Islam, of Whichcontinually Allattacks Established Age .1»- 1?3 the Negronormally to Looks Forleadership
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3 92 '">9 _."' >¢-_~-Q-Q~ali@ M 5.... ~92 _r~.; 1.. ; -§~'~l.. lI P9. While the Party does express sympathyfor theN01 on the grounds 5... that thecapitalist systemin thiscountry responsible is the for conditions in Q r whichprotest a movementsuch theas N01can arise,the Partyinsists, course of that onlyunder communism will theNegro full havefreedom. As a result, the M. ,5 '- Partycircumspect is has and rejected a policyof active cooperation the with N01. i; . 4,, to In contrastto the CPUSA positionis thatexpressed one by militant It1 Marxist group,the Progressive Labor Movement PLM!,'which a follows i mag pro- Chinesecommunist line in this country.A leading figure this in movement, up, '0.-1.1 ,1; who wasformerly in the CPUSA, statedafter the Harlemriots of July,1964, that the PLM waswilling workto withany groupin Harlem--Black Nationalist .A92 ».- or Muslim included. Several articleswith pro-Chinesea communistslant appeared in ..1, "Muhammad Speaks"in 1964.These articleswere undoubtedlypublished 1$ r becauseN01 the considersthe Chinese people be to "brothers, " inasmuch -92 ,, asthey also are non-Caucasian.Onethe of articles,prepared Robert by 4~a . Williams,Negro a extremistwho edto Cuba to avoid prosecution kid- for a ._ ,i nappingwho, andin his speeches and writings,advocates in violencecivil i rights effortsinthe United States, describedhis visitto RedChina, He stated thethat "American of African descent, whetherhe understands enough 5 92 t i t i. >' U 3 . 92 , I-_*-;_Qn£-in-1::=_A;_.;,_-_.¢e_. ... 1 _ - ,_-0 K e - §1i_wqf.Zw-x5§.q¢V . i , .'_¬ I-n- '~ ' ?."",'l"?"."§' ""'-""'§" ii-H.'~ a > x .' 7 ~-.-1 L~ » D. iimericangliegroesl Reaction,to NO} A well-knownNegro authorhas written: "It isan interesting historical there is so olten .-~ I . phenomenonwhen athatpeople reach the precipiced despair, 01 waitingthe in bushes a savior--a messiah who promisessmtch to themheck it-1 -.4 trom theedge oi the abyss and turntheir grief into greatness." ea 0.1- To somedissatisiied Negroes,Elijah Muhammad, the sel!-proclaimed .., "IessengerAllah, oi appears " bethis messiah.to Describing a speech in in 2,} >92 1 llos Angeleslast summerthe calamities which have beiallen in peoplethe -3 "United States,Elijah asked, "Who hecan saved?" His answer was "thelluslim ,. 4:. 4-, V believerswho faithfully followed obeyed and Messenger. His . ..The wisestand 84 ,1 .} " surestto successway is tounite behindme.I assure youthat, with the helpof : .o 4-K;1 Allah, willyou accomplish your goals: money, homes, and friendshipsin e< _l_~r. good 3 L I. allwalksotliie." b_ . I i 5n .$ 4 Negroes livingin slum conditions, hopelessand frustrated, teel .'~ 4. may an answer_to theirmany problems.Thesethe are Negroes, the J. less-educatedleast-privileged, and whom to Elijah directs appeals. his I_'or I?z. I ; these Negroes,the Muslimmovement a providesmeamby which they bothcan K __d_V-_- : : , _ _ M{;'.._..,_.;:_.,_,7. _- . _ . I r i _!I - -;<~= =. 3:. £5-Q... .'-¢1_.<_ distant whiteworld, they as standsurrounded other by friendly black ._,> S:'<<AndNO! the movement'sinsistencethat Negroes arethe original people 5 iwho E ¢ .. §&.< "must amongstay themselves"givesfollowers its a sense oi security1 - 92- g!.- even tranquility. _ :1"- - n 1 However,the exception with oi a few educators businessmen and who -QA 1 joined the N01 purelyfor selfish,ecopomic reasons,the bulkoi theNegro ~-5:: '! populationlittle shows interestin the religious oi aspects theN0l. .1 _ F2 Negro onleaders manyoccasions soundly have thedenounced withN01 If its '_ id 5}»~92 ' versiondistortedIslam, of whichcontinually allattacks established age .1»-' 1?3 the Negronormally to looks forleadership. a noted AsNegro pastorin . 92 T7;Yi l Harlem warned,the teaching of theBlack 1luslim8v"isgoing in 1 way emu-uy - to what we knowbest. is solvesIt problems, no only but begets greater i -1. i .1-I antagonism. " p T 4?!v . 3 WhilethemajorityoiNegroesintheUnited8tatesdonotrushbd 7%-,. 4-> :;-" .s U_ I. .4 1»..- :35 join N01,the manyseemto respect it. Among those who do notjoin, z ... 13$ $ s L >I participateany in criticism oi it. The lluslimadvocacy black of supremacy ._.. J 7 H11. .~ ,1 arousesthe sympathy oi many Negroes. silently They applaudthe holhess ps i T en *2 of Elijahand hisministers, openly condemnwho white people.This taps C I sentimsmsracial of pridewhich seldomfind avenues of expression. "' J. .'__'. -"g ~»Jl:-?;.-- L;5 a . - . _ . - _. ._'1-_. ->-s J .