Previous colmuns by Mother Tynetta Muhammad
“O people, keep your duty to your Lord; surely the shock of the Hour is a grievous thing. The day you see it, every woman giving suck will forget her suckling and every pregnant one will lay down her burden, and thou wilt see men as drunken, yet they will not be drunken, but the chastisement of Allah will be severe.” –Holy Qur’an, Surah 22, verses 1 & 2
On October 19, I was a featured speaker at the fourth annual Peace Fest Celebration, held in Phoenix, Arizona. I addressed several hundred young people of the Black community co-mingled with representatives of other ethnicities in a peaceful atmosphere. This event took place at the South Mountain Activity Complex Center on South Mountain Park. The program was sponsored by members of our Muslim family of the Nation of Islam joined by other community leaders. The main objective of the organizers was to bring awareness to stopping the violence in our neighborhoods.
With soaring statistics of ruthless, non-sensible killings going on daily, victimizing our babies, young adults and the elderly, we must take effective steps to control this savage massacre. Brother Minister Patrick, our youth minister in Phoenix, pointed out that the statistics on war victims in Vietnam was less than the victims of violence in our own neighborhoods. Tensions between gang members waging war in our communities pitting Hispanics and Blacks against one another, and in some cases Asians as well, is on the rise and is increasing frictions, divisions and death among us.
Our savage condition in America can be compared to Arabia in the days of Prophet Muhammad, (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), over 1,400 years ago during the Days of Ignorance. This was a time when rampant immorality and sexual licentiousness, drunkenness and abuse, internecine tribal warfare, violence and gangland slayings between the clans were at their heights and human rights was non-existent. This savage condition in Arabia can be likened to our uncivilized condition in America today where roaming bands of gangs with drugs and carnal weapons have taken over our neighborhoods and our households targeting our youth and our babies.
This self-destructive behavior has been perpetuated by the rulers of the land who have sentenced us to death by devising a purposeful plan to supply the means to our own destruction. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan has toured the country warning us, as a people, to “Stop the Killing.” He most recently addressed our community at Mosque Maryam on the subject, “Death Stands at the Door” carrying the same Reminder. We are a people who hear and refuse to obey, thus Divine Chastisement stands in the way.
The objectives of the Peace Fest organizers can be summed up from their own words contained in their letter of sponsorship sent to me. “Our goal is to keep the peace in the streets, clean up the neighborhoods and bring awareness to the community on such important and serious issues as: gang violence, domestic violence, child abuse and drug abuse. Also, we would like to raise the importance and urgent message on building unity and stronger foundations within the households.”
Certainly these problems and concerns echo the Divine Teachings and Model Example of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, who has led the way for over a half century in the rebuilding of our families and communities on a strong foundation of Truth, Freedom, Justice and Equality in Islam. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan in turn, following his example of strong Spiritual leadership is further instructing us through the Atonement process, how to act responsibly in the process of the reconciliation of our differences. This was dramatically demonstrated on the day of the historical Million Man March. On the Capitol steps in Washington, DC., nearly two million men openly pledged their support to dedicate their lives to improving their conditions and that of their families and communities on the basis of unity, cooperation and right action.
I spoke to our audience from a background of my own experiences from which I cited my most recent travels last year speaking to the young people in Mongolia and earlier in the Al-Tai Republic in Siberia. The subjects addressed were on the Sacredness of the female and her role as Mother in building strong family values in producing a righteous society as the basis of a strong government. In this setting on South Mountain Park, I introduced an innovative economic blueprint based on the Program and Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad with parallels introduced by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan for Self-Improvement, the basis of Community Development.
Each listener in the audience was asked to fill in their desires, needs and actual experience in the seven categories outlined in a 7 Unit Diagram introduced by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, which I referred to in several previous articles. In a brief review, we begin with a strong head that represents Spiritual leadership. This is followed by Training and Education which leads to acquiring the better things in life with the essentials of Food, Clothing, Shelter, the proper application and use of Technology and managing Health Issues. We are presently gathering this information as a type of census, and will report our findings in the very near future.
I close by thanking the organizers of Peace Fest for their invitation and their beautiful reception of their Sister. “O people, if you are in doubt about the Resurrection, then surely We created you from dust, then from a small life-germ, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh, complete in make and incomplete, that We may make clear to you. And We cause what We please to remain in the wombs till an appointed time, then We bring you forth as babies, then that you may attain your maturity. And of you is he who is brought back to the worst part of life, so that after knowledge he knows nothing. And thou seest the earth barren, but when We send down thereon water, it stirs and swells and brings forth a beautiful (growth) of every kind. –Holy Qur’an, Surah 22, verse 5
To be continued.
