Palestinian farmers plant the first olive tree ahead of the replant of a 10 dunam, 2.5 acres, of land with 250 olive trees, part of the joint Freedom Farm project of the Palestinian Farmers Union and the Treedom for Palestine 2025 in memory of President Jimmy Carter, in the West Bank city of Tulkarem Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Nabil)
TULKAREM, West Bank—Palestinian activists and residents planted a grove of 250 olive trees in a northern West Bank town on Jan. 13 in memory of the late U.S. President Jimmy Carter, describing him as a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.
The former president’s legacy is “rooted” among Palestinians and across the globe, said Abbas Melhem, executive manager of the Palestinian Farmers Union. Mr. Carter was one of the few world leaders who “stood firmly supporting the struggle of the Palestinians for independence and for freedom,” he said.
Under clear winter skies, Palestinian kids helped a handful of adults place the trees into newly dug holes. Melhem said the 10-dunam (2.5-acre) grove in the city of Tulkarem, titled “Freedom Farm,” would be fenced in to protect it from wildlife or extremist Jewish settlers, who have attacked Palestinian olive trees in the past.
Mr. Carter, who died last month at the age of 100, brokered the Camp David peace accords between Israel and Egypt in 1978.
---
In his later years, Carter was highly critical of Israel’s military rule over the Palestinians, saying conditions in the occupied West Bank amounted to apartheid. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, and the Palestinians want it to form the main part of their future state.
“I think planting olive trees that live at least 100 years old like him is a very suitable way to honor his life and his legacy,” said George Zeidan, the Carter Center’s Director in Israel and Palestine. (AP)
Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani met on Jan. 8 with the speaker of the Iranian Islamic Consultative Assembly, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, at the Iranian Parliament building. Photo: Iraqi Prime Minister Media Office/Facebook
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani visited Iran on January 8 where the two countries discussed strengthening regional unity to resist all forms of external interference while increasing their mutual cooperation and communication.
During his meeting with the Iraqi delegation, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian proposed the creation of a “joint economic zone” between the two countries, emphasizing that Iraq is “an important neighbor and strategic partner for Iran.”
Al-Sudani’s visit to Iran comes months after Pezeshkian visited Baghdad in September during his first diplomatic trip after assuming office.
---
The Iraqi Prime Minister also met Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, who reportedly expressed concern about the U.S. solidifying its military presence in Iraq. Khamenei emphasized that such actions should not be accepted and reiterated Iran’s call for the complete withdrawal of all foreign troops from the region.
Iran has long raised the issue of the presence of foreign troops in the region and called for their complete withdrawal. It considers the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq illegal and a threat to regional peace and security.
U.S. forces first entered Iraq during the 2003 invasion. The forces prolonged their occupation of the country and then further extended it following threats from ISIS. However, after the official defeat of ISIS in 2017, popular mobilizations against the foreign troops in the country increased pressure on the U.S. and other countries to withdraw their forces, reducing their numbers drastically.
The Iraqi parliament adopted a resolution in 2020 that forced the U.S. to withdraw most of its forces. The resolution came after the assassination of senior Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and PMF leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis by the U.S. in a drone attack in Baghdad on January 3.
In December 2021, the U.S. announced the end of its combat mission in the country, claiming that its remaining forces, around 2,500 troops, were only there for training purposes.
Iran just marked the fifth anniversary of Soleimani’s assassination. Recognizing his contributions in resistance against imperialist forces and terrorist groups such as ISIS. President Pezeshkian said that Soleimani “stood up to defend the oppressed in every corner of the world.
Including in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, regardless of people’s religion, personal taste and views” and called him a symbol of honor for the Iranian nation.
Khamenei has praised Soleimani’s role in helping Iraq fight ISIS in the past. On January 8, he also acknowledged the development and security efforts undertaken by the Iraqi government since then, saying,
“the more prosperous and secure Iraq is, the better it will be for the benefit of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” and praised the unity among various sects in Iraq as a sign of stability and peace, Press TV reported.
