Louisville, Kentucky Imams’ Meeting

WITH ALLAH’S NAME THE MERCIFUL BENEFACTOR, THE MERCIFUL REDEEMER

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY IMAMS MEETING:
A RACE OF THE THOROUGHBREDS
OR A PLANTATION MINSTREL SHOW?

A pioneer brother, friend, former Minister for the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and an early Imam in association with Imam Mohammed, Wahid Shah, told me a funny story one day that had a very deep meaning. He told me that there was this 16 year old boy named Joe who decided that he was going to take the vows of silence and devote his entire life to being a faithful Monk so after 20 years went by and he hadn’t spoken a single word Joe uttered very softly in a room full of his fellow Monks, “the food is bad” and went on obeying his vows. After another 20 years went by and he had not said a single word and he uttered the ” the bed is hard” then went on studying and living the life of a monk and not speaking to a soul. After another 20 years went by and having not spoken a single word for 20 years he uttered, “the rooms are cold”. At that point Joe was called in before the high priest and told, “We’ve had it with you Joe, we’re putting you out of here, we’re sick and tired of your constant complaining.” So went the life of Joe.

I site this story because I, like Joe, have been told that I complain too much (for those who want to get away with anything they desire with impunity). I have the audacity to stand toe to toe with the so-called leaders or Imams of this community and tell them in plain and simple language that they are not walking in the way of or with the interest of Imam W. D. Mohammed. Now before going too far, anyone with an ounce of common sense is going to realize that this characterization does not fit all leaders or all Imams. However, like the old adage goes, if you throw a rock into a crowd of people the only one that will holler is the one that got hit.

As I register my concerns, using the only forum available to me I make it crystal clear that I am not writing from on high and that I am a common human being with personal short comings, weaknesses and faults that need plenty of attention and correction. However, the one thing that my critics have learned and if they haven’t they will and that is “your criticism or disagreements are not going to stop me from registering my concerns for the health and welfare of this community, put into motion by Allah’s guidance on the heart mind and spirit of Imam W. D. Mohammmed”. I am willing to remove my public assessment from the public domain if the person or persons who have a concern would like to sit down like a brother or sister and discuss a particular matter that they would prefer to deal with out of the public eye but to abandon my own conscience because some so called big Imam or big leader has a problem with what I am saying or he or she is uncomfortable with it, no way, they haven’t made an Imam or leader that big that’s going to achieve that goal (en sha Allah). I’m not a tough guy, but Allah be my witness, I’m not backing down from the so called biggest or most powerful brother or sister in or out of this community no matter what they think they have in their arsenal to make me do so as long as what I am saying is true and right.

However, if a 6-year-old child points out what I am saying is wrong I will back up, apologize and make every effort to correct my error.

Having said that I would like to make some comments on the recently held Imam’s meeting in Louisville Kentucky.

First allow me to offer Congratulations to those sincere Imams who traveled to Louisville in hopes of advancing the community of Imam W. D. Mohammed in these trying times It took a while but at least there has been a sincere effort put into motion for what can be the start of something good. Now bear in mind this is just the beginning, a very late beginning but still a beginning. I’m sure that every well meaning Muslim in the community of Imam Mohammed wants this first step to be a successful step but is it wise to wait two or three months to answer some basic issues that were answered before they even met? It has been reported to me that Imam Yahya Abdullah put it this way, “continue doing what you were doing yesterday”. That’s pretty clear and succinct and it did not take 3 months to state it.

Before going on with my congratulations I must note that I personally believe this meeting missed the high mark by intentionally ignoring the major issues facing the community of Imam W. D. Mohammed. As I have noted before, any true followers of Imam Mohammed could not and should not hold a meeting of his top level leadership and not place as a number one priority a concern as to: “WHAT HAPPENED TO IMAM W. D. MOHAMMED”. To hold a meeting of so called leaders who represent Imam Mohammed and to meet for nearly 13 hours non stop and not entertain this concern is to say that these so called leaders did not put first the interest and concerns that Imam Mohammed left us with but were representing their own personal interest. Also, it takes a conscious negative effort to ignore the plight of Khadijah Siddeeq Mohammed, the widowed wife of Imam Mohammed. For so called leaders to come together and entertain ideas and issues, including some that Imam Mohammed clearly warned us against, and at the same time just outright ignore the circumstances surrounding the welfare of Imam Mohammed’s wife is criminal and does not reflect the heart and mind of a true follower of Imam W. D. Mohammed.

