Western Resistance

« Western World: Feminist Speaks of the Death of Feminism | | Austria: European Islamic Conference Begins »

April 7, 2006

US: Black Muslim Heir Arrested Again

The saga of the Black Muslims in Oakland, California, continues. We described earlier, how on the evening of Wednesday, November 23, two shops (the San Pablo Liquor stare and the New York Market) were entered by black men dressed in suits. The men told the owners not to sell alcohol to black customers, and then set about smashing store displays and breaking bottles of alcohol, and throwing stock onto the floor.

Initially suspicion fell upon the local chapter of the Nation of Islam, but soon, surveillance footage rrevealed that the perpetrators appeared to be members of the Oakland-based group the Black Muslims, which had been founded by Yusuf Bey, who died of stomach cancer in 2003, while facing charges of sexual assault upon a minor.

The Black Muslims under Yusuf Bey senior had several legitimate businesses, most notably "Your Black Muslim Bakery", and had other franchises, which were run in the manner of a mafia operation. As soon as Bey died, killings began, apparently provoked by a power struggle within the clan.

In 2004, 51-year old Waajid Aljawaad Bey, the CEO of Your Black Muslim Bakery disappeared. His rotting corpse was found in a shallow grave in the Oakland Hills. In June, 2005, Bey senior's adopted son, John Bey, was shot in an ambush at his home. He survived. On October 25, Yusuf Bey's 24-year old son, Antar Bey, was shot dead at a gas station.

After the attacks upon the San Pablo Liquor store and the New York Market on November 23, the situation escalated. In the early hours of Monday 27 November, another shop, owned by a Yemeni Muslim, was set alight. Later that day, the store clerk was found locked in the trunk of a car in the parking lot of a branch of Safeway in El Cerrito.

Examination of surveillance camera footage soon provided police with their suspects. Arrest warrants were issued for six members of the Black Muslims, including Yusuf Bey IV, the 19-year old son and heir to the Bey empire. All six were connected with Your Black Muslim Bakery.

The methods of vandalism were not dissimilar to an attack made by members of the Black Muslims against a laundry, made in 1993. The attackers worked for a laundry Yusuf Bey Senior owned. Bey then justified the attack by saying his group was angered that there were people in that laundry gathered about, who sold drugs.

We reported on November 30 that two people on the list had given themselves up to the police. These included Yusuf Bey IV, and also 73-year old Donald Eugene Cunningham, a former associate of Yusuf Bey senior. The pair were jailed, only allowed to be freed if they stood bail of $200,000. On Saturday December 3, Yusuf Bey IV raised bail and was released, while Cunningham was freed a week later on bail. On December 9 we reported that two more individuals, Yasir Hakeem Azzem, aged 19, and 24-year old Kahlil Raheem were arrested. They too had featured on the surveillance video from one of the store attacks.

Outside the Your Black Muslim Bakery on Pablo Avenue, Yusuf Bey IV gave a press conference, where he said: "I've lived in Oakland all my life, and I've noticed the growing violence...I've noticed the homicides, drug dealers and prostitution that goes on around these places."

He should know, for in 1994, his brother Akbar Bey, high on opiate drugs, apparently stole $1,200 worth of drugs from an associate, and was shot dead in the street with a .357 Magnum.

At this press conference, Yusuf Bey IV argued that the Muslim, mostly Yemeni shopkeepers who sold alcohol were acting against Islam. "In their home countries they'd be killed for selling alcohol," he said.

Being targeted for arrest and being on bail appears not to have diminished the group's desire to intimidate store-keepers. On December 17, we reported that another store, the Happy Times, owned by a Yemeni Muslim in West Oakland, was visited an intimidating group of well-dressed Black Muslims on Wednesday 14 December. They warned the shopkeeper's son not to sell alcohol.

On Thursday 12 January individuals who had featured in the police arrest warrant appeared in court. These included Yusuf Bey IV. All peaded not guilty on charges of vandalism, false imprisonment and hate crimes. WIth him were Jamall Robinson, 19, Dyamen Namer Williams, 19, and 24-year old Kahlil Raheem and Demetrius Harvey, 19. They were ordered to attend a pre-trial hearing on February 9, with a preliminary date for their trial set for Thursday March 24.

Now, however, according to today's California Argus, Yusuf Bey has been arrested again, but this time on different charges.

Last June, police had been called after Bey had been arguing with a movie theater manager, where he was seen waving a toothpick in the man's face. Bey tried to leave without giving his name, and when he said he did not want to speak to the female police officer, but wanted a male, he was arrested.

He had been scheduled to appear at a pretrial hearing at the Superior Court in Freemont on March 30, on a charge of resisting arrest, connected with the movie theater incident. However, he failed to turn up, and a $5,000 warrant was issued for his arrest. He had missed previous court appearances connected with this case.

Yesterday afternoon, at about 1.15 pm, he was seen driving his BMW car a few blocks from Your Black Muslim Bakery, a vehicle which had neither plates nor up to date registration. Police stopped him, and when a computer check revealed the outstanding warrant, Bey was arrested, and his car was towed away.

While police were there, a 15 year old employee of the bakery came to see what was going on. His nosy interfering caused him also to be arrested, as it turned out that he was one of the individuals from the original November police warrant, issued in connection with the store vandalism.

Apparently nine people have been sought in the liquor store vandalism, and six people, including Bey and the 15 year old, still await prosecution. Two people have been convicted, and a third man had charges dropped.

There are more charges hanging over Bey's head. He is being prosecuted in Solano County for using someone else's identification to get credit finance for the purchase of a vehicle. He is charged with grand theft of a vehicle, obtaining property under false pretenses and "other counts".

So much for the moralising, and the posture of being a self-righteous Muslim, then.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at April 7, 2006 11:56 AM

Comments

Post a comment