- This article is about Dwight York. For the similarly named football (soccer) player Dwight Yorke, see Dwight Yorke.
(26 June 1945— )
- a.k.a. Amunnnubi Rooakhptah, Amunnubi Raakhptah, Atum-Re, Imaam Isa, Dr. Malachi Z. York, Dr. Malachi Z. York-El, Nayya Malachizodoq-El, Chief Black Eagle, Chief Black Thunderbird Eagle, Isa Muhammad, As Sayyid Al Imaam Issa Al Haadi Al Mahdi, Isa al Haadi al-Mahdi, Isa Abd'Allah Ibn Abu Bakr Muhammad, Isa Abdullah, Amun Nebu Re, Akhtah Isa Abdullah, Imam Isa, Imam Isa Abu-Bakr, Rabboni Y'shua Bar El Haady, Al Hajj Al Imaam Isa, Yaanuwn, Murdoq, Al Qubt, Al Khidr, Sabathil, Amar Utu
Founder of various religious and black nationalist groups, fashion consultant, author, musician, convicted child molester
Background
Note: York's biography is difficult to determine, as much of the story he and his followers have revealed is mythical rather than historical.
York's own story about his background is disputed and contains some mythical elements. Here is how he tells it:
- I was raised in Massachusetts until the age of 7. At the age of 7 Shaikh Hasuwn escorted me to Aswan, Nubia in Wadi-Halfa to be with my mother’s family. My father had appointed Shaikh Hasuwn to be my guardian. His job was to protect and properly raise me in Al Islaam. He would escort me to Omdurman and Abaa Island to visit and stay with my father and grandfather. My grandfather, As Sayyid Abdur Rahman Al Mahdi, the Imaam of the Ansaars in the Sudan until 1959 AD, upon looking into my eyes foretold that I was the one who would possess “the light.” It was here where I was raised by Shaikh Hasuwn and my uncle on my mother’s side, Abdullah. I returned to the United States, State Street (Mosque) to be exact at the age of 12 in the year 1957 AD. I spent my adolescent years in Teaneck, New Jersey with my maternal aunts at 245 Coolidge Avenue and attended Teaneck Junior High School, a local school.
He served three years in prison in the mid-1960s for resisting arrest, assault and possession of a dangerous weapon.
In the late 1960s York, calling himself "Amunnnubi Rooakhptah," invented a quasi-muslim black nationalist movement based on something called the "Science of Nuwaubu." (One description says that Nuwaubu consists of right knowledge, right wisdom, and right "overstanding" — "To know is knowledge. Knowledge is mental power. Knowledge is correct information and now out-formation. Of course, knowledge can be thought, spoken, or written. Knowledge is the best information. Wisdom is knowing how and when to use knowledge. Overstanding is receipt of knowledge by the mind and is the unity of knowledge and wisdom.")
He changed his name to "Imaam Isa" and started his "Ansaar Pure Sufi" ministry to the "Nubians" in Brooklyn. The group became the "Nubian Islaamic Hebrews" in 1969.
After York returned from a pilgrimage to Egypt, the group went through additional name changes, becoming "Jazzir Abba," then the "Ansaaru Allah Community" in 1970 (which a 1993 FBI report accused of being a "front for a wide range of criminal activity, including arson, welfare fraud and extortion."). York's groups later took on a new array of names and functions — religious, fraternal, and tribal — including the "Yamassee Native American Tribe," the "Washitaw Tribe," "The International Egyptian Church," "The Holy Tabernacle Ministries," "The United Nuwaubian Nation Of Moors," the "Holy Seed Baptist Synagogue" and "the Ancient Mystic Order of Melchizedek," and York himself tried on a myriad of handles, including The Supreme Grand Master Dr. Malachi Z. York, Dr. Malachi Z. York-El, Nayya Malachizodoq-El, and Chief Black Eagle (the Nuwaubian Moors are descendents of the Olmecs via Egypt over an ancient land bridge to Georgia).
A Musical Career
York claims to have worked as a studio musician with groups like Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, The Delfonics and Evelyn 'Champagne' King. Then, as "Dr. York," he sang vocals on a solo project and for a band called "Passion," hoping to "reach a mass majority of my people through my music." He later frequently exaggerated his musical contributions, and stated at one point that "you were listening to my hits back in the 60’s and did not know it, nor did you know that songs which were considered 'message music' in the 70’s were written by me."