- V:- iiislinil',_'repeatedtor cleanliving, sell-respect, appealsand self ;..r,.,.92.92. *~> if ~- . .-. , !'-.¢ 9 ~'-st I rl Jr l E; ; oi the white communityapparently gainedhave conside 92 .. '. ' ~ . _ i"~"-""~':--I »' .. 1-it-~ "-_ ' .-.-- , - _;,',,"_ -,. .,....,_.,- ; --_":,§rv-V-, -. , »*.'1r-ye- >_ s. -; . - -.__..- ~_.-..._.¢. .... - -~ , .-- 1:_--- 4 7 >__ "~*~ _ :~:__T_-_ _ _ .;-t_z~-u,i|- _- A_- -_--.- s on ' s N?! .-. _ , >1 - . |; 1 4"!J respect amongAmerican Negroes. They approve oi the way the lluslims live. -g - ; "l.' 4:: 4 > 92' Lacking knowledge oi the complete teachings at the cult, some Negroes see the 3 economic advantages only. Attracted by constant publicity about the claimed u9 rehabilitation oi criminals, and seeing the many photographs oi well-dressed Q ministers and members of the elite guard, Fruit of Islam F01!,they are IL if impressedwith the apparent success the N01 has had in bettering conditions - ;;_, . cl these members.They feel that anything that could helpthe Negromust be I pod. am, Those Negroes who read the N01 newspaper, "Buhammad Speaks," see in every issue a list of ten demands--"What the Muslims Want. " The rst V three oi these demands--full and complete ireedom, equal justice under the law, . -3 equality of opportunity--are iundamental principles which make up the American creed and are desired by all segments of our society. But other stated demands s d the Muslims include land ior a nation oi their own, exemption from all '5. Ftaxation, freedom from prisons ior all Negroes,and so forth. nose are impracticable, but many uneducated Negroes cannot help being receptive to a some oi these demands. ' ' ' , Also impressed by publicity on the N01 are Negro criminals serving I .14 in federaband State prisons. They are a very receptive group, who see 2 92 - .1 ._,_ llaslim ~ - ' within the prisons as an outlet for protest 1 ,~ against their _ ¢"> - 4 V. '1 ,1.-,. - a ~-' .<§i'__n- "'1? c ,r' -.$_ - . _, .,~ £3. 4 4_.~ - _._ .,.,_ " .:'.= =._ __- »Y _. '_ . .92 ~ , . .. i » ~ . 4 ._ . n. ,, i '5 u ~ "' 7"---->. ~- '"~ '- _ I . .. " >- '* _ ' ' - V ¢~'§.I._ H. 2. ....3',. -a_.-~ . V 92 r . ' _L'_'", - . ' In-n--..4_~_ -_..4:.11 1. 1 . t . With theattitude what-have-I-to-lose,of hope they thatsome benets might cometo them by joiningthe N01. I 92_r.1L~1 For a multitude of reasons, there are American NegroesIb - ' sympathize with the Black Muslims or actually become loyal followers d i Elijah Muhammad and his N01 leadership For those who join, "the l£essenger's"word is law, and all who wish to remain in the cult must follow" llijah's mmdiscipline as imposed by his loyal ministers» an um discipline has not been able to prevent trouble in the cult. ._ v~ Ilijah's formerleading spokesman,Minister MalcolmX, Illjalfs ' sons Wallace and Akbar, and his grandson liassan Sharrietf broke from the cult. _I-romthese former leaders, we heard Elijah called "a religious taker" and "afraud" whopi omoted"concocted religiousteachings. Another " HG~ minister who left the cult in disgust described the N01 as "organized like an army"- -the members just "following along" trying to obey the strict discipline demanded bythe higher-upswho arecarrying on "one ofthe biggestrackets J " lntheland." = Who are these higher-ups of the N01? What type of man leads this , strange organization? . " gr . * z" vi ' "j",.v- _~ '-"Jfa».-:' . .4. »'_-_ Q x£:'LfE <~_' e » 1. vi v . - ..- Is 1- ll - ' .. ».IT'r=?:»-=§..,_;* * *1- ~<l§~e1 $1- _ - _~ g _'_, -_~- . ,.,~_ 'v~_'¢_ _.'{-,_».>_;_:I}_,§~§.*__1L_:1_.v-'~- '_-__.U,1_>.-§_»r_A'_.::_§;:qi _, ~-_-i'. 5-I V ' _ _ ' '> _ 3''. "1 lg. .3. ,- t Q,-,':_»,o;.~92_1 .,'..f"~'.-, -,. , _. v i.--..-_-"-"'___'-~ , . ' _-1_* _ ' * ~'>¢_1hssnI l, ' I - ~' .7? '' ,', '92. ' --'92-'42?-", Pw::';,E::I; /-ail - .»w Q s_' . 4 ,-. ,_ ,- -... I 0 ~ '9 £1f 4 l. C 4 IV. LEADERSHIPj___.-----" k. 5/ .;_A I. L National Officials 3 5* Absoluteruler over the N01is the "llessenger of Allah," tliish . .. r.>.' Muhammad,the 67-year-old former ElijahPoole fromSandersville, Georgia.formulates He approves and N01 all policy and decisions, has <2 s considerable » ' .1 .92'the entireiunds the oicult at his disposal, andpossesse .~,';Valuable propertiesthroughout country.the E: This small,frail, seeminglymeek humbleand man,who has if I and F,» onlyfourth-grade a iseducation, amaster creating at myth,mood, 5-§ mystery. Elijahpossesses that "something" mentionedin anessay on 5,! -,1 4 . leaders attributedto GeneralCharles Gaulle, de "Allah's for Messenger" .4 seemsunderstand to that "there can nobe prestigewithout mystery,N.