Leadership must be held accountable

September 29, 2008

LEADERSHIP MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE

Dear believers, in Al-Islam, followers of our late Honorable Leader, Imam W. D. Mohammed

First, let me thank all of you for your tremendous outpouring of support and the courage you have shown in support of the principles of Islam that Imam Mohammed lived and taught us to live by and strive to uphold in our personal lives.    

Dear Believers, I am writing you because it has become clear to me and many others that you are the only enduring source of true Islamic belief and Islamic devotion remaining in our Islamic community established and nourished into life by our late and wonderful leader Imam W. D. Mohammed. I am saying this based on the overwhelming out pouring of letters, emails, phone calls and personal visits etc. that you have sent to me. The support you have offered concerning rectifying the injustice caused by Laila and Shirley Mohammed’s shameful behavior is greatly needed and appreciated.  

Dear Believers, I am greatly appreciative to you who have stood up where the majority of the Imams have laid down, you have spoke out while they sat on their hands, you have pledged and delivered support while they have been mute you have condemned wrong while they turned their heads and looked the other way, so basically, what I am saying is, you, and a small handful of Imams are the only true leadership left in this community, therefore, you are the only ones that we can turn to for help and support. In all of your calls, and communications to us, each and everyone of you ended your sincere concerned discourse by saying: “IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME…” and I in turn, said, “I WILL”.

Well, the time has come where you the believers in Al-Islam and supporters of Imam Mohammed must unite, form alliances and stand together to protect the good name of Imam Mohammed that has been trashed by those blinded by their own selfish greed. These people never once took into consideration that by attacking Imam Mohammed’s present and only wife Khadijah, that they were indirectly condemning and casting aspersions, mistrust, and doubt on our Honorable leader Imam W. D. Mohammed.  This reckless behavior began destroying the one thing that was holding our community and holds all successful societies together and that is TRUST. Dear believers, these selfish people were so intent on lining their personal pockets that they never once took into consideration that their unjust action would ultimately spill over and hit Imam Mohammed as well as their intended target, his wife Khadijah.  

Whenever a great democracy faces this type of problem there is a need for the leadership or those in authority to speak up and settle the fears and apprehensions created by this threat. This is something like flying in an airplane thousands of feet above some mountains and being told that the captain of this plane has had a heart attack and has died and simultaneously you run into some very bad weather or turbulence.  In the past you could count on the calming voice of your trustworthy captain who would calmly come on the public address system and speak to his passengers in such a calm and reassuring manner that they all would settle down and regain a level of confidence and relief just hearing from the person they have placed their trust and confidence in. What do you think will happen if, in that situation, the captain has had a heart attack and died, the plane is rolling and rocking, all types of rumors begin to swirl around among the passengers like “I think the engine is on fire, or I heard we lost a piece of our wing etc”. What do you think will be the psychological mental condition of the passengers if these ideas continue to circulate and there is no word whatsoever coming forth from anyone who is suppose to now be in charge?  Finally you hear from the late captains daughter and the first thing she tells you is a lie and you know she is lying but you don’t challenge or correct her. She begins by taking over the Public Address system and telling all on board that the one you have flown with for the last 4 years and knew was the co-pilot is not really the co-pilot and that her mother who hardly can drive a car nevertheless fly a plane is in fact your co-pilot. It is leaked to the passengers that this same daughter has had the Pilot’s co-pilot (his wife) forced away from the controls of the plane and placed her mother in the seat and at the controls of the co-pilot.  Now keep in mind the captain or pilot who died had a true co-pilot who knew how to fly the plane and this phony co-pilot has no knowledge whatsoever as to how to fly anything.

