Saviours’ Day: A Timeline and Brief HistoryBy Ashahed M. Muhammad
Assistant Editor | Last updated: Feb 24, 2008 - 11:59:00 PM
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan designated Oct. 7 as Saviours’ Day to mark the birth anniversary of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, who was taught by Master Fard Muhammad and labored over 40 years to resurrect the spiritually, mentally, morally and economically dead Black Man and Woman in America, and to act as a divine messenger and warner to America about the judgment rendered by God in Person.
Min. Farrakhan announced the Rebirth of the Nation of Islam, which had been destroyed with the 1975 departure of the Hon. Elijah Muhammad, in 1981 in Chicago. (See related story this page.) In 1983, during the Saviour’s Day address in Gary, Ind., Min. Farrakhan announced that Black men and women must be the “saviours” of themselves and their communities. He also announced that the spelling of the commemoration would change to “saviours,” in the plural form to represent that responsibility.
It was also a theme shared in his 1981 Saviour’s Day address and recounted in the booklet, “The Meaning Of F.O.I.”
“It is written in the scriptures, ‘I will send Saviours, plural, after them.’ Who is the ‘I’?
“The ‘I’ who is doing the sending is the one who is the Christ. He says He raises up disciples and He sends them. He is raised and, and then he becomes a sender of Saviours,” wrote Min. Farrakhan, in “The Meaning Of F.O.I.”
Saviours’ Day has been a time for inspiration, instruction and continued focus on redeeming a nation of destroyed people. It has included insightful lectures, announcements of national programs and initiatives, strong statements in defense of Black people, oppressed groups or communities under assault, divine warnings to the United States government and American society to refrain and repent from evil, prayers for hope and healing, calls for a united front and a time to reflect on Almighty God (Allah) and the blessings bestowed upon us. The following timeline captures elements of each Saviours’ Day for the past 27 years of Min. Farrakhan’s rebuilding effort.
1981 “Rebirth of A Nation”
February 22, 1981, thousands joined the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Ill., for the first Saviour’s Day gathering since he stood to rebuild the work of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad in 1977.
His subject for Saviour’s Day 1981 was “A Saviour is Born for the Black Man and Woman of America.” Joining him on the dais was an impressive list of Black scholars and thinkers covering the entire spectrum of Black thought in the Black liberation struggle including Lu Palmer, Haki Mahdubuti, Hannibal Afrik, Rev. Al Sampson, Howard Saffold, Renault Robinson, Prince Asiel Ben-Israel, Dr. Charles Knox, Wali Saddeek, Father George Clements and Queen Mother Moore.
“The Nation of Islam is not an exclusive order. It is inclusive of every Black man, woman and child in America and throughout the world,” Minister Farrakhan said.
Min. Farrakhan also announced to the world that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was in fact physically alive. Later in his message, Min. Farrakhan added, “You may laugh and make mockery of this announcement, but the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is alive, and he and God are together, and His return is eminent.”
1982 “Black Survival in These Uncertain Times”
Nearly 7,000 Muslims, Nationalists, Christians, Hebrew Israelites, Socialists, and Pan-Africanists voiced their support of Minister Farrakhan’s historic efforts to raise up the Black man and woman of America during the three day convention held Feb. 26 through 28 at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago, Ill. The theme of Saviours’ Day 1982 was “Black Survival in These Uncertain Times” and the title of Minister Farrakhan’s keynote on February 28, 1982 was “God’s Judgment on America.”
Kwame Ture, formerly known as Stokely Carmichael, joined Minister Farrakhan on the dais and shared words of solidarity and support.
1983 “Methodology for Liberation and Salvation”
Saviour’s Day 1983 was historic for a variety of reasons. First, it was held in Gary, Indiana where there was a Black mayor, Richard Hatcher. Secondly, this was the first Saviours’ Day celebration held outside the city of Chicago. The theme of Saviours’ Day 1983 Convention was “Methodology for Liberation and Salvation”
Min. Farrakhan’s keynote message delivered on February 27 was heard by thousands as he spoke on the subject “A Saviour is Born for the Black Man and Woman in America.” He also announced the Blacks were saviours, plural, of one another and changed the spelling to reflect that reality.
