Malcolm X-J: New Muslim Activism - Research Paper Example

? Malcolm X-J New Muslim Activism Malcolm X-J New Muslim Activism Introduction Prior to leaving the Nation of Islam in 1964, Malcolm X trained his philosophies through speeches. The words were always peppered with the phrase "The Honorable Prophet Elijah Muhammad teaches us that " In his speeches, Malcolm taught people that Africans were the original humans of the world and that whites were simply a race of evil spirits, whose creator was also an evil scientist referred to as Yakub (Mash, 1996). The Nation of Islam held beliefs that black people were more superior to white individuals and that the downfall of the white race and culture was forthcoming. While the civil rights groups advocated against racial segregation, Malcolm X fought for the complete segregation of whites from African Americans. The Nation of Islam planned the creation of a separate nation for African Americans in the Southern or Southwestern part of the United States. This was only to be an interim plan till African Americans go back to their motherland – Africa. Malcolm X argued that the U.S. government owed compensations to blacks for the slave labor of forced to their forefathers and foremothers (Mash, 1996). He also advocated against the civil rights group’s strategy of peacefulness and rather advocated that African Americans should defend themselves by any significant means. Many authors have endeavored to come up with publications that talk about this topic (Barboza, 1995; Mash 1996; Tate, 1997; Turner, 1997). Some have received nice reception and others bad, but some of the leading exceptions include Marsh’s From Black Muslims to Muslims, Tate’s Little X, Turner’s Islam in the African-American Experience and Barboza’s American Jihad Islam after Malcolm X. This paper will summarize these writings and discuss how these four publications brought out this topic keeping in mind their authors’ thesis, as well as their methods. From Black Muslims to Muslims The Nation of Islam in the Unites States became increasingly noticeable in the last few years with the rise of Minister Louis Farrakan, as well as events such as the Million Man March (Mash, 1996). This writing sheds light on this influential Black Nationalist movement, from the ideological splits in the moment in the 70?s through the 80?s and its growing influence of the 90?s, stressing its key events and figures. The book comprises of interviews by Clifton E. Marsh with Imam Wallace D. Muhammad and Dr. Abdul Alim Muhammad of the Nation of Islam. The volume adopts from The Black Muslims in America by C. Eric Lincoln's, who initially introduced the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X, as well as Elijah Muhammad, into the American perception. None of the people in the academic world were aware of or knew the Black Nationalist obsession burning in the mind of Minister Louis Farrakhan. It was Clifton E. Marsh who chose to intervene and force the death grip from the throat of his religious leader, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Minister Louis Farrakhan, in 1977, found/resurrected the Nation of Islam and started to breathe life into this vanishing movement (Mash, 1996). The author’s main methodology was interviews with actual members of the Nation of Islam. They main persons interviewed were Minister Louis Farrakan, Imam Wallace D. Muhammad and Dr. Abdul Alim Muhammad. The following individuals were considered as key figures of the movement, and; therefore, their information was extremely helpful to the publication. The author also utilized other historical sources, which gave insights on Black Nationalism, the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X, social conditions of the early 90's among others. Finally, his knowledge in sociology and also a professor of the same discipline at Tidewater Community College, Virginia, helped him develop a conceptual framework that would best explain the issues brought out by the Black Nationalism, as well as the Nation of Islam. With all the problems that African Americans were facing in the white man’s land, Mash (1996) considered that it was best that the two groups live in isolation. This was also in line with what Malcolm had advocated for confirming that the volume is similar to our topic of discussion. According to Mash (1996), the spiritual ideologies endorsed by the two movements seemed different on numerous levels; nevertheless, the financial plan of action appeared very alike. Another way that this writing connects with our topic is that it refers to African Americans as people chosen by God to lead the land just the way Malcolm X referred to this group. Mash (1996) argues that this belief was widely endorsed by several Black Hebrew Israelite movements long before Silis Muhammad came on the scene. This writing brought out this topic extremely well in that it talked off almost everything that Malcolm advocated for in his activism. Using interviews with actual founders of the nation was an extremely powerful tool that confirmed the validity of the findings since the data was firsthand. Little X In Little X, Tate (1997) reveals, through her sharp vision and appealing voice of a probing child, the policies and practices of the mystifying organization most indentified through media depictions of its contentious leaders Elijah Muhammad, Louis Farrakhan and Malcolm