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Topic for
3/11/96: |
Do you think that it is fair that Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan is being subpoenaed by Congress to explain his controversial trip to Africa and the Middle East? |
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Name: Buffalo Soilder
Email: jwynacht@stpt.usf.edu
Response:
The world has had its fill of Farakhans. In my opinion, he, much like Adolph Hitler, is a devil. Any cooalition between Farakhan and Khadafi would not be BENEFICIAL for anyone. Every black, white, and whatever color person knows their heart, and we people do not need a personality to enlighten us. We need to UNITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We must fight evil to the death. All seekers of justice must unite and fight those (Farakhan, white supremecists...) who hope to seperate people. Khadafi's billion dollars should not be missed by African-Americans as their souls are not for sale.
Name: Christopher
Email: CReid4646@aol.com
Response:
Farrakhan had every right to visit our brothers in Africa. Unless you hear from him what was discussed, please, please, do not think poorly of his visit.
African Americans must learn that the media in this country has a history and legacy of defacing black people. What you read and hear may be written and said with the intent to keep us under foot.
Name: Srikant Viswanadham
Email: srikant@thepoint.com
Response:
I feel it is an extreme atrocity that a country, such as the United States, which considers it self to be of the highest caliber, would become frightened at a simple visit that one man made to Africa. Farrakhan, alhtough is extremely controversial, has several pertinent views and opinions concerning current political issues.
The suppresion of the US government ( capitalistic white America) shall and will end, during the prophetic reign of the Hindu race. OM.
Name: Pam Klins
Email: mpklins@csra.net
Response:
The ministers trip abroad is being questioned by the government not because of the countries he visited but because he excepted money from a forgein country to help sway the upcoming elections A forgein country should have no say in how the American elections turn out. That's our buisness.
I don't believe that visiting a forgein country in its self is questionable after all we have a president who went to forgein countries and denounced and burned an American flag.
Name: K.M.K.(Kicking Much Knowledge)
Email: kgary@sunset.backbone.olemiss.edu
Response:
Just because the United States government have created enemies with certain countries in the Middle East doesn't mean that these countries are the enemies of the people,especially black people. It seems to me that many people have forgotten that the biggest enemy that black people have ever had is the United States. America's enemies in the Middle East didn't rape,murder,change our names, culture, religion, ect...I say to those who say that the minster is wrong for "Making friends for us in the Middle East" to check your history. Peace out.
Name:
Email:
Response:
The US-Government wants to control other coutries and
their recourses. it uses any inhuman method for its
economical interests in the world. With the CIA it establishes inhuman
governments in Latinmerica, a.s.o. in order to keep
control. With ets militarz forces it interferes in other
coutries, but the US system itself is inhuman and
racist. So it is about time somebody is travelling
and is interfering with words to critize the US system
in public. Of course they don't like that.
Name: gustavo makanaky
Email: g-makana@argos.uniandes.edu.co
Response:
I think Mr Farrakhan is right, he is doing well, and using his right as a free man, as a Citizen of the United States and a Citizen of the World to visit Whereever he wants, his problem just now is the next: he's a political symbol for many people in the world. that's all the problem.
Name: Aaron Holley
Email: aholley@earthlink.net
Response:
True Islamic belief says that a man must obey the "law of the land". The law of this land (USA), says that one may not say this, may not say that, etc. I don't know if what L.F. said violated any U.S. laws. However, because he continues to speak out against oppression, etc., does not make him above the law!
As for his rights under the First Amendment, yes, he does have the right to speak freely, but that right does have to be tempered with wisdom. For instance, I am sure that we would not want L.F. to divulge any secrets that the African American community may have under the right to free speech! None of us stands on the corner and shouts our ATM PINs! We have the right to free speech, however, we temper that right with wisdom. All of us must do the same.
But, before we get all riled up about what the government is doing, we really need to KNOW what was said. As it is, we are beholden to the white media for information or disinformation as the case may be. So, does anyone have a true transcript of what was said? If so, please email me a copy so that I can enrich myself in this debate, and hopefully speak from a position of knowledge the next time around.
Name: TOYIN OGUNFOLAJU
Email:
Response:
I THINK AS SOON AS THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
SEES A BLACK AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN DOING
SOMETHING RIGHT AND INFLUENCING ON HIS PEOPLE
THEY GET NERVOUS AND TRY AND STOP HIM BECAUSE
THE BLACK POWER IS TOO STRONG.THEY KNOW THAT IF
A BLACK MAN BECOMES A BLACK GROUP THERE IS NO
STOPPING US! ALSO LET ME LET YOU KNOW THAT WE
WERE FIRST ON EARTH! ALSO GOD IS BLACK!!!!!!!
Name: Nicolas Johnson
Email: sorry I don't have one
Response:
I agree with the idea that all are
brothers and sisters in God's world.One problem that
is that some don't think it is right to
listen to Farakhnan.Well, if one of these people is you
is you, Farakhan is the messenger.You don't
have to like the messenger to get the message.
So, don't look at the messenger, LISTEN to his
message!
Name: Brian Brown
Email: mbrownb@mhous2.auc.edu
Response:
Farrakhan's accountability should be less important to the American government than to the people whom he presumes to lead.
Enemies of the American government are not necessarily enemies of the American people.
The US government is always angered about countries (and the leaders of nations) that it cannot imperialistically, or manipulatively control.
