[439] Far-right Jewish groups have gone further; the Jewish Defense League organized a "Death to Farrakhan" march in 1985, while the Jewish Defense Organization was found to have Farrakhan as the top name on its list of individuals it sought to kill. Most Muslims believe that when they die, they will stay in . While the NOI and Farrakhan have been portrayed in dominant white society and mainstream media as being militant, racist, separatist, dangerous, bigot, the prophet of hate and anti-Semitic; among significant sections of the black press, and among African Americans and African Caribbeans, the movement and its leader and members have been highly respected and regarded as role models for the youth and as the vocal voice, savior and spokesmen of oppressed people. [450] The sociologist A.A. Akom opined that the NOI had a reputation even among non-Muslim African Americans of "speaking truth to power,"[451] with a 1994 Time/CNN poll found that two-thirds of African Americans who knew of Farrakhan had favorable views of him. The lineage for Jews and Christians comes under Isaac and for Muslims under Ismael. [137], The Nation's racial separatism was at odds with the mainstream civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. [178], The NOI explains that its finances come primarily from donations and its businesses. In the 1980s, Farrakhan referred to Judaism as a "dirty religion"[431] and described Adolf Hitler as a "very great man" who "raised Germany up from nothing". Deeming it a threat to domestic security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation worked to undermine the group. government. [408] Farrakhan stepped up the Nation's prison ministry in the 1980s in response to the increasing incarceration of young black men under the Reagan administration. Sound travels at the rate of 1,120 feet per second. [192] In 1976, Wallace Muhammad estimated the Nation's net worth to be $46 million, although revealed it had a severe cash flow problem, owed millions in back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service, and was making a loss with its agricultural operations. Among those associated with the Moorish Science Temple was a peddler named Wallace D. Fard (or Wali Fard Muhammad). Mainstream Islam rejects the idea that God--Allah in Arabic--has . [272] Under his leadership, the Nation grew in size and influence. Christians speaking Arabic would say Allah for God. [200], The NOI also encourages followers to avoid foods associated with the slave culture of the U.S., such as cornbread, catfish, and collard greens, deeming this cuisine to be undignified. Ain't another devil nowhere else. [188], In its early decades, the Nation's appeal was strongest in poor African American neighborhoods. [245] This had been established by the North Carolina-born African American Noble Drew Ali in Newark, New Jersey, in 1913. [10], The Nation draws heavily on both Christianity and Islam, although it interprets the Bible and Quran differently from Christians or mainstream Muslims. 1.) [461] The Ahmadiyya, an Islamic group whose legitimacy is also often rejected by mainstream Muslim communities, similarly does not recognise the NOI as Islamic. I really was lost. [1] E.U. [97] Both Farrakhan and senior NOI spokesperson Abdul Alim Muhammad have claimed that the white establishment created the AIDS virus to exterminate black people. [300] Immediately prior to this, he also began ideologically distancing himself from NOI by declaring Black Nationalism his political philosophy. [40], The NOI teaches that history can be divided into distinct cycles, each ruled by a new god who takes over from his predecessor. This website is for people of various faiths who seek to understand Islam and Muslims. [161] Members are also encouraged to conduct regular three-day fasts,[199] and to fast during the daylight for the entirety of December. [110] Elijah Muhammad described this as "a small human planet,"[20] claiming that it is half a mile by half a mile in diameter. Alternate titles: American Muslim Mission, Black Muslim movement, Muslim American Society, World Community of Al-Islam in the West, Distinguished Professor of American Religious History, Institute for Studies in Religion, Baylor University; Director, Institute for the Study of American Religion, Woodway, Texas. [455], The NOI has been the subject of much scholarly attention. "[54] The Nation's theology differs from the mainstream Islamic belief in a fundamental ontological divide between humanity and God;[49] in mainstream Islam, Allah is always portrayed as eternal and non-anthropomorphic, which is at odds with the theology of the NOI. Stay up to date on news and events related to the Nation of Islam including announcements, statements, briefs, conference news and more. [354][355] Farrakhan praised L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Dianetics and Scientology, stating that his ideas were "exceedingly valuable to every Caucasian person on this Earth". A message from Fard Muhammad, as reported by an early follower[254], Outside of the Nation, various theories have been proposed as to the true identity of Fard Muhammad. [101] It also established a shadow ministry, forming the prototype for the governance of the future state it hopes to lead. The Nation of Islam Research Group (NOIRG), which claims to serve as the NOI's "historical research department," is a leading source in publishing and promoting the NOI's virulently antisemitic and conspiratorial beliefs. As a nation of people we are the first in existence and . Born Cassius Clay, he encountered the Nation in 1961 and received significant media criticism after announcing his membership of the group in 1964. Pros= 1. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. I distinctly remember chanting, God is a man, not a spirit or a spook; never has God been a spirit or a spook; God is a man; God is a man!. While in college, the army drafted him into . [77] The myth of Yakub presents the white race as being degenerate,[28] sub-human,[78] and bereft of divinity. [362] Although the Nation does not reveal the extent of its financial resources,[363] in the 1990s its assets were estimated to total $80,000,000. [28] The Nation was significantly influenced by Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican-born black nationalist who lived in the U.S. from 1916 to 1927, and who formed the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA);[242] Zoe Coley commented that "UNIA provided the cultural bedrock for the NOI". The Nation of Islam: Understanding the "Black Muslims." Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2001. [343] It was able to buy much of the property owned by its predecessor, including the Chicago Palace and the Stoney Island Mosque. These are professing one's faith; praying five times a day; giving zakat, or donating a certain portion of one's wealth . Don't miss the next installment in the "Life, Death, and Everything After" lecture series. [81] The NOIs ideas regarding white people have been labelled both racist[82] and racialist. 8. And you damn sure are. [47], The Nation promotes the idea that "God is man and man is God, that God has a presence inside human individuals. Have something to add about this? [272] Fard Muhammad was arrested several further times; in September 1933 he was arrested for disorderly conduct in Chicago, which is his last known verified whereabouts. Before being sent to prison, my father had been introduced to Nation of Islam teachings. I Wanted to Die for Allah. [305][306][307][308] There was press speculation that the Nation's leaders were complicit,[305] something which damaged the group's reputation;[297] recruitment declined in the latter half of the 1960s. [71] In the group's discourse, "black" does not simply mean those of Sub-Saharan African genetic descent, but all people of color, including Asians, North Africans, and Native Americans; only light-skinned people of West European descent are excluded. [73] The Nation teaches that all descendants of the Original Race were Muslims by their intrinsic nature, but that many created heretical deviations such as Hinduism;[74] some of those who broke Islamic rules were exiled from Asia-Africa to North America, where they became the continent's native population. The Nation of Islam grew quickly after World War II, and in the early 1960s it achieved national prominence through the work of Malcolm X. [397] These links have not prevented some white far-right opposition to the NOI; in 1993 the Fourth Reich Skinheads were revealed to have plotted to kill Farrakhan. However, while Hayer -- also known by the names Thomas Hagan and Mujahid Abdul Halim . [185], The Nation requests that new members change any names inherited from slave-owners who owned their ancestors as a declaration of mental emancipation. [381] For many years, Gaddafi was the Nation's most prominent international supporter and offered them assistance in various forms. [187] During the mid-20th century it began encouraging the use of "X" as a surname, symbolising what they regarded as African American identity as an "ex-slave" and also as a marker for their lost ancestral name. [20] The NOI has taught that the white ruling elite are aware of this forthcoming apocalypse and that the U.S. exploration of space and the Strategic Defense Initiative are futile attempts to protect themselves against the Mother Plane. Muhammad was the final prophet of Islam, to whom God revealed the Qur'an. Born Malcolm Little, he discovered the Nation while in prison; following his release in 1952 he rose swiftly through its hierarchy. After a period of deliberation, I realized I couldnt sit through another sermon without declaring that I trusted in Jesus for salvation. I also have fond recollections of cheering for Muhammad Ali. Following Elijah Muhammad's death in 1975, his son Warith Deen Mohammed took over the organization, moving it towards Sunni Islam and renaming it the World Community of Islam in the West. [164] Farrakhan was initially highly critical of rap music because he argued it promoted sexual promiscuity. These doctrines came primarily from two books: Message to the Blackman in Americaand Our Saviour Has Arrived, both written by Elijah Muhammad. [257][258], Fard Muhammad's following grew rapidly. Farrakhan has continued to develop the NOI's beliefs, for instance by drawing connections with Dianetics, and expanding its economic and agricultural operations. Islam is the second largest religion in the world after Christianity, with about 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. Looking back, I can see that the Nation of Islam got some things right. [140] As a NOI spokesman, Malcolm X claimed that while they would not instigate violence, the Nation would use it to defend themselves. 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