11-8-81

TULSA OKLAHOMA ADDRESS

Imam W. Deen Mohammed


I first would like to go to the concept of Righteousness In This Religion.    The Prophet, peace be upon him said. Righteousness is good morality. Righteousness is good morality.    I turn to this book of forty popular sayings of Prophet Muhammad, and I would like to read to you from the twenty seventh sayings that has been collected in this Book, which is authentic sayings of Prophet Muhammad recorded and preserved till now.    And it begins:
Righteousness is good morality, in the Arabic language both scripts, both English and Arabic scripts are here so that anyone who know Arabic can interpret it and make sure of the translation is right. It say in Arabic (Arabic) which is Righteousness is good morality, and it goes on to read, and wrong doing is that which wavers in your soul and that which you dislike having exposed to others. Now lets go to another principle in this religion. And it reads (Arabic Reading). Surely Allah ordered the believers with what He ordered
the Messengers. The Messengers means the Prophets. Surely Allah ordered the believers with what he ordered the Prophets, or with the same that he order the Prophets. I have read this saying here from the sane recorded saying Prophet Muhammad called the Hadith and this one being the tenth hadith.

Now, I would like to read from this tenth hadith. Allah the Almighty is good, I'm quoting now from this Hadith. It begins "Allah The Almighty is good and accepts only that which is good", (Arabic form). "Surely God is good and accepts only that which is good. Allah has commanded the faithful to do that which He commanded the Messengers and the Almighty has said in the Holy Book, (Arabic) "Oh you Messengers eat of the things good and pure and do deeds sincere and righteous or truthful" And Allah the Almighty has said in His Holy Book (Arabic)"Oh you who believe, eat of the things good and pure, of which God provides. We see here that there is no schism between the Messengers and God, and there is no schism or division, or conflict between the Divinely appointed or missioned representatives of God and the faithful. 

We don't believe in a religion that asks one thing of the Messengers or the Prophets and excuse the people from that obligated the Messengers or Prophets. We are obligated with the same that God obligated the Prophets or the Messengers with. Accepting that gives us the challenge that we need, the pressure that we need on us to bring the best out of us. But when we try to excuse ourselves from moral obligations that God has made binding on His Messengers and Prophets, then we take the easy route, we take the line of least worth and least resistance and it does nothing in terns of bringing out the best in us. So let us be firm, let us be courageous in the path of truth, justice, decency, sincerity, righteousness, and never be shamed out of this dignity because of majority pressure, peer pressure, the pressure of a wayward society. Stand up ! 

The road to success for the human being is a difficult one if you are aiming for true success. True success is that achievement that leaves the mind pleasant, content, secure, gives the person a sense of security, a sense of peace. The soul is at rest. Not troubled, that's the indication or the proof of success in life. I have never seen a criminal with that peace. I have never seen one who has given himself to the least line of resistance for self advantages with that kind of peace, happiness as we know is an elusive thing. To one person happiness might be having $500,000 at this moment; to another person it might be having a divorce;   to another one it might be having the mate of their choice.    So happiness differs doesn't it ?    And to some it's wearing those big platforms and riding around in a big car sitting on mink seats and looking like a clown;    so we have our different concepts of what happiness is.    

But false happiness proves to be false; you taught in this religion and as we know from the study of this religion and from the study of the Scriptures before. We know that the intellect has been created by Allah to evolve, not just to rotate but to (also to) evolve.    But too many of us our intellect just rotates, it goes all the way around and comes back around in the same place.    It just keeps rotating, and you know the heavenly bodies they rotate, they rotate, but they don't only rotate around themselves they also rotate around a center, a central point, and by having both rotations they are able to realize on their past evolution. Yes, so we learn that we have to look to self concerns but also to the environmental concerns and find a central focus to bring justice to these concerns. Baby we are ready for evolution.    Oooh I fell it in my toes all the way up to my shoulders,  somehow it's at the top of my head just jumping out, good feeling, good feeling, How I love  the Revelation of God, what lie has revealed is best for us.    

