Federal Bureau of Investigation

“ Elijah occasionally has had to change this "time" that he foretells, and once again he is warning in the above-mentioned issue of the paper:
"America is falling. Her doom has come and none, said the prophets, shall help her in the day of her downfall .... What is going to happen in 1965 and 1966? It certainly will change your minds about following a doomed people—a people who hate you and your kind, and who call one who teaches the truth about them a hater. They are the producers of hatred of us. We are with God and the righteous." ”

“ We believe in equality—as a nation—of equals. We do not believe that we are equal with our slave-masters in the status of "freed slaves".
We recognize and respect American citizens as independent peoples, and we respect their laws that govern this nation. ”

“ The Muslim advocacy of black supremacy arouses the sympathy of many Negroes. They silently applaud the boldness of Elijah and his ministers, who openly condemn white people. This taps sentiments of racial pride which seldom find avenues of expression. The Muslims' repeated appeals for clean living, self-respect, and self-uplift independent of the white community apparently have gained considerable respect among American Negroes. They approve of the way the Muslims live. Lacking knowledge of the complete teachings of the cult, some Negroes see the economic advantages only. ”

“ We believe that the Federal government should intercede to see that Black men and women tried in white courts receive justice in accordance with the laws of the land—or allow us to build a new nation for ourselves, dedicated to justice, freedom, and liberty. ”

“ Charity actually implies need, and benevolence and good will to the poor and suffering. But, if "Muslim charity" reaches the poor and needy, Elijah Muhammad must exercise the benevolence, for he controls all the resources of the cult and cannot, himself, be said to be suffering from lack of material things.
Other revenue to support "the Nation" is raised by members at bazaars, rallies, and dinners arranged by the various temples, through sales of the cult newspaper, and from the profits of businesses operated by some of the temples. ”

“ Elijah Muhammad began laying the groundwork for his new savings bank program in two articles on economics which appeared in the July 3 and 17, 1964, issues of "Muhammad Speaks." In these articles, Elijah renewed his often-repeated claims that "the white man's time is growing shorter" and that "Christianity has never been able to produce the right leadership for our people--and never will." He again berated the "black man in America" as "a people who do not want to accept their own responsibility," who are "begging and praying to the white man to accept you." ”

“ They are a very receptive group, who see Muslim activity within the prisons as an outlet for protest against their situation. With the attitude of what-have-I-to-lose, they hope that some benefits might come to them by joining the NOI.
For a multitude of reasons, there are American Negroes who sympathize with the Black Muslims or actually become loyal followers of Elijah Muhammad and his NOI leadership. For those who join, "the Messenger's" word is law, and all who wish to remain in the cult must follow Elijah's strict discipline as imposed by his loyal ministers. ”

“ Elijah's denunciations are echoed in the statements of his ministers. One NOI minister told his followers, "The NOI does not favor the communists and will not have anything to do with communism. Muslims hate communists worse than the white people hate the communists and Russia. Communism is no good for anyone."
Noncooperation with any group of white people is the Black Muslim rule. The NOI prohibits its followers from participating in or lending support to any organization or meeting which non-Muslim Negroes or white people sponsor. ”

“ Negroes living in slum conditions, hopeless and frustrated, feel Elijah may be an answer to their many problems. These are the Negroes, the less-educated and least-privileged, to whom Elijah directs his appeals. For these Negroes, the Muslim movement provides a means by which they can both release and control their feelings toward what they regard as a hostile white society. The ritual, the fierce verbal attacks upon whites, and the display of authority give a sense of power and adventure. ”

“ New people begin attending meetings on a fairly regular basis. They have their names entered in the "Book of Life," maintained in Chicago, and obtain their "X" names. But as new members enter into the cult's activities, many others at any given time are in various stages of disillusionment--they fail to attend meetings regularly, fail to make the required contributions, do not accept the temple leaders' discipline, and are soon completely out of all the cult' activities. ”

