Making good a promise he made on WVON’s Cliff Kelley show to lead his
Fruit of Islam (FOI), men of the Nation of Islam (NOI), into the
community, Minister Louis Farrakhan late Monday night led 300 men into
the streets urging youth to stop the violence and the killing and to
take the 1995 Million Man March pledge that advocated unity,
atonement, reconciliation and responsibility. Anti-violence marches
were simultaneously held last Monday by the FOI in 130 cities across
America beginning at 7 p.m. and there will be more “street heat”
applied in an effort to stem the violence. On October 16, 2012, it
will be 17-years since Farrakhan held his historic Million Man March
in Washington, D.C. where 2 million mostly men pledged to become
better men and to improve their communities and their relationships.
Today, there have been a number of killings in the Auburn-Gresham
community that prompted Saint Sabina’s Father Michael L. Pfleger to
hold weekly Friday 6:30 p.m. marches throughout the community
including stores that are selling loose and packages of cigarettes to
minors and selling out-dated food.
However, while Pfleger has been trying to secure a peace treaty and
unity among the gangs, he said the gangs have threatened to kill him.
Asked his opinion about the three gangs that have reportedly put a hit
out on Pfleger, Leonard Muhammad, Minister Farrakhan’s representative,
said, “Father Pfleger is a servant of all mighty God as is Minister
Louis Farrakhan. Minister Farrakhan and Father Pfleger have been under
threats from very different orders of evil people throughout their
careers. “When God is with you, it’s more than the whole world against
you, and I believe God is with Father Pfleger and of course we are,
too,” said Muhammad. “I don’t think any harm will come to my brother,
but every day that we go out, according to what Minister Farrakhan
told us the other day when we were concerned about his leading us into
the community, he said when I do something like this I go out prepared
to die.
I go out prepared that harm will come to me even though I don’t
believe that God would permit it and I think that Father Mike is the
same.” Muhammad said to those wanting to harm Pfleger for his
consistent marches against violence, “Anybody who would be so foolish
to try and harm a servant like this, that that you intend for
evil…will come on you. This is history and prophecy and I believe it
is true from the past and I think the same thing is true today.” But,
Muhammad said Minister Farrakhan is worried about the level of
violence that is gripping not just the Auburn-Gresham community but
also the entire city of Chicago. Minister Farrakhan is worried about
creating an atmosphere “that ultimately will increase the number of
our young people who will not live to become adults.” Muhammad added,
“because of the community, the law enforcement and other forces are
now fed up with us, our young men in particular, they are now willing
to take any measure to stop them from their anti-social and violent
behavior that they are engaging in.”
Referring to those who are shooting, killing and maiming people
including innocent children, Muhammad said, “It’s a warning to them
that if they want a future and if they want to live, then they have to
do what we asked them to do during the Million Man March—to become
productive and serious people dedicated to” keeping peace and order in
their own community. Asked if the answer to reducing violence is the
resurrection of the spirit of the 1995 Million Man March, Muhammad
referred to the flyer they passed out late Monday night that included
the pledge taken at the Million Man March. “During the Million Man
March and after in 1995 there was a decrease in anti-social, negative
and violent behavior within our community,” recalled Muhammad.
“Unfortunately, the society, the government, parents and people who
are responsible to develop the young did not seize the opportunity to
keep the ball rolling. “The Nation of Islam is a national and
international organization. The problem that we have in the black
community cannot be solved by us alone, should not be solved by us
alone but should and can be solved with the coming together by the
total of our community,” Muhammad said. Asked if he believes that
could ever happen, Muhammad said, “I believe that it can happen
because the need is so great.” In passing out the flyers, Muhammad
said as they walked throughout the community he noticed people were
taking those flyers “to heart” and did not discard the flyers, which
had a message to them from Minister Farrakhan. “The demand is going to
come for unity to solve this problem.