The flight attendants don’t say anything, there is no responsible co-pilot and this plane is shaking up and down 5,000 feet above a mountain range and the only thing that the passengers have as to what is going on are the lies that are swirling around the plane. One passenger rings his call button and asks one of the attendants about the co-pilot being forced away and her mother being given charge of the controls of this plane and wants to know whether it is true or not and they call security and usher him to the rear of the plane. Meanwhile this plane is bouncing all over the place the pilot has died at the controls the co-pilot has been locked out and no one knows or has told the passengers how the captain died, what were the circumstances behind his death they just say that the one they trusted to fly the plane has died and that’s it.  The passengers, after seeing one of their fellow passengers arrested because he tried to find out what was really going on are now intimidated and afraid to ask any questions believing that the same thing will happen to them if they even try. They are fearful because no one seems to be in charge and when one of the flight attendants finally comes on the Public address system to talk to the passengers he talks about some upcoming overseas flight that this airline is sponsoring and wants you to consider buying tickets to join their upcoming overseas excursion.

Now dear brothers and sister, if Almighty G-d Allah allows this plane to finally land safely at some airport what do you think the psychological disposition of those persons who just experienced this nightmare will be? Do you think that they will be in the frame of mind of purchasing more stock in that airline? Do you think that they will want to fly with that airline again?  Do you think they will be anxious to trust these same people to have charge over their lives again?

Dear people, this is basically what we are facing as a community. Our community had ascended very high, the investors had put up large amounts of money and we lost our leader while traveling. Now this problem is only compounded by the refusal of weak Imams to speak out and address this matter to assure the community that it is not flying in a plane over the Alps without a pilot in the cockpit. These Imams who want to dismiss this community problem as some personal family problem cannot see that their fearful stand of not speaking out publicly against injustice would eventually cause a serious erosion of trust at our very foundation (the believer). So the attackers never factored into their scheme that this could start a panic among the faithful supporters who trusted Imam Mohammed.

Now, when there is no responsible leadership at the controls of a great community the people lose trust and when trust is lost that creates a run on the investments.  This should not be a surprise to anyone who reads or looks at the news concerning the present financial crisis in the American financial market. Don’t you see how they have rolled out all of the “big guns” like Cheney, Schumer, the leaders of both parties, the Economic professors on all of the prestigious Universities and the President himse
lf?  These government officials are calling on anyone and everyone who they think can help RESTORE TRUST.  Shouldn’t that tell us something dear brothers and sisters? The very first thing that a wise government does is RESTORE FAITH AND TRUST IN IT’S PEOPLE. They need for the American public to have faith and not start drawing down their money out of the banks. Why can’t our Imams see that Allah is showing us that IF WE DON’T RESTORE THE FAITH AND TRUST WE ARE GOING TO BE FACING THE VERY SAME CONSEQUENCES?

THE IMAMS CANNOT AFFORD TO BE QUIET AT A TIME SUCH AS THIS. THEY MUST UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT LAILA AND SHIRLEY MOHAMMED DID IS BIGGER THAN WHO IS OR IS NOT THE WIFE OF IMAM MOHAMMED. IT IS BIGGER THEN “YOU TREATED MY DAUGHTER MEAN”. THIS ISSUE HAS BECOME THE CATALYST TO UNDERMINE AND DESTROY THE VERY FOUNDATION THAT THIS ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS STANDING ON AND THAT FOUNDATION IS FAITH AND TRUST.

It is so sad that our Imams are so blind.  Many of them come to me and tell me brother we’re going to look after your daughter or you should just let things cool down your daughter will be ok…Look brothers and sisters, listen very carefully “IT’S NOT ABOUT MY DAUGHTER!!! IT’S ABOUT THE IMAM’S WIFE WHO HAPPENS TO BE MY DAUGHTER. And even that is not the big issue, HER BAD TREATMENT CREATES THE CLIMATE FOR THE BIG ISSUE TO HAPPEN AND IT IS HAPPENING.

So I’m gong to try again to make this plain and simple…

1. YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY THAT IS BUILT ON TRUTH,
2. THIS COMMUNITY GREW AND WAS LED BY A LEADER WHO WE HAD FAITH IN AND TRUST IN.
3. WHEN THE LEADER OF THAT COMMUNITY LEAVES OR DIES THE COMMUNITY CAN SURVIVE IF WE MAINTAIN THE FAITH AND TRUST
4. ANY ATTEMPT TO USE CORRUPTION, LIES, DECEIT ETC WILL ONLY CREATE A CLIMATE IN THE COMMUNITY OF DISTRUST.
5. WHEN DISTRUST ENTERS, FAITH AND TRUST LEAVE.
6. WHEN FAITH AND TRUST LEAVE, THE SUPPORTERS QUIT SUPPORTING.

