03/07/2000
IWDM Study Library 
Duke Univ Durham NC

By Imam W. Deen Mohammed
Isaac Kareem, thank you very much. And we appreciate all of the supporters who have joined the efforts to have me back again for the third time on the campus of Duke University. I'm very proud. We can't really understand our holy book, the Quran, without also knowing the human being that received this communication from according to the book. The creator of the heavens and the earth, the eternal G-d. Muhammad the prophet of Islam, peace be upon him, was a man who had lived for 40 years. And in his own society, the society of the people Arabs of the peninsula Arabia, he was called the trusted one, he was called the truthful one. And this is mainly for Muslims, I'm saying that G-d says of him in our holy book that he has already lived among you a lifetime. And I understand that to say that the life of Muhammad, as an excellent model of human life, had already been established before G-d selected him for the last message or the last revealed message. The Quran.
Just a few things I would like to tell you about his person. Muhammad the prophet, according to the best reports on him Bukhari and Muslim, who gives us the Hadith, the great volumes on Muhammad's life, his sayings and how he lived. His traditions. In these volumes we learned that Muhammad the prophet never cared for the glamour of the world. He wasn't impressed by the glamour of the world. He wasn't impressed by wealth. Although he knew the value of wealth, he appreciated beauty. Muhammad the prophet has said to have always carried only one garment extra when he traveled. One he would wear and when that was dirty, he would wash it and put on the other. Only two garments.
And instead of him that he was never one to speak harshly to anybody or to make anybody feel uncomfortable. He always wanted a person to be comfortable, never wanted to upset them or make them feel uncomfortable. And he loved children. He had such care for children that he was praying once and as Muslims pray, he was in Sajda, what's called prostration with his forehead and nose touching the floor with his palms down on his knees. And a little toddler got upon his back, and he refused to rise up from that position fearing that the toddler would be hurt. And his companions began to worry about him because he stayed in that position so long, thinking that maybe something was wrong.
Finally, the toddler got off his back and he rose up and continued his prayer. That's Muhammad, the prophet. The man who cared to help his wife sweet floors, to go shopping and bring food back to the home. This is Muhammad the prophet. And when he was chosen by G-d, that same man was the general, leading the army fighting for the freedom of religion. Did you ever hear that said of Muhammad? That Muhammad was fighting for the freedom of religion? But if you didn't, you heard it tonight. Yes, fighting for the freedom of religion and also building the society. Leading the construction of a new society of Muslims that have now become well over 1 billion followers or adherents of the faith Islam.
With that quick picture, given to you of Muhammad the prophet, now I want to begin to address the topic. The scriptural connection connecting the three faiths, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All these three great religions, as I understand the scripture, and I have studied the Bible from Genesis to revelation. After reading it from Genesis to Revelation, with a pledge to myself that I wouldn't interrupt the reading to question something, I would just read it freely without stopping to question anything. And after I read it, I had also made the promise that after I had completed that reading, I would also restart again from Genesis and read it and stop to study and question. I did that. And I finished the whole Bible again from Genesis to Revelation. And I made so many notes on that Bible. I remember it. It had a white leather cover back. I made so many notes. I went to a school in Chicago to learn speed writing. So, I used my own speed writing and I was in Libya.
I had made Umrah the lesser pilgrimage. The pilgrimage for you when you want to travel individually, not with all the Muslims. And I heard of Egypt back a long time ago. Qaddafi wasn't as notorious as he became later. But he was still their problem all right. But I went there because I knew students from Libya and I was just interested in it. I wanted to see Libya that they had told me about in Chicago. I went to Libya and I can't tell you too much about it. I'll take too much time. Anyway, when I came through their checkpoints to come back to the United States at the airport, I don't know how my Bible got out my possession out of my hand. An agent came up and said, "Here, this is yours Mr. Mohammed?
