what are moorish sovereign citizens

Moorish sovereign citizens are a subset of the sovereign citizen movement in the United States. They are adherents who hold pseudo-historical beliefs specific to African-American heritage. Moorish sovereigns claim to be descendants of Moors who inhabited the Kingdom of Morocco, which signed a Treaty of Peace and Friendship with the US in 1786 that officially recognized America as a sovereign nation. They cite that treaty to claim that Moors in the US have sovereign status, meaning they would be exempt from normal laws and regulations. Moorish sovereign citizens espouse an antigovernment doctrine in which its members claim to be part of a sovereign nation. They believe their status as members of a sovereign nation imparts immunity from federal, state, and local authorities. They use this perceived immunity to justify refusing to pay taxes, buy auto insurance, register their vehicles, and to defraud banks and other lending institutions. Many Moorish sovereigns also profit by selling bogus registration, licensing, and insurance documents on websites promoting Moorish sovereign beliefs and doctrines. Moorish sovereign citizens have come into conflict with federal and state authorities over their refusal to obey laws and government regulations. They engage in the same criminal activities as “traditional” sovereign citizens do, including crimes of violence (including against police), scams and frauds, and so-called “paper terrorism” tactics, which typically involves the use of various documents and filings to harass, intimidate and retaliate against police officers, public officials, and others.