The Nation of Islam; A concise history; A true account

But there is an equal and plausible contention, that Ali may have received his Islamic worldview from the Masonic school of thought—the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (the African American Shrine Organization) was founded in 1893 and the belief is that Drew Ali was actually initiated in the 32nd Degree and 33rd degree of Freemasonry, as well as initiated in the Mystic Shrine and this is where he received some of his knowledge relative to Islam. The Moorish Science Temple philosophy does have some similarities to the Speculative side of Shrine Masonry. Ali authored a book titled, "The Circle Seven: Holy Koran" there is little doubt that this book was inspired by Masonic Speculative philosophy and at the same time Ali was accused of plagiarizing the "Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ". written by Levi H. Dowling. (Reference: Peter Lamborn Wilson: Sacred Essays on the Margins of Islam).

Noble Drew Ali's slave name was Timothy Drew, but he eventually adopted Abdul Sharrieff Ali as his Islamic attribute---holy name. The title Noble is a titled that Shrine Masonry uses to refer to brothers that have been initiated into the Mystic Shrine. Ali is of interest for a number of reasons; he so-called received an official governmental character from President Woodrow Wilson, recognizing the Moorish Science Temple of America as s sovereign Islamic group and recognized that black Americans had a duly legalized nationality called Moorish Americans. This nationality or racial/ethnic recognition according to Ali afforded blacks certain legal and constitutional rights and even recognition within United Nations based on blacks' linage being tied to the Moors of Africa. (Reference: Robert L. Uzzel, "The Moorish Science Temple: A Religion Influenced by Prince Hall Masonry").

The Moors of North Africa had a splendid and glorious history, where Tarik Ibn Zaid in the 8th Century took civilization to Europe who were experiencing the Dark Ages. Some argue that W.F. Muhammad and Elijah Muhammad borrowed a lot of its teachings and theology from Ali and the Moorish Science Temple. Ali was murdered in 1929 and his organization, yet still around, but has not risen to the status of its former glory. (Reference: John G. Jackson and Willis N. Huggins; "A Guide to Studies in African History).

Also, there was Marcus Mosiah Garvey, a Jamaican immigrant who came to America in 1914 and who studied Islam and Pan Africanism under an Egyptian scholar who lived in London named Duce Muhammad Ali and eventually founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Garvey was inspired by Booker T. Washington, the founder of Tuskegee Institute who preached self-reliance and the importance of blacks embracing vocational and technical training over a classical liberal arts education (Reference: Fahim Knight: Article; "W.E.B DUBOIS AND BOOKER T. WASHINGTON: THE GREAT DEBATE" ).

Garvey at the peak and height of the UNIA movement, it was recorded that he led the largest mass movement of blacks—five million, in the history of black America. Garvey did not teach Islam, but he taught Pan-Africanism and Black Nationalism. He popularized the Back-to-Africa movement; although there were others such as Paul Cufee, Martin Delaney, George Padmore, Henry Highland Garnett, Bishop McNeil Turner, etc., that had advocated this type of African nationalism some years before Marcus Garvey.(Reference: Edmund David Cronon, "The Black Moses: The Story of Marcus Garvey and the Negro Improvement Association").

Some historians make claim that Elijah Muhammad was a member in both the UNIA and the Moorish Science Temple of America. This writer has not fully substantiated such claims. However, there is no doubt that Nation of Islam borrowed some of the Nationalism concepts from these two fore-organizations. Garvey taught "Africa for the Africans at home and abroad" and called for African unity under the banner of "One God, One Aim, and One Destiny". Garvey purchased ships with the intent of engaging in trade and commerce with Africa. He also was in discussion with the Liberian Government for acquiring land for which to relocate black Americans. (Reference: Amy Jacques-Garvey; "Philosophy and opinions of Marcus Garvey").

The Federal Bureau of Investigation worked to sabotage Garvey and his UNIA movement. It was a young federal agent named J. Edgar Hoover in the 1920s who worked to prosecute Garvey of mail fraud. Elijah Muhammad taught a religious nationalism that also called for worldwide black unity under the banner of Islam. He also advocated that blacks pursue political, economic and social independence from the dominant white society. He advocated self-reliance above all else and preached thriftiness and the importance of doing-for-self. Muhammad's bootstrapped philosophy resonated with a lot of poor and oppressed blacks in the 1950s and 1960s. Thus, it was not until Minister Malcolm X began to preach and it was his efforts that led to attracting middle class and educated blacks to the Nation of Islam. Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes spearhead a documentary titled, "The Hate, that Hate Produced" and it was this program aired in the early 1960s that brought the Nation of Islam to the national attention of white America. (Reference: Fahim Knight; "In Defense of the Defender: The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad").

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