Islam: Behind the Propaganda

"It is a man, a voice and a truth that is capable of quickening to life the inner voice, the spirit, the essence of Allah (God) in man. This quickening to life and this process of heeding truth and right guidance is the process that brings about a transformation in the Believer. As you know, mere belief counts for nothing except that it is carried into practice. This phase of our development is designed, by the help of Allah (God), to bring about a transformation or complete change in our lives. Our self-improvement actually brings into fruition the awesome power of Allah (God) to “make complete his (our) whole make.”(Holy Quran 75:4)” - The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan Study Guide Opening Letter

In an interview with Larry King on CNN, Bill Maher was asked if he thought that Islam was a religion of peace and Maher responded by saying, “sure it is, a piece here and a piece there” referring to suicide bombings. Maher’s response void of integrity was preceded with laughter, but was nothing more than the common propaganda used by individuals seeking to ignite hatred and fear and attempting to destroy the image of Islam.

It is important to note that Islam is the only religion associated to individuals who commits acts that are not rooted in the religious doctrine and principles, by media and politicians. It is equally important to point out that at the root of the propaganda lays a sense of entitlement and the need to fulfill and justify unspoken agendas. So, it is in the spirit of truth, and giving credit where credit is due that I am inspired to speak against the false accusations of Islam, the religion I have come to embrace and appreciate.

As a child, I was raised in the Catholic Church, completing the rituals of Conformation, Baptism, First Holy Communion and given the name Marie. During my experience, I recall asking why the Saints that we (Latinos) prayed to and worshipped for various causes and illnesses were Caucasian (White) and was told “you must never question God”. As a youth, I was later introduced to the Baptist, Pentecostal, and Inter-Denominational religions but throughout my life though I believed in God, something very vital was missing, for I remained powerless to the pain and insecurities that drove me to self medication and self destruction. While questioning God was not an option, I learned that God was to blame for everything bad that happened to me, “God was punishing me”. Since I did not always believe that I deserved God’s punishment, I concluded that I was born to suffer and that there was no apparent way out of the misery that made life unworthy of living and could not see that I was my worst enemy.

In my twenties, I was introduced to Islam through the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad as taught by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. For several years I listened to Minister Farrakhan’s lectures on How to give Birth to a God, Male/Female Relationships and many other lectures via audio cassettes and videos. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s words became the penicillin that would remove the pus from my heart. Though I had never heard of Islam and did not see myself in the Nation of Islam given the “Black” label that I did not understand and did not perceived to include me; I could not deny the impact that Minister Farrakhan’s words were having on my life.

As a student of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, I was introduced to God; a God whose relationship I could strengthen by prayer, study and duty. I learned that empowerment and development began by attaining the knowledge of God and Self and that our basic needs are within our reach. Through the teachings I learned that sickness and disease were not only associated to our lifestyles and behaviors but also to the types and amounts of food that we ate. Islam restored my sense of self worth and confidence, I discovered and embraced the power of my femininity which had been oppressed by a world that does not value and respect women. I came to realize and appreciate my beauty, not by the European standard that had produced an inferiority complex but by God’s supreme standard of which we are all created, and I learned that inter-beauty is a reflection of how we perceived our outer beauty.

Through Islam I learned the importance of forgiving and that having the ability to forgive myself and others would released me from the pain and paralyzing affect that is created by holding on to anger, bitterness and regret. I learned that I was not qualified to judge my parent’s but was required to honor them with no prerequisites and accept that all parents do the best that they can do. Today, I understand that difficulties and trails are a part of life that all must confront and that unity and wanting for my Brother/Sister as I want for myself are demonstrations of love that can only be extended when we have the knowledge and love for God and Self.

Islam resurrected the spirit for learning in me, despite the fact that I once did not like to read and had never read a book in its entirety. In Islam, we are encouraged not to be blind followers or students, but to think, be studious and develop our mind and spirituality through reading, studying, and research. As a result, I came to value reading and education, and was inspired to go to college as a single mother not only to improve and develop my condition but also the lives of my children. In my quest for knowledge, though I have earned several degrees through a Master of Science, I consider myself a life time student, and respectfully recognize that there is no degree that I could ever attain that could compare to what I was given in Islam by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan through the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Islam is much more than a religion of peace, it welcomes one into a universal family, in which you can be who God intended you to be. Islam is a way of life, it has the ability to empower change, take a broken man or woman and make them whole, where they no longer have the ability to justify being their own worst enemy.

Inclosing, propaganda as defined in the dictionary: “information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.” will never change truth or the impact that Islam has had on lives throughout America and the world. It is imperative that we are in search of knowledge and truth, and that we do not entrust the development of our mind and opinions to the diluted propaganda of media and politicians who do not have our best interest in mind.

“He who gives the diameter of your knowledge prescribes the circumference of your activity.” - The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

(Theresa X, a Latina in the Nation of Islam Stockton California Study Group, - email: noilatina@gmail.com and blog @ http://searchknowledge-theresa.blogspot.com)