Minister Louis Farrakhan

WVON Interview: The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

By The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan | Last updated: Jan 27, 2012 - 8:53:22 AM

What's your opinion on this article?

Cliff Kelley of Chicago’s WVON 1690 Interviews The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful.

Cliff Kelley (CK): Good afternoon! This is The Talk of Chicago 1690 WVON. I’m Cliff Kelley and we’re streaming live at www.wvon.com. It is Monday, a beautiful Monday in Chicago; and it’s January 9th believe it or not. The sun’s going down [outside], but it’s rising in my studio because we have a gentleman that we love for all he does and all he knows, and all he says. The leader, none other than the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. How are you, Brother Minister?

hmlf_wvon_jan9_2012.jpg
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan Photo: Timothy 6X
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan (HMLF): Oh, Brother Cliff: First, thank you so much for the privilege once again in the new year to be at radio station WVON as your guest, and to speak to your wonderful audience. To all that are listening, and to you, Cliff Kelley: I wish all a very prosperous, healthy, happy, productive new year.

CK: Thank you so much. I was so pleased when we knew you were going to come in, because we’re always more than happy to have you. ...When you wished me and all our listeners a happy new year, I think of “Saviours’ Day”; and the things you have said were going to happen—which have happened, for example, how you have warned the White House to “be careful because this thing is coming to your home too,” and now we have “Occupy Wall Street”; we have a lot of these things going on. And of course, there’s a lot more of that to come, without a doubt. But what should we start off with? Your trip? Tell us about it.

HMLF: The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said one day that what the Black man of America takes six years to learn, the Black man in the Caribbean will learn it in six months. I have spent all of my Islamic life, for the most part, in America with the Black man and woman of America who represent the Principle Mission of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad; however, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Africa are all a part of his Assignment. So I decided that because I didn’t have as many years in front of me as behind me, I wanted to pay my respect to the Caribbean and try to leave some guidance from the Honorable Elijah Muhammad throughout the Caribbean that should I go away, or should the evil accident of time touch me, then something will be there from the Honorable Elijah Muhammad that could guide the future development of that region.

So, my first stop was Jamaica; my second stop was Haiti; my third stop was St. Kitts & Nevis, but we spoke to the whole of the Caribbean. What I’ve found, Brother Cliff, out of those who have an education beyond the 12th grade level, 80 percent in Jamaica leave Jamaica, and go to Europe or America. And it is the same throughout the Caribbean: There’s a tremendous “brain-drain” because no matter what the students are taught of math and science, engineering and technology, there is not the appropriate industry there to accommodate what they have learned, so they leave. My hope in what we were trying to do while we were there was to encourage the Caribbean to develop the industries that would keep the young students there developing the islands.

I did not know before my research team had found it, that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad years ago was talking about the British who federated, or wanted to federate, all of the British West Indies. And after the British let it go, I think the leaders of Jamaica picked it up. But politically it didn’t run well with the politicians, so they remained single islands. However, there is a new spirit moving in the Caribbean; and Elijah Muhammad said, “One day soon the British West Indies would become a great Black nation.” And it was my desire to make sure that the seeds of that thought would be left in the Caribbean, and grow in the Caribbean, to produce that Caribbean Federation, a great nation.

***

Recently there was an election in Jamaica, and when I went there during the tour, I didn’t see Sister Portia Simpson-Miller or former Prime Minister Mr. Andrew Holness who were running against each other to see who would become the new Prime Minister, because they were very busy campaigning. But when the campaigning was over I received an invitation to come to the inauguration of Miss Portia Simpson-Miller, and in her inauguration address, she said, “No longer will we recognize the Queen of England as the ‘head of state’ of Jamaica. Those kinds of ties would be cut.” In the West Indies, when they’re in the Parliament they put on the wig of Great Britain, and so when I was on the radio down there, I said, “Well, if you’re free, why are you still paying homage to the Queen in that way? Certainly respect her, certainly honor her. But, my God! To make her the head of state of a so-called free country? Then you’re not free at all!”

So that’s a theme; that’s a ripple effect now that probably is going through the Caribbean. And I think that Europe and England should know that our people are not trying to be disrespectful, but if we’re “free,” we’re free! And you should honor and respect that.

cliff_kelley01-31-2012.jpg
WVON 1690 AM Radio host Cliff Kelley
CK: Tell us a little about Haiti, because that’s important.

