CHICAGO (FinalCall.com) – In his first interview since the successful Nation of Islam Saviours’ Day 2011 convention, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan sat down in the studio with popular radio host and long-time friend Cliff Kelley on WVON-AM 1690 for a two and a half hour conversation.
A critically important portion of the discussion centered on the unrest in the North African country of Libya which the Minister spoke about for the very first time during his recent keynote address. He provided even more layered contextual understanding when questioned by Mr. Kelley March 10.
The first topic raised by Mr. Kelley was “The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews” Volume Two, a book published by the Nation of Islam and the subject of a major plenary session during the recent Saviours’ Day weekend. Mr. Kelley asked the Minister about the book’s origins and the pointed to the scholarship contained within. The Minister explained how the books came into being following regular attacks and false charges of anti-Semitism from the Anti-Defamation League and some Jewish groups following the 1984 presidential run of the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
“The Muslims were so upset that every time my name was mentioned, it was mentioned that Farrakhan is an ‘anti-Semite.’ And because of that charge leveled over the last 25 years continuously, many things that we could have done successfully were interfered with because of that label. So the scholars and historians in The Nation decided that they would make a serious study of Jewish history to see whether that charge of anti-Semitism could be dispelled by a profound book on the truth from their lips, their pens, their scholarship,” said Minister Farrakhan.
Discussing the meticulous research Mr. Kelley–holding and looking at his copy of the book– described it as “amazing.”
“I have never, in all of the research and the things that I’ve had to do, have I seen anything so well documented 1,800 footnotes as to where–it’s not you saying this! It’s the Jewish scholars–and you’re going back to where the statements were made!” said Mr. Kelley.
Minister Farrakhan went further into detail regarding the subject, becoming more and more animated and passionate. Just as college students are required to read The Autobiography of Malcolm X and are required to watch documentaries regarding the Jewish holocaust–what happened to Blacks in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the period following the Emancipation Proclamation and what happened during the Jim Crow era must also be required to study. All of that history has a direct bearing on the condition of Blacks in America today, the Minister said.
“We need to know the horror of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade so that we won’t have to say, ‘Never again!’–we’ll make damn sure that it will never happen again!” said Min. Farrakhan.
Mr. Kelley, who was a guest on stage Saviours’ Day when Min. Farrakhan spoke, noted different religions, ideologies and races were represented at the event. This was juxtaposed to the evil picture of Muslims painted by anti-Islam bigots in false media depictions of followers of Islam, and the televised hearings focused on the so-called “Radicalization of American Muslims” sponsored by long-time Islamophobe Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y).
Min. Farrakhan said his Feb. 27 Saviours’ Day address was webcast via Internet throughout the world, showing neither he nor the Nation of Islam had anything to hide.
“The enemy has tried to make the people think that we’re behind closed doors, planning insurrection and rebellion against the government of the United States, and White people and Jewish people,” said Min. Farrakhan. “And I want America to know, if we found somebody trying to blow up a bridge that would kill innocent people, you wouldn’t have to call Homeland Security–by the time they got to us, he would need some kind of security!”
Mr. Kelley chuckled as Minister Farrakhan continued.
“We hate that kind of thing, you know? To kill innocent people in the name of God or religion? You may be angry, but how do you handle your anger, your frustration? This is where we live! This is where we breathe! These are the people that we live next to, and if we can’t get along, there are ways that we can handle things. But to make bombs and kill innocent people? Heck no! No, the followers of Elijah Muhammad will stop that wherever we see it! We won’t just ‘report’ it, but we’ll stop the hand of those that we know would do anything like that, that would kill innocent men, women and children no matter what their color is,” said Minister Farrakhan.
Then the subject of Libya was raised. When the western media began reporting on Libya, Feb. 15, it seemed as if it was a foregone conclusion that Col. Muammar Gadhafi would be ousted in the country he has led for over 42 years. Now, nearly a month later, he remains in power.
On Mar. 12, the Arab League agreed on asking the United Nations to impose a no-fly zone over Libya, days earlier, the African Union voted against it.
Al-Arabiya reported March 14 U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Paris to sit down with Foreign Ministers from Russian, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. A no-fly zone plan is reportedly being presented to NATO on Mar. 15, according to Secy. Clinton.
It is no secret that the Nation of Islam and Minister Farrakhan have enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with the Libyan leader for decades. The United States has long opposed Col. Gadhafi and attempted to force him out of office even bombing his country during the Reagan administration, Min. Farrakhan noted.
The Minister blasted President Obama and Secy. Clinton for their arrogance in meddling in another sovereign nation’s affairs and publicly recommending regime change.
Min. Farrakhan instructed Americans to look beneath the surface to see who stands to benefit from the unrest, and warned Pres. Obama to be careful of the words coming from advisors lobbying him to move in with military forces to depose Col. Gadhafi.
