The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan: Putting the face of Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill “is an INSULT. We don’t want to be on your damn dollar”
CHICAGO (Mosque Maryam)—Days after the country and world paid tribute to Muhammad Ali for his great accomplishments in and outside the boxing ring, Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan recounted personal experiences coming up inside the Muslim movement with the man known as “The Greatest” and the extreme value and importance of his teacher.
“We can’t talk about Cassius Clay or Muhammad Ali or Malcolm X without talking about Elijah Muhammad because there wasn’t nobody in America giving out X’s and giving people names but Elijah, Elijah Muhammad,” Min. Farrakhan told the crowd that packed Mosque Maryam. Several news cameras in the balcony recorded his words from the upper level of the mosque, which is also the National Center for the Nation of Islam.
While perhaps 2,000 were squeezed into the mosque, Min. Farrakhan’s message was trending June 12 on the Twitter social media platform. Listeners in the mosque and Believers and supporters watching via internet webcast were sending his words and pictures literally around the globe.
“But White folk have never liked Black people who stood up to them for themselves and for our people,” the Minister said. So there is an intentional effort to whitewash Mr. Ali’s history by not mentioning the Nation of Islam patriarch who taught and bestowed an Islamic name on a young Black Muslim sports hero.
Those who want to go along to get along, who crave White acknowledgement and acceptance today and yesterday have a difficult time speaking of Elijah Muhammad, he said.
“The Negro leaders didn’t like Elijah,” said Min. Farrakhan.
In the 1960s, the heyday of a cry for racial integration, Messenger Muhammad taught separation, the Nation still advocates separation, the Minister said. [READ FULL STORY]
“We can’t talk about Cassius Clay or Muhammad Ali or Malcolm X without talking about Elijah Muhammad because there wasn’t nobody in America giving out X’s and giving people names but Elijah, Elijah Muhammad,” Min. Farrakhan told the crowd that packed Mosque Maryam on June 12, 2016.
Let’s be very clear: I do not expect the White mainstream media–well maybe not even Black-owned media–to remind the world that it was The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad who produced the Muhammad Ali that the world is spreading so much “love” for in the wake of his transition. He is the fruit of the tree that produced The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, Malcolm X, Imam Warithudeen Mohammed and countless others.
The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Muhammad Ali and The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan
In a past article in The Final Call Newspaper on Muhammad Ali, Senior Editor Askia Muhammad writes:
There was a time when race-haters, segregationists and Muslim-haters, conspired to stymie the career and popularity of Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali, the “Greatest of all Time.” Mr. Ali was able to persevere not only because he was guided personally by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, but because he was a “citizen” of the Nation of Islam in Chicago, and he was a member of the Fruit of Islam (F.O.I.).
Mr. Ali was prepared, and he became a “Model Champion.” Then, with the drama of the Vietnam War and Black resistance to fighting in it dominating national attention, he literally became a cultural icon when he refused to be drafted into the U.S. Army.
Before his February 1964 fight against Charles “Sonny” Liston, in which Mr. Ali–then known as Cassius Clay–first won the Heavyweight Boxing Championship, Muslims had become familiar members of his entourage. Brother Malcolm X was seen at the Clay training camp, and Bro. Captain Sam–now known as Min. Abdul Rahman Muhammad, of Atlanta—had already become the Champ’s bodyguard and companion.
Mr. Ali was immersed in the teaching of the Hon. Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam. As Heavyweight Champ, he confounded the hostile reporters and sports figures who surrounded him, and he won the hearts of the public, and the hatred of America’s authorities.
His Selective Service medical records were re-opened. Although he had been disqualified, “4-F” Mr. Ali was re-classified “1-A”–draft-eligible–by officials angry at him for becoming a Muslim. “The Viet Cong never called me a n—-r,” he said, declaring that he was a conscientious objector and that he would not serve in the U.S. military.
From March 22, 1967 when he was convicted for refusing military induction, until Oct. 26, 1970, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction, Mr. Ali was stripped of his championship, his passport, and was unable to get a license to box, or earn a living. He was being sanctioned during the athletic prime of his career.
During that period he continued to speak out around the country as a Muslim Minister and in opposition to the war. He was a role model and magnet for young men uncertain about whether or not to fight in Vietnam.