I said, "Yes." So, he said, "What do you do in America?" I said, "I study. And I try to help people understand Islam." He said, "Very good. Do you read other books?" I said, "Yes." So, you a Muslim? I said, "Yes. I read the Quran all the time." He recommended some books to me. A couple of books in English, by authors, that's not important. And then he said, "We believe that someone in America is going to be the leader for all Muslims in America." He said, "Maybe that's you." And I brought my white leather back Bible on back to America. And finally, my father had assisted me and I became the leader of his great following. And that's why I'm here with you because my father assisted me. A lot of people don't know that. I couldn't have become the leader of his following with the support of his national officers, the national officers of the Nation of Islam, without my father assisting me. Making that possible.
All right. So, getting back now. So, I'm familiar with the Bible. That's the point. Judaism, Christianity and Islam gives followers a perception of the global community of mankind. And each says that G-d has willed that human beings, even though they go astray from his will and get into a lot of trouble, he has willed that the community of human beings will one day again, be one community. A family, living together with each other in peace. Now that's going to happen on this side, not after that. We believe that's going to happen on this side. Christians believe in the kingdom of G-d. And they work for the kingdom of G-d. And Jews also believe in the kingdom of G-d. Rule of G-d over man on this earth. And Muslims believe in the same. So, we share this and each of us have basis for that belief in our scripture. Christianity and Islam can readily be seen as world missions. Mission under G-d to serve G-d and bring man closer and closer to the kingdom of G-d on this earth.
Where there will be a kingdom of peace, respect for one another and cooperation for the betterment of our world. We also share a belief in divine guidance over all of the knowledge or all over ideas. And we have lived to see. The people of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. We have lived to see communism that deprived his citizens of the freedom to worship G-d. We've seen it after 70 years collapse, and the people return to the worship of G-d openly. We share the belief in divine guidance over all of man's ideas or knowledge. We also believe that every human being is a creation of G-d. And every human being is created with an innocent soul. Not a guilty soul, an innocent soul. Every human being is given to us from heaven.
When mother delivers, she doesn't deliver us a criminal. She delivers us a nice sweet baby, ready to be guided a right and saved from sin. Ready. We all believe in that original innocence. That innocence that G-d created before the world. Before history as we know it. Before the world of mankind. The three religions or three faiths, hold the belief that human life is incomplete. And only finds completion when aided by their divine guidance or revelation from G-d. So, we don't believe that man can have the complete life that G-d created him for. The life that his soul wants. The happiness that we all want in our soul. We don't believe we can have it and it's complete without religion, without revealed guidance. Judaism, Christianity and Islam are connected to a belief in Moses, Christ Jesus and Muhammad. Now we know Jews have not really accepted Christ Jesus openly as Christ Jesus is revealed in the gospel. Neither have Muslims. We have not accepted Christ Jesus as Christians perceive Christ Jesus to be revealed in the gospel.
Actually, wait a minute. I have to say there are some small sects in Christianity that believe as we do. But on a whole, no. We do not have the popular belief that Christians have in Jesus Christ. We do not believe he's G-d. We do not believe any creation or human or anything in the visible world, can be G-d. We believe that G-d is unique and everything else is not unique. Nothing else is unique, but G-d. G-d is the only unique. There is nothing like him. For everything else, there's something like it somewhere. But nevertheless, we believe in the same G-d. So, if we can get by the mystery of the Trinity, we'll find that we believe in the same G-d. That's why G-d tells us in our holy book to say to you, the Christians, your G-d and our G-d is one in the same G-d. Muslims in Saudi Arabia, Rabitah, the princes, the kings of Saudi Arabia, they have no problem sitting in dialogue and conferences with Christians, Protestant leaders, Catholic leaders. To see if we can know each other better and see a way to cooperate with each other more, to have a better world for all human beings.
