The Honorable Mayor Ras J. Baraka is the son of writer and playwright Amiri Baraka and poet Amina Baraka. He received his B.A. degree in political science from Howard University in 1991; and earned his M.A. degree in education supervision from St. Peter’s University in Jersey City in 1994.
So you think he’d be a bit more savvy. Maybe know how to Google? But still we feel for him!
City of Newark, New Jersey admits it got scammed into becoming “sister cities” with a fake nation. @CBSNewYork https://t.co/QD0nmin7V5 pic.twitter.com/7NiizmUP5M
— Ali Bauman (@AliBaumanTV) March 9, 2023
Mayor Ras Baraka invited representatives of “Kailasa” to Newark’s City Hall for a “cultural trade agreement,” according to CBS New York, but there’s one problem, “Kailasa” isn’t a real country. So basically, the Newark mayor signed a deal with a Hindu nation that does not exist.
What started off as a seemingly well-intentioned partnership has turned into a giant embarrassment for the city of Newark,” Bauman says in her report. “Earlier this year, Mayor Ras Baraka invited what he thought was the Hindu nation of Kailasa to Newark City Hall for a cultural trade agreement, but it turns out Kailasa is no nation at all, it’s a fake.”
“Kailasa” is reportedly the fabrication of a notorious scam artist and fugitive from India who is called Swami Nithyananda. CBS News reports that Nithyananda has “been on the run from rape charges since 2019.”
Newark mayor signs deal with Hindu nation that does not existhttps://t.co/yIrvOwMTXQ
— The Guardian (@guardian) March 16, 2023
Trying to make lemonade, City Hall said:
Although this was a regrettable incident, the city of Newark remains committed to partnering with people from diverse cultures in order to enrich each other with connectivity, support, and mutual respect,”