1984 “Unity: A Weapon More Powerful Than Nuclear Bombs”
Minister Farrakhan’s message was titled “Unity: A Weapon More Powerful Than Nuclear Bombs.”
Joining Minister Farrakhan were Kwame Ture, longtime Native American rights activist Russell Means, Dr. Al Colon, Imari Obadele, co-founder of the Republic of New Afrika, Sehio Tajiri of the Japanese Afro-American Society, Dr. Acklyn Lynch, Prince Asiel en Israel, Jitu Weusi of the National Black United Front, Palestinian activist Ali Baghdadi and Salih Jumah of the Libyan Jamahiriya as well as economist Francisco Campbell of the Nicaraguan Embassy in Washington D.C., Dick Gregory and Ernie Longwalker. All shared views on the unification of worldwide liberation struggles.
The Minister spoke at the “Rally for a Unified Political Strategy” during the Saviours’ Day convention, where over 8,000 had gathered at the Richard L. Jones Armory.
“Whether you know it or not there have been over 100 real threats on this man’s life already, and several people are in jail for planning to do harm to this brother,” he said. “What has he done to merit this kind of thinking in the American public? What has he done? I will tell you what he has done. He has freed the minds of these young Black boys and girls who will never again think that Black people cannot rule themselves and go to the top. This is what he has done. What has he done? He stands up for the poor and the oppressed and the locked out.”
Earlier that year, Minister Farrakhan had registered to vote and was a vocal supporter of Rev. Jackson’s run for president. As a result of the death threats, Minister Farrakhan sent members of the Fruit of Islam to the Jackson home in Chicago to protect him and his family.
“Let me express my delight at how good God has been to me and to all of us, and how grateful I am for my friend and brother, Minister Louis Farrakhan for his kindness, for his care, for his love, and for his generosity. We have traveled together as brothers, around this nation and across the world. We went to Syria together, and there we fasted and prayed until we found relief and brought Lt. Robert Goodman home,” said Rev. Jackson.
“We have a power. We must not forget. It is the power of being morally right,” he added.
1985 “Power, At Last … Forever”
Highlights included remarks from Algeria’s Ahmed Ben Bella, Ghana’s President Flt. Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings and Col. Muammar Ghadafi of the Libyan Jamahiriya. Ghadafi said he desired to help Blacks in America throw off the chains of bondage and oppression and would assist in providing the means for armed struggle if desired. Minister Farrakhan refused the offer for weapons, saying he would produce a revolution with the word of God and the Holy Qur’an.
People Organized and Working for Economic Rebirth”
By Abdul Wali Muhammad
The Final Call On October 7, 1985
The sidewalks around Madison Square Garden were transformed into a pulsating mass of men and women: young, old, professional, unemployed, students, White and poor, as thousands amassed at the Garden to hear the message of Minister Louis Farrakhan on October 7 in New York City.
Billed as the last lecture of the P.O.W.E.R. (People Organized and Working for Economic Rebirth) tour in North America, the event had been the center of controversy in New York for more than a week, and the turnout of over 50,000 people proved that Minister Farrakhan had ascended to a position with Black people unmatched in Black leadership circles.
Hundreds of New York Police, on foot and horseback began assembling around the Garden several hours before the doors were scheduled to open, and the scene was reminiscent of the urban battlefields, which Black communities had become during the civil rebellions of the ’60s.
Although police on bullhorns and the loudspeakers system of the Garden prematurely broadcast that no tickets were available, by the time the lecture began two hours late, of the 50,000 people gathered, nearly 30,000 got inside the Garden and the adjoining Felt Forum where the lecture broadcast on giant video screens.
The scene at the doors to the Garden was chaotic. People pushed and shoved to ensure that they would get in. When told that they could not take cameras or tape recorders inside, people actually threw them away rather than lose a place in line.
