NOVEMBER 20, 2008

SHOULD THE MUSLIM FOLLOWERS OF IMAM W. D. MOHAMMED CONTINUE TO SUPPORT A NEWSPAPER THAT WILL NOT SUPPORT OR DEFEND THE GOOD NAME OF IMAM W. D. MOHAMMED?

Last year, Dr. Suliman Yang heralded The Muslim Journal as the voice and defender of our Muslim community. The Muslim Journal also prides itself as being:

Committed to disseminating unadulterated news to the reading public via its independent newspaper that recognizes Islam as a Promoter of Freedom, Justice and Equality. We have inherited a standard of “excellence” dating back to 1827, when the first African American Newspaper, the Freedom’s Journal, was published, and the decisive newspaper, The North Star, published by Frederick Douglass, the ex-slave. Muslim Journal picked up the mantle passed on by Malcolm X, as he represented the Honorable Elijah Muhammad in the creation of the Muhammad Speaks.

The masthead of the Muslim Journal reads: Bringing Humanity Together With Truth and Understanding. Its working mantra is to “Fill the Void” for our readers and in doing so allow them to “See the Full Picture!”

Now this may be the way the editor of the Muslim Journal might describe her work but would this describe the honest experience of the public and the Muslim community when reading the Muslim Journal?

Imam W. D. Mohammed kept a statement running in the Muslim Journal from April 24, 1985 to this very moment that I am writing this article that states:

We won’t be afraid to agitate, because a sheepish paper that tries to keep any waves from coming on the water isn’t going to get an increase in circulation and will not be appreciated by our people.

So in such a time that we are living in — having lost our honorable leader and teacher Imam W. D. Mohammed, and witnessing the terrible lies that have been promoted against his honorable name and legacy, and considering the plethora of unanswered questions lingering about his death and the vicious and un-Islamic eviction of his widowed wife, Khadijah, by his daughter Laila — one would expect, as Dr. Suliman Yang so clearly stated, that this community could look to the Muslim Journal for information and support concerning the fore mentioned concerns and the honorable, dignified work that Imam Mohammed championed and represented.

This was the case of the Freedom’s Journal and the North Star in the cause of justice championed by The Honorable Frederick Douglas for the innocent victims of slavery. This was the case of the Muhammad Speaks newspaper founded by Malcolm X and cited by the editor of the Muslim Journal as the paper they received the mantle of duty, purpose, and sense of mission from. Then why cite these exemplary journalistic giants if there is no intent to walk in lock step with them in principle?

Not a day goes by that some brother, sister, Imam, or just member of this community writes or calls and tells me that they have tried to publish their support for Khadijah Siddeeq the wife of Imam Mohammed in the Muslim Journal but were denied by the editor, Ayesha Mustafa. They tell me that they are told that to publish a statement saying “We support Khadijah Siddeeq, the wife of Imam Mohammed” is delving into a personal family matter and the Journal does not take sides. They go on to say that they are tired of being treated this way by the editor and are going to cancel their subscription and are going to ask others to do the same.

Bear in mind a lie was circulated by the media stating that Shirley Muhammad was the surviving widow of Imam Mohammed without any level of correction being issued by the Mohammed family. This lie, when put into context, seeks to destroy the entire honorable character of Imam Mohammed. If Shirley Muhammad is the surviving wife of Imam Mohammed then who was the young lady Khadijah Siddeeq that lived with him, that traveled and stayed in the same hotel room with him that he came before the entire community and introduced as his wife? How can a matter that has been published in every major newspaper in America — and was circulated in the Muslim Journal offices though not during the official press conference – not be a community concern? Why shouldn’t the Muslim Journal – as Suliman Yang claimed, as the voice of this community – make a clear statement of clarification for the Muslim community and the greater public community to be aware of this terrible misrepresentation that is destroying the good name of our late honorable leader, Imam W. D. Mohammed?

For the Muslim Journal, the so-called voice of the Muslim community of Imam W. D. Mohammed to refuse to publish a correction to this terrible and scandalous lie that is out in the public and to refuse to honor the many efforts and requests of the Muslims across this nation to publish a simple and authentic statement as to who in truth is the wife of Imam W. D. Mohammed is shameful and derelict to say the least.

Now the Muslim Journal has asked the very same Muslims to support by buying tickets and attending their celebration called A TIME TO BE GRATEFUL while at the same time applying biased arguments to deny the publication of statements of support for Khadijah Siddeeq. How can any conscious Muslim who loved and supported Imam Mohammed accept such a distorted relationship? Can we be grateful when the tireless work of our faithful leader is being dragged into the mud and the voice that he gave financial, academic and moral support to refuses to publish a single and strong word in defense of the truth about his marital relationship?

Imam Mohammed gave us a formula to determine whether one is being fair or factual when negatively ranking the Muslim Journal. He said: “A SHEEPISH PAPER THAT TRIES TO KEEP ANY WAVES FROM COMING ON THE WATER ISN’T GOING TO GET AN INCREASE IN CIRCULATION AND WILL NOT BE APPRECIATED BY OUR PEOPLE”.

Therefore, it is not for anyone to say that the Muslim Journal is a sheepish paper, however, they only need to apply the formula given to us by Imam Mohammed and ask the question, “is the Muslim Journal getting an increase or a decrease in circulation?” When you get the answer to that formula you will have your answer as to whether the people appreciate the continuous rejection of responsibility and obligation to either stop publishing false attributes of this paper or make an honest effort to live up to them, especially when it comes to defending the esteemed reputation of our late leader’s honorable legacy.

In closing we should think carefully about any continued support of the Muslim Journal and any events that seek to fund its misadventure in journalism when considering the reports of the editor’s apparent refusal to publish letters from subscribers and others who desire to make statements in defense of the name of Imam W. D. Mohammed.

Brother Muhammad Siddeeq