X. Initially published in 1997, the book records the multigenerational experience of the author’s own family, who broke from the conventional African church in the 50s to join the drastic Nation of Islam, then fought to stay intact through shifting loyalties, cynicism and incursions into Orthodox Islam. The writing is also a touching tale of a small girl whose firm Islam education filled her with confidence, pride, as well as a yearning for freedom, of an adolescent in a headwrap and ankle-length dress endeavoring to cope with her non-Muslim peers (Tate, 1997). The book also chronicles a young female whose rising cynicism with the Nation of Islam, at last, made her break with the Muslim faith. Little X gives a rare sight into the daily experience of the Nation, and a small unspoken part of America's heritage and history. Tate’s (1997) schooling started at age 3 and included high goals for early graduation and disciplined education, college attendance, as well as a life of dedicated service. During her teenage years, Tate’s family and many other African Americans (including the famous Malcolm X), were forced into the Orthodox Islam way of life, where they had to conduct prayers five times a day, but no unique schools (Tate, 1997). This writing is considered extremely significant due to its firsthand information from the author herself. The methodology used by the author was purely what she remembered as a child and teenager during that time. Tate was born into the Nation of Islam in the middle of its entire crisis. Both her parents, as well as grandparents, were Muslim. She was, therefore, forced to live in a religious society and go to a Muslim school as early as three years. Just like Malcolm, she begun to question the world around her. Tate did not comprehend why white individuals were so evil since some of them assisted her mother to change her tire when she got a flat one. All of these inquiries soon became part of her day to day ritual along with following Islamic faith and praying. She questioned many of her beliefs, but her immediate family and close relative were there to educate her so that she would not have any more questions (Tate, 1997). This was the start of a long journey through uncertainty, which lead to the writing of this book. The book relates to the topic of new activism in that it discusses some of the significant challenges that Islam faced such as racism and how the Nation of Islam tried to elevate those problems. The book offers a remarkable insight into the day to day life of a child who is brought in the nation of Islam, a movement that Malcolm X went ahead to establish its new ideologies. Her life answered many a lot of questions concerning what the nation of Islam was, in reality, like for children. The hardship that she faces makes people wonder if it is, in reality, vital to spiritually program someone’s mind at such an early stage of their life. Islam in the African-American Experience The association of African Americans with Islam goes back to the most primitive days of the African existence in North America. Part I of the Turner’s book discusses these roots in West Africa, the Middle East, along with the antebellum America. Part II, on the other hand, gives the account of leaders of the new-fangled, urban-based, black American Muslim groups of the 20th century also known as "Prophets of the City". Turner (1997) places the study of Muslims in the context of the ethical, political and racial relations, which evoked the reception of succeeding presentations of Islam, taking in the Ahmadiyya Movement from India, the West African Islam of slaves, the Nation of Islam and the orthodox Sunni practice of future immigrants. Turner (1997) gives three fascinating arguments in his book though a well-researched study: firstly that the Islamic culture was a vital factor in the lives of American slaves. It particularly had an unequal role in motivating opposition to the organization of slavery. Fasting, writing in Arabic, reciting, echoing on the Quran and wearing Muslim garment, were the vital factors to an inner fight of liberation against Christian tyranny. In reaction, Americans wanted the return of black Muslims to their land, Africa. Secondly, this religion, which Turner refers to as "old Islam", died out. Islam among African Americans, by the time of the Civil War, was for all major purposes, obsolete (Turner 1997). Thirdly, a "new Islam" took a couple of years to develop and did this through the indirect route of Pan-Africanism, white American converts to Islam, black Christian leaders distressed at the racial discrimination of their people, Ali's Moorish Science Temple of the United State, Garvey's Universal Negro Growth Association and the Indian-based Ahmadiyya group to America. Fard W. D. surfaced from this odd background in the 1930s and preached the faith that would ultimately come together as the Nation of Islam. The author then dependably covers the more recognizable ground of Malcolm X, Louis Farrakhan and Elijah Muhammad, summarizing that African-American Muslim faith has finally reached the center stage of American politics and religion. A methodical evaluation of the Muslim faith, with a focus on the African American Muslims, was carried out. The author mainly adapted from previous studies to come up with his findings. The writing was in general, a great interpretation previous studies which