Malcolm X was an amazing and fascinating African American character whose main legacy is to stand up for justice even if it to turn against your own kin.
He was a character to be remembered and the legacy he left need to be reflected by people of all color and creed.
It is easy to sing the slogans of justice but it is very hard to do that when the culprit is one of your own.
It is simple to speak up when someone does something wrong, but it is not easy to do the same thing when the wrong doer is from within.
Read more about Malcolm X:
- The Pilgrimage of Malcolm X (Watch) - Malcolm X’s Letter from Makkah - From Black Superiority to Equality
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Malcolm Little, also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, described by Professor Molefi Kete Asante in his 100 Greatest African Americans: A Biographical Encyclopedia, as one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history who has gone through different stages of transformations throughout his life – all for the sake of justice.
Growing up during the era of slavery where the blacks were mistreated in the society, Malcolm adopted the Nation of Islam while he was in prison, in order to show his solidarity with his own people in the face of the wider injustice African Americans were facing.
He became the voice of the voiceless - a voice to be reckoned with in the wider society where the Afro Americans had no say and were the victims of prejudice and discrimination.
When Malcolm performed his famous pilgrimage to Makkah known as Hajj and saw the brotherhood in Islam which had contradicted the core teachings of the movement he adopted, he became a different man altogether when he returned to the United States.
The magnificent experience he had witnessed had transformed him into a new human being, a more tolerant and respectful towards other beings irrespective of creed and color.
He did not feel embarrassed to admit his previous misconceptions he was taught from the movement. He did not do what most people do when they discover how wrong they were but still stand by their political parties and groups.
Injustice From Within
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| If our own leader crosses the boundaries; if our imam or religious figure misbehave; if the leader of our political party crosses the line; if our employer acts arrogantly; whoever he or she might be, we should do what Malcolm X did. |
Most people vehemently condemn injustice when it is done by others but remain silent and look the other way when the injustice comes from within.
They avoid speaking up fearing to be shunned by their own people. Instead, they pretend not to see the injustice and look the other way.
This is the reason why injustice and oppression has prevailed in the Muslim countries and around the world.
When a dictator crosses the boundaries, all his right and left personnel don't bother correcting him. Instead, they jump up and down to commend his "noble work" and poets go as far as to write poems to praise the leader as "the best human being who has ever worked on the planet."
Many people - from east and west - fail to stand up for their own principles when it comes to speak up for justice when the alleged wrong doer is from within. Not only in countries where the rule of law has no meaning, even in the so-called free and democratic world, the trend is the same.
When the Bush administration decided to invade Iraq, almost the entire media establishment in the US buried its head in the sand and had given its full support to the establishment.
Anyone who raised questions about the illegal invasion was ridiculed and considered as anti American.
Mr. Malcolm X portrayed a courageous character that very few people embody.
His sudden change of position upon returning from Hajj signifies the importance of standing up for justice even when it is unpopular to do so.
All humans make mistakes after all – young and old. Correcting and adjusting oneself is something of a noble character.
Standing up against injustice even when it is against your own is one of the highest qualities of Malcolm.
When he realized the wrongs of the movement he had adopted back in the United States, the religious misconceptions and racism against the white people, Malcolm did not bury such serious issues under the rag as many people would have done.
Instead, he stood firmly for justice even though he knew well the dire consequences of his stand and the ultimate price he would have to pay.
He stood firmly for justice in adhering to the strong Qur’anic injunction regarding standing up for justice even if it against one’s own people (Qur’an 4:135). This noble teaching has been abandoned by Muslims and humanity in general.
It is something all humans should learn from. Justice has no race, color, creed or geographical area. You stand by it even if it is against your own country, relatives or people.
According to the teaching of Islam, Allah helps the group who stand up for justice irrespective of their faith.
| Many people - from east and west - fail to stand up for their own principles when it comes to speak up for justice when the alleged wrong doer is from within. Not only in countries where the rule of law has no meaning, even in the so-called free and democratic world, the trend is the same. |
I will never forget when I tried to talk about the racism; oppression and injustice foreigners suffer in Saudi Arabia. I was approached by someone who told me to be quiet about it because of the sanctity of the two holy places located in that country.
The person offering me the advice had probably forgotten about the emphasis of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) towards the sanctity of humankind when he said that it is more important than the Ka’ba itself.
As we celebrate the black history month in the US and Canada, we should remember to stand up for justice as Malcolm X did even when it is against ourselves and our own kin.
If our own leader crosses the boundaries; if our imam or religious figure misbehave; if the leader of our political party crosses the line; if our employer acts arrogantly; whoever he or she might be, we should do what Malcolm X did. We should try to have the courage to stand up for justice - with wisdom and respect.
