.
ChickenBones: A Journal
for Literary & Artistic African-American Themes
www.nathanielturner.com
So much that goes for Islam is ancient and primitive, really, not worthy of discussion
in the modern world among people of intelligence. Elijah Muhammad used to say
the wisdom of this world is exhausted, and this includes Islam. It must be
revolutionized or thrown into the dustbin of ancient thought.
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Books by Marvin X
Love and War: Poems / In the Crazy House Called America / Woman: Man’s Best Friend / Beyond Religion Toward Spirituality
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Islam Needs a Martin Luther By Marvin X, project director The University of Poetry
A Project of the Black Arts Movement
The
Islamic world needs a Martin Luther, someone to usher in an Age of
Reform that will radically alter some of the fundamental values of Islam
that are retrograde, archaic, primitive and must be discarded into the
dustbin of Muslim history so that Islam can regain its position as a
culture of enlightenment rather than darkness. At an Islamic Art
Conference I attended this past weekend in Oakland, California, along
with Muslims from around the world, there was discussion of how Islam
has suppressed artists, calling Muslim art haram (religiously proscribed), shirk (associating partners with God) and other negative terms that essentially condemn Islamic art as evil.
When
I addressed the audience, I noted that I am the “father of Islamic
literature in America” by default because other Muslim writers were told
to give up the art of writing, creative anyway, but I ignored the ban
and thus my work is all that remains, aside from poet Sam Hamad and a
few others who’ve written during the last forty years that may surface
with proper research. Not only writers, but painters, musicians,
dancers, singers and others were suppressed. Even minister Farrakhan, a
musician and singer, was made to give up his art. But we know it is
artists who give people visions and prophecy, thus when they are
suppressed, the people are likely to walk in darkness as we see at the
present moment. In my remarks at the conference, I challenged the Muslim
artists to be revolutionary and yes, disobedient — to hell with those
who desire to suppress Muslim art, they are the backward ones, they are
the evil ones and must be opposed by, yes, any means necessary. So much
that goes for Islam is ancient and primitive, really, not worthy of
discussion in the modern world among people of intelligence. Elijah
Muhammad used to say the wisdom of this world is exhausted, and this
includes Islam. It must be revolutionized or thrown into the dustbin of
ancient thought. The Islamic revolution must, will and shall be led by
Muslim artists with vision for a day when Islamic culture will be the
vanguard of world culture, projecting the most positive and scientific
aspects of the new millennium. Islamic culture must come from behind the
veil, or if anything, put the veil on men and let the women march forth
as harbingers of the new world order. Contrary to what men think, women
have been found to be the most advanced sector of society,
intellectually and spiritually, so we would do well to listen to them
for answers to the right path.
Clearly, Muslim men are not on sirat al-mustaqim (“the
straight path”). Over a billion people of Islamic faith are currently
steeped in poverty, ignorance and disease, wallowing in political
oppression of the most backward, Stalinist variety. And when the
politicians are not oppressing, the mullahs and Imams do the same work,
even to the point of following the Christians in the sexual exploitation
of boys and girls. Let a Muslim Martin Luther step to the front of the
line and represent the way of truth, freedom, justice and equality.
Muslim collaborators with imperialism, colonialism, and all manner of
retrograde religiosity and political oppression must be condemned.
Islamic scholars whose theology is based on primitive laws, edicts,
fatwas must be ostracized because their actions only add to the utter
confusion and ignorance pervading the Muslim world. Surely, the
destruction the Tsunami brought to South Asia is a sign of Allah’s
displeasure with the Muslim people, along with Christians, Hindus and
others. If we continue down the path of primitive worship of myths and
rituals, surely Allah has even greater destruction planned for those
without eyes, ears, the deaf, dumb and blind. After Allah has blessed us
with light, how can we yet walk in darkness? How can we possess
“supreme wisdom” yet have nothing, behave as spiritual slaves to any
storefront imam with a rote memory of Al-Quran? Let a Martin Luther
Muslim arise to destroy idols of ignorance and suppression of
creativity. Yes, let everything praise Allah, from the flute to the
lute, from the dancer to the poet.
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Marvin X is
a distinguished poet, playwright and essayist of the Black Arts
Movement (BAM). He is the founder and director of Recovery Theatre in
San Francisco. He also co-founded the Black Arts/West Theatre and Black
House, which served briefly as the headquarters for the Black Panther
Party and as a center for performance, theatre, poetry and music in the
Bay Area. He works as a lecturer, teacher and producer.
This essay will be published in the forthcoming Wish I Could Tell You The Truth (2005) / © 2003-2005 Muslim WakeUp! Inc. The World’s Most Popular Muslim Online Magazinehttp://muslimwakeup.com info@muslimwakeup.com
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“Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich.” Napoleon Bonaparte
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A Memoir by Marvin X
Books by Marvin X
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