However, Khamenei also asked al-Sudani to strengthen the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), known as Hashd al-Shaabi. He called it “a significant pillar of national resilience” and praised its role in the resistance.
PMF is a militia now attached to the Iraqi army. It played a significant role in the defeat of ISIS in 2017 and has opposed the presence of foreign troops in the country by carrying out repeated attacks on their bases. It is one of the central parts of the Axis of Resistance in Iraq and has also carried out attacks against Israel in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Al-Sudani acknowledged PMF’s role in Iraqi politics, calling it one of the important components of power in the country along with the people and religious authorities.
The Iraqi prime minister agreed with Iran’s concerns about instability in Syria and the wars in Gaza and Lebanon. He emphasized that greater unity among the countries in the region and an end to all kinds of external interference is necessary for a sustainable peace.
This photo shows an immigration detention center where Uyghur detainees are held in Bangkok, Thailand, Jan. 11. Photo: AP Photo
BANGKOK—A group of Uyghur men who were detained in Thailand over a decade ago say that the Thai government is preparing to deport them to China, alarming activists and family members who say the men are at risk of abuse and torture if they are sent back.
In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, 43 Uyghur men held in Bangkok made a public appeal to halt what they called an imminent threat of deportation.
“We could be imprisoned, and we might even lose our lives,” the letter said. “We urgently appeal to all international organizations and countries concerned with human rights to intervene immediately to save us from this tragic fate before it is too late.”
The Uyghurs are a Turkic, majority Muslim ethnicity native to China’s far west Xinjiang region. After decades of conflict with Beijing over discrimination and suppression of their cultural identity, the Chinese government launched a brutal crackdown on the Uyghurs that some Western governments deem as genocide.
---
Hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs, possibly a million or more, were swept into camps and prisons, with former detainees reporting abuse, disease, and in some cases, death.
Over 300 Uyghurs fleeing China were detained in 2014 by Thai authorities near the Malaysian border. In 2015, Thailand deported 109 detainees to China against their will, prompting an international outcry.
Photo: Google Maps
Another group of 173 Uyghurs, mostly women and children, were sent to Turkey, leaving 53 Uyghurs stuck in Thai immigration detention and seeking asylum. Since then, five have died in detention, including two children.
Of the 48 still detained by Thai authorities, five are serving prison terms after a failed escape attempt. It is unclear whether they face the same fate as those in immigration detention.
Advocates and relatives describe harsh conditions in immigration detention. They say the men are fed poorly, kept in overcrowded concrete cells with few toilets, denied sanitary goods like toothbrushes or razors, and are forbidden contact with relatives, lawyers, and international organizations.
The Thai government’s treatment of the detainees may constitute a violation of international law, according to a February 2024 letter sent to the Thai government by United Nations human rights experts.
The immigration police said they have been trying to take care of the detainees as best as they could.
Recordings and chat records obtained exclusively by the AP show that on Jan. 8, the Uyghur detainees were asked to sign voluntary deportation papers by Thai immigration officials.
The move panicked detainees, as similar documents were presented to the Uyghurs deported to China in 2015. The detainees refused to sign.
In this photo provided on condition of anonymity, Uyghur detainees who say they are facing deportation back to China where they fear persecution sit in a immigra-tion detention center in Bangkok, Thailand, in February 2024. Photo: AP Photo
Three people, including a Thai lawmaker and two others in touch with Thai authorities, told the AP there have been recent discussions within the government about deporting the Uyghurs to China, though the people had not yet seen or heard of any formal directive to do so.
Two of the people said that Thai officials pushing for the deportations are choosing to do so now because this year is the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China, and because of the perception that backlash from Washington will be muted as the U.S. prepares for a presidential transition in less than two weeks.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity in order to describe sensitive internal discussions. The Thai and Chinese foreign ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Beijing says the Uyghurs are jihadists, but has not presented evidence. Uyghur activists and rights groups say the men are innocent and expressed alarm over their possible deportation, saying they face persecution, imprisonment, and possible death back in China.
