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.
I'm at work now...I'll weigh in later. But I'm not really uptight about this, I'm very calm person...please, however, direct me to those readings.
I'm curious what you make of these articles:
Mariyah the Sex Slave of the holy Prophet
Safiyah, the Jewish Wife of Muhammad
Your comments are typically rude and offensive, and you will be given no quarter here. Some of us are VERY interested in what muslims have to say, because it often indicates a deep-rooted hatred for our freedoms, those same freedoms that islamic terrorists use to try and destroy us.
You are the one who is in for a rude awakening one day. Americans will not put up with their values and freedoms being subverted by satanic cults. May one day you be led to the one true God. I will pray for your people.
"Muslims generally avoided selling other Muslims as slaves, especially to infidels..."
I suppose it all depends upon what you mean by 'generally' - if you read Velikovsky's words again, you will find that conversion to islam was used simply as a method to get them to go quietly to Mecca as a part of their devotion to their new 'religion' - where they were sold as slaves, muslim or not.
Let me draw your attention to a little known fact about what is going on in Sudan. Many of the villagers slaughtered by the arabs are also converts to islam. I saw a TV documentary that showed a village in the aftermath of an attack and was shocked when I saw the few remaining defenders take out their prayer rugs and pray to allah.
If you believe islam doesn't kill or sell muslims as slaves, I think it might be you have not taken into account that arabs believe the black man is good for nothing but slavery.
Conversion to islam has done nothing to save the black convert's life, historically.
The photo does now! I'm awaiting the Imam's reply to my request for documentation of his claims African Muslims traveled to America before Columbus. The original article (this seems to have been a cut and paste job by Islam Online) is here, courtesy of the Seattle Times.
I think the Imam has left the building! heh, heh.
The Olmec civilization ended a 1000 years before Islam.
LOL.. Im waiting for that too... and to see what kind of response it gives to each of the articles in #82.
**Sound of crickets chirping***
There has been speculation that Irish monks, led by St. Brendan, traveled to America in the 5th century. The Irish certainly made it to Iceland.
Let's say St. Brendan did make it to America. Historically (and sociologically) it's unimportant. The Irish didn't stay and didn't go back.
Same with the 11th century Vikings, who certainly made it to what is now Canada. They left a few rune stones, some butternuts. That was their impact on North America. But those trips to "Vinland" were forgotten, outside a few sagas, by history. Europe was unchanged by these few visits, and so was North America.
As for these African voyagers, where is the evidence of their other journeys? Again, the Irish established a small presence in Iceland, and the Vikings settled in Greenland (both facts known to their contemporaries). Did these Africans travel to just America and no where else? What about even trading voyages?
Again, even if they did make it to the New World--but I don't believe they did--it does not matter, because they didn't stay, they didn't change Africa or America. The African journey or journeys were as noticeable as a twig breaking in the center of the Amazon rain forest.
Columbus first trip west, on the other hand, was the most profound event of the last millenium.
The Year China Discovered US: Documentary
This Chinese voyage, which supposedly took place in 1421, fits in the same realm of the Viking trips to Vinland. They didn't stay, the voyage didn't tranform Native American or Chinese culture. Assuming the Chinese did make it here, or course.
This is a very interesting article in relation to our discussion here: Odlly, Islam Online doesn't mention the Imam's pre-Columbus African expeditions to America. The Vikes do warrant a nod in their direction, however.
Ping
Hmmmmm... I think I'll check back on Islam online tomorrow and see who else "discovered America" before Colombus and see if they've mentioned Alien Astronauts yet. ;oP
Filling the heads of Muslims with talk of these "voyages" will make these individuals, in my opinion, less able to function in post-penantentiary life. This is, to use the Imam's words, a "crackpot" theory. And hat other tales are being told?
Finally, there is growing evidence that many prison chaplains are receiving support from the anti-Western Wahhabi sect of Islam--especially in New York state--as you'll read here in a Front Page Magazine article from 2003. Now there is nothing in this article that state our Imam here is receiving Wahhabbi money. If the Imam is going to stick around here, I'd be interested in hearing his opinion on the points I brought up.
I have filed a number of articles under the name of 'funny muzzie history' - re-writing history is a full-time 'profession' for islamic fanatics, as much a part of their addled brains as conspiracy theories.
For example, did you know that Tallahassie was named by muslims? It just had to be, because it's got 'allah' in it!
http://www.islam101.com/history/muslim_us_hist.html
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040416-120208-4455r.htm
Retractions and apologies are being demanded and received.
This is from the official web site of the city of Tallahassee.
"Tallahassee" is an Apalachee Indian word meaning "old town" or "abandoned fields". The Apalachee Indians lived throughout the panhandle from 500 through the 1600s. In 1539, Hernando de Soto spent the first Christmas in the New World in the woods near the present State Capitol. As more Spanish colonists entered the panhandle, disease and fighting reduced their population. The Apalachee Indians left and the area became an abandoned village, thus it was called "Tallahassee".
I'm waiting to hear that the 'man in the moon' markings that are visible to the naked eye actually spell the name of allah...
If the Imam is going to stick around here, I'd be interested in hearing his opinion on the points I brought up.
Me too. I have loads of questions to ask him and articles to draw this attention to for responses but I was waiting to hear a well thought out and reasoned reply to the issues that others have already asked about.
I guess Taliban Abdul Rashid may have conceded though.
He decamped quite a while ago, apparently. Too bad, you are worthy debate opponent and I would have enjoyed seeing you have at it.
LOL! I'm wondering if you know about the popular story that was going around in Islamic circles that Neil Armstrong had converted to Islam after he heard the Islamic "azaan" (call to prayer) on his trip to the moon, and then upon returning to earth decided to covert to Islam.
I heard that story from another "imam" when I was in Indonesia and have seen it time and time again on Islamic net forums. Some of them still truly believe that. LOL.
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