When it Comes to Role Models, Allah Knows Best

Area Muslims are planning to join hands with renowned Jew-hater and race-baiter Louis Farrakhan.

According to today's Detroit News, (“Imam accepts Farrakhan's invitation to give sermon in Detroit today”):

The Islamic Society of North America, which represents orthodox, mostly immigrant Muslims, will join ailing Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan this weekend in Detroit at what is billed as his final major address.

Imam Siraj Wahhaj, a longtime member of the Islamic Society, said he has accepted Farrakhan's invitation to give a sermon at prayers today, two days before the minister's Sunday speech at Ford Field, the Islamic Society said from its headquarters in Plainfield, Ind.

The Islamic Society's participation is significant because mainstream Muslims have considered the Nation heretical. Among their many differences, the Nation has promoted black supremacy, while mainstream Islam teaches racial unity. However, in recent years Farrakhan has adopted more orthodox teachings and has tried to build ties with other Muslims.

It’s no wonder that mainstream Muslims have considered the NOI heretical, in view of the NOI’s other distinctive views that:

· African-Americans are God's chosen people.
· African-Americans should live separately from whites.
· Allah appeared on Earth in the form of W. Fard Muhammad in 1930.
· They do not believe in war or that they should be forced to participate in wars.

It is also fundamental NOI doctrine that “Yakub, a black scientist, created the white race 6,000 years ago.” I won't even get into the whole spaceship thing. I did think that was a nice touch how Detroit News writer Gregg Krupa summarizes the differences between the NOI and orthodox Islam as NOI promoting black supremacy, "while mainstream Islam teaches racial unity." That sounds like Islam in a nutshell to me.

The Islamic Society of North America’s website gave this explanation for cooperating in all of this, (“ISNA ACCEPTS MINISTER FARRAKHAN’S INVITATION”):

Commenting on this historic event, Imam Siraj Wahhaj, a long standing member of ISNA, emphasized that Islam’s mission to humanity “is to call to the path of God, with 'wisdom and beautiful preaching'.” God makes clear, he said, that He responds to those who take one step toward Him by taking several toward them; and that He is best at distinguishing between those who stray and those who are righteous. He went on to say: "To that end and after taking naseehah (consultation) with Muslim leaders of the Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah in America generally. . .I have chosen to accept the Minister's invitation to deliver the Khutbat al-Jum'ah (Friday worship sermon). We pray that nothing but good will come from it."

And Allah knows best.

But I don’t mean to be too hard on Muslims for being ecumenical towards the NOI, because at least they all acknowledge the Koran, and believe that there is no God but Allah. (Although NOI believes the black race gave birth to Allah 6,000 years ago, and He is the mightiest God since creation born after Yakub.)

What is more perplexing to me, and I commented on it earlier in the week, is the swooning that strikes Detroit’s black leaders at the mention of Farrakhan’s name, including nonMuslim, black Christian leaders. For instance, there's the Rev. Sam Bullock, president of the Council of Baptist Pastors, who appeared at the NOI press conference last week announcing this weekend’s annual NOI convention, saying "we seek to move beyond our theology and embrace our humanity, this event is significant because this is the birthplace of the Nation of Islam."

Black politicans can't get enough of the Minister, (all his fans call him "Minister"), like Detroit City Councilwoman JoAnn Watson calling Farrakhan a “role model,” (“After Farrakhan, who will fill void?”), and Councilwoman Monica Conyers giving the NOI credit for the re-election of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

Among role model Farrakhan’s more edifying statements have been a description of Judaism as "a gutter religion", characterising Christianity as an oppressive faith linked to the slavery of black people and calling Adolf Hitler "great", although he said later that he had meant "wickedly great".

After Hurricane Katrina, he also told his followers “levees in New Orleans may have been deliberately 'blown up' to kill the city's black population.”

We’re so lucky to have him.