“Well, today our dear brother (Obama) has to be very, very careful in this decision that he and his Secretary of State, and [French President Nicolas] Sarkozy and [British] Prime Minister [David] Cameron and others are planning. They would love to go into Libya and kill Brother Gadhafi, and kill his children as they did with Saddam Hussein and his sons, Qusay and Uday. You must remember, dear people of America, that whenever government wants you to think and act in a certain way that would bring justification to an action that they are already planning to make, they must make the person that they hate a ‘boogey man,’ ” he said. Col. Gadhafi, who led a bloodless coup against a U.S. ally over 40 years ago, has seen constant negative publicity and was once called the “Mad Dog of the Middle East” by American leaders and analysts.
People unhappy with government are not solely in Libya, he pointed out. Many are unhappy with Mr. Obama, he said.
The U.S. government has a long history of deposing leaders of other nations in order to get natural resources, more specifically–oil, he continued, saying the imperialistic forces are not interested in saving those being killed, it is just a “noble motive to hide your (the U.S. government’s) wicked agenda!”
“When George W. Bush was president, he said they wanted regime change in Iran, in (North) Korea regime change–how do you get regime change America? How do you do that? Congress, the Congress of the United States, voted to spend $150 million to replace the government in Iran that America doesn’t like, so they send their agents in to work among the dissatisfied. So when they had this election, and the people in Iran rose up, they have legitimate grievances, all right–but stimulated from the outside,” Minister Farrakhan continued. “Well, what about Libya? How much money is being spent to arm the so-called rebels? They’re dissatisfied! Well, what is their dissatisfaction about? Do they (Libyans) have jobs? Yes. Do they have food? Yes. Has Gadhafi used the oil money to build Libya? Yes. Did Gadhafi use oil money and discover water under the Sahara Desert, and brought that water to the surface; and brought water from Benghazi all the way to the border almost of Tunisia? Did he impose farming in the desert so that they could feed their own people? Yes. Are there billions of dollars that he’s spending building homes, building apartments for his people? Yes. So something is under this!” said Min. Farrakhan.
“Is it that you’re (U.S. officials) so concerned over the blood that is being shed in Libya, when you looked the other way when the Israeli Defense Force was bombing the innocent people of Gaza, unarmed men, women and children? … You looked the other way when the Israeli Defense Force went into Lebanon thinking that they were going to have an easy victory, then you had to come out with your tail between your legs?”
Min. Farrakhan said Col. Gadhafi has been investing money in Africa, enjoys international friendship, and should not be killed simply because he is not America’s friend.
“Now, I want to warn you, in the Name of Allah, that this is more complex than what you think! Go into Libya if you want to. The Libyans do not want foreign occupation on their land. And when you make that kind of move, if you’re not careful, you’ll unite the Libyan people against you!”
Inside America members of the Branch Davidian religious sect were killed in 1993 in Waco, Texas, by federal law enforcement, while men, women and children of the MOVE organization were killed when police bombed their home during a 1985 standoff in Philadelphia, he said. Current American outrage is nothing but hypocrisy, the Minister said.
To President Obama, Minister Farrakhan delivered a pointed warning: “Don’t let these wicked demons move you in a direction that will absolutely ruin your future with your people in Africa and throughout the world. They don’t like the way you handled (former Egyptian President Hosni) Mubarak! They don’t like the way you’re handling the situation in the Arab world! So I would advise you to be careful–and move with wisdom and skill.
And then, Min. Farrakhan offered Pres. Obama some divine advice.
“Why don’t you organize a group of respected Americans, and ask for a meeting with Gadhafi? You can’t order him to step down, and get out–who the hell do you think you are, that you can talk to a man that built a country over 42 years, and ask him step down and get out? Can anybody ask you? Well, well there’s a lot, now, [that are] going to ask you to step out of the White House, because they don’t want a Black face in the White House,” said Min. Farrakhan.
“Be careful, brother, how you handle this situation because it is coming to America! It has already started. Look in Wisconsin! Look in Ohio! Look at what’s going on in your country! And remember your words because the American people are rising against their own government: It’s not Muslims; it’s not Black people! It’s White militias that are angry with their government, and they are well armed. Are you going to tell them–‘Put your arms down, and let’s talk it over peacefully?’ I hope so. But if not, America will be bathed in blood, not because Farrakhan said so, but because the dissatisfaction in America has reached the boiling point. Be careful how you manipulate the dissatisfaction in Libya and other parts of the Muslim world,” he warned.
Related news:
Libya: North African nation, leader have withstood West’s attacks (FCN, 03-08-2011)
Farrakhan Shares Some Thoughts on Gadhafi’s Visit to America (FCN, 10-02-2009)
