED OF ETHNIC,
RELIGIOUS AND RACIAL MINORITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. IN PAST
INTERVIEWS, HE HAS SAID THOSE FEELINGS BEGAN WHILE HE WAS A
STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. HE FELT THE MINORITIES IN
HIS RESIDENCE HALL WERE GETTING PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT, SUCH AS
SCHOLARSHIPS, AND THAT THE U-S GOVERNMENT WAS TURNING AGAINST
WHITE PEOPLE. IN A RECENT VIDEOTAPED INTERVIEW, BROADCAST ON U-S
TELEVISION AFTER THE SHOOTING SPREE, MR. SMITH OFFERED AN EXAMPLE
OF THESE FEELINGS.
// SMITH ACT //
BLACKS ARE VERY DANGEROUS. THEY COMMIT A LOT OF CRIME.
IF WE COULD JUST DEPORT THE BLACKS BACK TO AFRICA, OUR
STREETS WOULD BE SAFE. WE ALL KNOW THAT A BAD
NEIGHBORHOOD REALLY MEANS A BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD, WHETHER
PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO ADMIT IT OR NOT.
// END ACT //
UNTIL THIS PAST MAY, BENJAMIN SMITH BELONGED TO A WHITE
SUPREMACIST ORGANIZATION CALLED THE WORLD CHURCH OF THE CREATOR.
IT CONSIDERS MINORITIES TO BE A DANGER TO AMERICAN WHITES, AND
BELIEVES IN THE COMING OF A RACIAL HOLY WAR. THE SOUTHERN
POVERTY LAW CENTER IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT MONITORS HATE GROUPS,
AND HAS BEEN WATCHING THIS ONE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. MARK POTOK
IS A RESEARCHER AT THE CENTER.
// FIRST POTOK ACT //
IT HAS BECOME ONE OF THE TWO OR THREE LARGEST NEO-NAZI
ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COUNTRY. IN FACT, UNDER MATT
HALE'S LEADERSHIP, WHICH BEGAN AROUND 1995, THE GROUP
HAS REALLY COME FROM ALMOST NOTHING TO BE QUITE LARGE:
ON THE ORDER OF 30 TO 40 CHAPTERS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
// END ACT //
THE WORLD CHURCH OF THE CREATOR WAS FOUNDED IN THE STATE OF
FLORIDA IN 1973. A 27-YEAR OLD MAN NAMED MATT HALE RUNS IT NOW,
MAINLY THROUGH AN INTERNET SITE MAINTAINED FROM HIS PARENTS' HOME
IN EAST PEORIA, ILLINOIS. MR. HALE IS DISTANCING HIMSELF AND HIS
ORGANIZATION FROM BENJAMIN SMITH'S ACTIONS, WHICH LEFT TWO PEOPLE
DEAD AND SEVEN OTHERS WOUNDED. HE SAYS HIS CHURCH DOES NOT
CONDONE VIOLENCE.
// HALE ACT //
IT IS NOT THE WAY TO GO. IT IS NOT THE WAY TO GO.
IT IS NOT THE TACTIC OF THE WORLD CHURCH OF THE
CREATOR TO WIN PEOPLE OVER BY THOSE MEANS. WE SEEK TO
PERSUADE PEOPLE, JUST AS OTHER CHURCHES SEEK TO PERSUADE
PEOPLE THAT THEIR VIEW ON LIFE IS CORRECT.
// END ACT //
BUT MR. POTOK AT THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER SAYS CHURCH OF
THE CREATOR MEMBERS HAVE LONG BEEN LINKED TO VIOLENCE. SOME HAVE
BEEN CONVICTED OF MURDER, BEATINGS, AND CONSPIRACY TO ATTACK
BLACK ORGANIZATIONS AND CHURCHES. HE ALSO SAYS MR. HALE THOUGHT
MUCH OF MR. SMITH.
// SECOND POTOK ACT //
MATT HALE IS SO CLOSE TO THIS MAN THAT, IN FACT, HE
NAMED HIM THE "CREATOR OF THE YEAR" IN JANUARY OF THIS
YEAR, FOR 1998. THAT IS THE HIGHEST HONOR THE SO-CALLED
PONITFEX MAXIMUS OF THE GROUP (HALE) CAN BESTOW.
// END ACT //
HOURS BEFORE A BLACK MAN WAS KILLED AND SIX ORTHODOX JEWS WERE
WOUNDED IN AND NEAR CHICAGO (FRIDAY), ALLEGEDLY BY MR. SMITH, THE
SUSPECT HAD TESTIFIED ON MR. HALE'S BEHALF BEFORE AN ILLINOIS
STATE BOARD THAT DECIDES WHO GETS LICENSES TO PRACTICE LAW. MR.
HALE HAS PASSED HIS BAR EXAM, BUT HAS REPEATEDLY BEEN DENIED A
LAW LICENSE IN ILLINOIS BECAUSE OF HIS VIEWS. (SIGNED)
NEB/MJL/PT
06-Jul-99 3:44 PM EDT (1944 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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