In the Quran,   the Almighty says "don't make small talk, don't make small parables for God for it is Allah Who knows and you know not.    Do you know that that's the most difficult thing for the average ambitious student ?    And that is to accept that I'm dumb, and I need to learn something. Well I  thank the Almighty that I have always had an ear to hear what others have to say.    1 didn't like listening to myself too much because I knew I didn't have anything,  too young,  too inexperienced.    I listened to those who were older and had more experience.    And that led me to a respect for the Quran, to a respect for sacred matters, sacred things.    Life evolves in many ways. The theories of Darwin tells us how the material life or the species, how they have evolved, but don't confuse this concept that I am talking about now with that although they are similar in perhaps symbolic terms. 

All of us would like to have clear thoughts, sound thoughts, solid knowledge or good understanding. Most of us realize that life is a matter of attitudes affect our ability to think, or influences our thinking processes that most of us understand that we are the way we think, the way we think is the way we are, and you don't change the way you are until you change the way you think.    Most of us understand that;  but there is something else  that's required and that's an evolution; an evolution of the intellect; and for some of us it begins more in a concern for the material things of this life, or for a deeper understanding or a more meaningful concept of the material world.    All of us don't turn out to be materialistic that has material meanings, some of us turn out to be materialistic that has material meanings, some of us turn out to be materialistic; others turn out to be great contributors to the society inventing wonderful things, wonderful machines,  treating human ills,  so don't think that all material concerns have to end in materialism, no.    

So we have the good and the bad evolving from a material base, and then there are some who are not so materially concerned at all their concerns are mainly for the state of mans life, his spiritual life, his moral life and their beginning too is a search for what is right, a search for sound ideas, sound concepts, clear thinking, solid principles on which to base life itself but they begin mainly out of the womb of emotionality and they begin evolving.    On one side we have an urge for logic manifesting itself in an impulse, a tendency;  we don't always sense it in the mind we don't exactly know what's happening when it first start;  all we know is that we are influenced in a certain way or we are given to certain tendencies; and pretty soon there is a manifestation of an intuitive impulse. 

But that's not good enough;  it's hit and miss, it's there sometimes and it's gone at another time;  so pretty soon we find ourselves trusting reason,  trusting rational thought.    And as we grow up the teenage life, and marriage life etc. and all the pressures and all the material demands come on us and we find ourselves losing some of this rational balance;  we find ourselves giving ourselves to material appetites, and if we are lucky we will realize that those extremes can be destructive and can detrimental and we begin to go back to the process of reasoning,  the rational life, at that time we become rationally conscious. 

And we go on and soon the material things find some of us giving ourselves to material objective that are very, very consumed way, we become consumed in the thoughts of material achievements and we are driven by material ambition; and material ambition gets us into even greater trouble, we become perhaps near the pitfall of material greed and materialism and we see the need then for material balance, material balance.    And always this need for material balance doesn't appeal to our rational sense because we are so much consumed by the need that we can't see the logic, we say why?    Why should 1 accept material balance ?    My tools have made this possible for me;  "I am rich because of my efforts"; "I have gained this it's mine" "It's not rational to me that I share this with others" let then get it the way I got it" So we find that God has evolved the intellect so high that now It's too high for human logic and he must accept material logic. 

He must get the spirit of truth in himself, and he must see what is best for the whole concern, for the whole picture, for the whole society,  for the whole world;  and when he sees what is best for them then he says "Oh my personal logic was wrong;   the real human logic is universal not just for me,  it is for everybody". Yes we have a need for that material balance in our lives and we see a movement today in the society,  the religious society and also in the secular society,  a movement for sense,  intelligence,  balance,  justice, and there are  threats coming from some certain narrow quarter that threaten that movement;  but we are determined.    

We are not here just for today;  we're not here for our generation,  we are here for today and tomorrow for (generations to come and no matter what kind of attitude that conies in and puts a dark cloud over the bright hope; it won't darken our lives;  baby we have finally got on our own feet and we don't look  to the outsiders for direction.    And I'm not boasting I'm happy.    Praising God.    Oh Yes, now,  look at  the other movement from emotionality.    Out of emotionality still there is the need to find  true logic;   there comes an emotional impulse,  an impulse that's trying to find truth;   trying to find what is right;  and the logic doesn't appear but if the heart is good  we see the person just on the strength of faith and right, and come to some kind of emotional stability but soon the same kinds of influences the other side of evolution begin to affect that side too; we find that now there are strong emotional appetites - "Oh I have got to have that girl, I've cot to have that girl, I'm going to beat her up if she doesn't love me, I'm going to kill that nigger that's going over there to see her".    

