(FinalCall.com) -- "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek;
he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to
the captives, and the opening of the prisons to those who are bound."
�Isaiah 61:1
"How many future world leaders are languishing in prisons who may
never have a chance to demonstrate to the world what the Almighty
Creator has put in them?" �The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, "A
Torchlight for America."
Minister Ishmael Muhammad, the Nation of Islam assistant minister to
the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, concluded his prison tour at
California Medical Facility (CMF) in Vacaville, Ca., on July 16.
"You are here getting strong physically, but are you exercising this
muscle [referring to the brain]? This is the muscle that has to be
trained; this is the muscle that has to be put through resistance," Min.
Ishmael told the inmates. "Brothers, there�s something about pain and
suffering, difficulty and suffering. Allah says in the Qur�an that He
ordained struggle for man. Struggle is ordained. Struggle is necessary
and pain is necessary for purification."
Speaking to the Native Americans in attendance, he continued, "I am
honored by your presence. They have in their rich tradition that you
have to suffer a degree of pain and heat. We went up to partake in that
ritual and you get into the sweat lodge � a heat that will run you out
of there. And just when you can�t take it no more, they�ve got some more
hot stones coming in.
"A couple of brothers ran out of that thing because they couldn�t
take it. But all of that is to teach a lesson that [we all must] go
through the fire of life and pain. Why is that? You are born to be
masters and rulers in God�s creation. He made man in His image, and He
made man after His likeness," Min. Ishmael said.
According to Imam Abdul Ra�oof Nasir, from the Muslim American
Society (MAS) and the chaplain at California State Prison-Solano,
"Minister Ishmael did a lot of speaking in a short period of time; he
rose to the occasion. It was taxing physically as well as emotionally
and spiritually, his having to deliver such critical words to men in
such difficult situations. All in all, it was another good step in the
process for greater cooperation and, hopefully, some more concrete plans
to share in the work of prison reform."
"I could tell that Minister Ishmael had a wonderful time. I think
that he has a very beautiful personality," stated Imam Antar Jannah, the
Muslim chaplain at Correctional Training Facility (Soledad State Prison)
and also president of the Muslim American Chaplain Association. "He has
a personality that makes people feel very comfortable around him."
Imam Nasir said he anticipates continued relationships with Min.
Ishmael, both in Chicago and California. "We anticipate visiting
Minister Ishmael when we go to Chicago � so that we can further our
talks about where we can work most effectively in the prison reform area
and, also, on when his schedule will permit him to come back to visit
us."
"At all five prisons, Minister Ishmael Muhammad took the time to
greet the inmates as they left the meeting areas. Minister Ishmael did
an excellent job and proved to be a great helper of the Honorable
Minister Louis Farrakhan in delivering the life giving teaching of the
Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, stated Brother General Muhammad.
(Sister Theresa X Torres is a Latina representative in the Nation of
Islam Prison Reform Ministry from Muhammad Mosque #26B in Oakland, Ca.)