Oh, and don't think that he has so much freedom here in Amerikkka that he will be able to denouce the government's ethics and to not have that fear that he will be assassinated.
Remember Malcolm X?
Name: Scott Smith
Email: SWBodhidharma@msn.com
Response:
I don't find this situation unlike that of the recent controversy over Denver Nugget's star Mahmoud Abdul Rauf. He was fined over $31K for not standing for the national anthem. What type of "Free Speech" is that? It seems the American public and, in Farrakhan's case the American congress, are afraid of true individuals with a freedom of movement.
Name: Rita
Email: ritafp@aol.com
Response:
I think it is inaccurate to say that US citizens aren't permitted to go to those countries without special permission. Academics and journalists do it all the time and they don't get subpoenaed upon their return.
And what does free speech mean if you get subpoenaed by Congress for exercising it.
It is clear that, despite any technical double-talk, Farrakhan is being hassled because of who he is and what he's said. Regardless of one's support for him, that should be condemned.
Name: Linda Fletcher
Email: ljf10@columbia.edu
Response:
I applaud Farrakhan's sojourn to Africa and the Arab world. I also had a beautiful and soul awakening experience in North Africa which is an Islamic country. It has been almost twenty years since I visited Morocco and the experience is still fresh and vivid in my mind. I spent about six weeks there and I can still remember the spiritual experience of Sufism. Sufism was everywhere and I could see how Rembrandt was inspired by this part of the world. I could see the rainvow everywhere within my gaze and it reminded me of Rembrandt and his hidden rainbows beneath his famous paintings that influenced Europe's enlightenment. It is very difficult to describe my experiences in Morocco from a western cultural context especially the myriad display of colors, the many shades of orange, the smell of tangerine and spearmint. The display of the rainbow was apparent everywhere and it seemed to be a part of the culture and pleasure to the soul. I could see everywhere the shifting flow of many colors. The people seemed to be interacting with their environment through the vivid display of songs, colors, chants, and prayers. I can remember traveling on a bus and looking out the window and seeing a myriad display in the colors that the people wore in their jewelry of coral, onyx, henna dyed palms and hair. I also remember looking out a window and seeing sheep herders blending into the terrain. I remember not wanting to speak English. I felt as if it was intrusion upon this sacred space to speak English. I did not want to influence this North American culture with westernism. The smiles were warm and I can remember an old Arab man stretching out to God and the open spaces around him relaxing and smoking hashish. I walked through the Atlas mountains and saw stars in the sky like I had never seen before. I remember an old Arab man saying to me when I told him that I was an African American that "the AFrican American was the soul of the America." I can still feel the aura of Tangier, Marrakesh, Rabat, Tifni, and the veils of serenity in shades of black and deep blue indigo. One can never forget the smiles of the Berbers. I remember dozing off on a bus ride and waking up and seeing an Arabic man smiling at me as if he had been guarding my sleep with prayer and meditation. But the most important lesson that I learned is that so much of what I learned came through my eyes. I learned the art and lessons of seeing. I learned that the eyes can teach about life and the many truths that lay before us waiting to be unfolded and to be witnessed through ones vision and aided by the enhancement of smell. I met people who seemed to communicate from a starting place of similarity rather than of difference. I too felt that I was experiencing a higher culture and part of the massive domain of space, sight, sound, and smell. I felt the embrace of Islam in all its splendor and that there was a sense of poetry to their existence. I saw poetry as the women and men worked. They moved like sculpture gliding in a sense of union with the physical environment. Through the display of beauty and art the culture of the Moroccan people touched my soul. There was a constant flow of gentle meditative energy that seemed to move from one person to another like a gentle sea. I looked into their eyes and I saw a unity of similarity as if the flow of time and genetics had united through the soft glow in their deep black eyes. So much seemed to be laid bare with no pretenses. I too feel honored in experiencing this culture, and this place in time. I felt truly in a spiritual haven. It made me feel the indefiniteness of time, space, and spirituality. Morocco made me feel like it was a place for me to rest my soul indefinately in time.
Name: Phill Broyles
Email: pbroyles@ftc.gov
Response:
i think it is fair only if others who go are required to do the same. i think, however, that the public has a distorted view of why minister farrahkan went to the middle east. first, let me say that i am not muslim, and i abhor racism by african americans as well as white racism. but minister farrahkan reportedly went to the middle east to deliver the same message that he delivered at the million man march, specifically, that men of color throughout the world need to look at each other as brothers, and be responsible for healing and uplifting each other. you won't hear that in the white media, so check it out yourself.
Name: Dionne
Email:
Response:
He can do anything he wants. He is the only free man that the government has no control over. The US is like a little kid with a toy. If you don't play the game their way they want to take the toy back.
No, I do not think it is fair. But, when has the US government been fair to Blak people in Amerikkka!?
Name:
Email:MendelBrat@aol.com
Response:
The man went into countries, like Libya and Iran, where Americans are forbidden to go without special permission from the U.S. government. Farrakhan is indeed a U.S. Citizen. He has to follow the law like everyone else. And if, while there, the man denounces the U.S. government and accepts aid from regimes who have clearly sought to topple or hurt the U.S. as a world power in the past, this government, believe it or not, has the right to ask him what the hell he was thinking and why he did it.
Farrakhan knew what he was doing when he set up this trip. The man should be thankful that he lives in a country where you can go abroad, denounce your government, and return without certainty of assasination for shooting your mouth off in a hostile land.
