The Time and What Must Be Done: Houston, Texas

As Salaam Alaikum,

Dear Brothers, Sisters, Friends, and Supporters:

On June 4, 1972, during the Theology of Time lecture series, The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad said: "The resurrection of Jesus means the resurrection of justice among you and me, that's what it means."

 

Today, the death of Trayvon Martin has struck a nerve in justice loving people in America and around the world. We applaud the efforts of Minister Quanell X, Krystal Sonia, Kofi Taharka, Jolanda Jones, Bishop James Dixon, and countless others for their stand for our people.

There is a mood on the streets and among the Joshua-Caleb generation that despite the so-called progress that has been made in race relations, the people realize it will take another 450 years for Black America to close the gap of wealth, education, health, and life expectancy disparities. They are waking up to the fact that the political, economic, and social system has been "gamed" so that they have little or no chance to advance.  The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan is

laying out a context for our current condition and the root of the thinking of those who hate our very presence and would exterminate us if it were not for Allah's(God) intervention.www.noi.org/thetime

Today, we must multitask. We must continue to demonstrate for justice while we continue to deal with the pathologies that plague our communities. Let us begin with simple things, like peacefully settling our differences within our families and communities. Love ye one another and stop the killing! Stop spending 95% of your money with people you blame for 95% of your problems. Pool your resources and create jobs for Self! Purposely seek out businesses and professionals who share your worldview and that support our struggle for justice and equality. Circulate your dollars within our own community! Put public officials on notice that we expect as much attention to our needs as the lobbyist that visit them receive at City Hall, Commissioners Court, Austin, and Washington, DC. Set an agenda and judge them by the standard we, not our enemies, have set for them!

 

To all Black leaders, real or imagined, we better not play with the people today. To do so is to take our lives in our own hands. The condition of our community bears witness against our collective stewardship. No matter what the sycophants around us are telling us about how great we are, LOOK at our community! Our leadership is only as good as our results. Let us set aside our egos and ask Allah (God) to remove envy, jealousy, and rancor from our hearts for the sake of God's chosen people. What are we willing to sacrifice for our people's redemption? Please don't say we would give our lives if we won't subordinate our arrogance and egos for the sake of operational unity. If we don't learn from history, we will certainly repeat it. Thank you for reading these words.

May Allah bless us with the light of His understanding.

 

New Stewards of the Earth Part III

      The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s Saviours’ Day 2013 keynote address was a monumental paradigm shift in the approach of Black leadership toward true liberation and salvation for Black people in America and throughout the Diaspora. The foundation of Muhammad’s Economic Blueprint is more than saving and investing money. The underlying solution to the multiplicity of economic, political, social, and physical problems facing humanity in the 21^st century can be summed up in two words: spirituality and morality.   

       The Minister’s spiritual insight regarding our economic plight is backed up by proven scholarship. Preeminent Black psychologist Dr. Naim Akbar wrote the following in his observations regarding Muhammad’s Economic Blueprint: “The brilliance of the Program is that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad prophetically and insightfully sees that Black people have come under the influences that represent deterioration in our self-determined and morally-guided behavior. And the result of this behavior is that our economic condition will similarly decline as we become increasingly like the immoral role models that are before us.” Dr. Akbar went on to conclude: “Implementation of the Economic Plan becomes achievable only with a preliminary transformation in the minds of Black America.” This is made perfectly clear by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan as he painstakingly revealed the immoral and perverse manner in which we spend our money and how we are being manipulated into doing so.

The Minister said: “Scientists have studied our spending habits, and our buying habits; so they know how to market their goods to us! And their data shows that we spend far too foolishly and recklessly; and we spend our money on products and services that are leading to our own self-destruction. We have to cut back on the things that are killing us! That’s what makes Dr. Naim Akbar’s words to us so fantastically wonderful, because we have to “attack” the condition of our people morally and spiritually in order for us to become strong economically! It cannot be just economics with us – we have to attack “The Spiritual Problem” and “The Moral Problem” that facilitates our economic demise.” The Minister offered some sobering statistics from Target Market News: The Buying Power of Black America 2010 (16^th edition) to back up his premise.

