Rizza Islam

{{Short description|Nation of Islam social media influencer, anti-vaccination activist}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Rizza Islam

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| birth_name = Ronnie Steven Islam

| birth_date = March 17, 1990

| birth_place = Compton, California, U.S.

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| occupation = Nation of Islam minister

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| website = {{URL|intellectualones.org}}

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Ronnie Steven "Rizza" Islam (born March 17, 1990) is an American member of the Nation of Islam and a member of its paramilitary wing the Fruit of Islam. According to the Anti-Defamation League, he is a social media influencer with over 500,000 followers across several platforms, posting antisemitic, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-vaccine rhetoric, and promoting a range of conspiracy theories".{{cite web |title=Rizza Islam |url=https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounders/rizza-islam |website=Anti-Defamation League |access-date=July 31, 2021}}

Early life

Islam was born on March 17, 1990, in Compton, California.{{Cite web|last=Islam|first=Rizza|title=About Rizza|url=http://brother.rizzaislam.com/about-rizza/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210527011232/http://brother.rizzaislam.com/about-rizza/|archive-date=May 27, 2021|access-date=July 18, 2021|website=Rizza Islam}} A member of the Nation of Islam (NOI), he attended the local NOI mosque as a child, and also became involved in the Church of Scientology.

Nation of Islam work

Islam took on many roles within the Nation of Islam as a teenager, and later trained Fruit of Islam members while working at the WLC.

Under the guidance of Tony Muhammad, Islam gained prominence within the NOI. He met with Louis Farrakhan on multiple occasions in 2015 and 2016 as part of his work with anti-vaccine activism and promoting peace between rival street gangs in Los Angeles. Islam introduced prominent anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Muhammad and Farrakhan in 2015.

In February 2021, at the NOI's annual Saviours' Day conference, Islam shared the stage with prominent NOI leaders such as Ishmael Muhammad and Ava Muhammad.

World Literacy Crusade

Rizza Islam's mother, Hanan Islam, and his adoptive father, Alfreddie Johnson, were the executive director and founder, respectively, of the World Literacy Crusade, a Scientology-backed nonprofit organization.

=Fraud charges=

In 2015, Islam, alongside some of his siblings and his mother, were arrested on medical and insurance fraud charges at a Scientology-affiliated Narconon rehabilitation center at WLC offices in Compton, California.{{cite web |last1=Ortega |first1=Tony |author1-link=Tony Ortega |title=Hanan and Rizza Islam get trial date for $4 million Medi-Cal fraud at Scientology rehab|url=https://tonyortega.org/2021/01/14/hanan-and-rizza-islam-get-trial-date-for-4-million-medi-cal-fraud-at-scientology-rehab/ |website=The Underground Bunker |date=January 14, 2021 |access-date=July 27, 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqDs1akFVFc |title=Defendants in Scientology Narconon fraud bound over for trial |publisher=KABC-TV |date=2019}} In March 2023, the trial's jury selection was again postponed.{{cite web |url=https://tonyortega.substack.com/p/david-miscavige-objects-to-being |title=Rizza Islam trial likely to be delayed |first=Tony |last=Ortega |author-link=Tony Ortega |website=The Underground Bunker |date=March 1, 2023 |access-date=March 2, 2023}} On June 27, 2023, the case was dismissed.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

