Minister Farrakhan On Making December 25th A "Holyday"

From Minister Farrakhan's Historic December 22, 1999 Press Conference

"We must try to end the cycle of violence and the cycle of hatred. Therefore, I am asking that on December 25th, the day that Christians are celebrating the Birthday of Jesus Christ, that all of humanity, all of the revealed religions of the world, come together on that day, whether it be in your home, your place of worship, the prisons, or wherever you may be, stop, and make a sincere supplication to Almighty God Allah to pray for a change in ourselves so that our prayers and the action of repentance or turning from the way of wickedness that has produced hatred, strife and violence between man and woman and man and man may bring Peace in the New Year and in the New Century.

Why December 25th? It is a day that all Christians observe as a holiday, and, since the Western Powers predominantly rule in the world it is a day that mostly everyone is off from work. A billion and a quarter Christians will be off from their work; a billion and a quarter Muslims are celebrating Ramadan and every religious entity on earth is practicing the principle of prayer. However, we are asking that this Christmas not be observed with drunkenness, frivolity, filth and foolishness mocking the Holy name of Jesus the Christ. We are asking that Santa Claus be put in his proper place. Santa Claus is a falsehood. Jesus Christ is the truth and came into the world to bring truth and falsehood and truth can not coexist together. We are asking that Santa Claus does not take the place of the meaning of the birth, life, ministry, and death of Jesus the Christ. We are asking that the giving of gifts and trinkets to one another not dare be in our minds greater than the gift of Allah (God) of Jesus the Christ and the gift of eternal life and the gift of salvation that He brought. There is no comparison.

On the 25th, instead of making it a holiday we are asking to make it a Holy Day. And, since we, as Muslims, are celebrating Ramadan—fasting and praying during the day—we can not get up from our prayers not recognizing that the Qur’an is a healing. So we must go out from Ramadan into the world to heal the social ills in our country, in our society and in our families. The Jewish people have just come through Hanukkah. And the day after Christmas begins the celebration of Kwanzaa. I am asking and we are asking that on the 25th we devote this day to sincere prayer and to the reunion of our families. Prayer for a change in ourselves. Prayer for a change in the Rulers of the World. Prayer for a change in the World so that prayer and the action of turning away from the wickedness of ourselves may bring peace in the New Year and the New Century. The alternative to this is horrible, for, it is to fulfill what the Prophets have predicted.

I pray that Allah (God) will bless each and every one of us to end this year, this century, and this millennium of discord and strife and hatred and war in a way that we may go into the New Century and the New Millennium with the renewing of our minds and with a renewed spirit that we might enter the New Century in Peace and as Peacemakers.

The Scriptures read, "Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God." So, I wish, and we wish, all Christians, not a Merry Christmas, but, a Joyous Holy Day in remembrance of the meaning of the life of Jesus Christ. I wish, and we wish, the Jewish people, not only a Happy Hanukkah, but, the purification of the real temple of the Living God, our own bodies. I wish, and we wish, the Muslims a blessed Ramadan. And to all who observe the seven principles of Kwanzaa, a Happy and productive Kwanzaa.

May this bring us all to a New Beginning in this New Century and this New Millennium.

Thank you for listening."

Sunday, December 24, 2000