CHICAGO—The family of Amadou Diallo, the victim of a brutal New York City police shooting, launched here April 10 a multi-city tour to bring attention to police violence and other human rights abuses in the United States.

Minister Ishmael Muhammad, assistant minister of Mosque Maryam, welcomed the parents, Kadiatou and Saikou Diallo, and siblings of Mr. Diallo to the Nation of Islam’s national headquarters, where the family and a delegation of Muslims from Guinea, West Africa, dialogued with Nation of Islam officials, toured the mosque and said afternoon prayers in the masala. They concluded their visit with Nation of Islam officials with a reception at the Nation of Islam’s Salaam restaurant.

"We are delighted to have the family of our brother Amadou Diallo with us. The Honorable Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam support them in their quest for justice, and we will work hard with them, as we have historically done, to bring justice for the oppressed who are victims of police and mob violence and governmental abuses," Min. Ishmael told The Final Call as he welcomed the delegation to Mosque Maryam.

Accompanied by New York activist the Rev. Al Sharpton, the family began their Chicago visit with a rally at Rainbow/PUSH, the organization led by the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. The program also featured attorneys for the family of 11-year-old Ryan Harris, whose murder Chicago police attempted to place on two boys, one eight and one seven years old.

The attorneys have called for charges to be placed on a man already in jail accused of other rapes of children in the same area the Harris girl was found. No charges have been filed.

"Amadou was a victim of false advertising," said Rev. Sharpton in keynote remarks to the Rainbow/PUSH crowd, including a delegation of members of the Nation of Islam. "We told him this was the land of the free and home of the brave. We told him this was a land where dreams can come true."

He left here the victim of a nightmare, Rev. Sharpton said, describing how Mr. Diallo, an immigrant from Guinea, was shot 19 times by police who fired 41 shots. Rev. Sharpton said the unarmed man even was shot while laying on the ground. Four police officers recently were indicted for the murder of Mr. Diallo, the first time such indictments have been handed down.

Speaking on behalf of the Honorable Louis Farrakhan, Min. Ishmael told the family and PUSH crowd that God would avenge the death of Mr. Diallo and other innocent victims of police abuse.

"Vengeance is the Lord’s," Min. Ishmael said. "We know that (Amadou’s) death has triggered something in the winds, something in the rains, something in the earth, and the forces of nature will rise up and avenge the loss of not only our brother Diallo, but all of those who have been the victims of racism and injustice in this land."

During a press conference held after the rally, Rev. Jackson thanked the Diallo family for "having the will to stand up and fight." He said police violence is systemic and pervasive, and he connected institutions in the destruction of the Black male, in particular.

"The media stereotypes us as less intelligent than we are … and police carry out the orders of the system," Rev. Jackson told reporters, adding that he will make an appeal to President Clinton to address the Diallo shooting, but "he’s aware of it enough to make a public statement."

In exclusive remarks to The Final Call, Rev. Sharpton said the Diallo incident was "the worst case of police brutality" he’s ever seen. A veteran of protests against injustices in New York City, Rev. Sharpton said the tour aims to have President Clinton and Congress implement new police policy laws, including residency rules, independent prosecutors for abuse cases and civilian complaint review boards. In the Diallo case, the officers were not questioned until seven weeks after the incident, and the rule is not to question New York cops until 48 hours after an incident, he said.

Mr. Diallo’s father, Saikou Diallo, told The Final Call his son’s death had international implications, even bringing the Guinean population closer together. He called the shooting "a massacre" and also thanked Min. Farrakhan for his bold fight in the cause of freedom and prayed for the Minister’s quick recovery from a recent illness.

"The first shock to me was that my son was shot," said Kadiatou Diallo, mother of the victim. "The second shock was that the police shot him. Now every body in Guinea is concerned."

A day earlier, the family attended Jumu’ah prayer service at Muhammad Mosque No. 7 in New York, where Nation of Islam Eastern Regional Minister Benjamin Muhammad pledged support. The visit to the mosque came just two days after New York police arrested a man they say is the rapist officers of the Street Crimes Unit were pursuing the night they killed Mr. Diallo.