By Jihad Hassan Muhammad
Correspondent
Texas Metro News
“ The best place for a young Black male or female is the Nation of Islam.” – Ice Cube
Most in the Black community are familiar with someone in your family, a friend, or just a brother or sister at your barber shop or beauty salon that doesn’t celebrate some mainstream holiday.
They’ll give you a reason and an extensive history lesson on why they don’t. You will hear things like, ‘this is a Eurocentric pagan holiday, we began celebrating that while enslaved by our oppressors,’ or who can forget; ‘Columbus slaughtered our Native American people, we don’t celebrate that.’
Amongst Black people, these ideas were popularized by the Nation of Islam, whose eternal leader, The Most Hon. Elijah Muhammad; through his teachings pioneered Black consciousness and liberation theology.
Yet the Nation of Islam does have its holiday, or annual celebration, Saviours’ Day, which is seen as an example of Black empowerment.
Saviours’ Day is a celebration of the birth of Master Fard Muhammad, born February 26, 1877. Master Fard founded the Nation in the ghettos of Detroit, known as Black Bottom, July 4, 1930 with The Most Hon. Elijah Muhammad, as the teacher.
Their sole purpose has been a work to save Black people from the conditions and atrocities never repaired from slavery. Saviours’ Day is also a celebration of the Nation’s members who have been active in saving Black communities throughout America, and the world.
This past weekend, February 20-23, the annual Saviours’ Day was celebrated in Chicago, the city where the Nation is headquartered.
Thousands came to celebrate. The Nation usually attains an arena to host the gathering, which is historically known as ‘The Crowning Event of Black History Month,’ this year as venues did not become available to them, the event was hosted on the grounds of their National Center on Chicago’s south side.
The Nation regained the center under the leadership of The Hon. Min. Louis Farrakhan, who in 1977 rebuilt the entity after the departure of The Most Hon. Elijah Muhammad in 1975.
The National Center of the Nation consists of Mosque Maryam and Muhammad University of Islam, an independent school for K-12. Upon the grounds they were successful in constructing massive tents heated comfortability for attendees to far go the sometimes harsh Chicago winter. The tents added thousands of seats to the center which could already host thousands.
Jay Electronica, Grammy award nominated hip-hop artist of Jay-Z’s ROC Nation; traveled days to get to Saviours’ Day.
young Fruit of Islam from Dallas Shahid A. Muhammad
“ I came to Saviours’ Day in a vehicle from Tepozlan, Mexico, where I’ve been living the past two years. I drove 40 hours to Arizona, 13 hours to Dallas, seven hours to New Orleans, and 13 hours here.
“And here I stand with my dog, and all praise is due to Allah it’s Saviours’ Day,” added Electronica.
The glee was present in all who came. Akeem Nashid Muhammad said this, “ it’s like I’ve have been born again”
Akeem, 22, and his 21-year-old brother Shahid are from Dallas and were extra excited since they are newly registered members of The Fruit of Islam, which is military training for men in the Nation.
They graduated with a tent full of mostly young Black men and women as new members of the Nation of Islam during the weekend’s Saviours’ Day events. The women’s training, the Muslim Girls Training and General Civilization Class focus on redeeming Black women, teaching them intricate self defense, health, the science of food and cooking, among other life lessons.
Some other events included plenary sessions on marriage and relationships, conflict resolution, disaster preparedness, health, and youth upliftment.
Through the weekend Black economics was of extremem importance. Whether it was the many Black businesses represented from across the country that displayed their products/services throughout the tents, or the businesses of the Nation and its followers throughout Chicago that served goods and services.
The Salaam Restaurant, served fine dining along with several other restaurants serving the community healthy alternatives, and owned by the Muslims; including a tasty ice cream parlor, Shawn Michele’s Homemade Ice Cream, in the Bronzeville section of Chicago.
For the last 44 years the weekend usually culminates with the keynote address by Farrakhan, who has worked nearly 70 years organizing and rebuilding millions of Black people.
His subject this year was taught by his Student National Assistant Minister, Ishmael Muhammad, who is also a son of The Most Hon. Elijah Muhammad.
Farrakhan, 91, is doing fine, yet did not speak as he has said, he is under strict instructions from God and The Most Hon. Elijah Muhammad to be silent at this time as the world begins to see all that he has taught from his teacher come into reality.
Bro. Ishmael passionately delivered the keynote address, Repent For The Kingdom of God Is At Hand.
He covered maneuvering the decadence of America, God’s hand in the disasters in America, and how President Trump must repent if America is to possibly be saved.
The full message can be found at www.noi.org
Jihad Hassan Muhammad is a Correspondent and Contributing Editor for I Messenger Media. Previously in Dallas, he worked for the Dallas Weekly.
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