Similarities & Differences

Music: Come Fly With Me - Foxy & Sizzla Kalonji

Peace,

First, I want to give kudos to my brother Khalik Allah for completing his short film "The Absorption Of Light". The film is very well produced, and chronicles to process of self-development within our Culture. If you're interested, please hit me and I can get you one.

The second thing I want to discuss is my brother Sha-King's recent blog on his perspective of farad Muhammad, and the resulting conversation and dialogue. I am aware that MFM is respected as Allah to the NOI, and they are understandably protective of his history and legacy. From a research perspective, it is very difficult to get accurate background info that can be corroborated by more than one source. While I don't buy the FBI's info on MFM, I also can't blindly accept the story of him being born in Mecca to a mother named Baby G and a father named Alphonso (which interestingly enough means "noble" in German, and was used for over 1300 years in Spain). One of the positive impressions that the NOI did leave on the NGE was that of research and evaluation, and even the story of MFM is subject to that rigor.

There's also the point of the relationship between the NOI and the NGE. Extremists on both side paint a picture that obscures the true history between us. As foolish as it would be to say that the NGE did not develop out of the NOI, it would also be foolish to ignore the reality of the differences in our respective worldviews. In a way that is not dissimilar to Rastafarians and Christians, we could use the same words and have the same books, b.u.t. use them in totally different ways. Allah as we understand him held Elijah and Farad in high regard, b.u.t. did not worship either of them, as he understood that the greatest power is the developed power within self. That difference is substantial as it relates the the worldviews between the NGE and the NOI.

There's also a difference in the development of our value system. The NOI defines itself as an Islamic community, while the NGE does not. Discrepancies and arguments on this issue aside, we see the world differently based upon this development. It is true that the NGE & the NOI have much in common, and and many current members of both communities were once adherents to the other. What we share primarily is the use of what is commonly called "the lessons", a historical dialogue between Elijah Muhammad and Master Farad Muhammad. Although we both use them, the manner in which we use them is strikingly dissimilar. In another post, I'll discuss this at length. At best, we should be able to come together to celebrate our similarities and respect our differences. Many of us are working together in our communities for the common goal of the Growth & Development of our people. For example, the minister of Mosque #22, Jasiri Muhammad & I work together on a number of projects in the community for the good of the youth. If we employ honest respect for our similarities and differences, we can go beyond bickering and pot-shots and build for the common good.