Farrakhan's UK attorneys address
U.S. media on lifting of travel ban

CHICAGO—The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan's message of atonement, responsibility and reconciliation is ripe for healing the conditions in the United Kingdom, representatives of the Nation of Islam said during an Aug. 16 press conference held at the DuSable Museum to address the lifting of the 15-year-old ban on the travels of the Minister to England.

"The message of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan gives hope to the hopeless and gives direction to those who lack direction, said Minister Hilary Muhammad, the Nation of Islam UK representative who, after listening to one of Min. Farrakhan's audio tapes in 1987, was inspired to establish the first study group in the UK. That effort has since expanded throughout the United Kingdom as well as into Norway, Sweden, France and Northern Ireland.

Min. Hilary, with the help of attorneys and others, has been legally engaging the government since 1997 to remove the travel restriction. He was joined at the press conference by attorney Saadiq Khan, a UK solicitor, and UK attorney Tamara Muhammad, who traveled to Chicago with him.

"It is very important to appreciate that if the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan can have such a profound effect on the citizens of the United Kingdom and now throughout Europe by video and audio cassette, it's very clear that his physical presence will allow us to be much greater guided," he said.

Support of the July 31 High Court ruling to end the ban is beginning to swell inside the borders of the country despite "poisonous" and "vitriolic" reports from the government-controlled press, said attorney Khan.

"The challenge that we made was a very, very landmark challenge. What we said, in effect, was that the Home Secretary was acting in a perverse and irrational manner in maintaining the ban," said Atty. Khan. "We're asking a court of law to say that there is no evidence, there is no basis for you to exclude Min. Farrakhan. And that is the basis of our challenge," he continued, " ... there was a huge mountain that the Nation of Islam followers in the UK had to surmount to successfully beat this challenge."

Their struggle compelled them to cross the Atlantic to set the record straight. The UK delegation briefed Min. Farrakhan on the case and relayed thanks from Blacks in the UK to those in the American public that supported lifting the ban. Their visit is intended to further inform the U.S. public and spark international support of their case to convince the UK government that it is in the best interest not to appeal the court ruling.

On Oct. 1, Justice Michael Turner will give his reasons for lifting the ban. At that time the Home Secretary can decide whether or not to appeal, but an appeal can only be based on a question of law used by the judge to overturn the ban, attorney Khan said.

"We should always stand for the principle of the freedom of speech. We have to be careful to identify and to recognize that the law has always been used in a racist manner, not only to suppress speech but also to suppress religion," said Attorney Andre Grant, president of the Cook County Bar Association, lending support from the group.

"We salute these lawyers. We thank them. We pledge our support as Black lawyers in America for their continued fight for freedom, justice and equality," attorney Grant said.

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