HMLF: Well this was my first visit to Haiti. I’ve always wanted to go, but because of language barriers and whatnot, I didn’t go. And, I was happy to see how many Black Americans were interested in going to Haiti: Wyclef Jean became a dear friend of myself and the family, and I told him that one day I would like to come to Haiti; one of the sisters that cooks for me is Haitian; the sister that is over all of the women in the Nation of Islam is Haitian. There is a Haitian lawyer by the name of Ezili Danto, who is of the way of life of vodou [voodoo].

All of those who know Haiti know Toussaint L’Ouverture; and of course, Toussaint is a great, great figure in the freedom march of the Africans in Haiti, but the man Jean-Jacques Dessalines is who Ezili was telling me about; and he is, probably, stronger. Do you how you had Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe together, fighting against Rhodesia and Ian Smith? Well, it’s like Toussaint and Dessalines, and Cristophe and others, fighting against the French! Toussaint became the first great leader of the Black Republic. But they tricked him, and brought him out of Haiti to France, and he never came back to Haiti. But Dessalines—oh, what a man! When we arrived at Haiti we had a press conference, and we told the Haitian people that I came because I wanted to study vodou; I wanted to know what it was about the way of life called “vodou” that caused the people, the African people of Haiti, to fight the greatest army in the world, and beat them. So my mission was to talk to the Christians, the Muslims, and the people of vodou. I wanted to talk to members of government.

And I wanted to talk to the common people of Haiti. …Two years after such a devastating earthquake, thousands upon thousands of Haitians are still living in tents. Cholera, which is believed to have been brought to the island by the Nepalese members of the United Nations Force through their excrement either being dropped or thrown in the river, and it began to spread. So when Ezili Danto mentioned to me that what they need is clean, pure, drinking water, The Nation of Islam raised $130,000 to send to Haiti a state-of-the-art machine that is solar powered, that can turn out 30,000 gallons of water a day. And through the office of Ezili Danto and the Haitian Muslims [of the Nation of Islam] who went down when the machine came, we placed that water machine among the people of vodou so that those that have been cut off, those that have been marginalized, could have something to offer to the Haitian people that everybody needs and wants, which is water.

But I said after Saviours’ Day, I wanted to bring another one down and give it to the Muslims, and another one to the Christians, because my aim is to bring the Christian family, the Muslim family, and the family of vodou together, because it’s going to take all working together, by the Grace of God, to free Haiti from Western domination.

CK: Let’s see if we can get a couple of calls.

“Zakkiyah Muhammad”: Regarding this National Defense Authorization Act that President Obama just signed: It is my belief that those of us who speak truth to power, especially you and other leadership, have been targeted. And I just want to know what are your thoughts on that Act?

HMLF: There is great fear in “governance”—not only in America, but throughout the world—of the rising of the masses of the people. Zbigniew Brzezinski was talking before the Foreign Relations group, and he told them that years ago it was easier to control a million people than to kill a million people. He said, “But today, it is easier to kill a million people than to control them.” And, Henry Kissinger said that the population of the planet is too much for the supplies, the raw materials that are there, so he suggested culling the population of our planet by 2-3 billion people.

Well, what did Brzezinski mean when he said it’s easier to kill than to control? So you have an AIDS pandemic now throughout the Caribbean, in the inner cities of America, and in Africa being carried by Black women. And when you reduce a human being who by nature is made to be productive—and the real joy of life is through productive living: producing the things you consume and producing for your nation and your people—well, when you take that joy away from us, and our joy is found in our organs of sex, then you put the AIDS virus among us; and as much as we are pleasure seekers, we end up with AIDS, then diabetes, then high blood pressure.

So that Act signed into law by our President is an Act that is destined to stop those of us who speak truth to power, as you have said, Sister Zakkiyah. And it’s aimed primarily at a man that they know they have not been able to control. So I—I warn the government; I mean, you can do what you want with me! But Farrakhan is going to be found being faithful to the truth that will free the minds of our people. And whatever the consequences are, I warn you: When you come after me, God will surely come after you!

“Brother Roosevelt”: My question is: What would be the message for 2012 for the youth that fear the odds and the forces against them; and The Enemy and the army so-called want them to fight a war that is not theirs?

HMLF: Let me say to the young people, that Saviours’ Day, my talk will be on “2012,” and what should we expect in this year; news for the world, news for America, news for the Black man, and news for all oppressed people. So if you really want to know, by the Grace of God, be there at the United Center for that subject: “2012: What’s Coming To The World, To America, And To The Black Man.”

