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