Rashad Jamal
Rashad Jamal White, better known as Rashad Jamal is an American cult leader, rapper and convicted child molester who is the leader of the University of Cosmic Knowledge (UCI) cult.[1] Jamal and the UCI have received media attention after followers of Jamal were linked to multiple murders and disappearances.[1][2] In August 2023, Jamal was convicted of child molestation and cruelty to children and was sentenced 18 years in prison.[3]
Background
Jamal was born in 1986[4] and states he is originally from Chicago.[2] Prior to founding the UCI, Jamal had an extensive criminal record that included convictions for battery, strangulation and suffocation and was once charged with murder but not convicted.[5]
University of Cosmic Knowledge
Beliefs
Jamal claims to be a god sent to Earth to heal the planet and that Black and Latino people are gods whom he refers to as "carbonated beings".[3][6][7] He promotes polygamy and conspiracy theories regarding vaccines and weather control and that African Americans are "true" Native Americans.[6][8] Among Jamal's stranger beliefs are that NBA players are synthetic robots and that birds don't exist but are government tracking devices.[3][6] Jamal and the UCI claim to be exempt from US laws.[6]
Extremism researchers have linked Jamal and the UCI's beliefs to the sovereign citizen movement, the Moorish movement and the Nuwaubian Nation.[6]
Incidents
On January 16, 2022, 23-year-old Damien Washam of Eight Mile, Alabama, murdered his mother with a ninja sword and also attacked his brother and uncle. Washam's father Hubert blamed Jamal's videos for the murder, stating that Damien had begun watching Jamal's videos a few weeks before the murder and that his behavior suddenly changed and he began expressing bizarre beliefs.[1][9] Damien Washam was found not guilty by reason of insanity.[10]
In August 2022, two female followers of Jamal named Krystal Pinkins and Yasmine Hider were arrested for the August 14 murder of University of Central Florida (UCF) student Adam Simjee. Simjee and his girlfriend Mikayla Paulus were driving through Cheaha State Park in Alabama when they stopped to help Hider, who claimed her car wouldn't start. Hider than pulled a gun on the couple and demanded that they follow her into the forest. Simjee pulled his own gun and shot Hider who shot Simjee back, killing him. Hider was arrested at the scene of the shooting and law enforcement located and arrested Pinkins a few hours later at an off grid camp in the forest. During Pinkins' arrest, her 5-year-old son pointed a shotgun at officers.[5] In January 2024, Hider was sentenced to 35 years in prison while Pinkins received a life sentence.[11]
In August 2023, six people from the St. Louis area, two of them young children, disappeared from a Quality Inn in Florissant, Missouri. The four adults of the group are all followers of Jamal and law enforcement have connected their disappearance to Jamal's encouragement to his followers to go off grid and cut off contact with their families.[7]
Child abuse conviction
In August 2023, Jamal was convicted of child molestation and cruelty to children in Georgia and sentenced to 18 years in prison followed by 22 years of probation.[3] He is incarcerated at Hays State Prison.[4] Jamal's victim was the child of his former partner Darshell Smith, with whom he has a son. Smith stated that Jamal frequently subjected her and her children to screaming rants and that she received harassment from his followers after she disclosed the abuse to law enforcement.[6] Some of Jamal followers continue to support him despite his conviction, with UCI social media pages imploring followers to continue to send Jamal money.[3]
See also
- Dwight York, the founder of the similar Nuwaubian Nation who was also convicted of child sexual abuse
References
- ^ a b c Merlan, Anna; Marchman, Tim. "Followers of Charismatic New Age Influencer Accused of Two Different Murders in Alabama". vice.com. VICE. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Schneider, Joey. "Who is Rashad Jamal? Alleged cult leader tied to missing group behind bars in Georgia". yahoo.com. Yahoo News. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Merlan, Anna. "An Online Prophet With a Huge Following Has Been Convicted of Child Abuse". vice.com. VICE. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ a b "Find an Offender". gdc.ga.gov. Georgia Department of Corrections.
- ^ a b Merlan, Anna; Marchman, Tim. "Suspects in Bizarre 'Off-Grid' Alabama Shooting Posted About New Age Conspiracy Theories, Followed a Controversial Content Creator". vice.com. VICE. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Merlan, Anna. "An Online Prophet Claims to Be a God. His Followers Keep Getting Arrested". vice.com. VICE. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ a b "A self-proclaimed prophet built a 'spiritual cult' online. Now, six followers are missing". independent.co.uk. The Independent. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ Settles, Gabrielle. "'Spiritual cult' leader Rashad Jamal also spreads disinformation about slavery". usatoday.com. USA Today. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ Koplowitz, Howard. "Alabama man accused of killing mother with sword fascinated by Egyptian gods, TikTok conspiracy theorist". al.com. AL.com. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ Kulo, Warren. "Mobile County man accused of killing mother with sword found not guilty by reason of insanity". al.com. AL.com. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ "2 women 'living off the grid' in Talladega National Forest sentenced for murder of college student during attempted robbery". wvtm13.com. WVTM. Retrieved October 21, 2024.