Mandela’s visit to Libya

South African President Nelson Mandela (left) clasps hands with Libyan leader Col. Moammar Qadhafi during Mr. Mandela’s arrival in Tripoli, Oct 22, 1997 In background is Mr. Qadhafi’s house which was attacked by U.S. fighters in April 1986. AP Photo/Mohamed Earl-Borlt

 

Mr. Young, emcee of the glitzy fund-raising dinner honoring Dr. Dorothy Height, president of the National Council of Negro Women, at first seemed to echo official U.S. anger over the visit that week in Tripoli by Africa’s most popular president with the

African leader Americans most love to hate.

Continuing, Mr. Young said he then realized that President Mandela’s action-like his leadership of the now-Black-majority-ruled South Africa to reconcile its differences with many officials of the brutal white-minority apartheid governments of the past-“maybe is challenging us (in America) to reconcile with those Arab leaders with whom we have had conflict.”

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“We are reminded of the spirit of (the late Bishop of the Washington National Cathedral) John Walker, as expressed by the continuing life of Nelson Mandela and Dorothy Height, that one of these days we’re going to all have to learn to live together, because ain’t nobody here going anywhere,” he concluded as a tide of applause swept over the room.

“It is interesting to hear that Andy would refer to the spirit of tolerance,” Dr. Acklyn Lynch, professor of history at the University of Maryland at Baltimore, told The Final Call. “Tolerance was what was discussed on the Day of Atonement and Reconciliation. Tolerance was used in terms of (the Honorable Louis) Farrakhan’s trip to Africa. It is interesting to use tolerance (now) in terms of foreign policy.”

Ignoring U.S. objections, and punishing United Nations sanctions against air-travel, Mr. Mandela traveled 100 miles by car from the Tunisian border town of Ras Adjir to the Libyan capital for an official visit Oct. 22. His 50-vehicle convoy passed under a series of welcoming banners, including one that read: “Mandela’s visit to Libya is a devastating blow to America,” according to published reports.

After a triumphant motorcade through downtown Tripoli, where he was greeted by thousands of Libyans chanting: “Mandela! Mandela!” and where children showered him with rose petals, President Mandela greeted Brother Qadhafi, outside the bombed home of the Libyan leader in which his daughter Hana was killed in a U.S. raid more than 10 years ago. With a hug and a kiss on each cheek, President Mandela’s greeting was: “My brother leader, my brother leader. How nice to see you.”

“It is our duty to give support to the brother leader,” Mr. Mandela said of Bro. Qadhafi in comments broadcast on Libyan television. “Especially in regards to the sanctions which are not hitting just him, they are hitting the ordinary masses of the people … our African brothers and sisters.”

The sanctions are aimed at forcing Libya to hand over for trial in a U.S. or British court, two suspects in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 persons.

During his visit, Mr. Mandela reiterated South Africa’s policy, saying a way should be found to lift the sanctions. He said his country supports the Organization of African Unity’s call for a trial for the two suspects in a neutral or third country.

Earlier, the Clinton administration stepped up its public criticism of Mr. Mandela’s trip, saying it undermines the international sanctions insisted upon by this country. “We would be disappointed if there were a ratcheting up of the diplomatic contact with a government under sanctions,” State Department spokesman James Rubin said before the trip.

“Those who object to my visiting Libya have no morals, and I will not join them because I have morals,” Mr. Mandela was quoted as saying in the Arabic language Al-Hayat newspaper. “Qadhafi is my friend. He helped us at a time when we were alone. And the ones who are stopping us from coming here were helping our enemies at that time,” Mr. Mandela was quoted as saying.

During Minister Louis Farrakhan’s 1996 World Friendship Tour visit to Mr. Mandela’s home, the principled African leader referred to Mr. Qadhafi as “my friend,” when reporters questioned him about Min. Farrakhan’s visits to Libya.

It is unlikely that U.S. anger will result in anything but a superficial strain in U.S.-South African ties, however, most analysts agreed. “If President Clinton is going to Africa next year,” as is widely reported that he will do, Prof. Lynch said, “President Clinton can’t go to Africa and not go to South Africa.

