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Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials

Documents

Jalil Muntaqim interview (1 of 4) Jalil Muntaqim interview (1 of 4)
Call Number: V 078Format: VHSProducers: John O’ReillyCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Begins with talk about how he met Nuh Washington and Sacco Ortiz, who were Denver Panthers needing a place to crash. They lived at his place for a few months in the Bay Area, politicizing each other and living communally. Tells story of how Nuh got his name. Describes in detail about his transition into Islam. Quite reluctant at first, argued a lot with Max Sanford aka Hamid Hamid and H. Rap Brown aka Jamil AABD Al-Amin, with whom he was imprisoned in Old Queens, NY in 1972. He had great respect for these guys and watched them pray 5 times a day. He called himself a materialist up until this point, but could never resolve question of spirit and what happens to spirit once the body passes. Being a Muslim doesn’t take away from his being a revolutionary, only provides more and brings hope, a tempered spirit, and a spiritual/material equilibrium. Discusses the meaning of Jihad - to struggle, to strive in his political life. Talks about rebelling against parents, schools and cops. Always a good student, mom instilled a sense of dignity and African identity in him. Politicized by the murder of Martin Luther King, seeing Black Panther Party on TV going to the CA capitol with weapons, friends John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the 1968 Olympics with black power fists raised in the air. Was always associated with Black Panther Party, but only briefly joined and then was recruited into the Black Liberation Army whose existence began years before they were publicly known as an underground organization during Jalil and Dharuba bin Wahad’s case in 1971. Discusses his case - initially as the NY 5 with the Ortiz brothers (Gabriel and Francisco), later their case was dismissed for lack of evidence, thus they became the NY 3. Discusses how evidence was tampered with and the entire conviction was a setup given the threat that the government and FBI believed that the Black Liberation Army/Black Panther Party posed to the national security. Has much information and FBI documents proving innocence through the Freedom of Information Act. Discusses the torturing of witnesses, granting immunity to one witness who had several outstanding arrests.