Farrakhan: 'Christ needs real soldiers'

By Richard B. Muhammad and Ashahed M. Muhammad | Last updated: Feb 26, 2014 - 12:19:16 PM

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan spoke to nearly 19,000 on February 23rd at the Joe Louis Arena. His message, commemorating the Nation of Islam’s Saviours’ Day was also viewed live via webcast across the globe.

The days of cowardly leadership, exploitation are over, says Minister as he urges nearly 19,000 in Detroit to stand up, unite and build a future for Black America

DETROIT (FinalCall.com) - The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan sounded a clarion call for independence, freedom and justice during a recent Saviours’ Day keynote message before nearly 19,000 at the historic Joe Louis Arena. Black spiritual and political leaders who are “scared to death people” have left the community vulnerable and it is time to stop passing on the legacy of cowardice and suffering—through failures to act—to unborn generations, he said.

Minister Louis Farrakhan addresses 19,000 at Joe Louis Arena during Saviours’ Day 2014 in Detroit, MI. Photo: Monica Morgan

“I want to warn you, by the grace of Allah, that the days of exploiting the misery of the masses is over, and if you really want a good city, let’s form a partnership. Our job is reform, our people are in a savage state,” said Min. Farrakhan. “The savage condition of our people can be erased with the presence of knowledge.”

The Nation of Islam minister’s sharp words drew applause and closed the Nation’s weekend convention, which brought thousands to the city. Saviours’ Day commemorates the birth of the teacher of the Hon. Elijah Muhammad, the patriarch of the Nation. This year’s annual convention at Cobo Hall with workshops, performances, a grand bazaar, congregational prayer, social events and fellowship brought the movement back to the place it started in 1930.

Suffering from bankruptcy, unemployment, crime and blight, Detroit is beset by problems and dogged by state oversight of finances and other institutions. But Min. Farrakhan told the audience Feb. 23 that the city has great potential and it is time to unite to improve Black lives and rebuild a center for Black thought, politics, culture and economics.

That will require serious work, facing difficulties and true commitment, he added.

Detroit has large swaths of land for sale and vacant buildings needing repair are selling for a fraction of their worth. “Your disunity won’t allow you to use your money properly,” he said. Blacks might not understand, but wise Whites and others are using their capital and taking advantage of the opportunity to buy land cheap, because Detroit will live again, he said.

Minister Farrakhan and his longtime friend and companion in the struggle Rev. Willie F. Wilson of Union Temple Baptist Church in Washington D.C.

Corruption in America’s government and financial systems, which has trickled down to the local levels, has made people distrustful of joining with others financially, but Muhammad’s Economic Blueprint is the answer to Black economic woes, the Minister said. There will be enforcement to make sure the money is spent appropriately, he added. The Economic Blueprint, announced fully at Saviours’ Day 2013, calls for 16 million people to contribute 35 cents a week to a treasury for economic development and progress. The united effort would raise over $291 million in a single year.

“When we start taking people’s money, I want everybody with me to sign a pledge,” said the Minister. “A pledge to die if you misuse the people and their money, and the F.O.I. will be glad to kill you immediately,” he said as the crowd applauded in agreement.

“We’re tired of crooked leadership. We’re tired of leaders that lie to the people, take their money and run away. I think enough is enough,” the Minister added.

Minister Farrakhan talked about the failures of American justice and why the time demands radical change.

“How in the hell are we going to stand around and let people stand their ground, shoot us down, get away with it and you don’t get justice!” he declared.

The Minister said there needs to be separate courts for Blacks to achieve justice. “I’m going on record with this today!” Minister Farrakhan said. “We have to have our own courts. We will try you in absentia, but we’ll carry out the sentence openly and in the public.”

“Until we put an end to it, it won’t stop,” said the Minister, sharing words from the Holy Qur’an on the principle of retaliation.

“Has America been just to us?” he asked the crowd.

“No sir!” the crowd roared.

“Has America been fair to us?” he asked.

“No sir!” the crowd answered loudly again.

“Has America looked out for us?” he asked.

“No sir!” they replied.

“So if we retaliate, you can bring out your soldiers, we’ve got some too!” he said as the crowd wildly cheered.

Photos: Courtney X Powell

But as the Minister called America to account, he warned Black people that they too will be held accountable for failing to heed a divine warning and acting to save themselves. The Nation of Islam teaches this is the time of the separation from White America and God has chosen Black people to build a new world. Delivering that message for nearly 60 years, with 40 years of teaching from his teacher, Minister Farrakhan said his time for teaching is over. Like in the Bible, the winds of oppression, harsh circumstance and the consequences for rebellion are coming, he said. To get Black people up will take more than teaching and that dark time is coming, Min. Farrakhan warned. Get up and go after the people he told his followers.

Home to Detroit

The Minister opened by thanking the Nation of Islam’s Executive Council and members of Muhammad Mosque No. 1 in Detroit for their outreach and efforts to make Saviours’ Day weekend a success. He smiled, peered out to the crowd, and said, “The greatest joy is to look out there and see you.”

“I want Detroit to know that we are back to stay. This is a great city. This city gave economic life and stability to America and made her a power through the automobile industry, throughout the world.”

Master Fard Muhammad, the Great Mahdi of the Muslims and long-awaited Messiah of the Christians, came to Detroit in 1930 and began the Nation of Islam in North America. Each year on or around Feb. 26—which was his birthdate in 1877—Nation of Islam members and others travel from across the country and internationally for a weekend of spiritual renewal, organizing and strategizing.