His manner, and his “being” positively reflected the Nation of Islam. He met, courted and married a sister who had grown up in the Nation. His training camp always featured the cooking of Sister Lana Shabazz, one of Mr. Muhammad’s former cooks.
His courage and his commitment to the principles taught by the Hon. Elijah Muhammad won, for Mr. Ali, the unflinching loyalty of people all around the world. Even when he began his boxing comeback, when he lost a unanimous decision to Heavyweight Champion Joe Frazier in his first attempt to regain the crown, Mr. Ali was always known affectionately as the “People’s Champion.”
As a Nation of Islam Minister, Mr. Ali was frequently assigned to represent Mr. Muhammad overseas. The Muslim, “Champion of Conscience,” who won back his title in the ring from Champion George Foreman in the thrilling 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle,” was popular throughout Africa, the Caribbean and the Islamic world.
In December 1974, Mr. Ali was a distinguished member of a Nation of Islam delegation on a month-long tour of Jamaica. The delegation was led by Min. Jam Muhammad, the younger brother of the Hon. Elijah Muhammad, which included the Hon. Min. Louis Farrakhan and other N.O.I. officials, all of whom were guests of Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley.
Heavyweight Champ Muhammad Ali, Minister Jam Muhammad ( Brother of The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad) and The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan in Kingston, Jamaica. December 1974. (Via @NOIArchives)
Give credit where credit is due! The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s influence should not be taken lightly at all. You would not be talking about Muhammad Ali today were it not for this beautiful man. I invite you to get more acquainted with the Teacher who produced all of these students that we marvel at. If we are in awe of how powerful the students are, then how much more powerful is the Teacher of them all? What is it about HIM that we should know more about? What is it about HIM that we should look deeper into? How can you love the tree but hate the roots of the tree? How can you enjoy the fruits of the tree yet condemn the tree that produced the fruit?
Muhammad Ali at Saviours’ Day 1965 with The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and Wali Muhammad. (Photo via @noiarchives)
In an article titled “A True Friend: The Honorable Elijah Muhammad”, Minister Farrakhan writes:
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad is indeed a true friend of the Black man and woman because his message is as relevant today as it was when he was physically among us. He worked, suffered, studied and constantly prayed for our rise. He sacrificed his own personal life to devote 44 years to the rise of our people. He single-handedly, with tenaciousness of will and singleness of purpose, turned the language of America from the use of the word “Negro,” which means something dead, lifeless or hard, into seeing ourselves as Black people, members of the aboriginal nation of the Earth. He turned our hearts toward Africa and our brothers and sisters in the isles of the Pacific, Central and South America and the Caribbean. His Wisdom showed us the connection between the Native Americans and their membership in the aboriginal nation of the Earth. He, more than any religious leader, is responsible for causing us to refer to one another as brothers and sisters.
He caused new levels of scholarship in the research of the history of the Black man; and into the nature and birth record of the Caucasian. He inspired research into melanin and its presence or absence and its effect on the thought process. He taught us how to eat to live, causing us to throw away medicines. His teachings on this subject began the process of the beautification of our people, no matter how ugly we appeared to be. He started the process of reformation of the Black woman, without which there can be no new people. He showed us the value of a proper education and established a school system that reflected the same. He demonstrated the proper use of money by establishing for his followers, farmland, banks, business, airplanes and airport facilities, international trade and commerce. You name it, he did it.
What a friend we have in Jesus! (The Honorable Elijah Muhammad)…
Would there have been a Malcolm X if there were no Honorable Elijah Muhammad? The Honorable Elijah Muhammad influenced the writings of James Baldwin, Amiri Baraka, Maya Angelou, John Killens, Louis Lomax and most of the writers who were popular in the 1960s. His influence is seen today in the writings of Toni Morrison and Alex Haley. His teachings inspired Alex Haley to do the research that led to the book “Roots.” He influenced playwrights, poets, musicians. There is no field of human endeavor among Black people that Elijah Muhammad did not have some positive effect upon.
And now, there is a conscious effort to write the Honorable Elijah Muhammad out of history. However, I am sure that, by the help of God, everyone who plans to write him out of history has already assigned to themselves that chastisement. There would be no Louis Farrakhan if there were no Elijah Muhammad; there would be no Muhammad Ali if there were no Elijah Muhammad.”