That teenage period man that's a bad sea, I'm telling you it's got soģe terrible storms on it; I've been through some of then I know from personal experience, But if the heart remains for right, we find that pretty soon there is a recognition in the person of a need for emotional restraint and the person begins to follow some kind of an emotional discipline, some   kind of reason that disciplines his emotions.    And we go on and go on and go on and pretty soon we find ourselves dominated by emotionality but it has taken on now a new character, we have become moral in our emotional makeup and we are behaving on the basis of what is good against what is bad what is right against what is wrong and sometimes we become morally ambitions, and sometimes overly sensitive, sometimes self righteous.    And we find that our personal ideas and our personal reasoning concerning what is morally right and what is wrong and we begin to search for moral balance.    To find out how can my morals jive with those morals of other people who are also good,    I'm not the only one who is good, the Jew is good, the Christian is good, the atheist is good, ("What Imam,  the atheist is Good"?) I'm sure there are some good atheist they just have the wrong eyeglasses on.    

But in the great religions we have the concept of balance equilibrium; man wants to find peace, wants to find tranquility of mind, peace of mind, peace and tranquility of soul; he wants to find balance he wants to find peace, he wants to be at peace with himself, at peace with His maker and at peace with His creatures; he wants to be at peace with the scheme of his Maker running throughout the created world.   He doesn't want to be a warrior, warring against what God has designed; he wants to be a warrior warring for what God has designed against the narrow selfish movement that we find in the world in which we live.    Yes, I'm glad to know that I'm on the side of the majority, I used to think that our purpose was to be on the side on the minority. I did;  I used to think that the world had a minority of good people and a majority of bad people; but now I believe that the world has a majority of good people and a minority of bad people and I'm happy to be with the majority.    Let me now look at the statement again of Prophet Muhammad and this card I still have it;  it was given to me by Brother Sultan Muhammad who got it from a Islamic Scholar who is also a doctor and also a religious scholar and teacher in Chicago area; brother Sultan is right here He's a Imam who doesn't want to accept the title right now he says he's still in ( end of tape)...             

...clear way of getting our life Into some kind of good shape and good condition.  The Quranic teachings gives us the knowledge and insight and Prophet Muhammad taught and demonstrated the truth.  He said "Hake use of five before the other five prevents you." That's good sense and let us read now what he said to make It clear how we should do this.  He said and I quote "Make use of five before the other five prevents you ". Your health before being sick.  Some of us believe in preventive medicine, but we don't know that that can be applied spiritually too.  A stitch in time saves nine; you have heard that old saying.  Well you keep your mental state In a better state too if you will do in time what should be done before the trouble sets in.  Your health before being sick; Your free time before being occupied; your free time before being occupied. 

Some of us think that we have all of the time In the world and we give ourselves to worthless purposeless, non-eventful activities, bringing nothing in but costing us every day.  Your free time before being occupied.  You are not going to be free long; you keep wasting time, pretty soon, your habit is going to put so much burden on your life, that you will find you don't have any time.  ("Hey can you come", "I can't do it Man".  "Why"?  "Well, I am tied up baby, and you're tied up alright with a loose girl or with a reefer or something more drugging, or with a noise box that's driving your soul and your mind out of sight.  A lot of loud crazy music that's designed to trample your senses under ground and out of production.  Your wealth before being poor. Now some of you will say, ("Well, I don't have to pay much attention to that one, I ain't got nothing anyway") You may not have material wealth but what about your talents?