Here is the mirror of truth the Minister put before us: Blacks spend $3.3 billion a year on tobacco, $3 billion on whiskey, wine and beer, $2.8 billion on non-alcoholic beverages, $3.1 billion on leisure time spending, $3.5 billion on toys, games and pets, $19 billion on telephone services – (54% of Blacks own a “smart phone”) $10 billon gift buying,  $29.3 billion on clothing, $65.2 billion on food, $23.6 billion for healthcare, while only spending $321 million on books. He also estimated that the Black share of the $100 billion a year spent on gambling in America is $13 billion. The Minister focused like a laser on the root of our problem stating: “When we analyze all of this, we have to agree that our whole way of thinking about money has to change…so regardless to what religion we belong to: Our religions are obviously not informing us on how to spend our money. So we think we are “God centered” while we are financially illiterate. The problem is that we are not really “God centered.” How can this be, given the level of religiosity in the Black community?

We have been “conformed to this world” following occidental, westernized, industrialized, northern hemisphere practices rooted in Aristotelian-based scientific philosophy that finds no intrinsic value in nature except that it can be used for man’s pleasure. This utilitarian and hedonistic philosophy undergirds the made man’s approach to nature, politics, economics, and human relations. His scientific approach to nature is amoral and his usurious banking system and valueless fiat money is immoral.  The ‘wicked husbandmen’ are destroying the environment and enslaving the entire human race with debt. What the modern day Apostle Paul, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, has called us to do is to “be transformed by the renewing of our minds.”

As Muslim followers of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, we must exhibit “quickness, fast moving, cleanliness - internally and externally - right down to the modern times.” Our modern Islamic thought and practices as it relates to the environment, whether as farmers, ranchers, or businessmen, should be based on Quranic principles. Fazlun Khalid, in an essay entitled Islam, Ecology, and Modernity: An Islamic Critique of the Root Causes of Environmental Degradation identified four principles that form the basis of an Islamic model “to help human beings to function within the natural pattern of creation.”  He identified: Unity (Tawhid), Creation (Fitra), Balance (Mizan), and Responsibility (Khilafa).

Here are some scriptural references for each principle:  the Unity Principle - Holy Quran 112:1-2 and 25:2; Creation Principle - Holy Quran 30:30; Balance Principle - Holy Quran 55:1-13; and the Responsibility Principle Holy Quran 6:165 and 24:55. As the new stewards of the earth destined to replace the wicked husbandmen, we must now forge a new relationship with our natural and built environment based upon the eternal principles found in our faith tradition. We must also lay the base for our own banking system or medium of exchange rooted in equity, justice, and actual value, not usury which is forbidden by the Holy Qur’an in Surah 2:275-276.

 In Romans 8:22-23, Paul writes: “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” Celia Deane-Drummond wrote in Eco-Theology: “The proclamation of the good news [Gospels] cannot be detached from concern about the natural world in which people are placed: people and planet form an interwoven community that needs to be considered together, rather than separately.” In other words, our Christian family members also have scripturally mandated ‘new stewardship’ responsibilities to the creation. Time is dictating the agenda of what must be done today. Who will heed the “final call” and accept the universal mission of stewardship being proclaimed by the National Representative of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad?

Are we the new stewards to replace the ‘wicked husbandmen’? We certainly can be if we follow Allah’s guidance coming through the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and recognize that our problem is moral and spiritual before we attempt to implement Muhammad’s Economic Blueprint to end poverty and want.

The New Stewards of the Earth Part I

In the Gospel according to Matthew 5:5, it is written: “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” During his Saviours’ Day 2013 keynote address, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan reintroduced the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s Economic Blueprint for the purpose of ending poverty and want. Minister Farrakhan’s speech was multidimensional and multilayered in its construct. It was a clarion call for new stewards of the earth to come forth to save humanity from the economic, political, social, and ecological hell the ‘wicked husbandmen’ have created during the last 6,000 years.

