Imam Warithdeen Mohammed, leader of the largest orthodox Islamic community in the United States, will be attending along with several other Muslim leaders from the west and east coasts of the United States and the Caribbean.

Imam Mohammed is the son of Nation of Islam founder, Elijah Mohammad, who died in 1975. He left the Nation soon after and converted to orthodox Islam.

He will be honoured at an appreciation banquet to be held at the Southampton Princess tomorrow (7.30 p.m.).

And he will also address the 300-strong Bermudian Islamic community at Elbow Beach earlier in the day during the congregational prayer.

Members of the public are invited to the prayer and the banquet, which costs $55 per person.

Mr. Thomas Watson Jr. will be the keynote speaker. He came to Bermuda in March last year and spoke about the need for cultural flexibility in global relations.

Mr. Watson is the founder and chief executive of Watson Rice, which is the only black-owned chartered public accountancy firm in the United States, with substantial international experience.

Many local Muslims said this week they were looking forward to Imam Mohammed's visit.

"We have special affection for his leadership,'' said Takbir Sharrieff, one of the summit's organisers.

"We started out with the original Nation of Islam back in the sixties, and made the conversion with Imam Mohammed to orthodox Islam.

"It is extremely fitting, since this comes after we have just finished our Ramadan fast and the Eid feast celebrations.

"We hope to have ongoing events so the public can get insight into Islam as a religion that is separate and distinct from the old Nation of Islam, because Islam is a universal religion of no distinctions or discrimination.''