Nation of Islam Convention to Include Talk of UFOs

CHICAGO (AP) — The Nation of Islam is best known for promoting black nationalism and self-reliance. But the Chicago-based movement is revisiting a core belief that isn't as well known: the existence of UFOs.

The group's annual Saviours' Day convention this weekend will include a group of scientists discussing UFO sightings worldwide.

The idea of seeking the divine in the skies is deeply rooted in the Nation of Islam, whose late leader Elijah Muhammad wrote detailed articles about a giant hovering object called "the wheel." The Minister Louis Farrakhan has often spoken about a divine vision he believes he had aboard the wheel in the 1980s.

Religious experts, Nation of Islam leaders and black Muslims disagree on the exact role of the object or how it fits into an afterlife.