No true follower of Imam W. D. Mohammed could come together as a result of his work and sacrifice while knowing that his young widowed wife has been locked out of her home, denied any collective community support for her welfare and survival, has been robbed of her proper identity and is now faced with literally tens of thousands of dollars of debt to fight an illegitimate law suit advanced and supported by the hidden true leader of this so called Imam’s meeting and just outright ignore these issues as if they were not true or even important. This truly is criminal and reflects the mind of disbelievers and non believers. This type of neglectful behavior will earn an unspoken disrespect and disdain from those Christian, Jewish, political and other religious leaders who know of this terrible situation and the honorable way of Imam Mohammed and looked to his Imams to reflect his sensitivity and concern in his absence.

Now keep in mind I’m not saying that there is no need for the community to take some time to discuss the issues suggested by those who attended this meeting. What I am saying is that sophisticated intelligent people all over the world are watching those who call themselves Imams and students of Imam W.D. Mohammed. They are watching from afar this community’s unnecessarily slow and mediocre response in moving forward after the passing of our great leader. They are watching to see if this leadership is going to move forward as traditional Muslim Imams that are responsible for the terrible name and mistrust being placed on Muslims and Imams all over the world today or are they going to represent the pure and honorable reinvigorating spirit of Imam Mohammed’s Muslim Imams that the entire world has seen as the hope and savior of Islam and true honorable religious practices hoped and prayed for, for thousands of years. Time is not going to wait for anyone. If it is going to take one year for those who claim to be followers of Imam Mohammed to answer four relatively simple questions that were brought back to our local communities to discuss and resolve, then how much time is it going to take to really accept our challenging mandate to take off self imposed blinders and gloves and begin moving on the very serious issues that have been pushed aside by those weak men who call themselves leaders but fear rocking some boats or goring some sacred cows?

I have not yet spoken to a single person who believes that we need one year to answer these four basic elementary questions:

1. How do we structure ourselves as a collective group
2. How do we deal with our national and international issues and concerns (a) Conventions (b) invitations.
3. How to deal with (in a supportive manner) the family of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.
4. I.D. (identification) or name.

Whether Imam Yahya Abdullah of Dallas, Texas was told by Imam Mohammed or not that we should continue doing today what we were doing yesterday, it certainly meets the standard of logic that Imam Mohammed offered us for thirty-four years and is not earth shattering revelation. So if our brother reminds us of a basic and fundamental truth that we all should be in accord with why “re-invent the wheel?”
Seven months to decide to meet then three months to ponder over questions that Imam Mohammed had answered for us before his passing, that’s a little much for me.

Now the great majority of Imams in attendance at said meeting I personally know are sincere and are seeking honorable and positive ways to continue the established programs that Imam Mohammed has set forth for us to follow. However, as the Qur’an clearly states that Shaitan said I will come upon them in their own straight path. Meaning he is going to attend every function that we have including our Imam’s meeting. So just as we have the faithful and honorable dedicated Imam’s who have always stood for right, we also have those Imams or leaders who are seeking to find a subtle way to say that they did not agree with Imam W.D. Mohammed and that “WE” have to make corrections on what he taught us and left us with. They don’t have the courage to openly disagree with how he structured us and state openly their disagreement, they want to back in the side door and pretend that they only need to make some minor adjustments to what he taught and then it will be acceptable. Now keep in mind, these same persons who are confused as to how this community should spell cat today never uttered a peep of discontentment while Imam Mohammed was alive. Everything was just fine and dandy. Then if it was just fine and dandy yesterday, what happened to change that? Why do we need a name today and didn’t need one yesterday? What do you mean; how do we structure ourselves as a collective group? Weren’t we a collective group before? How were we structured then? How do we deal with our national and international issues? If you’re an autonomous community and have been so for many years, deal with those concerns just as you dealt with them before Imam Mohammed passed.

What this gathering really looked like to me–based on what has come back in the way of reports–is a subtle effort to express discontentment with Imam Mohammed’s leadership under the guise of “I’m confused” and we are only trying to offer suggestions for the sake of progress.

