The Final Call | National News

A new woman, a new world

By Starla Muhammad -Assistant Editor- | Last updated: Apr 21, 2015 - 9:06:27 AM

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(L-R) Young woman listens intently during Save Our Girls event at Mosque Maryam. Photos: Andrea Muhammad | The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan delivered a special message to women only April 18 at the Nation of Islam headquarters. Photo: Monica Morgan | Nation of Islam First Lady Khadijah Farrakhan | Student National M.G.T.&G.C.C. Capt. Sandy Muhammad | Women came out to hear an empowering message.

Minister Farrakhan’s elevating message highlights ‘Save Our Girls’ program

CHICAGO - Mounting the rostrum at Mosque Maryam at the Nation of Islam’s headquarters, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, with a beaming smile, stood before a packed audience of women, teens and girls, and delivered an insightful and impactful message with the gentle protectiveness and loving firmness of a father, big brother and protector. He spoke on the value and importance of the woman as a co-creator with God who must be respected and protected in the face of injustices and abuses they face globally.

Photos: Andrea Muhammad

The Muslim leader explained the meaning and purpose of the all women’s class established in the Nation of Islam called the Muslim Girls Training and General Civilization Class (M.G.T and G.C.C.) and the value of the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad in rebuilding, educating and elevating in particular, the Black woman during the “Save Our Girls: A Nation Can Rise No Higher Than Its Woman” program April 18 which was broadcast via internet webcast in Nation of Islam mosques and study groups in the U.S., Caribbean, Europe and other countries.

Mosque Maryam was packed and overflow crowds viewed the program next door in the gymnasium at Muhammad University of Islam.

The M.G.T. class meets every Saturday and is for registered women and girls of the Nation of Islam, but was opened up for this historic and unique program for all women and girls.

Min. Farrakhan thanked Sandy Muhammad, National M.G.T. Student Captain of the Nation of Islam, who coordinates and oversees the women’s class and all of the Chicago presenters who demonstrated on the world stage, the gifts, skills and talents the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad cultivates within Nation of Islam women through the study and practical application of specifically designed Training Units. The teachings promote spiritual and moral development, intellectual pursuits, proper home and family life, self-love and skills such as sewing, cooking, entrepreneurship, and self-defense.

A cross section of women attended the Save Our Girls event at the Nation of Islam’s headquarters in Chicago April 18, 2015. Photos: Andrea Muhammad and Monica Morgan

The powerful program at Mosque Maryam showcased each of the units with women teaching about the value and place of women, spiritual values, moral virtues and other important subjects alongside a fashion show, with clothing designed by and created by Muslim women, a military drill exhibition and a martial arts exhibition.

“Such a beautiful and seamless program. If I had a vest on, all the buttons on my vest would have been busted by now,” he said smiling. The Minister said that watching the two-hour presentations he was overwhelmed and it brought tears to his eyes.

“As I thought of him who taught me and taught us, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, how proud he is to see you marching forward as Muslim women and girls to show the world what a righteous woman looks like,” said Min. Farrakhan as the audience applauded.

he women were of different faiths, from different places, and even some were of different races. Photos: Andrea Muhammad and Monica Morgan

The class must continue to grow to also show what a righteous woman is, he added.

“When you love your people and when you love your women, when you see them manifesting what we saw today it would make you very proud, and I am very proud.”

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad and today, his top student Min. Farrakhan, have a long history as the staunchest and strongest proponents of recognizing and honoring the Black woman.

“We know that the Black woman was the first woman on our planet, she’s the mother of all living and this is why they call her Eve and when they bring pictures of Eve she’s a woman of color. So we start here with us because we have been destroyed by our enemies but this teaching is for all women, not just for Black women,” Min. Farrakhan explained. The Minister was so pleased with the program he made it available for release to the public (visit store.finalcall.com or noi.org).

The secret of God and man

Man’s view and therefore the world’s view of the woman is not what God’s view is. The woman’s home is her base but not necessarily her place, explained the Minister.

Delving into the scriptures of the Bible and Holy Qu’ran, Min. Farrakhan with keen insight and perspective explained that by God’s permission a ruler was allowed on earth that would create mischief and shed blood.

“Now mischief and the shedding of blood is an evil thing but the Bible puts it like this, ‘all things work for good for those who love the Lord and who are called according to his purpose’, so even though a time, a season was going to be given to the rule of wickedness, it would not be permanent for in that season every soul would be touched by the satanic mind that would rule in that season.”

