08/29/2002
IWDM Study Library
Islamic Convention Press Conference

By Imam W. Deen Mohammed
Ayesha K. Mustafa:
The Muslim-American Society in terms of what our National Conventions are about. We have here on the dais with us to my right Imam Najee Ali of Project Islam Hope. Actually, Najee is from Los Angeles, but I think the Chicago Press knows him very well. He's a street guide, he's an activist and when he sees something that needs addressing, he simply takes up the task. We have next to my right Imam Abdul Kareem Hasan who is one of the four coordinators of the National Convention from Los Angeles, California also, and one of our pioneering members of the Muslim American Society, an associate with Malcolm X and a great asset to our community. To my left of course we have our leader, Imam WD Mohammed of the Muslim-American Society, the son Elijah Muhammad, the mentor to Malcolm, and the one who steered us through some choppy waters for the past 27 years and we haven't been shipwrecked yet.

We have to the Imam's left Imam Earl Abdul Malik Muhammad, who is the National spokesman of Imam WD Mohammed and keeps before the public. the sober voice of Muslims. Of course, the Imam can't make all the occasions that are put before him but Imam Earl Abdul Malik Muhammad is a great representative of the religion and of our leader, Imam WD Mohammed. Again, I already introduced Imam Omar Shaheed, our Co-Coordinator from Columbia, South Carolina and also a well learned person in Arabic, world travel and a great asset. We have one Co-Coordinator that's now on the stage if she would just stand Ingina Muhammad Ali. We fondly refer to her as the daughter of Imam WD Mohammed, but they try to work her to death. Andina is a great asset to us. We watched her grow up as a child in our community through elementary school, through high school and now to join the leadership of this community and do her part. We want you to know that there are many people in this room from all walks of life, Muslims, Christians and others. They're here. There are many professions represented here and we will introduce some of them at the end of the press conference. But for times sake, we're going to move on right now.

Imam Najee Ali will have a few comments, then Imam Kareem Abdul Hasan, Earl Abdul Malik and then our leader Imam WD Mohammed. And before we close out we have some awards we would like to present and we are calling these Objectivity awards and we'll talk about those later. And of course then the floor be open by any questions from the media. We're not bashful so let us know what it is you have concerns about.
Imam Najee Ali:
Thank you Sister Ayesha. As Salaam Alaikum. In translation, that simply means may G-d's Peace be unto you. With G-d's name, the Merciful Benefactor, the Merciful Redeemer. And I would really be amiss if I did not ask us to take a moment of silence for our fellow Americans who lost their lives in a terrorist tragedy September 11th. So, I'm asking everyone for a moment of silence to the victims of a terrorist attack against our country September 11th of last year.

Thank you. September 11th our leader Imam WD Mohammed has designated that day Patriots Day in commemoration of those who lost their lives but also a tribute to the firemen, the police officers who risk their lives for us on a daily basis. He is calling upon all Masjids and Islamic Centers in the United States to have their houses open for an open house, but also for a special prayer at Noon in memory of those who lost their lives. We also invite members of other faith communities as well as community leaders and also members of the political arena. And I need to say this, that we are in full support of Imam WD Mohammed on his position to designate Wednesday, September 11th as Patriot's Day. We strongly support this tribute to Patriot's Day because we believe that is the spirit of the Holy Qur'an and our holy Prophet Muhammad, Peac be Upon him.

We thank G-d for the leadership of Imam Mohammed for having the courage, vision, and wisdom to express such patriotism in commemoration of those who lost lives in the worst terrorist attacks on this country. We pray to G-d for peace, reconciliation, tolerance and patience in these difficult times. We pray from this bad situation that with G-d's help will come good. This statement was also drafted by the believers of Masjid Al-Haqq in Newark, New Jersey, Imam Abdul Kareem Muhammad. But this statement reflects the sentiment of those that support the leadership of Imam WD Mohammad. So, I want to thank you for allowing me to express that and I'll turn it over to Imam Abdul Karim Hasan.
Imam Abdul Karim Hasan:
As Salaam Alaikum.
Audience Members and Press:
Wa Alaikum As Salaam.
Imam Abdul Karim Hasan:
With G-d's Name, the Merciful Benefactor, the Merciful Redeemer. This is the third consecutive year that we are having this Convention in Chicago. Each year we have seen an increase in the number of conventioneers over the previous years. They come to Chicago eagerly to attend workshops, the many workshops, the many diverse workshops. They come to Chicago to socialize with people and Muslims that they have not seen but once or they don't see but once a year, and they're eagerly awaiting the opening of the Convention which begins on Friday after Jumu'ah. The highlight of the Convention is our Public Address on Sunday, which is given to the country and to the world by Imam WD Mohammed. As you know, we have a satellite projection of the Sunday Public Address that is going to approximately 10 cities in the United States of America. We have sites in the Southern part of America, the Midwestern part of America or the Mideast part of America and also on the West Coast. The spirit of the Muslim community as it renews and establishes the importance and value of religious life, family life and community life is felt throughout the country. Because of this renewed birth and spirit, the MAS Convention Committee has voted to hold the Convention once again in Chicago next year 2003.

