I'll move my reply intended for the other thread here since there is a dedicated is a dedicated thread now.
Farrakhan is no more "the Muslim leader" than David Koresh was "the Christian leader". NOI started in the 1930's and claimed their human leader was God reborn. Shia and Sunni Muslims(who comprise a billion compared to NOI's thousands) consider this extreme blasphemy. They don't consider Farrakhan a real Muslim let alone their leader and have issued a fatwa against him. Anyway, as I said, Shia and Sunnis wouldn't call Obama the messiah because Obama is a Christian. Even if you want to veer into conspiracy theorist territory, Obama calls himself a Christian, and that alone would make it extreme blasphemy for a Muslim to call him the messiah. For a Muslim to call Obama the messiah would be like a Baptist calling a Muslim Christ reborn.
Edit: Farrakhan's reason for this endorsement is racial/political not religious. I doubt Farrakhan cares what the Quran says, but he's a black nationalist and he would be happy to see any black man as president.
Edited by Healthy Skeptic, 11 October 2008 - 10:23 PM.