Poems for Palestine, Egypt, Syria by Marvin X and Mohja Kahf

 PALESTINE by Marvin X (Imam Maalik El Muhajir)

I am not an Arab, I am not a Jew
Abraham is not my father, Palestine is not my home
But I would fight any man
Who kicked me out of my house
To dwell in a tent
I would fight
To the ends of the earth
Someone who said to me
I want your house
Because my father lived here
Two thousand years ago
I want your land

Because my father lived here
Two thousand years ago.
Jets would not stop me
From returning to my home
Uncle toms would not stop me
Cluster bombs would not stop me
Bullets I would defy.
No man can take the house of another
And expect to live in peace
There is no peace for thieves
There is no peace for those who murder
For myths and ancient rituals
Wail at the wall

Settle in "Judea" and "Samaria"
But fate awaits you
You will never sleep with peace

You will never walk without listening.
I shall cross the River Jordan
With Justice in my hand
I shall return to Jerusalem
And establish my house of peace,
Thus said the Lord.
© 2000 by Marvin X (Imam Maalik El Muhajir)

After Friday Prayers

Egypt: After Friday Prayers 

After Friday Prayers
After salat
salaam-alaikum
al humdulilah
we shall meet in the streets
to shout no more pharaoh
no more presidents for life
no more American aide for guns and tear gas
no more uncle abdullah
no more
no more reactionary theology
no honor killings
suppression of women's dignity
no more
after Friday prayers
in Tunisia
Cairo
Yemen
Sudan
Jordan
Saudi Arabia
Persian Gulf
no more
after Fatihah/Ikhlas
we shall meet the guns of Pharaoh Mubarak
we shall meet the tear gas
even death even
we shall meet
and go to paradise
for freedom
we have no fear of Pharaoh's guns/tear gas
no fear no more
we are mostly young and invincible
we have the model
we shall meet in the streets
to live again
to breathe
to love
to take control of our lives
to feed our families
to fly in the sun of freedom and liberty.
--Marvin X

1/27/11

To Egypt With Love

Dedicated to my son, Abdul (Darrel P. Jackmon, RIP)

He studied at the American University in Egypt

fell in love in Egypt

some Ghanian ambassador's daughter

told him don't give no woman keys to your apartment

he never did

not even the ambassador's daughter, he told me

he loved Egypt

spoke the language

graduated UC Berkeley in Arabic and Middle Eastern Literature

said the Africans were slaves throughout the Middle East

Arabs took their passports

making them slaves

racism was pervasive

unsustainable

yet understandable

they are not the aboriginal Arabs

not the Arabs of Sabah

Queen of Sabah's land

who ruled from Canaan to Jerusalem to the Persian Gulf

Queen of Sabah

who fascinated King Solomon

My son loved Arabic, Persian

Fulbright fellowship to University of Damascus

Syrian intelligence  interrogated him daily

why was he hanging around those filthy Palestinians

Why did he swim at the American embassy 

Dad, they tried to recruit me for the C.I.A

Mormons controlled the US Embassy

wanted me to be a Mormon

Toward the end my son became a Mormon

lived with Eldridge Cleaver

himself a Mormon, for a time

said Eldridge got strange phone calls

from strange people

we know Eldridge was dr. strangelove

The Ghanaian woman came to see my son in Cali

I do not know what happened

but she went home

In the end he loved a Portuguese woman

he loved Brazil

said he wanted to live in Bahia

dance Condomble 

a man of the world

at his funeral came his friends

no black man no black woman

Asians whites

after all

he was a man of the world

what could he say to a nigguh in the ghetto

his travels to Africa, Egypt, Jerusalem, Brazil,Japan, what could he say to a ghetto nigguh

In Japan, he said they teach the women to say three things:

yes, thank you and I'm sorry

Japanese woman he got pregnant said no to his black baby

so she could go home in peace

family told her don't bring no black baby home.

Abdul loved the Middle East

loved Persian

poetry

the rhythms of the language

poets who dervish.

Egypt may fall today tomorrow

my son will be pleased

Pharaoh Mubarak is no more

the regime is history

what a story to tell my son

who walked into a train

in his midnight madness

Dr. Hare said he was like Malcolm and Martin

he was 38, they were 39

he self destructed

suicide and homicide is the same

different sides of the same coin.

Let Egypt arise for the sons and daughters who have suffered

a long suffering that has come to an end.

Mubarak a page in history

a pitiful note in the eternal song of a people.

--Marvin X

1/31/11

Two Poems for the People of Syria

Oh, Mohja
how much water can run from rivers to sea
how much blood can soak the earth
the guns of tyrants know no end
a people awakened are bigger than bullets
there is no sleep in their eyes
no more stunted backs and fear of broken limbs
even men, women and children are humble with sacrifice
the old the young play their roles
with smiles they endure torture chambers
with laughs they submit to rape and mutilations
there is no victory for oppressors
whose days are numbered
as the clock ticks as the sun rises
let the people continue til victory
surely they smell it on their hands
taste it on lips
believe it in their hearts
know it in their minds
no more backwardness no fear
let there be resistance til victory.
--Marvin X/El Muhajir

Syrian poet/professor Dr. Mohja Kahf

Oh Marvin, how much blood can soak the earth?