You're Muslims, whether in Saudi Arabia or anywhere else. Muslims are not hindered or held back from being friends and working in friendship with Christian workers so that we can have a better world. The same for Jews. We know the problem for Arab, Jewish relations. But that's political. I've been over there. I've seen how Jews and Arabs are friends of each other. Even the Palestinians, I've been among them and I've seen them go through the shop and how they're so comfortable and friendly with the Jews in the shop and how the Jews are comfortable with them and they're friendly. Coming into Arab to the Palestinian shop and buying from the Palestinian. Remind me of my curiosity that came up when I saw my father sitting with a white man at the dinner table.
It was noon and the white man was there drinking out of the best cups, the cups that mama... No, he didn't do that. But mama told us, "Don't use those cups. They only for special guests." They had gold trims. And there that white devil was drinking out of the cup that they told me I couldn't drink out of it. So, I had some curiosity. The three religions Judaism, Christianity and Islam, preach that ultimately human life is saved by faith. Faith in G-d. Faith in that, that is bigger than you, greater than you, not limited like we are. G-d. Ultimately the individual and the world is saved by faith. We all share that belief. And that belief is given to us in the revelation. Torah. Gospel. The Quran. In our holy book, there is a chapter that reads us by the fig, by the olive and by Mount Sinai. Surely man has been created in the most excellent mold.
We know Mount Sinai. That's the Mount where the Moses, got communication. Heard G-d speaking to him. Mount Sinai. And we don't know what the fig is and what the olive is. We can have our opinions; our guesses and we might be correct. Who knows? But we do know what Mount Sinai is. And we do know what this town made safe is. This town made safe is speaking of Makkah. A town that was troubled. A town that rejected Muhammad the prophet. Their native son. But he returned to that town victorious. And like the great prophet David, peace be on him, in the Bible, he forgave his enemies. He forgave those who had sought to kill him. And had killed many of his followers and dear ones, but he told them there would be no bloodshed. If you accept to support peace. He didn't say, "If you accept to be Muslims." He didn't say, "If you accept to be converted to Islam." He said, "If you accept to support peace, your life is safe. Your property is safe." Et cetera.
And thereafter, he mandated respect and protection for Christians and Jews. And he held Muslims responsible to protect holy places of worship under their law, under Muslim rule, from any outsiders who would profane or seek to destroy the church, the synagogue, the cross, any sacred Relic. He told them, leave all those things unharmed to respect the sacredness, the sanctity of the church, of the houses of worship. And you can go and visit Muslim lands right now, Egypt and other lands. And you'll find churches that have been around for centuries. Still there. The people are still practicing their religion as they did before. Undisturbed, no one denying them their religion. When Muslims read, and this is in scripture too... And I understand the Bible is protected.
If you are not innocent, you will not find guidance that will help you if you read the Bible. And so it is for the Quran. If you are not innocent, you'll not find guidance that will help you read the Quran. And I believe it's the same for the Torah. You're not innocent, you'll not find guidance. That's the way it's designed. It's designed to keep out the bad fella. Keep the bad fella out. That's how it's designed. But I know that when we study the scriptures Torah, Bible and Quran. And if you are innocent, if your sincere and you believe that G-d reveals these books to holy man. And I'm accepting that. Since the writing of those scriptures are... Since those scriptures were revealed, especially Bible. Of course, we have a different idea about the purity of the Bible. Changes have been made and men innocent, and maybe men guilty, has something to do with those changes. Maybe they made some changes. We don't know. But we do know changes were made.
It was interpreted, translated, interpreted, reinterpreted. But still the purity I know, because I told you I read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and then studied it from Genesis revelation and I know what I found. I found purity. I found continuity for that purity. From Genesis to Revelation. And we say it's a holy book, but there are parts the Quran, if you take it out of context it might make a devil out of you. It's designed to keep the guilty out. It's only for the faithful, true at heart, innocent. A believer who wants to come to his G-d. This character or nature of scripture is for the three great faiths. Judaism, Christianity and Islam. These scriptures are very much alike and the Bible tells us that the Bible is history. When you read it, you discover it's history, it's communication from G-d to the soul. It's communication from G-d to the mind its communication from G-d to the nations. It's history, it's soul saving. It's a lot of things. It has different features.
