Minister Farrakhan’s Stance On Modesty

By Anisah Muhammad | Last updated: Jun 7, 2016 - 10:35:06 AM

During his informative, thought-provoking and divinely-guided interview on The Breakfast Club that aired May 24, that covered a myriad of topics, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan addressed from a spiritual perspective and as a man of God, the inherent value and beauty of the female, the crime of rape, the abuse of women and the critical importance of modest dress for women and girls as a means of protection in a world that devalues them. His remarks were misinterpreted and mischaracterized by activist and artist Kwame Rose in an essay on abernathymagazine.com entitled, “On Louis Farrakhan and rape.” Below are responses to Mr. Rose’s commentary and other critics of the Minister written by three Muslim women in the Nation of Islam.

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Black unity is the key to the rise of Blacks in America, so it is not with vitriol that I write this piece, but I’m taught by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan to argue in the best of manner. It is in this spirit that I, an 18-year-old Black Muslim girl, write to disprove claims made by activist Kwame Rose.

“Minister Farrakhan displayed that he’s much further behind on such issues (pertaining to the LGBTQ community and sexual violence), and that his views don’t reflect the masses of Black people as they once did,” Kwame Rose wrote.

Addressing the first part of his statement, it’s not that Minister Farrakhan is behind on issues relating to the LGBTQ community but that he speaks straight from scripture. The Minister loves his people—Black people—with an intense type of love. He loves the dope dealer. He loves the cigarette smoker. He loves the adulterer and the fornicator. In the same vain, he loves the homosexual and the lesbian. However, he recognizes that in scripture, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of homosexuality. He also recognizes the cause of homosexuality, which is, in part, caused by chemicals the White scientists use in food. If they can make a pill that makes men develop breasts – we’ve all heard the commercial – and if the White scientists can make a pill that causes suicidal thoughts, then why is it so far out to suggest that they also put chemicals and hormones in food that cause homosexuality? So, it is not that the Minister is behind on the issues, but it is that he wishes to see Black people come back into ourselves.

The next part of Kwame Roses’ statement is about the Minister being behind on sexual violence. I heard the Minister say once that so many sisters just in the Nation of Islam raised their hands that they have experienced sexual assault or violence. The Minister presented a tool that could help relieve Black women of their painful experiences, a tool called Dianetics. Dianetics has an exercise that walks you back through a certain painful experience over and over again until you no longer feel the burden of that experience. The Minister is aware that Black women and children are victims of sexual assault too much and too often. He loves the Black woman because he recognizes that through the Black woman’s womb, the answer to our cries and our ancestor’s cries will come. In essence, his divine love for the Black woman sparks his comments about covering up and displaying modesty.

As a young Black woman growing up in a society that is ruled by degeneracy, a society where evil has been made fair-seeming, I feel protected when covered because it shows I have God on my side. The covering is a protection for the woman in a world where sick-minded men roam the streets preying on women. I know that when covered, the community around me will rise up in defense of me because they recognize my value and self-respect. Not saying that women who don’t cover do not have value and self-respect, but that covering incites a natural type of defense of the Black woman by her community.

I have many minor experiences. One Sunday a young Black brother was playing loud music in his car, but when he saw my mother covered up in the white Nation of Islam’s M.G.T. (Muslim Girls in Training) garment in the car next to his, he respectfully turned his music down. In addition, men from all walks of life open doors for the women of the Nation when we are covered. Not only that, but when in stores, we get positive comments from many people commenting on our dress. The community recognizes that we are striving to live a virtuous life, and if a sick-minded man were to take our life, they (the community) would rise up. On the same subject, Minister Farrakhan teaches Black women that if a man tries to take from us what we aren’t willing to give, then we should fight and be ready to die for our virtue, because we are sacred vessels, co-creators with God to produce life.

I didn’t mean to be this lengthy in my response of Brother Kwame’s article, and I meant to address other statements he made. Nevertheless, I hope I was able to provide some insight into the subject.

Thank you for reading! Peace be unto you.

Anisah Muhammad is a young writer based in Montgomery, Alabama. To read more of what she writes, visitoriginal7.wordpress.com, and check out her book “Escaping The Chains” on Amazon.com.

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