An Excerpt From the Introduction
The increasing frequency of newspaper headlines denoting minority/majority conflicts within nation-states as threats to international peace, national development, and healthy relations among nations, is a convincing sign that the problems of national minorities in small and large states demand urgent attention.
Many of these conflicts were initially instigated by European nations and the United States in their race to colonize the people of the non-European world.2 While many European nations and the United States were involved in the colonization of Asia, Africa, Central and South America; in addition, the United States, through the systematic use of racism and discrimination, created an almost impenetrable form of domestic colonialism based primarily on racial, rather than geographical boundary lines.
The decades of the 1940’s through the 1960’s saw the successful overthrow of direct colonialism in Africa and Asia by charismatic liberation armies and movements. Nevertheless, after ‘independence’ the former colonialist of Europe and the United States developed a new type of colonialism in the Third World – called `the take away’. This entailed the denuding and theft of billions of dollars of Africa and Asia’s natural resources, making Europe and America rich and the poor South even more destitute.
Putting aside, for now, the horrors of the United States imperialism in the Pacific and the Caribbean islands; the domestic colonialism and internal imperialism practiced was more incipient than any form of oppression because it had successfully stripped its victims of their volition and the very `will’ for freedom.
Great Article, honest and to the point keep these truths flowing.
Subhanallah. Thank you for your insights Shaykh Muhammad.
May Allah reward you and your family.
Congratulations on the successful 20th year anniversary of the Million Man March! The Justice or Else coalition, the Black Lives Matter and all the organizations, congregations, jama`ats and individuals have made a decisive statement to the US regime and the world. It is time for us to take our case to be looked at by the United Nations and the world community. Last night, I had an important meeting with an African diplomat who strongly asserted the need for African nations to see their future development tied in completely in with the Africans of the Diaspora of the US, Canada, the Carribean, Central and South America. The African diplomat asserted that he would do everything to see to it that all legislative, judicial and executive powers in his country be activated to pull the power of the Africans of the Diaspora into the future development of his country. I highly recommend organizations such as the NOI which have offices in Ghana to encourage the Ghanaian government to support the just demands of African Americans on the floor of the United Nations!
As salaam u alaikum. I must say that being at the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March and hearing what was demanded is a time of need for the human family. Living in these times of universal injustice only makes me feel as though Imam Al-Maghdi is at our doors. This event revolutionized many people and I already see the work being done in my city. Now sheikh, I have a question, why are so many people against this brother ( Louis Farrakhan). As a muslim here in the west I only see this man on the front line for our people. Although I take nothing away from other people yet when it comes to our people I see this man step up to the plate. Why the hate?
As a nation or as a national minority, we have to view all our leaders with the same maturity that Anglo American’s view their leaders. Min Louis Farakhan has been a recognized leader of a large segment of the African American national minority since the year I was born in 1959; and we have to be politically mature enough to acknowledge that. His recognition as one of our genuine leaders has been openly acknowledged by the leaders and governments of many foreign states. Political maturity means that you first recognize yourself, your culture, your spirituality and then recognize others. Recognition in international law has political implications because it defines and delineates the ethnic, linguistic, religious and cultural distinction of every people; and demands that this recognition be defined in law, education and social mores. These then require the implementation of special measures designed to maintain these diverse distinctions. As a people we have to be mature enough to see the national utility of benefitting from all sectors of our societies; regardless of our linguistic, religious or sectarian differences.
Min Farakhan was the leading voice and representative of a Black Muslim organization that had prosperous business ventures in all the major cities of the United States. They were doing international trade, using their own nationally owned jets, conducting commerce with Japan, South Korea, Peru and Morocco. More importantly, they were creating jobs and employment in segments of the American population that were the most under employed = the Black Belt.
Min. Farakhan became the international voice for a religious and business organization that was operating competently enough to gain interest free loans from sovereign states; and honored these international loans by having them paid back on time.
If we define the American dream as being able to pick yourself up by your own shoelaces; and then work diligently to be financially independent; then the Nation of Islam during the early to mid 70s was the American Dream realized in a Black context. At that vital time, the most consistent, and ecclesiastical voice of the NOI, and indeed a large segment of the African American national minority, was that of Min Louis Farakhan.
The problem with the African American, which is the same problem of the African globally; and I would add, has been what the Arabic defines as ‘ifaa’ (an innate destructive quality unique to that people) – has been the worship and deification of our leaders. It goes back to our rule in Ancient Kemit, and since then we havent been able to get it right.