And so it is for the Quran. The Quran got names got several names. This book is guidance. This book is a report. A report. Al-Qasas, A story in Arabic. And then what report would you want after this report? G-d says in the Quran. So is a report. Report on what? Report on nation's history. That's what I'm saying. Quran is history too. Report on how nations lived before the time of Muhammad the prophet. His prophecy. Predicting what will come in the future. So, these are different features and scripture and descriptions of our scriptures. The prophet and the Quran are not to be seen separate from the revelations that came to the people of Moses, Jesus and all the other prophets. We are told in the Quran that the Quran is those contained. The essence of the purity of those books that came before is given this way. In it are the books in their correct form. [Arabic] said that for the Arabic speaking for people here. And we also have some Christians here who speak Arabic. If you Muslims don't watch out buddy, they going to be able to teach the Quran better than you can teach it.
Christians. Because some of them are innocent. They're not warped in their minds and soul by the troubles of this world. They go in with peaceful hearts, and G-d will show them what he has revealed to Muhammad maybe, that you didn't even see. Doesn't mean they going to be converted either. Because I saw the purity of the Bible, but I'm still following the Quran and Muhammad the prophet. We have to accept that the scripture is sacred and we have to accept that the people of those sacred scripture are people of faith. We cannot call them kafir, disbelievers. They're not disbelievers. They are people of faith. They are believers. And some Muslim teachers think everyone who doesn't believe in the Quran, is a kafir. Kafir mean one who rejects faith in G-d or one who hides, covers their faith. A hypocrite. A wrong person who's not living an innocent life, but guilty. My fellow Muslim, you brother, you can't accept that. You have to accept what G-d says. And G-d says to us, you'll find that there's among the Jews a people or group who believe in G-d. And they promote their fair dealing among people.
They are party seeking to make the world moral, ethical, just, fair for everybody. Those same words, in the Quran, that are used for one group is used for the other. And then for both Jews and Christian. And then G-d says to us, "Be a people standing as witnesses for G-d and advancing fairness for all people. Openness, honesty, justice among all people." So, G-d is telling us that before you, there was a group and they're Jews and they're Christian and now have come to you, from Muhammad. That seal of the prophets, revelation and G-d is asking you to join them. It doesn't say join them but if G-d tells us, they point them out to us. He's not pointing them out to us for nothing. He's pointing them out to us to let us know that we are not the only ones that he has commissioned to advance good morals, ethics, justice, fairness, openness, righteousness for all mankind.
Now I can't include this without pointing to something else that we share that has changed my life. I'm a Muslim because of a man named Fard the teacher of my father, who was not an American born American. He was born outside of America, in Asia, and he was not a black man. He was not African man. This man came to my father in a very mysterious way. And at the same time, in a very regular way. He presented himself as just an ordinary person, having ordinary human nature, behavior. But as a religious figure, he introduced himself in a very mysterious way. He was careful not to be caught wrong, but at the same time, he was careful to be sure that my father was perceiving him or seeing him as he wanted my father to see him. And he wanted my father to see him as divine as G-d in the flesh.
I have proof of that. My father told us he introduced himself to him that way. But there are many members in that following that was back there in the early 30s, when this man came to be taught, to introduce himself to us, who differ with my father? They say, "No. He never wanted us to see him as G-d." They say, "He said he was a prophet." And some say, "He said he was a teacher." So, they have different ideas about him. But my father said he revealed himself to him as G-d. Reading, which Members of the Nation of Islam under minister Farrakhan, they might still have those lessons. I don't think you all do. You're supposed to have gotten rid of them 25 years ago. But some of you might have hid some of them. You might have them; I don't know. Anyway, in those little pamphlets, lessons that we got. Where my father, Elijah Muhammad was answering questions put to him by his teacher. This mysterious teacher Fard.
