Nation of Islam

Scientology Sunday Funnies: The "Dwindling Spiral"?

Scientologists don't really have a Sunday service. They like to say that they do, because they crave mainstream acceptance. But unless Xenu rested after six days and L. Ron Hubbard just forgot to mention it, there's no reason for Scientologists to treat Sunday any differently than every other day of ... More >>

Scientology on the High Seas: Yuletide Cheer, Including Dickens Adapted with Evil Psychs

​On November 18, we started a new feature here on Fridays: the Voice has obtained hundreds of copies of L. Ron Hubbard's previously unpublished "Orders of the Day," which he gave to crew members as he sailed the Mediterranean. Our documents cover the period from 1968 to 1971, and this time we' ... More >>

Scientology Leader David Miscavige Digs Israel; BONUS: Black People are Cool! (UPDATED)

​The Voice was leaked a copy of Scientology's latest gala -- its October meeting of the International Association of Scientologists -- which took place in the UK, near L. Ron Hubbard's legendary home, Saint Hill Manor. At three hours long, it's an interminable amount of time to watch diminuti ... More >>

SMERSH, Scientology Breakthroughs, and a Funeral: Sailing on the Apollo, Dec 4 - 10

​On November 18, we started a new feature here on Fridays: the Voice has obtained hundreds of copies of L. Ron Hubbard's previously unpublished "Orders of the Day," which he gave to crew members as he sailed the Mediterranean. Our documents cover the period from 1968 to 1971, and this time we' ... More >>

Scientology vs. Pollution, a Lisbon Cocktail Party, and More: Sailing on the Apollo Nov. 20-26

Last week, we started a new feature here on Fridays: the Voice has obtained hundreds of copies of L. Ron Hubbard's previously unpublished "Orders of the Day," which he gave to crew members as he sailed the Mediterranean. Our documents cover the period from 1968 to 1971. In this installment, we're lo ... More >>

L. Ron Hubbard Christens the Apollo 43 Years Ago Today: For The First Time, His "Orders of the Day"

​ For you Scientology watchers and Scientology history buffs, we think we have something very special for you today. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard sailed around the Mediterranean in a small armada of vessels, going from port to port. Each day, he issued ... More >>

Tom Cruise and Stacy Francis Singing Together on Scientology's Ship Freewinds

If you've been following along with the drama around X Factor contestant Stacy Francis, you know that her entire past has come under inspection as her fans and detractors have attempted to sift truth from legend. In particular, we have noted that Francis has been quiet about her long membership in ... More >>

Scientology Dyspepsia: Commenters of the Week!

Cheezburger.com​We're feeling a bit woozy after this week of Scientology watching here in the underground bunker. Not sure if it was something we ate, or just the thought of Tom Cruise hurling at Gold Base that has us a bit dizzy. Anyway, Mr. Cruise was very much on our minds this week, as h ... More >>

Scientology Dumpster-Dive: Commenters of the Week!

Clearing the planet, one dumpster at a time​For our longtime, loyal readers and commenters (of all persuasions), I just want to say how much I appreciate your continued interest in things we're doing here at the underground bunker. This week, we got a huge influx of new folks as our stories we ... More >>

Scientology Transfusion: Commenters of the Week!

Eternal soul? Works all night? Exteriorizes? Hmmm.​It was a frantic week here at the underground bunker, where we keep an eye on all things Scientology-related. While we gathered material for some big stories, we managed to post several quick observations, some of which featured a medical the ... More >>

Scientology Effervescence: Commenters of the Week!

​Here in the underground bunker, this was something of a strange week. While enduring a middling but annoying cold, we tried to get back in the swing of things after a week out of town. And while things started a bit slow, by Friday this had turned into one slammin' sevenday. Things kicked of ... More >>

Scientology "Ideal Orgs" Laid Bare In Our Thursday Stats Roundup!

It's that time of the week again -- at 2 pm on Thursdays, Scientology orgs turn in their stats for the week, and so we like to do our own accounting of how things went for the church with our weekly roundup. After the jump, an eye-opening look inside an "Ideal org" by our sister paper in Phoenix. ... More >>

Scientology Symposium: Commenters of the Week!

It was an unusual week here for us at our Scientology watching operation. We left the underground bunker for a trip to Southern California, but still managed to put together a few stories while on the road. And our commenters did not let us down, with some of them carrying over debates they were hav ... More >>

Scientology Apotheosis: Commenters of the Week!

