ST. LOUIS, Mo. (FinalCall.com) – The efforts of the Nation of Islam members of Muhammad Mosque No. 28 in St. Louis were rewarded with a special visit from the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan on May 23 as they celebrated their move into a new building equipped to aid them in their efforts to better serve the community.
Minister Farrakhan called their acquisition of a new building “a job well done,” however, this was not a traditional dedication ceremony that many have come to expect when a building is opened. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said he came to give members of Muhammad Mosque No. 28 an assignment, as well as those spiritual and political leaders who came to hear his message.
“Those of you who like buildings, you are in the wrong place today, because this is not the most beautiful building in St. Louis. If you are about nice building then don’t come here,” said Min. Farrakhan. “I came to give you an assignment from this house that will show how this house is dedicated, what this house is dedicated to and for, and if the people in the house are not dedicated to that which the house is dedicated, you need to find you another place to go.”
›Many religious buildings have become places where people come to be recharged, almost like a place to boost their spiritual immune systems, said the Minister. He did not come to dedicate a building like that, he came to talk to people interested in dedicating their lives to saving their people and who were not afraid to talk to the Black youth turned into warriors by time and circumstances.
“It is set down in the midst of our people who are suffering out there, who are dying out there, who are killing each other out there, who are dropping out of school out there, who have no jobs out there, this mosque is not set down here to be dedicated to just sitting down glorying in a building! The God that I serve, and that I am inviting you to serve is looking for soldiers who want to go to war with Satan!” said Min. Farrakhan. “This kind of house is dedicated to destroy Satan’s world and establishing the Kingdom of God on Earth!”
The mosque was packed with a standing room crowd. Two other overflow rooms on the main level were completely filled along with an overflow room downstairs in the basement of the building that was jam-packed. Each overflow room had a large flat panel screen and speaker setup broadcasting the Minister’s words live. After the inside was filled up, others sat outside under tents in the 92-degree heat, just to hear Minister Farrakhan’s words of guidance.
“Church and religions are getting weaker in their ability to transform human life,” said Minister Farrakhan adding that religious people in many cases become very judgmental, self- righteous and far removed from what is actually happening in the community.
If those who lead the church or the mosque or the synagogue are not involved in creating soldiers who are ready to fight a war against Satan, they will continue to remain “powerless in a world of evil.”
“When God comes, it is a time for war,” said Minister Farrakhan. “God does not come to play with Satan, he comes to make war with Satan.”
Minister Farrakhan said some pastors are afraid to teach a true gospel because the free-for-all atmosphere in the church is how they receive money. They are afraid to teach the true law of God, said the Minister.
“The law does not make you right. The law puts fear in you of doing wrong and makes you appear as if you are doing right,” said Minister Farrakhan. “Jesus is raising people into a demonstration of love that makes you live the law with ease.”
If you love your brother and sister, you will not do that which would hurt them, or destroy the brotherhood or sisterhood, the Minister said.
After ending his remarks, Minister Farrakhan received proclamations from St. Louis Aldermen Greg Carter and Sam Moore. He also received a picture from the Empowerment Network, a group of Black men who have survived prostate cancer. Then, Min. Farrakhan walked to each overflow room to greet those who viewed his message from the remote locations. A joyful crowd greeted him outside the mosque cheering as he delivered words of thanks and encouragement from the steps of the mosque.
A weekend of activities
The special weekend began on May 21, as Ishmael Muhammad, the National Assistant to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, delivered the keynote address at an evening banquet at the New Northside Conference Center.
Ishmael Muhammad recalled the many times over the years coming to St. Louis to meet Min. Farrakhan, describing it as “a launching pad for Minister Farrakhan’s rebuilding of the Nation of Islam.” The banquet was in honor of those who sacrificed over the decades that the Nation of Islam has been active in St. Louis. He congratulated student minister Donald Muhammad and the laborers of the mosque and exhorted those in attendance to become more active in the work.