The angels asked, “will you create a species who will shed blood

and overrun the earth with evil?” 

And it turns out “rivers of blood” is no metaphor: 

see the stones of narrow alleys in Duma

shiny with blood hissing from humans? Dark

and dazzling, it keeps pouring and pumping

from the inexhaustible soft flesh of Syrians,

and neither regime cluster bombs from the air,

nor rebel car bombs on the ground,

ask them their names before they die. 

They are mowed down like wheat harvested by machine,

and every stalk has seven ears, and every ear a hundred grains.

They bleed like irrigation canals into the earth.

Even one little girl in Idlib with a carotid artery cut

becomes a river of blood. Who knew she could be a river 

running all the way over the ocean, to you,

draining me of my heart? And God said to the angels, 

“I know what you know not.” But right now,

the angels seem right. Cut the coyness, God;

learn the names of all the Syrians.

See what your species has done.

--Mohja Kahf

Black Power Babies Explode Brooklyn NY

Black Power Babies dropped a bomb on Brooklyn NY yesterday afternoon. Produced by Muhammida El Muhajir, the intergenerational discussion was so successful when the time came for Q and A, there were no questions from the audience. MC Muhammida, daughter of Nisa Ra and Marvin X, only asked
three or four questions that were answered succinctly by panelist, e.g., what legacy did your parents give you? How have you handled this legacy? Of the parents, she asked, how did you give black power consciousness to your children?

A summary of answers might read as follows: We know no other way than what they taught us. We may have wanted to go another way but the forces would not let us. The Oba said he knows the ancestors are watching his every move, so if he does not fulfill his mission, i.e., carry on the legacy of his father and mother, bad things shall happen to him. Bunmi Samuels said there is no way he can escape the legacy of his parents who were in the Black Arts Movement, including his aunt Barbara Ann Teer. Aishah Simmons told of wanting to be normal but could not as the price of being a movement child. The children talked of growing up attending rallies and marches and being educated in  independent black schools. Parent Michael Simmons said we could not send our children to be educated by the enemy, thus schools were set up in homes that were childcare centers as well.
Marvin X said parents in the Black Power Movement sacrificed for the cause of liberation, even the children were often sacrificed, some might call it abandonment, abuse and neglect.

Mrs. Amina Baraka let it be known Black Power was no joke, no party, no game, people lost their lives, went to jail, prison, exile. We must tell the truth of this history so others can stop lying about it!

The Black Power Babies met at Restoration Plaza's beautiful Skylight Gallery, full of beautiful Black Art. The intergenerational session began with a processional by the Oba of Oyotunji African Village, Shelton, South Carolina, including his  entourage of drummers, priests and devotees. The libation was said in Yoruba, then English.



The panelists were seated and producer/MC Muhammida El Muhajir opened the discussion with questions for the Black Power Babies, followed by questions for their parents.

The audience had no questions after the panelist finished.

Black Power Babies and parents, Left to Right: Michael Simmons, Aishah Shahidah Simmons,

Amiri Middy Baraka, Jr., Bunmi Samuels, Muhammida El Muhajir, Marvin X, Oba Adefunmi II,

Mrs. Amina Baraka, Nisa Ra, Aaliyah Madyun, Malika Iman, Barbara Rivera and daughter

Filmmaker Nisa Ra, Daughter Muhammida El Muhajir

and Father Marvin X

Mrs. Amina Baraka and Malika Iman,

daughter of Yusef Iman (BAM,

NOI, East, OAAU)

After the series of questions, Muhammida asked her father, Marvin X, to read a parable from his latest book, the Wisdom of Plato Negro. He read Parable of the Woman at the Well.

Parable of the Woman at the Well 

A woman asked Plato why are youth out of control ? He replied that youth are out of control because adults are out of control and youth observe then emulate their behavior.

Even during the revolutionary 60s, the militants, who are the fathers and mothers of today’s youth, were guilty of contradictions, or saying one thing but doing another. They talked black power but went home to beat their wives and women. They preached discipline but were guilty of drug abuse and abuse of power. Much of our behavior was patriarchal white supremacy actions that debased women, considering them less than human.

Of course we learned this behavior from our white supremacy socialization. True enough, there were many good things we learned and achieved during that time, and many sincere and honest people gave their lives for the cause of freedom.

But if we had been of sober minds, we would have been able to detect agent provocateurs and snitches. We would have been able to see through the US Government’s counter intelligence program or Cointelpro. With sobriety and discipline, we might have been able to show our children better examples of male/female relations, and perhaps today’s youth would be more respectful of women, elders and peers.