“ The article by Elijah contained the following excerpts:
"I appeal to all Muslims, and to all the members of the original Black Nation in America, to sacrifice at least 5 cents from each day's work to create an 'Economic Savings Program' to help fight unemployment, abominable housing, hunger, and nakedness of the 22 million Black People here in America who continue to face these problems."
"Send your 25 cents every week to Muhammad's Mosque No. 2--Chicago, Illinois. This 25 cents will be banked until we have a million dollars to begin building a banking system. ”

“ In his public lectures, his rather rasping voice drones on in monotony. But he seems to know when to shake his audience into excitement. Suddenly he will electrify them with a tirade against the "white devils," the Government, or nonbelieving "so-called Negroes." ”

“ Much publicity is given to the contention that NOI members are taught to live cleanly and to improve themselves physically, spiritually, and morally. While NOI adherents in prison have sought freedom to practice their religion and to follow the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, the sincerity and depth of their convictions are sometimes in doubt. While in prison, a Muslim often asserts devotion to his religion and claims his religious rights are being denied by prison authorities. ”

“ Under such a schooling system we believe we will make a better nation of people. The United States government should provide free all necessary text books and equipment, schools and college buildings. The Muslim teachers shall be left free to teach and train their people in the way of righteousness, decency and self respect.
10. We believe that intermarriage or race mixing should be prohibited. We want the religion of Islam taught without hindrance or suppression.
These are some of the things that we, the Muslims, want for our people in North America. ”

“ Some of these are that they must regularly attend meetings, make the required financial contributions, sell their quota of the cult newspaper, and trade with Muslim-operated businesses. They must not smoke, drink liquor, eat pork, use narcotics, commit adultery, or associate with non-Muslims. Women members must wear the prescribed head covering, keep their homes neat, and serve the proper Muslim foods; and they must not wear lipstick, high heels, or short dresses. These rules are but a few of the many that have guided those who accept Elijah Muhammad's concocted version of Islam. ”

“ However, into whatever causes they channel this mood, all recognize one common concept--the American Negro is a group with a heritage of suffering, taking action to force the white majority to recognize and fulfill its legal rights. ”

“ We want the government of the United States to exempt our people from ALL taxation as long as we are deprived of equal justice under the laws of the land.
9. We want equal education—but separate schools up to 16 for boys and 18 for girls on the condition that the girls be sent to womens colleges and universities. We want all Black children educated, taught and trained by their own teachers. ”

“ Elijah complained that "it is difficult to plan an economic system for a people who are subject to the whim of another people. You are limited in your jobs, salaries and income by the white man. But you can still learn not to be reckless and wasteful spenders."
Elijah advised his readers, "You can save hundreds of millions of dollars--even billions--if you would accept the right economic program and stop using things which destroy your health, such as tobacco, which doctors warn us can cause cancer. X-rays are known also to be dangerous and produce cancer .... ”

“ From within NOI closed meetings, the Black Muslims hurl their imprecations, insults, and vague threats at the distant white world, as they stand surrounded by other friendly black listeners. And the NOI movement's insistence that Negroes are the original people who "must stay among themselves" gives its followers a sense of security and even tranquility. ”

“ A. Conditions in United States Affecting NOI What conditions prevail in the United States which allow this unusual organization its present-day appeal and notoriety? Why is the NOI seemingly more important today than at any time in its history?
Prominent Negro scholars point to a new assertive mood, frequently called "Black Nationalism," rising among the Negroes in this country. But Negro leaders differ in their interpretation and use to be made of this mood. ”

“ Despite Elijah's emphasis on members' operating their own businesses, the cult's many rules restricting its members make the successful operation of a business very difficult. The member who owns a business, just as any other member, is required to attend cult meetings several nights a week and on weekends and is expected to sell his quota of the cult newspaper. For a cult member whose establishment should stay open evenings and weekends, these requirements cause him a loss
of income. Additionally, many of the businessman's customers are cult members who frequently buy on credit. ”