In one of those pamphlets, the reading goes like this. After asking who is the original and who is this, who's that, and speaking of us African Americans or blacks in America it says, "No help came to them until the coming of the son of man in the person of Mr. Fard WD Fard, All right. My father, the son of Baptist preacher. He wasn't a church goer. The family, my grandmother and his brothers and sisters and my mother, they all told us that my father was a rebel. He was constantly disagreeing with his father. He said, "You all are not teaching the Bible or preaching it correctly." I think is what he said. I don't see what you all are preaching in the Bible. He said, "I see something different." But that was my father. Even before this man came. Now this man comes and he tells my father and gives it to him so that when it's printed, it goes out to all of his followers. This mysterious man has told me who he is.
He's the second coming of Christ. And I'll use both of these names. I can't recall exactly which now it's been so long in my mind, it's not really interested in that right now. How it was said. But the point is he said, "Until the coming of the son of man." He called himself the son of man. So, my father, being a son of a Baptist preacher and being familiar with the Bible, he knows who the son of man is. When Jesus Christ, according to the... I can't say that this man was really perfectly innocent. I don't know. But I have found nothing but innocence. I have found nothing but evidence of his innocence. I don't believe he wanted to be seen as a big shot, a great man or special creation or G-d. I don't believe he wanted to be seen as that.
When my mother saw me leaving our home on 48th and Woodlawn rejected by my father for the second time. She came to the door with me and she said, "Son, why don't you just pretend to agree with your father, so he will accept you back?" She was hurt because she knew I was guaranteed meals every day, place to stay. I had no good record in the job market. I worked only for my father in the Nation of Islam. She knew I was going out there to suffer. She didn't want to see her son suffer again. So, she said, "Son why don't you just pretend to go back there and tell your father and agree with him. So, he'll let you stay." I said, "I can't do that, mama." I said, "Mama, who did Mr. Fard tell you all he was?" She hesitated and she looked like she was really having an uncomfortable experience with her thoughts. She said, "Well son, he told us not to even call him prophet. He said prophet was too big a name for him."
So, then I got a little angry. I got angry because they're telling me they called the man G-d, that he told them that prophet was too big a title for him. So, I said, "Mama, how can you ask me now to accept that he was G-d and he told you that prophet was too big a name for him?" And she just looked hurt. And she closed the door and walked right... And I went on my way. Now, why have I said all that? I said all that to say this, this man was not thinking that he was anything but an non-ordinary human being, but wanting to do as much good as he could. Not just for blacks. We have scholars now in America, Islamic scholars, Suliman Yang, many of you know Dr. Suliman Yang of Howard university, Washington. And many others. They have been studying what has happened in America to bring us to accept real Islam. And they're saying now that the Nation of Islam...
They don't want to say this man, because it's dangerous for them to embrace him right now. But they're saying the Nation of Islam. They're saying that blacks are not the only ones indebted to the Nation of Islam. They say we immigrants are also indebted to the Nation of Islam. So, they have studied it, and they've seen that the Nation of Islam appearing to be a real completely negative thing, in the context of its Islam. Popular in America. When you study it is not negative at all, it's positive. Now in my conclusion, I want to share with you all what I have discovered. And I know I've discovered the truth. This man intended the Nation of Islam to be a theater or a model society of deprived African Americans. Because he attracted us from the illiterate. The discontent who never thought that we could have citizenship equal to whites in this country. Those are the African Americans that were attracted join the temple of Islam under Mr. Fard and the honorable Elijah Muhammad, during the 30s, during the 40s, during the 50s and most of the 60s.
But when the civil rights movement became very popular and then there a change came. And the honorable Elijah Muhammad put his emphasis off of esoteric teachings or hard to understand teachings. I shouldn't say esoteric maybe I should say very difficult to understand teachings. And he put his emphasis on doing practical things and making a material showing for ourselves in America. When he did that, when he shifted the emphasis, then he attracted Malcolm and he attracted many others. He attracted even a PhD, Dr. Lonnie Shabazz. But before no. And something else happened with the civil rights upheaval, the social upheaval in the streets of America. Something else happened. What happened? Du Bois influence went away. Booker T Washington's influence went away. And militancy of the youth replaced those ideas, demanding that whitey straighten up and fly right or give us justice now, not later.