The woman asked Plato what can be done today to reconnect with our children ? Plato said we must embrace them with unconditional love and do not abuse them, physically, sexually or otherwise. Do not show them contradictory behavior, saying one thing but doing the opposite.

We must not say we are about freedom, yet make their mothers slaves in the home, treating them with abuse that the children observe. Many children have been abandoned and left to fend for themselves. They are without mother or father. Many are living in foster homes, the result of parental drug and sexual abuse.

Adults must stop being predators and instead be mentors and guides. The youth want and seek our wisdom, but we must reach out to them because many are terrified of us just as we are terrified of them. It is communal insanity when we allow children to rule our community, making us afraid to go outside at night, afraid to go to the store.


But we can only take back control of our community by reconnecting and embracing our children, no matter how painful it is for us and them. We must make amends to them for our wickedness and then demand of them the same.

Yes, they must apologize to the elders they have harmed and disrespected. What we are talking about is the urgent need for a healing session between youth and adults, a time and space where we can gather to admit our mistakes and promise to do better now and in the future.

We must, youth and adults, swallow our pride and reconnect. We cannot allow the chaos to continue because we know things go from bad to worse, if we do not address the issues. Nothing is going to change until we change our thinking and actions. We must rise up from animal to divine. The tide is turning because you are turning the tide!

Mothers and fathers who are separated must come together for the sake of their children, if only for a moment. When children see parents reconciling, they will do likewise. No matter the pain of the past, adults must show the way to community unity.

Why shouldn’t youth resort to violence, after all, they see adults resolving their conflicts with violence? Adults cannot get out of our responsibility to show the way, to guide and mentor. Every youth is our child, thus our responsibility to show the right way.

Give youth a chance, support them when they are selling items other than dope, such as DVDs, CDs, gear and other items to get their hustle on in a legal way. At least they are not killing to make a dollar, so reach out to them. Hug a thug before the thug hugs you!

The woman seemed to understand the wisdom of Plato. Although frustrated to the max, she said she would try to reach out to youth, rather than simply complain about their behavior and shortcomings.

from The Wisdom of Plato Negro, parables/fables, Marvin X, aka Dr. M, Black Bird Press, Berkeley, 2012.

Jesse Jackson Jr. Leaves Mental Health Clinic

Does corruption or oppression cause manic depression or bio polarism?

Jesse Jackson Jr. Leaves Mayo Clinic

DION RABOUIN

 

17 hours ago

The Congressman, who has been on leave since June, left the Mayo Clinic today

After winning reelection by a landslide in his Chicago-area district, despite not campaigning and barely even being seen in public, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. left the Mayo Clinic today after his second treatment for bipolar disorder.

Mayo Clinic spokesman Nick Hanson said he did not know where Jackson was going after he left the Minnesota hospital,according to the Associated Press.

[ALSO READ: Jesse Jackson Jr.: Condition ‘More Serious’ Than Expected]

Jackson returned to the hospital in October while facing a new federal investigation into potential misuse of his campaign finances in the scandal over then-Senator Obama's vacated Illinois Senate seat.

He is still under a U.S. House committee's investigation because of possible dealings with imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

States Ready to Secede, What About You, Black America, land or jobs?

November 12, 2012

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(Examiner) – Over the weekend, citizens in Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee and Missouri filed petitions at the White House web site asking to secede from the United States as a result of Obama’s re-election.

Two petitions were launched for South Carolina and Missouri by different people, but the petitions are nearly identical. The two petitions for South Carolina are identical except for one line, and the two petitions for Missouri are exactly the same.

This brings the total number of states with petitions to 19. On Sunday, we reported that residents in 15 states filed petitions to withdraw from the Union.

ObamaCare Must Be Destroyed With A Vote Of Congress! FAX BLAST ALL 100 U.S. Senators AND ALL 435 U.S. Representatives!

On the day after the election, “Michael E” from Slidell, Louisiana, filed a petition at the White House “We the People” site, requesting that Louisiana be allowed to secede. That petition has 12,585 signatures as of this writing.

Other states soon followed.

A petition for Texas was launched on Friday. That petition has garnered 15,928 signatures as of this writing.

Similar petitions have been launched for Kentucky, Colorado, New Jersey, Montana, North Dakota, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, New York and Oregon.

According to the White House “We the people” site, petitions have 30 days to reach 25,000 signatures. Once the threshold has been reached, the petition will be reviewed by the administration and a response will be given.

“My administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in government,” the president is quoted at the site.

But the president does not have the authority to grant states the right to secede.

The petitions, however, are a clear indication of the deep feelings many people have after Tuesday’s election. Regina Conley of Red Alert Politics wrote that the petitions are a “physical symbol of the deep resentment for the direction in which the United States is moving under the Obama administration.”

http://www.examiner.com/node/55260561