Allah hasn't created a soul without talents; what about putting those to good use before it is too late; before your senses become dull, become callous, become blocked and you can't think straight to make proper use or best use of those talents.  Your youth before being old; you have energy now.  You can get up and go. You can do something now.  You have it.  Don't wait until you are old and senile and your health may be deteriorated and

slowing down by age, no act now, your life before death. Look at the progression; the progression begins with a sense that is a sensitivity then it comes to a sense that is sensibility and it finally comes to death because you didn't use it when you had it. You heard that old expression "what you don't use you lose". Isn't that all the Prophets are saying?, "What you don't use, you lose." Now to demonstrate that to you In another way'  the person who Is on the sick bed in the hospital put there by some terrible disease or some mishap and has to be confined to the bed for long periods of time; pretty soon the doctor stops worrying about what ailment brought you here, he starts worrying a-bout you getting up out of that bed before you die of collapsed muscles, not using the muscles makes the muscles collapse' pretty soon the person that walked in on their own legs has to be carried around like a baby because they didn't use those muscles; now shouldn't that be a sign to you that what you don't use you lose. 

I remember the speaker standing up and trying to get us to develop a spark and make it a pilot, well you don't have to work so long to get a spark to start a fire. He wanted us to develop a pilot light that would be on and whenever we needed it we could get the light right away and he would work on us and work on us; sometimes he would say "You are the Supreme, you are the best, you made the heavens and the earth, you threw the sun out there, you made the moon and the stars and we said, "Woo" He said "Get up and do something for yourself".  You recall those words many of you.  "Get up and do something for yourself. And he would use the statement sometimes of Booker T. Washington. And you knew before I knew how to pronounce his name, I was saying bugga T. because when I was a little child I knew whata bugga was, you know, no kidding for a long time I was mis-pronouncing his name which is terrible, I would say "bugga t, bugga t, Washington because your mother would say "Get that bugga off your nose boy" so I knew what a bugga was, so when I heard them say Booker T, I thought they were saying Booker T, you know, so I called him Bugga T. 

But as I grew to know more about that man I came to respect him more and more and I tried to remember to say Booker T. This same man that I referred to that was teaching us to have confidence, to have moving power, initiative, he used the statement of Booker T. He said "up you mighty race you can accomplish what you will. You heard him didn't you? That's all we want. We want to see people come to life. And be productive; not to lie and rust away or to let the winds of greed and confusion blow their senses out and dry up their intelligence. There is a need, there is the need for each individual to know the path to a full life and the object of our religion is to bring that full life to our view.  

The Muslim is not complete until he sees the need for him to get involved In the whole life of society; you can't Just sine hymns, sing praises; you have to also do productive work; you have to have some material concerns; you have to contribute to the business and economic development of your family, your society and this world, and you have to accept full responsibility in the efforts of man on this earth to improve his material condition.  (Arabic) "Seek with the means God has availed you the afterlife, but don't neglect your share of this material world.  This obligates the Muslim.  Also we can not get involved in the material or economic development and stay outside of the political life of the society in which we live; that would be sneaky, devilish, treacherous, to eat from the nation and not to accept too, to contribute to its political strength, its governmental strength, its national strength.  

A Muslim is no coward, a Muslim is a champion.  He is not afraid to get involved in the world once his eyes are open.  He is ready to go and march uphill to his destiny even if that hill be capitol hill.  And we have to stop sitting on our seats of comfort rocking to the music or to the Dikhrs while other people shape the cultural life all about us; we have to take our responsibility for the shape of the cultural life all about us; we have to contribute to the health and dignity of music, Art and all the cultural life.  If we don't then when we are sent to hell by the cultural Influences in the atmosphere, we will be responsible ourselves for the place where we descend, yes. yes. If we are free, let us really get the freedom; If we are free let us get our full share. I don't want no white man putting himself In me and I don't want to put myself In any white man; I want all men to come together and make their contribution. 

This is the burden on the heart of the slave, this is the burden, this is .the challenge, this Is the burden that we have Inherited from the souls of our ancestors, they wanted the dignity, not Just to be free of the shackles, not Just to be free of the local slave master; they wanted to be free of those pressures of those circumstances, of those conditions in the world that denied them the full expression of their human potential. We don't want to be free Just to follow somebody, we want to be free to lead self.  And God intends that, for us. He never made a Frenchman with a Nigerian head, and He never made a Nigerian with a Frenchman head.  Everyman has his own head.  And when you catch me wearing an Arab head on this body please give me a sleeping pill.  I don't suppose to be awake, I need a rest.  