I believe the people are already making that demand and in a very
short while the leaders will get that message and I think there will
be a major coming together without the regard for religion and for
race,” he said. “As this violence continues, the reputation of the
city of Chicago and the tourism and the revenue that they expect will
all suffer because of this violence that people are afraid to visit
here for fear they may be harmed. It’s in everybody’s interested, all
the citizens of the city in particular the black citizens those of us
who want to see our people with a future. It’s incumbent upon us to
work together to solve this problem,” said Muhammad. Farrakhan said
the NOI would continue these anti-violence marches that will be also
held on the West Side and other hot spot areas. “There will be
efforts made in the very different communities in the weeks to come,”
Muhammad said. “We’re asking for the prayers and the support for
Minister Farrakhan and their encouragement of him because he truly is
a very respected and trusted individual within our community. “When
you see adult people crying at the sight of him coming into the
community to show concern for them, this is something very unusual for
adult people today.
That is what Minister Farrakhan experienced” last Monday. Ald. Latasha
Thomas (17th), who joined Farrakhan on the march late Monday night,
said she asked him to take a more pro-active role the night Farrakhan
reopened the Salaam Restaurant. “This is the first of many marches
that he’ll be doing throughout the city and he wanted to kick it off
with me. I am honored that he would do that and elated that he would
support the community….”
When asked what is the problem in the Auburn-Gresham community given
all of the shootings and killings that are going on, Thomas explained
that: “There is one gang but three facets of the gang and they are at
war for territory. It’s our community. It shouldn’t be anybody
else’s,” she said. Asked if the Nation of Islam’s presence will stem
the violence, Thomas said, “I think what it does is to support the
community and give them health and courage to get out there. They will
be back. The Nation of Islam didn’t just do that one march. They’re
coming back to have a presence in the community.” When contacted,
Saint Sabina’s Father Michael L. Pfleger said he was pleased with
Farrakhan’s taking more than 300 Fruit of Islam (Nation of Islam men)
out into the street to call for peace. ““I think it’s great. It
excites me. It encourages me. I think that the Nation can be the
turning factor in the community” with their involvement. “I think that
this is exactly what we need. Saint Sabina has been doing it, the
Nation’s doing it; churches and mosques go back out into the street.
I think that is the missing ingredient that will stop the violence. I
just can’t express enough my gratitude to the minister for making this
decisions to that the Nation of Islam out into the street. “We are in
a very serious time and needs the serious commitment that the Nation
brings to help us,” said Pfleger. Minister Farrakhan is asking the
youth in the community to honor the 1995 Million Man March pledge:
The Million Man March Pledge(Text of the pledge that the Honorable
Minister Louis Farrakhan led over two million Black men in taking at
the historic Million Man March in Washington, D.C. on October 16,
1995.)
I PLEDGE that from this day forward I will strive to love my brother
as I love myself. I, from this day forward, will strive to improve
myself spiritually, morally, mentally, socially, politically and
economically for the benefit of myself, my family and my people.
I PLEDGE that I will strive to build businesses, build houses, build
hospitals, build factories and enter into international trade for the
good of myself, my family and my people.
I PLEDGE that from this day forward I will never raise my hand with a
knife or a gun to beat, cut, or shoot any member of my family or any
human being except in self-defense.
I PLEDGE from this day forward I will never abuse my wife by striking
her, disrespecting her, for she is the mother of my children and the
producer of my future.
I PLEDGE that from this day forward I will never engage in the abuse
of children, little boys or little girls for sexual gratification. For
I will let them grow in peace to be strong men and women for the
future of our people.
I WILL NEVER again use the ‘B word' to describe any female. But
particularly my own Black sister.
I PLEDGE from this day forward that I will not poison my body with
drugs or that which is destructive to my health and my well-being.
I PLEDGE from this day forward I will support Black newspapers, Black
radio, Black television. I will support Black artists who clean up
their acts to show respect for themselves and respect for their people
and respect for the ears of the human family.
I will do all of this so help me God.