“If President Clinton is going to see Jiang (Zemin) … , the Chinese President (who) is coming here, it is very obvious that what Clinton calls ‘constructive engagement,’ … if constructive engagement applies to China, then ‘constructive engagement’ applies to people all around the world. It must be the same constructive engagement applied to South Africa.

“And then we come down the list,” Prof. Lynch continued. “Constructive engagement will be also applied, just as it’s applied to Eastern Europe, constructive engagement will be also applied to Libya, and Iran, and North Korea, and these places. It’s going to filter down.”

For his part, Prof. Lynch pointed out, President Mandela has been consistent in his relations with nations-including Libya, China, and Cuba, all so-called “pariah states” in the American view-which befriended the South African liberation struggle.

Representatives of those countries and others which the U.S. and other Western powers disapproved of, were all welcome at Mr. Mandela’s inauguration in 1994.

“Our relations with Brother Mandela and the brothers of South Africa during their struggle is not a new one. Our relation has been (since) a long time ago, and we are proud to say that we helped them and assisted them. This is why the United States and some western countries call Libya helping terrorism. For them, liberation is terrorism,” said Ambassador Mohamed A. Azwai of Libya’s Permanent Mission at the United Nations.

“Maybe because so many other countries agreed (with the U.S. position on Libya), they thought that everybody would agree, but Mandela is not as the others. He is like Farrakhan, he is like a Jesse, who does not accept instructions from anyone-except what he believes (is good for) the interests of his people and his country,” the Libyan ambassador added.

Dr. Ephriam Isaac, director of Institute of Semetic Studies, Princeton, N.J., argued that the Mandela visit could help forge a needed dialogue. “I’m a person who is involved in peace making. We should not foreclose the option of dialogue. I think making dialogue and finding ways to make peace, will help all of us as human beings,” he said.

“I think you are very charitable to the U.S. policy,” Dr. M.T. Mehdi, president of the American-Arab Relations Committee told The Final Call, when asked if racism might account for the U.S. reaction to Mr. Mandela’s visit. “It is indeed a bit of racism, or stupidity, this double standard, American policy.

“Naturally, President Mandela is the head of his government, he has the right to visit whoever he wants to, just as President Clinton has that right. But for the American president to advise the African leader not to visit another African leader is an interference, is unbecoming, it is racism, in the ugliest form,” said Dr. Mehdi.

Capsize off African

 A group of migrants who survived the capsizing of a boat off the coast of West Africa earlier in January began returning to Pakistan on Jan. 30, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Some 50 people died when a boat carrying them to the Canary Islands capsized near Dakhla, a Moroccan-controlled port city in the disputed Western Sahara, including 44 Pakistanis, according to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Walking Borders, a Spain-based migrant rights group.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that some of the 22 Pakistani survivors had already returned home on two flights. He did not give any further details, and it was unclear how many survivors returned home.

Almost all the Pakistanis who were on the boat were from cities in the eastern province of Punjab, and relatives of those who are feared dead have been urging the government to make efforts to bring back their bodies.

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Hundreds of Pakistanis die every year while trying to reach Europe by land and sea with the help of human smugglers. Pakistan says it has launched a crackdown on human traffickers and sacked several immigration officials for negligence. 

Uganda to become BRICS partner

 

Uganda will officially become a BRICS partner state on January 1, Yury Ushakov, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters on Dec. 23. He said the East African nation is one of nine countries that have confirmed their readiness to receive the status.

In November last year, U.S. President Joe Biden expelled Uganda, along with the Central African Republic, Gabon, and Niger, from Washington’s flagship African Growth and Opportunity Act trade program, citing “gross violations” of participation requirements.

The landlocked country had been exporting goods, including coffee and textiles, to the U.S. for many years under the initiative, which came into force in 2000. It grants qualified sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the American market.

The BRICS ‘partner country’ category was established at the group’s summit in October, hosted by Russia in Kazan, and is intended to serve as an alternative to membership after over 30 countries applied to join the group.

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Holders of this status can permanently take part in special sessions of BRICS summits, ministerial meetings, and other high-level events. Partners can also contribute to the group’s outcome documents.

“One of the important results of the summit [in Kazan] was the establishment of the category of BRICS partner countries and agreement on a list of 13 states. Appropriate invitations were sent to these states,” Ushakov said at a press briefing.

