[INDEX |
NATIONAL
|
WORLD
|
PERSPECTIVE
|
COLUMNS
|
MONEY
|
ENTERTAINMENT
|
HEALTH
|
TECH
|
LETTERS
|
SUBSCRIBE]
FinalCall.com News
National News
Flowers in Elijah’s Garden
By Afua Saafir Muhammad
Updated Jul 1, 2014 - 9:28:51 PM
Southern Region M.G.T. & G.C.C. 2014 Graduation
ATLANTA - Upon stepping foot into the sanctuary at Muhammad Mosque No. 15 at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, it quickly became evident that something very special was underway. The stage was tastefully decorated with soft shades of lavender and white flowers and balloons. The audience was filled with the smiling faces of family members and guests of the 35 newly registered sisters preparing to grace the stage as part of the first annual Southern Region M.G.T. & G.C.C. 2014 Graduation, entitled, “Flowers in Elijah’s Garden.”
This year’s graduating class included 30 sisters from Atlanta, two from Savannah, GA, one from Macon, GA, and two from Chattanooga, Tenn., all having successfully recited at some point between the middle of 2011 and June 2014. Each participant, dressed in her pristine full white M.G.T. regulation garment, cape included, sat with her sisters in unity to enjoy the program and absorb the various testimonies and messages shared from the rostrum.
Following opening prayer and a welcome address, the graduation ceremony quickly got underway, allowing for many words of inspiration to be shared with the new graduates. After a poetry recitation, song presentation, drill demonstration and military salute to the graduates, Southern Regional Student M.G.T. Orientation Instructress and graduation coordinator, Sister Dedra Muhammad, gave acknowledgments and shared words of inspiration. The wife of Southern Regional Student Minister Sharrieff Muhammad, Sister Sharrieffa Muhammad, gave a moving keynote address, paying tribute to the many strong women that have crossed her path.
Following her message, Sister Dedra called the graduates’ names as they individually crossed the stage to participate in the M.G.T. pinning ceremony and certificate presentation. The graduation ceremony was extra special to her because two of her three daughters were graduate participants. As she pinned her daughters (and all the graduates) with their M.G.T. bar-pins, she was filled with heartfelt emotion and reminded of her gratitude to Allah for the Life-Giving Teachings of Islam. Her prayer is to continue to be used as a vessel to assist the Mighty Southern Region with bringing in new, hard-working helpers—beautiful jewels for the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.
Southern Regional Student M.G.T. Captain LaShonda Muhammad gave closing remarks, expressing her desire that the larger M.G.T. Class provide the newly registered sisters with the same love and support that they experienced while in their respective processing classes. She also shared some of her experiences from when she first came into the Nation of Islam as a young teenager and made it known how eager she is to get to know the sisters in their new roles as M.G.T.
As the ceremony drew to a close, the graduates gathered for group pictures and then were invited to join friends and family next door in the Rahman Muhammad Fellowship Hall for a reception in their honor. The reception was beautifully decorated and filled with music, light refreshments, and an overall joyous spirit. The graduates were beaming as they radiantly glided through the room. “It is such an honor to be a part of these beautiful sisters’ introduction and journey in Islam. This is the greatest class that any Black woman can graduate into, and I pray that my works are pleasing in the eyes of Master Fard Muhammad,” said Sis. Dedra.
All Praise is Due to Allah.
(Reported by Sister Afua Saafir Muhammad)
