El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz: He's Ours

It is important we remember that at the time of Brother Malcom's assassination he was no longer a Black nationalist... he was Muslim. Having taken shahada less than a year before, it is safe to infer from his writings and natural intellect which was always in search of Truth, he would have evolved into a far more dynamic speaker and would have likely led us down an illuminating path to The One and the true spirituality of Al-Islaam.

Here is a small portion of the multi-page missive sent to his wife, El-Hajjah Bahia Shabazz, from Mecca during his pilgrimage:

I have never before witnessed such sincere hospitality and the practice of true brotherhood as I have seen it here in Arabia. In fact, all I have seen and experienced on this pilgrimage as forced me to “re-arrange” much of thoughts pattern and to toss aside some of my previous conclusions. This “adjustment to reality” wasn’t too difficult for me to undergo, because despite my firm conviction in whatever I believe, I have always tried to keep an open mind, which is absolutely necessary to reflect the flexibility that must go hand in hand with anyone with intelligent quest for truth never comes to an end.

There are Muslims here of all colors and from every part of this earth. During the past days here in Mecca (Jeddah, Mina, and Mustaliph) while understanding the rituals of the Hajj, I have eaten from the same plate, drank from the same glass and slept on the same bed or rug – with Kings, potentates and other forms of rulers – ******* with fellow Muslims whose skin was the whitest of white, whose eyes was the bluest of blue, and whose hair was the blondest of blonde – I could look into their blue eyes and see that they regarded me as the same (Brothers), because their faith in One God (Allah) had actually removed “white” from their mind, which automatically changed their attitude and their behavior (towards) people of other colors. Their beliefs in the Oneness as made them so different from American whites that their colors played no part in my mind in my dealing with them. Their sincerity

to One God and their acceptance of all people as equals makes them (so called “Whites”) also accepted as equals into the brotherhood of Islam along with the non-whites.

If white Americans could accept the religion of Islam, if they could accept the Oneness of God (Allah) they too could then sincerely accept the Oneness of Men, and cease to measure others always in terms of their “difference in color”. And with racism now plaguing in America like an incurable cancer all thinking Americans should be more respective to Islam as an already proven solution to the race problem.

Resource:

The Most Remarkable Revelatory Letter Ever Written by Malcolm X

Giving Back: Against Malaria Foundation

I learned about the Against Malaria Foundation years ago while researching reputable charitable organizations. I like to do my part by donating to groups that have a much further reach than I, but I don't do so haphazardly. Some organizations are less successful than others, and some only give a proportion of your donation (sometimes a rather small one) to the people you intend to help. Knowing this, I do my homework before hand, and try to make the best choice for the coming month.

To me, AMF is a GREAT choice for giving back, particularly if you do not have a lot to offer. Not only is malaria such a deadly disease, killing hundreds of thousands and sickening millions more annually, but it is SO inexpensive to help save a life! For every $2.00 USD donated (previously $2.50) the organization buys and distributes insecticidal mosquito nets which keep the people from getting bitten by malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The nets also kill the mosquitoes that come in contact with them, decreasing the population of these deadly insects which in turn also decrease the number of deaths caused by them.

And if you are wondering, 100% of donations go to providing nets. Awesome!

Giving Back: The Himalayan Cataract Project

Perhaps my absolute favorite foundation to give to is The Himalayan Cataract Project. It was started by two eye surgeons in an attempt to cure unnecessary blindness around the world, in areas where access to such help would normally be impossible. Unbeknownst to me, there are many countries, like Ethiopia, with a high rate of cataract induced blindness due to poverty, genealogy, and other factors. However, with a mere $25 and less than 15 minutes time, a person who may have been blind for years, is able to see again.

While sight in itself is wonderful gift from the Creator- and a sense that most of us probably take for granted- the opportunities that reopen for these patients are what really touch home for me; from the potential of further education to the increased ability to work and put food on the table. Awesome! I think I can stand skipping a couple junk food runs to Whole Foods in order to help 3 or 4 people regain their sight. How about you?