So, we thank you again for being here this afternoon and feel free, newspaper men and newspaper women to circulate among the conventioneers and get their comments and their stories, as there are as many comments and stories and opinions as there are people at this Convention. We are a little surprised this year because of the early registration of many of the conventioneers, but I don't think we should be too surprised because each year things have been getting better and better. And next year we know that with G-d's help things will even be better still. Thank you again, welcome to our weekend and we hope that you will enjoy it, get the stories from the people and print their opinions as you see fit. Again, thank you. And I call forth to the mic the Imam's Special assistant, Imam Abdul Malik Mohammed.
Imam Earl Abdul Malik Mohammed:
Peace to you as Muslims greet, As salaam Alaikum.
Audience Members and Press:
Wa Alaikum As Salaam.
Imam Earl Abdul Malik Mohammed:
With G-d's Name, the Merciful Benefactor, the Merciful Redeemer. We are Muslims believing in G-d and the inherent goodness of humanity. We are followers of Muhammad the Prophet, the Prayers and the Peace be on him, members and contributors in his international community that includes humans of all races and ethnicities.

Our development as a religious community has been characterized by our evolution, by our philosophy and by our remarkable friendships and particularly by our leader. In fact, the core message of Islam as faith, community, peace, freedom, justice and equality would be obscure and unclear to us if it was not for the discovery we made through our leaders guided perceptions of what Islam is essentially. Rational faith the universal brotherhood of man and the firm grasp that Islam wants economic and social prosperity but not without dignity, peace and justice. These perceptions we would not have arrived at if it were not for the person who I will introduce now, the leader of our community, the leader of this association of Muslims, the son of Elijah Muhammad, Imam WD Mohammed.
Imam WD Mohammed:
I greet you, As Salaam Alaikum.
Audience Members and Press:
Wa Alaikum As Salaam.
Imam WD Mohammed:
It is certainly wonderful to have all of you here, Imams from around the United States. Leaders, indigenous leaders, social workers, et cetera. I'm looking at a lot of excellent help we have here in this community that are here for the press conference. I wish you was sitting up here to talk to us. We are certainly always gratified to know that we have in our audience and present with us, our Focolare friends, Christian friends, Focolare movement, Christian movement.

We have chosen to address the subject Sunday for the public address, The Lifeblood of Christianity and Islam is Peace. I didn't start out thinking that. I was raised in the Nation of Islam and I was taught from a child going back to my birth in 1933, a long time ago for me, the idea that my father got from his teacher who was not an American born, he was foreign born. And I had really no interest at all in Christianity and the Church, Christian people. I had no interest in them at all. In fact, I was conditioned to think that our world was our world and their world was their world and there was no meeting of the two worlds. Nothing for us to do with one another but to stay away from one another. But as I grew older and began to understand my father's language, that I began to think. In fact he told me, he said, "Well I noticed son, you don't use the Bible much do you?" I started preaching as a Student Minister when I was about 17 or 18 I think, and I was only still in my teens, maybe about 19 years old. My father said, "I notice that you don't use the Bible, you don't quote from the Bible." And it was the habit of the Ministers, in fact all the speakers in the Nation of Islam to use the Bible and very seldom would they use the Qur'an, the book of the Muslims, which seemed to be strange you know, being that they we are saying we are Muslims that we are preaching from the Bible. My father said, "Well you are not supposed to preach from the Bible, you'll preach from the Qur'an." That's what my father told me. I was only about 19 years old. And as I got more experienced as a speaker speaking to converts from the Church, from Christianity and from Church life, I thought, I said, how can I really feel comfortable speaking to these people and I don't know what shaped their lives. I don't know what rules in their lives. So, I started, I made my mind up that I was going to study the Bible. I'm giving you an explanation for me having chosen this subject.

I began to be interested in the Bible and I made up my mind. I said, well, I don't want to question the Bible, I want to read it from cover to cover. So, I pledged to myself that I wasn't going to stop and examine or question, I was just going to read it straight through and that's what I did. I read the Bible from Genesis, to the last, first words of Genesis and the last word of Revelation. And I did not stop to make notes or question anything. That gave me a picture of the Bible that I didn't have before. I came to believe that the Bible was a Holy book, a sacred book, and that it had a uninterrupted vein of purity and truth running from the first words of Genesis to the last word of Revelation. But it's shrouded. It's shrouded by history, it's shrouded by many things. And I decided then that I should be a friend of Christians and that we should be a friend of Christians. And I decided that when once I was in position of leadership, I would invite our community, our supporters to respect the Bible as a sacred book and to try to form alliances with all people that hold that book sacred, our Christian neighbors and friends.