So, this was a new mind. So, with that new mind in the streets of the African American poor, deprived... And all the intellectuals also were influenced by that. Even the intellectuals changed. So, the intellectuals now are not holding to any virgin ideas. Any pure principles. They want change now by any means necessary, as Malcolm X said. So now they don't see Christianity or a difference between Christianity and Islam as any problem. They don't see themselves betraying Christ and the church when it comes to the temple. So now a lot of them better educated people, come follow along with the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Join the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. This man who conceived this idea and left it with my father to build the Nation of Islam.
He didn't plan the Nation of Islam to live beyond Dr. Martin Luther King. As a new era, new time, great change in black America. He planned it only to live up to that kind of change in the African American thinking. And he left it there as a model for our healing. Not only for the healing of the African American people, but for the healing of Islam, the people of Islam and the people of Christianity. He produced an extreme to show Christian world what the wrong that it had done, and to show the Muslim world the wrong that it had done. And in producing this extreme to affect change in Islamic society of the world and in the Christian society of the world, he saw himself coming in the role of Christ the Messiah. And also, in the role of the Mahdi, the reformer for Muslims. It's a reverse psychology. He gave us a reverse psychology. To build up our ego, the uneducated, culturally deprived African Americans that he attracted.
He didn't want the educated. He told my father avoid the educated. He said, "They would do nothing but make trouble for you." He said, "They are satisfied with the white world." He said, "They are the little blood suckers." And you know who was the big blood sucker. All right. So, he says, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is a prophet. He conditioned the honorable Elijah Muhammad to introduce himself as a messenger of Allah. Now here is the Muslim world, they looking at this African American man from Georgia. Not educated, doesn't know how to speak Arabic. And he's saying, "I'm the messenger of Allah." Now whether you know it or not, it's going to make you look at yourself. It makes you look at yourself. You're going to see your wrong. That big wrong that he did is going to make you see your wrong. Have the Muslim world did wrong? Yes, you've done wrong.
The leadership in the Muslim world has had the tendency or has shown this behavior to try to raise up prophet Muhammad as high as the Christians will raise up Jesus Christ, without calling him the son of G-d. They know better than to do that. That's shirk They ain't going to do that. But shirk is still produced by the treatment that we have been led to give Muhammad the prophet. You say, "Allah." Nothing happens in the audience. You say Muhammad. Yes, Allahu Akbar. Then they say Allah. So, something has caused Islamic world leadership to slip into this ugly competition with the Christians, where we are trying to say, "Muhammad is bigger than Christ." And the Christians got to jump on you, buddy. That ain't going to work. That won't help you out at all. You got to stop, short of shirk. Thank you very much. Peace. As-salamu alaykum. Thank you. I'll be very pleased to receive questions from any of you. Yes. Wa ?alaykumus-salam.
Speaker 2:
[...]
IWDM:
In public schools? Well, I'm not familiar with the schools that you have in mind or that you are aware of. All I know is that I'm with religious people who want respect from our government to come back to religion. I'm for that. But whether we should have the commands of G-d read to students, public schools, I'm not sure that I feel comfortable with that. Because we have people of different religions and I don't see how we going to accommodate all the many religions of California and America. You see? So that's an impossibility. So, I think we shouldn't stretch it that far. Yes.
Speaker 3:
[...]
IWDM:
If a leader was born? Yes. Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Speaker 3:
[...]
IWDM:
Yes. So, one thing I know it's time for her to be born. Let's see. Tell me something. How is she now? Yes. How is she?
Speaker 3:
How is she?
IWDM:
Yes. But she's Christian? Is she a good Christian? Thank G-d. Yes sir.