I'm a Muslim, but I don't buy Arab leadership, and I don't sell them my leadership; everyman should be his own man and that's only possible when you introduce truth and science and wisdom, not personalities, not races. They used to tell me "You know the "Arabs did this, and the Arabs did that, the Arabs contributed this, the Arabs invented the number system we have here, and they gave the world this and they gave the world that" I said "The Arabs didn't give the world a God-Damned thing. Allah gave the world that. What did the Arabs give the world before they became Muslims? Then that will tell you what the Arabs gave the world". Al-Islam gave it to the world and we want Al Islam not Arabism. There Is no place in the circles of intelligent enlightened human beings for personality for crazy fanatical nationalisms, no Indeed, if you want to get your full share you'd better drop off those petty primitive concerns, oh yeah. And you can come on in to big things. 

Now you recall me telling you many times that this religion has never been outlawed in America.  It has been the ignorance of the citizens that has persecuted this religion in America and the Ignorance of those who came up with misconceptions, concerning this religion and tried to introduce it and impose it on the society when it was not in Its true meaning; but once you have this religion in its true concept and in Its true meaning It has an accommodation everywhere on this earth because intelligent men recognize intelligence when they see it. Only the ignorant will persecute truth and righteousness when its really sound and clear.  

I have here a Zerox copy of a statement that's in the records of our government I'm going to read it to you.  "And It reads, as the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion, as it has in itself no character on enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of the Muslimen and as the said states never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mohammedan nation it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries." Treaty with Tripoli, 1896 article 11 page 1786 signed George Washington.  I never saw this until just last week, this was given to me.  When I made the statement those who were interested went to dig up records to see if their existed any documented proof for what I said and they found It.  

Here it is.  I told you this is not a Christian nation.  America is a free nation. America is a democratic nation.  Christians have the right to live here, and enjoy the benefits of this land.  So do Muslims, so do Jews, so does any well meaning person that comes here and lives here or was born here.  So don't think that because you are a Muslim, "Oh I'm a Muslim, I don't have the same opportunities that non Muslims have, I am a Muslim, my religion is going to be a burden on me, I can't participate in the full life of America because I'm a Muslim (what is all of that noise)? I can't participate in the full life because I'm not a Christian, there is no need of me getting in politics, I'm not a Christian, there is no need of me getting into the government, I am not a Christian I'm a Muslim. 

They won't accept me, I will be rejected, I'll be persecuted.  No you be a good Muslim, you be a true Muslim and those in government will recognize your worth, will recognize that you are a worthy citizen as other citizens and you will find that you won't be persecuted, you'll be appreciated.  This Nation Is not a heathen nation, America is not a country of crazy nuts, we have a great nation, we have a great nation(People) here and they will respect you if you be a true Muslim. And then contribute to the strength of the whole country contribute to the strength of the whole nation; don't go in as a devil trying to get something over just for yourself; don't go in to serve narrow Muslim interests; go In to serve the concerns of the whole people and you will find that there is an equal place for Muslims in this country because this country wasn't founded for Christians only.  

This country was founded for people who want to see their human potential realized; and it's history bears witness to that; its history bears witness to that; it's history bears witness to that truth that this is a country In an experiment of freedom to realize its full potential and we have seen that this country started off moving in two directions pulling against itself, working against human beings, some enslaving human beings, others preaching against that evil, struggling for human dignity of Justice and equality; some hoarding the blessings of the land to themselves, others releasing the goods that they got so that society would be better or Improved; two movements, which one, which one has advanced over the other? Hasn't it been the movement of truth, freedom, dignity, and humanity? 

Hasn't It advanced over that movement of the narrow beast mind that wants to hold back, that wants to persecute, that wants to deny? Yes, it has run out. Slavery is behind us, Jim Crowism Is behind us. Jim Crow Courts are behind us and humanity is marching forward; the crusade of ignorance is behind us and Islam is sharing the pulpit; so don't tell me where we are going, baby, I know where we are going; Baby we are going where Allah wants us to go, and He wants us to go to truth, Justice and equality. Truth, freedom, Justice and equality.  So (What is that thunder)? I have said all I want to say today and now I'm not going to say goodbye, I'll Just say until we meet again.....As- Salaam-Alaikum.......

