An American Muslim Immigrant Assesses the Million-Man March

By Ali Nawaz Memon

Among the immigrant Muslims, the importance of African-American Muslims has been underestimated for a long time. This is especially true of the Nation of Islam. They have been generally portrayed in a negative light by the media, and this portrayal has been believed by all—including other Muslims. I was fortunate to be one of the million during the Million Man March in Washington, DC on Oct. 16, 1995. It showed me that Nation of Islam followers are clean-cut, well-dressed, disciplined, self-sufficient, hard-working, and organized people. Based on press reports, members of the Nation of Islam number somewhere between 20,000 and 200,000 people. During the march, they demonstrated that they can organize, finance, and lead a very large rally in the nation's capital methodically and peacefully. They provided leadership for their own community and for other Blacks who are many times larger in number.

In spite of their own relatively small numbers, and despite an organized assault on them by the media and many opponents within the Black, Christian, and Jewish communities, they had the courage to recite the name of Allah openly in front of non-Muslims. They did it with pride and others accepted it. The activities were started with the azan (call to prayer) and ended with a recitation of the opening sura of the Qur'an by Louis Farrakhan himself. All Muslim and most non-Muslim speakers started with " as-salamu aleikum" (peace be upon you). Likewise, the Nation of Islam volunteers who were posted everywhere around the Mall greeted all with the same greeting. When I got out of the Metro station, one of the guards said "as-salamu aleikum" to me. When I replied with "wa aleikum as-salam," (and peace be upon you, too) there was a traditional hug in Arab Muslim style. There were many such exchanges of greetings and hugs during the day as I stopped and talked to the guards.

I learned a lot from the march, which was really a rally. There were many positive messages which apply to all of us in our native lands (of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, etc.) as well as here in the U.S. The messages include:

* We have to lift ourselves up. We cannot expect others to do that for us.

* We must come together in order to have any significant impact.

* We must organize and raise our voice so that all our friends and foes can hear it and better understand what we seek.

* We must stop hurting each other, for that keeps all of us down.

* We must start helping each other, for that will help to bring all of us up.

* We must exercise our responsibility to our family—father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and other members.

* We must seek justice for ourselves without forgetting to give justice to those in the family and in the workplace, to all those who depend on us.

* We must recognize our own past injustices; acknowledge the truth; seek forgiveness from those whom we have hurt; feel repentant; provide apology and compensation where due; promise not to do it again; and make reconciliation.

* We must learn to enjoy and exercise the rights that we already have, e.g. register to vote; vote in all elections; elect people of our choice; monitor the performance of the elected representatives; reward them for good deeds and punish them for bad ones.

* We must choose our own leaders, and not depend on others to choose them for us.

The African-American Muslim community is divided between traditional Islam and the Nation of Islam. Nevertheless, on the individual and collective levels, all of these people clearly are confident and proud of their Islamic heritage. They are not insecure and scared like many among the immigrant community. They already have been through violence, legal harassment, and media pressure. They already have organized their legal and media systems. They are here to stay in America.

A New Beginning

Following the march, there has been a lot of media coverage, much of it negative. However, there also has been more positive coverage than ever before. The mainstream media are listening to Brother Louis Farrakhan. There are plans for further dialogue among the Black leaders, and with the rest of the nation. This is likely to be a new beginning, rather than the end, for the Nation of Islam.

Unfortunately, there are theological differences between the Nation of Islam and mainstream Muslims. There is talk of shirk (blasphemy). However, by many accounts, the Nation of Islam appears to have been moving closer to mainstream Islam over the years. Many prominent African-American Muslims, including the boxing champion Muhammad Ali, became introduced to Islam through them. As people became more knowledgeable about Islam (as did Muhammad Ali), they sought out the full truth. Nevertheless, there must be some acknowledgment of those who first attract many African-Americans to Islam.

In my humble opinion, efforts must be made to reach a closer understanding with the Nation of Islam for the purpose of working on a common Muslim political agenda—domestic and international. Through the Million Man March, the Nation of Islam has created a better impression of Muslims in the hearts of millions of Americans—both White and Black. Thus, they have opened doors of dawa (enlightenment about Islam) for all Muslims to reach out to those who have become more receptive to Islam than ever before. The Nation of Islam can be a great source of strength to all Muslims in the United States, and therefore to all Muslims around the world.

On a broader front, now it is our turn to make gestures of goodwill to our African-American brothers and sisters in general and our fellow Muslims in particular. Leaders of Islamic organizations should take some concrete action. Past disappointments over theological reconciliation should not hold us back from political dialogue and cooperation.

Ali Nawaz Memon is the author of The Islamic Nation: Status and Future of Muslims in the New World Order.