“We thank him for his coming, for the start of the Nation of Islam in this great city of Detroit. We thank him for the work that he did under disguise. Most of the people that saw him did not know who he was,” said Minister Farrakhan. “Black people of Detroit, Black people of America, Black people of the world, you are a very, very special people, and you would not think that you were so special that God would not send you a prophet, but that he would come himself to see after you, as it is written of him.”

Master Fard Muhammad found one, Elijah Muhammad, who suffered with and served Black people for 40 years but would be exalted to the positions of Messenger and Messiah, fulfilling the scriptures of the Bible and Holy Qur’an.

Religious unity, Black ideological streams

The Minister called to the stage members of the MGT & GCC Vanguard, whom he described as the “warrior class” of the women of the Nation of Islam.

The crowd stood to their feet and applauded numerous times during the Minister’s message in Detroit Feb. 23, 2014.

Many Christians call themselves “Soldiers for Christ” but have no discipline and no courage to go out and fight injustice, said Min. Farrakhan. Additionally, the 47th chapter of the Holy Qur’an is titled “Muhammad” but also “Al-Qital” which means war. No carnal weapons are needed, just the word and spirit of God, said the Minister. Christ doesn’t need people that know how to sing but don’t know how to walk the walk, or who talk about scriptures but don’t live the principles out, he explained.

True Muslims and Christians would be united if they lived the principles espoused by the prophets, added Min. Farrakhan. “Jesus and Muhammad would be arm in arm,” he said. “We’ve got work to do to change the horrible reality of our people.”

Drawing attention to the banner behind him, the Minister talked about the different ideological streams of Black liberation movements. The figures on the banner of Harriet Tubman, W.E.B. DuBois, Marcus Garvey, Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, Imam W.D. Mohammed, Paul Robeson, Khallid Muhammad and other historical figures in the struggle represented different approaches and schools of thought—but their goals was freedom for Black people.

Nearly 19,000 filled the Joe Louis Arena to hear guidance and direction from the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Photo: Hannibal Muhammad

The controlled media and educational system reports and recounts different historical narratives. The differences existed but what is needed is a mature understanding that sees the common commitment that brings all of these heroes together, said Min. Farrakhan. The enemy purposely misrepresents these leaders and offers a false acceptable version of their lives and ideas to confuse and mislead Black people, he added.

W.E.B. DuBois, the great historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist and author started out as a staunch integrationist and official of the NAACP. Later in life he became more disillusioned and more radical. He was an opponent of Mr. Garvey’s Back to Africa Movement but Dr. DuBois died in Ghana, helping to build the modern state after independence from Great Britain.

Paul Robeson, the great athlete, entertainer, and activist was another example of a man whose life has been mischaracterized, as well as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In the Muslim community, the Minister even included the misunderstandings and conflicts that existed between he and Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, Khallid Muhammad and Malcolm X.

Rewriting his history, classifying Malcolm X as a “civil rights leader,” and putting him on a stamp is diluting him. This is consistent with the way sanitized versions of Black leaders are presented in a way that is pleasing to the oppressor. It is a form of disinformation. The U.S. government, through J. Edgar Hoover, launched the Counter Intelligence Program [COINTELPRO] of the FBI against Black leaders, working to prevent the rise of a Messiah who could unify the Black masses. This is why any strong Black leader is targeted.

Atty. Malik Zulu Shabazz of Black Lawyers for Justice was surprised to see the face of his mentor Khallid Muhammad on the banner, and publicly recognized for his work by the Minister. He was brought to tears.

“For 12 years, I have been on the defensive from Khallid Muhammad’s followers who say that I should not be with Minister Farrakhan,” said Atty. Shabazz. “Minister Farrakhan’s public acceptance and appreciation of his work brought a tremendous amount of healing to the Black nation and it certainly brought a lot of healing to me. That man is a healer. That man’s heart is right and I thank God for the message he delivered today.”

“It’s a relief in the aspect that the Minister was able to deliver the message that he wanted and everybody who is here today is supposed to be here,” said Troy Muhammad who leads Muhammad Mosque No.1 and worked tirelessly to make Saviours’ Day 2014 a success. “The leadership of the city of Detroit is behind the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, from the mayor on down,” said Troy Muhammad.

Carlos Muhammad, who leads Baltimore’s Muhammad Mosque No. 6 said for 58 weeks during “The Time and What Must Be Done” lecture series, Minister Farrakhan delivered the message that God put on his heart and his keynote message, and the entire Saviours’ Day convention was a tremendous experience because of that.

“It was sobering, and one that has caused me to have a clearer thinking in terms of where we should go from this point forward,” said Carlos Muhammad.

“It’s always a pleasure to hear Minister Farrakhan’s uncompromising words and commitment to our people and I was very impressed today with the pantheon of Black freedom fighters that he lifted up and he is stressing that we are a people regardless of which organization we might be affiliated with. Unity is the key,” said Malik Yakini of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network.

Alfreddie Johnson, of the World Literacy Crusade and Church of Scientology said the Minister’s message was “apostolic.”

“He’s telling us we must take the mantle ourselves. He’s spoken for nearly 60 years and it is time for us to get up and do our part in the rise and resurrection. He showed the images, he’s given mass to what leadership is supposed to be doing, giving their physical lives if need be, in the service of those they are called to lead,” he said.

“The Minister has inherited the struggle of that pantheon of leaders,” said student minister Jalil Muhammad, who leads the Nation of Islam Student Association. “The showing of love from youth this weekend and students this year demonstrates that he is not only the champion of previous generations, but the champion of present and future generations.”

Min. Farrakhan “proved today through what he did in bringing us into the light of the knowledge of how the enemy divided us and then he (Farrakhan) brought us back together,” said Dr. Ava Muhammad, national spokesperson for Min. Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. “He is the discrimination between truth and falsehood,” she said.

The Final Call