This reminds me of the scene in Cyrano Debergerac when this man De Guiche is trying to get Cyrano to let his mentor (De Guiche’s) re-write one of Cyrano’s plays:
DE GUICHE
Why not? Take it to him (his mentor).
CYRANO (tempted)
Really -
DE GUICHE
He is himself a dramatist;
Let him rewrite a few lines here and there,
he’ll approve the rest.
CYRANO (His face falls again.)
IMPOSSIBLE!
My blood curdles to think of altering
One comma.
DE GUICHE
Ah, but when he (my rich and powerful mentor) likes a thing
He pays well.
CYRANO
Yes – but not so well as I -
When I have made a line that sings itself
So that I love the sound of it – I pay
Myself a hundred times

So what am I attempting to say? I am saying that we, who truly love, honor and respect the work of Imam W. D. Mohammed should not ever consider altering one fraction of a scintilla of what he left us with. Our efforts would have been better spent in our home Islamic Centers working to fulfill all that Imam Mohammed had already given us if this was our purpose or intent for meeting.

Again, I am baffled at the strange stand of the convener of this meeting, an honorable and intelligent Imam. Certain things reported from the meeting causes me to ask the question: who really convened the Imams to come together in Louisville? Was it Imam Vernon Fareed or Wallace Mohammed Jr? From the early inquiries about having such a meeting it is clear that this meeting was done in concert with the wishes of Wallace Mohammed Jr. So Siddeeq, are you saying that Wallace having some involvement in this meeting makes it a bad thing? No, I’m not saying that at all. It appeared from all that I have learned of the meetings planning that Wallace had a large interest in the meeting and such interest was conveyed to Imam Vernon. My concern as a member of this association is that if Wallace wanted certain things addressed why didn’t he step forward and present those concerns himself. Certainly a stealth leadership can only be tolerated for so long a time and to aid and support one in such is to hurt the individual, deny the community and to jeopardize ones own good reputation in the community.

In reading the various reports that have come back from said meeting and seeing some of the concerns and language used I am obliged along with my compliments for the many excellent and sincere attempts put forth at said meeting to chart a positive future for our community, to ask the question as to how can or why would the organizers of such an outstanding meeting risk harming their commendable effort by identify this noble effort as a “national meeting”, language that Imam Mohammed intentionally avoided and cautioned us to avoid. Again seeking out solutions for progress in our community life is an honorable and acceptable goal however, wouldn’t it be a wise approach to search the archives or ask via of the Muslim Journal to locate for such purpose any writings or prescriptions that Imam Mohammed had established for such endeavor or acceptable methodology for solving problems.

In talking to Brother Abdul Malik of Long Beach California about this type of problem, he reminded me of what Imam Mohammed had said in the summer of 1975 about solving problems.

Imam W. D. Mohammed (Muhammad Speaks, August 1, 1975)

“Whenever we have problems come up, I tell the officials to bring all the facts and put them on the table. The facts are not answers in themselves; they are part of our problem. But we hope that when WE PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER we will see our problem because when you put confusion together, it takes a form and permits you to identify that form.

So we put all the facts on the table and (then) look into the facts. I absorb the clouds of facts into my head. Those clouds of facts begin to whirl around in my head like clouds in the heavens. I think and I concentrate and after a while lightning flashes through that cloud of piecemeal facts.

When lightning flashes, the light shows what is in the clouds. The heat of the light acts against the cold (the ignorance, the absence of truth) and the two foreign natures work together. One is charged positively and the other is charged negatively.

All the piecemeal particles of facts are pushed out with the heat of the lightning flash and it thunders within my head. After a while I take ink and the wet drops of ink begin to feed the scroll.”

So isn’t this a wise approach to solving our problems as members of Imam W. D. Mohammed’s community? However, we must keep in mind the steps that Imam Mohammed told us we must take to get the desired results. He told us that we must be morally strong enough to BRING ALL OF THE FACTS AND PUT ALL OF THE FACTS ON THE TABLE. So before undertaking this approach or accepting a leadership role in facilitating or convening a community wide effort we must first ask ourselves am I willing to put all of the facts on the table and not be controlled by any political or preconceived agendas. I must recognize that this means we as a community must enlist pure openness and objectivity and will not allow room for one to carry another’s burden or concern at the expense of our community success. So if one steps up to lead under these conditions or circumstances they can only speak a word directly to the truth, they cannot come with ulterior motives and hidden agendas and if they do they taint the entire process.