A chant of “Farrakhan, Farrakhan, Farrakhan,” began and the crowds actually surged right through the doors, tearing them off the hinges. Yet, there was no fighting or arguing among the people. The common goal was to get inside to hear the message of P.O.W.E.R. At Last Forever.
Joining Minister Farrakhan among an array of dignitaries were Russell Means, of the American Indian Movement and Ernie Longwalker of the Four Seasons, Kwame Ture (formerly Stokely Carmichael) of the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party, Zarikat Said representing the Palestine Liberation Organization, songstress Chaka Khan, Lenora Fulani of the National Alliance Party, Queen Mother Moore, and many more representatives of the national and international community.
1986 “A Tribute to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad”
Nearly 9,000 people gathered at the Pavilion of the University of Illinois at Chicago on the 89th birthday of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad to honor him for his tireless efforts to uplift Black people in America and the World.
“I would never have known of the Qur’an. I would never have known the name ‘Allah.’ I would never have known Muhammad if I did not hear the call from the Honorable Elijah Muhammad,” said Minister Farrakhan.
Sister Ava Muhammad, who at that time, was the general counsel for the Nation of Islam read a proclamation from Chicago Mayor Harold Washington declaring October 5, 6 and 7 as “Tribute to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad Days in Chicago.”
A surprise appearance by Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, son of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, ensured that this tribute to the Messenger would be one to remember.
1988 “The Overwhelming Event”
“When I drove up on this lot and saw what I saw, I could not hold the tears back. I was weeping so back in the little holding area that I didn’t think I would be able to come out, because this is something a man envisions, and when you see what you envisioned come to reality… I could not help but shed tears of joy…we are back where we belong,” said Minister Farrakhan.
The Muslims had embarked on a massive and rapid fundraising drive to repurchase the mosque and school at 7351 S. Stony Island Avenue and another property built by the Hon. Elijah Muhammad. Minister Farrakhan wanted to ensure every detail was just right, not just the external edifice of the building, but also those who would worship within the doors of the edifice.
“I would like to say to all of the members of the Nation of Islam past and present, we cannot return to that house until the wounds of the Nation have been healed, until the personal wounds suffered by each of us who followed the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Imam Warith Deen Mohammed have been healed, and our hearts reconciled, and families brought back together again … . We cannot go back until we make a commitment to resolve the discord, the disharmony, and replace it with the bond of brotherly love and unity because our people await our rise,” said Minister Farrakhan.
Tawana Brawley was welcomed as a guest during the 1988 Saviours’ Day convention. The 16-year old from Wappinger Falls, N.Y., was found on Nov. 28 1987 curled up in a plastic bag in a semi-conscious state with the words “nigger” and “KKK” scrawled on her upper torso with dog feces smeared on her body. She told authorities six White men abducted and raped her.
NFL great and community activist Jim Brown served as the Master of Ceremonies for a $100 a plate banquet held on Oct.7 to launch Saviours’ Day weekend. Performing that night were hip hop pioneers Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane and the Skinny Boys as well as jazz great Roy Ayers and the rhythms of Noel Pointer.
The opening of the National Center was rescheduled for February 1989.
1989 “The Dawn: A New Beginning”
Over 15,000 gathered at the National Center for the dedication of Mosque Maryam, a former Greek Orthodox church designed with influences of the great mosques in Turkey. The edifice had been transformed into a center for retraining and reeducation of the Black man and woman of America.
The National Center was originally purchased in 1972 by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and repurchased by the Nation of Islam under the leadership of Minister Farrakhan pursuant to a contract signed with the American Muslim Mission under the leadership of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed on January 16, 1988.
The dedication ceremony began with a processional which served as a living testament to the order and process by which Minster Farrakhan had began to rebuild the work of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad beginning with his meeting with Brother Jabril Muhammad in September of 1977.
Sheikh Ahmed Tijani Ben-Omar, in Arabic, and Min. Abdul Allah Muhammad, in English, recited Surah 110 of the Holy Qur’an titled, “The Help.” An honor guard and flag bearers marched into the mosque down the center isle.