That’s the power of The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad! White America cannot take credit for producing Muhammad Ali. White America will try to claim that Muhammad Ali “transcended religion and race”. That’s nonsense. He was a PROUD Black Man and a PROUD Muslim. Period.
So to read that the likes of former president Bill Clinton will be delivering the eulogy over the body of our Muslim brother is a travesty. I humbly submit that The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, the National Representative of The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and The Nation of Islam, should be the one delivering the message because nobody else is qualified to do it.
Nobody else will give the true narrative that shaped Muhammad Ali. Nobody else will give the necessary insight into our brother Muhammad Ali. We can always depend on Allah (God) to give The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan the right words to speak into moments like this. Who else is more qualified?
He would undoubtedly make it very clear: There would be no Muhammad Ali without The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
By Brother Jesse Muhammad
(Follow The Nation of Islam’s Archives Instagram page to see more of the history of Muhammad Ali’s journey in the Nation of Islam https://www.instagram.com/noiarchives/)
A video posted by N.O.I ARCHIVES (@noiarchives) on
A photo posted by N.O.I ARCHIVES (@noiarchives) on
After reading your article on Abernathy Magazine’s website I felt compelled to write this piece to inform and debunk the improper view of how the Minister’s words were expressed in your writing. While your point of view is appreciated, it just shows that we women in the Nation of Islam (MGT) have more work to do to shed light and truth on ideas such as yours that pervade the mindsets of some of our people. I thank Allah (God) for using you in this way to open up more dialogue on this topic.
A little background about myself, I am a member of the Nation of Islam in the women’s class, the MGT and GCC (Muslim Girls Training and General Civilization). As a young woman who did not escape the occurrences of childhood molestation, I grew up suffering from a serious complex of understanding my self-worth. It was not until I joined the Nation of Islam and came into the understanding of my value AND that we as women are the second self of God that I was able to rise above the mentality I carried that was weighing me down.
In addressing the beginning of your article it must be understood that it is not the responsibility of Min Farrakhan’s views to reflect the masses of Black people; it is Min Farrakhan’s responsibility to reflect the Views of God. So, if the masses’ view has shifted away from God, then what should the masses expect but the sick society that we are witnessing today.
By Shareefah Muhammad
You said that Min. Farrakhan, “suggest that the way to stop sexual predators is not by telling men not to rape, but to tell young women to cover up because a man is supposed to be sexually attracted to you.” Your ‘spin’ or ‘interpretation’ of his words are not a reflection of what is a part of the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad as taught under the leadership of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.
Yes, we are taught who we are, our true value in the sight of God and to understand our nature as well as that of man. It is because of this understanding that we as women who are being civilized in the Lifestyle of God choose to live the life of modest women.
You are right that the way a woman dresses is not an invitation to be raped (Min Farrakhan also agreed on The Breakfast Club Interview), yet you neglect to acknowledge that the type of world that we live in is filled with sick minded individuals. The Hon. Min. Louis Farrakhan teaches us that everything of value is covered and protected. To be God’s most valuable treasure, we too should be covered, in a modest and beautiful way. When we as women cover, it affects the psyche of the environment we are in; this is why it is called our protection.
Our disrespect for the nature of the male and female is one reason we are in the condition we are in today. Regardless to whether or not one believes in God, there are certain laws (such as gravity) that we all must follow in order to continue living. God has designed us (male and female) to be attracted to one another which aids in the continuance of our species. So yes, our form or adornments should be covered so as not to attract unwanted or inappropriate responses at the wrong time. A woman who comes into the knowledge of herself understands that she has a right to choose to dress as she pleases but BECA– — USE she is now embarking on a path of civility and has the correct view of herself, she chooses the modest approach.
In no way does Minister Farrakhan excuse such behavior (rape and abuse) of men towards women for he teaches us that men who commit such acts are worthy of death (he said that on the interview as well) yet it is because of the pathetic condition we are in due to PTSD (Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome) that we are granted the Grace of Allah (God). Men should be taught more than just that a woman’s body belongs to her; they too should also be given and taught the knowledge of themselves that they may better respect themselves and the women in their community. If they understand this, then ‘controlling themselves’ would become second nature. But then they too because of their heightened level of respect and civility would cause them to ask sisters to cover as well! (smile)
Minister Farrakhan’s comments don’t promote violence. If anything based off of what he teaches us as women it promotes self-defense. For example, in the interview Charlamagne made the comment that if a rapist wants to rape a woman, he would rape her regardless of what she is wearing. So if the first line of defense of modest dress doesn’t work then this is where our training as soldiers is activated and we defend ourselves and our virtue even if it means taking our assailant’s life because the virtue of any woman is invaluable. Remember, civilizations have been raised and destroyed through our women, that is why we are considered the ‘booty’, a treasure or prize.
