When the words Islam and America are said in the same sentence it is usually followed by the words terrorist attack, ISIS or Sharia Law.America and other countries need to start reporting on is the true Islam that 1.6 billion Muslims follow on a daily basis. el- Hajj Malik el-Shabazz is the Muslim name of the ever controversial and great leader of Islam in America, Malcolm X. Before converting to Islam, el-Shabazz followed a religious and political movement known as the Nation of Islam, a racist and ignorant movement that focused mainly on empowering the black people through demonising non black people. Some of the teachings included, describing God as black, Jesus as black and that Wali Fard Muhammad the leader of the movement was a Prophet and was the presence of Allah. However, due to many scandals, that surrounded Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, el-Shabazz began to reconsider is ideals and the movement that he helped empower in America. Following his travels to Africa and Hajj, he realised that the “Islam” that was promoted by the Nation of Islam was in fact a lie. After completing Hajj he denounced the Nation of Islam and converted to Islam that we all follow today. He began to teach the proper tenets of Islam and influence people, such as Muhammad Ali. However, in 1965 a year after becoming a Muslim, el-Shabazz was shot three times and killed, in front of his wife and kids, at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem; three members of the Nation of Islam were convicted of the murder. He died a martyr of Islam trying to bring about justice for the African American community in a time when there was high racial tension. “I am not a racist… In the past I permitted myself to be used… to make sweeping indictments of all white people, the entire white race, and these generalizations have caused injuries to some whites who perhaps did not deserve to be hurt. Because of the spiritual enlightenment which I was blessed to receive as the result of my recent pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca, I no longer subscribe to sweeping indictments of any one race. I am now striving to live the life of a true Sunni Muslim. I must repeat that I am not a racist nor do I subscribe to the tenets of racism. I can state in all sincerity that I wish nothing but freedom, justice and equality, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all people,” an excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X.May Allah forgive him and all the Muslimeen and grant them all Al Firdaus.
