Minister Louis Farrakhan to Jay Z: It’s Your Duty to Make Beyoncé Cover Up
Today in misogynoir news, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has some problematic words for Jay Z regarding his wife, Beyoncé. Farrakhan says he holds Jigga responsible for keeping his woman in check in terms of her attire. While his entire argument involves Queen Bey and not Jay, the Islam leader fails to address her even once.
During a sit-down, where he spoke with a Muslim woman and man who asked him questions about the recent happenings in the hip hop community, Farrakhan shared his thoughts on women and their public appearance in relation to the men in their lives. The woman sitting at the table asked, "What is [a woman's] specific role as a female artist?" and Farrakhan's response left many somewhat shocked as he tried to connect men's rational thinking to a women's physical presentation.
"Today, you strip the woman of her clothes," he started. "How can a man think straight, looking at the beauty of Beyoncé?... Help us to be more sane. A man is made into a dog by the way a woman presents herself to a man. There ain't no preacher out there that's that holy that a woman can disrobe herself and a man can still think Bible, still think Quran. How do you rule a man? You rule him by the beauty of your body and the suggestion of sex."
Continuing to expound on his problematic stance, the eloquent minister addressed Jay Z, not as a husband, but as a manager. "You have to educate the managers. Jay Z is a good man," he said. "Jay Z is a good manager. But now, your woman is on display. Do you want men looking at your woman, being tempted by your woman, to make advances at your woman? Who wouldn't want to be with Rihanna? Who wouldn't want to be with Nicki Minaj? But you strip them then their body is being used as a tool of the degradation of a woman and the subjection of a man."
Here comes the advice. That good ol' solemn advice: "So I would encourage Jay Z — and I hope you'll take it in the spirit that I give it, out of love for your honor and greatness, for the love and beauty and greatness of your wife –– I would love to see our women clothed, demonstrating the gift of their talent. The gift of their form should be seen by those who are worthy... Do you know what that does to a man, when he can see you and can't have you? Then he wants to go home and attack a child."
The primal turn of his response was pretty disturbing, and the BeyHive and crtics alike weren't having their Queen's name dragged through the mud. Some found it incredibly misogynistic that Farrakhan chose to address his thoughts on Bey through her male partner and others just felt like he has bigger fish to fry than to worry about what the most successful female pop star in the world is wearing.
What do you think of minister Farrakhan's words?
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(Photo from left: Scott Olson/Getty Images, Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)