Caption from poster__

 

 

 

Islam in America

 

In the name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

 

 

Muslims have been part of American history since pre-Columbus times.
Indeed, early explorers used maps that were derived from the work of 
Muslims, with their advanced geographical and navigational information
of the time. Some scholars estimate that 10-20 percent of the slaves
brought over from Africa were Muslims. The film "Amistad"  alluded to

this fact, portraying Muslims aboard this slave vessel trying to perform 

their prayers, while chained together on deck as they crossed the

Atlantic.Personal narratives   Omar Ibn Said (ca. 1770-1864) was born

in the Muslim state of Futa Toro in Western Africa, in present-day 

Senegal. He was a Muslim scholar and trader who was captured and 

enslaved. He arrived in South Carolina in 1807, and was soldto James

Owen of North Carolina.  Sali-Bul Ali was a slave on a plantation.  His 

owner James Cooper wrote: "He is a  strict Mahometan (sic); abstains 

from spirituous liquors, and keeps various fasts, particularly that of the

Ramadan..." Lamen Kebe was a slave who used to be a school teacher

in Africa. He shared information about the texts and teaching methods

used in the Islamic schools of his country.  Abdul Rahman Ibrahim Sori

spent 40 years in slavery before he returned to Africa to die. He wrote

two autobiographies, and signed a charcoal sketch of himself by Henry

Inman, which was featured on the cover of "Freedman's Journal" and is

on display in the Library of Congress.  Many of the Muslim slaves were

encouraged or forced to convert to Christianity. Many of the first-generat-

ion slaves retained much of their Muslim identity, but under the harsh

slavery conditions this identity was largely lost
 
Most people, when they think of African-American Muslims, think of the 

"Nation of Islam." Certainly, there is an historical importance to how Islam

took hold among African-Americans, but we will see how this initial intro-

duction transformed in modern times.  Among the reasons why African-

Americans have been and continue to be drawn to Islam are 1) the Islamic

heritage of West Africa from where many of their ancestors had come; and

2) the absence of racism in Islam in contrast to the brutal and racist enslave-

ment they had endured.  In the early 1900s, a few black leaders strived to 

help the recently-freed African slaves regain a sense of self-esteem and

reclaim their heritage. Noble Drew Ali started a black nationalist community,

the Moorish Science Temple, in New Jersey in 1913. After his death, some

of his followers turned to Wallace Fard, who founded the Lost-Found Nation

of Islam in Detroit in 1930. Fard was a mysterious figure who declared that

Islam is the natural religion for Africans, but did not emphasize the orthodox

teachings of the faith. Instead, he preached black nationalism, with a 

revisionist mythology explaining the historical oppression of the black

people. Many of his teachings directly contradicted the true faith of Islam. 

In 1934, Fard disappeared and Elijah Muhammed took over the leadership

of the Nation of Islam.Fard became a "Savior" figure, and followers be-

lieved that he was Allah in the flesh on earth. The poverty and racism 

rampant in the urban northern states made his message about black 

superiority and "white devils more widely accepted. His follower 

Malcolm X became a public figure during the 1960s, although he 

separated himself from the Nation of Islam before his death in 

1965.  Muslims look to Malcolm X  (later known as Al-Hajj Malik 

Shabaaz) as an example of one who, at the end of his life, rejected the

racially-divisive teachings of the Nation of Islam and embraced the true

brotherhood of Islam.  His letter from Mecca, written during his pilgrimage,

shows the transformation that had taken place. As we shall see shortly,

most African-Americans have made this transition as well, leaving behind

the "black nationalist" Islamic organizations to enter the worldwide brother-

hood of Islam.