Religious & Philosophical Doctrine & Practice
Like his name, his affiliations, and his costume, Dwight York's philosophy is multifarious and ever-changing. A doctrine passionately stated in one place may be off-handedly dismissed in another.
Black Nationalism / Racism
Some of York's thinking borrows from Moorish Science and the Nation of Islam. His racial philosophy explicitly indicates the supremacy of blacks, or "Melanites," who are superior in fact as well as in descent ("The Melanin-ites, the original woolly-haired, dark skinned Muurs, or 'Moors,' came along with the original creation"). Other "species of Rizqiyians" include "species of Melanin-ites Nubian called Negroids... 3 species of Mongoloids, and 2 species of Caucasoid, all growing out of the original Nubians."
The "Tama-Re" Compound
The "Tama-Re" compound in Georgia was established in 1993. According to one page:
- The name of the Nuwaubians' home is Tama-re, or the "Egypt of the West." At the entrance of Tama-re there is a large sign that recognizes the Nuwaubians as a fraternity, Lodge 19 of the Ancient Mystic Order of Melchizedek. Armed guards stand at the entrance to Tama-re. Approximately 100 Nuwaubians live within 15 double-wide trailers within this complex. There are approximately another 400 more Nuwaubians within Putnam County (population 14,000). At this current complex the Nuwaubians have constructed an Egyptian-style village with two pyramids, obelisks, and statues of Egyptian leaders. The two pyramids are distinct in appearance and in usage. There is a gold pyramid that serves as a trade center. Within this pyramid one can find a bookstore and a clothing store. The other pyramid is painted black with colorful Egyptian symbols painted on the outside. This structure serves as a church. Within the church, loudspeakers play Egyptian chants 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Another source says: "The group's lodge houses busts of King Tut and Queen Nefertiti and a glass tomb holding an alien-like creature with a huge head and bulging eyes."
Tama-Re issued its own passports and license plates.
The compound was the focus of much legal wrangling between the Nuwaubians and the government of Putnam County during the late 1990s and up to the time of York's arrest, much of it centered on zoning issues, and York claimed this as racially-based harassment. Civil rights personalities Al Sharpton, Tyrone Brooks and Jesse Jackson spoke out on the Nuwaubians' behalf.
As of March 2005, this flamboyantly-arrayed compound is being sold under government forfeiture.
Illyuwn and Rizq
York claims to be an extraterrestrial from the planet Rizq, in Illyuwn (the 19th galaxy). In his over-capitalized way of putting it: "I Am A Being From The 19th Galaxy Called ILLYUWN. We Have Been Coming To This Planet Before It Had Your Life Form On It. I Manifest Into This Body To Speak Through This Body. I Am A Entity An Etheric Being. We Watched The 3 Other Cycles Of 18,000 Years, Two Moons And One Sun Which Is Part Of Your 24,000 Year Cycle, The Equinox; The Removal Of The Dust Cloud From Light To Darkness Then To Light Again. I Incarnated Into This Realm From Time To Time. My Incarnation As An Ilah Mutajassid Or Avatara Was Originally In The Year 1945 A.D. In Order To Get Here I Travelled By One Of The Smaller Passenger Crafts Called SHAM Out Of A Motherplane Called MERKABAH Or NIBIRU."
York came to Earth on March 16, 1970. (Comet Bennett , which was visible on that date, is said to have really been York's spacecraft):
- I, YAANUWN, Am An ANUNNAQI Or What You Would Call An Extra-Terrestrial; Extra Terra-Astral; Look At This EXTRA- Meaning In Addition To; TERRA-Of The Earth; ASTRAL- Of Or From The Stars. I Am What You Call An Angelic Being, An Eloheem From The 8th Planet Called RIZQ Which Has 1 Moon SHESHQI Of Its Own. This Galaxy, The Nineteenth Galaxy Called "ILLYUWN" Originally Referred To As Heaven Known As Elysium In Greek, Has 3 Suns: 1) SHAMASH 2) UTU 3) APSU Which Means A Tri-Solar System With 38 Moons And 19 Planets. Each With Its Own Number Of Moons. I Have Incarnated Here In This Form To Act As A Human Being For The Sole Purpose Of Saving The Children Of The ELOHEEM (ANUNNAQI), The Banaat, Which Is The Same Word As Bennett, The Chosen 144,000. Just As Mary Of 2,000 Years Ago Was Chosen By The MOST HIGH, ANU, Called An ALIEN, Which Is 'ALI' And 'EN' (AN), Both Of Which Are Names For ANU, To Breed The Holy Thing Called Yashu'a Or Jesus', Real Name Tammuz, Called Horus. So Too, The Banaat Will Breed The Savior Of This Time; If They Hold Firm To The Rope On Your Planet Earth. The Planet Earth Is Also Referred To As Orb, Ard (Arduwt), QI, Terra Or Even Tiwawat And Tamtu Meaning "Maiden Of Life ". However, It Was Originally Called Tiamat. I, YAANUWN, Have Come To Save The Children Of The ELOHEEM (ANUNNAQI) From Being Killed As You Bring Your Planet Near To What Could Be Its Total Destruction.