After Minister Farrakhan entered to the applause, cheers and shouts of those assembled, he explained that there is a white carpet in the mosque representing the fact that not one drop of blood had been shed in the reacquisition of the edifice. His Saviours’ Day 1989 message was titled: “The Dawn: A New Beginning.”
Minister Farrakhan, wearing an emerald, ruby, sapphire and diamond bejeweled robe that was a gift from Pakistani Muslims, and designed with the help of his wife Mother Khadijah Farrakhan said that Mosque Maryam would be a center for the recitation of God’s word.
“Though this House is specifically set up to defend the defenseless Black man and woman in America, it will represent a Light, by the Grace of Allah, to all who will accept the Light emanating from it,” said Minister Farrakhan. “As pure gold is in the dome of this house, let the pure knowledge and wisdom of God flow from us.”Saviours’ Day 1989 “Stop the Killing”
On October 23, 1989, Minister Farrakhan delivered the “Stop the Killing” message to a capacity crowd of over 12,000 at the Washington, D.C. Armory.
As the scriptures declare that God would vex the powerful by a “foolish nation,” Minister Farrakhan asked rhetorically, “Isn’t it fitting, and an act of poetic justice, that in a city where drugs, death, violence, murder, mayhem, chicanery, deceit, machination of all kinds on a worldwide level are taking place, that in this city, one of the children of the slaves would come and offer a solution, to the nation to stop the killing?”
Present with Minster Farrakhan were Father George Stallings of the Imani Temple, Rev. Willie Wilson of the Union Temple Baptist Church, Rev. Al Sharpton as well as the mother and father of Yusuf Hawkins, the 16-year-old Black youth slain by a mob in the White Bensonhurst section of Queens, N.Y. Tawana Brawley and her family were also present.
On October 24, 1989, Minister Farrakhan spoke to the media at a press conference at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Washington D.C. and told the world about the experience that he had on The Wheel.
1990 “Stop the Killing” Detroit
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan returned to the birthplace of the Nation of Islam to a rousing welcome as he addressed 20,000 people. The welcome mat was rolled out by Mayor Coleman Young who issued a proclamation designating October 7th, the 93rd birth date of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad as Hon. Elijah Muhammad Day. Minister Farrakhan’s Saviours’ Day message titled “Stop the Killing” was delivered at the historic Joe Louis Arena.
1991 “Who Is God?”
On February 24 at Christ Universal Temple in Chicago, Ill., Minister Farrakhan delivered a message dealing with Point #12 of What the Muslims Believe which states: “We believe that Allah (God) appeared in the Person of Master W. Fard Muhammad, July, 1930; the long awaited “Messiah” of the Christians and the “Mahdi” of the Muslims. We believe further and lastly that Allah is God and besides Him there is no God and He will bring about a universal government of peace wherein we all can live in peace together.”
1991 “The Black Man Must Do For Self, or Suffer the Consequences”
A deafening roar rose to the rafters of the University of Illinois Pavilion in Chicago, Ill., as 10,000 people jumped to their feet to welcome the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan to the stage during the Oct. 7 Saviours’ Day Tribute to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
After thanking the audience for their overwhelming support, Minister Farrakhan shocked the audience by revealing that he recently had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
In his Saviours’ Day message titled, “The Black Man Must Do For Self, or Suffer the Consequences” Minister Farrakhan reminded Black people of the emphasis of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad on Black people beginning to fulfill their own needs and launched the 3-year Economic Savings Plan as a model for Black economic development.
Minister Farrakhan also presented the book “The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews” compiled by the Historical Research Department of the Nation of Islam, which documented Jewish involvement in the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
1992 “Black and White: A Solution to the Race Problem”
Four-thousand listeners were at Christ Universal Temple in Chicago to hear the message in person, while another 4,000 were turned away because of lack of space.
1992 “A Torchlight for America”
Thousands of followers and supporters of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam gathered on October 18, 1992 for the annual commemoration of the life and teachings of a Black man who left an indelible mark on the Black community and America’s psyche.
