What happened to 'black Islam'?

[ehos]

Poor Malcom X must be spinning in his grave.

[stealth]

Care to elaborate JP?

Like, are you saying its not as lively as it once used to be?

[ehos]

Well, I wasn't around during Malcom X, Marcus Garvey etc etc. But I did read/follow them.

The thing is, the Black Islam 'movement' was really huge back in the day. And quietly it was getting stronger and stronger (I still think it's the #1 religion in US Prisions which is sad really).

But why no action/response etc from the Black Islam leaders in the US over what's happening in the middle east (too many examples to list).

I'm wondering, where have all those followers gone? Have they been brow beaten into the background??

[Tech2]

Fantastic question. I never even thought of that one. Were they been beaten down by the Man, or did they just get stuck in prisons? Or is the movement still doing just fine without needing to be militant?

[S2000_rider]

Well I'm certainly not an expert but I did read Malcoms biography. Actually, he would have been preferred to be called by his real name, El Hajj-Malik El Shabaaz. For those that don't know, the Black Muslim movement is very much alive and well in the U.S. Louis Farakhan who is the leader of the Nation of Islam (the fraction of Islamic sect that El Hajj had left) is also slowly starting to reform from it's RIDICULOUS, UNISLAMIC stance that the white man is the devil...

I have quite a bit of family and friends in the U.S. that live in prodimently Black areas in the States, ie. chicago and the amount of black muslims is growing as well through conversion. Quite a few years ago, I was actually visiting a pretty bad ghetto in New York where gunshots were heard everyday but the people that were changing that were Black Muslims. One very prominent Black Muslim speaker who I have had the privileged to listen to and personally meet is Brother Sharaaj Wahaj. He was responsible for leading in the cleaning of many blocks in Brookyln, New York. They are many strong Black Muslim brothers that ALL over the U.S....beleive me, the movement is very much alive and well and only getting much MUCH stronger!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siraj_Wahaj

"He led his Brooklyn community in an anti-drug patrol in Brooklyn, New York in 1988, which was a success and put a dent in the drug trade in Bedford-Stuyvesant, and received high praise from the NYPD for his efforts.

He once lead a community-based anti-drug campaign in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, in which he staked out drug houses in the cold of winter for 40 days and nights, forcing the closure of 15 drug houses.

In 1991 Imam Siraj Wahhaj offered an invocation (opening prayer) to the United States House of Representatives. He was the first Muslim to do so."

http://www.imamsirajwahhaj.com/

[Tech2]

Glad to hear racism as a religious dogma is being dropped. The anti drug and violence angle is awesome as well, and I'd love to hear more about it.

I'd also like to know if the black muslim movement is restricted by skin color anymore, that is, is it a BLACK muslim movement or a black MUSLIM movement.

I also wonder if the organization has a stance on current events relating to violence in the name of islam.

[Vive le Quebec]

I want to add that the black Muslim movement as many know "The Nation of Islam" was only part of Malcolm X's life up until near the end...they killed him. But it was because he had turned away from their "White man is the devil stance". He had turned to mainstream Islam because it made more sense and this was after completing the pilgrimage to Mecca and noticed that Muslims come in all shapes, sizes, and colors...including white .

So in the end he started speaking out against Elijah Mohammed who was leading the Nation of Islam at the time (I think) and in response they cancelled him.

[S2000_rider]

Originally posted by Vive le Quebec
I want to add that the black Muslim movement as many know "The Nation of Islam" was only part of Malcolm X's life up until near the end...they killed him. But it was because he had turned away from their "White man is the devil stance". He had turned to mainstream Islam because it made more sense and this was after completing the pilgrimage to Mecca and noticed that Muslims come in all shapes, sizes, and colors...including white .

So in the end he started speaking out against Elijah Mohammed who was leading the Nation of Islam at the time (I think) and in response they cancelled him.

Dead on! It's BECAUSE El Hajj Malaak El Shabaaz had decided to BREAK AWAY from an Extremist view of Islam and came to mainstream islam which lead to his UNTIMELY death!

Some say it was a combinatin of the Nation of Islam and the CIA that were responsible...but only God knows.

Good post Quebec!

[S2000_rider]

Originally posted by Tech2
Glad to hear racism as a religious dogma is being dropped. The anti drug and violence angle is awesome as well, and I'd love to hear more about it.

I'd also like to know if the black muslim movement is restricted by skin color anymore, that is, is it a BLACK muslim movement or a black MUSLIM movement.

I also wonder if the organization has a stance on current events relating to violence in the name of islam.

tech2...I'm not Black. Islam is a religion of NO color! I've been to one of the WORST hoods in Buffalo. An area like I said that looked a gangster rap video could be shot in. In the area of the hood was Mosque. The Black Muslims showed us (a group went down) so much love after knowing we were Muslims that we had NOTHING to worry about it. I've had other friends who experienced the same thing in many other Black hoods all over the states...to Compton, Chicago, Texas etc etc...

Once a Muslim knows another person is a Muslim....it's automatic brotherhood...I just wish the Mid-east Muslims would follow their example.

Hope that answers your question...

one more thing...Racism does not exist Islam...it is utterly and completely forbidden...I'm not saying they are not racist Muslims within each other because they are...but the Religion itself forbids it.

The last speech that the our Prophet (pbuh) states clearly
"An Arab is not better then a Non-Arab, and a Non-Arab is not better then Arab...one can better themselves by his deeds"
something very close to that effect.

[Tech2]

S2000 that sounds like an absolute fantasic example of the way religion should work, and I am super happy to hear it. Too bad other folks in those hoods (and all over the world) can't put race behind them.

I should have been a little more specific in my earlier post and asked about the "Nation of Islam" white man is the devil types, and if their statements and policies are changing.

Like you said, racism does not exist in islam, nor in christianity, or buddism for that matter, but in the people and their interpretations.

"An Arab is not better then a Non-Arab, and a Non-Arab is not better then Arab...one can better themselves by his deeds".
I like that one. Wish everyone would take that to heart.