He also condemned the U.S.-imposed sanctions on Iraq.

When traveling recently in Iraq, he said he witnessed the immense suffering the sanctions were causing among the Iraqi people.

He said he believed that the U.S. instituted the sanctions in order to spark the Iraqi people into an uprising against Hussein.

He then shifted from foreign affairs to speak to the audience about their lives.

Farrakhan urged them to sacrifice the temporary pleasure of material diversions for a true understanding of God and a life-long fight against society’s ills.

“You’re out here partying and dancing...but the country is gone. It’s in the hands of the few instead of the hands of the many,” he said.

Pounding his fists on the podium, he shouted “Wake up! Your country is going down!”

He said that merely expressing bitterness and hatred about injustice is ineffective, though such emotions are vital to ensuring that past injustices will never be forgotten.

“I didn’t always love America,” he said. “In fact, I hated America.”

But eventually, he said, he found a way to turn that hatred into a desire to correct society’s wrongs.

He said that he found the courage to fight back and take a radical political position by developing a close relationship with God.

Even though he said his politics have made him many enemies, he still takes his strength from God.

“I’m not insane. I don’t want to die,” he said. “But I’ll give my life for what I believe.”