“There cannot be a new beginning until we are willing to take on a new spirit,” said Ishmael Muhammad. “It’s not the place that matters, it is the quality of the people who are in that house that are going to make the difference.”
“This is a great occasion from Muhammad Mosque No. 28 and for St. Louis, now the mosque must do its work,” said Akbar Muhammad, international representative of the Nation of Islam. “This is like a family reunion,” he added as he looked over all of the familiar faces of those who have helped spread Islam over the last nearly three decades.
Akbar Muhammad worked tirelessly while based in St. Louis, where he lived and made great progress not only for the Nation of Islam locally, but many national initiatives were developed in St. Louis. The Nation of Islam’s presence here began in 1977 in Akbar Muhammad’s basement in Brentwood, according to Brother Ralph Muhammad, of Muhammad Mosque No. 28B in East St. Louis.
Minister Farrakhan dedicated a mosque on May 31, 1981 in East St. Louis, and now, nearly 30 years later, he was back to celebrate the new property with the members of the Nation of Islam.
On May 22, members of the community got the first look inside the newly renovated Muhammad Mosque No. 28 on West Florissant Avenue. The building is located on the main thoroughfare and runs through a community called “Murderville.” Violent wars between young Bloods and Crips factions have caused numerous sadness and loss of life in the community. It is for that reason, many of those who came to the property for the open house said they were looking forward to seeing the members of the F.O.I. active in the community.
“It’s a very historical and significant day on a number of levels,” Zaki Baruti, president/general of the Universal African Peoples Organization (UAPO). “It signifies a spiritual rebirth here in this particular neighborhood which has been known as a neighborhood with a lot of violence and death taking place over the past few years. Hopefully it offers a beacon of hope and enlightenment for the masses of our young people here in the community,” said Mr. Baruti.
Mr. Baruti said he is sometimes critical of those who erect religious buildings without programmatic thrusts, and sees the establishment of Muhammad Mosque No. 28 as a sign that this is changing.
“Too many times the people who worship in the houses do not come out into the community to do hands-on work with our young people or hands-on work just with the various problems impacting our people, like a ‘pie in the sky’ kind of concept without any reality of dealing with the high incarceration rates of our people, the murder rate of our people, the unemployment of our people, the police assault on our people, all of the myriad of problems facing our people,” said Mr. Baruti. “It is as if the people of many religious affiliations turn a deaf ear to it and just come out on that particular day of worship to celebrate God, but in my humble opinion, they don’t celebrate God on a daily basis because if they did it on a daily basis, they would be out in the community making some significant changes,” he told The Final Call.
Jawed H. Siddiqui, M.D., a St. Louis area cardiologist who enjoys a long relationship with the Nation of Islam here said he was happy and excited about the opportunity for the Muslims in the Nation of Islam to have a center for all of their activities, spiritual, social, educational and economic.
“It is not just a place of worship, it is a center, all of the activities originate right here. We talk about social issues, we talk about problems, and we talk about sick and poor so we can help them,” said Dr. Siddiqui adding that he was an admirer of Minister Farrakhan and listens to his lectures often while driving.
“Farrakhan is one who is giving us courage. The Muslims are in trouble most other places in the world,” Dr. Siddiqui continued. “He is doing a fantastic and wonderful job.”
Chawn Kweli, co-editor of the New Black Panther Party’s newspaper was there with Amirah Sankofa, leader of the St. Louis Chapter of the NBPP. He said Min. Farrakhan remains relevant when other leaders have become disconnected from the younger generation of leaders and activists.
“I love what Minister Farrakhan had to say! On point! The general gave the instructions,” Mr. Kweli told The Final Call. “There is a disconnect between the youth and the elders, a disconnect between religious groups and organizations and the Minister knows how to speak the language and reach across the barriers. He is reaching those who need to be reached regardless to where they come from,” he added.
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