Views

Through his social media channels and live events, Islam has promoted misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines,{{Cite news|last=Parks|first=Miles|date=April 15, 2021|title=The Most Popular J&J Vaccine Story On Facebook? A Conspiracy Theorist Posted It|work=NPR|url=https://www.kpbs.org/news/2021/apr/15/the-most-popular-jj-vaccine-story-on-facebook-a/|access-date=August 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415200049/https://www.kpbs.org/news/2021/apr/15/the-most-popular-jj-vaccine-story-on-facebook-a/|archive-date=April 15, 2021}} targeting African American communities with messages equating vaccines with eugenics{{Cite news|last=Gilbert|first=David|date=December 19, 2020|title=Trump's Favorite Doctors Are Pushing a Conspiracy to Stop Black People From Getting the COVID Vaccine|work=Vice|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvxd78/trumpss-favorite-doctors-are-pushing-a-conspiracy-to-stop-black-people-from-getting-the-covid-vaccine|access-date=August 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727220505/https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvxd78/trumpss-favorite-doctors-are-pushing-a-conspiracy-to-stop-black-people-from-getting-the-covid-vaccine|archive-date=July 27, 2021}} and the Tuskegee syphilis experiment.{{Cite web|last=Contreras|first=Russell|date=January 15, 2021|title=Battling Black mistrust of the vaccines|url=https://www.axios.com/battling-black-mistrust-covid-vaccines-c5a1b605-a7a7-4a79-9ccf-4af823302d40.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228045440/https://www.axios.com/battling-black-mistrust-covid-vaccines-c5a1b605-a7a7-4a79-9ccf-4af823302d40.html|archive-date=February 28, 2021|website=Axios}} Islam has spoken at meetings of America's Frontline Doctors. He has baselessly claimed that celebrities praising vaccination have been funded by "the medical industry" to promote vaccination, while not being vaccinated themselves.{{cite news |last1=Mason |first1=Jacquelyn |title=The Nation of Islam and anti-vaccine rhetoric |url=https://firstdraftnews.org/articles/the-nation-of-islam-and-anti-vaccine-rhetoric/ |access-date=August 3, 2021 |work=First Draft News |date=February 18, 2021}}

He has been called one of the "disinformation dozen" responsible for 65% of COVID-19 anti-vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories on the internet and social media, according to a report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) in 2021.{{cite news |last1=Salam |first1=Erum |title=Majority of Covid misinformation came from 12 people, report finds |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/17/covid-misinformation-conspiracy-theories-ccdh-report |access-date=July 28, 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=July 17, 2021}}{{Cite web|date=2020|title=The Disinformation Dozen|url=https://252f2edd-1c8b-49f5-9bb2-cb57bb47e4ba.filesusr.com/ugd/f4d9b9_b7cedc0553604720b7137f8663366ee5.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518135137/https://252f2edd-1c8b-49f5-9bb2-cb57bb47e4ba.filesusr.com/ugd/f4d9b9_b7cedc0553604720b7137f8663366ee5.pdf|archive-date=May 18, 2021|access-date=May 19, 2021|website=Center for Countering Digital Hate|type=PDF}} Islam's Facebook account has been terminated in February 2021, as part of the platform's efforts to limit the spread of misinformation about COVID-19.{{cite news |title=Covid vaccine: Social media urged to remove these 12 anti-vaxxers dubbed as 'Disinformation Dozen' |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/disinformation-dozen-social-media-urged-to-remove-these-12-antivaxxers-101616843774586.html |access-date=August 5, 2021 |work=Hindustan Times |date=March 27, 2021}} Instagram and YouTube later deleted his accounts.{{cite web |last1=Muhammad |first1=Charlene |title=Attacking voices of concern and dissent on Covid-19 vaccines |url=https://new.finalcall.com/2021/03/30/attacking-voices-of-concern-and-dissent-on-covid-19-vaccines/ |website=Final Call News |access-date=August 5, 2021 |date=March 30, 2021}}{{better source needed|date=August 2021}}

Rizza Islam has tweeted that Jewish people control sectors such as banking and the media.{{cite news |last1=Harpin |first1=Lee |title=Leading anti-vaxx influencers promote Jew-hate to hundreds of thousands |url=https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/leading-anti-vaxx-influencers-promote-jew-hate-to-hundreds-of-thousands-1.516228 |access-date=July 30, 2021 |work=The Jewish Chronicle |date=April 29, 2021}} In 2020, Islam made multiple anti-Semitic statements during an appearance on TIDAL and Revolt TV, "Drink Champs".

Islam has claimed that nobody is born lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, and that LGBTQ identity is foisted upon individuals by "international bankers" and the US government to support population decline. He has also likened LGBTQ rights to rights for pedophiles, which he says the US government supports.

Book

In 2019, Islam self-published the book Message to the Millineals, a 161-page missive promoting racial separation, written to "sound an urgent warning and to propose a solution."{{cite web |url=https://exscn2.net/threads/book-review-message-to-the-millineals-sic-by-rizza-islam-full-review-plus-summary-of-scientology-related-content.410/ |title=Book review of "Message to the Millineals" by Rizza Islam |author=ISNOINews |date=November 12, 2019}}