I wouldn't have been able to come up with a subject like that-The Lifeblood of Christianity and Islam is Peace had I kept the old mind that was given to me as a son of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad in the Nation of Islam. I want to say this also though. There are many problems for religion period in the world today. Religion has not done what it should have done to keep respect for religion in the world. When I say religion, I mean people who speak for religion, leaders who speak for religion, Muslim Christians and Jews. We have not done what we should have done to keep respect for religion in the world. And also we have given the media and the world of print literature, et cetera. We've given them the right, we've given them permission and the right to criticize us and to criticize religion as we have presented it to the world. We are living in a new time. We are a long way in the road to peace and cooperation for the people of faith. From the time of savagery, idolatry, corruption, enslavement of workers, enslavement of the weak et cetera. Enslavement of the blacks, us. From the Crusades, from colonial days.

We had come a long ways in the road to peace and cooperation for the people of faith. I never dreamed when I was a young boy and a young Minister, I never dreamed that there would come a time when.... I couldn't have dreamed that representatives of Islam in Mecca, in sacred Mecca, the Custodians of the two Holy places, would be meeting with representatives of the Christian world with their Sheiks and their Imams, their religious leaders, the Supreme Council of Imams in Mecca. Members of that council, meeting with leaders from Judaism and Christianity to discuss working together for the good future of all people. This is a great time we're living in. If we could just see the real things that are happening to bring about a better world for all of us, we wouldn't be so disturbed by the ugly picture of life that we find when we take the car out of the garage and start to drive the streets of Chicago or somewhere. Peace and thank you and we thank the press for being present.
Ayesha K. Mustafa:
Thank you Brother Imam. We want to say a few more comments about our Patriots Day that is coming up on September 11th. This would be a day recognized and set aside by the Muslim-American Society, Masjids, Mosques and Islamic Centers throughout the United States. Not just one here locally, but they are doing it simultaneously throughout the United States. And again, this is not just a memorial for mourning, for us to feel sad. But it is to reaffirm our citizenship and the rights and obligations that come with that citizenship. That's one of the best things that Imam Mohammed did for us when he came into leadership after his father's passing. And that was to explain to us how valuable it was that we were Americans and what that meant. What it meant as an obligation on us and as a resource to us. And he also reminded us as African-Americans, the price that was paid by our fore parents, those who came to this country in chattel slavery, what they had sacrificed and what they had contributed to the growth of this country.

And that was something we couldn't turn our backs on. So, this is not just another memorial where we're going to have prayer and then just go quietly home, but we are reaffirming that we are American citizens and that that's not up for question. We are not guessing or hesitant to say that we are American citizens and we hold firm to that. The other thing is that again it has been noted that there are so many people in this room that you can talk to throughout the weekend that'll be here all weekend. Some of them are signed in, some of them signed so we can't read the name. They were just letting me know, but to just identify a few of them, Imam Muhammad Sadique from Indianapolis who just returned from, is it Bangladesh? Indonesia. Imam Muhammad Sadique is a educator first working under Minister Louis Farrakhan in New York City.

He's a devout supporter of Imam WD Mohammed and known throughout the prison system. So, if you want to know what's happening in the prisons, Muslims trying to convert criminals to be terrorists. If you want to get clarity on that, talk to Imam Muhammad Sadique. And there are other chaplains here in this room who have worked in the prison system for years. And Muslims had a sterling record before two months ago in working in prisons to bring about rehabilitation. No one ever questioned us to ever be trying to recruit people for criminal activities before. Even the prison administrations would give keys to Muslims that they probably wouldn't give to some of their deputies. We have Kareem Shabazz in the room from Atlantic City, who ran for the Mayor of Atlantic City. Beverly Marad who was the principal under the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and she's here with Elijah Muhammad's son today after all these years and she's still a devout supporter of Imam Mohammed.

We have our Yusef Saleem from Washington DC, who's the National Director of Education for our association and the schools that were named in honor of Imam WD Mohammed's mother who at first kept her children home, would not send them to public schools, defied the officials who were charging her with truancy of her children. And finally, from that grew up a system of schools throughout the United States, Islamic schools. We have Precious Muhammad who is a graduate from Harvard here. And Precious started a series at Harvard every year where she would bring Muslim speakers to the campus including Imam WD Mohammed. And she's also discovered a valuable manuscript of one Muslim among slaves that she has published also. We have Joshua Rabba who is a Clara Muhammad school graduate and also Joshua is a curator. And he purchased a manuscript for Omar Ibn Said, who was a Muslim among slaves. And Omar Ibn Said's history is unique in itself. Joshua would be a good person to talk to. We have Johnny Hassan from Little Rock, Arkansas. He's an Imam, but he has a unique profession.

