Twitter Suspends Nation of Islam Over Alleged Vaccine Misinformation

Photo credit: KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images.

Twitter has suspended the Nation of Islam (NOI) over allegedly spreading misinformation about coronavirus vaccines.

“Unsurprisingly, Twitter,Inc. has suspended The Nation of Islam’s official account: @OfficialNOI,” tweeted NOI’s Abdul Qiyam Muhammad on Monday.

The suspension apparently occurred on Monday and, according to an account in The Jerusalem Post, was due to the NOI’s “criticism of mRNA vaccines, which are used by companies like Moderna and Pfizer to combat Covid-19.”

The Nation of Islam, led by Louis Farrakhan, has been classified as an anti-Semitic and bigoted organization, according to the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The Combat Antisemitism Movement, which combats hatred against Jews worldwide, applauded the Twitter move.

“For too long, the Nation of Islam has spread antisemitic hate on social media, targeting Jews with conspiracy theories, hate speech, and incitement to violence,” tweeted the movement on Wednesday. “@Twitter’s suspension of the @OfficialNOI account is a welcome move in the fight against online bigotry.”

Meanwhile, Farrakhan is active on Twitter despite his history of anti-Semitic, homophobic and other bigoted remarks. Last year, he was suspended on the social media platform before being reinstated. Twitter said the move was a mistake.