TINLEY PARK, Ill.—The 29th Annual International Training Conference held July 26-28 attracted participants of all ages and this year’s weekend included informative and life-saving workshops geared toward youth.
Student Minister Nuri Muhammad of Mosque No. 74 in Indianapolis opened the weekend with, a message themed, “Attack on the Black Youth: Root Causes and Solutions.”
“Our young soldiers that are being fed this toxic diet that comes from the music and the toxic diet that comes from social media and this is why it is called your ‘feed,’” he explained, referring to social media and the preoccupation with online gaming with violent themes.
“The challenge for us is to do our part to combat the toxic environment that our young people are living in by being agents of (healing), examples that they can feed off of so that they will not take the path of least resistance.” We live in a savage culture, and it is the duty of the civilized to teach civilization to the uncivilized, he explained, quoting from The Supreme Wisdom Lessons of the Nation of Islam.
Throughout the weekend, youth participated in martial arts and self-defense training but depending on their age, they also participated in workshops tailored to them. The youth tracts were for ages 8-12 and 13 and up. Titles and themes of youth the interactive workshops included:
“Spirit of Service,” “Disaster Preparedness,” “Mental Health,” “Bullying and Defense Against It,” “How To Eat To Live,” “Youth: Defending Farrakhan, the Writing is on the Wall,” “Youth, Faith and Community Engagement,” “Power of Images:
Healing Trauma with Visual Art,” “Conscious Collaborations: Empowering Black Students on College Campuses,” “Overcoming Imposter Syndrome,” “Be Alert, Stay Alive: Common Sense Personal Safety and Security,” and “Quick Thought and Fast Movement Saves Lives.” The youth also enjoyed a Saturday evening social gathering.
Bro. Daniel Muhammad is the owner and operator of Lion’s Paw Karate and Chess Academy in Chicago. He is also a student minister. He spoke about aspects of bullying that are prevalent among young people. “When our babies are not allowed to attend Muhammad University of Islam but instead attend public schools, bullying is a regular occurrence.
Not only in the form of physical bullying, but there’s verbal, there’s social, and there’s cyber bullying. When not addressed properly, bullying can lead to depression, anxiety, and sometimes misbehavior. Bullying can also lead to low self-esteem and thoughts of suicide,” he said.
Sister Rashida Muhammad of Chicago is an entrepreneur, media professional and a student in the ministry at Mosque Maryam. She and Sis. Dr. Khalilah Muhammad, an English professor, were presenters on the Youth Defending Farrakhan panel and shared insightful tips on how young Muslims should strive to represent themselves.
It is imperative to be an example for others and to live the life of a Muslim, Sis. Rashida explained. “We have to truly come in peace, truly leave in peace, and truly want peace for our brothers and sisters,” she said.
“On top of that, we are taught that it is important to live the Restrictive Laws of Islam. When we live it, there’s integrity behind it. When we live it, we walk with a certain confidence that is from Allah (God),” she added.
Sis. Dr. Khalilah posed the following question to the audience: “Are we really students of the word and the idea of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan?” She explained that to be a student of the Minister, one must be a student of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
“It is very important for us to not allow it be a cliché or trendy, but to have the idea in our minds of what it means to be a follower and a student of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
We have to be readers. We have to stay current in what the language is he is using and how he is addressing and giving us Divine instructions and guidance in the world today.”
Brother Dr. Abdullah Hasan Pratt is an Assistant Professor and Emergency Medicine Physician at the University of Chicago Medical Center. He shared valuable information during the “Quick Thought and Fast Movement Saves Lives,” session.
“When there is a loss of life, trauma response is usually confusion between justice and vengeance. Vengeance is a natural emotion, but if you give it time and the right structure, it can be converted into justice,” he said.
During the interactive portion of his session, Bro. Dr. Pratt and his team taught and demonstrated how to stop someone from losing too much blood after experiencing something tragic, such as being shot or stabbed.
The Black Fire Brigade is a Chicago-based program that offers free emergency medical technician (EMT) and fire safety training in the Black community.
Sis. Aaliyah Muhammad is a member of the Black Fire Brigade. “The Black Fire Brigade is an organization that helps Black people become firefighters, police officers, sheriffs, emergency medical technicians, and any first responder positions,” she explained. Interested participants must be 18 and up to work, however, training can start as young as six years old, said Sis. Aaliyah.
Bro. Kareem Muhammad is 16 years old and traveled from Pasco, Washington to the training seminar. He shared with The Final Call what he learned during the youth training. “I think knowing how to properly care for a gunshot wound and making sure the scene is safe before rendering aid, were really important things to know.”
(Shawntell Muhammad can be contacted at [email protected].)