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PRESS CONFERENCE INTERVIEW OF IMAM WARITH DEEN MUHAMMAD 
(11-8-81 After speech at Tulsa Oklahoma Sunday)


QUESTION;  I guess my first question should be, what a-bout the economics of President Reagan? Specifically his budget cuts and effects on the people as you see It? 

IWDM; I was disappointed in the cut backs in the special programs and especially with the cut backs on student aid, aid to students, I felt that those programs were very much needed and that that's how a democratic society progresses; the type of democratic society America is shouldn't cut those aspects, especially aid to students, poor students.

QUESTION:  That's part of my next question.  You work very closely with people, and the Moslem Movement is known for working close with people. What are some of the direct results that you see because of the cuts. 

IWDM: Well I see a kind of desperation growing among the bright youthful students, teenagers and those whose mothers thought they were going to have assistance, a desperation is coming into those youngsters because they feel that now we don't have any hope, before we had hope for a good education and now that hope has been hurt. Except for that our morale is very high because we don't solely on government programs, we have our own private schools.

QUESTION:  Benjamin Hooks is credited as saying that President Reagan is going to end up putting Black folks in a worse condition (position) than if a racist was in the White House; what would your response to that be? 

IWDM:  Well, I don't know where he was coming from, I don't know what was on his mind when he said that. In my opinion President Reagan has been harmful in some respects, not to African Americans but he has been harmful to the whole Economy in some respects but I think there is a positive side of it too. President Reagan has caused us to look at ourselves and he has caused us to question our own selves regarding obligations on us to improve our own conditions, now that's good, that's good. I I think too much welfare puts our minds in the wrong direction.  We have to do something to improve our own conditions, we can't rely solely on government to improve our conditions, we have to do something in the house internally and in our own neighborhoods as communities to improve our conditions.

QUESTION:  Basically, briefly could you give me a little bit of history on the Mission, how and when it started and functionally how has it changed in its direction? IWDM:  Yes, it actually started in February 1975, but we see our history going back to the early thirties. We think of this community as a community moving in a line of progression from stages or development of the organization and we also think of ourselves as a transformation which means there was a translation that has transformed us completely in the sense of theology and spiritual motivations that is our aspirations of the people, we are a new people and our doctrine is, our Quran is our Holy book, and our Doctrine is changed because the emphasis has shifted from one of social reform and business development to good morals, proper religion and good morals. We think of it as a progression because we haven't abandoned the aspirations of the old leadership for business development, for productivity in the little. 

QUESTION; When you speak of the old leadership are you speaking on your father?

IWDM: Yes, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the late Leader.

QUESTION;  And you took over as leader In 1975 and really you were responsible for bringing about the more spiritual concepts?

IWDM:  Yes, the universal concepts, the broadened concepts and the emphasis on moral development.  There was emphasis before on moral development but it was a superficial kind of morality, cleanliness of the physical body, clean morality is right attitudes towards self and others, 

QUESTION; Was it difficult for you to make this change? 

IWDM: Yes, it was, and I had to criticize the leadership in order to get the people to see that we had to broaden our vision.  And there is no other way to get people from a Divine man except to criticize.

QUESTION; Was that doubly difficult for you because he was your father?

IWDM;  Yes it was, certainly it was because I loved him, I loved him then and I still do.  I still love him and I know that his good side was stronger than his bad side. QUESTION;  Can you tell me a little bit about what's happening here?

IWDM;  Yes, I'm meeting here from an invitation from Imam Qasim Ahmed.  He's the regional head here over the area of the southwest. What they are doing is having an Imam or ministers seminar to strengthen the religious content of the movement. To set up positive programs for improving the department of education, and the department of Religion called Dawah, or propagation.

QUESTION; How many ministers were in attendance, actually in attendance?

IWDM;  Well this morning I addressed it seems to me about seventy.