Your closing statement that the Nation of Islam is undermining our teaching that says , “A Nation Can Rise No Higher Than its Woman”, is very well misplaced. If you have not had a chance I implore you to purchase and view a lecture Min. Farrakhan did last year titled Save Our Girls, where the program demonstrated that a woman’s gifts and talents can reach unlimited heights. Many different professions of women were displayed and they were all in beautiful, modest attire. So the question really is, what is your definition of ‘beauty’ and ‘independence’? If it is something that doesn’t involve God in the equation then it is something I can respectfully say we don’t want.
Thank you for taking the time to read these few words. I pray they helped to shed some depth as to why a man such as Minister Farrakhan loves us so much.
The Breakfast Club Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–xe7G4VnZE
Save Our Girls Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCufCVRjTXk
Save Our Girls DVD: http://store.finalcall.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=HLF150418DVD
(The following op-ed is by Student Minister Willie Muhammad of Muhammad Mosque No. 46 in New Orleans, Louisiana)
From what I know of Kevin Powell, from following his career over the years I believe he is a genuine brother who really has a concern for the Black community. However, I disagree with his opinion expressed in his article titled, “Is Black Leadership DEAD?” in the October issue of Ebony.
I am not of those who believe that Black leadership is dead and one of the major reasons why I do not feel this way is because of the leadership of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. For over 50 years the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has given his all even at the expense of his family and health to better the condition of Black people here in America and those around the world.
Over the years the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has put forward national agendas with solutions addressing many of the ills that Black America is currently still suffering from despite there being a Black president in the Oval Office. It was the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan who traveled all throughout America drawing attention to the plight of Black males and this senseless gun violence that is claiming the lives of young men today. How many has he helped to prevent from being part of those statistics? The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has also made several attempts to unite Black leaders and organizations; encouraging them to come together in a collective manner to help chart a future for our people.
At the Historic Million Man March the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan proposed the development of an economic fund, part of which would be used to help free up Black organizations from others who use their philanthropy as a means to control these organizations, which has been one of the greatest hindrances to Black leadership. In nearly every lecture the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan delivers he proposes visionary ideas that Black leadership can come together and create national and local agendas out of. I have witnessed the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan throw his support (physically and financially) and influence behind the agendas and movements of others. This shows he is not moved by a desire to be in the limelight, but rather a deep love to see our people in a better condition. It’s a shame that some in America over look his leadership, when world leaders outside of America see the value in the leadership of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. I can go on an on, but the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s history and leadership speaks for itself.
What needs to be placed in the dead category is the envy, jealousy, pride, cowardice and arrogance that exists among Black leadership and Black organizations that hinders a unified effort. Which has also hindered them from walking with the Minister. What also needs to be placed in the dead category is this arrogance amongst the younger generation of potential leaders. This arrogance is what prevents them from seeking the counsel of those elders who have been fighting this battle before many of us were even born. As a people we have a romanticism with leaders who are no longer here. Yet, we fail to support those who are in our midst right now in a meaningful way.
As a people we are really sick. We criticize, critique and find fault in those on the front line before we offer to them our expertise, skills, knowledge and support free of doubt and suspicion. I searched the internet looking for articles where members of other ethnic groups have declared that their leadership is dead and I could not find one, but when it comes to us, we find numerous articles written mainly by us expressing these sentiments. When are we as a people going to stop tearing down our own leadership? When will we as a people acknowledge that we have failed to fully commit ourselves to any agendas that have been put before us by Black leaders of the past and the present? As a result we have added to our own suffering today. As a people we have had leaders who if they were born in other societies and during other time periods, they would have been regarded as prophets and written in the history books next to some of the great freedom fighters.
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan is here and is continuing the fight that many in the past stood for. Lets not overlook this valuable human being in our midst who is a leader and much more.