can assist a researcher greatly. Also, as we can see, this writing discussed the "new Islam" similar to the new activism that Malcolm X offered. Turner has fashioned a rather appealing book, which develops from some of his previous articles. Even though, most entirely based upon secondary sources, Turner presents some facts, which will be novel to scholars of this group. However, the author’s attempts unravel when he becomes fascinated in the mystery of Fard's identity. Fard, the originator of the Nation of Islam, escaped from Detroit in 1934 to establish one of those mythical riddles, which has confused serious scholars of this topic ever since. American Jihad Islam after Malcolm X This book is the only most famous book available about the spiritual experience of Muslims, both white and black, in the United States. With over one billion followers all over the world and more than six million in the United States alone, the Muslim faith is the world’s fastest-growing faith. In reality, the populace of American Muslims exceeds the membership of numerous mainline Protestant faiths. Nevertheless, the media’s portrayal of Muslims in America normally stops short of any genuine examination and chooses rather to cover just the sensational, complex personality of Louis Farrakhan, who is the leader of the Nation of Islam, or the hostility of some of the more radical Muslims. Barboza (1995) dismisses these prominent, but seriously misleading stereotypes and is the initial book to take a more stern and wide-ranging loom to investigating how Islam was practiced and embraced in America. Akin to many other African-Americans of his time, author Steven Barboza, was influenced intensely by Malcolm X and changed to Catholicism after going through his Autobiography. The book features stories of many Muslims who originated from many diverse backgrounds from foreign policy counselors such as Richard M. Nixon's, to AIDS activists, to a blond Sufi, and so on. In American Jihad, the reader will hear from a number of the most famous African American Muslims after Malcolm X, comprising of Kareem Abdul Jabar, Louis Farrakhan, Attallah Shabazz and H. Rap Brown. In this writing, the author does for Islam what Malcolm X did for the race just that Barboza used a different means from Malcolm to give his views. The writing incorporates an interview format, which is a vital way clarifying the findings. His career as a journalist permitted him to travel globally to seek firsthand information from the vital Islamic leaders of other Muslim movements and the Nation of Islam. Maybe the most fascinating stories are those of Nation of Islam affiliates who found their way to conventional Islam. This also gives an element of resemblance to Malcolm’s activism. Ozier Muhammad, a grandson to Elijah Muhammad, explains how he illegally adopted conventional practices under the leadership of his older family members. There are also those who decided to stay with the former Nation of Islam teachings, comprising of H. Nasif Mahmoud an international lawyer in Washington, DC, due to its success in developing black morale. This writing is a superior prologue to Islam in America and does a great job in offering an option to media stereotypes of Islam. Also, it offers good food for thought for those Islamic people who are worried about the future of Islam in the United States. Barboza's book refers frequently to the numerous ethnic, racial, political divisions, class, as well as those derived from schools of thought, which affect Muslims in America. The author did well to set these as the scenes for the division of Muslims into 'extremist' and 'mainstream' categories, open to manipulation. Summary of the Books These books all have one thing in common in that they deal with the hardships that African American Muslims in the United States where taken through. Some of the influential names that appear in all the readings include Elijah Muhammad, Louis Farrakhan and Malcolm X, as well as their influential role in the Nation of Islam movement. It is said that these three individuals were the faces of new activism of Islam in the United States, and through these four readings, it is easy to confirm this statement. The authors differ only in the way they gathered their facts. Turner (1996) adapted from previous studies, Barboza (1995) and Mash (1997) both used interviews and, finally, used her life experience to give insight into this topic. However, the writing that I consider most significant than others is Mash (1997). This is because of the book’s usage of both interviews with actual leaders of the Nation of Islam and also other previous studies. I actually enjoyed the both interview format and the listing of 99 names, as well as attributes of Allah, in it back page. This book offers prominent interviews from a wide range of American Muslims from Native Americans to African Americans and everything in between. References Barboza, S. (1995). American Jihad: Islam after Malcolm X. New York: Image Publishers. Marsh, C. E. (1996). From Black Muslims to Muslims: The transition from separatism to Islam, 1930-1980. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. Tate, S. (1997). Little X: Growing up in the Nation of Islam. Knoxville, TN: University Tennessee Press. Turner, R. B. (1997). Islam in the African-American experience. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. Read More