Let’s examine just one small exchange at this meeting to see if it does not reveal that perhaps there existed some ulterior motives in the leadership that cannot be reconciled with the stated goals of the meeting. And let’s also assess the consequence of this type of behavior to the many trusting and sincere Imams who traveled to Louisville in hopes of saving and restoring our community to the standard that Imam W. D. Mohammed set it in.

One item from the agenda in brief which was brought back to the local communities for this spirited meeting Imams in Louisville was:

1. Support for the family of Imam W. D. Mohammed
2. The meeting was about to end and Imam Doctor Michael Ramadan from Illinois raised the question about support for the marriage of Khadijah Siddeeq (to whom I am very grateful to and appreciative of his courageous and beautiful Islamic dedication)
3. I was not there but was told by those who were there that a so called intelligent Imam having the agenda in writing before him stated “That is not on the agenda” and the convener carried that concern to the body
4. Then, according to the reports that also came to me, another courageous Muslim Imam, Brother Plemon El-Amin of Atlanta Georgia stood up and said yes it is, it is in point number 3 (and I am also grateful to Imam Plemon for his stand)

However what I am attempting to understand is that if the organizers of said meeting, who submitted a draft agenda with this same idea of support for the family of Imam W. D. Mohammed on it and a flip chart was placed in front of these Imams with the same information on it. Then when Dr. Ramadan requested a vote of support for Khadijah Siddeeq Mohammed as the widowed wife of Imam Mohammed, It is reported that the convener raised the concern of the Imam who said this issue was not on the agenda. Is it possible that these two intelligent Imams did not consider Khadijah Siddeeq Mohammed as a part of the Family of Imam W. D. Mohammed? How did they come to the conclusion that a vote of support for Khadijah as Imam Mohammed’s wife was not on the agenda though support for the Family of Imam W. D. Mohammed clearly was one of the points to be discussed? How do you conduct a meeting of the highest order of religious leaders in a society, reciting the revealed words of G-d from the Holy book, The Qur’an, throughout said meeting, and at the same time ignore the very principles and precepts these so called leaders are suppose to be representing and their Book is pointing them to? Is it possible that these learned Imams never once considered Imam Mohammed’s widowed wife as a part of Imam Mohammed’s family or in need of support? Or was it their determination to block every and any attempt to offer such support while falsely raising the banner “Our community… Our responsibility”.

These Imams purported response to Doctor Ramadan’s bold and honorable request speaks volumes and those volumes are all very very troubling but not irresolvable.

Out of the One hundred and twenty Imams present at this meeting, I do not know who caught this snafu or not but if the report that came back to the general body of Muslims is accurate then I did not miss it. Follow the strange response to Dr. Ramadan’s request to the next level after they could not deny Dr. Ramadan’s concern for a fair hearing on the basis of it not being on the agenda. Next, according to the report that came back to me, another weak frightened Imam who is afraid that Khadijah might get some support or help from this gathering allegedly raised the question as to was there some possible LEGAL concern that would render giving attention to this matter a problem for any pending legal matter. Remember Jesus getting his feet washed with precious oils and the hypocritical people of that day were jealous and did not have the heart to attack Jesus directly so they pretended that they were concerned with the poor. “Oh, you could sell that oil and give the money to the poor”. Today these same wicked minded people say “…could we be in violation with some legal issue if we offer support for Khadijah (since we are praying that she doesn’t get any collective community support so that our theory of this being a personal problem and not a community problem will not look so bad and off base)”.

Now why would any pending legal matter have an effect on Muslim Imams bearing witness to a fact of knowledge that is true no matter what legal matter is pending or at stake. These naysayers did not stop until they had nothing to stand upon and then they resorted to Khadijah’s marriage as an “Islamic Marriage”.

Certainly an Islamic marriage is a most wonderful and honorable marriage but their purpose of qualifying her marriage as an Islamic Marriage was clearly not to show it’s beauty and relationship to the Qur’an it was to distinguish it from some other type of marriage that these weak determined destroyers felt would diminish her marital standing while elevating others. Oh ye of little faith, you make a plan and Allah makes a plan and Allah is the best of planners.