 The Holy Qur’an 24:46 states: “We have indeed revealed clear messages. And Allah guides whom He pleases to the right way.” The Honorable Minister Farrakhan’s speech was multidimensional because it was both metaphysical and material. He called us to a “moral and ethical rebirth” in stewardship of our personal and collective environmental resources. He admonished us to “become human beings rather than beasts and serpents that are destroying human life from the womb to the tomb.” In his message, the Minister reintroduced us to the morality of thrift and savings versus uncontrolled spending and consumption. In Proverbs 15:5, it is written: “A fool despises his father's instruction: but he that regards reproof is prudent.” Minister Farrakhan’s Saviours’ Day keynote was also multilayered. He reminded us that building a multimillion dollar national economy requires each individual wage earner to commit to saving five cents a day, thirty-five cents a week, or eighteen dollars and twenty cents a year. A new collective macro-economic reality is built on a foundation of individual micro-economic discipline. Common sense is needed for these uncommon times in order to end poverty and want.

 

Allah (God) states in the Holy Qur’an 55: 5-9: “The sun and the moon follow a reckoning, and the herbs and the trees adore (Him), and the heaven, He raised it high, and He set up the measure, and keep up the balance with equity, nor fall short in the measure.” Mankind has indeed fallen short of the measure and has not been equitable. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan used the illustration of the human body to show us a “perfect distribution of wealth.” He said “Every system has its individual function and they work together for the common good of the whole.” The human body is not a capitalist system where a few organs own everything, but a socialist system that “makes every cell comfortable…and none of your organs react, because all are being fed what they need” declared the Minister at Saviours’ Day. Obviously capital is needed to acquire the means of production (land) necessary to end poverty and want; but the distribution of the wealth derived thereof will be according to the needs of the society. No man, woman, or child should go to bed hungry or be without education. No man, woman, or child should be naked, out of doors or without basic healthcare.

     www.twitter.com/louisfarrakhan

For anyone who would attack Minister Farrakhan for stating that the human body and a just economic system is a socialist, be forewarned. For followers of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, socialist means “to advocate a society of men or groups of men for one common cause” not Marxism. Socialism did not originate with 19^th century European economic-philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. In fact, in the Communist Manifesto and later writings, Marx and Engels criticized earlier 19^th century socialists Henri de Saint Simon, Charles Fourier, Robert Owen and others for a morality based “utopian socialism” that did not advocate the necessity of class struggle or political revolution to implement their ideas of equity and justice. These socialist believed that people of all classes might voluntarily adopt a societal plan if presented in a logical and convincing manner. What Minister Farrakhan presented on Saviours’ Day was so plain, even a fool could understand it.

 Marx and Engels’ “scientific socialism” - based on a materialist and physicalist world concept, the eventual struggle between the proletariat (working class) and bourgeoisie (owner class), abolition of all private property and state ownership thereof, industrial and scientific progress of modernity without regard for destruction of the environment, the critique of capitalism without acknowledging the transatlantic slave trade from 15^th to 19^th centuries that created modern European capital, and the rejection of Allah (God) and religion - is not what the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan is advocating. The Nation of Islam will not adopt an immoral, ahistorical, inequitable type of socialism imposed by force like that which eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

In the Holy Qur’an 68:7-8, it is written: “Surely thy Lord knows best who is erring from His way, and He knows best those who go aright. So obey not the rejectors.” What Minister Farrakhan proposes is a new stewardship of the earth based on morality and equality. For him and we who follow his guidance, “equality means to be equal in everything,” particularly in reaping the benefits of one’s labor and sacrifice while not ignoring the needs of the less fortunate in society. For the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, “every human need is a human right.”  The poor, elderly, and disabled must be cared for.

Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the Holy Qur’an 2:29 “He it is Who created for you all that is in the earth.”  The new stewards must care for every creature on Allah’s earth and the environment that sustains all life. For they understand Who is the real Owner of the earth. The new stewards of the earth don’t have to reject modernity, just immorality. Nor do they have to abandon private property, just the greed and lust for filthy lucre beyond their needs. The earth’s air, water, land, animals, vegetation, and people need a new righteous, loving steward that reflects Allah’s love.

