sadeghi@oxy.edu (Behnam Sadeghi) (01/16/90)
In article, Message-ID: <6609@wpi.wpi.edu> writes: >The following news excerpt comes from the Winter 1989/90 issue of "Free Inquiry" > > "Minister Louis Farrakhan told a Washington news conference that President > Bush and the FBI were out to get him, and then threatened a UFO invasion > if they didn't stop." > > "The Black Muslim leader said Bush was planning 'a war' against the > nations blacks, adding that FBI agents were 'working night and day ... > with the purpose of discrediting [me] and ultimately causing [my] > death'." > > "In a 'warning' to Bush 'to leave me alone,' Farrakhan said, 'the moment > you attempt to lay your hands upon me, the fullness of Allah's wrath > will descend upon you and America' in the form of UFOs appearing 'in > abundance' over American cities, followed by 'an increase in number > and intensities' of the 'calamities that America is presently experi- > encing'." > > "After reading his statement, Farrakhan left, allowing no questions." > [They citee Knight-Ridder publications] > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Minister Louis Farrakhan is the head of the American Black Muslim movement >known as the "Nation of Islam." I myself had read a lot of even more strange things about Farrakhan in the past, and had also come to believe that he was a Nazi and an anti-Semite. However, that was the period BEFORE I read and heard the full text of some of his speeches for myself. I became convinced that the media were for some reason distorting his sayings (they are 'after him'). For example, even now sometimes newspapers quote him as haveing said that Judaism is a dirty religion, something he *never* said, and a charge that he vehemently rejected. The article you cite above may or may not be correct. But as long as I don't see the word UFO within quotations marks I am not going to believe that he said such a thing. Behnam Sadeghi P.S. His claim that the FBI is 'after him' doesn't seem wrong or strange to me at all.
ischick@BBN.COM (01/16/90)
In article <6751@wpi.wpi.edu> you write: > > I myself had read a lot of even more strange things about > Farrakhan in the past, and had also come to believe that > he was a Nazi and an anti-Semite. However, that was the > period BEFORE I read and heard the full text of some of > his speeches for myself. I became convinced that the > media were for some reason distorting his sayings (they > are 'after him'). For example, even now sometimes > newspapers quote him as haveing said that Judaism is a > dirty religion, something he *never* said, and a charge that > he vehemently rejected. Actually, he hasn't rejected this. His speech was originally reported as saying "gutter religion" and his spokesman announced that he didn't say "gutter," he said "dirty." Unless I have it backwards, but I think this is the way it was. Frankly I don't see the difference. He is a dangerous fascist without any doubt. A demagogue, who uses his charisma to spread the most vile sorts of racist and anti-semitic ideology. There was a recent article in _In These Times_ by a somewhat sympathetic author by the name of Salim Muwakkil. In a reply to some critical letters (ITT, January 10-16, 1990, p.15) he writes: "The NOI doctrine posits black supremacy and deems whites genetically defective, and my article is certainly not an apologia for that kind of primitive racism." I leave it up to you to decide if such "primitive racism" is in any way compatible with the teachings of Islam. I think not. Irvin