Who are the Rise of the Moors?
ELEVEN armed members of a "Moorish" group were arrested on Saturday, July 4 after a nine-hour standoff with cops on Interstate 95. The militia group, who refuse to acknowledge US laws, are known as "Rise of the Moors" took off into a woodland area seeing cops issue a "shelter-in-place" order for Wakefield, Massachusetts. The Rise of the Moors are a group who said they "adhere to Moorish Sovereign Ideology" - which is formed on the basis of a non-existent treaty from 1787. They believe the mythical treaty between the US and Morocco grants them immunity from following US laws, while preaching outlandish beliefs such as UFO worship and that slave ships were a lie. They also lend their ideologies from a religious movement known as the Moorish Science Temple, which dates back to 1913, but the group apparently mixes aspects of other belief systems into theirs as well. 5 The group lends inspiration from a number of other organisations and religions to create its unusual ideologies Credit: Instagram  JJ MacNab, a fellow at George Washington University's Program on Extremism, described the group's belief system as a "salad bar" in a Twitter thread after the Massachusetts arrests over the weekend. "They rely on an alternative history that borrows from Moorish Science Temple, Black Hebrew Israelism, Nation of Islam, UFO theories, phony Native American tribes, and the pseudo-legal arguments crafted by white supremacist 'patriot' groups in the 1970s," MacNab explained. Some members believe Black Moors were the first settlers in the US and that white historians made up the concept of slave ships to make it seem like they arrived first. 5 Some believe Black Moors were the first settlers in the US and that slave ships are a myth Credit: Instagram  Others also believe a UFO will soon descend to earth to collect chosen Moors to return them to their home. The Rise of the Moors describe themselves as "the organic and original sovereigns of this land -- America," on their website. The eleven men involved in Saturday's standoff were charged with eight counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, use of body armor in commission of a crime, possession of a high capacity magazine, improper storage of firearms in a vehicle and conspiracy to commit a crime. Jamhal Tavon Sanders Latimer is a former US Marine from Providence, Rhode Island and is now believed to be the Moors group's leader. The 29-year-old, also known as Jamhal Talib Abdullah Bey, told the judge at his arraignment in Medford, Massachusetts: "'I don't understand how these charges can be brought against me." His parents told The Boston Globe that, "All Jamhal wants is for people of all races to be treated fairly and equally. And he wants the law to be upheld as such. "He just wants people to be treated fairly, thats all he wants. And he wants to be treated with respect," his mother Felicia Sanders said. 5 Former Marine Jamhal Tavon Sanders Latimer, 29, is believed to be the leader of the group Credit: EPA  "Im concerned that theyre going to tell me that my son had some sort of quote-unquote accident wherever hes being held." His father said, "Hes not a violent person at all," while explaining he was engaged and has a daughter. No one can ever say that hes done anything wrong to them, no one. I love you, Im proud of you, Ive always been, and I cannot wait for this to clear," he told a Boston 25 News broadcast. Among the ten other men who were arrested was a 17-year-old minor, who remains unidentified. Two Moors refused to identify themselves to authorities and were listed by police as 'John Doe' one and two. Those who have been identified alongside Latimer include Robert Rodriguez, 21, Wilfredo Hernandez, also known as Will Musa, 23, and Alban El Curraugh, 27, who are all from the Bronx, New York. 5 A member of the Moors community sat in on the groups arraignment Credit: EPA  Aaron Lamont Johnson, also known as Tarrif Sharif Bey, 29, of Detroit, Quinn Cumberlander, 40, of Pawtucket, Lamar Dow, 34, and Conrad Pierre, 29, who are both from the Bronx. Police said they recovered three AR-15 rifles, two pistols, a bolt-action rifle, a shotgun and a short-barrel rifle from the group. All of the defendants entered not guilty pleas and were being held without bail until a hearing later this week. Many refused a defense attorney and cited Moors ideologies as justification for their actions, claiming they could not face criminal charges. According to the Southern Poverty Law Centre, the Rise of the Moors was put on its extremist list last year.