Farrakhan says he's ill, gives up duties

Sep 24, 2006, 3:10 GMT

Washington - The controversial leader of a US black Muslim group, Louis Farrakhan, is stepping down from day to day operations of the group to recover from intestinal problems.

The announcement by Farrakhan, age 73, was posted on the website of the Nation of Islam's newspaper, the Final Call, on Friday. The Chicago Tribune reported on his move on Saturday.

Farrakhan was operated on for prostate cancer in 2000, and said in the letter he was suffering from the after-effects and severe internal damage after an 'extremely high dose of radiated seed implantation' that killed the prostate cancer.

While he was in Cuba earlier this year to 'learn of disaster management preparedness,' Farrakhan said he had extreme pain 'in the anal area,' where Cuban doctors found an ulcer.

Since returning, he wrote he has been 'steadily fighting serious pain and infection' and was under the care of Howard University doctors in Washington, D.C., he wrote.

He said he was taking a page of the book from Cuba's President Fidel Castro, who in July handed over power to his brother Raul to undergo and recover from a serious intestinal operation. Farrakhan called him 'commandante.'

He said Castro's move had proven that 'Cuba will not fall apart over the absence or passing of their illustrious leader' - and drew parallels to the Nationn of Islam.