NEICC INTRAFAITH DIALOGUE PROGRAM

NEICC-North East Islamic Community Center and Ant Bookstore sponsored a night of conversation and celebration of Black History Month with Sister Laila Muhammad from Compassion Action. The program was held at ANT Bookstore & Café in Clifton (www.antbookstore.com) on Saturday, February 25th, 2017.

In her talk, Laila Muhammad referred to the new challenges for diverse communities in the United States. She said we should not be discouraged by the new situation, instead we should welcome the challenge, and work harder for deeper engagements through dialogue and community work. Answering a question about how to better engage with the African-American community, Muhammad said the defense mechanisms African-Americans have developed throughout centuries sometimes prevent interaction with other communities. However, Muhammad said, “we should move forward, collectively,” with all segments of our society, and in that direction we should promote dialogue.

Addressing another question on Malcolm X, an iconic figure of Nation of Islam who was assassinated in 1965, Laila Muhammad said Malcolm X had some questions on some of the practices and thoughts of Nation of Islam even before he had been to the Hajj. Her father Warith Deen Muhammad advised Malcolm X to teach only what he is totally satisfied about. Sister Laila told that her father and Malcolm X were ministers at Nation of Islam temples at the same time one in Philly, one in NY, while his grandfather Elijah Muhammad was the leader of Nation of Islam.

It was also mentioned that a detailed interview with Sister Laila Muhammad has published at January-February issue of The Fountain Magazine (www.fountainmagazine.com).