Sarah Baxter Interviews Louis Farrakhan Jude Wanniski March 13, 2002

Memo To: Secretary of State Colin Powell
From: Jude Wanniski
Re: Farrakhan barred from Britain

It has been 16 years since the United Kingdom decided to bar Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan from the British Isles. It did so on the grounds that he was an anti-Semitic troublemaker who might stir up passions. This was back in the days when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister and relied on her American friend Richard Perle for advice on such matters. Now you may know a judge in the British court system has overturned the ban, arguing that whatever Min. Farrakhan said to distress Ms. Thatcher 16 years ago should no longer be relevant and he should be allowed to visit the London, where there is a mosque of the Nation of Islam. The Blair government, although of the Labor Party, still takes its cues from Mr. Perle and does not want Min. Farrakhan showing up and having his say about what is going on in the world. Now you know Min. Farrakhan and understand he has not caused any trouble here and would not cause any trouble in London. As you happen to chat with the Blair folks, please put in a good word for Min. Farrakhan, who, by the way, is now planning a tour of the Middle East countries, in hopes of contributing to the reconciliation process -- perhaps helping avoid another war, via personal diplomacy. If you have the time, I recommend you read the article that Sarah Baxter of the London Sunday Times wrote about him in this last Sunday's Times Magazine. It is quite long, and while not entirely favorable to Min. Farrakhan, is the best single piece I have seen written about him in a major publication anywhere. As you will see in the article, I helped arrange it, hoping it will encourage the Blair government to drop its opposition to his visit. We have permission to run the article in full. You can link to it here.