Did you announce your profession? He's a bounty hunter. We have Anatoli Amini from Syracuse, New York. She's held public office there and she's the coordinator of the workshops for this weekend. Salim Omar, jazz pianist who's played with some of the greats in our African-American history and our cultural legacy. Imam Clyde Rahman from Cleveland, Ohio who was appointed as the Chaplain for the Police and Fire department. What is EMS? Emergency Medical Services. Okay. Imam Plemon T. El Amin from Atlanta, Georgia and they have one of the most progressive Islamic schools there with their graduates going to Harvard, Duke, Stanford, and the higher institutions in this country and throughout the world. Imam A Ali Khan is here. He's the Executive Director of the Community Relations office for Imam WD Mohammed in Washington, DC as our interest is being protected in our Nation’s Capital. And there are others here. Of course we don't want to spend too much time now, but we invite you to seek them out and to talk to them as we go. Before we open the questions to media, objectivity is of course very important to us. A lot of Muslims say we don't get a fair deal in the press. Maybe not because you don't want to be fair to us but that you just don't know us that well. But when we see those who are taking the time to get to know us, learn about us, and then include us in their publication, we want to at least acknowledge that not all press is negative press. We have some good press also. And at this point Imam Najee Ali would like to come up and make three presentations for us at this time.
Imam Najee Ali:
Our first presentation will be to Sister Anna Mitchell of the Chicago Defender. As she makes her way up here, I'm just so impressed by this young lady because we just met recently. She covered a Campaign for Justice that I was involved in last month with two men from the south side of Chicago. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention my fellow activist from the front lines, Minister Amari Obadeli, who is one of the top young leaders in the nation and as well Sister Zakiya Muhammad, a Muslim sister who's always fighting for justice. She just recently returned from Atlanta, working in 90 degree weather 4 straight days in support of McKinney. So, I do acknowledge my fellow freedom fighters. Oh, funny story about Anna. I met her, show you how dedicated she is to her craft and her profession. She runs to the story and she chases the story down. After the press conference and the march and the prayer vigil, Amari and Zakiya, Reverend Al Sharpton, we're about to go eat dinner. So, we're driving to the restaurant and my cell phone rings. So, I'm like, this is Najee Ali. And on the other end it's like "Najee, I need some more information. The story's not over with. I need some more information. So can I meet you wherever you're at. I need to talk to you and Reverend Sharpton and others." So, I said sure Anna, where are you? "I'm right behind you." Anna is following us to the restaurant. This sister does not give up. She's very dedicated to her craft and really just welcome you here Anna. And you've been a great friend and supporter of this community. The Media Objectivity Award 2002 presented to Anna Dumas Mitchell of the Chicago Defender by the Muslim American Society at the Annual Islamic Convention 2002.

Bismillah Ar Rahma Nir Raheem. With the Name of G-d, the Merciful Benefactor, the Merciful Redeemer. Read in the Name of your Lord who Created. Read and your Lord is the Most Generous who taught man that which he knew not and taught man the use of the pen. Holy Qur'an Surah 96, Ayats 1-5.

Our next honoree is Mr. Lerone Bennett Jr of Ebony Magazine. Unfortunately, Mr. Bennett could not be here due to prior commitments, but anyone that's read Ebony and Jet Magazine knows that Mr. Bennet is a living legend. He's a historian who documented our struggles for years and decades. I can remember reading his writings when I was a child and he's still writing. But also, as an editor at Ebony Magazine, he has been responsible for choosing our leader Imam Mohammed almost every year as one of the most hundred influential African-American leaders in the nation. So, we salute Mr. Bennett and we thank Ebony and Jet Magazine for your support of the Muslim community over the years.
Ayesha K. Mustafa:
Okay, and the last award we would like to present to one of our own, Brother Abdul Amara Shakir of the Islamic Broadcasting of Lake County. Brother Abdul Amara works tirelessly with his young daughter by side most of the time, but he makes sure the Muslim voice remains on the airways and he's an objective Muslim. I know some people think that's a oxymoron or something, but we do have objective Muslims.
Abdul Shakir:
With the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Allah the Most High tells us in the Qur'an that we are to be just and also to adhere to righteousness. And I would not be just if I didn't mention my cameraman, Brother Mustafa Muttaqi, who works behind the scenes very quietly, puts up with my temper tantrums, he's always with me. He's been with me since day one when we started Islamic Broadcast in Lake County six years ago. So, would you stand Brother Muttaqi? I want him to share the award with me. My name is on the award but he's just much a part of Islamic Broadcast as I am if not more. So, I thank Brother Imam and his staff, Sister Amatullah Sharif, because I know that she's one of our biggest supporters, Sister Ayesha Mustafa of Muslim Journal. I thank my daughter Amara. Come on up here Amara.

