CHICAGO — Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan made a rare public appearance Sunday at a historic mosque in Chicago.
Sunday’s event was deemed a “new beginning” for the Chicago-based black-nationalist movement. The 75-year-old Farrakhan stressed unity among religions in his wide- ranging speech.
He also covered such topics as immigration, public schools and morality. He referred vaguely to the presidential campaign but didn’t mention candidates by name.
Thousands gathered at the Mosque Maryam at a rededication of the renovated structure. The event comes just weeks after the death of Imam W.D. Mohammed, the son of Nation founder Elijah Muhammad, who broke with the group and moved thousands of African-Americans toward mainstream Islam.
Experts say opening the mosque’s doors to the public is a calculated move.
“It is a very conscious effort to open the mosque up to the community and to rededicate the community to learning about Islam,” said Aminah McCloud, a professor of Islamic studies at DePaul University. “Previously, the Nation has been open to people coming to visit it, but its members don’t generally go anywhere else … now there is a concerted effort.”
Farrakhan’s Sunday speech marked his second major public address this year and is among several smaller community and religious events he has attended.
His public appearances have surprised many because in 2006 he ceded leadership while recuperating from prostate cancer.
