KKK 2.0, now accepting Jews
'Reformed' white supremacist claims group represents 'new Klan,' while still using anti-Semitic rhetoric
A prominent Montana white supremacist has decided to turn over a new leaf in Ku Klux Klan history, forming a group which he claims will be accepting members regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation.
In an interview with local Montana newspaper the Great Falls Tribune on November 3, John Abarr claimed his new group, the Rocky Mountain Knights, represents “the new Klan,” one which no longer holds supremacist views.
Abarr, who says he is a reformed man, has long been involved in white supremacy organizations in the Wyoming and Montana areas. He claimed his opinions slowly evolved after meeting with members of the NAACP African-American advocacy group. He plans on holding a “peace summit” with other religious groups in the summer of 2015.
Although Abarr says his new Klan chapter will be nondiscriminatory, his declared mission to stop the federal government from creating a “new world order” evokes conspiracy theories rooted in anti-Semitism.
Abarr refused to share exactly how many members he succeeded in recruiting thus far, but claimed the only requirements for joining are to be over 18 and to live in the Pacific Northwest.
While the new faction constitutes a drastic reformation in KKK dogma, Abarr is still unwilling to part with certain traditions, saying members will be required to wear the trademark robes and hoods and participate in secret rituals.
The effort aroused suspicions of both liberal advocacy groups and fellow Klan members, all of whom agree, albeit for entirely different reasons, that Abarr should not be using the infamous KKK letters.
Rachel Carroll-Rivas, co-director of the Montana Humans Rights Network, said if Abarr was actually a reformed man, “he could drop the label of the KKK.” She further criticized Abarr’s anti-Semitic “new world order” statements.
“They know that their beliefs aren’t popular, so they try to appear moderate,” Carrol-Rivas added.
United Klans of America representative Bradley Jenkins, the organization’s “imperial wizard,” claimed Abarr was going against the KKK constitution, using the organization to further his political career.
The Ku Klux Klan first gained prominence in late 1860s in Southern United States, calling for white supremacy rule and the purification of American society. The movement flourished a second time in the mid-1920s, this time adding anti-Semitic ideologies, and driving the creation of the Anti-Defamation League.
KKK groups are estimated to have between 5,000 and 8,000 members.