Speaker 4:
There is a growing international and interfaith movement to end the practice of the death penalty. Last summer here in Durham, the city council passed the moratorium resolution on the grounds that the practice of the death penalty is unfair and racist. Last November, Imam Daud Abdala Mohammed was executed here in Raleigh and it was against the protests of some leaders of the Muslim community. One of them met with Governor Hunt, trying to stop the execution. He co-led a prayer service against the execution for Imam Mohammed. What are your feelings on the death penalty? Are you opposed to it in practice? Are you opposed to it because of the way and principle? And what do you suggest people do on that issue? Thank you.
IWDM:
Yeah. Firstly, let me say, what is my position on Quran, our holy book regarding capital punishment. I accept that those who are taking your life and denying you the good life that G-d intends for you, you have to fight them, defend your life, even if it means killing or taking their lives. I accept that. So, I'm accepting what G-d has revealed in the Quran. But at the same time, I perceive from my study of human growth and progress as a human community on earth. I understand that G-d has created us for a perfect, beautiful life together. On this side I think, as well as on the other side. That's what I believe. And I believe that we are evolving as many scientists do. And the more educated we become, the more we understand our own nature and the more we get the opportunity to live out our better human aspirations, the more we going to see a beautiful environment and the more and more a beautiful environment.
IWDM:
The world doesn't have the savagery and the senseless behavior that it had centuries ago. This society has evolved. And I do believe that if we ever evolve to the point where we have enough support to say no more killing another human being outlawed, you cannot kill another human being. I do believe that there will be those among us, blessed with insight to find support for that position in our scriptures. That's what I believe.
Speaker 3:
Quick question. What can we do on a practical level to get Jews and Muslims and Christians talking and communicating on a calmer level and what-
IWDM:
Christians and Muslims and Jews are doing many the practical things together now. And all I can say is that we should hope, pray for more of that. And we ourselves if we want to help make this a better world, let us find opportunity to work with people of another faith too who want the same for the future of mankind that we want. If you want the same, we have like minds, we have left like spirits, we want to see a beautiful world for human beings. Let us not work just by ourselves, let us work also with others. Doing practical things, helping the homeless, helping broken families have a good life again. Do our best for suffering society together, not just by us alone to ourselves.
Speaker 3:
Good community have to include only believers or can atheists be included?
IWDM:
No I believe some atheists are better believers than those who call themselves believers. And that's a fact.
Speaker 5:
Can I ask a question?
IWDM:
If you don't mind... Because I think some people have a little difficulty with me saying that. That an atheist is a better believer sometimes than as some do profess to be believers. My little son, about seven years old at the time, I think. And he was really worried. Think I traveled so much, thinking that I was leave him or something. And really, I didn't know, maybe I'd be killed or something. So, I told him, I want him to think about G-d and to get closer to G-d. So, I told him I said, "Do you know G-d?" I said, "G-d made your daddy and you and everything that we like and enjoy. Sky and the earth, trees and everything. So, he was listening. I said, "Do you know G-d?" And he didn't know how to give me an answer. So, I said, "G-d knows you." I said, "One day you might not even care to even know G-d." I said, "And you might get yourself in trouble." I said, "You think G-d will stop being interested in you?" I said, "No, he won't." I said, "G-d will still be interested in you."
IWDM:
I said, "G-d sent you somebody to help you with your life." That's what I told him. And I told a Christian once. I said, "I call on G-d by the name Allah. So, you call on G-d by another name." I said, "Let's say we don't know who's right or wrong." Really, I think both of us are right. I said, "But let's say we don't know who's right or wrong." I said, "Isn't G-d too big just not to hear you because you didn't know his name? Or not to hear me because I didn't know his name?" A lot of these atheists, they don't know his name. But if they're good at heart, I think G-d hears them when they ask for help. I just wanted to say that. Yes. I'm sorry to hold you up.
