fbpx
Subscribe
Menu

Minister Farrakhan: They Want Me Off Social Media But I Have Been Courageous, Intellectual, And Civilized

Minister Farrakhan: They Want Me Off Social Media But I Have Been Courageous, Intellectual, And Civilized

Written by Ann Brown

Mar 09, 2021

Subscribe
Minister Louis Farrakhan
Minister Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, speaks at a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 8, 2018. Farrakhan warned Trump not to pull “the trigger of war in the Middle East, at the insistence of Israel.” (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan is in hot water again on social media due to anti-covid vaccine remarks he made on Feb. 27 during the annual Saviours’ Day convention. The theme of the event was “Covid-19: The Virus and The Vaccine” and it was designed to spread the word about the NOI’s views on the pandemic.

The speech was shared on Twitter. Since it centers around anti-vaccine sentiment, some feel Farrakhan is violating social media covid misinformation policies.

In his speech, the 87-year-old Muslim leader said that social media would dislike his message.

“They don’t want me on social media,” Farrakhan said. “What have I done? I’ve been the most intellectual, courageous, knowledgeable person on your platforms. I respect those platforms. I have never degraded myself on your platforms. You don’t like what I say, but you can never say I have lied.”

Farrakhan has remained on Twitter but Facebook took down the Saviour’s Day post.

In the speech, Farrakhan expressed skepticism about the speed of the vaccine’s creation. “By rushing so fast to get something out, bypassing normal steps in a true vaccine, now God is going to turn your vaccine into death in a hurry,” he said. 

Farrakhan has received backlash from social media platforms before. In 2016, he was banned from Facebook for “hate speech.” The minister returned using a slightly different name, Forbes reported. Facebook had banned various high-profile public figures for being dangerous.

Farrakhan is one of many Black Americans who are anti-vaccine. There remains a deep mistrust in the healthcare system after years of discrimination, unauthorized experimentation, and inequality in service.

The Saviour’s Day convention hit on a number of points:

  • Various health experts gave arguments against vaccination.
  • There were claims the virus and vaccine are part of a government depopulation plan.
  • Farrakhan scoffed at Black celebrities and athletes who are encouraging vaccination. “Some of you are being used and don’t know it,” he said. “Your fame, your celebrity, your influence, your money — now you are being bought and paid for for the destruction of your people.”

Black Americans are dying of coronavirus at rates of three times higher than whites, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis. A study found that white residents are being vaccinated at much higher rates than Black—in many cases, two-to-three times higher, Scientific American reported.

Lack of access to vaccines is a problem for Black Americans. Where there is access, it seems rich white people are “using their wealth and prestige to secure doses of the coronavirus vaccines by traveling to Black and brown neighborhoods, where statistics show the immunizations are needed the most,” News One reported.

Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 60: Jamarlin Martin Jamarlin goes solo and talks about Facebook’s ban on Minister Louis Farrakhan and whether or not Barack Obama’s pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, was always right.

✖