“Confirmations of readiness to become a BRICS partner state have been received by today from Belarus, Bolivia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan,” he announced.

He added that confirmation is expected from four more countries in the near future.

BRICS initially comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and was expanded earlier this year to include Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Several African countries have expressed interest in joining the group in recent years, as they seek partnerships beyond their traditional Western partners in order to diversify their trade and economic ties.

Earlier this month, Nigeria asked South Africa to support its bid to join the BRICS group of leading and emerging economies. Zimbabwe and Algeria are also seeking membership.

Patricia Kishemeire, the ambassador of the International Municipal Cooperation Forum of the BRICS in Uganda, said in an October analysis article that the alliance provides new financial alternatives, such as the New Development Bank, which supports public projects through “equitable lending and participation.”

She added that Kampala’s engagement with BRICS will help diversify export options for the country, whose economy is heavily reliant on agricultural products such as coffee and tea.

“Through trading with BRICS, African countries could reduce dependency on the U.S. dollar and lessen the vicious debt burden and sanctions,” the ambassador stated.

Ethiopia and Somalia

 

Ethiopia and Somalia have agreed to restore diplomatic relations, a year after tensions erupted over a Red Sea access agreement.

The two East African neighbors announced their decision in a joint statement on X on Jan. 11, following Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s visit to Addis Ababa, where he held talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

“The two leaders exchanged views on a range of bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest and held constructive discussions on strengthening the fraternal relationship between the peoples of the two countries,” the statement said.

Relations between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu deteriorated early last year after Ethiopia struck a preliminary deal with Somalia’s breakaway region, Somaliland, to lease coastline for commercial purposes and to build a naval base, reportedly in exchange for recognition of the territory’s independence.

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Somalia, which considers Somaliland its own territory despite the province declaring independence in 1991, denounced the January 1 pact as an illegal act of aggression.

In response, Mogadishu expelled Ethiopia’s ambassador, ordered the closure of two consulates, and recalled its representative in Addis Ababa. Somalia has also strengthened ties with Egypt and Eritrea, via a three-way cooperation agreement signed in October, aimed at improving their regional and maritime security amid their mutual distrust of Ethiopia.

However, following talks mediated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on December 11, the leaders of the conflicting countries agreed to find commercial arrangements to ensure that landlocked Ethiopia “enjoy reliable, secure and sustainable access to and from the sea, under the sovereign authority of the Federal Republic of Somalia.”

They announced that technical negotiations would begin at the end of February.

During talks in Addis Ababa on January 11, Somalia’s leader and his Ethiopian counterpart decided to “expedite the technical negotiations,” their offices stated.

The two Horn of Africa nations have also committed to restoring and enhancing their “bilateral relations through full diplomatic representation in their respective capitals.”

“Underscoring the serious and evolving threat posed by extremist militant groups in the region, the leaders agreed to instruct their respective security agencies to bolster cooperation in promoting peace and stability in the region,” they jointly declared.

Get Away With Murder

 

Soldiers of 42 Commandos of British Royal Marines fire at the Taliban during an operation, near Kajaki, southern Afghanistan, Jan. 13, 2007. Photo: AP Photo/Albert Arhó

Military brass had no interest in investigating alleged war crimes by the SAS, an inquiry has heard

British SAS operatives were given a “golden pass allowing them to get away with murder” in Afghanistan, a former UK Special Forces officer has told a government inquest. Other witnesses described routine executions of unarmed civilians by British forces.

The officer’s statement was given behind closed doors to the UK’s Independent Inquiry Relating to Afghanistan earlier this year, and included in a trove of documents published by the inquiry on Jan. 7.

The former officer raised concerns about the killing of unarmed civilians in 2011, claiming that the SAS was covering these crimes up. The officer said that higher-ups within UK Special Forces—which comprises the Special Air Service (SAS).

The Special Boat Service (SBS), and four other clandestine branches of the British military—had no interest in investigating the killings, and that SAS operatives had essentially been handed a “golden pass allowing them to get away with murder.”

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The Afghanistan Inquiry is probing night raids carried out by British special forces between 2010 and 2013, when the alleged killings took place.

