Why is Martin Luther King more celebrated than Malcolm X ?

[Abu Juwairiya]

In keeping with the above theme, I thought I might add the letter below from Martin Luther King written while he was in prison in Birmingham, USA for protesting racist segregation legislation in the American South. The letter is significant in that it shows who King identified as his or the black race's greatest opponent in the struggle for the annihilation of racism using the constitutional way.

'First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely
disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the
regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in

his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Councilor
or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more

devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace
which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the

presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the

goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct

action;” who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable

for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of

time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more

convenient season.” Shallow understanding from people of good

will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from

people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering

than outright rejection.' (Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King)

 

[Aapa]

Assalaam alaikum,

Brother Khalid Yasin in a lecture made an important point. He reminded us that Malcolm X practiced racism until he visited Mecca. He changed his life at that point.

It made me understand that I was mistaken. Yes, Malcolm was a good man but he is not to be worshiped. We need to look at the history of Islam and see the number of pious humans who have dedicated their lives to serve Allah swt.

 

[Abu Juwairiya]

Assalaam alaikum,

Brother Khalid Yasin in a lecture made an important point. He reminded us that Malcolm X practiced racism until he visited Mecca. He changed his life at that point.

It made me understand that I was mistaken. Yes, Malcolm was a good man but he is not to be worshiped. We need to look at the history of Islam and see the number of pious humans who have dedicated their lives to serve Allah swt.

From 1948 until 1964, Malcolm X was a member of the Nation of Islam, a socio-religious organisation/cult that portrayed Whites as a race of devils and black people as divine. The information below I hope will help show what shaped his opinions, perspectives, mindset, outlook and philosophical evaluation of white people in general.

The Nation of Islam's philosophy as stated in its official newspapers, Muhammad Speaks and later the Final Call and their books, is that Allah is a half-black half white man named Wallace Fard [pronounced Far-raad] Muhammad who was born in the Tribe of the Quraish in Makkah from a white mother and a black father in 1877. This way he would be form both races and be accepted by both as well, but due to his father's blackness, he was really a black man. His father was Dr Alfonz and his mother was Baby Jean.

The White race was created 6, 000 years ago as an experiment by a earlier god, Mr Yakub, who lived to the age of 152 years and never saw the full fruits of his work. His disciples continued the experiment until the bleached out white race was created from the other darker skinned people. Unlike the other races, the Whites were either purposefully or by nature evil, devious and cunning.

As they populated the earth and integrated with the rest of the world, chaos enveloped across the globe for the first time, the Non White ruler/s decided they were the problem and exiled them to West Asia, which later became known as Europe. However, God [which one we don't know], sent Prophet Jesus and Moses to them. Moses was the last Prophet sent directly to the white race [Jews], they accepted him and he taught them some civility, but even he had to take measures to protect himself from them every night.

Later Prophet Muhammad came to them as well [but not directly] and he died of a heart condition when he realised they had only 1,400 years to live and would never be reformed. That was the reason the war with the Quraish finally stopped in 630-632.

Finally, in 1914 the 6, 000 year rule of the White race 'officially' ended as the 'Day of Judgement' started and will continue until the end of the world. In 1930 Wallace Fard Muhammad appeared in person as a human being in Detroit and founded some temples. The following year he selected Elijah Poole, a disciple, to be his Messenger. Wallace Fard Muhammad started most of the early programmes in the newly formed 'Nation of Islam', which supplanted Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. in 1934, he disappeared without trace and will return with Elijah Muhammad for the destruction of the world.

Elijah Poole was re-named Elijah Muhammad and remained the Messenger until 1975 when he 'ascended' to the heavens at the age of seventy-seven.

Although Whites are cursed as a race, individuals can be good, be members of the Nation of Islam and be saved from destruction, just as black and darker skinned people can be other than good. However, in general everyone follows their nature and white nature is evil.

Malcolm X believed in the above, at first without question and then with apprehensiveness, as circumstances and confusion entered the equation. By 1964 when he made the pilgrimage to Hajj, his rejection of racism and the Nation of Islam was final and complete.

 

[Abu Juwairiya]

I thought I might add a few things about what both men intended to achieve, had they lived and if certain circumstances had been different. My sources are varied.

MLK said that if JFK had lived to see the 1964 election, he might actually have voted for him.

Malcolm X had aspired to perform the Hajj a second time.

MLK had wanted to form closer links with other groups and organisations he had previously rejected. They included the NOI (especially since Muhammad Ali the boxer as then a new member and was easier to talk to and work with).

Malcolm X wanted to form some form of alliance to take on the Black Mafia in the American ghettoes. His aims included erasing or at least reducing the drug supply to the average black man and woman there. He wanted to cut the source of drugs from its roots and that meant removing the black arm of the mafia; that is the polished wealthy and dapper suited black men who worked for the official mafia itself in America.

MLK wanted to work with more socio political organisations outside of civil rights and during the last week of his life was to march for better conditions and respect for a group of workers for employment rights.

Malcolm X was due to relinquish his American citizenship and work abroad. He felt his services could be useful to other black and dark skinned nations where there was a common cause against oppression, international inequality, imperialism and racism.

MLK wanted to teach theology at American universities.

Malcolm X was interested in forging closer links between the American black man and Muslims in general with the hope that the former would have a better understanding of Islam, learn to respect it and like it.