Just a quick story about her. She's in Taekwondo every Saturday morning and that's the time mostly when we do our broadcast. So, I haven't been able to get to any of her classes, so she's made a lot of sacrifices and she's also helped Islamic Broadcast when she has the time. So, thank you very much. As Salaam Alaikum Rahmatullah.
Ayesha K. Mustafa:
In the press packages for the press, there is a copy of the front page of the Muslim Journal that's coming out tomorrow morning, A Salute also to America's Finest and our Muslim-American Society Finest. And we have in there representatives of the Muslims who are firefighters, who are police officers, who are firefighter trainers. We have Muslims who are firefighters with specialties in airline fires. We have hazardous material specialists and all down the line. And we have one group or association of Muslim police officers from New York City. And it makes for very good reading but it's an eye opener because we had one battalion chief in that group from Cleveland who's been a battalion chief for how many years? About 19, 20 years. And when those firemen got trapped in the World Trade Center, all he could say was that he had lost 300 men. So, this touched more than just our hearts. This touched our livelihoods. And our safety as well. Before we open the questions Brother Najee did have a few comments and then we're open to the press
Imam Najee Ali:
Before we take questions. I do want to say one thing because there's one other honoree that was selected by our committee, but he chose not to accept this award because he felt it would be a conflict of interest. That reporter is Don Terry of the Chicago Tribune sitting right here. And Don is doing a cover story on Imam Mohammed. He's working on that feature right now. So, he did not want to be perceived as being rewarded. But I can say Don, I've known for years when he covered me in LA when he was with the New York Times. And he's someone who I really admire because he's very sincere not only with his work but how he feels about the community. He's covered everything from the gang truce within South Central to the tragic rape and murder of Cynthia Iverson to the shooting death of Tyson Miller, who was shot 27 times by the police in California.

Don's always been there. But he has also covered the Muslim community. Imam Plemon's community in Atlanta as well as our community for years. He's always been fair. So, Don, you'll get your award next year, but we want to thank you for coming. And before I sit down and take questions, I don't want to get beat up when I get home. My family's here from Indianapolis, my grandmother, my Aunt Linda, my daughter Jasmine from LA. So, I want to thank you for coming. I also want to thank my wife being the best wife in the world.
Ayesha K. Mustafa:
We just want to acknowledge about three other people in the room. And not to slight anyone, but especially Dr. Mikal Ramadan who's the emergency room administrator. So, when casualties happen, he's at the door waiting for them to come into the hospital. And we have Dr. Ramadan here. We have Phil Rock here who is a student of our Muslim American Society, who spent years of study in Syria as well as in Malaysia. And we have many others in the room. We have Imam Ali K Muslim from Newark, New Jersey. And in Newark, Muslims are so common until everybody says "As Salaam Alaikum." And I think they were probably one of the first cities to have a Muslim African-American Police Association. So, we are opening to the press for any questions that you have on your mind to any of our dignitaries here on stage. Yes.
Reporter:
I was just wondering if someone could outline the three initiatives that MAS has for the future establishment of Islam life America. And the reason I asked that question is because a lot of times when we read stories about the Muslim American Society, a lot of what we see published is focused on history and correcting misconceptions and things like that. So, I would like hear you speak about what you see coming in the future?
Ayesha K. Mustafa:
He wants someone to address our future objectives as Muslims more so than our historical past.
Imam WD Mohammed:
In our Holy book, G-d addresses us as believers more than He addresses us as Muslims, and He addresses us as a community. We are obligated to establish community life, Islamic Muslim community life no matter where we live, even though we're a small minority among the large majority, great big majority. We are still obligated to have a model of our community life, our public life established. We have to say that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was doing that. He was encouraging us to be responsible for other people of our neighborhoods. We even volunteer and help keep the block clean. And when I came into the leadership, I continued that effort to make us very conscious of our neighbor’s importance to us and to try to make a contribution to the neighborhood. If we begin making a contribution to the neighborhood, buying houses and keeping those houses up, buying buildings and having retail stores in them and growing material wherever we are, we will be doing what G-d wants us to do.