“There’s no evidence that the 43 Uyghurs have committed any crime,” said Peter Irwin, Associate Director for Research and Advocacy at the Uyghur Human Rights Project. “The group has a clear right not to be deported and they’re acting within international law by fleeing China.”
On January 18 morning, the detention center where the Uyghurs are being held was quiet. A guard told a visiting AP journalist the center was closed until January 20.
Two people with direct knowledge of the matter told the AP that all of the Uyghurs detained in Thailand submitted asylum applications to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which the AP verified by reviewing copies of the letters. The U.N. agency acknowledged receipt of the applications but has been barred from visiting the Uyghurs by the Thai government to this day, the people said.
The discussions of possible deportation had also reached the UN.
“We heard the unconfirmed reports as well and promptly checked with the authorities who have assured us to the contrary,” said Babar Baloch, a spokesperson for UNHCR. “We continue to remind the authorities of their obligations on non-refoulement and to advocate for alternatives to detention.”
The principle of non-refoulement, under international law, states that no one should be returned to a country where they may face torture.
Relatives of three of the Uyghurs detained told the AP that they were worried about the safety of their loved ones.
“We are all in the same situation—constant worry and fear,” said Bilal Ablet, whose elder brother is detained in Thailand. “World governments all know about this, but I think they’re pretending not to see or hear anything because they’re afraid of Chinese pressure.”
Ablet added that Thai officials told his brother no other government was willing to accept the Uyghurs, though an April 2023 letter authored by the chairwoman of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand first leaked to the New York Times Magazine and independently seen by the AP said there are “countries that are ready to take these detainees to settle down.”
Abdullah Muhammad, a Uyghur living in Turkey, said his father Muhammad Ahun is one of the men detained in Thailand. Muhammad says though his father crossed into Thailand illegally, he was innocent of any other crime and had already paid fines and spent over a decade in detention.
“I don’t understand what this is for. Why?” Muhammad said. “We have nothing to do with terrorism and we have not committed any terrorism.” (AP)
From left: Bashirou Seck, Brother Jehron Muhammad and Dr. Mujahid Nyahuma pose for photo. Photo courtesy of Albert Muhammad
This week we focus on a recent, January 5, Zoom discussion from Senegal with Bachirou Seck, CEO of a Dakar-based firm. He also serves as Chief Advisor to the Office of Special Envoy of the Republic of Sierra Leone Ambassador Waleed Shamsid-Deen.
The discussion also included Philadelphia-based Dr. Mujahid Nyahuma, adjunct professor at Rowan University and co-director of Global Africans. Nyahuma is a member of the Delaware African Affairs Commission.
The wide-ranging discussion with Africa Watch included acknowledgment of the Nation of Islam’s historical impact via its weekly news organs Muhammad Speaks (1961-1975) and, more recently, The Final Call on coverage of liberation struggles around the globe and their reporting on geo-political and geo-economics, with a special emphasis on Africa and Africans in the diaspora.
Also included in the discussion was an update on Senegal’s new administration, including its new parliament and its youthful president, the 44-year-old Bassirou Dismay Faye.
---
The discussion opened with Mr. Seck, from his home in Dakar, thanking The Final Call for being featured in a previous edition of the weekly Africa Watch column for telling his “African story.” (See The Final Call, Vol. 44 No. 11)
“To be able to have the opportunity to just have my story told in The Final Call was something that was really groundbreaking here in Senegal, and even in the U.S. because I shared it with people in the United States and they were really, really impressed, and they were really, really satisfied and happy because this is a story that needs to be told,” said Mr. Seck, a graduate of Cheikh Anta Diop University.
“I think this is a long time coming—call it a dream come true. To be able to have our story told by our own people, to just write our own narrative.
In addition, this interview was put into that package that is definitely instrumental in highlighting people who are working to bridge the gap (between Africans and Africans in the diaspora) and helping people come back to the continent,” he added.