A junior officer told the inquest that “all fighting age males” were killed in these raids, regardless of whether they were armed or not. SAS personnel sometimes carried weapons to drop beside dead bodies after the killings in order to make them appear as combatants.

Prisoners were sometimes executed after they had been restrained, the witness recounted. “In one case, it was mentioned a pillow was put over the head of an individual before being killed with a pistol,” the document noted.

The inquiry is investigating the killings of at least 80 prisoners.

“I suppose what shocked me most wasn’t the execution of potential members of the Taliban, which was of course wrong and illegal, but it was more the age and the methods and, you know, the details of things like pillows,” the officer said, noting that some of the victims were “100 percent” aged 16 or younger.

The officer said that he was afraid for his own safety after testifying. “Basically, there appears to be a culture there of ‘shut up, don’t question,’” another officer told the inquiry.

Claims of war crimes committed by British special forces in Afghanistan have surfaced before, with BBC Panorama, the Sunday Times, and other outlets claiming that civilians were routinely killed on night raids. In one case, the American military reportedly had video footage of one massacre, but mysteriously lost the footage when pressed by a British court.

Late last year, the BBC reported that one of the UK’s most senior generals had withheld from the latest inquiry evidence of soldiers executing handcuffed detainees in Afghanistan.

Foreign Military Bases

 

The decision will apply to the remaining French bases in the African nation

Senegal will close all foreign military bases on its territory as part of the government’s efforts to review defense policy and strengthen national sovereignty, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko announced on Dec. 27.

The Senegalese premier announced the decision in the National Assembly during a general policy presentation, in which he outlined a strategy for the West African nation’s transformation over the coming 25 years.

“The President of the Republic has decided to close all foreign military bases in the very near future,” Sonko stated.
The prime minister did not name any specific countries, but France is the only foreign power with troops stationed in Senegal.

France has suffered setbacks in several of its former African colonies amid a wave of anti-French sentiment sparked by perceived failures to counter militant insurgencies and accusations of meddling and aggression.

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The former colonial power had over 5,000 troops in the Sahel region as part of Operation Barkhane, a decade-long counter-insurgency mission that ended in late 2022 when Paris withdrew its army from Mali due to a breakdown in relations following Bamako’s May 2021 coup.

In December 2022, Paris withdrew troops from the Central African Republic (CAR), citing the closer relationship between the African country and Russia. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have all canceled military partnerships with Paris and turned to Moscow for assistance in combating terrorism, which has plagued the Sahel since 2011.

Earlier this month (December 2024), France began withdrawing its forces from Chad after its last remaining ally in the Sahel terminated a bilateral military cooperation agreement in November. The former French colony claims the treaty no longer reflects the country’s security realities or the government’s expectation of full sovereignty.

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who has been in office for less than a year, first announced his decision to remove the French military presence from his country in an interview with AFP news agency late last month. He said the French army bases are “incompatible” with the West African country’s sovereignty.

France currently has 350 soldiers stationed in Senegal, but plans to reduce the contingent to 100 as part of a broader military reconfiguration in West and Central Africa.

Zimbabwe’s New Trajectory

 

The recent abolition of capital punishment in Zimbabwe is proof that the country prioritizes human rights, MP (Member of Parliment) Shacky Timburwa has told RT.

The lawmaker, from the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union—Patriotic Front party, suggested that world powers such as the U.S. are happy to impose sanctions, citing supposed violations, despite their own track record being far from impeccable.

On December 31, 2024, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed the Death Penalty Abolition Act into law, following its passage by the Senate.

Speaking to RT on Jan. 3, Timburwa called it a testament to Zimbabwe’s commitment to “doing everything in [its] power to respect human rights, despite how people try to portray Zimbabwe as a country that is not respecting the rule of law, that is not respecting human rights.”

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According to the MP there are countries that “portray themselves as the perfect examples of respecting human rights” and readily impose sanctions on other nations, citing purported violations. However, the lawmaker said the U.S. itself is not beyond reproach, as it has many states that still carry out capital punishment.

Washington would be wise to “learn from other countries that advocate the protecting of the human rights,” Timburwa suggested.

The lawmaker mentioned that “we are being led by a president who was once arrested in the 1950s-1960s, and he was sentenced to death.” Mnangagwa was given the sentence by British colonial authorities in 1965 for allegedly bombing a train during the independence struggle.

