An Open Letter to the Organizers and Sponsors of the Imam W. Deen Mohammed Conference and Dinner / "A Way Forward: A New Mind for A New People” - A Historical Perspective on The Ministry of Imam W. Deen Mohammed

16 August 2022

Presented by Imam Dhuhan Abdullah and Terynso El-Amin, and signed by over fifty believers representing Imam W. Deen Mohammed’s following from across the United States

A BRIEF NOTE: It is not within the spirit of decency nor the practices of a people of faith to disparage or cast doubt upon the good works of others. We are obligated always to support what is good and reject that which violates what G’d intends for His Creation.

The history, circumstances, and realities of Muslim African-American life have been the subject of much speculation and conjecture since its early founding in the late 1920’s. The lack of serious scholarly inquiry and the insertion of political, economic, and other interests have clouded the picture. In very real terms, the true story of how Al-Islam entered the consciousness of America’s ex-slave, and thus American society as a whole, has been so distorted that even many Muslim African-Americans are confused or misinformed, to say nothing of the American public and the international Islamic community. In the wake of Imam W. Deen Mohammed’s passing, the failure of his community’s officials to extend his public messaging further exacerbates this issue.

In the spirit of obedience to Allah and His Messenger, in recognition of the special role Imam W. Deen Mohammed has in bringing us to the correct understanding of faith, and in support of those who demand clarity of purpose for their human life, in its origin and its destiny, we reprint in full this open letter addressing the ‘Imam W. Deen Mohammed Conference & Dinner’ as presented by Study Al-Islam and American Islamic College and sponsored by Sterling Charitable, Islamic Relief, and Banneker Ventures.

We thank Imams Dhuhan Abdullah and Terynso El-Amin for their initiative in bringing our collective attention to this matter and we thank the many signatories for their sincerity and commitment to preserving, for America and the world, the correct picture of Muslims and Imam W. Deen Mohammed. 

- Imam Ibrahim El-Amin, Representative of Imam Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed

With Allah’s Name, The Merciful Benefactor, The Merfciful Redeemer

15 August 2022

To All Whom It Concerns:

We are not alone in experiencing a sense of gratitude upon learning about your upcoming event, “A Way Forward: A New Mind for A New People” A Historical Perspective on The Ministry of Imam W. Deen Mohammed.

Time renders greater perspective and as such the significance of Imam W. Deen Mohammed’s contributions as a Muslim leader in the Tradition of Muhammed the Prophet is only beginning to be appreciated in its fullness. It is desirable, indeed necessary, that such appreciation incorporate a variety of perspectives—spiritual, cultural, and as the aforementioned event endeavors, academic. The international Muslim community will benefit greatly from our efforts here in America to better understand the unique history of Al-Islam in this hemisphere.

However, in examining the historic record and the present circumstances of Imam W. Deen Mohammed’s community, we are concerned that despite the list of distinguished and well-known participants, the conspicuous absence of one particular voice limits the efficacy of this endeavor.

From Imam W. Deen Mohammed’s 1992 invocation on the floor of the U.S. senate (the first by a Muslim), to his participation in the inaugural ceremonies for President Bill Clinton, to his historic meeting with Pope John Paul II, it is documented that Imam Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed played an integral role in every major success of our late Imam’s Ministry during the fifteen years he served as his Representative and Special Assistant.

In a December 21, 2001 Muslim Journal article, Imam Mohammed stated: “He [Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed], in my opinion, is responsible for most of the propagating of the true image of Muslims in America.” And later, in addressing an audience of thousands at the 2002 Mosque Cares Convention, Imam Mohammed further summarized his protégée’s contributions: “I have to acknowledge the man who has done more than any other person to help me get the correct picture of Muslims and Imam W. Deen Mohammed to the public of America and the world, my son…Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed. I thank G’d for him.”