York told his followers that a spacecraft from Illyuwn would return on May 5, 2003 to take him and 144,000 Nuwaubians to the planet Rizq. That date, which landed while York was in jail during his child molestation trial, passed without incident.
The superficial similarity of these beliefs to those of the Heaven's Gate cult led to many a worried newspaper article after that cult's mass suicide, but York's cosmology seems to have more resemblance to that of the less-suicidal Frank Chu.
Another source says: "York's scripture claims our human ancestors originally came from the planet Rizq. They later moved to a planet called Kesiyl in the Orion constellation, then to Mars (the canals on Mars was said to have been built then), then to Pluto and finally to Earth."
Costume
One of the Nuwaubian's own sites contains "The Ourstory (history) of the Holy Tabernacle Ministries!" [Taken from The Holy Tablets Chapter 19:AL KHIDR, MURDOQ Tablet 6-Zodoq:Melchizedek Pages 1643-1648(in part)]. It's mostly an explanation for why the various clothing-related taboos and requirements of the cult changed so radically throughout the years, and why this is not an indication of the instability of the Nuwaubian doctrine.
- "...in nineteen sixty and seven A. D... [o]ur official garb at this time was a black tunic, we called a budlah and black loose fitting pants, with a tarbush and shoes which became known as Romeos. This was the year nineteen sixty and seven A. D. Then the dress changed to African robes and the people, we called ourselves Nubians. This was the year nineteen sixty and eight and nine A. D..."
- "In nineteen sixty and nine A. D... the dress changed to a more elaborate style of dashiki, a black fez and a small bone in the left ear for those who wished to wear it and a ring in the right nostril."
- "We donned black tarbushes and our symbol was simply a crescent, a six-pointed star and an ankh..."
- "At this point we were wearing what had been established as the international garb of the Ansaaru Allah Community, which consisted of the thawb, dress and khimar, face veil for the female. This face veil which was not apart of the Sudanese original dress was introduced by the women of the community who mostly left immediately after and went back to wearing western attire leaving the devoted women behind veiled. I told them the day would come when his veil would have to be removed while living in the West, and it has. And the jallaabiyya, a long white garment and bantaluwn, loose fitting pants and immah, head covering for the male with an azzaba."
- "Then on into adulthood, our code of dress changed from time to time, to suit the time we were in. Our garb had mutated again in the year nineteen ninety and two A. D., to the kathnuwth, tunic and bantaluwn, loose fitting pants with a sash around the waist in various colors for the male, and the budlah nubi of the female which also consists of a tunic and bantaluwn and a shawl as a head covering of many colors."
- "The dress then changed to western attire in order to get everybody away from doing their own thing; those that truly followed the Lamb wherever he may lead them, trusted in him and wore western clothes and even listen to country western music..."
- "Now you are ready to move on toward the next level, and ready to accept what I was giving you originally... So we are at the beginning again with Sufi and fezes."
Convicted of Child Molestation
In 2002, York was arrested and charged with over a hundred counts of sexually molesting dozens of children, some as young as four years old. He pled guilty in 2003 in a plea bargain that was later dismissed by the judge, and then was convicted on 23 January 2004 — the judge having rejected his desire to be returned for trial to his own tribe: "All I am asking is that the court recognize that I am an indigenous person. I am a Moorish Cherokee, and I cannot get a fair trial if I am being tried by settlers or Confederates."
Additional Information