And we hope that we'll be doing more of this all over the United States. Atlanta, Georgia has already been mentioned as a very progressive model we have. And they have gone a long ways towards this model of Islamic life in the public life. And what you are missing is high priority for us perhaps next to caring for our family. G-d says family has first rights in the eyes of G-d. Families have first rights. But except for family, I think our obligation is to contribute to the healthy and beautiful progressive environment that we share with our neighbors, with our Christian neighbors by having our own model of public life there.
Reporter #2:
Imam, thank you so much for the solidarity you continue to promote between us as people of different faiths as we have continued to see the great benefit and the great value of that. What would you say is the future of this relationship and what is the need of it for our days today?
Imam WD Mohammed:
Yes, let me speak first to the need. The need. We live in a world that's Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, et cetera. And we see this world becoming more and more crowded and smaller. We have to meet one another. That was a few years ago. I say a few years ago because when you look at the long time, the long time that we have been Christian Jews and Muslims and Buddhists and et cetera, sharing the earth, living on the earth, is really a short period of time. We have now a greater need for us coming together, meeting with one another, getting to know one another and doing something about the things that make our world miserable for all of us. Racial prejudice, religious persecution, et cetera. And I was attracted to want a relationship with the Focolare people after meeting a few of you, Paula and others, and learning of the private life and public life of your leader, Chiara Lubich.
When I read the book on her life, I said this is a person that I want to know for myself, but even more so I want to know her so that we can have our two followings to draw together so they can be influenced by not only Imam WD Mohammed, so they can be influenced by the Christian purity of Chiara Lubich. That's what I saw as a need, the need for us to do whatever we can. We're fortunate enough to be controversial, we're fortunate enough to be nice guys too. And I thought that having an opportunity to have an association with the Focolare Movement under the leadership of the Blessed Lady Chiara Lubich, would be good for our spirit and would be good for our spiritual growth. We don't just benefit from our sacred scriptures, we benefit from associations. Just as associations with bad people can spoil Christians and Muslims.

Associations with good people can help Christians and Muslims stay away from being spoiled. Or get killed after being spoiled. And I have seen that. I've seen the results of our meeting with and sharing, being friends and sharing programs with the Focolare Movement here and in different places. I've seen the result of that. And I've had members who are very strong members of our community come to me and tell me, some of them professionals, some of them not professional, come to me and tell me how they are benefiting from this association with the Focolare Movement. People who come from Catholicism, most of them come from Catholicism or come from the Catholic church or are members of the Catholic church. The need is brought about by an opportunity I see for us to show a beautiful picture to both Muslims and Christians. And at the same time get good results for our own souls and spirituality. Now what do I see for the future? I see bigger programs involving more and more of us. I see more regularity for those programs, and I see them happening in more parts of the world. I haven't joined you yet in Africa. I had an opportunity, I couldn't take advantage of it, but I hope that I'll be able to be with you the next time you are in Africa. And I see us doing some very practical things too. We are looking at problems growing for our society and I think eventually we'll have more of our professional people and educators meeting with you to sit down and discuss these problems together. I would like to see us one day come up with a publication that all Americans can use and be happy with. Thank you.
Ayesha K. Mustafa:
Just to acknowledge a few other people in the room. We had Dr. Abdel J. Nuriddin, who's the chairperson of the Muslim American Society think tank called the Monitoring Team. We also have Imam Ronald Shaheed of Milwaukee who just recently returned from Germany with a gathering of the Focolare Movement. We have Imam Darnell Karim of Harvey, Illinois who grew up in the Nation of Islam as childhood friends with Imam Mohammed and is the Chaplain, the Muslim Chaplain at Rush St. Luke Presbyterian Hospital and of the state of Harvey. We also have Brother Wazir, I saw him a minute ago from the Nation of Islam here with us today. Are there any other questions? Yes,
Reporter #3:
This the question for Imam Mohammed. The September 11th event, it put us in a bad light and I wonder how this has affected our membership. You move around the country a lot, you see a lot of our people. Has this negatively affected our membership, this September 11th event?
Imam WD Mohammed:
Yes, it has affected all Muslims in America and other parts of world too because I think we were making a lot of progress and we were presenting, getting the true picture, the correct picture of Muslims in Islam to the public and to the world public. Especially to the American public with the press, the media, television and press, the media doing a lot to bring the truth of Muslims and Islam to the American public. In recent years we've seen well-qualified, sober-minded professors of Islam, doctors and scholars of Islamic knowledge studies. We've seen them on television and they have been questioned by the reporters and we have seen them reply, seen them have a complete freedom to give the true picture of Islam and Muslim life. We made a lot of progress as Americans until September 11th when we were all shocked. I was really made very numb.

