CHICAGO (AP) — Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan says despite assertions by Facebook when it banned him from its platform, he is not a hater of Jewish people, not a misogynist nor a homophobe.
During a speech Thursday at a Roman Catholic church on Chicago's South Side, Farrakhan asserted people shouldn't be angry with him if "I stand on God's word."
Farrakhan was invited to speak at the church by Father Michael Pfleger after Facebook banned Farrakhan, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, conservative commentator Milo Yiannopoulos and others, saying they violated its ban on "dangerous individuals."
The Archdiocese of Chicago distanced itself from Pfleger's invitation to Farrakhan to St. Sabina Catholic Church, saying Pfleger did not consult with Cardinal Blase Cupich or other diocese officials.
Pfleger defended his decision to invite Farrakhan to his church, saying he was responding to the Facebook ban as a defender of free speech.