Slander is the worst form of lying

JABRIL.MUHAMMAD

Previous Farrakhan The Traveler Articles

From Closing The Gap Page 268 we read:

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan is a very precious and valuable human being. The enemy sees this too, but differently. So they work against him night and day to break his influence and finally to murder him. But, to use the words of the scriptures in this situation: “They feared the people.”

Of Jesus, soon after the start of his mission, we read in several places, “the people became divided because of him.” With time, Jesus’ influence grew to the point that the chief concern of those who secretly plotted became: “If we don’t stop him now, all people will follow his lead.” So it is today. (This is December 2, 2008 and please read on.)

In an recent article in The Final Call, Volume 28 Number 8 Brother Ashahed Muhammad, Assistant Editor of The Final Call wrote, that the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said: “I always try to see the hand of God in things that are happening so I can give the thing that is happening the proper respect.” Minister Farrakhan added that despite the fact that he cast his vote just before dawn on Nov.4, he was “in doubt” that America would elect a Black president until late in the evening. The Minister said Mr. Obama’s victory is a sign that “God has not forsaken us,” and “is giving America a chance to redeem herself.”

“This is why I see Barack Obama as a mercy from God to the United States of America and a troubled world,” said Minister Farrakhan adding that America is in a fall from the pinnacle of power.

I intend to return to a little of the wisdom of his words.

Brother Muhammad wrote that among the listeners, “New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin sat in the front row and listened intently nodding in agreement many times during Min. Farrakhan’s message of self help and responsibility.

“I think it is tremendous what he said,” Mayor Nagin told The Final Call. “We as Black leaders throughout the country need to come together in unity to inspire our people to be positioned for all of the opportunities the President-elect is going to bring us. Forcing us to think differently and to get off of our duffs and move the state of Black America forward, and I got it. I received it.”

This brings me back to Volume 24; Number 14, of The Final Call, wherein I mentioned that I desired to share Minister Farrakhan’s words with the reader from interviews. I stated that I wanted to continue this subject of “envy,” after we read his words. I also stated that I wanted to include a commentary on these words of the Messiah, at his home in 1972, in working out a serious problem. His words were:

“Whenever you accuse an innocent man of that which he did not do, the heavens and the earth cries out for justice for the innocent man. And the punishment he would have received, if he were guilty, falls upon the head of the accuser. ”

At that moment, you could have heard a pin fall on cotton. Then, as I wrote: “Minister Farrakhan respectfully raised the question of forgiveness.” I continued that: “I desire to share his teacher’s response.”

“Let me be clear on why I’m taking “ENVY” up at this time, with the words the Honorable Elijah Muhammad spoke back in February 1972, as the base.

“I don’t know what will happen between today, when this article, Allah willing, appears in print, as all of the articles, from Volume 24; No. 16 to this one prepared on today, January 10^th. However, I fully expect that Minister Farrakhan, and those of us who are with him, will have made progress towards the realization of the 10^th Anniversary of The Million Man March.

“Likewise, the wicked expect to make progress against him and us. To think that there are not those, who are working openly, and especially covertly, to hinder, derail or otherwise destroy the aim and purpose of this ‘March’ would be foolish and even ridiculous.”

The ultimate aim of such people will continue to destroy Minister Farrakhan in the eyes of the public, with the method they have always used ever since this world was born: SLANDER–THE WORST FORM OF LYING.

What makes this form of lying so evil? Look into the word “plausible.” Its superficial meaning is: believable and appearing likely to be true, usually in the absence of proof having a persuasive manner in speech or writing, often combined with an intention to deceive. What makes it effective? The Holy Qur’an ends with two chapters 113 and 114.

Let’s go back to the words of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, which are the basis of what I am trying to now convey. That was 1972 a brother was accused of horrible crimes, anyone of which would show that he was a very wicked hater of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s handling of this matter was so filled with wisdom that much of it could not be seen at that time. But it bears directly on us today.

I know that what I’m touching of that incident, 33 years ago, hardly provides even the barest kind of outline or context of it.

The context of an event, in which significant words were spoken (or written), always helps us understand the people, the event, etc., better than otherwise. However, there are many truths we can and do learn, even in depth, without the original context, if the lessons to be learned are given in a way that impacts us as if we fully knew the original context of the event; when the significant words were produced.

Let’s now focus on the Messiah’s words and piece them apart. He said: “Whenever you accuse an innocent man of that which he did not do the heavens and the earth cry out for justice for the innocent man.” STOP.

I once wrote in 1995 as a part of a talk I delivered in Phoenix, Arizona: “Of the last week, which includes what scholars call Jesus’ passion, which only refers to his extreme suffering.

“The last week and day of Jesus’ life takes more space in the Bible (the part called Gospels) than all of his life up to that point. There is little mentioned of his actual birth. Next to nothing is written of the first thirty years of his life. There is brief notice given of an incident when he was twelve. Nothing else. Little is mentioned of the first year of his min-istry. More is given of his second year. Still more is given of the third year plus.

“Then, eight of the twenty-eight chapters of Matthew; six of the six-teen chapters of Mark; nearly six of the twenty-four chapters that make up Luke; nearly ten of the twenty-one chapters that make up the book of John, cover from his last week through what is said to be his rise from the dead and his ascension. But even most of this space is taken up by the events of his last week.

“This makes one think there is some significance in this arrangement?”

More next issue, Allah willing.