Are we the meek that shall inherit the earth and become its new stewards? We certainly can be if we follow Allah’s guidance coming through the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and implement Muhammad’s Economic Blueprint to end poverty and want.

Time to Stop Wasting Time

Our successes and failures bear witness for and against us. The condition of our community bears witness to our refusal to advocate a common cause. My difference with you has subordinated our common cause. The ego of "I" has subordinated the "We" of collective consciousness. Why must we use so much of our time and intellectual energy addressing such anti-revolutionary, anti-Black, anti-God and Goddess, mundane, myopic trivialities rooted in minds starved for attention and suffering from low self esteem and self loathing. Let us who willingly follow the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan double our efforts to get after the lost and found; mentor and protect the new converts from hypocrites and agents; stop profligate spending and be found working to pool our resources to assemble land to do urban gardening and agribusiness. "I" am the problem, "We" are the solution.

Dancing with My Demons: Personal Reflections from Death Row

The execution of Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis on September 21, 2011 re-stimulated some personal demons I thought I had long vanquished. When I speak of these suppressed personal demons, I am speaking of the fear of death, uncontrollable anger, and misdirected hate.

On March 1 and June 22, 2000, I witnessed two executions in the State of Texas. Odell Barnes and Shaka Sankofa both died before my eyes on death row in Huntsville, Texas. I served as spiritual advisor to both and I believe they were innocent. I am convinced that had either been wealthy and able to afford competent legal counsel, I wouldn’t have witnessed their deaths. In Texas, and across the United States, it is better to be rich and guilty, than to be poor and innocent.

Troy Davis, Odell Barnes, and Shaka Sankofa’s cases have similarities that unleashed my demons. In the case of Troy and Shaka, both had jurors that would not have found them guilty had they known the inconsistencies that were uncovered after their trials. Odell Barnes said to us from the death gurney in March, 2000: “I thank you for proving my innocence, although it has not been acknowledged by the courts.” Prior to his execution, the French Government had paid tens of thousands of dollars for appeals lawyers and forensic experts who raised more than a reasonable doubt as to Mr. Barnes’ guilt.

What is interesting is that all three men saw their cases as symbols of a larger struggle for freedom, justice, and equality. Odell Barnes said moments before he died: “May you continue in the struggle and may you change all that's being done here today and in the past." Both Troy and Shaka accepted that they may lose their lives, but the struggle against injustice must continue. Shaka said to me in the death chamber during the last 15 minutes of his life: “…You must expose this injustice to the world. You must continue to demand a moratorium on all executions. We must move forward Minister Robert Muhammad.” His words still ring in my ears and resonate in my soul.

During our struggle to save Shaka’s life, I had fasted for 40 days under medical supervision. Shaka was executed on the thirtieth day of my fast. During our last private visit on the day of his execution, we were talking about food because a tray of food was sitting in front of his holding cell. I asked whether that was his last meal. Shaka’s response to me that hot steamy day in June, 2000 was: “No sir! Brother Muhammad, to accept a (last) meal is to cooperate with injustice. Non cooperation with evil is an obligation.” Troy Davis, like Shaka Sankofa before him, refused his so-called last meal. It makes me wonder how many times we have cooperated with injustice and thereby perpetuated our own suffering by assuaging the guilt and affirming the humanity of our oppressors. In conclusion, I don’t see any easy path to liberation for us and our children. There will be no permanent change without the willingness to reason one with another, coupled with a long-suffering patience to unify our people, and an unwavering effort to pool our spiritual, mental, and economic resources toward formulating a long term strategic plan for building the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Only when we lose our fear of death, control our emotions, and direct our hatred toward what Allah (God) hates will we be free.

