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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) /Copyright © 2003-2005 Muslim WakeUp! Inc. The World's Most Popular Muslim Online Magazine
http://muslimwakeup.com
info@muslimwakeup.com
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update 21 June 2008 |
