The Final Call

Memphis, Dr. King and Justice Or Else

By Ashahed M. Muhammad -Assistant Editor- | Last updated: Aug 25, 2015 - 12:41:14 PM

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A capacity crowd filled the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts on August 20 to see the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. Photo: Jesse Muhammad (L) Minister Farrakhan with Student Minister Anthony Muhammad of Muhammad Mosque No. 55 in Memphis. Photo: Calvin Muhammad

Thousands applaud powerful message as the ‘Justice Or Else!’ tour electrifi es Mid-South

MEMPHIS - A capacity crowd packed the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts to hear the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan speak to those living in the Mid-South region as part of the “Justice Or Else! Tour.”

All 2,100 seats on all three levels of the main auditorium were filled Aug. 20 and people stood along the walls to hear the Minister. Outside in the mezzanine and hallway area, hundreds unable to get a seat gathered and watched the Minister speak via flat panel monitors on the walls above them. Some sat with their children on the floor.

He forthrightly addressed his critics and mischief-makers in the media who mischaracterized his words on the Law of Retaliation found in both the Holy Bible and the Holy Qur’an.

“I never said kill all White people. Those are not my words. Those are the words of the mischief-makers,” said Min. Farrakhan. “If you are going to quote me then quote me! But when you add your evil mischief-making to my words to make White people to think that I’m calling on Black people to kill White people to start a race war, then you’re nothing but a lying devil!”

To overcome tyranny, the Black community must have a serious mind and a willingness to sacrifice and defend itself from unjust killings, if government will not act, said Min. Farrakhan. 

“They’re saying these things to frighten White people and silly Black people,” said Min. Farrakhan. “They don’t want you and I to meet in Washington, D.C. to demand justice.”

The Minister was referring to “Justice Or Else!” a gathering planned for Oct. 10 in Washington, D.C.,  to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March demanding freedom, justice and equality. He urged the audience to reject fear and boldly assert the value of their own lives by combating violence from outside of the community and fratricidal violence inside the community.

The Minister pointed out that the Law of Retaliation is nothing new, in fact, historically and recently, America and Israel have used it quite often. Justice for the victim does not look the same as justice for the victimizer.

“The killing of Black men and women by police has to stop,” said Min. Farrakhan. “I know there are police in every city that try to do their jobs, but I also know that there are police in every city that are rogues who use their badges and their authority as a license to kill. I say this very humbly, this has reached the point of explosion.”

Black police who patrol White communities don’t do what White police do who patrol Black communities, he noted.

The Minister has called on the federal government to do its job by bringing justice to those who commit evil acts directed at Black people and violate the rights of Black people. People are not supposed to take the law into their own hands, but when there are liars who are judges, medical examiners along with prosecutors and district attorneys, who don’t uphold the rule of law, it is only a matter of time before anger reaches a boiling point as it has in many American cities, he cautioned.

“How long can we as a people endure such without responding appropriately when government fails to act?” asked Min. Farrakhan.

“They want to blame Farrakhan for radicalizing the people. I say to White America, look in the mirror!” Every time an act of hatred is done and there is no justice, those who are angered and saddened  over the loss of a loved one begins to imbalance the mind and causes them to take drastic action, often resulting in them killing people that don’t even know why they are being killed. Even those practicing the Law of Retaliation are warned not to ‘exceed the limits,’” he noted.

“The Israelis practice the Law of Retaliation, but to the extreme,” the Minister continued, “We are warned by God not to exceed the limits and not to ever be the aggressor for Allah loves not the aggressor.”

When Israel attacked Gaza in 2014, brutal air squadrons bombed schools, mosques, and hospitals killing many women, children and civilians. This was said to be in response to a few rockets fired at Israel from Gaza, causing minimal damage and few injuries or casualties by comparison. The Minister called it a “lopsided slaughter.”

Israel responded. “She always retaliates and it’s never a life for a life, because if a Jew is killed, then they want a hundred Palestinians because they have devalued the life of a Palestinian! When God says a life for a life, he’s putting all life on an equal status, but they killed thousands of men, women and children,” said the Minister.

(Top) Once the main auditorium was filled, hundreds more watched the program in the halls on mounted televisions. (Bottom) Lines formed early and wrapped around the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. Photos: Calvin Muhammad

All the U.S. presidents repeat the familiar refrain when Israel uses deadly weapons against civilian populations: “Israel has the right to defend themselves.” In addition, the U.S. gives billions to Israel to maintain her military advantage over her neighbors in the region. The American government has also lied to get America into war—and the innocent who die and kill usually do not fully know what they are fighting for.

“Who will tell the truth? Who will stand up for America for real?” asked the Minister. “You know the truth, but you won’t tell it for fear of loss of friendship that you never had in the first place!”

In a particularly moving moment, Minister Farrakhan asked all Black veterans who had fought in the Korean War, the Vietnam War or in tours of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan to stand, and the capacity crowd applauded them. He noted Crispus Attucks, a Black man, was the first casualty of the American Revolutionary War. Blacks died in the War of 1812 and in the Civil War Black soldiers died fighting on both sides.

Photo: Jesse Muhammad

“We have been most loyal. We have been most faithful. You don’t have records of us spying for a foreign nation, and with all that we’ve suffered. We’ve never taken up arms against our government or the White people of this nation,” said Min. Farrakhan. “This is our country. We’ve paid a price … the foundation was laid for you by us!”