During the conversation, Dr. Nyahuma discussed the global impact of Muhammad Speaks “which predated the internet,” this columnist pointed out. “I’d like to add to that, the Muhammad Speaks was also the liberation newspaper for the national liberation struggle in Africa.
Everyone was reading Muhammad Speaks in terms of being up to date, (on) what was happening in Mozambique, (in) Angola, Guinea (and) Southern Africa,” said Dr. Nyahuma.
“In addition to that, what was happening in terms of liberation movements that were taking place in other parts of the world. And I think that you fit it really adequately that we did not have internet.”
Mr. Seck also commented on the top of the front cover that appeared on each Muhammad Speaks, which included a graphic of two Black men grasping each other’s hands, stretched out across a partial map of the world. “It’s really important.
I think from that time it was like a lot of efforts being made through the connection. Now it’s happening. We’re no longer stretching our arms but we are definitely shaking hands, and we should really report it.”
“Thanks to the work of people like Rev. Dr. Leon Sullivan and his biannual African African-American Summits and the work on the continent by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and others … like religious leaders from Senegal who travel very often to the U.S. to build this connection, has been instrumental in building that bridge,” he continued.
Mr. Seck also shared that Muhammad Speaks was a platform then and today, The Final Call is a platform “to raise awareness of our people, especially in America on international geopolitics. And I think this is one of the reasons why Malcolm X was killed. To me because he was able to internationalize the struggle.”
Concerning recent developments in the West African country of Senegal, Seck explained that the country is writing a new page in the African mission.
“After 64 years of those so-called independents (former administrations) awarded to France to its former corporate interest, this is the very first time that we elect a government based on a project that really wants to break up or renegotiate our relationship with France,” he said.
“A project that is fostering sovereignty over all aspects of the life of our nation, including education, including the management of our natural resources, including our international relations. We are no longer under the yoke of France.”
President Faye, who won more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round of the March 2024 elections, and his Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, recently took control of parliament in snap parliamentary elections held in November.
During President Faye’s December 31 address to the nation, he said, “As of now, I have instructed the Minister of the Armed Forces to propose a new doctrine of cooperation in defense and, involving, among other consequences, the end of all foreign military presences in Senegal, starting in 2025.”
The Senegalese diaspora sends over $2.9 billion in remittances annually to Senegal, representing about 12 percent of the country’s GDP, according to ecofinagency.com. “This amount surpasses both foreign direct investments and public development aid,” the website states. PM Sonko has proposed a diaspora bank to enhance investments and lower transfer costs.
According to Seck, with the government now controlling parliament, “the Faye administration is encouraging Senegalese nationals and the diaspora to come and take over the business of running the country.”
During Faye’s speech, he announced the launch of a new program allowing every Senegalese to apply for public positions in competition or to propose projects and investment opportunities. He also mentioned the introduction of four bills on transparency and good governance, which will be submitted to the National Assembly.
Senior citizens in Cuba can be seen doing everything from musical performances, to running a business, and making the most out of retirement.
HAVANA, CUBA—Aging looks good in this city—from classic cars to 80-year-old men playing the drums. Seniors can be seen doing everything from musical performances, to running a business, and making the most out of retirement.
In spite of the American embargo that has produced economic hardships, humanitarian concerns, and technological limitations, the current life expectancy in Cuba is nearly 80 years compared to 77.5 years in America.
The current life expectancy in Cuba is nearly 80 years compared to 77.5 years in America.
According to the National Office of Statistics and Information in their publication “The Aging of the Population: Cuba and its Territories 2023,” nearly 25 percent of Cubans were aged 60 or older by the end of 2023.
“Everybody has to walk and climb stairs here,” D.C. activist and frequent traveler to Cuba Luci Murphy told The Final Call. “There are not a lot of elevators or escalators. The best way to get around is by walking. That keeps people fit into their 70s, 80s and 90s.
---
You still see people working in their 70s, 80s and 90s, and they don’t look 70, 80 or 90. The blockade has kept modern technology out and they haven’t been able to develop their own industry because they’re not able to import some necessary raw materials.”
