UNIVERSITY VILLAGE — Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan told thousands of followers Sunday he was planning to reach out to gang leaders to help "protect" the Nation of Islam.
That came at the Nation of Islam's annual Saviours' Day convention. Farrakhan, 79, renewed the call for blacks to pool money and buy as much land as possible, in order to "control means of production" and produce food and other goods, such as clothing.
Farrakhan said collectively owning land is a way for black people in America to prosper economically. The calls were part of a speech that lasted more than three hours and touched on topics including Libya's Moammar Ghaddafi, U.S. Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel and a national push for gun control.
Farrakhan told a packed crowd of more than 7,000 people that national lawmakers are using Chicago's violence epidemic to push for stronger gun control laws but said the second amendment has nothing to do with the spate of shootings in Chicago.
"The guns that every one of our young people have, are they legal? No!" Farrakhan said.
Instead, Farrakhan had a different idea for how to address gun violence. In addition to sending letters to black military leaders, Farrakhan said he planned to contact the city's gang leaders to recruit gang members to "protect" any land the Nation of Islam may buy in the future.
"All you gang bangers, we know you love to shoot, but you're killing yourselves," Farrakhan said. "All your weapons are illegal and you're using them like savages."
But Farrakhan said gang bangers are "natural soldiers" and could be taught "the science of war" to become protectors of the Nation of Islam's assets in the future.
Last summer, Farrakhan led 500 men, known as the Fruit of Islam, to the city's Auburn Gresham neighborhood in response to the spike in violence in the first half of 2012.
Farrakhan also praised the reelection of President Barack Obama as a significant historical milestone but added Obama's victory would not mean prosperity for black people.
Farrakhan also decried the death of Ghaddafi, who was killed in 2011. Blaming the former Libyan leader's death on American and European government, he said they wanted Ghaddafi dead because he was an "impediment" to American and European interests having access to natural resources in Africa.
Farrakhan said he believes the American government also wanted to see black leaders like himself go away.
"You killed my brother [Ghaddafi], and now you got the same thing in your mind for me," Farrakhan thundered as the crowd rose to its feet applauding. "You want to put your hands on me. In fact, you're plotting it as I'm speaking."
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