CHICAGO�Saviours� Day, the crowning event of Black History Month, also will be the official kick-off of the upcoming Million Family March to be held October 16, 2000 in Washington, D.C., according to Minister Ishmael Muhammad, assistant minister at Mosque Maryam.

The assistant to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said the theme of the Feb. 24-27 Saviours� Day weekend is "A Celebration of Family."

"The workshops will focus on family and Minister Farrakhan�s Feb. 27 keynote address to the world will focus on family," Min. Ishmael said. "We will discuss the role of husband and father, the role of wife and mother, the role of children. A strong family equals a strong nation."

A mega-highlight of the weekend will be the uniting of the followers of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad�those under the leadership of the Imam W. Deen Mohammed and those under the leadership of Min. Farrakhan. Many of these Muslims have not seen each other for 25 years, Min. Ishmael said.

"Just the joy of seeing us come back together will have our hearts fluttering that day. Our hearts may burst that day," he said. "The joy is to see the family together, and if we as a community of Muslims in the west can settle our differences � then that should serve as inspiration for the entire Muslim world for it is fragmented and divided," he said. (More next issue.)

Min. Ishmael noted that workshops will be held Feb. 25-26 at McCormick Place.

Activist and long-time Saviours� Day participant Dr. Conrad Worrill, chair of the National Black United Front, said Saviours� Day is a time-honored tradition in the Black community that encompasses the entire community.

"As a young activist being impacted by what was going on in the Black Power phase of the movement, I attended my first Saviours� Day at the Coliseum Auditorium in Chicago and stood in long, long lines in an effort to see the Honorable Elijah Muhammad," he told The Final Call. "This was an inspiring period of my life.

"Under the leadership of Minister Farrakhan, our participation in Saviours� Day was intensified because of the implementation of workshops and a conference type setting.

"Minister Farrakhan�s return this Saviours� Day is significant and we look forward to his continued leadership not only in America but throughout the world," he said.

Rev. Dr. Hycel B. Taylor, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Evanston, Ill., described Saviours� Day as "one of the most formidable events that brings many aspects of our community together.�

Minister Farrakhan is a tremendous convener of the community and it makes the Muslim community�s presence know,� he said.  �A primary issue in our community is our unity �and Saviours� Day is an occasion where that happens.�

Rev. Taylor said he anticipates Min. Farrakhan�s message on family to also address revolving the problems of Black incarcerations and the impact on families by an unjust criminal justice system.

In 1977, Min. Farrakhan stood in the pulpit of Rev. Willie Wilson�s Union Temple Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., and announced he was going to rebuild the works of the Hon. Elijah Muhammad.  On Feb. 27, 2000, Rev. Wilson plans to join Min. Farrakhan as Saviours� Day.

�His fearless and undaunted voice on behalf of the oppressed� is what attracted Rev. Wilson to Min. Farrakhan resulting in the Minister�s appearance at his church.  �I have a deep, deep abiding love for Minister Farrakhan.  Very few of us have the courage to speak truth to power,� he said.

�Minister Farrakhan�s return is crucial to this nation,� said Rev. Maxine Walker of Chicago.  �He�s always been such a powerful leader, not only his wisdom but his forcefulness in not being a bought man.  He dispenses the truth strongly.�

Rev. Walker, publisher of Spiritual Perspective newspaper, said she is pleased with the focus on family as the theme of Saviours� Day.

�I�m certain that his message will be life-giving, international, interdenominational and will embody the total nucleus of all religions, races and creeds,� she said.

�The adversary has attacked families across this nation.  The uniting of families is the way to fight the battle against Satan.