“ After considerable experience, Elijah knows the unintelligent Negro is more apt to follow cult teachings.
To date, Elijah has had little success in recruiting educated Negroes, whom he calls "white folks loving" Negroes. He expressed his feelings toward them at an NOI rally in Detroit in May, 1964. He said, "College people think their education will save them. Negroes are ignorant even though they attended college because they do not have a knowledge of themselves. They will be destroyed because of their ignorance and stubbornness." ”

“ Elijah furthered Fard's avowal that Christianity was a tool of the white man formed for the sole purpose of keeping the original black man enslaved, and that only through following the laws of Allah would the original people return to the Paradise from which they had been stolen. ”

“ All temples require their FOI men to "fish" throughout Negro areas prior to the Sunday, public NOI meetings. Frequently, this is done in areas where Negro Christian churches hold their services. FOI men, while hawking the cult newspaper, also urge Negroes to visit open temple meetings. But strict rules forbid these recruiters, or any rank-and-file Muslim, to engage in discussion of NOI teachings with non-Muslims. Only NOI ministers and national officers trained to promote Elijah's version of Islam are permitted to teach the "lost-founds." ”

“ Elijah possesses that "something" mentioned in an essay on leaders attributed to General Charles de Gaulle, for "Allah's Messenger" seems to understand that "there can be no prestige without mystery," that, "in the designs, the demeanor and the mental operations of a leader, there must always be a 'something' which others cannot altogether fathom, which puzzles them, stirs them and rivets their attention." ”

“ B. Dissidents Though troubles have erupted among members of the cult on many occasions in the past, none had publicly involved the solidarity of the national hierarchy. Many people have wondered what caused the rash of defections and expulsions of former leaders of the cult during the past year. It would be difficult to state for certain, because it must be remembered that the dissident former members and leaders who later loudly condemned Elijah and his present hierarchy for their many faults, until recently, were all among his top supporters and recruiters. ”

“ Ostensibly, these rules are for improving members' health, but one wonders if there also may be an economic reason behind these regulations made by Elijah. In their constant requests for contributions, ministers remind the members that Muslims who eat only one meal a day save $730 per year more than Christians who eat three meals a day; that, by following the rules against smoking and the use of liquor, they can save additional hundreds of dollars a year; and that, therefore, it should be no hardship for them to make their weekly duty contributions or their annual Savior's Day gifts. ”

“ We do not believe that America will ever be able to furnish enough jobs for her own millions of unemployed in addition to jobs for the 20,000,000 black people.
10. WE BELIEVE that we who declared ourselves to be righteous Muslims should not participate in wars that take the lives of humans. We do not believe this nation should force us to take part in such wars, for we have nothing to gain from it unless America agrees to give us the necessary territory wherein we may have something to fight for. ”

“ The NOI minister was merely an observer and took no part in the rally, following which, he told newsmen he did not approve of the Klan. Still later in 1961, Elijah Muhammad told a group of his followers that a representative of the KKK had asked to come to an NOI meeting to tell how they supported Elijah's work. Elijah said that "if they showed up they would be carried out."
Not all NOI hatred is vented on other extremists, civil rights groups, and Christian ministers. The Communist Party and the Socialist Workers Party [1] are similarly denounced and avoided. ”

“ Regular features of the paper are columns
in late 1959, was a young, light-skinned, unmarried Negro girl who became a to Elijah Muhammad and soon began forcefully echoes Elijah's teaching that the Negro woman should completely disassociate herself from the customs and practices of the white woman, that the white race is "the real enemy of our people," and that the black people must develop strong "racial pride and solidarity."
What advocates, however, is not what practices. ”

“ Negro reporters for the "Chicago American" told about their experience before a meeting got under way where Elijah was to speak. You are led into a room, they said, where you register with a smiling Muslim at a desk. Then you are conducted before a team of guards who begin to search you for dangerous weapons. They are gentle but thorough, covering hat to shoes:
"... A muscular young Muslim tells you to empty your pockets. Your ballpoint pen is clicked repeatedly to make sure it's not a miniature weapon. ”