Those
expecting to see a weak, feeble and discombobulated
Louis Farrakhan on February 26 during the Nation of
Islam’s 2007 Saviours’ Day Rally must have been highly
disappointed. Especially when one considers the fact
that this is the state that most are left in following
the kind of ordeal the obviously determined 73 year-old
had recently experienced.
As he
promised, Farrakhan returned to deliver a two-hour
lecture he titled One Nation Under God following
yet another near death experience due to complications
related to the prostate cancer he has battled off and on
for the past few years. Ultimately, the spry
commander-in-chief of the organization established by
W.D. Fard in 1930, found himself on January 12
undergoing a 14-hour abdominal operation and later in
recovery for five weeks. All total, Farrakhan had been
convalescing for the last 6 months before taking to the
stage of Detroit’s Ford
Field. In his absence, Nation of Islam affairs were
handled by an Executive Board that continued in the
respect that their leader had instructed them to do so
and in turn the Nation reaped the benefits of not
deviating from Farrakhan’s desires according to
organization members and supporters.
Anxiously
awaiting Farrakhan on stage were notables in the field
of politics, entertainment and religion including
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, Congressional
Representative John Conyers of
Michigan, legendary
actress Cicily Tyson and Grammy Award winning song tress
Anita Baker - following a stellar performance earlier.
As the Nation of Islam leader took to the stage to a
thunderous 10-minute ovation, cries of “God is good!”
and “God is great!” could be heard emanating from the
crowd. “Many, many Christians of many different
denominations prayed for me. Many Christian pastors put
their churches on fasts and prayers for my recovery,”
began Farrakhan as his addressed was translated into
Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese and Spanish. “There
were rabbis and Jewish people who prayed for me to
recover. There were Muslims all over the world who
prayed for me. There were Buddhists who chanted in
prayer for me. There were those who practice yoga, in
their meditations, they prayed for me. There were Hindus
who prayed for me. There were Blacks, Whites, Asians,
Hispanics and Native Americans who prayed for me. Tell
me then how can I come to you and not thank Almighty
God, Allah, for a message that would be universal in its
scope and universal in its power to heal the human
condition?”
According to
the Nation of Islam produced newspaper The Final
Call, nearly fifty thousand people from across the
country and around the globe attended the historic event
that marked the 77th year since the Nation of
Islam’s establishment: including Minister Darryl
Muhammad of Muhammad Mosque 93 here in
Macon. He was
quite impressed with everything he personally
experienced at the event – especially the display that
Farrakhan put on. He now looks forward to implementing
some of the challenges put forth by the Nation’s main
man. Muhammad pledged that the mosque here and its
organizational extensions like the Millions More
Movement will advance their existing outreach efforts.
“I think that if we can break down these barriers then
we (Muslims, Christians and others) can come together to
truly solve some of the problems plaguing the Black
community and all Macon,” stated Muhammad firmly.
“What’s happening here is no different than what is
happening across the country. If we can start with a few
people who have embraced Farrakhan’s vision and are
willing to make it a reality, we can positively impact
this and other cities.”
George Fadil
Muhammad is Mosque 93’s Protocol Director and attended
Saviours’ Day along with his family. During a moment of
reflection, his thoughts turned to the significance of
the event from a Macon
perspective. “The essence of the trip for me was rooted
in the Nation of Islam’s history,” said Muhammad. “To
travel the path that Elijah Muhammad traveled from
Macon to
Detroit and
participate in Saviours’ Day in the town where his
teacher Master Fard Muhammad established Islam in the
west, was a very powerful
experience.”
While these
responses are more expected coming from members of the
Nation of Islam concerning their Saviours’ Day weekend
experience, they are validated however by non members
like Kenneth Acquaah. The
Ghana,
Africa native and
owner of the International Tropical Market on
Poplar
Street downtown
served as a vendor at the event. He said that Middle
Georgia could draw much from people that attended
Saviours’ Day. “The thing that I got there that I want
to share here in Macon is unity. I
believe that if we can unify here like we were in
Detroit we can make
a difference,” expressed Acquaah adamantly. “You don’t
have to be a member of the Nation. I came back
re-energized and committed to helping this
community!”
Minister
Muhammad and George Muhammad both agree with Acquaah but
admit that the highlight of the gathering for
them was the return of Farrakhan. “Minister
Farrakhan’s return signifies to us all that he is a very
powerful example in our midst of the impact of the Most
Honorable Elijah Muhammad,” says the long-time community
activist. Minister Darryl expounded further on his
Protocol Director’s feelings as our conversation ended.
“Farrakhan returning as he did is a reflection of what
faith, belief in God and self determination can do under
seemingly insurmountable odds. To come from where he was
at one point was divine and a deep expression of his
love for us as a people and his love for
humanity.”
Macon