Customer Reviews

The Messenger: The Rise and Fall of Elijah Muhammad

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1 star:		(17)

 

 

I have read the reviews of Evanzz' book on Amazon.com and BN.com and have been somewhat taken aback by the opposition to what he has done here. I read the book from cover to cover and have also read many of the major books and articles about the Nation of Islam or its members (especially Malcolm X). Based upon my own reading, Evanzz has turned in a work that is carefully considered and should be read with an open mind and heart by anyone who wants to learn more about Elijah Muhammad, the Nation of Islam, or Black politics in the 20th century.

Several reviewers here have objected to Evanzz' use of FBI files, but it should be clear from reading this book, Bruce Perry's _Malcolm_, and the FBI files of Martin Luther King, Jr., Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, and many others that while the FBI has repeatedly been the enemy of Black people in America, it has also inadvertently provided excellent documentation of Black leaders' activities, for better or worse. Evanzz recognizes this, and even points out how ham-fisted the FBI could be in its attempts to undermine Black organizations, including the NOI.

Is Evanzz' account totally unbiased? Obviously, no. The further one gets into the book, the clearer his disdain for the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and the NOI shows through. Given the events he relates, however, it's easy to see why. That an organization that intends to save Black folks could be so cruel to those it would save should give any reader pause.

Evanzz forces us to confront a number of issues: 1) How and why religions are formed; 2) The relevance of the NOI; 3) The weaknesses built into the NOI and its theology; 4) The importance of having a clear-eyed view of ALL leaders.

Was/is Elijah Muhammad important to African American politics and history? Of course he was. Evanzz understands this. He also makes clear, however, that that importance should not excuse us from criticizing him or his spirtual or political heirs.

One final word: I recommend readers check out C. Eric Lincoln's _The Black Muslims in America_, Peter Goldman's _The Death and Life of Malcolm X_, Louis Lomax's _To Kill a Black Man_, and Bruce Perry's _Malcolm_ as sources that will alternately support and correct some of Evanzz' information. (Some minor facts are inaccurate in a few places.)

After reading the long list of reviews posted in regards to "The Messenger," it is clear to me that those who didn't like the book are expressing opinions based on their political philosophy. That is fine, but to say that Evanzz book is unbiased and untrue is wrong. True, Evanzz clearly doesn't like the NOI and in particular the organization's current leadership (check out the final chapter if you doubt that statement), but the author did point out Elijah Muhammad's important role in the liberation of black people in not just the U.S., but worldwide.

Elijah Muhammad was an important cog in the struggle for equality, but to put on blinders and say he was faultless is incorrect. He did have relations with his secretaries; he did live a life of luxury while his followers suffered; and he did play a part in a number of illegal activities. Condemning Evanzz for describing those indiscretions doesn't make those things go away. Evanzz does lay it on a bit thick at times, but as I said he points out the good things Elijah Muhammad did as well.

I'm not going to say I enjoyed this book because some of the descriptions were unsettling like the mass murder of innocent women and children in Philadelphia, but the book was informative and allowed me to explore some things that as a white person I have never been exposed to before. I would encourage anyone interested in studying the civil rights movement more closely to read this book. Aside from the 10 minutes my history class spent on Martin Luther King when I was in school, we learned nothing about the struggle of black people. That makes books like this so important.

Even though at times Evanzz descriptions were detailed to a flaw, I commend him for the painstaking research he did to write this book and I encourage anyone interested in American History to read it.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

As a striving Orthodox Muslim, and an African-American, I read "The Messenger" with a great deal of interest. I was impressed with Mr. Evanzz' writing style and the depth of his research. His copious references would satisfy the most discerning scholar. And, despite the historical subject matter, the book is a page-turner. I confess that I read until dawn and finished the book in three days. As one of the earlier reviewers noted, however, I was wary of his frequent references to FBI files. They should definitely be taken with the proverbial 'grain of salt'.

Although he does offer his own opinion in later chapters, it is with the force allowed by the evidence already presented. The murder of Hamaas Abdul Khaalis' family was particularly horrific. I was actually glad that Evanzz interjected his opinion at that point ("They had come to Washington in the name of Allah, or so they thought; they left, for certain, as the devil's advocates." pg. 389 ). It would have been dishonest for him to merely describe the massacre without comment. Evanzz is not a newscaster, forced to smile for the cameras while reporting disaster and mayhem.

I must confess a bias in this regard, since my great uncle, Hajji Zafir El-Jamary, was murdered by Black Muslims in Chicago in 1975. He had dared, much like Hamaas Abdul Khaalis, to suggest that the NOI should practice true Islam. His reward was a beating so severe that his eye was dislodged before they threw him - still alive - into the river to drown.