“Since he was inaugurated into power in 2017, he’s been an advocate of trying to find a way of abolishing or getting rid of this particular law,” Timburwa explained.

According to official figures, the African nation has put 79 people to death since gaining independence in 1980, with the last execution carried out in 2005. Since then, a de facto moratorium has been in place.

Timburwa told RT that there are approximately 60 inmates on death row at present, with judges now expected to commute their sentences. The lawmaker stressed that the new legislation allows for the reinstatement of the death penalty in case of a public emergency. 

Timburwa argued that the provision “is important simply because there are people who can commit treasonous activities like acts of terrorism.”

According to The Death Penalty Project, a London-based legal action charity, Zimbabwe is the 30th country in Africa to abolish the death penalty, with 18 more having a de facto moratorium in place. 

Pope Francis

Pope Francis at his weekly General Audience at the Paul VI Hall in Vatican City, Vatican, February 12, 2025. ©  Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images

 Pope Francis could resign as the head of the Roman Catholic Church if his health deteriorates further, the former head of the Vatican’s department of cultural affairs warned on Thursday. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi said the pontiff would not want to remain in his post if health issues prevented him from having “direct contact” with people.

Pope Francis was hospitalized last Friday with severe breathing difficulties after a lengthy bout of bronchitis. According to Vatican officials, the 88-year-old has developed pneumonia in both lungs. He is also being treated for a respiratory tract infection.

“I think he could [resign] because he is a person who, from this point of view, is quite decisive in his choices,” Ravasi stated in an interview with Italian radio network RTL. He noted that while the pontiff is known for his tendency to “fight,” and has handled many “demanding” trips despite having to use a wheelchair, he may choose to step down if his ability to communicate with his congregation was compromised.

“There is no question that if he found himself in a situation where he was compromised in his ability to have direct contact – as he loves to do – to be able to communicate in an immediate, direct, incisive, and decisive way, then certainly he might consider [resigning],” he added.

READ MORE: Pope Francis hospitalized

Ravasi also recalled the pontiff’s 2023 interview marking ten years since he became Pope, in which he said he would step down if he became unable to fulfill his duties due to health problems or an accident. The pontiff noted at the time he had already submitted his pre-signed resignation to Cardinal Bertone, the former Vatican secretary of state. In the interview, Francis said he felt “old” and physically humiliated after being confined to a wheelchair as a result of a knee injury.

Sources close to Pope Francis claim he has been gradually recovering. Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro, a personal friend of the pontiff, told Italian daily Il Corriere della Sera on Wednesday that “the situation is delicate,” but there was “no cause for alarm.” AP reported on Wednesday that Pope Francis has been able to get out of bed and that his heart function was good, citing a Vatican official.

Lab tests taken on Wednesday also showed a slight improvement in the Pope’s condition, Italian media reported, citing a statement from the Vatican. The pontiff has reportedly continued working from his hospital room, and had a short meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

READ MORE: Vatican warns of ‘shadow of evil’ in AI

The pontiff’s predecessor, Benedict XVI, became the first Pope to resign in 600 years when he stepped down in 2013 due to health issues. Pope Francis previously praised Benedict for his resignation, saying he set a “great example” by telling pontiffs “to stop in time.”

Shadow of Evil

 

©  Getty Images / Blue Planet Studio

The global center of Catholicism has issued a stark warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence technology, cautioning that its misuse could destabilize society and calling for its responsible development.

In a just-released document titled Antiqua et nova, the Vatican examines the relationship between human and machine intelligence, warning that deceptive digital content could “gradually undermine the foundations of society.”

Concerns are raised about the ability of advanced systems to generate manipulated media that closely resembles reality. The document warns that misinformation, even when spread unintentionally, can fuel political polarization and social unrest. “This issue requires careful regulation, as misinformation–especially through AI-controlled or influenced media–can spread unintentionally,” it states.

The text also acknowledges the benefits of technological advancements but warns of the ethical risks. “When used in ways that respect human dignity and promote the well-being of individuals and communities, they can contribute positively to the human vocation. Yet, as in all areas where humans are called to make decisions, the shadow of evil also looms here,” Antiqua et nova reads.

