Theology Thursdays: Minister Louis Farrakhan Calls For Delegation Of Religious And Political Leaders To Visit Guantanamo Detention Facility

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.

The recent furor allegedly created by a Newsweek article that stated that the Holy Book of the Muslims (The Qurán) was flushed in a toilet and that this was responsible for the demonstrations and, riots that have taken place in many parts of the Muslim World is at best only partly true.

The article in and of itself was a trigger, but the real truth is that the detainees that have left Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq, and Guantanamo Base in Cuba and other facilities have complained that American and British soldiers and other Foreign Nationals have been grossly disrespectful and filled with hatred for Islam, Muslims, Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), and, the Holy Qurán.

The hatred of the American government in the Arab and Muslim World is not just due to an article in Newsweek Magazine, but, it is the policies of the government of the United States that have incensed the whole Arab and Muslim World.

Although Newsweek Magazine is backing down from the story that it published due to tremendous governmental pressure, the truth still remains that there is gross disrespect of the culture and way of life that Muslims strive to follow as guided by the Holy Qurán and the example of Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (Peace Be Upon Him).

Currently, this anti-Muslim behavior has its roots high up in the Government of the United States of America and is being preached from various pulpits by certain highly influential Christian leaders.

We have seen and heard from the time of 911 many respected Christian leaders saying that Islam is a religion of violence and hatred, and, that the Religion of Islam sees Christians and Jews as infidels and teaches that they should be killed, and, also that the God of Islam or the God of Muslims is the devil. This has created an atmosphere of hatred fanned by the media that causes Muslims to be persecuted as we move about doing our daily work pursuing our careers or just being normal citizens who believe in the Religion of Islam.

The Muslim community in America are some of the most law abiding, well behaved citizens in this country. Muslim scholars have added much to academia, medicine, science and technology, business, banking, paying into the tax structure, and added much to this economy, while at the same time have to suffer injustice and abuse trying to travel in the country or out of it being harassed when returning.

Many Muslims who support the Intifadah (uprising of the Palestinian youth) or Hamas or organizations that see themselves as fighting against illegal occupation of land and territory because of the power of the Government of the United States and to label these as terrorists, these Muslims who give charity to these organizations are prosecuted, persecuted and are now being sent to prison or deported. This gross injustice must not and will not be tolerated.

The disrespect of the Holy Qurán, a Book believed in by 1,600,000,000 Muslims, is unacceptable. In truth, however, there are many Muslims who will not read the Bible and have shown disrespect for the scriptures of the Bible. When we disrespect what Allah (God) has revealed through His Prophets, we are also being disrespectful of the people who believe in that scripture.

This is why, in today’s context, the work of the Messiah is so important, because in the Qurán Allah (God) says that (the Messiah) will be taught Al-Kitab (The Book) – Qurán, and, he will be taught the wisdom, the Torah, the Gospel or the Injil.

Why would the Messiah be taught the wisdom of the Qurán, the Torah and the Injil? It must be because His Mission is the unification of all of the children of Abraham, Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Each Book, the Torah, Injil and Qurán were revealed for the elevation of human beings, that we may, by following such Guidance reclaim the original position that the Creator intended for human beings.

From the Biblical point of view that position is to be a reflection of the Creator and to rule His Creation by His Guidance and Permission.

From the Quránic point of view, the original position is to be Khalifah or one who stands in the place of Allah (God) to rule His Creation also by His Guidance and Permission.

So, should not the human being for whom these Books are revealed be looked upon as equal in importance or even more important than the Books revealed for our evolutionary development?

The Qurán that is being flushed in a toilet has no feeling. The Qurán that is urinated upon has no feeling and nothing that anyone does to the Qur’an, sitting on it, standing on it, kicking it diminishes the Power of the Word contained in this Book to transform human life. This manifests gross ignorance, contempt and hatred of those who do this for a Book that was revealed for the elevation of all human beings. Should we rise up because of the desecration and disrespect of the Qurán? Yes, but, we should rise even more so when we see the persecution of those who believe in the Book because they have feelings and it is they who can feel torture and pain, and, not the disrespect of this Holy Book, and, it was for them for whom the Book was revealed?

For the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld and the Secretary of State, Condelezza Rice to say, ‘How terrible was the article in Newsweek, which they say was false that lead to the killing of 17 persons and the wounding of hundreds more," but how much more heinous and evil was it for bombs to be dropped on a Muslim and Christian population of Iraqi and Afghanistan, and killing tens and thousands of Iraqis and Afghans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Afghans wounded and nearly 17 hundred Americans killed and thousands of American soldiers wounded on the basis of a lie? Which is worse? What Newsweek did or what the Government of the United States did?

Yes, we are insulted when the Qurán is disrespected, but as followers of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad we are equally insulted when the Bible or Torah is disrespected, and, all of us who love Allah (God) and what is revealed are insulted when any Divine Revelation is spat upon and desecrated, but, what is even more horrible is to see the slaughter of human beings over words in a Book that cannot express feelings and pain.

Even if the Newsweek Article is retracted, the Red Cross has issued similar reports, the Human Rights Watch, Doctors without Borders, and other reports have been ignored. So, as Muslims we say enough is enough. We are mobilizing the Arab and Muslim Countries to say to the Government of the United States, if these Muslims are guilty charge them and try them, but to hold them for years without a charge is inhumane and unjust and we in the Muslim Ummah cannot tolerate this. We are asking that you try them and if you have no charge let them go to their people or their homes.

So, to stop this furor, we are asking the Government of the United States to allow a delegation of Muslims, Christians, Hebrews, and, Jews, led by members of the United States Congress, to visit Guantanamo and speak to some of the detainees, and, should we find that these allegations are true, then the Government must take steps to correct this so that America’s image in the World will not be further sullied and the repair of damaged relationships can begin.


The above is the press statement of The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan released on May 25, 2005, during a press conference held to address the furor that erupted after a May 9 Newsweek article reported Qur'anic desecration at the U.S. Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba.

That press conference can be watched in its entirety, along with a question and answer period, at: http://www.finalcall.com/webcast/05%2D25%2D2005/