Jamaat al-Muslimeen International Press Release
(From Br. Ather Masood, Chicago, JAM-NOI Coordinator)
Historic Statement by Minister Farrakhan on Dr. Omar Abdel Rahman
Speech at Masjid Maryam, Chicago
"The better person among you is one who does not allow his people
to be oppressed but does not join them in sin." Prophet Muhammad, pbuh
Hadith, Sunan Abu Dawud
"When a person expresses love for his Muslim brother, tell him that I
(the Prophet) love him (for doing so)" (Muhammad, pbuh, Abu Dawud)
"Islam, as a general declaration of liberation of humans from slavery
to
humans, has always confronted tyrants who subjugate people, regimes
that are
established on forcing people to worship other people. Such regimes are
protected by the state ... which prevents its people from listening to
the
Islamic call." Dr. Omar Abdel Rahman, in his Ph.D dissertation, quoted
by
Nadrat Siddique in The Abd' Al Rahman Report September 1995
An event of historic importance took place in Chicago on June 3,
2001.
During his speech on the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Minister and
Imam
Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam (NOI), spoke out against
the
imprisonment of Shaikh Omar 'Abdel Rahman.
Shaikh Omar, Ph.D from Al-Azhar University, is the spiritual
leader of
Egypt's mass Islamic movement, al-Gamaa al-Islamiyya. A Jewish judge
named
Michael Mukasey sentenced Shaikh Omar to life and 65 years in prison
on
fabricated conspiracy to commit "terrorism".
Dr. Abdel-Rahman, who is blind and diabetic and does not know
English, is
being held in solitary confinement in a cell in Rochester, Minnesota.
The
U.S. government so scared the Muslim leaders of America that they dared
not
challenge his imprisonment and did not dare to even ask permission to
visit
him.
In that context, Minister Farrakhan's speech is indeed
history-making and
history-shattering. The Minister spoke out in his inimitable style
against
the imprisonment and mistreatment of Shaikh Omar. Hundreds of Muslims
at
Masjid Maryam listened to the Minister with rapt attention.
A beautiful aspect of the Minister's speech is that his speech
will,
inshallah, be a uniting factor for the divided immigrant and indigenous
Muslim communities. Here we have a top African-American Islamic leader
speaking in support of a top Egyptian Islamic leader. Unite, Unite O
MUSLIMs
and People of Conscience!
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Br. Ather later met the Minister and learned that legal papers are
being
filed for the Minister to meet the Shaikh. This is a big challenge
because
the government has sealed off the Shaikh from all visitors. Minister
Farrakhan is saying that he has a right to meet the Shaikh and find out
for
himself how he is being treated and why is he being treated in this
extraordinarily harsh way.
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Br. Ather Masood is one of the most active Muslims in the Chicago
area
and a moving spirit among the Muslim youth. He writes for New Trend
magazine
and his writings have helped to remove misinformation about the role of
the
Hon. Elijah Muhammad.
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It should be mentioned that on the occasion of Minister
Farrakhan's
visit to Lincoln University, where he received a tumultuous welcome,
Dr.
Kaukab Siddique begged him to put his tremendous influence and moral
power in
the struggle to stop the suffering of Shaikh Omar. Minister Farrakhan
promised that he would. Alhamdulillah, now we see a real leader who is
unafraid of American power and keeps his promise. (Br. Kaukab is
Convenor of
the Committee to Free Shaikh Omar 'Abdel Rahman, which was founded by
Sis.
Nadrat Siddique.)
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Come to our International Islamic Symposium at Morgan State University,
Baltimore, on June 23. The following famous Egyptian activists have
confirmed
that they will be there:
Br. Ahmed Abdel Sattar, (Staten Island, NY) representative of Shaikh
Omar.
Br. Nabeel El-Masry, (New Jersey) a very close associate of the Shaikh.
His
wife was the Shaikh's physician.
Br. Nasser Ahmed, (Brooklyn, NY) who was imprisoned for almost 4 years
under
"secret evidence" because he was against the oppressive treatment of
the
Shaikh and critical of the Mubarak regime.
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www.NewTrendMag.org
Go to Java frames and click on "news" to register for the symposium.
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2001-06-11 Mon 18:29ct