Minister Farrakhan’s message lasted a bit over two hours and was broadcast live on radio stations in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Raleigh and Durham, N.C., and Memphis, due to the efforts of Christian Kirk, a public relations professional. The stations that broadcast the message were “absolutely 100 percent on board,” but the one hip hop station she contacted declined.

“This is the truth that needs to be heard,” said Ms. Kirk. “I think our people are suffering because we’ve been separated from our truth so anybody brave enough to stand on the truth, if they’re putting their life on the line, then the least I can do is use the gifts and talents I have been given to make sure people are getting the message.”

Judge Joe Brown said the first time he heard Minister Farrakhan speak was over 45 years ago. The one-time popular court TV jurist enjoyed what he heard at the Canon Center.

“He’s staying on top of the game, keeping us straight,” said Judge Brown. When asked if he was going to be attending the “Justice Or Else!” gathering on Oct. 10, he replied, “If I’m physically able. I’ve been ill a bit, but if I’m still breathing, kicking around and in good health, I’m going to try to be there!”

Memphis Hip Hop duo 8-Ball (front row, black t-shirt) & MJG were among those who enjoyed Min. Farrakhan’s message to the cultural community. Photo: Jesse Muhammad

Meeting with Mid-South leaders

The Minister’s visit to Memphis began Aug. 19 with a meeting of prominent spiritual leaders and activists from the Mid-South. Activists from all over Tennessee and even some from Mississippi arrived at the Martin Luther King Jr. Labor Center to hear from the 82-year old leader who came immediately from the airport to address them.

After thanking Student Minister Anthony Muhammad of Muhammad Mosque No. 55 and all the staff who worked to coordinate the tour stop, the Minister said all should desire to establish a society in which God is at the center and work to be in harmony with the will of God to produce and enjoy peace.

He challenged political leaders, student activists, community organizers and pastors to consider what will be left for those who come after them so that what happened after the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s can be prevented.

“We took our eyes off the prize,” said Min. Farrakhan. “In fact, maybe we didn’t know or weren’t sure what the prize was.”

The prize was not to integrate into White society, he noted.

“Justice has eluded us for 460 years,” he said.

The Minister was originally supposed to speak at Mason Temple, the last place where Dr. King spoke before he was assassinated. He wanted to speak there and there was an agreement, but later, that agreement was nullified. The Minister said, in this society, the wicked profit from evil conditions, and this is a primary reason why society’s leaders do not appear to be swiftly moving to rectify situations. Nor are many leaders interested in having people hear from one with the courage to speak truth to power, no matter what the consequences speak, he added.

Minister Farrakhan recalled how when Martin Luther King was asked how he wanted to be remembered, he said as “a drum major for justice.”

All are under God’s divine Law of Justice, said the Minister.

“Justice is not integration. Justice is the right of the people to have exactly what their creator desired for them, and justice is to pay those who deprive us of what the creator wanted for us. Their justice doesn’t look like ours,” said Min. Farrakhan. “When we say justice for all, you’ve got to understand that it is not the same. Justice for the thief is not the same as justice for the one who has his goods stolen. Justice for the murderer is not the same as justice for the family of a loved one who has been murdered,” he noted.

A message to the cultural community

After speaking to the spiritual and community leaders, Min. Farrakhan took a short break and returned for a meeting with the hip hop artists and cultural leaders. Among those present were legendary Memphis recording artists 8-Ball and MJG, as well as the man considered to be one of the godfathers of Mississippi and Memphis hip hop, Playa Fly.

Rapper Young Dolph with Min. Louis Farrakhan in Memphis.

The Minister shared his thoughts on the blockbuster movie “Straight Outta Compton” which chronicles the rise and fall of the legendary group NWA.

“I thought the movie told a great story of the power of a culture. The power to transform the thinking of a people,” he said.

“What is your role in raising the level of consciousness of your people?” he asked the artists.

Artists should be leaders since the very nature of all rhythm, song, dance, and poetry emanates from the Original people of the planet, the Black man and woman. Social engineering, chemical and biological warfare are all weapons being used to destroy Black people.

“An awakened Black man cannot be ruled by any White man,” said the Minister. “Your children are born to reflect God. Your children are born to solve the riddles that confuse the parents!”

The Minister even recalled his days as a calypso singer. He said there would be “calypsonian wars” in which different artists would battle to be considered the “King of Calypso.”

“The calypsonian yesterday is the rapper of today,” said Min. Farrakhan. “He speaks about the conditions in the ‘hood.”

Legendary rapper 8-Ball said the Minister was very influential and gave him a lot to think about, after hearing him Aug. 19. He’s riding strong with “Justice or Else!”

“The unity, the thing about the unity and what we do with our money and our music, that’s where my head is at right now,” said 8-Ball. “We need to talk about how important the Black man is in our culture, Black fathers not being in homes, that right there has shaped a whole culture of fatherless kids that don’t know what it means to have a man that loves them to tell them to do something.”

Minister Farrakhan wrapped up his tour with a conference call with close to 50 members of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, which consists largely of Black publishers as well as an interview with the Tri-State Defender’s Bernal Smith.