National News

Uniting to produce a future for our people

By Ashahed M. Muhammad -Asst. Editor- | Last updated: Jun 25, 2013 - 10:06:09 AM

What's your opinion on this article?

hmlf_boston_audience_07-02-2013.jpg
It was a homecoming for the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, who addressed a packed house in Boston. Photos: Ashahed M. Muhammad

Community shows love and receives important guidance from Minister Farrakhan at the historic Strand Theater

BOSTON (FinalCall.com) - Lines stretched in both directions along Columbia Road leading to the historic Strand Theater and anticipation filled the air as men and women waited to hear from the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, June 22.

boston_crowd_07-02-2013.jpg
An anxious and excited crowd gathered to hear Minister Farrakhan.
It has been quite awhile since the Minister spoke in Boston, however, once the doors opened, people quickly filled seats in the Mezzanine, Orchestra, Lower Balcony and Upper Balcony, and they got what they wanted, as a spiritually filled Minister Farrakhan spoke to them for over three-hours.

His wide-ranging message touched on the topics of education, good governance, morality, racism, religious unity and civil rights, just to name a few. He also described his evolution from one representing and giving voice to “a necessary Black consciousness” into the acceptance of his role and value as an instrument of God for the benefit of all humanity.

“By the Grace of Allah, what I will share with you tonight will illuminate the Bible, by Allah’s grace, it will illuminate the Holy Qur’an, by Allah’s grace, it will illuminate whatever wisdom you possess for the revelation of God unites truths no matter where they are spoken. Truth is one. God is one,” said Min. Farrakhan. “Tonight, if it is the will of God, we just want to destroy those artificial barriers that keep us from relating properly as the family of God, to one another,” he added.

Petty rivalries and ignorance has been passed on throughout generations. Racism, materialism, sexism, envy, jealousy, backbiting, slander gossip, covetousness are all diseases of the heart that must be eliminated if humanity is to move forward and make progress, and save the country from the destructive fall she is currently experiencing, he said.

min_don_sis_shirley_07-02-2013.jpg
Boston Minister Don Muhammad and his wife Shirley Muhammad of Muhammad Mosque No. 11 are long time helpers of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Min. Farrakhan.
The Minister said his education as a youth was of such quality, going to Boston Latin School, and later the English High School, that when he went to Winston-Salem Teachers College, he never even had to buy a book for class.  He said the medical centers in Boston were good; as well noting that 7 of his 9 children were born at Boston City Hospital. However, healthcare, education, politics, business, economics and many of the other systems operating in this world are deteriorating and new solutions, and new thinking is needed. Prayer has been taken out of schools, many—especially the youth—are rejecting organized religion.

“This world is in bad shape,” said Min. Farrakhan. “This hypocrisy has to stop. Hypocrisy in religion, hypocrisy in education, hypocrisy in government, hypocrisy in business, it all has to end!” he added.

Running for public office should not be about vanity or being seen, it should be sought after by one who has the desire to make a difference but instead, this corrupt political system does nothing but reward political patrons, and is used by the wealthy to further their influence. He used the current mayoral race in Boston as well as the selection then election of Barack Obama to make a point.

“People sit in smoke-filled rooms,” said the Minister. “These are kingmakers. They sit and they look at somebody popular, somebody that has charisma, somebody that has stage-presence, somebody that can really talk, as though talk is going to solve the problem.”

“What is the quid pro quo?” he asked. “If Wall Street gives you money, what does Wall Street expect? So sometimes you are corrupted before you begin,” he added. 

hmlf_sidiki_kambon_07-02-2013.jpg
Minister Farrakhan receives commemoration plaque from Sidiki Kambon.
America is in debt and all the money goes into the military, which makes sense, Min. Farrakhan pointed out.

“When you don’t have money and you owe the world, you better have a bigger gun.”

A prophetic voice, and leadership’s evolution

The problem with most leaders is that they are not truthful, and many times, seek popularity instead of standing for what is right.

“How can you function when your leaders are liars?” he asked. “You are suffering because of the deceitfulness of the institutions of governance.”

“Prophets don’t come into the world because something is right. Whenever a prophet appears that’s because something has gone wrong and it is the duty of the prophet to point out the wrong and a way to clean it up, or the God steps in and destroys,” said the Minister. “America, you have not had a prophetic voice that truly represents the power of God to inflict pain and bring you down as a nation!”

The Minister made the point that Boston was important in the development of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and himself. Malcolm spent formative years in Boston, and, after becoming a member of the Nation of Islam, served in Boston. Martin Luther King Jr., after graduating from Morehouse, went to Boston University.

No one can deny that Malcolm X’s life was changed because of the influence of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, however, many are becoming aware of the fact that Martin Luther King Jr., was more than simply a dreamer. Reading his later writings, he was evolving, and he also had a private meeting with the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad two months prior to his assassination. Every Black child should read Martin Luther King’s works in their totality, he said. The writings represent a more complex man than the Martin Luther King presented in most history books and documentaries.

Both men were harassed by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and both were gunned down by assassins at the age of 39. Both men were evolving towards the same goal: the liberation of Black people.

“Malcolm was moving away from a nationalistic view of Islam to a universal view of Islam. Malcolm was evolving,” he said.

Minister Farrakhan stands alone as the only uncompromised leader whose voice stands for the legitimate aspirations of oppressed people and the vision to bring into fruition the ideologies of great Black thinkers such as Marcus Mosiah Garvey and Booker T. Washington.

“A leader has to overcome the resistance of a mind and lead people where people may not even want to go because of their fear of the unknown,” the Minister said.

During a reflective portion of his talk, the Minister discussed several serious operations, his battles with prostate and colon cancer using himself as an example to make a point about the power of faith.

“Prayer, when you don’t know the way, when you’re not sure of what to do, just stand still and get down on your knees and call on God with a sincere heart and you will get an answer to your problems,” he said. “I want you to know that He hears you by whatever name you call Him, He knows that you are talking to Him who originated the heavens and the Earth! He knows your sincere prayer!”

God has something for him to do, he said, and it involves breaking the control of those forces that have exploited the masses, and become rich and influential, and raising a dead people who have been reduced to nothing.

“They master that which you seek and they have never taught you how they became so powerful and so influential,” said the Minister. “How did they do it?” he asked.

“I’m trying to show you how you are trapped by those that you think are your friends,” said Min. Farrakhan. 

“You’re not poor! You’re poor in spirit,” said the Minister. “Spirit is the energy of life. You’re not alive if you are not feeding yourself, clothing yourself, educating yourself, setting up hospitals for yourselves, you are dead as hell looking for someone else to do for you what you can do for yourselves!”

hmlf_boston_audience_07-02-2013_2.jpg
The historic Strand Theater in Boston was filled to capacity. Photos: Ashahed M. Muhammad

The people have to unify in order to defeat these Satanic forces, and most reach beyond the labels and ideological differences that have previously kept us divided.

“We cannot defeat Satan with the house divided against itself,” he said.

Speaking directly to his family, he acknowledged the difficulty being associated with a man with such a public profile and important mission, who has been labeled as “anti-everything.”

“I know being connected to me has not been easy, but you know what? If you lived 2,000 years ago, being connected to Jesus wouldn’t have been easy either,” said the Minister. “The scripture says ‘they hated him without a cause’ and I’m hated similarly.”

(For reactions from the Minister’s visit to Boston, including coverage of his message delivered June 23 at Muhammad Mosque No. 11, see next week’s edition of  The Final Call.)