A part of me died last night with Troy Davis as before with Odell Barnes and Shaka Sankofa in 2000 – what died in me was the fear of death and any hope that the Black people and the righteous will ever get justice in America absent an intense struggle backed by the power of Allah (God) and His Christ. Shaka told me from his holding cell outside of the death chamber hours before his execution: “My brother, death is a complement to life. They make it something to fear so that they can control us. To be an effective leader, you must be willing to pay the price.”

Last night, Troy Davis, as Shaka Sankofa before him, died a free Black man. Now I know what the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan means when he says he is a “free” Black man. After my final dance with my demons last night, I too, am now free.

I'm Fighting Mad

Have you ever just got fed up with crap people are saying and doing? I'm serious. The national, state and local political and economic conversation is just garbage. Nobody wants to take on the 500 pound elephant in the room. America has become a nation of paranoid naysayers, who can't think their way out of a wet paperbag. It is time for a new generation to come to the forefront and make a way for the rest of us. Any volunteers?

Teddy Pendergrass RIP

When I got the news that soul singer Teddy Pendergrass died at the age of 59, I was saddened. I don't know why, but I have been playing his solo and Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes performances on my I-Pod lately. I love the song Pretty Flower. It is one of my favorites of his Bluenote days; while Come on Go with Me is my favorite solo tune.

Like he sang on Come on Go with Me, "believe me you're not under any kind of pressure" to agree with me about my favorite TP songs! However, on this we all agree, he will be missed.

Thank you TP. May you rest in peace.

Join NBA Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes and Minister Robert Muhammad for Groundbreaking Business Opportunity

Houston - On Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 3 pm CST, NBA legend Elvin Hayes will host a meeting to introduce a groundbreaking business opportunity to the community. The "Big E" will be joined by local Minister and urban planner Robert Muhammad in an effort to promote grassroots economic development during these difficult economic times.

The University of Houston

Campus Recreation and Wellness Center

Room 1038A

4500 University Drive

Houston, TX 77204-6056

For directions go to the website: <http://www.uh.edu/recreation or call 713-743-4844 office - 713-703-8525 Cell

www.ntellc.cieaura.com

Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan Speaks Live

Houston - The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan will address a worldwide audience live via webcast at 10 AM CST on Saturday, November 28 and Sunday November 29, 2009.

There will be a public viewing of the webcast at Muhammad Mosque No.45 located at 4443 Old Spanish Trail Houston, Texas 77021.

For more information, visit http://www.noiswregion.org/ or log on to http://www.noi.org/ to view the webcast.

Stop the Texas Education Agency from Harming at Risk Youth

Contact TEA Commissioner Robert Scott

Texas Education Agency

1701 N. Congress AvenueAustin, Texas, 78701

(512) 463-9734

commissioner@tea.state.tx.us

The Texas Education Agency is out of control. TEA defies the governor, the legislature and now, the courts. They answer to no one - not even the taxpayers and the best interest of the children they are suppose to educate!

Stop this personal vendetta against school founder Vida Belford and the unique school she created to help at risk youth. This is the ONLY charter school in the history of the state of Texas that has defeated TEA's attempt to revoke its charter. Now, they won't renew the charter and have sought to impose death by "a thousand cuts" by making up non compliance violations and withholding its funding. Demand TEA obey the Courts and reach a settlement with Alphonso Crutch Charter School, so that at risk children in Houston, Texas with NO OTHER school to attend may be educated and not put out on the streets!

Tune in to Connect the Dots Radio Show from 3-4 PM CST. www.kpft.org or 90.1 FM Houston, Texas. Thanks.

My Journey to Turkey Pt. IV

Saturday August 2, 2008

We began the day with a meeting with Dr. Ahmet Arabaci, Assistant Professor in the Department of International Relations at Fatih University. The university is a private institution founded in 1996. It is made up of 4 campuses, 7,300 students (427 foreign, 762 on scholarship), and 630 staff members.

