JSPES, Vol. 40, Nos. 1-2 (Spring-Summer 2015)
pp. 69–96

Louis Farrakhan’s Outreach to Muslims in Africa and the Middle East

George Michael

Westfield State University, Massachusetts

Perhaps the most recognized Muslim leader in the United States, Louis Farrakhan has long sought to build bridges to the Middle East. Despite his controversial reputation in America, he was often treated as a foreign dignitary when visiting Libya and various Middle Eastern nations opposed to United States policies. During his long career, he met with some of the most vilified leaders in the region including Muammar Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Yasser Arafat, Hafez and Bashar al- Assad, and Hassan al-Turabi. By doing so, Farrakhan found international forums to voice his criticism of U.S. foreign policy.