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Fear cancelled Farrakhan speech in Charleston, says event organizer

By Brian E. Muhammad -Contributing Writer- | Last updated: Sep 10, 2015 - 5:54:07 PM

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Postponed S. Carolina event flyer.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (FinalCall.com) - The Honorable Minister Farrakhan has been traveling city to city, galvanizing support for the Justice Or Else! gathering planned for the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 10, 2015—marking the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March with a demand for an end to racial and social injustice now.

He wanted to come to Charleston, S.C., to pay his respects to the nine people slaughtered in Mother Emanuel AME Church and his visit was set for Sept. 14-15. But opponents to his visit have blocked the 82-year-old freedom fighter who heads the Nation of Islam, who enjoys widespread and deep love throughout Black America and international affection and respect.

“It seems like it was an unseen group of people for this that was behind the scenes threatening people in the schools, churches and other areas in reference to the Minister coming down,” said DeAndre Muhammad, the Nation of Islam representative in Charleston, S.C.

He told The Final Call there was a consistent denial of use of facilities from schools, churches and other places normally open for public events and speakers. But when it came to Louis Farrakhan, “it was a different story,” Mr. Muhammad said.

Trident Technical College agreed to be the venue for the speech then backed out over a contractual disagreement. Mr. Muhammad said. Trident “tried to outprice us to discourage us from going into the venue,” he added. Along with exorbitant fees for security, Trident moved not to allow a security search procedure, said Mr. Muhammad.

Refusing to allow a physical search procedure employed for decades at meetings organized and hosted by the Nation of Islam was strange, especially in light of the fatal shootings in the church in Charleston, said event organizers. On June 17 the massacre at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopalian Church drew national attention and concern. Ironically a notice on the Trident Technical College website offers a free seminar on church security conducted by Lt. Frank Jackson, homeland security officer with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office. The six-hour church security course is especially appropriate for this fall semester because of the attack on Mother Emanuel AME and focuses more on “physical threats to churches, synagogues, mosques and temples, rather than general security measures.”

Calls to Trident Technical College for comment went unreturned at Final Call press time.

On Aug. 28, Trident did respond to critics of Minister Farrakhan’s visit through a disclaimer that separated the school from the event’s organizers on its FaceBook page:

“The College Center at Trident Technical College is leased to the general public on a space available basis. The use of the College’s facilities by an external group does not constitute the College’s endorsement of that group, its activities, or its viewpoint.” A Sept. 4 FaceBook posting officially announced cancellation of the event did not say why.

In the racial atmosphere permeating Charleston, one vocal group of White nationalists, the “SC Militia of God and Guns,” entered into a social media campaign against the school and event organizers. To foster fear, the White group used media misquotes of Minister Farrakhan’s recent speech in Miami. The Minister stated that if the federal government fails to protect Black lives, Blacks must defend their own lives. The militia group attempted to bear pressure on the non-profit Third Eye Awareness—connected to syndicated radio personality Charlamagne Tha God—and Kinta Palmer, a community organizer and school resource officer.

Opposition from fearful preachers

“I was supposed to speak at Mother Emanuel, but they rejected me,” Minister Farrakhan said Sept. 3 during a message delivered at a Cleveland church, speaking to the cancellation of his Charleston visit.

“We went to another church to speak and they rejected me again; we went to three churches … one church was willing to let me come, but said ‘you got to sign a paper that you not going to say nothing controversial,’ ” Minister Farrakhan said. “I wonder if the poor bishop … who he had to bring the paper to?” he asked.

Bishop Brian D. Moore placed the conditions and requirements to use his Life Central Cathedral as the venue, according the DeAndre Muhammad. The bishop did not want to have to explain any so-called inflammatory statements after Min. Farrakhan left the city, he added.

“That’s ridiculous to even make such a demand as though we are still plantation slaves, who don’t want trouble with massa,” said Paula Singleton, 42, a mother of four who was planning to travel from Columbia to hear Min. Farrakhan.

The Minister thanked the strong pastors in Cleveland, who hosted him, and said godly men “shouldn’t be tied to the ungodly.” Minister Farrakhan said as a free man, he is not tied to former slave-masters or the power structure able to cow some preachers and order their steps.

“A scared to death preacher can’t boast in Christ,” Minister Farrakhan said. “A preacher that fears the powers that are contemporary, and dismisses the power of him who is eternally in power, is not fit to stand before the people of God.”

This is the time when all false men and women will be sat down, the Minister said.

Double talk and hypocrites?

Charleston, which is called the “holy city” and is a bastion for the architects of White supremacy, was a major receiving port during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Turmoil gripped the city with the April 10 killing of Walter Scott, an unarmed 50-year-old father and laborer, shot in the back several times by Michael Slager—a former North Charleston police officer—now jailed awaiting trial.

Months afterward came the execution of parishioners and the pastor of Mother Emanuel AME by alleged shooter Dylan Roof, 21, an avowed White supremacist who wanted to incite a race war. It was the Black clergy claiming it was a “Christian tradition” and way to forgive and show mercy to Mr. Roof, who never asked for forgiveness.

Over social media websites, many blasted the hypocrisy of clergy who opposed an appearance by Minister Farrakhan while embracing an admitted killer of Black Christians.

“They are planning to wipe us out; all the negro preacher (want) to do is talk about heaven and loving your enemies and they’re not preparing their people to fight their open enemy,” wrote Sandy Gillen on FaceBook.

“What kind of double talking Hypocrites are you? You say you want friendship and dialogue with Black people. But what you really mean is that you only want friendship and dialogue with those Blacks who make you feel secure and safe in your sick mind of White Supremacy,” posted Craig Khanwell on FaceBook.