OpenAI promises close cooperation with US authorities

The Vatican also called on governments and international organizations to implement safeguards against misuse of technology, adding that it must serve humanity and not replace human intelligence.

Pope Francis has previously voiced concerns about these developments. In a message to the World Economic Forum in Davos, he warned that automated systems could worsen a “crisis of truth” by generating content indistinguishable from human-created material. AI has been a hot topic at Davos this year, with many technology firms promoting their products at the forum.

Beyond misinformation, Antiqua et nova addresses ethical implications in sectors such as labor, healthcare, and education. It also highlights the dangers posed in warfare, particularly the development of automated weapons. The document emphasizes that life-and-death decisions should never be left to machines.

Pope Francis hospitalized

 The pontiff is now undergoing treatment for bronchitis, according to The Holy See Press Office

Pope Francis. ©  Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images

Pope Francis has been admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Friday for treatment of a respiratory tract infection after recently suffering from bronchitis, the Holy See Press Office said on Friday.

The pope (88) has undergone specialized examinations and has begun hospital drug therapy after experiencing a worsening of his bronchitis in recent days, according to the statement. “The clinical condition is fair; he presents mild febrile alteration,” the Vatican said.

Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, stated that the pope is “serene” and in good spirits.

Before his hospitalization, he had a busy schedule, which included a meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has been hospitalized at Gemelli Hospital four times, raising concerns about his health. He underwent colon surgery in 2021, hernia repair in 2023, and has recurrent respiratory issues due to past pleurisy, which led to a partial lung removal. He also faces mobility challenges from chronic sciatica and knee problems, often requiring a wheelchair or cane.

The Vatican has canceled all of his scheduled events through at least Monday, February 17. These cancellations include a Saturday audience, Sunday Mass at Saint Peter’s Basilica, and a visit to the Cinecitta film studios in Rome on Monday.

Despite these health challenges, Pope Francis has continued to fulfill his papal duties and has expressed his readiness to resign if his health prevents him from performing his responsibilities. In his autobiography “Hope,” released in January 2025, he emphasized, “I am well,” and added, “The Church is governed using the head and the heart, not the legs.”

The Gemelli Hospital, where the pope is currently receiving treatment, has a history of caring for pontiffs. Pope John Paul II was treated there several times, including after the 1981 assassination attempt.

Master Fard

 

Those of you who do not know Master Fard Muhammad may think that we are in error for believing in Him as Mahdi. What I want you to do is to give Him a chance to tell you, through the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, what He revealed; then, you go and study it. If He (Fard Muhammad) lied, then, we can cast Him aside. But, if He told the truth, then you are going to have to reason with this man.

Master Fard Muhammad came among us and He taught us “Actual Facts.” That which is actual means it exists; it’s fact or real.

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A fact is that which actually exists; it is reality; it is truth. Why did Master Fard Muhammad give us Actual Facts? It is because you cannot build anything until you know the actual facts.

The problem with us is that we have believed what others have told us, but, the actual facts we may not be acquainted with. How could the enemy rule us if we had the same knowledge that he has? Regardless to your degrees.

The enemy has never shared with you what he has of knowledge. That is why when you come out of college, you go to him and look for a job. It is because you are not prepared to make a job for yourself.

Master Fard Muhammad was only among us three years, and four or five months. He said He came to us from the Holy City of Mecca, in Arabia. Master Fard Muhammad came to Detroit to a place called “Black Bottom,” where the people lived in the deep ghetto.

He started teaching there, going door-to-door like an ordinary salesman. This is what is meant in the scripture where it says, “He made himself of no reputation,” and, “became obedient even unto death.”

The Bible teaches, “He stood and He measured the Earth.” In 1930, when Master Fard Muhammad came, He told us that, “The total area of the land and water of the planet Earth is 196,940,000 square miles.” He said, “The circumference of the planet Earth is 24,896 miles,” and, all of us had to memorize this.

“The diameter of the earth is 7,926 miles; the area of land is 57,255,000 square miles; the area of water is 139,685,000 square miles.” He said “The Pacific Ocean covers 68,634,000 square miles and the Atlantic Ocean covers 41,321,000 square miles.”