Well, this was a week we've been looking forward to for some time here in the underground bunker. And now that we've finally finished our big countdown, there's a slight feeling of letdown here at Scientology-watching central. Even the cats are listless. But let's look back at a week that was. We s ... More >>

Scientology Internal E-Mails: Even More Depressing Than You Might Assume

For a few weeks now, we've been watching with some incredulity the material coming out of a particular Scientology "org," which is located in Birmingham, England. A Scientology-watcher who calls himself "CarltonBANKS" has been posting pretty amazing material from the Birmingham org's net servers wh ... More >>

The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology: The Readers Poll!

​You've watched us reveal all but the top five entries in our big countdown, The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology -- now it's your turn to vote for your own list! Here's the link you've been waiting for -- now go and tell us who you think is doing the most to contribute to the Church of Sc ... More >>

Hugh Urban: An Interview With the Professor Who Took on Scientology

Urban, with Nancy Jesser, their daughter Maya Urban-Jesser, and Shiva the dog ​In June, we reviewed a remarkable new book about Scientology. A review copy of Hugh Urban's The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion, put out by the Princeton University Press, had arrived at our desk ... More >>

The Struggle: Black Power Mixtape and Bobby Fischer

Scientology Fireworks! Commenters of the Week, Independence Day Edition

What does the Apollo have to do with fireworks or the 4th of July? Beats us, too.​Scientology watchers had another fine week here at the Voice, and our commenters were yet again out in force. On Monday, we congratulated Scientology for taking home two coveted Bronze Telly awards, honoring fin ... More >>

Gil Scott-Heron, R.I.P.

Mischa RichterGil Scott-Heron died on Friday. He was 62. ​You know why Gil never had much love for that ill-conceived Godfather of Rap tag. If you're already your own genre, you don't need the weak currency offered by another. If you're a one-off, why would you want to bask in the reflected gl ... More >>

DOOM Laughs Last

Rap's biggest enigma is back with more off-color jokes and apocalypse theories

Gordon Parks, 1912-2006

The renowned photographer, filmmaker, and author was as self-made as self-made men get

Picture This

On the Set, the Street, and at Dinner With 'X' Director Spike Lee

'Blessed Raid'

The Cotton Club

Black-conscious hip-hop deals with an overwhelmingly white live audience

Telling it like it is

There Is More To Be Explored In Columbia University's Middle East Studies Than Israel

Learning For Free

A Columbia professor's poli-sci class is the crack in the ivory tower that lets the neighborhood in

Bildungshiphop

What Tarantino missed (and Jarmusch got) about the Wu

Home to Harlem

Malcolm X Archive Goes to the Schomburg

Renovated Loft in Former Warehouse

Slinging Rehash

'Ali': Imitation of a Life

Space Odyssey

Michael Mann’s Vision Quest

Robber Barron

Outside Candidate Hopes to Take 42nd CD From Machine

Journey Through Debtor’s Prison

Stephanie Black Chronicles Jamaica’s IMF Woes

Letters

Why Blacks Shouldn't Vote for Hillary

An African American Reporter Comes to Terms With a Taboo Subject

Wooze and Spazz

Twenty-One Reissues Prove Space Is Still Sun Ra's Place

The Last Temptation of Minister Benjamin

Inside the Sex Scandal at Nation of Islam Mosque No. 7

Letters

Oh, God

Why Religion Doesn't Have a Prayer in New York Politics

It's Nation Time. Again.

A new vanguard of rap activists takes to the streets

Profits of Rage

Chuck D's Same Old Song?

Letters

Copland

Unrepentant, Pale-faced, All-American Manhood at the Louima Trial

Return To Ground Zero

Million Youth March Organizer Announces Plans For Rally This Year

Letters

Revenge of the Mad Rappers

When hip hoppers use violence to silence their critics

The Hunt for Khallid Abdul Muhammad

The Million Youth March leader breaks his silence about the violent end to his historic rally, the demands for his arrest, and life as a possible fugitive from Giuliani-style justice

Keep Your Eye on Malik Shabazz

'Khallid Muhammad Makes the Jews Pee in Their Pants at Night'

Co-conspirators: Khallid and Safir

'We were penned in like animals.'