The fiery minister also announced a policy shift Wednesday that
allows women to head the group's mosques and he named Benjamin
Chavis Muhammad, the former NAACP executive director, to a top
post.
Farrakhan said he would leave Dec. 1 on his friendship tour,
with stops in Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan and
Egypt. He also said he planned to meet with Cuban President Fidel
Castro.
The Nation of Islam minister gave few other details about the
trip. He said he would make a public statement next week about
Iraq, which had defied the United Nations by refusing to allow U.S.
arms inspectors into the country.
Farrakhan has been criticized before for traveling to nations
on
the government's list of those that support terrorism -- including
Libya, Iraq, Iran and Sudan-- and for meeting with Libyan leader
Moammar Gadhafi.
Farrakhan's announcement that women could lead its mosques --
the
places of worship for the Nation of Islam -- brought cheers and
enthusiasitic cries of "Alahu Akbar,'' which means "God is
great.'' Women previously had been permitted to serve only as
ministers.
"Sisters, I'm gonna put you over mosques ... because I believe
you can lead mosques,'' he said to about 600 supporters at a Harlem
mosque.
Farrakhan also named Ava Muhammad as national consultant to
regional ministers, the first time a woman has held that position.
Chavis Muhammad, 49, a former minister in the United Church of
Christ, will be the group's eastern regional minister, heading the
Harlem mosque where Malcolm X once preached and replacing Minister
Kevin Muhammad, who will oversee the Nation's Manhattan mosques.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
fired Benjamin Chavis in August 1994 for running up $32,000 in
personal charges on his NAACP credit card and committing $330,000
without board approval to settle sexual harassment claims against
him.
Since then, he has been a Farrakhan ally and played a major
role
in organizing the October 1995 Million Man March on Washington. He
joined the Nation of Islam in February and changed his name to
Chavis Muhammad.
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