Speaker 6:
Like the last question, but a little more specific. Not too long ago, I was visiting a friend. And in her little newspaper basket, there was a pamphlet that she had picked up somewhere that was by some Muslim group that had words that were very much inflaming hatred. Pamphlet from, I guess, African Americans to read. To inflame hatred towards Jews. And I read it and I was very sad that this literature was being distributed. And I'd like to ask, what could I, as a Jewish person, do or say to such a person who's holding that position of spreading hatred in order to possibly get through to them or make a difference?
IWDM:
Well, let me say that we who are not ruled by hate. We're under the rule of. Love for G-d and all of his human creatures. We have an obligation to condemn that kind of thing. And preachers, knowing that that hate is still in the world, we have to occasionally include that in our sermons, in our preachings, so that we spread the right message of faith in G-d and let it be known that we condemn antisemitism. Hate of Jews or anybody. We're not supposed to hate any people. And I thank G-d. G-d has really saved my soul from ignorance that I used to be troubled with. And I don't care how bad a person is. I don't ask the others to do. I don't even ask my children, my family to do this. But for me, it's my happiness, it's my peace. I never hate the person. I hate what has warped their souls. What has taken over their bodies. I hate that their human body, but I never hate the person.
IWDM:
As long as G-d keep me in the mind and spirit I'm in, I know no matter how bad... Who knows the word or may change and some people may not like us and may do terrible things to us. They'll never make me hate the group they belong to the because of their behavior. And that had nothing to do with the problem of Jews, with the ignorant people in the world. And for the problem of Jews, the Pope of Rome. The leader of the great Catholic community of people on this earth, has made gestures that have expressed regret over what Christianity has done to influence and support antisemitism. I admire the Pope for that. The church for that. And I think all of us should search our own thinking and our own souls and even our own literature to see if maybe we still have some of this trouble around with us. And get rid of it.
IWDM:
That's what I would like to see and that's going to happen because the human soul is evolving. It's going back to heaven where it came from. Back to that innocent baby soul. So, we can have a beautiful world. I have great faith. And I preach sometime, I sound like an evangelist. I say, "Goodness is on the rise. Praise G-d." Yes. The day is the day of religion. When G-d's way is going to overcome all other ways. It's in the Quran and I believe it now. So, we are with your brother. And if anything we can do, I can do, you contact me. I'll join you. You're welcome.
Speaker 7:
Can I address you please? I'm Christian and I admire what you're doing. And I encourage all the good works that it's doing. But it's not our goodness, but G-d's goodness. Now I've addressed a letter to both Jews and Muslim and I'd like to offer it out of my love for you. Would you, would you accept it and read what I've had to.
IWDM:
I most certainly will. I accept.
Speaker 7:
Can I come up or?
IWDM:
Yes.
Speaker 8:
As-salamu alaykum.
IWDM:
Wa ?alaykumu s-salam.
Speaker 8:
Brother Imam, I had a question. As a Muslim and as a black man in America, which of the presidential candidates do you feel will create a condition to alleviate some problems-
IWDM:
I hear you. And I thank you for the question. You know why? Because I want to tell you all what I think African Americans, blacks in America, I want to tell you what I think is a big problem. We have a spiritual movement that's too much bigger than our family movement, than our social movement, than our economic movement. It's just too big. So African Americans on the whole, tend to think that the democratic party is also Jesus Christ. And it's not. So let me say that first. The democratic party is not Jesus Christ. Peace be upon him. But now, with that said, WDM ministry has 501(c)(3) classification. Yes. Think I got it right. I'm not about to risk that, telling you what candidates you should vote for. But if you ever see me walking, ain't nobody around, I'll tell you. And at least I'll tell you who I'm going to vote for. I'll tell you that, but not here.
Speaker 8:
Can I get your response to the verdict in the Amadou Diallo case?
IWDM:
Yes. You want my position? We should not rest until those officers are retried and convicted. Well, good night. Peace. As-salamu alaykum.