Minister Farrakhan’s appearance in Atlanta was surrounded by controversy sparked protests by Jewish organizations that pressured Mayor Maynard Jackson and Governor Zell Miller for ceremonial letters welcoming Min. Farrakhan and participants in the weekend’s activities. Both letters were rescinded in response to the outcries of the muscular Jewish lobby.
Despite that, outdrawing a game of the World Series taking place on the same day, 55,000 came to the newly built Georgia Dome to hear the Minster deliver a message titled “A Torchlight for America.”
1993 “The Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X –28 Years Later: What Really Happened?”
On February 21, the exact day of the assassination of Malcolm X some 28 years prior, and at the height of the controversy surrounding the release of the film “Malcolm X,” Minister Farrakhan spoke on “The Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X – 28 Years Later: What Really Happened?”
Ten-thousand listeners at the University of Illinois Pavilion, in Chicago, were enlightened as Minister Farrakhan defended the integrity of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and his personal life. Minister Farrakhan explained the Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s divinity and the scriptural underpinnings of his actions. Wives of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, some for the first time, publicly spoke about their husband and his honorable behavior towards those women he married.
1993 “Healing the Wounds”
On October 9, 1993, Min. Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam held Saviours’ Day in Los Angeles, California. Minister Farrakhan came to the West Coast to speak on “Healing the Wounds.” Sixteen-thousand came to the Los Angeles Sports Arena to celebrate a truce among many of the most notoriously violent gangs who had been trying to hold the peace treaty together.
“My real reason for being here is to personally pay tribute and honor to almighty God for putting his spirit in the Bloods and the Crips who have initiated a truce by the power of God himself.”
1994 “The Guide and the Guidance for These Troubled Times”
The previous night, Minister Farrakhan had appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show. Under tremendous pressure from irate Jewish organizations and television industry executives, Arsenio Hall welcomed Minister Farrakhan to the show to allow the late-night viewers to hear directly from Minister Farrakhan instead of listening to what others say about him.
In a bizarre series of events, the Simon Wiesenthal Center actually tried to pressure television stations not to air the show.
Mr. Hall told The Final Call that he had received death and bomb threats as well.
After a tremendous snowstorm in Chicago, Minister Farrakhan arrived on stage at the University of Illinois Pavilion to the cheers of over 10,000. Minister Farrakhan’s face was on the cover of Time magazine.
Minister Farrakhan held up the magazine emblazoned with his picture with the headline “Ministry of Rage.”
“According to the dictionary, rage is ‘fury, violent venom, violent speech, uncontrolled anger.’
“Is this the ministry of Louis Farrakhan? Can violent speech filled with acrimony, animosity and bitterness transform human life? The words that Farrakhan speaks go into the prisons and take hardened criminals and softens their hearts to the word of God and changes their lives around,” said the Minister. “This is not a ministry of rage, this is a ministry of love and a ministry of divine truth.”
1994 “Fulfilling the Vision of the Hon. Elijah Muhammad”
The Saviours’ Day Convention of 1994 fulfilled the vision of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad as an audience of 30,000 in Black Star Square in Ghana, and a satellite audience viewing internationally numbering in the millions saw Black people in America make the Saviours’ Day “pilgrimage” to celebrate the first International Saviours’ Day in Accra, Ghana.
President Jerry John Rawlings welcomed his longtime friend Minister Farrakhan and 2,000 Blacks from America as they returned to the Motherland from whence their ancestors were stolen.
“Whatever we don’t have, our brother in South Africa, in Namibia, in Uganda in Tanzania, in Rwanda has it. All Africa needs is real unity, but you can’t get real unity as long as you are saddled with the vision of your former colonial masters. We have to shed that vision and take on a new idea that will bring up a new vision, then we will ultimately evolve into the United States of Africa,” said Minister Farrakhan on Oct. 9.
1995 “Jesus Saves: Who Will Save the Black Man?”
