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By Kelly Wynne
Culture Writer
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Yahweh Ben Yahweh doesn't fall far from the typical, charismatic list of American cult leaders. He spoke his mission loud, one that promised to bring salvation to Miami's black communities but what started with a seemingly genuine mission to bring peace quickly turned sinister and murderous.
Khalil Amani was a member of the Nation of Yahweh, Yahweh's cult, which was active in the late '70s. His experiences, as well as the national impact of Yahweh's are featured in the upcoming Oxygen special Uncovered: The Cult of Yahweh Ben Yahweh, which will premiere Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.
Amani first joined Yahweh for the religious aspect, and the promise to serve as a religion for the black community. "I was drawn to his teachings because they were talking about black identity and black awareness," he told Newsweek. "The ideal that Christianity is the white man's religion is what I believed and Yahweh was able to show us specifically in the bible that the book is about people of color."
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At first, the cult wasn't bad. Amani, who was a dancer before he joined, would choreograph performances for the group's festivals. He found the message inspiring. "As with most cults, they bring a certain amount of truth to the hearer," Amani said. "The positive message was about black people having a nationality. Historically, black people were called Colored, Black Americans, African Americans—Yahweh Ben Yahweh told us that none of those nationalities were ours. He was able to use the bible and explain to us that we were God's chosen people."
But as Yahweh's actions turned darker, so did Amani's experience. "My worst memory was standing on guard and hearing someone being beaten, subsequently being murdered," he explained. "Those were very dark days of mine."
Amani escaped the cult after realizing Yahweh's religious teachings were not entirely unique. "I could have learned about the cult without the drama," he said. "I could have learned how I was a Black American without the Nation of Yahweh. I regret all the violence and pain and I regret not being able to leave sooner and tell the authorities what was happening."
Amani's therapy after leaving the group, which he said used brainwashing tactics, was researching and writing a book. Through his studies, he's come to understand the charismatic leader a bit more. "Believe it or not, he was a complex figure," Amani said of Yahweh. "The more I studied after the cult, the more I realized how he became who he was. He grew up during segregation and racism, a time period that was very difficult. He evolved from Christian, to Muslim to a Hebrew savior all in the effort to save black people, but along the way, he lost himself. At the end of the day, he was an evil man and I am grateful I got out when I did."
Yahweh served 11 years in prison for raketeering and conspiracy. He died in 2007 at age 71 after being diagnosed with prostate cancer the year before.
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