Malcolm X Reading, Muslim Conferences, and The Loss of a President
Malcom X Reading
As a teenage high school student, I was captivated by the Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley. The book was so influential to me, and I was so inspired by Malcolm’s tale of hajj that I immediately began researching how to convert to Islam. This isn’t something unique to me. Many thousands of young Americans converted to Islam during this period due to the rekindling of interest in Malcolm as a result of the anticipation of the X film by Spike Lee, New York-based rappers peppering lyrics with phrases from Malcolm, prominent displays of the autobiography in bookstores, and the popularity of Malcolm X themed clothing. This is a common conversion story for my generation.
As I’ve aged, it has become clear to me that Malcolm is a lot like Jesus. Everyone claims him and their version of Malcolm is in line with their way of thinking. Malcolm was a conservative advocating self-help, Malcom was a Pan-African Third World revolutionary influenced by Marxist ideas, Malcolm was a Black Nationalist, Malcom was moving towards the Civil Rights Movement and the politics of Dr. King after hajj, and all of these are just the political aspects of Malcom. Muslims claim he was evolving towards their position and if alive he would’ve been an advocate of the Salafi dawah, joined a West African Sufi tariqa, joined Khomeini in the Iranian Revolution, been an inner-city Sunni imam like Siraj Wahhaj and Sheikh Abdul-Rahman Basir, started his own jamaat like Yahya Abdul-Karim and later Jamil al-Amin (H. Rap Brown), or become a religious leader merging the American, Muslim, and Black sensibilities like Imam Warith-deen Mohammed.
The sad truth is Malcolm died at the age of 39 and he was evolving both politically and religiously and no one knows where he would’ve ended up. Any of these answers and descriptions could be right; but there is a greater chance probably all wrong. It’s the theatre of the unknown.
What is known is this. The Autobiography is an American classic and a great book, but not the best transmitter of history. It’s a promotional book that one would write about their self, free of self-criticism, messy timeline events, and facts interfering with building a narrative conducive to future plans. The book is inspirational. Not the best teacher of history.
For real Malcolm history I will recommend Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable, The Dead Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les and Tamara Payne, and the book I’m currently reading which is Malcom Before X by Patrick Parr. Malcom Before X begins with the known ancestors of Malcolm, takes us to his parents meeting and marrying in Montreal, Canada, his tumultuous childhood, his youth in crime, petty jobs, entertainment, and womanizing, and his time in prison. I recommend all three books for a sober look at the man, his history, and his legacy.
Our heroes are human.
Competing Muslim Conferences
The business of Islam in America was booming over the holiday season, small fortunes were there to be made, and romance was in the air. The more Sufi-minded headed north of the (current) border to Toronto for the RIS Convention (Reviving the Islamic Spirit) while rappers, singers, entertainers, singles ready to mingle, and A-list celebrity imams found their way to MAS-ICNA in Chicago which is essentially like a big party and halal cookout with a heavy dose of Ikhwani politics and a minor dose of religion.
Of more interest in Chicago was the side conference held by MANA featuring Black Muslim community leaders from throughout America. Important topics were discussed and let’s hope this was the beginning of many fruitful relationships. These panels were made up of people with a fealty to Sunni Islamic orthodoxy who realize the need for localized mentorship and structure to address pressing community needs. A Black man in Chicago cannot go to Karachi or Riyadh and give sound advice on how to address the needs of people (although Western NGOs and foreign ministries certainly try), and we have learned in America that the reverse is certainly true.
Less publicized was the annual Salafi conference in Philadelphia which took over the city. Loathed by academics, political activists, celebrity imams, and let’s be honest-most Muslims, The Salafi Dawah has a staying power in the Black Muslim community in particular. For some it may be harmful, but for many it saves their lives and gives them the structure and guidance they need. The other side of the coin- in the spirit of Malcolm, Salafis (as well as grassroots Sunni and Sufi jamaats) go to the community and in the prisons to reach and teach those no one in society wants. Men who have been discarded by the American mainstream, faced racism by some, scorned as the holders of toxic masculinity by others, and unwelcomed in most masjids and unable to fill the coffers of celebrity imams and Muslim businesses. Check out these amazing photos from the conference.
Jimmy Carter Dies
President Jimmy Carter passed away at 100. Is he the last of the progressive evangelicals? That is certainly an overstatement; but there is an increasing religion-divide in American politics. The better question is could Jimmy Carter get nominated on the top of a Democratic presidential ticket in 2028 and the answer is most certainly no. My memories of Carter are vague as I was six when he left office. I do vividly remember Ms. Shields conducting a mock election in my kindergarten class and Carer won the 1980 election in a landslide. He certainly couldn’t blame the students at the long since closed Desmet Elementary for his loss!
Note on Elon and Vivek vs. MAGA
The Elon/Vivek vs. MAGA discussion really has no good guys. The MAGA base correctly notes that tech companies want to hire foreign workers in order to pay them less than Americans. This is accurate and can be extended to the gig economy and the large pool of immigrant labor catering to the needs of the urban financial elite. The signs in gentrified neighborhoods shouldn’t read “in this house we believe no human is illegal” the sign should read “in this house we believe in saving money on labor".
The flipside is of course Elon and Vivek are right. There are some wonderful things about American culture. The creative spirit, the impulse to improve, sports and entertainment that dominate the world, and so much more. We also have some real problems in society stemming from the collapse of the family and traditional values, drugs, crime, violence, mental instability, therapy, and more and those negatively affected by these trends may not be the best employees. Just sayin’! If your kid went to an SEC school in order to binge drink at football games and clap cheeks with frat boys (while probably getting a degree in a useless major) she may not be as valuable in the job market as a STEM grad who chose her school based on the academic offerings and used college as an opportunity to learn.