Cuban culture is big on family and the embargo has forced many young people to leave the island for better opportunities. That leaves many seniors by themselves without traditional cultural familial support.
Helen Cairo Madrazo, a former educator, is now a senior citizen living on a modest monthly allowance. She experienced the revolution as a young girl and has spent her adulthood under the U.S. trade restrictions. Her residence, inherited from her uncle, is a compact space comparable to a college dorm room, featuring just one window.
“It’s difficult being old in Cuba,” she told The Final Call. “Things can be very hard here. People love their families but sanctions are forcing people to leave. Mainly to the USA, but also to Venezuela, Ecuador, Spain, and Mexico. Some even travel to Russia—anywhere they can find opportunities.”
While young people are leaving, classic cars are there to stay. Glance down any main street in downtown Havana and see a range of classics from a 1957 Chevy Bel Air Convertible to a 1955 Ford Fairlane to Buick Roadmaster or a Cadillac DeVille. It’s a car collector’s paradise.
Before the embargo, Cuba was one of the largest importers of American vehicles, with brands like Chevrolet, Ford, and Buick dominating the market. The embargo cut off Cuba’s access to new cars and car parts from the United States. When imports ceased, the cars already on the island became indispensable.
The U.S. embargo cut off Cuba’s access to new cars and car parts from the U.S. After the revolution, Cubans learned quickly how to repair and maintain the cars that they had on the island.
Guillermo Duran drives a 1958 baby blue Plymouth Savoy. He rents his car, gives rides and lets tourists take pictures in his car for a small fee. He told The Final Call, “After the revolution, we learned quickly how to repair and maintain the cars that we had. We couldn’t get new cars or parts. We became our own auto repair stations.”
With no access to official replacement parts, Cubans developed remarkable skills in repairing and maintaining their classic cars. They fabricate parts from scratch, repurpose parts from Soviet cars, trucks, and even household items.
They even adapt engines—many classic cars now have diesel engines from Soviet or European vehicles, as they are more fuel-efficient and easier to maintain.
Classic cars have become a symbol of Cuban identity and resilience. These vehicles are cherished as part of the country’s cultural and historical fabric, representing an era before the embargo and the dramatic changes that followed the revolution.
As we enter the New Year, it is wise to consider the previous year and lessons to be learned. The New Year can also bring up new vision and inspiration about what we would like to accomplish in 2025 as we seek to make progress and do better.
Black America in 2024 faced again serious challenges and were haunted by old struggles we have endured during our sojourn in North America for nearly 500 years now.
We saw rising racism, violence within our community, racial and police attacks outside of our community, the rise of right-wing, anti-Black politics and rhetoric coming from the Supreme Court and Republicans while the Democrats move away from us in efforts to regain the White House and Congress.
State legislatures continue to work to blunt and deny us voting rights and power as our enemies assert their determination to protect White privilege and White status in the United States.
We have suffered from worse health, lagged behind in wealth, employment and income, and suffered more from the ravages of inflation. Suicide and deaths from drug addiction and diseases have brought us tremendous pain and suffering.
Yet in the midst of these curses, we have a blessing if we choose to embrace it. Clearly we have been shown we cannot depend on the children of our slavemasters to treat us fairly or even respectfully.
We have clearly been shown that moral appeals, public protests, voting at the ballot box and hoping and praying that White America will change have not protected us from loss.
These bitter realities are good for us if we are willing to act in accord with the time and what must be done. If this is not the time to depend on those who have spitefully used us, what time is it?
It is time we turn to Almighty God Allah and ourselves with strong faith and a determination to act in our own best interests. Acting on our own behalf, exercising self-determination and joyfully embracing the ordained struggle for freedom, justice and equality are inspiring.
It is empowering to take charge of your life and the life of your community instead of waiting for a benevolent White man, or White woman, to come to the rescue and for a recalcitrant, hate-filled, murderous system to change. None of those things will happen.
Things are not getting better; they are getting worse. Harmony and peace are not increasing, strife, anger and division are the order of the day. That’s all the more reason for us to abandon hopes and dreams for an American change of heart and action.