On February 26, 1975, members of the Nation of Islam gathered at the International Amphitheater in Chicago to mourn the departure of their leader, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
Twenty years later, Minister Farrakhan delivered a message titled “Jesus Saves: Who Will Save the Black Man?” in preparation for the upcoming Million Man March to the 15,000 who had gathered there to hear him.
“Twenty years ago this very day, at this very hour, the poor followers of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad had to accept the news that was given,” Min Farrakhan said. “Twenty years later, in 1995, we stand in this very place to say to the world that God has blessed us to restore his name, to restore his word, to restore his people, to restore our souls.”
The four-day celebration included several highlights: The New Salaam Restaurant and Bakery complex opened with a full service dining area, take out and bakery service center. The first National Vanguard graduation and awards celebration was held. Minister Farrakhan announced an economic plan aimed at repurchasing the 1,600 acres of farmland once owned by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam and he also officially announced the planned Oct.16 Million Man March.
1996 “Guidance and Instruction For the Year 2000 and Beyond”
Thousands gathered at the University of Illinois Pavilion on Feb. 25 as Minister Farrakhan defended his recent 16-nation World Friendship Tour that was characterized by critics as “cavorting with dictators” and was condemned by the U.S. Government because the tour included five African and Middle Eastern nations considered “outlaw” or “rogue” governments.
The 38-day tour took him and the 35-member delegation throughout most of Africa and the Middle East—including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia—the U.S. State Department took exception to the visits to Iran, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Sudan and Syria.
“My job was to connect the Nation of Islam and Black America to Africa, the Middle East and the world,” Minister Farrakhan told a capacity crowd at the main location and 2,500 more watching across town at the National Center along with thousands viewing his speech titled “Guidance and Instruction For the Year 2000 and Beyond” via satellite. “I know you (U.S. government) want to kill me, but I just raised the price,” he added.
Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) had threatened to push for a probe of Minister Farrakhan’s travel and visits to nations they consider “rogue regimes.” They also threatened to force Minister Farrakhan to appear at a congressional hearing and register as a foreign agent of the Libyan government. Minister Farrakhan said he would gladly accept their challenge to appear before Congress.
“Bring me before Congress. It’s time for a showdown anyway. God wants to show you something. ... You will never defeat what Allah has revealed to me through the Honorable Elijah Muhammad,” said Minister Farrakhan. “I want you to bring me before Congress and ask me to register as a foreign agent, then I’m going to call the roll of how many congressmen are honorary members of the Israeli Knesset. Every year you give Israel billions of the taxpayers’ money and you haven’t asked the taxpayers one damned thing. Who are you an agent of?”
1997 “Obey God”
A parade of African and Islamic Heads of State spoke via satellite to those at the 1997 Saviours’ Day convention. Cuba’s Fidel Castro and political leaders in Jamaica and Dominica sent congratulatory greetings read by Brother Akbar Muhammad. Colonel Muammar Gadhafi of the Libyan Jamahiriya, Sani Abacha of Nigeria and Flt. Lt. John Jerry Rawlings sent greetings via video that were played for those who had gathered for this spectacular event.
1998 “What is Islam?”
Despite logging nearly 60,000 miles of air travel to 37 countries in close to 85 days, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan flashed a triumphant smile to the 20,000 who gathered at the McCormick Convention Center on February 22 to hear his Saviours’ Day message, “What is Islam?”
Minister Farrakhan had just returned from his World Tour III as he stepped on stage dressed in an emerald green robe trimmed in gold embroidery, a matching fez and shoes.
“Will American democracy as you know it survive the War of Armageddon, or will Islam survive the War of Armageddon? Which one? Because now, this day, I set before you two signs. You have to make a choice now, whether you are going to obey God or whether you are going to follow Satan. The war is now on. It is not a hot war yet. It’s a war of words, a war of ideas. It is truth against falsehood. It is right against wrong, and the people are being divided based upon their decisions.”
Minister Farrakhan proceeded to uncover the layers of manipulation, deception and control used to dominate global realities.
