More Moors in Tennessee

[notorial dissent]

A group calling themselves 'Moorish American Nationals' took up residence in a $3M mansion in the suburbs of Memphis earlier this week padlocking the estate's gate and posting signs claiming ownership, and were forceably evicted on Thurs by Memphis police under a court order. The ring leader was apparently Tabitha Gentry who was arrested as she tried to leave the scene with a thirteen year old child.

[Unidyne]

Heck, if you're going to steal something, steal something big!

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/story/21551 ... to-mansion

Maybe they got their information from here?

http://www.moorishamericangov.org/

[notorial dissent]

Perhaps, however things didn't end very well for Ms Gentry and crew, and I would suspect they will be spending considerable time as guests of either the county, or state depending on how GA views these things.

[JamesVincent]

One thing I don't understand. I had always heard and thought Moors came from Asia, around Turkey and such areas. They were never a "nation", just tribes living in different countries. How is it now they are supposed to be a recognized "people" and, according to the second website linked, came from different areas of Africa?

[grixit]

Moors come from western north Africa, modern Morocco, Mauratania, Algeria, and um, one other country whose name i'm forgetting just now. They were actually caucasians, not negroes. They were dark, of course, but then most caucasians are. The subgroup that lives in Europe is not, and those who live further north, like say England, didn't know or care enough to make the distinction. In fact, in medieval England, the term "black" could be applied to anyone with a distinctively reddish or slightly tan complexion, let alone someone truly dark.

So anyway, the US inherited the idea of "moor" being a slightly more dignified synonym for "negro", and some early negro supremacists adopted it. There was a lot of mysticism, conspiracy theory, and claims of secret history mixed up in this. The Black Muslims came out of that movement, as did the Temple of Moorish Science and similar named organizations.

At least one organization went so far as to claim that early reports by explorers of the Americas had misidentified as indians various established nations that were actually negroes, er, moors. Yes, they got here first, long before the slave trade, and thus have aboriginal rights superior to the laws of the more recent United States.

I have not seen this written out in full recently, but i suspect that all the new "moorish" groups are using an abbreviated version of the argument, with a lot of assumptions. 1. I am a moor. 2. Moors have special rights to not be taxed or pay for houses. 3. I am asserting those rights, so go away.

To be fair, that's not much different from other arguments that begin 1. I am a sovereign.

[Demosthenes]

http://www.abc24.com/news/local/story/M ... vUxDw.cspx

A Tennessee lawyer decides to specialize in sovereign cases...

[notorial dissent]

As in going to court AGAINST them. I can see he is going to have a life of fun and adventure, and probably not getting much back from the nutjobs he'll be going up against. I wish him all the best. It certainly has all the appearances of a growth industry.

[The Observer]

As in going to court AGAINST them. I can see he is going to have a life of fund and adventure, and probably not getting much back from the nutjobs he'll be going up against. I wish him all the best. It certainly has all the appearances of a growth industry.

I don't know about the "fund" part; I suspect he will be spending more money of his clients clearing up the mess than gaining any funds from the "Moors."

[notorial dissent]

The word I was groping after was "fun", and I very much suspect you are right, as I suspect the likelihood of getting anything back from the Moors, is going to be slim and none..

[The Observer]

The word I was groping after was "fun",...

My apologies, then. I thought you were being witty with a pun.

[Pottapaug1938]

Moors come from western north Africa, modern Morocco, Mauratania, Algeria, and um, one other country whose name i'm forgetting just now. They were actually caucasians, not negroes. They were dark, of course, but then most caucasians are. The subgroup that lives in Europe is not, and those who live further north, like say England, didn't know or care enough to make the distinction. In fact, in medieval England, the term "black" could be applied to anyone with a distinctively reddish or slightly tan complexion, let alone someone truly dark.

So anyway, the US inherited the idea of "moor" being a slightly more dignified synonym for "negro", and some early negro supremacists adopted it. There was a lot of mysticism, conspiracy theory, and claims of secret history mixed up in this. The Black Muslims came out of that movement, as did the Temple of Moorish Science and similar named organizations.

At least one organization went so far as to claim that early reports by explorers of the Americas had misidentified as indians various established nations that were actually negroes, er, moors. Yes, they got here first, long before the slave trade, and thus have aboriginal rights superior to the laws of the more recent United States.

