Fruit of Islam

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Fruit of Islam, Chicago, March 1974

The Fruit of Islam (FOI) is the name given to the paramilitary division of the Nation of Islam in North America. They are the security force of the Nation of Islam, a group of African American men who follow the teachings of Elijah Muhammad while protecting and serving the Nation, its ministers, and its events. The men sometimes wear distinctive blue, brown or white-colored uniforms or highly starched Western-style suits with bow ties. Green-colored uniforms—the favorite color of Prophet Muhammad according to Islamic tradition—were introduced by Minister Louis Farrakhan during Saviours' Day 1997.

In 1972, FOI member Lewis 17X Dupree was charged in the murder of NYPD officer Phillip Cardillo inside the Nation of Islam Mosque #7 in Harlem. The first trial had a hung jury, and the second acquitted him.

Historically, members of the FOI have served in a bodyguard capacity for several African-American figures, including Sean Combs [1] Michael Jackson^{[citation needed]}, and Jesse Jackson.