Well I posted about El Rukn (on another blog) thinking it was like the game monopoly... if you hadn't played it you at least knew what it was. I was corrected by about seven of my good pals asking what it was. Here is an ok article writen by a semi impartial organization. Enjoy:
El Rukn by Crisis Consulting L.L.C
The Founding Philosophy of El Rukn
El Rukn was formed in 1965 by Jeff Fort, a gang leader in Chicago, Illinois. Originally named the Rangers, this exclusively black gang later changed its name to the Blackstone Rangers and later to the Black P. Stones. During its height, the Black P. Stones are believed to have had roughly 5,000 members, the majority coming from other gangs in Chicago that were integrated into the Stones. After serving four years in prison, Fort returned to Chicago and renamed the gang, El Rukn (a reference to the Arabic word for "the cornerstone of the Kaaba, an Islamic shrine in Mecca), as a result of his conversion to Islam while incarcerated. Consequently, the gang became Muslim and decreased its membership to a group of 250-300 hardcore members. El Rukn's headquarters, an abandoned theatre, were converted into a mosque where weekly prayer services were held. Despite its conversion to Islam, the gang still participated in petty crimes and drug dealing, leaving some to speculate the group's members were Muslims in name only.
For the majority of its history, El Rukn has been classified as a street gang, engaging in petty crime, drug dealing, and fighting rival gangs. However, in 1985, the El Rukn gang reached out to the Libyan government and negotiated a deal: in exchange for $2.5 million and the possibility of asylum in Tripoli, the El Rukns would unleash a massive terrorist and urban warfare campaign in the United States, targeting police stations, army bases, government offices, and an airliner. The group's motivations for contacting Libya and using terrorist tactics are still unclear although one can assume monetary incentives were paramount, as was the opportunity to destroy a system in which they had grown up impoverished and disenfranchised.
Beginning in September of 1986, key El Rukn members, including Jeff Fort, were convicted of conspiring to transport explosives and commit violent acts in the United States on behalf or at the direction of representative of the Government of Libya and also were charged with receiving and possessing firearms and weapons, including hand grenades, fully automatic weapons, and anti-tank weapons. El Rukn members became infamous as their convictions were the first instance in U.S. history where American citizens had been found guilty of planning terrorist acts on behalf of a foreign government in return for money. Libyan officials denied any involvement with the gang, although Reico Cranshaw and Leon McAnderson traveled to Libya with tickets paid for by Libya. In total, 65 members of El Rukn were indicted and key members Jeff Fort, Reico Cranshaw, Alan Knox, and Leon McAnderson are still serving prison sentences.
The Objectives of El Rukn
There have been several claims that the gang still exists in Chicago today, in smaller numbers, although they have changed the name back to Black P. Stone Nation and reverted to committing only petty crimes. Jeff Fort allegedly still issues decrees to the gang's leadership though the degree to which they are followed or even acknowledged is unclear. Although gang members will engage in violent activities in the future, given their current size, status, and preoccupation with gang activity, El Rukn is no longer a group that uses terrorist tactics.
Also Known As
Black P Stones
Blackstone Rangers
The Cornerstone
The Foundation
Its me (Cephius) again.
The "thing" that is bothering me, I am hearing rumors from friends in LE and Homeland Security that state that President Obama was an El Rukn in his early 20's.When El Rukn was raided and it's leadership imprisoned the majority of the followers that did not go to prison joined up with the Nation of Islam (who also gets money from Libya) If that is the truth and we are now bombing Libya because of the money that Quadaffi's representative promised the El Rukn leadership in the 80s ( Fort never recieved the money) I'm going to be rather annoyed... :doh
El Rukn by Crisis Consulting L.L.C
The Founding Philosophy of El Rukn
El Rukn was formed in 1965 by Jeff Fort, a gang leader in Chicago, Illinois. Originally named the Rangers, this exclusively black gang later changed its name to the Blackstone Rangers and later to the Black P. Stones. During its height, the Black P. Stones are believed to have had roughly 5,000 members, the majority coming from other gangs in Chicago that were integrated into the Stones. After serving four years in prison, Fort returned to Chicago and renamed the gang, El Rukn (a reference to the Arabic word for "the cornerstone of the Kaaba, an Islamic shrine in Mecca), as a result of his conversion to Islam while incarcerated. Consequently, the gang became Muslim and decreased its membership to a group of 250-300 hardcore members. El Rukn's headquarters, an abandoned theatre, were converted into a mosque where weekly prayer services were held. Despite its conversion to Islam, the gang still participated in petty crimes and drug dealing, leaving some to speculate the group's members were Muslims in name only.
For the majority of its history, El Rukn has been classified as a street gang, engaging in petty crime, drug dealing, and fighting rival gangs. However, in 1985, the El Rukn gang reached out to the Libyan government and negotiated a deal: in exchange for $2.5 million and the possibility of asylum in Tripoli, the El Rukns would unleash a massive terrorist and urban warfare campaign in the United States, targeting police stations, army bases, government offices, and an airliner. The group's motivations for contacting Libya and using terrorist tactics are still unclear although one can assume monetary incentives were paramount, as was the opportunity to destroy a system in which they had grown up impoverished and disenfranchised.
Beginning in September of 1986, key El Rukn members, including Jeff Fort, were convicted of conspiring to transport explosives and commit violent acts in the United States on behalf or at the direction of representative of the Government of Libya and also were charged with receiving and possessing firearms and weapons, including hand grenades, fully automatic weapons, and anti-tank weapons. El Rukn members became infamous as their convictions were the first instance in U.S. history where American citizens had been found guilty of planning terrorist acts on behalf of a foreign government in return for money. Libyan officials denied any involvement with the gang, although Reico Cranshaw and Leon McAnderson traveled to Libya with tickets paid for by Libya. In total, 65 members of El Rukn were indicted and key members Jeff Fort, Reico Cranshaw, Alan Knox, and Leon McAnderson are still serving prison sentences.
The Objectives of El Rukn
There have been several claims that the gang still exists in Chicago today, in smaller numbers, although they have changed the name back to Black P. Stone Nation and reverted to committing only petty crimes. Jeff Fort allegedly still issues decrees to the gang's leadership though the degree to which they are followed or even acknowledged is unclear. Although gang members will engage in violent activities in the future, given their current size, status, and preoccupation with gang activity, El Rukn is no longer a group that uses terrorist tactics.
Also Known As
Black P Stones
Blackstone Rangers
The Cornerstone
The Foundation
Its me (Cephius) again.
The "thing" that is bothering me, I am hearing rumors from friends in LE and Homeland Security that state that President Obama was an El Rukn in his early 20's.When El Rukn was raided and it's leadership imprisoned the majority of the followers that did not go to prison joined up with the Nation of Islam (who also gets money from Libya) If that is the truth and we are now bombing Libya because of the money that Quadaffi's representative promised the El Rukn leadership in the 80s ( Fort never recieved the money) I'm going to be rather annoyed... :doh