Fatih University confers degrees in engineering, economics, business management, public policy, public administration, art and science, and language as well as 2 year vocational degrees in computers, tourism, child development, foreign trade and nursing. They have exchange programs with 53 universities in the European Union; also China, Russia and the United States. The university offers a 4 week summer course in Turkish language and culture for $1,500. Engineering is offered in Turkish and English, while International Relations is in English only. The cost per year per student is approximately 15,000 Turkish Lira.
Fatih University was founded in 1996. The school is governed by a private foundation’s board of trustees. The funding mix is 40% student fees and 60% foundation resources provided by movement’s health care, media, and shipping company interests.

One of the difficult challenges in its formation was passing the scrutiny of the government because the school was founded by their religious movement. Another challenge was matching the salaries of professors at the state universities in order to build a qualified faculty.
Questions to be satisfied before the college was approved for operation were: Is the education secular? Is there any foreign influence? Is the school a threat to the state?

What is the underlying ideology of the school? In fact, at one point, the government withheld funding and the university was forced to file a lawsuit in 2001 to win the state portion of their funding. The school is competing and recruiting the top Turkish high school graduates. It offers scholarships to foreign and domestic students in the areas of theatre, sports, and science. The university has a beautiful campus. We witnessed its expansion and new construction while we were on site. The delegation came away with the impression that the university presents a strategic opportunity for the exchange and training of our students in America. [www.fatih.edu.tr]

The delegation’s next stop was the Sema Hospital built by the Gulen movement. The three year old private hospital is a former hotel that was renovated and expanded. It is a five story, 22,000 square meters, 217 bed facility that employs 600 personnel. The first two floors consist of clinics and management offices. Floors three thru five are patient rooms, with the exception of the third floor conference and prayer rooms. The site was chosen for its sea side view and excellent air quality. Sema’s Assistant Manager, Mr. Mehmet Ciranoglu, gave us a tour of the hospital. We met with General Practitioner and Professor Dr. Umit Topaloglu, Cardiologist Dr. Mehet Ates, and Medical Chief of Staff, Dr. Ilyas Akdemir. Dr. Ates had lived in Houston as an “observer” of our medical system. Our hosts stated that Sema is the largest private hospital in Turkey. It takes both domestic and international patients. Their goal is to build 8 hospitals in Turkey in cities such as Bursa and Ankara.

They said they wanted an institution that was “fair and open to everyone.” They are in the process of building new hospitals in Iraq and Kazakhstan. Their biggest challenge is finance, along with recruiting high quality doctors and teaching professors. According to Dr. Ilyas Akdemir, auto accidents are the leading cause of death. They have an emergency room but not an American style trauma center. However, their ambulances are manned by a doctor and a nurse when they are dispatched. Infectious diseases in children and heart disease (smoking related), hypertension in adults are prevalent. Cancer rates vary and HIV/AIDS rates are very low. The life expectancy in Turkey is 72 years old. It is lower than in the United States because their higher child death statistics lowers the average, according to Dr. Akdemir. Sema accepts insurances and operates within European Union medical payment standards. They discussed the difficulty of getting Turkish doctors residency in the United States. The movement is presently working on 10-15 scholarships to support their doctors while they work on passing the three exams required to be licensed in the United States. Our hosts did not know much about the Cuban medical system or its educational process to produce medical professionals. In the delegation’s opinion, if the presence of modern equipment, design of the facility, compassion and competence of medical staff, and clear strategic vision are indices of the level of care afforded the patients, then elements of Sema hospital’s operation could serve as a model for health care in Turkey and the world. [www.semahospital.com]

The delegation’s next stop was a visit to Samanyolu Broadcasting Corporation. We were hosted by Content Editor, Mr. Bayram Karci. According to Mr. Karci, the television station was founded in 1993 as a family oriented network. Private stations began broadcasting in Turkey in the 1980’s with no standards. Now, there is a “self imposed” responsible broadcast policy to meet general broadcasting standards set by Turkish regulators. Samanyolu’s policy is to take sex, violence, and drugs out of broadcast content. The station’s objective is community service, not profit, according to Mr. Karci. They provide education through entertainment. Their drama-action content is geared toward promoting ethics and religious values indirectly; whereas the discussion programs and documentaries are explicit in the presentation of ethical and religious values. The broadcast network has 6 channels and airs in 114 countries. They also have 3 radio stations. According to Mr. Karci, they are one of the top 5 stations in the Nielson rating system. Samanyolu channels are thematic. EBRU, their English language station, has news, documentaries, sports, music, discussion programs, and can be accessed via the internet. The news channel was created to present “objective news,” without the secular bias shown by their private competitors. In central Asia, they run local programs along with their international content. The network airs commercials that fit their broadcast standards and they also sell their programs to other channels.