“Rick”: I wanted to say to you Minister that October 16, 1995 was a day that changed my life, and I have kept my Oath from that day to this—every single point of it. My wife and I are in our early 40s, and we have three small children. We both are professionals: My wife is a graduate-level computer scientist [and] I have a post-graduate degree in physics. We have given our life, Minister Farrakhan, to help in the work that you have been doing, though we are not well-known by anyone. But, we see that there is a big problem with respect to the leadership: We see that the leadership is very confused, and there seems to be a “disconnect” as you have so often said. My wife and I have tried to bridge that disconnect between the professionals in our communities, and the leadership, and the people, but we don’t see a future under the current structure. …We don’t see a future under the present dynamics, Minister Farrakhan, and we don’t know what to do! We’re just people just like everybody else: We’re trying to take care of our family and build a future, but the structure just isn’t supporting it.

We’re looking at what’s happening in Iran; we’re seeing Russia and China and the Middle East, and all these things going on, and we’re trying to find our way through this. We just kind of want to get a feel from you on when are we going to be saved as a people? We just don’t seem to have a lot of time left.

HMLF: It reminds me of a verse in the Holy Qur’an when Noah was sent to preach, and he preached for 150 years. In the Qur’an Noah said, “Lord, when will my help come?”—and even though he was exhausted, exasperated, and feeling like, “My God! I’m building an ark in the desert, and people are laughing at me, making mockery of me; my children have to withstand that, when is this ‘water’ coming that You were talking about?” And so, I understand the feeling, brother. But hang in there, because it won’t be long. If I’m blessed to see you Saviours’ Day, February 26th, in Chicago, by the Grace of God I will lay out for you and for the world, from the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and from the utterances of the prophets that are found both in the Bible and Qur’an, what we are going to face in this year, and next year. And how long America has! So you just hang in there because the forces that oppress you are on their way out.

Now, you can take it, or let it alone, but all the things that I have said that America would face from the Bush administration all the way up to today, you can’t say that I lied, because everything has come to pass! So make it your business to be there at the United Center and by the Grace of God, you’ll hear it more clearly than you’ve ever heard! I invite the preachers, the leaders, scholars—whoever you are: Come on out and hear what God has to say about this year and beyond; about America, and about the world! And about your future, Brother! So you hang in there. Don’t be impatient with God! You can’t bring it ahead of time, nor can you be late. He’s always on time.

“Doris”: Minister Farrakhan, I just want to say I thank you for all that you’ve done, and all that you continue to do. My question is about the National [Treasury] that you’ve been talking about setting that up. I want to know how can those of us who want to contribute on a monthly basis to this Fund, how can we do it?

HMLF: Thank you. This Saviours’ Day, God willing, I’m going to reintroduce the 3-Year Economic Savings Plan of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. We’re working out all the details soon with the banks that will take the money from our people who are willing to participate. But you know, it’s not difficult; you’ll see when you come how easy it will be—just hold your nickels, you dimes, because it’s going to start just like Elijah Muhammad said, “5 cents a day, 25 cents a week, $1 a month.”

And I’m telling you, my sister: If you go to your child, and offer your child “5 cents,” they might spit at you, because the dollar has fallen so that you can’t hardly get anything for 5 cents, for a quarter, or, for a dollar! Now I want you to figure with me: If we could get 40 million—and this is what I’m working for—40 million Black people, putting just 5 cents a day, 25 cents a week, $1 a month in a National Treasure that belongs to the people, inside of one year you would have $480 million. Multiply that two times more and you’re over $1.7 billion. Now, this is just from poor people—5 cents! But suppose we pull the rich in? Because once they see you doing this, they’re going to want to be a part of it.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said we need 100 million acres of land to start. So when you come out Saviours’ Day, if I’m blessed to be here and to see you, we’re going into this. There’s hope, man! You know, we’ve got to do something, because President Barack Obama cannot make jobs for all of us that are unemployed—but we can!

But the sad thing is this: I read recently that the beginning of this new year 2012, Black folk will have $1.1 trillion going through our hands. So if you look at how we throw our money away foolishly, the question all Black America has to ask: “Can you trust Farrakhan?” I have never lied to you! I have never robbed the Black man of nothing! And whatever you give to me, I find a way to give it back to you! I am a finite man, who may not be here for a long, long time, so what is more important to me than life itself is The Future of Black people!

If we put our money in a National Treasure, I guarantee you: America is for sale, and we’re not letting the government off the hook! So you come out Saviours’ Day, and let us tell you how we’re going to talk to government, how we’re going to talk to corporate America, and how we’re going to talk to the rich and the powerful.

[Click here for the MP3, CD or DVD of the full interview.]