Abdul Khaalis' story and (of course) the story of Malcolm X, were the most touching vignettes for me in the book. I cried when I realized the loss that Orthodox Muslims in America suffered with Malcolm's demise. The information suggests that he was well on his way to establishing a strong Islamic movement that would have benefited all Americans and Muslims throughout the world. The true focus of Islam is not race at all, but the Oneness of God and respect for His creation.

The word "Islam" is loosely translated as "submission to the Will of God." The most important and central belief of Muslims all over the world is that there is nothing worthy of worship except God. "The Messenger" shows the pitfalls of worshipping human beings instead of God.

The Nation of Islam under Elijah Muhammad had its place as a socio-political organization. There is no denying that thousands of African-Americans were saved from drugs, prostitution, and self-hatred through his program. However, there is also no denying the theological deviance of any "Muslim" organization that believes that a human being is God. As Allah says in Qur'an:

"Say: 'I am forbidden to worship those - others than Allah - whom ye call upon.' Say: 'I will not follow your vain desires: If I did, I would stray from the path, and be not of the company of those who receive guidance.'" [Holy Qur'an 6:56]

Like "The Judas Plot," this book - "The Messenger" - is an excellent book. I advise all interested readers who want to grow as conscientous individuals, regardless of complexion and religion,to read this book. Permit me to parrot a truth of the ages reflected in this book. Many people who: 1)wholly invest themselves in any belief or idealogy that is plagued with falsehood, and 2)venerate leaders who are later found to be hypocritical, find it very difficult to accept the truth. "The Messenger" is not good reading for anyone who is unwilling to accept the truth (good and bad)about Elijah Muhammad and the history of the NOI. Such a person (black, white, brown, red, or yellow)would rather hold fast to "truths" that sooth and delude, "truths" that reinforce the person's distortions.

as a moslim from the east, i found this book very informative about the natur of the believes of the nation of islam. from this book i understood how NOI is different from the true islam as practiced by more than a billion muslim. the book exposed Elijah Muhammed and his undivine role in careating a very distored version of islam, with clearly helped him in ceating great wilth and power. the book is a must read for any individual who is confused about the true natur of NOI

While I sympathize with many of Karl Evanzz's conclusions about Elijah Muhammad, I find this biography both unprofessional and beneath something even Kitty Kelley would write. Regardless of your feelings about either Muhammad or the NOI, he's worth a well-written, honest, balanced biography, but this isn't it. That book is "An Original Man: The Life and Times of Elijah Muhammad" by Claude Andrew Clegg III--well-written, well-researched, intelligent, honest and balanced. First-rate, unlike "The Messenger." Check it out.

By profession I am a dentist and so far as I have been able to determine, the first Health Professional to openly accept the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. I was personally introduced to him by Malcolm X whom I assisted in starting a temple in Newark, N.J. in 1957. I was the dentist for both. I was the first and only Organization President of the Nation of Islam under Imam Warith D. Mohammed 1975-1976. I have my own and my wife's FBI flle secured under the Freedom of Information Act. It covered a period of more than 10 years and it is two inches thick so I can tell you a great deal about the distortion of history if you rely on such information and that's primarily what Evanzz did in his withering attack and imaginative writings about the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and many notable Black(?), African American(?), Negro(?) figures that he could dredge up some negative information about. He ibid'ed us to death from sources which are questionable to begin with. The American public (including myself I guess) as tax paying citizens, participated in paying for the cost of tapping my phone. I set the information forth up front first so readers will understand I am not coming out an emotional bag. I know what I'm talking about. I'm not a member of the present day Nation of Islam but I know Minister Farrakhan well and have for more than forty years. The distortions, outright lies and misinformation is so outrageous that I'm having substantial difficulty composing this review. IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT MR. EVANZZ HAS AN INTENSE HATE FOR THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD and his efforts throughout most of his adult life to give Black people the backbone to stand up for themselves and their own kind. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad pointed out in a crystal clear manner how thoroughly slavery and the slavemaster had worked to destroy the very humanity of Black people in America. Or should I say African Americans or should I say "So-Called American Negroes or just plain Negro? Who popularized 'Black'? Which would Mr Evanzz choose and why? Probably 'Other'