Eighty percent of their content is original; however, they do purchase movies and cartoons from Hollywood and Japan. They have 650 employees, plus staff in Germany, New Jersey, and Azerbaijan. Their future plans are to create a documentary station and to expand their network in Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia. The delegation came away believing there was an avenue to provide the network with our own family oriented news, entertainment, documentary, and discussion programming for domestic and international broadcast. [www.samanyolu.tv]

The delegation’s last institutional visit for the day was to the movement’s Tughra Books formerly the Light Publishing Company for a meeting with author and scholar M. Enes Ergene (left) and senior editor of The Fountain Magazine, Hakan Yesilova (center). Our scheduled one hour meeting resulted in a four hour dialogue. Tughra Books is a “kitchen of publications” in 16 languages. It was described as “[Islamic] tradition witnessing the modern age” and the place where the “role of the traditional scholar and the modern intellectual” is explored. The publishing house employs 200 workers, editors, and authors. Twelve authors are working on books related to Fethullah Gulen. Mr. Ergene has written 4 books on the movement that have been translated into Russian, Arabic, and English. Their publications are contributed to by scholars from around the world. The original purpose for the site of the publishing house was to serve as an independent Islamic research center whereby Islamic experts and intellectuals along with their families could be lodged for seminars and symposiums. This location is not suitable, so they are trying to find another site to meet their objective. They have a strong relationship with scholars in the Middle East. Each visits the other twice a year.

The notes from the four hour meeting are too voluminous to detail in this report. However, our meeting can be summarized as follows: The study and critique of Islamic movements worldwide; Islamic leaders and scholars; division as the biggest problem in the Islamic world and how being Muslim (not a sect in Islam) is the “superior identity;” how bigotry, intolerance, and not being open to dialogue hurts Islam; Mr. Ergene’s personal history and relationship with Fethullah Gulen and his movement; how dialogue should be put into practice; the common thread of Islamic movements, their strengths and weaknesses; the Islamic world’s view of America and prophecy; and the Nation of Islam in the West. Mr. Ergene ended our discussion by reminding us that the devil within is greater than the devil without and the threat is greater from within our movements than from without. We [Muslims] cannot be disassembled unless we disassemble ourselves. He referenced Surah 13 verse 11 for further study. The delegation felt this was a deeply spiritual and highly enlightening stop on our tour.

Finally, Mr. Ergene’s son implored with us before we departed to bring our children next time so that he would not have to play alone. [www.tughrabooks.com]

The day concluded with a delicious late dinner at the home of businessman, Mr. Mete Atakul.

We were joined for tea afterward by two Gulen movement supporters. The shared their opinions of the movement and experiences performing missionary work in the Sudan and Egypt.

My Journey to Turkey Part III

Friday August 1, 2008
The Houston delegation visited Miniturk Park which is the equivalent of two football fields filled with models of the historic sites of Turkey and a museum.

We appreciated this attraction because it allowed us to see many important points of interests that time and logistics prevented us from visiting during our stay.

One interesting aspect of this stop was the park’s museum featuring a mock up of the Battle of the Dardanelles along with pictures and quotes from the father of the modern Turkish republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

The museum serves as a solemn reminder to both visitor and citizen of the sacrifice of the Turkish people to preserve their nation and independence during and after World War I. [www.miniaturk.com.tr/eng]

We then visited the Zaman Newspaper and Media Group. According to Mr. Erkan Sismanoglu, the newspaper’s Public Relations Manager, Zaman is the number one newspaper in Turkey.

