Was reading an article about Muhammad Ali Clay (famous boxer)…
When he accepted Islam and announced it, a journalist asked ‘Have you really become a Muslim’. When he confirmed by saying yes, the journalist said with contempt ‘Oh! a black Muslim’. In reply Clay asked a question that is also my question here ‘why don’t you use terms like Black Jew and Black Christian?’
After 9/11 incident, when Clay went to visit a gathering for solidarity of those who lost their lives and dear ones in the incident, he was asked ’ How do you feel sharing religion with terrorists?'. His reply was ‘How do you feel sharing religion with Hitlor?’
it's because most blacks belong to a cult, Nation of Islam, founded by Alijah MoHammd which is totally different Islam...some even consider him as a prophet/messiah/mehdi...for instance, they fast in the month of December, they have priesthood and they do NOT even pray like most Muslims pray...they are NOT allowed to perform Haj...Malcome X was part of this cult and when he performed Hajj and renouced Alijah MoHammad, he was assassinated.
prolly, the reporter meant that by asking that question.
btw, there are black Jew from Ethiopia. They call them by that name and there was a controversy when Israel took a large number of Ethiopian Jews and forcing them to do the menial and dirty jobs in Israel.
Aligning himself with the Nation of Islam, its leader Elijah Muhammad and a pseudo-history that labeled the white race as the perpetrator of genocide against African Americans made Ali a target of public condemnation. The NOI was widely viewed by whites and even some African Americans as a “hate religion” with a tendency toward violence, and Ali had few qualms about using his influential voice to speak NOI doctrine. For example, Ali once stated, in relation to integration: “We who follow the teachings of Elijah Muhammad don’t want to be forced to integrate. Integration is wrong. We don’t want to live with the white man; that’s all.”[SUP][65]](Muhammad Ali - Wikipedia)[/SUP] And in relation to inter-racial marriage: “No intelligent black man or black woman in his or her right black mind wants white boys and white girls coming to their homes to marry their black sons and daughters.”[SUP][65]](Muhammad Ali - Wikipedia)[/SUP] Indeed, Ali’s religious beliefs at the time included the notion that the white man was “the devil” and that white people were not “righteous.”
There are many African Americans who pretend to be Muslims to dupe other Muslims. Their purpose is only to get different favors. They don't hesitate to indulge in criminal activities like stealing stuff from mosques etc.
Ali the Boxer became Muslim at the time when Black social rights movement was at its peak. Blacks were demanding justice and equality. Islam provided them a way to show their opposition to White rule. This is why many converted at that time.
But in reality, the Black society will not accept Islam's taboos on sex and drugs.
There are many African Americans who pretend to be Muslims to dupe other Muslims. Their purpose is only to get different favors. They don't hesitate to indulge in criminal activities like stealing stuff from mosques etc.
Ali the Boxer became Muslim at the time when Black social rights movement was at its peak. Blacks were demanding justice and equality. Islam provided them a way to show their opposition to White rule. This is why many converted at that time.
But in reality, the Black society will not accept Islam's taboos on sex and drugs.
yes the concept of nations of Islam seems quite controversial, but Clay's statements as mentioned in OP that there are people who connect everything controversial with religion
Sorry. In the first paragraph above, I was not talking about Nation of Islam. Rather it was about common mosques being run by immigrants from Pakistan and other Muslim countries.
One of my friend tried to befriend a few Black "Muslims" but soon realized why it is better to keep the distance. Most of them come from the lowest levels of American society totally engulfed in sex, violence and drugs.
I can't say above about Ali the Boxer though. He is not from Nation of Islam and he has left the 'neighborhood' far behind. But there are not many folks like him among African-American Muslims.
