Courage and character amidst great risk and danger

BY MALIK ZULU SHABAZZ

I was blessed to hear one of the boldest messages I have ever heard on June 26 at the Atlanta Civic Center. That bold message was delivered by Minister Louis Farrakhan.

Malik Zulu Shabazz

Every speech that any leader gives has to be measured by its substance, strength as well as the risks to the leader who is delivering the speech. For example, Dr. King’s historic and courageous speech at Abyssinia Baptist church in 1967 denouncing the war in Vietnam was his most courageous speech due to the world implications of his speech and the context of the seriousness of the Cold War struggle between the United States and Soviet Union. A man of Dr. King’s power and influence suddenly became a threat to United States foreign policy and by necessity a threat to America’s economic world interest. Dr. King’s assassination the following year, with the cooperation or assent of the United States government is a witness to the risk that is present whenever a leader challenges a great force, power or institution.

Similarly, in my judgment, Louis Farrakhan’s Saviours’ Day speech of 1996, on the heels of the Million Man March and his return from receiving worldwide support, in my view, was his most courageous speech to date.

Substance and strength of a speech is based on the potency of truth in the speech. A speech that has the power to directly alter an unjust world order or has the potential to break the bonds of—or destroy—a deep rooted exploitive financial relationship is one of the most substantive, productive, yet dangerous, riskiest messages a leader can give.

The level of threat contained in a message, and what risks the message poses to a leader’s actual life, his interests, assets and organization is how we calculate how courageous a leader is and what kind of character and faith the leader has.

Any time you take on a major foundation of the architecture of White Supremacy, which is White Jewish power and influence, you are taking a great risk to your life, interests and organization. Louis Farrakhan did just that on June 26, in Atlanta. This is not the first time he has taken on this most powerful international Zionist institution. The difference in this landmark speech was that Farrakhan had better evidence than he ever had before as he unveiled the book The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews, Volume Two: How Jews Gained Control of the Black American Economy.

Even bolder, Minister Farrakhan sent the book and a challenging letter to Abraham Foxman, leader of the Anti-Defamation League, and all of the major White Jewish Zionist organizations and the key White Jews in government and power. Bold, courageous and risky indeed.

As a lecturer, lawyer, activist and leader, I know firsthand about the pressure and vicious attacking power of the Zionist power structure. I have been attacked and impeded by false allegations on anti Semitism since I was a student organizer and every step since. I, like Minister Farrakhan and my mentor, Dr. Khallid Muhammad [in photo], have felt the wrath of false propaganda, spying and sabotage efforts of Abraham Foxman, and the Anti-Defamation League. I know first-hand what risks are attached to what The Minister is doing.

America is a stronghold of Zionist, White Jewish economic power and influence. Minister Farrakhan’s speech and promotion of The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews, Volume Two, and this new thrust in general has the potential to wake up the sleeping giant, the real choice of God, the Black people of North America and West as to the true nature of their current economic exploitation and the identity of this particular historical parasitic exploiter and bloodsucker of our poor people. Meaning his speech, book and current thrust can bust up and destroy forever Black people being victims of exploitation by White people who call themselves Jews. Farrakhan’s landmark speech also expands and opens up a new front on the struggle against Zionism by reminding us that the issue is much bigger than Israel’s persecution and oppression of the Palestinians.

All of this comes at great risk. All of this takes great courage and character. You don’t take on White Jewish people and threaten White Jewish power, image and control without putting your life, friendships, and organization’s future on the line.

For this reason we are forced to bear witness that Farrakhan is backed by Allah and the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and is a great example of courage and faith and strength to me and any other leader who would be effective on the fight to free our people. He is our source of strength and courage in taking on the enemy and he deserves all of our support. Failure to support such a strong leader and message will doom us to further enslavement and oppression by our enemy and oppressor. Failure to support Farrakhan on this issue also could void our chances at reparations.

(Atty. Malik Zulu Shabazz is the National Chariman of the New Black Panther Party.)