I was not myself for at least 24 hours. It took me a whole day, to wake up the next day before I felt that I was myself again. I was shocked by what occurred. I never thought human beings would do such a thing. Never imagined human beings could do such a thing. And especially we never would expect that people who claim to believe in G-d and follow scripture would do such thing. But they did. They violated the respect for human life. They violated the law of Islam that you do not take your own life. G-d gave you your life and it's a great sin for anyone to take their own life. And the rule for the Islamic way of conducting war, the rule is that you try your best to avoid hurting or causing any loss to persons that are not in military dress, bringing harm against you. Civilians are always to be protected by Muslims. Even when at war with their enemies, they're to protect their enemies. If their enemies are in their way or in their charge, they'll protect their enemies who are not armed against them. Civilians are not to be targeted for destruction, for death, even in war. Even in war, Muslims are ordered to be decent, to have compassion, to be merciful, even when fighting enemies. Muhammad the Prophet in Mecca, when he began as a Prophet, Peace be Upon him, it put relatives even against one another. And he forbid that a relative kill his own relative. Someone else had to fight that enemy. He would not let a relative anymore at war fight his own relative. And he said to them, "See that you don't damage the harvest, the crops the harvest of the people that they have to eat from." He said, "Don't destroy trees," et cetera. These are things preserved in the book Buhkari, a collection of sayings of Muhammad the Prophet of his life by Buhkari and Muslim, which are in volumes, many volumes.

He also said that when you slaughter, slaughter with mercy, slaughter with mercy. So, we are not to be cruel, even in killing an enemy, you're not to be cruel. We are not to mutilate. Muslims are forbidden and mutilate an enemy. That's forbidden. We ought to be swift and merciful even in killing enemies in war. So, this behavior that we are looking at in the world today. in the Islamic world today. is far from the behavior that was established by the Prophet of Islam, who introduced Islam to history, to the world. Muhammad the Prophet Upon him be Peace. Was there any other?
Ayesha K. Mustafa:
Yes.
Imam WD Mohammed:
I'm speaking to the brother here.
Reporter #3:
Yes, I did. Many Muslims here in America and I believe around the world are heartbroken over the mistreatment of the Palestinians by the Israelis. And now our President is on the charge. He wants to change the leadership in Iraq. I like to have just explain to what kind of position are we to take on that.
Imam WD Mohammed:
Well, we can say a lot for that. And let me say this. I get four daily papers delivered to my house. And it's only because I'm your leader.

