On Tuesday, four days since Noah Green died after he allegedly drove his car into an entrance of the U.S. Capitol and killed police officer William "Billy" Evans, the Nation of Islam released a statement. It was reported not long after his death that Green was a supporter of the Nation of Islam and its leader, Louis Farrakhan. The attack took place on Good Friday, the holiest day in the Christian calendar.
In one of the opening paragraphs, the statement does read that, without naming the officers in question:
We speak on behalf of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, the members of his family, all of the registered Muslim members of the Nation of Islam, and all people of good will everywhere, in that, we are in sympathy with the victims of this tragedy. And we are in sympathy with the families of these victims. And we, like you, can only offer them condolences and our deepest sympathy for their loss. Our prayers are for the full recovery of the officer who was injured.
Such is hardly the only focus of the statement, however. What's gaining attention is the closing paragraphs, which express condolences about Green. Emphasis is added:
So, our research is continuing into what happened to this young man and we cannot rest until we find out what caused him to take a turn like this. We are saddened by the loss of this brother with such great potential.
With heavy hearts we offer sympathy and condolences to his mother, father, family and friends.
The statement also appears to aim to serve as a sort of PR boost for the Nation of Islam and Farrakhan. "We condemn the wicked mischaracterization of some media reports trying to tie this tragic incident to the teachings of the Nation of Islam and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, and all people of goodwill should do the same as well," one paragraph of the statement reads.
When the suspect's social media platforms are full of his support for the Nation of Islam and his idolization of Farrakhan, that's worth reporting on. At least it is for the media outlets which kept their coverage up despite Green not being white, contrary to what some rushed to claim.
Also mentioned in the statement, in a particularly defensive manner, is Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh's Christian faith. "When thousands of American citizens engaged in an attempted insurrection, attacking the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, resulting in the deaths of five persons and injuring many, the news media did not question what their religion was," the statement also claims.
Despite such condolences for Green, the statement in a way also tried to back peddle when it comes to the suspect's affiliation with the Nation of Islam:
It is being reported that Noah Green was a “follower” of the Nation of Islam. This young man, Noah Green, we believe may have attended our Saviours’ Day convention in Detroit, MI in February 2020. In March of 2020, due to the COVID 19 pandemic, we closed our Mosques, and began conducting meetings and classes remotely. A search of our records indicates Noah Green was not a registered member of the Nation of Islam. It appears that in late summer (August-September) of 2020, he started the process to begin his study to become a member, but he did not complete the process.
He did make a donation to the Saviours’ Day Gift. Every year, the followers and supporters make a charitable donation to the Nation of Islam’s Saviours’ Day Gift charity. Every donor who makes a donation of $1000 or more is issued a Certificate of Completion. This certificate does not establish that the donor is a member in good standing in the Nation of Islam.
Mr. Noah Green’s alleged use of an automobile as a weapon and the alleged possession of a knife as reported, violates our teachings. We absolutely disavow this act that resulted in the senseless loss of life. It is shocking for us to learn that someone who was attempting to be a part of our ranks may have been involved in something as tragic as this.
For all the ways in which Saviours' Day and the Nation of Islam is celebrated, there is no mention of the organization or of Farrakhan's anti-Semitic views.
Organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Virtual Library have compiled example after example after example of anti-Semitic remarks in Farrakhan's own words. Much of this evidence comes from those Saviours' Day speeches.