Among the countries visited by Minister Farrakhan and his delegation were Nigeria, Niger, Mali, South Korea, Cuba, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Russia, Palestine and Iraq.
In Dagestan, within the former Soviet Union, Minister Farrakhan told the crowd of the instructions from a radio tower air traffic controller that if followed by the pilot would have resulted in their aircraft crashing into a mountain and certain death for those on the plane.
“It’s true, they tried to kill us. But God made the pilot to know that there was something wrong with the instructions from the tower,” said Minister Farrakhan.
The plane landed four hours late, but White Muslims from the Caucasus Mountains were waiting with weapons to protect Minister Farrakhan and his delegation.
Minister Farrakhan was joined by longtime friend Kwame Ture and Elmer “Geronimo” Pratt who was released from prison on bail last year after serving 27 years for a murder he did not commit. He also welcomed Muhammad Aziz, a man wrongly imprisoned for over 20 years for the murder of Malcolm X.
1999 “An Apologia”
After explaining his recovery from an illness which caused him to lose 20 pounds in just eight weeks which medical doctors could not accurately diagnose, the Minister delivered a passionate speech which contained a theological defense of Master Fard Muhammad and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s methods and message to Black people in America.
It was an “Apologia” presented to the 20,000 gathered at the McCormick Center in Chicago, Ill. Minister Farrakhan spoke directly to Point #12 of “What the Muslims Believe” which is published in every issue of The Final Call.
2000 “A Celebration of Family”
On February 27 many of those gathered at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., witnessed an incredible sight: Imam Warith Deen Mohammed and Minister Farrakhan together speaking at Saviours’ Day. Both men embraced in a demonstration of unity before a crowd of 25,000 marking the reunification of the Nation of Islam.
“I wanted to say that the Imam and I will be together until death overtakes us and we will work together for the cause of Islam. We will work together for the establishment of Islam. Not only among our people, but to establish Islam in the Americas,” said Min. Farrakhan.
2001 “Make Straight in the Desert a Highway for Our God”
Minister Farrakhan appeared Feb. 25 before a standing room only crowd of 4,000 at Christ Universal Temple in Chicago. Thousands more watched via satellite as he warned of God’s Judgment against America. “To claim the Messiah, to claim the presence of God, there is a work that has to be done. It’s a time now that the little man, the poor, the weak have to be lifted up; and it is the Day of Vengeance. Most of us like to see God and His Christ in milquetoast terms. We like a God that will tolerate us and will not chastise us. I don’t represent that kind of God and if you preach the Gospel, you don’t represent a God like that because there is an end to grace and there is an end to mercy,” he said, in his “Make Straight in the Desert a Highway for Our God” message.
2002 “Healing the Wounds to Bring About a Universal Family”
America’s “insatiable appetite” for oil is pulling the country into ruin, Minister Farrakhan told more than 14,000 people at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles during his February 17 World Saviours’ Day 2002 address titled “Healing the Wounds to Bring About a Universal Family.”
Some of the notable personalities present were NBA great Shaquille O’Neal, former NBA forward now television commentator John Salley, Congressional Black Caucus member Maxine Waters and Native American activist Wauneta Lonewolf.
This Saviours’ Day also featured a West Coast Gang Summit hosted by radio and TV personality Steve Harvey. It brought together many of the leaders of LA’s most well-known street organizations. During the two-hour meeting in Watts, they echoed Minister Farrakhan’s call for peace and vowed to reach other youth involved in destructive activities.
There was also a West Coast Hip Hop Summit at the Four Season’s Hotel in Beverly Hills bringing together many of the notable artists from the West Coast such as DJ Quik, Marion “Suge” Knight, Mack-10, The D.O.C and Kurupt. Russell Simmons and the Hip Hop Summit Action Network worked to bring the voices of West Coast Hip Hop together in an effort to urge the rappers, label executives and music moguls to promote peace.
The weekend featured a spellbinding performance of “The Beethoven Violin Concerto” by Minister Farrakhan at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. Minister Farrakhan told the audience that he intended to perform future concerts in key cities as a way to inspire young Blacks to consider learning how to play classical music and stringed instruments.