“The Indian Ocean,” He said, “covers 29,430,000 square miles, and the lakes and rivers cover 1,000,000 square miles. The hills and the mountains cover 14,000,000 square miles; the islands are 1,910,000 square miles; and the deserts are 4,861,000 square miles.

Mount Everest is 29,141 feet high, and the producing land is 29,000,000 square miles. The earth weighs 6 sextillion tons—a ‘6’ followed by 21 zeros—and is 93,000,000 miles from the sun, traveling at the rate of 1,037 1/3 miles per hour.

Light travels at the rate of 186,000 miles per second, and sound travels at the rate of 1,120 feet per second. The diameter of the sun is 853,000 miles.”

We were just students under a Master Teacher who asked us to study. Then, Master Fard Muhammad began to tell us about the distance of the planets and the life that is on the planets. He taught Elijah Muhammad, who was from the cotton fields of Georgia, and, who only went to the fourth grade of school.

If you compare what Master Fard Muhammad said in 1930 (now 79 years ago), with the dimensions that the scholars have given, every year they have gotten closer and closer, until now their computations are similar with Master Fard Muhammad’s.

He is the man Who taught Elijah Muhammad, and came to raise us up from a dead level and make us rulers over those who once ruled us—not by guns and sticks, but by giving us a superior knowledge.

In 1930, before you knew anything about Mars, Master Fard Muhammad called Mars an “inhabited planet.” He said, “Mars is 141,500,000 miles from the sun, and she travels at the rate of 1,037 1/3 miles per hour.” He said, “Her diameter is 4,200 miles.”

Master Fard Muhammad said, “Mercury is also an inhabited planet and is 36,000,000 miles from the sun. Her diameter is 3,000 miles and she travels at the rate of 1,037 1/3 miles per hour.” Think about that. No matter how close they are to the sun or how far they are from the sun, all of the planets travel at the same rate of speed.

Master Fard Muhammad said, “Jupiter is 483,000,000 miles from the sun. She takes eleven years and nine months to make one complete circle around the sun; her diameter is 88,700 miles; Saturn is 886,000,000 miles from the sun; Uranus, 1,782,000,000; Neptune, 2,793,000,000 miles from the sun; and the far planet Platoon, or Pluto, 4,600,000,000 miles from the sun.”

Pluto was first discovered in the year 1930, the same year that Master Fard Muhammad found you and me. How far is Pluto from the sun? Four billion, six hundred million (4,600,000,000) miles. In this figure, you have the numerals “4” and “6.”

The Book of Malachi, meaning, “My Messenger,” which is the last book of your Bible, tells us who we should be looking for: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” I will send you who? Elijah! In what chapter does his name appear? The 4th Chapter, verses 4-6.

Now, here is the meaning: The first “4” represents 4,000 years from Moses. Why Moses? Because both Bible and Qur’an teach us that the man that Allah (God) would send in the last days would be a man like unto Moses.

How could you have a man like Moses unless you have a people like the Children of Israel, and, a wicked ruler like Pharaoh and his deceitful magicians? The second “4” represents our 400 years of bondage; and, the “6” represents the end of the 6,000-year rule of Caucasian people.

The far planet Platoon, or Pluto, is 4,600,000,000 miles away from the sun; yet, the light of the sun reaches her and has her spinning at the same speed of the other planets (1,037 and 1/3 miles per hour).

What does this mean? It means that when the Light of Allah (God) touches you, you will start turning and you will be going at the same speed of all the people of wisdom on the planet, as long as you stay in the light, acknowledge the light, submit to the light, bow down to the light and the God Who raised you and brought you to the light.

Minister Farrakhan positions a microphone for his teacher, the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Photo: Askia Muhammad

Master Fard Muhammad came and the authorities arrested Him in Detroit for teaching us the knowledge of ourselves. He submitted. He didn’t have to go to jail, that is why the Book of Habakkuk teaches, “He had horns coming out of his hand:

And there was the hiding of his power.” The Book of Malachi teaches, “He became obedient even unto death.” “Death” here means the White man, because he represents death; and, we live in the very shadow of death under his rule.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that when the White man tricked our fathers out of Africa, the first slaves came to America on a ship named “Jesus.”

