WITH ALLAH’S NAME THE MERCIFUL BENEFACTOR, THE MERCIFUL REDEEMER
BE GRATEFUL…BUT DO NOT SELL YOUR SOUL, YOUR VALUES OR FORGET YOUR MISSION TO BE ACCEPTED BY THIS WORLD
(GRATEFUL WITH DIGNITY)
Dec. 4, 2011
One year ago today I wrote an article questioning the unacceptable DECIETFUL tactics of the Muslim Journal’s use of big name celebrities to honor, in the hope of increasing the sales of its tickets to their annual “Time to be Grateful banquet”. At that time I also questioned the partnership of the Journal and fight promoter Murad Muhammad and admonished them that the two could not co-exist without one taking on the identity of the other which was not compatible. It has now been one year since the writing of said article and for some strange reason, Murad Muhammad who appeared to have his name and or picture in every edition of the Journal for the last few years has all but disappeared with no explanation from the editor of the journal; and left behind are some disgruntled abused believers who were encouraged by the journal implicitly to invest large sums of money into strategies allegedly advanced by Murad with the blessings of the journal and its staff to help the Journal solve its mounting financial woes. As the lessons from the first reservation stated in English lesson c#1, “the trader made an interpretation that they would receive more gold for their labor than they were earning in their own country…” The lesson goes on and asks the question: “Did they receive gold? No, the trader disappeared… they wanted to go back to their own country but could not swim 9000 miles.”
The above allegory in this lesson tells us of the tricks used to rob the unsuspecting poor of their money under the guise of earning more money for themselves. The criminal nature of this ploy is that the Muslim Journal was complicit in giving the robbers the platform and credibility to rob the believers then washed its hands of any wrong doing as if they had no part in the crime whatsoever. This is sad but it is consistent with the sheepish tactics of the Journal. A paper that brags on never missing a week publishing it’s message, but oh what a message it is! Imam Mohammed did every thing that he could do trying to get the editor to see that she has a serious journalistic responsibility to keep its readers informed and that that information was not necessarily going to be of the nature that everyone was going to like. This effort obviously failed and today we are a wounded community (from the Journals perspective) in search of some big name celebrity to tie our fate to–as a savior of sorts–while those at the journal bury their heads into a hole like an ostrich in fear of some danger hoping it will just go away. Believers who trusted Imam Mohammed and invested hundreds of thousands of dollars of their savings and hard earned money into programs called CPC, Group Volume Buy; W. D. Mohammad Community Center, Salaam Nutrition, Ansari Fund, The Mosque Cares Conventions with no transparency or accountability as to the status of these programs and you would think that the journal, the so called voice of this community, would keep an ongoing vigil of sort on the Imams to do the right thing in this community and on it’s pages to attempt to bring about justice and the resolution to this problem. But not so, the Journal is too busy social climbing and trying to hob knob with the “whose who of America”, something that Imam Mohammed never did nor did he encourage any of us to do.
To initiate an annual overly priced extravaganza of sort–that prices the every day believers out of comfortably affording and participating, nevertheless brown-nosing among big name celebrities that we have absolutely nothing in common with–to honor said celebrities that we have no real association with is a shame and disgrace to say the least. Certainly Michelle Obama, the wife of the President of the United States of America is a big name and Colin Powell is also a big name, but what do we have in common with Michelle Obama and Colin Powell? Have we initiated chapters of youth to stop obesity? Have we joined Mr. Powell and supported him in his criticism of President Obama? Why should we honor them? Not that they are not worthy of honor but why should we, the community of Muslims in association of Imam W. D. Mohammed honor them, what have they done in association with this community that we should try to cozy up next to them to extend honor to them? And who do we honor next year? The chancellor of Germany, the Prime Minister of the UK? Or maybe the Pope? To me, it is like begging to be recognized by the rich and famous. And if they come to our program and look over into our community what do we have to show them but confusion and a lack of unity at this time? A son of the former leader who has never been confirmed by the community to be any type of leader. A bunch of yes men and goons following him around like he is the leader of some major country while he handles the community money like it is his own private piggy bank while claiming that any money or intellectual property left by his father is his and his only and has sued his mother as the administrator of his father’s estate to get everything for himself. . A selfish daughter of the former leader who has lied profusively on her father and to this community and the world about our Honorable leaders marital situation yet she and her confused overly arrogant and egotistical brother publish their presence at every gathering of those who loved and respected the man they have betrayed. So here we have a so called praying community that can’t find unity in the home city of the leader to pray together one day out of the year as imposed by the Qur’an yet they want to invite the world to come and see. Come and see what? Total confusion and chaos. Confusion and Chaos that could be addressed, minimized or resolved if there existed bold writers and journalist that would keep the spirit and mission of Imam Mohammed before the membership. If the rank and file members of this community were kept informed they would make the necessary changes in this community to keep it on track as Imam Mohammed would have it be. But keep the believers in the dark and as it is said in the bible when the blind lead the blind they both fall in the ditch. So the Journal is more interested in the high life then carrying out it’s journalistic responsibility to this community and its readership. Imam Mohammed did not chase after the press or high powerful people to “feel sorry for us or to admit us into their inner circle” because that is all that we can accomplish from this kind of one sided relationship in hopes of getting a hold to some golden coattails to pull us up out of our failing condition that we have been empowered with wisdom and knowledge to do ourselves.
At the death of Colonel Kadaffi I looked for an editorial from our editor of the Journal to make some comments about the only world leader that ever put millions of dollars up to help this community’s then leader, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, purchase a building for its headquarters. The repayment of this loan was then forgiven when it was made known that the new leader, Imam W. D. Mohammed, did not see that we had the ability to make the payments as prescribed in the initial agreement. But did the Journal have the courage to stand up in face of all of the popular criticism being heaped on Colonel Kadaffi and tell the world as to how we benefited from his bold stand and charitable spirit towards our community? No, they in their cartoons and articles went along with the propaganda of the West in their effort to demonize a man who had been a good friend to this community. I cite this example of how we can loose our focus when we focus on being smiled upon by big and powerful people who do not necessarily represent our mission nor our perspective for what is fair and just for humanity. Imam Mohammed seeing the impossible connection that we had with politicians seldom if ever encouraged or invited politicians to take part in our conventions and programs and even those who might be believers and members of our community, he advised and insisted these political Muslims not to attend certain meetings that we had scheduled because of their unique and irreconcilable Political circumstances. At no time has the Journal even had the courage to restate or re-emphasized the position of Imam Mohammed on this issue and has encouraged and fostered situations that borderline on totally ignoring the concern and wisdom of Imam Mohammed and the political members in this community. Imam Mohammed never allowed himself to be placed in some narrow political party or racial group and saw himself as representing the human cause all over the world which afforded him the freedom to be free and able to speak a word of support for the human being regardless of their religion, class or belief system. And this is what we see should be the goal and effort of a Muslim Newspaper and not to huddle up under the fame and fortune of those who have so called made it in this society hoping that they will throw us a crumb of bread from their lofty tower. These people have a job and mission in their lives and we have a job and mission in our lives and we should never ever compromise our mission hoping to tease out a smile on the face of those who do not have the job that we have been chosen by G-D TO DO BY WAY OF THE ONE WHO REPRESENTS PROPHET MOHAMMED IN THE 20TH AND 21ST CENTURY TO US AND ALL MANKIND.
“ACCEPT YOUR OWN, BE YOURSELF…. SAY I BELIEVE AND THEREAFTER BE UP RIGHT.”
Brother Muhammad Siddeeq