Estimated reading time: 9 minute(s)
[Source: Hurt2HealingMag.com]
Ebony S. Muhammad (EM): As women in the Nation Of Islam at the Chicago National Center, you were participants in this year’s Save Our Girls event held at Mosque Maryam. What was the message of the event and why was it necessary to come from women in the Muslim Girls’ Training and General Civilization Class (MGT&GCC)?
Shimah Muhammad (SM): The standard of civilization is measured by the woman. The degree of civilization that our women are displaying is being reciprocated by the view the world has of us. Save Our Girls was not just for females young in age, but for females of all ages, as we are all girls in the sight of God. Our minds, our spirits, and our souls need to be saved. The message is that a universal healing needs to take place and who better to save the women than we who have been taught by the Saviour through His Servant, The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. It was necessary to come from the MGT and GCC because the women of the Nation of Islam are striving to be an example of the strength and beauty that embracing our nature can give.
Ayanna Muhammad (AM): The message of Save Our Girls was to really convey the importance of the woman. It was a platform that allowed us to showcase to the world that a nation can rise no higher than its woman, and that because we are the mothers of civilization and we have the responsibility of not only being the vessels which bring forth life, we are also the teachers and trainers of that life. I believe that it was necessary for this message to come from women in the MGT&GCC because we have really been blessed to not only have a class designed for specifically for us, but we also have been exposed to the teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught by The Honorable Minister Farrakhan, and we would be remiss in our duty if we did not share these jewels that we have been given to our sisters so that we may all have a better understanding of the vital role that we play in producing a nation.
EM: What was it like to be a part of such a historical event and what did it mean to have the presence of women and girls from the community, of different faiths, ethnicity, and all walks of life?
Photos via FinalCall.com
SM: Being a part of this event was a glimpse into what the world would look like if it were eradicated of the effects of self hatred. All different races, ethnicity, religions and ideologies were present on that day. I believed the event tipped the balance of the scales in the minds of those that have the impression that women are in adversity with each other based on societies standard of beauty. My hope is that the presentation offered an alternative lifestyle other than what is being displayed on Reality TV.
AM: Being a part of such a historical event was nothing short of amazing for me. The MGT&GCC worked day in and day out to make this event what it was, so to see a packed house at Mosque Maryam of women of all different faiths and ethnicity come together on one common ground was absolutely beautiful. We all came from different backgrounds, with different experiences, and different stories, but the spirit that filled that sanctuary that day was unimaginable. I had several of my friends in attendance, and to see how receptive and excited they were about what they had witnessed is something I will never forget.
