Community Activists Make Up

Community activist Najee Ali and Nation of Islam minister Tony Muhammad said Wednesday they had resolved a dispute over Ali’s contention that the minister’s bodyguards beat him at a recent news conference.

Muhammad said the pair met Tuesday with elders in the Muslim community after Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and prominent Muslim leader W.D. Mohammad, who is Ali’s father-in-law, encouraged them to settle their differences and work together.

“If we could resolve our differences after the skirmish, they told us we could be an example to the gangs that there is a peaceful way,” Muhammad said. “It was beautiful. We resolved to stand together and work together.”

Ali also said he had notified Los Angeles police that he had withdrawn a report to police alleging that Muhammad’s guard had “cold-cocked” him during an argument. Ali said Muhammad had blamed him for not getting reporters to an event calling for clemency for death row inmate and former Crips leader Stanley “Tookie” Williams. Muhammad said he didn’t know who hit Ali.

“We are peacemakers, and as peacemakers we came together and decided to resolve our differences and work together,” Ali said in an interview. “If we can make up after what happened, others should be able to settle their differences peacefully.”