HOW CAN WE SAVE OUR COMMUNITY? KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, KEEP THE PEOPLE ABREAST OF WHAT IS GOING ON. KEEP TRUTH ALIVE AND DO NOT LET ANY DECEIT OR LIES EVEN APPROACH OUR FOUNDATION. OUR LEADERSHIP DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THE SMARTEST PERSON OR PERSONS ON THE PLANET TO SUCCEED…IT ONLY HAS TO BE HONEST AND TRUST WORTHY. ISN’T THIS WHAT OUR PROPHET REPRESENTED AND IMAM MOHAMMED EMULATED?

THE REFUSAL OF THE LEADERSHIP TO OPENLY CONDEMN BAD BEHAVIOR IS DESTROYING THE FAITH AND TRUST IN OUR COMMUNITY.  AND LITTLE BY LITTLE THE BROTHER OR SISTER WHO HAS INVESTED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN THE CHARGE OF IMAM W. D. MOHAMMED ARE NOT COMFORTABLE PERMITTING THESE WEAK A.W.O.L IMAMS TO TAKE CHARGE AND CONTROL OVER THEIR LIFE SAVINGS.  

THIS SITUATION THAT HAS ALL BUT WIPED OUT THE TRUST IN THE BELIEVERS IS SO BLATANTLY WRONG THAT OUT OF THE THOUSANDS OF EMAILS, PHONE CALLS, LETTERS, AND PERSONAL CONTACTS THAT I HAVE RECEIVED CONCERNING THE UNJUST TREATMENT OF THE WIFE OF IMAM W. D. MOHAMMED, NOT ONE PERSON, NOT ONE INDIVIDUAL, NOT ONE OBSERVER EVEN APPROACHED OR HINTED THAT THE ACT THAT LAILA MOHAMMED PERPETRATED WAS RIGHT, JUST OR ACCEPTABLE IN ANY MANNER, FASHION OR FORM.

Before going any further I want to make this point perfectly clear. No matter what happens, Almighty G-d Allah is not absent and has provided and watched over my daughter and I believe he will continue, so what I am addressing now and have been addressing is bigger than “helping the wife of Imam Mohammed or my daughter”, what I am addressing is the conscious violation of a fundamental principle of Islam which has taken place by the majority of the Imams in this community. I’m addressing the dereliction of duty and insubordination to the Holy Qur’an by those who have pledged to stand up and lead others into a better understanding of the Qur’an. I am addressing the total dismantling of trust, which for some strange reason these people cannot see. So this, like a small hole in a dike or dam, if left alone, will continue to spread until it gives rise to a major catastrophe and instead of hurting or wiping out one innocent young lady who trusted and based her whole life on the Holy Qur’an and the Muslim community she so dearly loved, it will literally destroy thousands of innocent Muslims who have put their life savings in the care of Imam W. D. Mohammed who never betrayed them.

However, because we have an assumed leadership that thinks it can just run over top of people and disrespect the common so called little brother or sister not taking into consideration that YOU ARE PULLING DOWN THE VERY PILLAR THAT HOLDS THIS WHOLE COMMUNITY UP.  Demagogues that believe they can just do what they want and say what they please and never take into consideration the domino theory where what you do here can and will effect other things elsewhere.

Now that I have clearly stated the problem this brings me to my purpose for writing you and appealing to you brothers and sisters. It has now been 3 weeks since our honorable leader passed away and since that time, I can count on one hand the Imams that have had the courage to do and say what you, the everyday believers, have done and said. Yes I’ve spoken to and have been in contact with some very honorable and courageous Imams who have said that they are willing to stand up for what is right but the overwhelming majority of them have been JUST COWARDS.