But let me make a few specific remarks that go right to the core of his distortions and fantasies. He frequently states that such and such a thing "rattled", stunned", "shook-up" or "set back" the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. C'mon now. Give me a break! Obviously he never met the man and so the poor brother doesn't have a clue. How are you going to shake-up, stun or rattle a man who even at the time he was about to embark on what he considered to be his mission knew that he was going to be beset by all kind of difficulties and hardships? You don't have to be a genius to know that when you are going to set out to raise the consciousness and esteem of a people calling themselves Negroes (and worse), totally dead to a knowledge of themselves and other, hard-hearted, rebellious and lovers of white folks you had better prepare for a battle. So whose terms are th1s,'rattled','stunned'etc.? Another example. As God would have it, when the Honorable Elijah Muhammad came to Newark, N.J. to speak he came to my home and spent time there prior to going to the auditorium to speak. It has always been my spirit to question many things and that included the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. I'm embarrassed when I think back on it, that here was an international leader about to go to speak to thousands of people and he must have had a thousand things on his mind and there I was asking him about how he felt about his trip to Newark. How was he going to go in? Which route did he think best to take and why. All kind of questions. I got some very beautiful and meaningful answers of course but my point is Evanzz's description of the Honorable Elijah Muhammads' about some threat on his life if he were to appear in Newark, "Muhammad was frightned by the letter", says Evanzz. "The inability of the police to intervine had Muhammad rattled" (page 191-see, I can make notes too) This kind of imaginative writing resonates throughout the book. Was Mr Evanzz there to see Muhammad" rattled"?

I could go on and on, chapter by chapter, carefully dissecting and exposing the ludicrous positions taken by what must be a mind twisted with hate but I don't think it necessary. An examination of THE FULL WORK AND LIFE OF THE MAN, SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. Nobody is perfect or even close to it. Neither was Elijah Muhammad.

On a positive not, if you would like to find a lot of historical sources in Black History and reading matter that you don't wish to search out yourself, check out his bibliography. A lot of work was done there. Is there some truths in the book? Of course there are but they are so covered over with negative commentary rather than factual data as to be almost useless.

My final comment. Please don't waste your time reading this book unless you enjoy gossip and half truths.

Karl Evanzz wrote a fascinating account of how power corrupts in "The Messenger: The Rise and Fall of Elijah Muhammad." Evanzz supported his biography of the man responsible for the enormous growth of the Nation of Islam with almost 200 pages of documentation. However, he clearly lost all objectivity toward the second half of the book. Yet, I found this true story to be a compelling one worth reading.

I will not deny that Mr. Evanzz is a masterful Journalist, but, too many Masters have become bogged in details, and thus lost the path to success. In this book the author focuses on Fard Muhammad, his heritage, his identity as compiled from FBI files. The problem is, Mr. Evanzz lost sight of Muhammad's mission, at which he (Fard) was, and is, successful.

A great Master said, "God comes to the hungry in the form of food." As I read Mr. Evanzz's book I can't overlook the fact that he has unequivocally expressed his disdain for The Nation of Islam in Black Elegance Magazine, The Chicago Defender and other print and media outlets, so I must question his insight, motive. Being troubled by the position of an organization or it's leadership is not license to publish a book intending to injure the reputation of any person, and is not civilized behavior.

In any society you will have members who have had pleasant, different, even unusual experiences, but, how do you handle it, what is your motive for your actions after your specific experience? In this book the author states that Muhammad lived a life of luxury while his followers struggled, but that is the case in any society, you are always going to have those who do not, or can not, reach the same standard of living, look at America, look at the 1960s and 70s, when the auto industry offered an avenue for many to achieve a tremendous jump in income, what happened? are Americans (I emphasize, Black) any better off? what happened to us? At least Muhammad had a collective program where any follower could achieve economic independence and that is true today. So, the assertion that Muhammad allowed his followers to suffer while he flourished is without justification. Tell the poor in America today that the economy is booming and they will tell you some are living in luxury while they are struggling.

Question: How did most of us (Black people) start on the path to economic independence? Answer: Elijah Muhammad. How did we awaken spiritually-i.e.., the Muhammad Alis, the Ahmad Rashads, the embracing of Islam? How did we gain self-courage? Answer: Elijah Muhammad.

This book leaves me reflecting not on Macbeth, but on Jesus, some of us reject and defame our benefactors without understanding. I submit that any person of intelligence takes into account the frailties of human nature, to the effect, not, that our leaders and proven men and women of conscience will exhibit flaws, but that WE, as a people, Black or White, Yellow-whatever, will struggle with deep-seated beliefs (true or untrue) on our road to implementing any plan or program of substance.

I wish I could give this flight of fancy less than 1 star. Anyone seeking to understand the history of the Nation of Islam should look elsewhere. There is too much commentary throughout this book focusing on conflicts that can be found in any organization, the difference is, most people don't waste the time and resources to publish this type of "information" (unless they have sponsorship). If the so-called wrong doing that is festering for public disclosure was not bad enough to warrant criminal indictment, by nature, most people could care less about the author's vendetta against an organization that benefited even his freedom to think and feel free. Questions such as, "Why did (Fard's) father go to the Caucus mountains to find a wife as opposed Arabia?" are a waste of any intelligent person's literary pursuit. If the author has a specific motive for his slanted commentary sprinkled with FBI/Cointelpro (dis?)-information, he would be better served to say that straight-forward, instead of trying to infect those who have, and would, benefit from the only avenue of positive change seen in Black America since their "freedom" from physical slavery.