By Kevin Aldridge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Officials at the Syrian Shrine Temple in Mount Auburn say they can't rent their facility to Nation of Islam leaders to relay a Feb. 23 satellite telecast featuring Minister Louis Farrakhan.

Two days earlier Xavier University pulled the plug on the same broadcast at the Cintas Center because the Jesuit school's president said Farrakhan's message was "perceived by many as divisive."

Harry Sterling, potentate and CEO of Syrian Temple, said he notified Nation of Islam officials Friday that the temple is unable to accommodate the request because of a scheduling conflict.

"This had nothing to do with what Xavier did at all," Sterling said. "We don't want to get into making political statements.

"We have a fraternal (Shriners) meeting that same day," he said. "It's an unfortunate overlap, but we're not going to change it."

James Muhammad, minister of the Nation of Islam Mosque No. 5, declined to comment Friday until he had a chance to learn more about Syrian Temple's decision. The event, he said, has already sold more than 500 tickets.

Sterling said local Nation of Islam officials submitted a rental application along with a $500 deposit on Thursday. Sterling said the deposit only placed the facility on hold until the application could be reviewed by trustees and the potentate. He said he has offered to return the deposit.

"It's an unfortunate situation, but our events have to come first," Sterling said.

Farrakhan's annual "Saviours' Day" address will be broadcast from the University of Illinois at Chicago to more than 100 locations around the world.

E-mail kaldridge@enquirer.com