Presently, Imam Abdumalik Mohammed’s public messaging on the most pressing issues of the day evinces a peerless ideological discipline to what Muslim scholars might refer to as Imam W. Deen Mohammed’s medthab, or school of thought. Indeed, the characterization of our community as “A New People” was absent from public discourse until Imam Abdulmalik Mohammed refocused attention on the implications of the term in the final chapter of his 2019 book, On Nature and Nations: The Muslim-American Message for Humanity in the Day of Religion.

In very practical terms, Imam Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed played and continues to play an integral role in the success of Imam W. Deen Mohammed’s messaging. It stands to reason that in order to achieve the highest standards of academic inquiry, this event would naturally include the experience, insight, and perspective of such a primary source.

Our intention is not to persuade or impose upon the event organizers a change to the program. Whatever their decision making process, it was carried out with full knowledge of Imam Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed’s singular role with Imam W. Deen Mohammed and with Allah alone is the adjudication of all matters.

The Muslim world and humanity as a whole is entitled to, as Imam W. Deen Mohammed stated, the “correct picture” of his role in the spiritual destiny of man. It is our determination that the proper representation and success of his Ministry be realized under the authorizations that Allah accepts and approves of. Such is the highest appreciation that one can demonstrate for this special leader.

Sincerely,

Dhuhan Abdullah, Harrisburg, PA

Terynso El-Amin, Cincinnati, OH

Dawud Hasan, Hamlet, NC

Iman Rashada, Dallas, TX

Imam Muhammad Ali, Rochester, NY

Hashim Sharif, Philadelphia, PA

Carmen Sims, Tampa, FL

Lari Dawan, Moreno Valley, CA

Rafeeq Mohammed, Atlanta, GA

Robin Lateef-Pharms, Newark, NJ

Hanif Khalil, Kansas City, KS

Omar Abdullah, Rochester, NY

Ronald Ali, Mobile, AL

C. Rasheedah Saleem, Rockford, IL

Frank Shaheed, Baltimore, MD

Hasheem Smith, Rochester, NY

Hanif Abdul-Wahid, Rochester, NY

Khadijah ‘A’ishah Muhammed, Detroit, MI

Aishah Muhammad, Wake Forest, NC

Darrel Chapman, Newark, NJ

Jennifer Rose, Ft Mitchell, KY

Jerome Mohammed, St. Louis, MO

Moussa Toure, Tampa, FL

Rashad Hassan, Glenarden, MD

Wali Shabazz, Tampa, FL

H. Henry, Holly Hill, FL

Saleem Akbar Sharif, Bronx, NY

Akram Cooper, Rochester, NY

Sabir Saleem, Washington, DC

Nathan Beyah, Cleveland, OH

Faridah Abdul-Tawwab Brown, Columbia, MD

Qasim Abdul-Tawwab, Daytona Beach, FL

Elijah Muhammad, East Orange, NJ

Y. Wali Shabazz, Waldorf, MD

Tajheem Abdul-Salaam, Highspire, PA

Asim Mubeen Nashid, Irvington, NJ

Idris Sharif, Philadelphia, PA

Brenda Mosley, Philadelphia, PA

Racquel Scott, Drexel Hill, PA

Yaminah Shabazz, Montclair, VA

Zakiyyah Hajj, Detroit, MI

Areeb Muhammad, Teaneck, NJ

Robert Shahid, Baltimore, MD

John Buckner, Raleigh, NC

Jamal Najieb, South Pasadena, CA

Dwight Jackson, San Francisco, CA

Sharva El-Amin, Cincinnati, OH

Rahman Shahid, Columbus, OH

Janet Shahid, Columbus, OH

Sakinah Beyah, Atlanta, GA

Nadia Thornton, Atlanta, GA

Earl Mohammed, Washington, DC

Christopher Shabazz, Albion, NY

Michelle Hereford, Cleveland, OH

Robert Abdulkarim, Richmond, VA

Khalid Rashada, Dallas, TX

Ibrahim El-Amin, Riverside, CA