Zaman distributes 800,000 copies daily and control 11% of the print advertising market. The paper is a family oriented media source that is printed in both Turkish and English.

The newspaper’s workplace has a part time doctor, gym and shower, barber, and offers free breakfast, lunch, and dinner for their employees. Women were visible and present in all areas of the building we visited.

We were introduced to Mr. Okan Bassey Udo, a Nigerian who has served as the paper’s Sports Manager since its inception. Upon learning who we were he inquired excitedly about Minister Farrakhan: “Is he here?” We informed him that the Minister was not present and that he would have to settle for us. We had a loud and hearty laugh together afterward.

Zaman newspaper has won several awards for their cover designs and featured articles. The newspaper was started to print the “truth” as they understood it and not be limited to propagating the message of the status quo. This visit reinforced the importance of The Final Call Newspaper or a media outlet to express our own perspective or point of view. [www.todayszaman.com/tz-web]

After leaving Zaman, the delegation proceeded to the Sultan Fatih Mehmet (The Conqueror) Mosque complex for Jumah prayer service.

After Jumah prayer service, the Imam gave us the history of the Fatih mosque which is currently under renovation.

Sultan Fatih Mehmet conquered Constantinople in 1453 and renamed the city Istanbul. It is difficult to find a place in Turkey that does not have a person, street, building, or institution that is not named after Mehmet the Conqueror. He has an elaborate tomb on the grounds that is visited by a constant stream of

pilgrims.

Our tour of the Fatih Mosque was followed by a visit to the Kadim Dialogue Center for Intercultural Studies for a meeting with Harum Tokak, the President of the Journalist and Writers Foundation. We engaged in a lengthy dialogue about Islamic history, the Nation of Islam in the West, and the Gulen movement past and present.

Mr. Tokak urged us to visit the schools they have set up, particularly in Africa stating: “they are your schools.” He said that education over the last 50-60 years has taught us to be enemies of each other. The movement establishes the schools, teaches, and then turns them over to the locals. He further explained that the concept of dialogue was necessary for humanity to find forgiveness and for conflict avoidance. During our discussion, Mr. Tokak said the Nation of Islam reminded him of the early history of Bilal and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

He said he believed we are the ones to call the entire Nation (Ummah) of Islam under one roof.
This was further illustrated by his explanation of the red color found in the tea cup set design he sent as a gift to Minister Farrakhan. Mr. Tokak said the red represented the blood and suffering of our people. The cup and plate design is made by placing them in fire and taking them out to create the beautiful print. So it is with our people in America – we are destined to lead the world after suffering slavery just like Bilal, he said. We were joined briefly during the dialogue by Mr. Reha Camuroglu, a member of the Turkish Parliament and Brothers Hamza and Faruk who were movement members operating in the Far East (i.e. South Korea). The dialogue session was very lively and thought provoking. [www.qyv.org.tr]

The scheduled activities concluded with a boat ride on the Bosporus Straits. We viewed both the European and Asia Minor sides of the great 4,000 year old city of Istanbul. Istanbul, with a population of 14 million people, is the 9th largest city in the world. It is as cosmopolitan and modern as any city to be found on earth.

This historical city is unique because it is the bridge between East and West, Europe and Asia Minor, occidental and oriental, ancient and modern, Islam and Christendom. Although Ankara is the capital of Turkey, Istanbul serves as the commercial center and is its largest city.

The boat ride helped the delegation place Istanbul into a proper geographical perspective. More importantly, it served as a metaphor for the beginning of our transformation from mere tourist and sightseers to participants in the making of history. Although the water relaxed our minds, the significance of our journey weighed heavily on our hearts.

It crystallized more so than at any prior moment on the trip that we represented the Nation of Islam in the West and everything we did would have implications beyond our limited understanding. Our greatest concern was that no one back home would believe how well we were treated by our hosts and what we had witnessed and participated in. We wondered out loud if the significance of Minister Farrakhan’s world tours were grasped by the believers and supporters back in the United States. This was a pivotal moment on the trip.