When our fathers got here, they would wander down to the shore looking for that ship, and, they would say, “You can have all of this world, just give me Jesus, that ship that would return me to my native land and people.” That is where our spirituals were born.

“Swing low, sweet chariot, coming to carry me home.” America isn’t your home. This is a strange land and we are living among a strange people whose ways are alien to Allah (God) and the Prophets of Allah (God).

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said, “Little did our fathers know that it would be 400 years before the real ship Jesus came to get us.” The real ship Jesus is Allah (God) in Person; The Mahdi coming to raise a Messiah. The Messiah did not live 2,000 years ago.

Jesus of 2,000 years ago was a prophet. The Messiah is more than a prophet. He is a man in whom is the Indwelling Spirit, Wisdom, Knowledge and Power of Allah (God), Himself.

Therefore, He opens the eyes of the blind. He makes the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak. He cleanses the leper and He raises the dead to life, by Allah’s (God’s) permission.

When Master Fard Muhammad went to jail, He sent for Elijah Muhammad. When Elijah saw Him behind bars, He looked at Elijah and said, “This is the price that you are going to have to pay if you want to free your people.”

The price is jail. The price is persecution. The price is being evil spoken of. And, sometimes the price is death itself. Unless you are willing to pay the price, do not accept the assignment.

Then He said to Elijah, “If you don’t accept the assignment, somebody else will. So why don’t you go ahead and get the big name.” The scriptures teach that Elijah said, “Here am I, send me.”

I did not know Master Fard Muhammad—I only saw His picture; but, I listened to Elijah Muhammad teach me something about Allah (God), the Original Man, and, how the Qur’an and Bible were actually made.

I want you to think: Either this is revelation, or, it is some made-up madness. But tell me: How could made-up madness raise a man from the dead? Tell me:

How could made-up madness take a fool like me, and make me honored and respected all over the world? Tell me: How could made-up madness make Malcolm X? How could made-up madness make Muhammad Ali?

Let us reason together.

Universal Change

 After the 1975 departure of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and substantial changes in the Nation of Islam, in September 1977, Minister Farrakhan embarked on rebuilding the work of his teacher and reestablishing the Nation of Islam in the U.S. and abroad.

Currently, the Nation of Islam has mosques, study groups and members throughout Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, South America and North America, including Canada.

Those oceans away from America, touched by Minister Farrakhan’s reach on behalf of his teacher, bear witness to the universal bounds of what began more than nine decades ago.

“This is God’s man … the quintessence of those who have come before him,” said Brother Abdul Hakeem Muhammad, Nation of Islam Student European Regional Minister based in the United Kingdom.

“I can speak all day and night about how much he has done for me as an individual, and how his word has transformed my life and given my life purpose,” said the London-based student minister in a previous interview.

He first heard the Minister in the United Kingdom via a cassette tape in 1986. “Allah did not permit him to come to the United Kingdom, physically,” said Student Minister Abdul Hakeem Muhammad, speaking about Minister Farrakhan.

Although Minister Farrakhan has been restricted by the British government from entering the U.K. since 1986, his guidance for humanity continues to reach there. Minister Farrakhan’s detractors cannot stop God’s man.

Student Minister Abdul Hakeem Muhammad compared God’s Truth through Minister Farrakhan reaching the U.K. to the rays of the sun causing planets to rotate, irrespective of distance.

“We are the beneficiaries in Europe of the rays that come through the principles of truth and right guidance … from the mouth of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan,” he said, “in fulfillment of what is written in the scriptures that Muhammad is a light-giving sun,” he explained.

Saviours’ Day was hosted internationally in Accra, Ghana, in October 1994, and domestically, the convention has been addressed by world leaders like Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi, Ghana President Jerry John Rawlings, Nigerian President Sani Abacha, Algeria’s Ahmed Ben Bella, and other foreign dignitaries.

“We have, very quickly, in just 94 years, extended what we have been taught from the Saviour so that I know personally this Saviours’ Day 2025 we will have those who have roots in Mexico coming, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Pakistan, from India … (and) other places,” said Student Minister Abel Muhammad.

“All coming to see this, which began 94 years ago in the United States of America but could not be contained to just this nation or this continent or this hemisphere,” he added.