By James Muhammad and Memorie Knox
(FinalCall.com) – Larry Ollins and Omar Saunders, recently released from prison after serving 15 years for a murder/rape crime they did not commit, told The Final Call that it was the words of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan through The Final Call that helped them to survive their horrendous ordeal.
“I tried everything, but nobody could give me a clear understanding of what was going on with me, my people, other than the Minister,” said Mr. Ollins.
He said he became acquainted with the Muslim leader when he “got stuck” with 12 tapes that Mr. Saunders possessed. And even Mr. Saunders confides with a smile, “I did what you call copyright infringement. I recorded over all my rap tapes when I heard one by Minister Farrakhan.”
“Minister Farrakhan spoke to the pain that nobody else could speak to. I recorded and I was listening. He was talking about the media. I said, ‘man, that sounds like what I went through.’ He gave us the ability to look at our pain and deal with our pain,” Mr. Saunders said.
Both men said they became subscribers and faithful readers of The Final Call while incarcerated. The book “Message to the Blackman in America” by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was also a great influence in finding knowledge of self and determination to fight for their freedom, they said.
“I want to tell all brothers and sisters to get subscriptions to The Final Call and read it for inspiration to know that there’s something greater going on in society. The Final Call really helped me along the way and gave me the confidence to stand up and challenge the courts,” Mr. Saunders continued.
“When we first came to prison, we hung out in the law library. Now, many of them are restricted because they realized that those guys are getting smart and those petitions coming from prisoners were written better than the lawyers. This coincides with something the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said, that some of the greatest brothers are right in prison. He was right. The enemy has started to see that and is cutting off access to the library and have begun to feed them things that would absorb their minds to lose focus on finding the truth in their lives,” he said.
Mr. Ollins said the information in the paper took the men to a higher level than they ever imagined and was more than therapeutic.
“What’s in The Final Call can move you to accomplish greater things that would probably secure your freedom. It lets us know what’s going on in America and to never lay down once you come into the supreme knowledge, will and understanding of God, which is a path to develop strength and wisdom to a degree of intelligence that can change your whole life,” Mr. Ollins said.
“To me, whatever psychiatric course you think I should attend, therapy you think I should attend, I done took my medicine already, and I’m still taking it. This is medication you can’t get from no hospital,” he added.