QUESTION; Do you have any idea of your whole entire attendance?

IWDM:  In this region? QUESTION:  In the afternoon conference?

IWDM:  Maybe _____ people, I'm not sure.

QUESTION;  Representing the Southwest region? 

IWDM:  Yes.

QUESTION; Would you tell me a little bit about your political involvement or your political stance, nationally and/or internationally?

IWDM; Most important to our society is political education because, for so long we have been separated or kind of isolated from that kind of involvement, however, it should be noted that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad on occasion, did encourage the people to consider the possibility of getting involved in the political process and the supporting of worthwhile candidates. There are two I know of. Two individuals that he did ask his people to support locally. So that's first for-Political education, we wouldn't want to make mistakes. 

QUESTION: Are you backing any particular candidate this year?

IWDM: Yes, occasionally we do voice our support for certain candidates. 

QUESTION;  Any Names:

IWDM:  Well President Ford, when he was In office, I supported him, I was happy with him; and President Carter, I liked him even better, although he was missing some of the strength that Presidents have, but I liked him better because to me he proved to have been more courageous with programs for helping the little people, he seemed to have more courage, to come out and really make It clear that he stood up for human rights not only here In America but throughout the world and that touched our hearts, we appreciated him very much for that.

QUESTION;  In the religion with the Quran, do you feel that you are praying with other religions internationally
_______ are you _________?

IWDM: Very, I do understand it perfectly. Naturally our closest affiliation is with the World membership of Islamic membership, but we do feel a strong need for affiliation with Christians. We have evolved in a special kind of unique way as a religious group, Most of us came from; my mother was a good Christian and she was a lover of old Negro spirituals, and I came up under her Influence, she was a Muslim from the Day I was born. But she never stopped singing those spirituals, and I'm telling you, I think she helped to make me a minister.  Her influence had a lot to do with making me decide to be a religious teacher. So I feel a closeness, I do feel an affiliation with Christian people spiritually in my heart and I've found that my Holy Book also encourages that. 

QUESTION;  Are there any glaring differences in the religion?

IWDM;  Yes, yes, yes, but none that we should make a fuss over.

QUESTION:  Do you feel that being a part of this religion that Is widespread in the middle east gives you a bridge to a better understanding of what's going on over there and what conditions are like culturally? 

IWDM;  Yes It does, It does culturally.  I know that our religion is so broad in its concepts that a person who is dominated by certain ambitions can easily take on an image that will not be compatible to the deen or spirit of our religion because material development is emphasized in the Quran, social equality is stressed in the Quran. 

QUESTION;  By Material development?

IWDM:  A socialist could read certain passages of our Holy Book and feel that these passages are referring to his brand of socialism.  A materialist could perhaps read
certain verses and .think that those verses are supporting his materialism or his materialistic position. One who is given to sensuality could read certain verses and perhaps think that these verses are supporting his tendencies.  It is clear in the very first words of the Holy Quran that this Book is Guidance for those who are pure in heart, pure in heart. And if you aren't pure in heart you don't get the general message there if you aren't pure in heart in it's full context. It's against sensuality, it's against materialism and it's against communism. 

QUESTION; Do you have any comments on the way that the religion is practiced throughout the U.S.A.? 

IWDM;  Yes I do.  I'm saddened, like many Muslims are throughout the world to see Muslims reduced to ritualism. The religion didn't begin like that.  No, It began with the Institution of environmental and social consciousness. But it seems that it has developed or grown to become a religion that places emphasis on formalities rituals, there is a lot of fuss about the wearing of the veil.  A lot of fuss about how many sections of prayer you should make and simple kind of petty things have come up in the religion that have burdened the religious leadership. In fact Prophet Muhammad never asked women to wear veils and most of the real authorities in the religion, the scholars that is, they say that the Holy Prophet didn't ask women to cover their faces and he specifically said "cover all except hands and face".

In our Holy Book, God says that "He has prescribed for us certain duties that place a certain responsibilities upon us but He intends not difficulty for us," And those Imams who ask us not to stop at four sections of prayer but to do sixteen, they are going against that instruction.

