LinkMinnister [sic] Louis Farrakhan has issued a letter to his followers saying he is ill and is urging his executive board to prove the Nation of Islam will "live long" after he is gone.
Farrakhan, 73, said he began suffering pain earlier this year similar to 1998, when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and later underwent surgery.
The letter said that doctors discovered an ulcer in Farrakhan's anal area during a visit to Cuba in March. He said he has lost 35 pounds while battling "serious infection and inflammation." Farrakhan said he will work hard to recover and has asked his executive board to solve problems during his recovery.
He said his absence will show that the Nation of Islam is stronger than any one individual.