Posted on 01/23/2005 1:23:04 PM PST by Land_of_Lincoln_John
CAIRO , January 23 (IslamOnline.net) – A perusal through the annals of American history brings back bittersweet memories for African American Muslims, who pride themselves on being the indigenous people of this country and lament the loss of the Islamic heritage throughout ages.
“Not only were there African Muslims who were here in America as explorers before Christopher Columbus, but a third of the African slaves who were brought here during the slave trade were Muslims,” Imam Al-Hajj Talib Abdur-Rashid told The Seattle Times Saturday, January 22.
“We, the indigenous Muslims of America, particularly the African Americans, are still waking up from a 400-year coma.”
Abdur-Rashid acrimoniously recalled how his Muslim ancestors were brought to America as slaves and forced to convert to Christianity.
“We suffered psychic and blunt-force trauma to the head, and forgot everything, including who we are and what we are. We were told, 'Your name is not Ahmed, your name is Charlie. You don't worship Allah. You worship Jesus,'” he told the paper.
“But this could not erase the genetic code. So lo (sic) and behold, 400 years later ... our historical memory as Muslims is being rebooted,” added Abdur-Rashid, who was born a Baptist.
Stereotypes
Many African American Muslims further decry the prevailing stereotypes that their community was mainly made up of criminals, as some of them embrace Islam in prison.
“I have never been in prison except in my work as a chaplain,” said Abdur-Rashid.
“And I have people in leadership in my mosque who are college professors, and I also have people who are ex-offenders.”
African American Muslims also feel offended by affiliating the whole community with the Nation of Islam, especially that estimates showed that only a few thousands of some two million African American Muslims follow the group’s tenets.
Leading Muslim scholars have ruled that “the teachings of the Nation of Islam were extremely far from mainstream Islam in many matters especially those of doctrine”.
The Seattle Times said that the community is keen on playing an active role in developing American society.
It cited one of their famous mosques, the Islamic Brotherhood in New York, as a case in point with boy scout meetings, breast-cancer fund-raising and programs to combat AIDS and homelessness.
“Many here see Islam not just as a path to salvation but also as a social-action program and an authentic expression of black American identity,” the paper commented.
Marginalized
Many African American Muslims also complain about being marginalized not only by American society but, alas, by Muslim immigrants from Arab and southeast Asian countries.
“We are the single largest Muslim community in America . Yet the media often relegates us to the margins,” said Amir Al-Islam, a professor of Islamic Studies at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York.
He further regretted that other Muslim communities in the States treat African American Muslims as less authentic despite the fact that they have been practicing Islam for decades in the country.
“Muslim organizations from the immigrant community often view us as new Muslims who are seen as not proficient in the Islamic canons and, therefore, lacking in authenticity,” Al-Islam told the paper.
Abdur-Rashid added that the marginalization of his community was very much evident in the presidential election.
A number of major US Muslim groups gave a “qualified endorsement” to Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry, calling on Muslims to vote for him.
“There was no consultation whatsoever with those of us who have any history in this land. And then, to project their collective decision as representative of all Muslims in America was an insult,” Abdur-Rashid said.
“As Ralph Ellison would say, we are the invisible Muslims in this country,” Al-Islam concluded.
Perhaps I scared him away when I did not prove to be the snarling bigot he apparently expected.
Do come back, Imam. There are some of us here who are quite sincere in our interest in your answers to our quesions.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/8919/nama2.htm
Don't know why the site didn't come up on the previous post.
Heh. Right! ;-P
The history of the Olmecs was interesting, apparently their religion handed down the great religious practice of live human sacrifice and the Aztecs carried on this great tradition. When the Conquistadors arrived and saw their barbaric practices, they converted them to Christianity and demolished their culture, can't say that I blame them.
Why would anyone want to claim a kinship with that?
I'm assuming he has evidence of both claims, but I won't hold my breath waiting.
Regarding pre-Columbian Muslim maps of the Americas, try Al-Masudi's map of the world, reproduced in the book "Atlas of the History of Islam" by Dr. Hussain Mones, also what is called the "Piris Re'is Map", drawn after Columbus (in 1513) but from earlier maps found in the Library of Alexandria, by the Turkish admiral Piri Re'is. This is a map that depicts fairly accurate latitudinal and longitudinal relationships between the Atlantic coastlines of Africa and South America, even though Europeans only achieved the reading of longitude in the 18th century.Yes there are pre-Columbian Muslim texts, most particularly of West African origin, but I'd have to see if there are any internet links that you could access. I am a book and library research person primarily, and I have already posted a few titles that one can buy from bookstores or obtain in libraries.
So there you are -enjoy your reading and research
Good morning,
You see, there are many of us who want civil discourse. I am glad you gave Free Republic a chance. Maybe you will learn to understand our point of view.
By the way, it would be courteous of you to respond to my post.
Good morning to you, and I do understand your "point of view". I just don't agree with it. Also, I did respond privately to a couple of e-mails from you, as a matter of courtesy. You didn't receive it?
No, it's bigotry, plain and simple.
We have a very small hate group of bigots here who chat to each other. They're always shown to be frightened and stupid- so it really does no harm to have them.
BTW: The Autobiography of Nicholas Said is online. What a fascinating life.
My routine is to read the posts and check the forums first, I read my private mail last. I did read your message after your above post alluded to it. Thank you for your response and clarification.
>> We, the indigenous Muslims of America, particularly the African Americans, are still waking up from a 400-year coma.
They sure have been hitting the snooze button for quite some time....
>> “I have never been in prison except in my work as a chaplain,” said Abdur-Rashid.
Unintentionally hilarious quote.
... Also, what remains to be seen is will people give ME a chance when I point out things that they are unfamiliar to them, without immediately jumping to ridicule, disbelief, and disdain? We are ALL very familiar with what appears here in the name of history, because we were and are all taught the same thing in the school system -public or private. I'm dealing with areas that were and are not commonly taught, as I indicated to you in that e-mail. That is an indictment mot against average Americans, but against am educational system that distorts history of people other than those of White, Christian, Anglo origins. But when I make comments about MY history (which is how this whole thread started)as an African American, as the result of years of pain-staking research, and people ridicule that without putting in a 1/100th of the time or effort that I have, than how would one expect for me to respond, you see? Put the shoe on the other foot and perhaps you will understand what I mean. And another thing, when you refer to "our" history as you did in an earlier post,do you mean AMERICAN history,or WHITE American history, you see? The point that I'm making is that AMERICAN history is a history of MANY people, of various faiths and origins, and not just ONE people,faith or origin. Anyone who will take the time to do some serious research ,will see that we have ALL been bamboozled when it somes to American history, often times. The difference is that I know that I was at one time, and apparently some of you here aren't even willing to entertain the possibility, which is..unfortunate.
have a good day, "peace out".
Yes, it is. An African pf Muslim origins who was a free man, who volunteered to fight in the Union army during the Civil War -fascinating stuff,
Glad to hear it and you are welcome
I agree with you
I guess. What I was saying is that I have never personally been incarcerated but I have worked in prisons for many years.
Good day to all
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