For Saviours’ Day 2002, The Final Call also produced a special commemorative magazine highlighting Minister Farrakhan’s 25 years of rebuilding the Nation of Islam.
2003 “America at the Crossroads: War Is Not The Answer”
With America on the brink of war with Iraq, Minister Farrakhan delivered a final pre-warning heard by the capacity crowd at the University of Illinois Pavilion and those viewing in 100 satellite locations across America, the Caribbean, Europe, Canada and Central America on February 23, 2003.
“The United States matches the nations styled in scripture as Babylon, Egypt and Rome and her prophesied downfall for rejection of God’s way begins with the war in Iraq,” said Minister Farrakhan in his message titled, “America at the Crossroads: War Is Not The Answer.”
2004 “Reparations: What Does America and Europe Owe? What Does Allah (God) Promise?”
On February 29, Minister Farrakhan challenged the European and the United States governments to give Black people full justice, or face God’s judgment in his keynote address titled “Reparations: What Does America and Europe Owe? What Does Allah (God) Promise?”
“My desire today is to reach the world with this serious message on the principle of reparations. What does America and Europe owe to Black people? What does Allah (God) promise? In the word “reparation” is the word “repair.” In this sense, repair today will be used not as a noun but as a verb, which means an action taken that will repair damage done. When something is repaired, you bring it from a broken state, back to its original state or its condition. The whole human family is in need of repair.”
2005 “He Came That We May Have Life”
As the Nation of Islam moved towards the 10-year commemoration of the Million Man March, Minister Farrakhan delivered a message of guidance that brought together different ideological streams and schools of thought about how to solve the problems affecting Black people in America and oppressed people worldwide.
“Allah (God) is elevating our consciousness beyond denomination, beyond organizational thrust and ideology to see, by His Grace, the bigger picture,” said Minister Farrakhan in his message titled “He Came That We May Have Life.” It was delivered before a capacity crowd at Christ Universal Temple, in Chicago, and viewed via satellite in over 100 locations worldwide.
A day earlier, Minister Farrakhan was invited to speak at the “State of the Black Union 2005: Defining the African-American Agenda” hosted by Tavis Smiley in Lithonia, Ga. Minister Farrakhan usually does not travel on February 26th or just before he is to deliver a major message. However, the problems facing Black America were so critical, after seeking guidance from Allah, he decided to attend the forum.
“My teacher, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said: ‘Our unity is more powerful than an atomic or hydrogen bomb.’ That’s the one thing we haven’t tried. We’ve kneeled-in, crawled-in, prayed-in, lied-in, slept-in, but still, we’re out,” said Minister Farrakhan as the crowd roared. “If you want to get what you want, we’ve got to start with a contract with us. A contract, a covenant, with us. We in leadership make a covenant with the people that we will never sell them out,” he said.
2006 “The Birth of a Nation”
Surrounded by an atmosphere of intense love and excitement, Minister Louis Farrakhan delivered a 2006 Saviours’ Day keynote address titled “The Birth of a Nation” to nearly 20,000 at the United Center wrapping up an unforgettable weekend in the history of the Nation of Islam.
The weekend featured a “Family Reunion Dinner” hosted by Minister Farrakhan as he invited all the Believers to break bread together. Nearly 6,200 Muslims dined at the McCormick Place conference center, and nearly 2,500 who could not be accommodated received a complementary dinner at the Salaam Restaurant. They returned to hear Minister Farrakhan discuss “The Way We Were,” pointing out the sacrifices of the early followers of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad who laid the foundation for what the Nation of Islam is today.
During Minister Farrakhan’s Saviours’ Day keynote address, he was as strong as ever as his voice rang throughout the United Center.
In a fiery two-hour lecture, Minister Farrakhan spoke candidly about President Bush and his neo-conservative advisers, preachers who are mouthing words void of spirit and those who hypocritically praise God with their lips and songs, yet their actions are far removed from his will.
2007 “One Nation Under God”