Perhaps when this injustice first happened many of them were not properly informed or were confused as to what had actually transpired, and this I can understand and accept, but it has now been three weeks and all of them who didn’t know then the scheme that Laila Mohammed had spewed upon the good name of Imam W. D. Mohammed and this community do know now. I have posted on the internet, personally emailed and spoken on the phone with every and all Imams who desired to find out first hand from me what had transpired (as best that I can report).  In the interim thousands of persons, have reached out with concern and are willing to facilitate a forum where this matter can be aired or resolved, yet the overwhelming majority of Imams who lead this community have been like the “spook who sat beside the door”. They want an omelet but they are unwilling to crack an egg, they want to lead but they want to do it from their bedroom, they want to be Imams but they won’t stand up for the truth and justice, they want this community to go forward while they do things that push it backwards. Can we, the sincere Muslims, not perfect, not without fault but sincere Muslims in this community stand by and allow this kind of derelict leadership to continue to take us down the hill of self destruction?

I get email after email asking me, “Siddeeq, what do you want? What is it that you hope to achieve by publishing these things?  Your daughter will be alright.  Well, let me tell you something that maybe you don’t realize and have been unable to hear when I tell you. I believe that this whole plight is bigger than my daughter, it is bigger than me it is bigger than a few strong Imams and a bunch of fearful ones; I believe this is a test from Allah on all of us. A test on me to see if I will stand up despite my shortcomings and weaknesses and a test on you to see if you will stand up despite whatever shortcomings you may have. Why brothers and sisters?  To see if we are willing to put our trust in Allah and sacrifice our comfortable situation to make this community strong and enduring.  So what I want Dear Brothers and Sisters is the same thing that you want and that is to see some courageous men understand the gravity as to what these reckless selfish women have put into motion by their blind lust for money and attention.  I want you to realize that this kind of attack will come again from different people using different approaches. I want our community to realize that we cannot just overlook anything like this that will destroy the community.  I want these sleeping Imams to see the danger that is getting ready to befall this community if they don’t come alive to their
obligation and responsibility.  I want them to know that they can’t just shrug their shoulders and turn their backs. I want them to know that they must speak up publicly and condemn wrong so as to keep the trust and faith alive in our community.

The investors and donors want to know, I want to know, as you want to know that we are putting our trust and financial support for this community into a safe place being lead by courageous Imams and that we are not putting it into the hands of some questionable shaky leaders who are dumping the people’s money down a black hole. I want to know or have reason to believe that when I am dead and gone that my wife, my children, my family and your families are safe and will be looked after and protected by some courageous Muslim brothers (and sisters) who will not be afraid to ask questions to learn the truth and to speak out against wrong regardless of whom or what. I want to see believers continue in the spirit and wisdom of our Late leader who will follow the Qur’an and its dictates as best as they can who might err, commit a sin who will turn to their lord asking his forgiveness his mercy and not give up or turn away.  Dear believers, this is what Imam Mohammed sacrificed his life to instill in us…this is what he labored night and day year after years struggling to bring us the clearest and most sober understanding of our Holy book as it deals with the most difficult subjects and some of the most basic subjects. He told us that if we are alive we are going to make a mistake, (do you hear me Laila, do you hear me Siddeeq) we are going to do some wrong but he said we should not accept that mistake or sin as an acceptable part of our development he admonished us to strive, to struggle every day to do better and to be better, so where is the justification for all of this fear, of facing and publishing the truth? Where is the justification for the intentional nullification of our duty?  He taught us that we were serving a Loving and Merciful G-d who would forgive us our sins…so why should we fear, why should we hesitate, why should we refuse to stand up for the truth?  What is confusing about Allah’s admonishment to us in the Holy Qur’an “SPEAK A WORD DIRECTED TO THE TRUTH”

2:42 And cover not TRUTH with falsehood, nor conceal the TRUTH when ye know (what it is).

2:146 The people of the Book know this as they know their own sons; but some of them conceal the TRUTH which they themselves know.