I have not seen this written out in full recently, but i suspect that all the new "moorish" groups are using an abbreviated version of the argument, with a lot of assumptions. 1. I am a moor. 2. Moors have special rights to not be taxed or pay for houses. 3. I am asserting those rights, so go away.

To be fair, that's not much different from other arguments that begin 1. I am a sovereign.

This reminds me of what Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. talked about in his 1992 book, "The Disuniting of America." Among other things, he talks about how some people use history as a sort of therapy designed to raise collective self-esteem, which is why we used to hear stories about how the first person to this, that or the other was a member of Ethnic Group X, or that Identity Group Y has a long and glorious history which was responsible for the very dawning of civilization and/or the bulk of human achievement but which has been suppressed by cultural imperialists (or something like that). Claims have been made, by some, of an ancestral link (unsupported by the vast majority of historical scholars) with the ancient Egyptians; and closely related is that the ancient Greeks "stole" their learning from other peoples (as if this was a zero-sum game in which stealing learning deprives the victims of it).

[wserra]

According to a local TV report, Gentry wants to go pro se. Should be fun for onlookers, not so much for the judge.

She has also filed a writ of habeas corpus in TNED. That writ is worth a Saturday morning look. For example, because TN has not made "Provision ... to address Foreign Relations and Intercourse in a Consular Court", they have to let her go. "Relations"? "Intercourse"? "Consular Court" sounds like my kinda place. If I decide that I am "a Natural person and Aboriginal Autonomous Autochthon Indigenous Inhabitant of North America/Morocco", can I get one too?

Too bad inmate writs only carry a $5 filing fee. We need to do something about that.

[Montana Notasovrun]

I've seen a little Moorish nonsense here in Montana, believe it or not. It seems odd that sovereigns or Moors who are not citizens, not persons (sometimes), not present in this country, or some variation thereof, all believe their constitutional rights are being abridged. I wonder which Constitution should be applied? Perhaps sharia law applies to the Moors. I saw recently where Saudi Arabia beheaded some thieves. I believe our Moors would prefer to be of the United States. Beheading seems so final and without appeal rights. It is difficult to believe any of these people are legally sane, but then I remember that Jeffrey Dahmer was legally sane; these people are probably more legally sane than Dahmer.

[AndyK]

Interesting:

On her Writ of Habeus Domass, she listed "Petitioners Correspondence" as:
-- Moorish Science Temple of America, Inc
-- 2833 Alabama Ave, S.E.
-- Near Maryland State Republic
-- [20020] Non Domwstic
Which actually happens to be a street address in Southeast Washington, DC.

AND

The Moorish Science Temple website specifically denies any involvement with or support of these sovereignorami.

[notorial dissent]

Tabitha Gentry aka Abka Re Bey is in Shelby County General Sessions Criminal Court defending herself against the criminal charges stemming from her occupation of a house in the Shady Grove neighborhood of Memphis, and is claiming that she is an heir to the property in some fashion becaause she is a citizen of the Moorish American National Republic. Her legal theories didn't get anywhere with the judge, and the matter was sent to the grand jury. Her bond has been reduced from $2M to $50k.

[The Observer]

Her legal theories didn't get anywhere with the judge, and the matter was sent to the grand jury. Her bond has been reduced from $2M to $50k.

See? Another victory!

[notorial dissent]

On the other hand, she is still in jail, awaiting the inevitable trial for her escapades. So, yeah, a real victory!

[Flatulating Bovine]

Interesting:

On her Writ of Habeus Domass*, she listed "Petitioners Correspondence" as:
-- Moorish Science Temple of America, Inc
-- 2833 Alabama Ave, S.E.
-- Near Maryland State Republic
-- [20020] Non Domwstic
Which actually happens to be a street address in Southeast Washington, DC.

AND

The Moorish Science Temple website specifically denies any involvement with or support of these sovereignorami.

* pronounced "Habeus Dumb Ass"

[The Observer]

* pronounced "Habeus Dumb Ass"

Not to be confused with the sovrun "writ of mandumbass."

[wserra]

An amusing clip from earlier this week. Gentry challenges "the jurisdiction of the court" based on "the Treaty of [inaudible]" when the judge cuts her off, and tells her she has two weeks to get a lawyer.