Once the Holy Prophet was introduced to a man who was supposed to be a Holy man and the person who introduced him were men who said that the man stayed in the Mosque all the time and he prayed and he fasted all the time.  Prophet Muhammad asked who is taking care of him? They said "we are", he said "you are better than him.  So this is the thinking that we would like to see come back to the Muslim society of the world.

QUESTION:  ------? Today, the things you were speaking on concerning

IWDM; Well on, there are certain concepts in our religion that we clarified not only for the benefit of non Muslims who visited our public gathering but more Importantly for Muslims themselves.  So I will be discussing principle concepts in our religion, proper attitudes that Muslims should have.  Most important of those concepts is the concept of truth and faith itself.

QUESTION:  In this country which religion is heavily stratified in terms of varying religions? Do you tend to relegate the political power of this country to certain religious groups like the moral majority?

IWDM: Yes. you know in the old days. I don't know Id I should say the good old days or not, but in the old days. I felt Christianity was being dealt a disservice by most of the ministers who were preaching on the radio in our neighborhood, now maybe it was different In other black neighborhoods you know. I felt they were doing a great dis-service to the Religion because I had read the Bible and I felt the great sacredness and dignity In most of the verses and passages that I read and I didn't see why some ministers had to whoop and holler and act uncivilized to attract people to the religion. Now I see a, look like a, I don't think it's nothing to get alarmed at, but I do see It looks like a growing now of some of those attitudes that they had back then, and I would hate to see that come back because at that time most of the Christians that we met were very prejudiced too, they were very narrow minded, very narrow In their outlook the were prejudiced.

QUESTION;  Do you think that this narrow mindedness and closed mindedness is something that Is on the increase? 

IWDM; Yes It Is, but I said It Is something, I don't think we should be alarmed by It. because I think Television and the Media has had a good effect; I criticize television and the media for their encouragement of promiscuousness in society but at the same time I have never wanted to see television, magazines, newspapers and the whole media stopped or out under government control, simply because I know more than anything else it has been the media that has educated the public, the general public 

QUESTION:  Since you have been the leader has you population grown? Have you had a turnover?

IWDM;  Certainly it has, yes we have.  We have lost some who were too sensitive to the old leader, the previous leader. Too sensitive to the racial arrogance and black pride that some of the people acquired under that teaching of black pride and black supremacy. We lost some of them, but the great majority of them have remained with us. We could Introduce you or anybody, anytime to our membership, and some of the people are still here and the great majority of the old timers are still here; in fact the old timers are my strongest supporters, yes they are, my strongest supporters, and it's because they have had the same hunger that I have had for the kind of a teachings that we are getting now and I think the old leader cleverly conditioned us to have that want In us. 

QUESTION;  Purposefully?

IWDM;  Yes, I really do, and many of us think that way. I'm not the only one, that's not Just my opinion. 

QUESTION;  Is your father still living? 

IWDM:  No he passed;  I couldn't become the leader until he passed.

QUESTION;  A minute ago

IWDM:  Well he had to build me and help create a reception for me In the organization, in fact he made some very strong statements in support of me being the leader after him In public gatherings.

QUESTION; Do you think that he knew the direction that you wanted to so into?

IWDM; Yes and he told me, I was discussing it with him privately, he said "Son, when a man has led the people for as long as I have led these people and they have given him their unwavering position, he can't back up or sidestep, and he was saving it with sadness, with a sad voice.  He was very, very rigid with his faith, that was the only way he felt that the black man as he called us was to rail him and to rail the white man, that was his psychology.  Many of the members did come up to a healthy sensitivity.  I think the majority of them came up to a healthy sensitivity although a few were enraged or were given fuel for their fires, You know, and they became detrimental to themselves and to the organization, but I guess that is the risk that a man of fire and brimstone has to take, a lot of times.

QUESTION;  I wanted to talk to you about your history, How many years ago did the movement start? 

IWDM;  Close to fifty, yes, actually he took over in 1934, A mystic was his teacher called FARD, it is spelled F.A.R.D., and is pronounced Fard. He gave my father the theology that he preached but my father is the one who actually built it all the way: he started in thirty four and he remained the leader.