Where must we turn and who must we turn to? How about God Himself?
“Who is better than Allah (God) to depend on for our sustenance and the granting of our innermost desires? Who knows what is best for us, other than Allah (God)?” asked the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, in an article originally published April 15, 1988, in The Final Call. It was titled, “We Must Depend On Allah and Ourselves.”
“Oftimes we have desires which, if fulfilled, would bring us great sorrow. However, if we are strong enough to desire only that which pleases Allah (God), then we can never suffer disappointment and grief over not fulfilling some cherished desires.
“Allah (God) teaches us in the Holy Qur’an that He is the Grantor of Security and that He straitens the means of subsistence for whom He pleases. It is He, then, who can cause the Earth to reveal its treasures to us and it is He who can keep us from the treasures of the Earth. So let us depend on Allah and ourselves,” said Minister Farrakhan.
“Why should we depend on ourselves? There is an old saying that God helps those who help themselves; and we are taught in the Holy Qur’an, ‘Surely Allah changes not the condition of a people, until they change their own condition.’ ”
“When we submit our will to do the Will of Allah (God), and it turns Him toward us, producing the springtime of our life. Faith takes root, we grow, bud, blossom and reproduce, spiritually and materially,” observed Minister Farrakhan.
For a long time, we have desired to be accepted by White people and have been rejected at every turn. Even momentary progress has been met by social, political and legal backlashes that killed “progress.”
The joy and hope many felt with the election of Barack Obama as the first Black president is long gone and was replaced by ugly All-American racism and extreme politics that are still growing.
Many Whites who voted for him turned around and voted for a president who is the antithesis of the best impulses of Mr. Obama and his soaring, if inaccurate, One America rhetoric.
Four years ago with the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, Blacks and Whites sometimes marched together to protest the murder of a Black man that was caught on videotape.
The outrage over this heinous theft of life is long gone and any thought that America owes Blacks anything or must undo racial injustice is long gone too.
Being rid of fantasies and illusions is a good thing. If we accept reality and build for ourselves, we will find a greater level of peace and joy as we do that which is good for us—and what Almighty God Allah desires for us. Please see The Muslim Program published on the inside back page of The Final Call.
“Jesus said, ‘Let him that would be great among you, let him be your servant.’ You cannot serve if you think you are greater than that which you are called to serve. To be a servant means you must see those whom you are called to serve as greater than yourself.”
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, speaking September 23, 2001,
at Union Temple Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.
As we look forward to 2025, we pray for Almighty God’s blessings and protection. We pray for progress, good things and most of all that we withstand whatever the new year brings—whether good or bad.
Often, we remember lives lost, reflect on their contributions and thank Allah (God) for these gifted ones He gave us.
Our memories may relate to private or personal contributions to our lives. Such recollections may also be of those who touched our lives and the lives of our people because of their work in the cause of freedom, justice and equality.
We honor their work in a difficult mission as servants of a destroyed people and a cause much bigger than themselves.
It doesn’t mean their lives were easy or without sacrifice. Their sacrifice is what makes us consider their legacy and the work they left behind.
Blessed are those who forge a way for others. Blessed are those who don’t lead lives devoted to leisure and frivolity. Blessed are those who show and prove their love through their work.
Blessed are the institution builders and those who lay foundations for institutions that, by God’s Grace, are growing in longevity.
We are blessed when we understand and respect such sacrifices. We are doubly blessed when we are willing to keep making sacrifices so these institutions will live and the names of those who helped build them will be remembered.
Abdul Wali Muhammad is such a person and holds a special place in the history and development of The Final Call, the history of our people and the history of the Black sojourn in America.
Brother Wali, as he was called, was both a builder and an inspiration. The circumstances of his death and our belief that he was poisoned only cement his place as a martyr in the cause of Islam and one who gave his life as he breathed life into The Final Call.
The son of legendary civil rights era journalist Simeon Booker, Brother Wali was fiercely and unapologetically devoted to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the global liberation of Black people.