According to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the Original Man sees and writes his history 25,000 years in advance and in the year 1 of this current cycle a scientist named Yacob brought in an unrighteous civilization.

“So when we the Original people of the earth knew that an enemy was coming who would rule, we then set about to hide the wisdom of our ancient civilizations so that when the wicked one came, he could not borrow from our ancient wisdom to build his world, he would have to build it from himself,” said Min. Farrakhan.

These ancient civilizations of the Original, Black and Indigenous people were buried under jungles, sand and water and the only remnants that reminded the new man (Caucasian) that there was civilization before him were the pyramids and sphinx in Egypt, he continued.

Sign outside Nation of Islam flagship mosque promotes special women only meeting. Photo: Haroon Rajaee

Scientists and archeologists have unearthed ancient cities and remnants of old civilizations in Asia, Africa, Central and South America and parts of the Middle East. Several years ago in the southeastern part of Turkey, remains of a 12,000 year old civilization was discovered under sand.

“Not only were we then to hide our wisdom and civilization, the woman who carries the secret of God would have to be called in to be protected from this new creature that was coming who would in his heart and mind, seek to destroy the moral character of women all over the earth.”

Now who are you that God would have to hide you and call you in to protect you because in you is the secret of God and civilization?”

Women had to be placed in the protection and control of the men so the freedom that she once had to walk beside the man in building worlds was limited.

“Everything that you see in creation is the work of man and woman. You’re not no little thing, you are very big in the eyes of God,” said Min. Farrakhan.

The Holy Qu’ran explains that men and women were created by and from God of the same essence and being. The creation of woman from the “rib” of man as explained in the Bible is deeply misunderstood and has been used to justify relegating women to second-class citizenship. The Minister expertly and with supreme precision, debunked that flawed reasoning.

“He created you from a single being. Not from no rib and many have used that in an ugly way to show a woman as being crooked and bent. We’re going to throw that out today.”

If the man was created from a single essence or being, the Minister explained, that person is God Himself and then from that being a mate was created, the woman, so she too is created from the essence of God.

“How great are you to be the second self of God?” he asked.

The sanctuary at Mosque Maryam and an overflow room downstairs was filled with women. Additional guests were able to hear the message via webcast in Muhammad University of Islam next door. Photo: Andrea Muhammad

The Holy Qu’ran explains that woman is “one degree” under the man. “Some men have been stupid to say that ‘we are your superior’, that you’re going to have to prove,” said Min. Farrakhan.

One degree is a step down in rank explained the Minister, so if God is a 5-star general, the woman is a 4-star general. The Black woman has no birth record, she is as old as God Himself and everything in creation, the woman had a hand in it, he continued.

Satan has gone into every nation on earth, in every woman of every people and once he has destroyed the man’s ability to protect the woman, she became the “booty” or prize for the enemy, said Min. Farrakhan.

“For 6,000 years the woman has been suppressed and in most civilizations the women have been oppressed and right now all over the earth women are rising. Rising against the mistreatment of women by men who do not understand the nature and value of a woman,” the Minister said as the audience stood, cheered and applauded.

In India women and girls are the targets of brutal gang-rapes, in the U.S. and abroad, women are forced into sex-trafficking and in the Middle East and Africa, women are abused and mistreated by the men.

Women watch Save Our Girls program April 18 in the lower level of Mosque Maryam in Chicago. The main sanctuary was full.

“My sisters, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said there was no such thing as a no good woman. Every no good woman was made no good, by a no good man,” Min. Farrakhan added. The man in his degraded state can twist the pure love of his daughter or other female into something ugly such as incest. Most women especially Black women can with truth say they have been abused by men they had confidence in, loved or by family members or friends of family members, he continued.

When you saw the Muslim women performing fighting skills, said the Minister, referring to the martial arts demonstration that took place earlier in the program, “they weren’t playing.”

Men who destroy the virtue of a woman are worthy of death and any woman who fails in her duty to protect her children from men they know are abusing them are cowardly.

The world of Islam needs reform and that reformation is around the female, the Minister pointed out.

“In Islam today, women stay home and men are at the mosque and in some societies which we have visited, women are treated in a manner that would make a woman think she is less than what she really is.”

Women register for positive and exciting event.

The Minister shared a story of a visit he and his wife, Mother Khadijah Farrakhan made to Burkina Faso in the western part of Africa. When it was time for Friday prayer service, the men were in an air conditioned mosque but the women were made to pray outside in the dirt. Prophet Muhammad is not the father of that stupidity, said Min. Farrakhan.

