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Baltimore celebrates!

By Nisa Islam Muhammad -Staff Writer- | Last updated: Mar 5, 2015 - 4:49:38 PM

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BALTIMORE - Close to 10 inches of snow on Feb. 21, did little to diminish the excitement of celebrating Saviours’ Day locally for the first time since 2004.  Muhammad Mosque No. 6 had a weekend of activities that brought together community members from diverse groups.

“This gave us an opportunity to share Saviours’ Day with a community that always supports us year round.  Of course as we travel, they miss us and they can’t wait for us to come back.  I saw it as a chance to serve the greater community on behalf of the Minister and the Nation of Islam for a community that supports us so much here in Baltimore,” Student Minister Carlos Muhammad told The Final Call.

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Hajj Workshop panelists, (far right) Imam Amin Nathari, (far left) Hajjah Daralyn Hassan, Student Minister Carlos Muhammad, Imam Earl El-Amin and not pictured Minister A. Akbar Muhammad who called via phone.

James Mitchell, from Trenton, was visiting family and the heavy snow cancelled his flight on Saturday.  “Since I was in town, I heard Farrakhan was speaking and decided to come.  I was surprised to learn that Saviours’ Day was being celebrated locally.  I got to hear my man and be around the Muslims,” he said.

The celebrations began Friday, Feb. 20 with a special Jumu’ah Prayer Service conducted by Imam Amin Nathari, head of the Islam in America Movement based in Newark, NJ.

“Allah mentions gratitude or a derivative of that word over 70 times in the Qur’an.  We must always be thankful Allah has made us Muslims.  We must be thankful we can gather again for another Saviours’ Day.  We see the condition of our people and no one is catching more hell than our people,” he told the crowd.

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Scenes From Jumu’ah Prayer on Friday.

“Others see Islam as their birthright but we know the work it takes to make our people Muslims.  We see how Islam has changed our people.  We must be thankful.”

Imam Nathari shared with the audience this Saviours’ Day was his first in attendance in 40 years, his last Saviours’ Day was in 1975 prior to the departure of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

“This has been a beautiful experience but it’s been a surreal one as well.  Although I’ve watched Saviours’ Day webcasts over the years it’s nothing like the same experience as being here.  So it took me back to a different place in my development but it’s a good time and gives me more hope and encouragement to know we can work together, our collective communities.”

After the Minster’s Feb. 22 message the beautiful experience of Saviours’ Day continued at Mosque No. 6 with a special dinner.  It was a family gathering with food, fun and entertainment.

“I was so proud of the young sisters who one minute were on post at the webcast and the next minute they were gone to set up for this event,” Anita Muhammad told The Final Call.  She came with husband Leonard and daughter Kareemah who sang that evening.

“This was an amazing effort by young women given the freedom to do what they’ve learned in the M.G.T. (Muslim Girls Training) class.  I was impressed that even in spite of the weather and they were frazzled that they pulled it off.  They worked very hard.  The brothers stepped up to help also.”