Though he attended Cornell University, where he was introduced to Islam through the Five Percenters or the Nation of Gods and Earths, Brother Wali was always proud to declare he held no degree from “the devil’s institutions,” but was educated through the Supreme Wisdom of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the guidance of Minister Farrakhan.
He entered the Nation of Islam in Washington, D.C., served as a captain of the Fruit of Islam, and later became a Muslim minister when Minister Farrakhan asked him to come to Chicago to play a bigger role in the rebuilding of the Nation.
Brother Wali was blunt, sometimes brusque, hard-charging and fearless. He was demanding and commanded obedience. He gave no excuses and he accepted none.
With his commitment and his drive, he fostered a spirit in those who labored under him to accept the challenge to make an intermittent journal, an award-winning bi-weekly and then respected weekly publication. His work also produced two editors-in-chief after his death, past editor James G. Muhammad, who remains a Final Call contributing editor, and current editor-in-chief Naba’a Muhammad.
Along with his sharp mind and candid speech was a deep, hearty laugh and a great sense of humor. There was also a kindness in his steel-handed glove that engendered respect, admiration and love.
And, if love is duty, and it is, Brother Wali loved deeply and his efforts and accomplishments showed it. Early on he pushed The Final Call into the world of technology when few had personal computers. Cyberspace meant connecting via bulletin boards and e-mail addresses were assigned numbers, not names you assigned yourself.
He deeply loved his beloved wife Zenobia and their children and was proud of her sacrifice in homeschooling the children prior to the reopening of the Muhammad University of Islam in Chicago during the late 1980s.
Vital to Brother Wali’s life were his loving and faithful wife, his sons Akmal, Luqman and Farrakhan and daughters Crescent, Amira and Zainab. He was a devoted son to his mother and loved his siblings, a brother and a sister.
Minister Farrakhan gave him the name Abdul Wali Muhammad, which means servant of the Protecting Friend and is an attribute of Allah (God.) After assisting others with the newspaper, he became editor-in-chief in 1984.
Brother Wali had a heart attack and was 37 years old at the time of his death. It was believed that he may have been poisoned through something added to his coffee.
He departed this life on December 26, 1991.
“The Nation mourns the passing of one of its brightest stars, Minister Abdul Wali Muhammad,” Minister Farrakhan said at funeral services for Brother Wali on December 31, 1991. “His brilliant mind reflected in his speech and in his pen will be greatly missed among us.
I personally have lost a brother, a companion, a friend and a son in the most difficult of all endeavors, the transformation of the lives of our people here and throughout the world.
I thank Allah (God) for the privilege and honor of having known him. His memory shall be with me to my dying day and his work shall endure in the history of the Nation of Islam.”
With the end of 2024, we will close the 45th anniversary year of the founding of The Final Call. We are building on the sacrifice of lives. We are building a legacy. We are working to expand the longevity of a vital tool in the resurrection of our people.
Through these commitments, we honor Brother Wali, hope to help cement him in our national memory and history and keep his name and his life’s work alive.
HAVANA, Cuba—For decades, Cuba has gifted the world with medicine, music, and, when needed, military support in fights for freedom. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba sent nearly 1,000 doctors to 40 countries across five continents. The country’s music has entertained with its West African and European influences.
When Africa calls, Cuba responds
Since the 1970s, African independence movements have received essential military support from Cuba. This support was pivotal in fighting South African apartheid, countering covert U.S. operations, and securing independence in southern Africa.
In the 1970s, the region’s prospects were bleak. Portugal controlled Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea-Bissau. After Portuguese rule ended, the U.S. allied with South Africa to suppress Angolan rebels. Apartheid persisted in South Africa and extended to Namibia until Cuba deployed forces.
Kathryn Hall-Trujillo, administrator of the U.S. Cuba Medical School Scholarship Program. Photos: Michael Spencer
“Cuba’s contributions to Africa go back to the Congo. They were unsuccessful but determined to help with the liberation of the Congo, particularly after the assassination of Patrice Lumumba (the first prime minister of Congo). While unsuccessful, it showed the spirit of what role Cuba wanted to play,” Omowale Clay of the December 12th Movement told The Final Call.