The question that I am compelled to ask those with this concern is why? Why would you or any person feel compelled when asked about Khadijah Siddeeq being the wife of Imam W. D. Mohammed, why would you feel compelled to qualify the type of marriage that Imam Mohammed and Khadijah Siddeeq Mohammed had? Can any person in this world nevertheless in this community tell me that they heard Imam Mohammed say that he had an Islamic marriage to Khadijah Siddeeq Mohammed? Can any person on this earth tell me that they know for a fact that what allegedly was said on this matter was in fact a fact? The answer to both question is NO! Then why was it so hard for some Imams of this wonderful meeting of Imams feel that they could or should take the liberty to qualify this marriage when they did not and do not have the facts to support his qualification. Is this responsible leadership? Emphatically NO!

It also has come to our attention that it was initially reported that the vote on this issue was unanimous and then when it was called to the conveners attention that this was not correct the record was adjusted to reflect the correction. I am humbly requesting that the convener afford the same respect to his mislabeling of Sister Khadijah Siddeeq and Imam W. D. Mohammed’s marriage and demanding that the convener and any other person who partakes in this subject matter only report the facts as you either heard Imam Mohammed state them and not as you think or have heard from some anonymous source. In all fairness, Muslim Imams should only report any witnessed issue–whether it is marriage, divorce, or business– as they have heard Imam Mohammed report it and not add anything or take away anything on this or any other matter.

Certainly I am grateful to Dr. Ramadan, Imam Plemon El-Amin and those Imams that had the courage and conviction to stand up for the truth as they knew it from their and my leader Imam W. D. Mohammed, however we cannot and none of us should tolerate any innovation of a situation that we do not have the facts on and allow it to go unchallenged..

In all fairness there were other concerns that raised their head that I personally am appalled at such as the idea of “solidifying” our relationship with other Islamic groups like ISNA for the purpose of moving into the leadership void. What leadership void? Did this brother who made this suggestion think that Imam Mohammed did not know what he was doing in his relationship with ISNA ? What message is the leadership of ISNA sending when they offer 500 invitations for members of Imam Mohammed’s community to come to the ISNA convention? Why weren’t these invitations made available when Imam Mohammed was alive? To me, to even bring up such ideas is unacceptable because it is saying that Imam Mohammed was holding us back and now that he is gone we (ISNA) will help you poor deprived orphans get on the right track. To accept that weak disingenuous proposition is to say those in the leadership of ISNA are more concerned for our welfare than Imam Mohammed was. It is also saying that we know better than Imam Mohammed and we are not willing to follow what he left us with but we will stay on board if we can change Imam Mohammed’s direction to suit our thinking or the thinking of our bosses. This unacceptable, disrespectable, insulting offer from ISNA should have been promptly ruled out of order upon its presentation by those Imam’s who are true followers of Imam W. D. Mohammed.

We did not lose anything with ISNA and do not need anything from them to progress and survive in fact the only thing we will gain by uniting with ISNA is regression and failure. “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts”. Or better yet, “come into my parlor said the spider to the fly”.

It is very troubling to me to learn of seasoned veteran Imams who will challenge something so clear as to whether the wife of Imam W. D. Mohammed at the time of his passing was a part of Imam Mohammed’s family and try to immediately squash that legitimate concern but entertains and welcomes an extended platform for a clear intentional or unintentional attempt to challenge what Imam Mohammed has clearly and persistently established as to how he wanted our community to work with and relate to other Islamic communities. Here in my opinion, is where the leadership should have challenged the legitimacy of such idea at this meeting. This was not a referendum on changing Imam Mohammed’s established direction. SO EVERY IMAM IN THE HOUSE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THEIR FEET SHOUTING NO TO THAT BROTHER’S SUGGESTION.

Now I am not saying that his brother is a bad brother or am I saying that he was intentionally creating a problem but what he attempted to present was totally out of line as to what any true follower of Imam Mohammed should have even tolerated regardless of what respectable position he was bringing his idea from.

So I close this writing using the simple words of Imam Yahya of Dallas, Texas,
Whatever you were doing before Imam Mohammed died continue doing it today and you will be on a safe tract for the future.

As-Salaamu-Alaikum
Brother Muhammad Siddeeq