If I was a welder who was welding and just to get a decent check to bring home to Shirley and the children, I perhaps would just be reading one paper. Not more than two Chicago daily papers. But I got four coming to my door every day. And I must say that if you read the paper, don't just read little bit, but read the paper. Search the paper. You can go through the paper in about two or three minutes and you'll find that there are, most of the time, that there are writers in our papers, Chicago Tribune, Sun Times. There are writers that are giving us that part of the story that most of us are missing. And that is the suffering of the Palestinian people and how they are paying a big price for the conflict, the differences that they insist upon that keep them apart, that won't permit them to have peace and harmony in that area. And I will add that, let me come from scripture. I feel more comfortable coming from our Holy scripture, our Holy book. G-d says to us in our Holy Book, G-d will never take away the condition that is bothering a people until they have a change of heart. Mr. Sharon, Mr. Arafat, and our President Bush need a change of heart.
Reporter #3:
How would you assess the Nations mood as we approach the first anniversary of the September 11th tragedy?
Imam WD Mohammed:
The mood of the nation is not good, not good. The public, I think are confused right now. Most Americans are confused. But like I said, we were seeing a positive picture presented in television. And now since this ugly picture has come up, even though the President of the United States, President George W. Bush, has made it plain to the American public that Islam is not the face, that the face of terrorism pardon me, is not the face of Islam. He said that and he made a very clear claim. But when we see the big guy whipping up on the little guys all over the world, they're Muslims. I won't say all over the world, but in Asia and the Middle East. We're being hooked on and we are the little guys. It makes us wonder sometimes if this thing has gone out of hand, has it gone too far? We not alone. We know the Senate is not supporting the President. The President wish to go to Iraq, carry a war there, carry our military there. He's not getting support from the Senate. So, we are not alone. And I don't know, I don't know. Power should humble itself. All power should humble itself. All power should be able to humble itself. And if we know that there's a G-d that we have to answer to, no matter how big we are among men, I think that would help us humble ourselves. Sometimes we can just get in a groove and the groove becomes the boss. I don't know. I'm confused with the American public.
Reporter #4:
You have a meat packing plant that's in Illinois.
Imam WD Mohammed:
Yes.
Reporter #4:
Can you elaborate on any business claims?
Imam WD Mohammed:
Yes. Yes. We have African-Americans going back to well, before the Emancipation Proclamation who were interested and making a connection with Africa and doing trade, bringing goods to their people from Africa. And we know there was many others, Marcus Garvey coming later who had that same mind and interest. And the Nation of Islam under the Honorable Elijah Muhammad had that same mind and interest. And we should never accept that we live in a neighborhood and we don't see the presence of our own work, our contribution. We should never be happy with that. We should never be satisfied to see stores operating in our neighborhood and others responsible for giving our consumers their needs. And we are not doing our part. We should be ashamed of ourselves. And that's Elijah Muhammad speaking too. We should be ashamed of ourselves. Okay. So yes, we have a plant. We're back into that work of trying to keep that tradition, that tradition of an industry and excellence, business excellence in our lives. And we have a meat processing plant on 167, 29 -79 West 167th Street. We just bought the property across the street from us. It's a bigger area than we occupy. So, whenever we reach our capacity, we can go across the street and build another plant just for processing. We already got enough office space for personnel, just for processing. And we hope that what we are doing in this area in Chicago area will be duplicated and done all around the country.
Imam Mohammed's Daughter:
As Salaam Alaikum.
Imam WD Mohammed:
Wa Alaikum As Salaam. Yes, that's our first child.
Imam Mohammed's Daughter:
What comments do you have in reference to the youth and the loss of life due to gang violence here in Chicago?
Imam WD Mohammed:
Let me say that what we are seeing is the best thing that can happen and that's our sisters like yourself. And I know you my daughter, you went to school for early childhood development education and you are an activist yourself. I know you've been in the streets and marched more than once for the righteous cause, for the good cause. And we just encourage you all to be in touch with persons of your interests and of your mind and work together to do something to make a difference. We support, we have to mention that family in the book of G-d have first rights. If we don't look out for family life, if we don't do our best to contribute to the excellence of family life, we are just giving ourselves to self destruction. We can't make it alone. We have to make it as strong families. And then a civilization or a nation like ours have strong families, it has security for the future. If we neglect the protection of our family life, the nation itself will not be secure for long. So we know this, G-d has revealed these things and we know this. We are with you in supporting good family and helping mothers, helping the children and bringing good sense intelligent behavior back to our public, beginning right at home with our own family members.
Speaker 2:
This will be the last question.
Speaker 1:
Yes.
Speaker 4:
Well Brother Imam, I just had to ask you just one quick question and that was with reference to our last year's Convention, We Cannot Stop Now and this year's Convention, The Lifeblood of Christianity and Islam is Peace. Is there any connection there and what is it that you would like for us to get from this year's Convention?
Imam WD Mohammed:
I don't think we should have to be told We Can't Stop but once. You know, in the Nation of Islam, we thought of ourselves as military men, even the youngsters. I was a member before I was old enough to join the adult group. I was a member of the Junior Fruit of Islam militant unit. And we thought of ourselves as militant. We thought of ourselves as military. We should be militant all the time. Anybody who loves G-d should love people and should love human life and should love everything that G-d has made. And you should be militant, disciplined, especially the men. You should be militant and you should be disciplined. Doesn't mean you are in the army that carries material weapons or guns or whatever. It means that you are in an army that calls for the best defense and protection and advancement of the good human life. So, you brothers never put down discipline and militancy. Don't ever put that down. Always be disciplined in your life and your behavior. Be striving for more and more correct behavior and for more and more control over your own personal life and your own personal behavior. And you'll be more and more fit to survive in these times of the survival of the fittest. Never did the world without police and army civilization have as much trouble as we are having surviving. So, this is really the time of the survival of the fittest right now. Yeah. Did I go too far with that?
Speaker 4:
No sir.
Imam WD Mohammed:
I think we have shown courage by saying to the world of Christians and Muslims, that these two religions are very similar and have a great, great role on this earth. And that is promoting peace. The Lifeblood of Islam and Christianity is Peace. So, the connection is We Can't Stop Now.
Ayesha K. Mustafa:
We have some refreshments in the back, but before we go there and we invite the press to talk freely to our membership and the people here who represent their professions in their community. And we invite Imam Mohammed to share some refreshments with us also. And hopefully he can be available a few more minutes on a one-on-one basis. We also have in the audience, Judge David Shaheed, who is the Muslim-American Society Islamic Affairs facilitator from Indianapolis, Indiana. He's here. We have Brother David Hassan, who works with the Collective Purchase Program of Deputy Mohammed. And we have Brother Amir Muhammad from Washington DC with a sneak preview of the exhibit that we are have in the northeast hall of the hotel throughout the weekend. And among his collection are Muslims among the Africans slaves who were brought through these shores and the artifacts he's uncovered within the United States to show the presence of Muslims here of many, many centuries, not just for a few years. So, thank you for coming and please stop by the refreshment table.