So Dear believers, We’re not trying to conduct some kind of inquisition or to set into motion some type of punishment on any one, we are not issuing a scarlet letter where a person who does something wrong is forever ostracized and condemned eternally, we are merely asking you to ask your Imam’s to tell you “what is so hard about looking into what has transpired in our community (which is their duty as an Imam) since the death of our dear beloved leader then come together with your fellow Imams to craft and publish in our newspaper a united, collective statement of where you as Imams stand on this festering problem?” If they decide that what has happened is acceptable, ok, publish that and have them sign their name to it, if they believe what has transpired was unjust and needs to be corrected, then publish that and have them sign their name to that. This is the responsibility of leadership. but to remain silent and not say anything is the way of the cowards. I believe that we should publish the names of all of the Imams and the position that they take in this matter then you who follow those weak Imams can live and interact with them as you so choose while this community of sincere believers move on for progress following the excellent model of our Prophet Mohammed so beautifully demonstrated for us by our Late and wonderful leader Imam Mohammed.

Dear brothers and sisters I think that this way is better than accepting an invitation to come on some NATIONAL TELEVISION AND DISCUSSING THIS MATTER BEFORE THE WORLD AND ALLOWING THEM TO RENDER A “DECISION”.

Now some who agree that an injustice has taken place say, “why not just move on and let that situation resolve itself. Well, I say to them do you really believe that you can successfully build our Islamic community established by the most Honorable, upright, Truthful, G-d conscious man this world has ever known on top of a foundation that is riddled with Lies, Deceit, conspiracy etc? Don’t you realize that when the so called leadership of this community is mute on an issue as serious as the one we have identified, don’t you know that this erodes the trust in the sincere and faithful believers and creates a climate of fear and distrust? Don’t you know what happens when this type of thinking becomes dominant in the heads of investors and donors that they will stop donating and stop investing where there is a weak and irresponsible leadership running the affairs of this community? If we are to go forward we must address and remove all obstacles and barriers placed in our path that if left alone will eventually bring our whole community crashing down.  If we leave these lies unchallenged and the conspirators not condemned we are uprooting the very foundation of our community.

Remember dear Muslims, all Imams serve at the pleasure of the people in your Masjid and they are there to serve the community so do not allow them to roll over you and tell you that they do not want to deal with this issue or any like it. They may try to tell you that this is not the proper place to discuss this problem or as one frightened Imam said, “this is a family problem.” He didn’t have the courage to tell you that he was frightened to death of Laila and Shirley, so he said this is a family problem. Well let me tell you what you already know, the problem that kicked off this major calamity that we all are facing IS A COMMUNITY PROBLEM AND THE CONSEQUENCES THAT WE ALL WILL FACE IF IT IS NOT QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY ADDRESSED WILL BE A MAJOR COMMUNITY PROBLEM. SO DEAR BELIEVERS, STEP TO THESE SO CALLED MUSLIMS WHO WANT TO IGNORE WHAT THE IMAM HAS TAUGHT US FOR YEARS, DO NOT DISRESPECT THEM BUT DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO JUST SHRUG YOU OFF.  IF THEY INSIST ON RUNNING THE MASJID LIKE THEY RUN THEIR OWN HOMES THEN WRITE A SHORT REPORT ON THEM AND EXPOSE THEM…THE SALVATION OF THIS COMMUNITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THEN THE EGO OF SOME WEAK SELF-RIGHTEOUS IMAM we will publish their response for the world to see. Please write me and let me know what your Imam had to say about this matter so that we can publish their support or lack thereof.

Thank you brothers and sisters for your constant and consistent support for the truth and what is right and just. I recall Imam Mohammed telling us that his father, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, use to say: (I’m only paraphrasing) I can stand on top of the mountain and tell the whole world that my people (who follow me) are the best and most beautiful followers anywhere in the world.” And I say the same thing today about you, the followers of Imam W. D. Mohammed.

A very beautiful faithful believer in Chicago told me that the last thing Imam Mohammed said on the Sunday before he died was: “We must form alliances with like minded people…” I am encouraging you to Hear Imam Mohammed and Obey Imam Mohammed.

As-Salaamu-Alaikum

Brother Muhammad Siddeeq