Time for the rise of woman

The Holy Qur’an refers to the beauty of a woman’s form as her “adornments” which are to be covered, explained Min. Farrakhan. The moment you start showing what God has given you as an adornment, you don’t attract the man at the highest level of his nature but his lowest level, the Minister continued. “He wasn’t made to control himself if you show him the thing that causes him to lose control and you know what I’m talking about.”

“If you don’t want a man to be attracted to you for the beauty of your form and neglect the beauty of your mind, because that is not what he’s looking for, then you deny him looking at you in the beauty of your form as though that’s the only thing you have to attract a man.”

It is time for the woman to come up out of confinement and to go and find God and the greatness of who she is, said Min. Farrakhan.

The significance of the Nation’s Training Units is not so the woman is relegated forever to the home, but it is a foundation. Min. Farrakhan, said the training his wife, Mother Khadijah received in the M.G.T. class enabled her to help make him the man he is today. The Minister paid homage to his wife of over 60 years.

“Every woman that marries a Black man or a broken man under White supremacy has married someone she has to help to raise again and when you understand that your role is to help that man to come back to his position so you can honor him and love him and respect him again. That’s why the F.O.I. class is so important because it taught me how to be a better person. The M.G.T. class taught my wife how not to respond to me in my foolishness.”

Muhammad University of Islam accommodated women and girls who unable to get into the packed main mosque next door at the Nation’s Chicago headquarters. The spirit was high. Photos: Andrea Muhammad

The impact of Min. Farrakhan’s words and the program struck a chord with many of the young women and girls of all ages in attendance live in Chicago. Imani Muse, 11 said what stood out to her was the Minister’s words about self-worth. She is the U.S.A. National Ms. Illinois Pre-teen award recipient.

Church, buses, school buses, cars, trucks, vans, cabs and even a limo delivered women to the class at Mosque Maryam.

“I think his speech and each and everything everyone said was amazing. What I would be able to share with my friends is just to take care of your body and know that you are more than what someone might display on you and know that labels mean nothing. It’s all about how you think of yourself and how you carry yourself in the world,” she said.

Isis Graham, 15, U.S.A. National Ms. Illinois Jr. Teen, said the Minister spoke on a lot of key points to help a woman realize her self-worth. “One thing that stood out to me the most would have to be respecting yourself and respecting others around you like Minister Farrakhan said, a woman is just as powerful as a man.”

Leslie Bates, accompanied both girls, and is a mother. She brought the girls because she thought it was important to hear about rebuilding the Black woman.

Eighteen-year-old Kyondra Johnson said when the Minister spoke on women being a part of God, that resonated with her because that message gets lost in today’s society. “It stuck out to me because I wish I could show my younger cousins that they need to be treated better and uphold yourself in a better light, because we deserve it.”

Final Call staffers Andrea Muhammad, photographer, national correspondent Charlene Muhammad and assistant editor Starla Muhammad prepare April 18 for a day’s work. Charlene Muhammad is holding a special reprint of The Final Call given away as a gift at the Save Our Girls seminar. Photo: Richard B. Muhammad

Nina Brandon and her sister Erica Jones came with their daughters ages 7 and 11. “He (the Minister) gave me more knowledge on how to be a stronger woman and to take the knowledge I’m getting as an adult teaching my daughter in having respect for herself and that no matter what she goes through in life to know that she is acceptable and she can endure whatever she wants to do as a strong, Black woman,” said Ms. Jones.

“It was interesting to listen to how it’s almost our responsibility or our place to be able to raise a broken man,” said Nicole Ross, 28. “There’s a lot of the battling of the sexes going on and so to be taught to build someone who is broken that was something.” Ms. Ross admitted she has a bit of a “feminist streak.” But when she heard the Minister talk about how the home is the base and the root of a woman’s power but does not end there, it was powerful, she told The Final Call.

Yaa Simpson is a Chicago area HIV/AIDS activist and epidemiologist. She was impressed that the Minister paid such high respect to his wife and all women. “That brother was breaking it down. He knows it takes a special woman and he knows what our adornments are. I loved how he phrased things because he spoke in a positive way. He didn’t make us feel as though we were being battered and degraded although that’s what other men do,” said Ms. Simpson.

“I give real high praises to that message. What I really liked is he kept it real. You know what I saw today? He’s a real Black man.”