SPANISH TOWN, Jamaica�Shouts of "Allah-U-Akbar!" (God is Great!), cheering and applause greeted the leader of the Nation of Islam March 24 as he entered the small chapel at St. Catherine Adult Correction Center for a special Sunday service.

It was a stop the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan had requested during a six-day trip marked by meetings with the political and economic powerhouses in the country.

Min. Farrakhan told the men, and a few female visitors, packed inside the chapel and others kept from the chapel by high fences and razor wire, they were constantly on his mind.

"Some of you may be blessed to know who you are, and many of you may not know who you are. But because I have been blessed to know who you are, it is my great honor to serve you. And through you to serve all those who are in prison on this island," said Min. Farrakhan.

His message stressed the need for proper understanding of God�s prophecy, the time, Jamaica�s future and the need for a spiritual, moral and social rebirth.

As Jesus descended into hell and then ascended into heaven, those who go into hellish conditions become qualified to ascend to the heights, Min. Farrakhan said.

The ascension comes with greater spiritual knowledge and submission to God, the Minister said. Just as Malcolm X rose from petty criminal to leader, under the teachings of the Hon. Elijah Muhammad, you have the same potential, he told the men.

Those who are locked down rebelled against a system, education and religious teachings given by the slave master, he said. The training of the slave master is never to grant freedom, but God sends divine men to lead the oppressed out of a voided state and into a higher state of existence, the Minister said.

It is time for Jamaica to rise and those behind bars have the potential to lead the country to its great destiny, he added.

"We cannot expect better of you, until you expect better of yourself. For as a man thinketh in his heart so is he," Min. Farrakhan said.

The service was as quiet as a gathering in any parish. The men, many dressed in their best clothes, listened intently. Their faces lit up as the Minister spoke of Jesus� injunction to minister to those in prison and their importance in a divine plan.

Though guards were stationed inside the chapel, there was no sign of disorder.

The men sat on simple wooden benches, or stood against the walls. Underneath the Minister�s message was music, inmates played keyboards, drums and other instruments, as he spoke.

Jesus is the architect of a resurrection, not a physical resurrection, but a resurrection from spiritual and moral death and the bondage of Satanic rulers that enslave and exploit nations and people, he said.

This place of confinement is like a womb and time must serve you, the Minister stressed. There must be growth and development by accepting the light of God, Min. Farrakhan said. You must emerge from this place like your mother�s womb and never return again, he said.

Once you know who you are, crime is beneath you, Min. Farrakhan said. "You are the warriors, the soldiers. You are the army of God locked down without aim and purpose. � Rise up and be your great self for Jamaica, for the Caribbean and the whole Black world," he said.

The men interrupted him several times with massive applause and cheering. Once he finished delivering his message, the Minister led the men in the same pledge given at the Million Man March in 1995. It was an oath to better themselves, their families and nation.

There are 4,000 men held at St. Catherine correctional center and the message was piped out into prison courtyards and even death row inmates could hear, said prison officials. They also said the Minister�s message would be played throughout the prison system and the Nation of Islam would be invited to help reform inmates.

The visit was arranged by National Security Minister Dr. Peter Phillips and attended by Corrections Commissioner Earl Fearon, St. Catherine Supt. Barrington G. Gordon, Public Defender Howard Hamilton, Chaplin Dr. R. Maddix and Rev. O. Campbell, assistant chaplin.