Today, Min Farakhan is one of many vital leaders and representatives of the African American national minority or nation. He is as vital to the Diasporan Africa communities; as Andrew Jackson or Theodore Roosevelt was to the American enterprise.
BUT, I can say that, and do, for every legitimate African American leader that represents any segment or element of our ethnicity, our linguistics, our spirituality, our literary, our artistic, economic and political life.
As for the imminence of al-Mahdi; you may well be right. But, I believe it is going to get worse, darker until the human project is completely imperaled and those who believe that we are animals or worse and must live by our basic instincts; will nearly prevail. It is then that al-Mahdi will appear; followed by the paranormal period of Dajjal; then the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary will descend, rescind magic and be an equitable judge. Until then, I am afraid the people of Allah will come under dire constriction and persecution. It reminds of that song by the Last Poets called Be Yond Er.
Here are the lyrics…
I transcribed it from the Last Poet’s BeYonDer. The song is divided into thre parts The first part Be follows:
First day, last night
beginning of the End of the Twiglight flight
Spring came but it was’nt the same
all the animals could sense something was wrong
…there had been drought and then a flood
and the floors didnt bud…
and the ground hog shadow was too long!
First day, last night
beginning of the End of the Twiglight flight
The winter had caused
deep within the land
Leaving the earth barren and bare
The soik coulkd no longer yield
the vast stae of the fields
it had yielded in the previous years!
First day, last night
beginning of the End of the Twiglight flight
A strange sky hung over head
tinted of copper crimson red
streaked with jagged shades of black
the horizon seemed to absorb it
suspending the sun from its orbit
while from the ground
it appeared to be cracked!
First day, last night
beginning of the End of the Twiglight flight
Dense blankets of smog
hovered over each city like fog
Making the clouds appear dull and grey
None of the birds had returned
from their winter sourjourn
to welcome the strange spring day
First day, last night
beginning of the End of the Twiglight flight
The fixed stars and constelation
had amored from their fixations
and altered their shapes and course
Time stood still
Motion was nill
…and mankind was at a loss!
First day, last night
beginning of the End of the Twiglight flight
Each month had grown shorter
by the lunar quarter
and the rain no longer fell
The moon’s pull became stronger
as the nights grew longer
…and the days seemed like hell!
First day, last night
beginning of the End of the Twiglight flight
The world was in a perpetual state of roar
and had lost track of the score
in the struggle between the weak and the strong
the conflict had been intense
and filled with its gross violence
with the righteous in the opposition to the wrong!
First day, last night
beginning of the End of the Twiglight flight
There was rapings and looting
violence and shootings
…til the blood ran red in the streets
discord and strife had become a way of life
and each episode was all repeats!
First day, last night
beginning of the End of the Twiglight flight
Soon the distant grumbling
of mountains crumbling
could be heard from miles around
and the splitting of turf
caused by cracks in the earth
made a deafening roaring sound!
First day, last night
beginning of the End of the Twiglight flight
Then the seas began to boil
and thrash about in turmoil
flooding all the surrounding terrain
this caused the poles to shift
and set icebergs adrift
blockading world shipping lanes!
First day, last night
beginning of the End of the Twiglight flight
Volcanic eruption
then belched forth destruction
and wild animals fled in fright
tropical islands split bit by bit
and desserts froze over night
Forest fires blazed
and cities were razed
earthquakes cyclones and hail
tidal waves and typhoons
accompanying flash flooding monsoons
along with hurricanes tornadoes and gales
Fish by the score
was washed upon the shores
and was scorched as they lay in the sand
and all the insects had gathered
as if nothing else mattered
and began to ravage the land
Rats ran in packs
staging raids and attacks
upon anything eatable they could find
panic and hysteria
spread along with plague and bacteria
to unleash an epidemic upon mankind!
First day, last night
beginning of the End of the Twiglight flight
Corpses piled high
beneath the copper crimson sky
till the stench rose above the clouds
a scavenger feast
upon the remains of the deceased
were enacted by the starved crazed crowd!
First day, last night
beginning of the End of the Twiglight flight
Men staggered about as if drunk
with their minds defunct
while their women swoon and swayed
sinners lamented,
hypocrites repented
and a handful of the righteous prayed
First day, last night
beginning of the End of the Twiglight flight
Reality became distorted
expecting mothers aborted
and all the children’s hair turned to grey
salt tasted sweet
in the sweltering heat
…and you couldn’t tell the night from the day
I will, Allah willing, post the remainder of the lyrics to BeYondEr by the Last Poets in the poetry section…