“The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale in Angola (1988) was probably one of the most important battles in the history of the African continent because it was key to the liberation of Namibia, Angola, and South Africa. The Cubans paid a tremendous price there, by sending 80,000 troops there.”
Acclaimed actor Danny Glover recalled to The Final Call an important moment when Cuba’s Fidel Castro attended South Africa’s inauguration of Nelson Mandela. “I had worked in the anti-apartheid movement and was backstage preparing to introduce people.
Fidel approaches Mandela to shake his hand. Mandela pushed his hand away and hugged him. I heard the words distinctly, ‘This day doesn’t happen without you,’”
Mr. Glover said, recalling what he heard Mr. Mandela say to Comandante Castro. “I never forget that understanding from Mandela. ‘This moment doesn’t happen without you,’” said Mr. Glover.
Cuba’s musical revolution
“I think music is the greatest gift Cuba has given to the world,” Luci Murphy, a Washington, D.C.-based performer and activist, told The Final Call. “If you listen to music in Cuba, it’s students, professionals, semiprofessionals, and amateurs.
Second-year medical student In´Rfam Abou Bakary from Benin, in middle, speaks at the recent International Decade for People of African Descent conference.
It’s fabulous. They still have large groups of people playing together, which we have lost in the United States because we can’t afford it. Musicians can’t afford the time to rehearse.
The theaters and venues don’t pay enough to support a large group. The United States, and other countries, do not support jazz orchestras or orchestras of traditional music,” she said.
Music surrounds life in Cuba. From coast to coast, dance floors and communities are energized by a diverse range of musical styles, including salsa, rumba, jazz, and reggae, as well as the contemporary beats of Timba. Historical Cuban musicians include Celia Cruz, Nicolas Guillen, and Sara Gomez. Contemporary artists include Ibeyi, Yosvanny Terry, and Dayme Arocena.
Doctors for humanity
For over 60 years, Cuba has deployed medical teams, known as “armies of white robes,” to aid global crises, particularly in developing nations. After a severe earthquake in Chile, Cuban medical professionals were sent to help. Following Algerian independence, Havana sent healthcare workers to help establish the country’s medical infrastructure.
In the 2010s, Cuban doctors were pivotal in addressing cholera in Haiti and the Ebola crisis in West Africa. During the severe COVID-19 outbreak in Lombardy, Italy, Cuba responded by dispatching medical teams. Additionally, Cuba sent physicians to countries such as Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Grenada.
In addition to sending doctors around the world, Cuba also trains doctors from around the world with its free medical school. “The value of the medical school is that it’s an opportunity for the United States to have more doctors,” Kathryn Hall-Trujillo, the administrator of the U.S. Cuba Medical School Scholarship Program, told The Final Call.
“The extra value is that it gives the United States an opportunity to have doctors that were trained in a global community that understands that there’s a world bigger than the United States. They are part of it and they have to learn how to be a part of that world that is bigger than the United States.”
Cuban medical institutions have awarded degrees in health-related fields to 35,787 graduates from 141 countries, mainly in Africa and Latin America.
Over 4,000 Cuban healthcare professionals are currently deployed in 32 African countries, addressing diseases like Ebola, cholera, tuberculosis, AIDS, and malaria. These physicians are noted for their focus on preventive healthcare and their commitment to disease prevention.
“We are trained to be community doctors,” second-year medical student In´Rfam Abou Bakary from Benin told the audience at the International Decade for People of African Descent conference held in Cuba in December 2024. “We are aware of the needs of our communities;
This helps us decide what to specialize in. At the medical school, we have a vision, a community approach. We are not training to be doctors to make money. We are training to become doctors with the obligation to serve our community.”
This is an installment in a series of articles by The Final Call from Cuba while covering the International Decade for People of African Descent conference, Cuba and the Cuban people.
