Farrakhan Event to Draw Muslim Leaders
Leaders of two orthodox Muslim groups long at odds with Louis Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam are expected to attend Farrakhan’s annual gathering this weekend, raising the prospect that the religion’s fractured U.S. followers may eventually unite.
Mainstream Islamic leaders from other nations also planned to attend the Nation of Islam Saviour’s Day in Chicago and will look for signs that Farrakhan’s group is embracing orthodox Islamic beliefs, a leader of the key immigrant Muslim group in this country said.
“They want to watch this transformation,” said Sayyid Syeed, secretary general of the Islamic Society of North America. “They will be disappointed if that transformation does not take place.”
A key aspect of the gathering will be the attendance of W. Deen Mohammed, an orthodox Muslim and the son of Elijah Muhammad, the founder of the Nation of Islam.
Mohammed, who confirmed that he planned to attend, said he would take particular note of Farrakhan’s speech Sunday, and hoped Farrakhan steers clear of anti-white and anti-Semitic comments.
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