July 4th 1985
IWDM Study Library

New World Patriotism Day 
Imam W. Deen Mohammed


Imam W. Deen Mohammed:	Of all the worlds. Most gracious, most compassionate, Master of the day of judgement, You dually worship and your aid we seek. Guide us on the straight way, way of those whom you bestowed blessings and not upon those whose wrath has brought down. Amin.

Crowd:	Amin

IWDM:	We'd like to have ...

	First of all, we'd like to thank everyone for coming out to our parade and program today. We think we have a very fine program scheduled for you today and we have Imam Deen Mohammed as our guest speaker, so make yourselves at home. This is for you. This is your day. We want to welcome you here and we want to have a very joyful and festive occasion. So at this time, we'd ask Brother Juan Mohammed to please come forward and sing the national anthem and we'd like to ask everyone to please stand for the singing of the national anthem.

	So now you should bring the flag up here on the stage.

Juan Mohammed:	[Foreign language 00:01:14]

	The national anthem:

	O say can you see, by the dawns early light,

	What so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming,

	Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight

	Over the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming,

	And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

	Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,

	Oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

	Over the land of the free and the home of the brave.

	Allahu Akbar

	Allahu Akbar

IWDM:	How about a round of applause for Brother Juan Mohammed?

	Takbir, Takbir, Takbir.

	Once again we want to welcome everyone here to our 8th Annual New World Patriotism Day Parade and program. And we hope that you will relax and enjoy yourself. We have a fine program for you. We have Imam Deen Mohammed as our guest speaker. We have entertainment. We should have some local city officials here also.

	Very briefly, we just want to share with you, really the rational for New World Patriotism Day and what it means.

	New World Patriotism Day was established by Imam Deen Mohammed, in June of '77. And New World Patriotism Day, essentially, is a call to humanity and salute to America's basic underlying principles, that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights. It's an annual patriotic celebration for all Americans. This year's theme is United for Moral Excellence, which consists of a parade, which we just had; national local speakers; and a family picnic which is taking place right here today. This source of participation and support has been through ecumenical efforts of Muslims, Christians and Jews and all facets of the community and the society.

	We feel very strongly, that although this country contains a wide range of people with diverse backgrounds, beliefs and values America has become great because if it's ability to rise above our differences and contribute to the strength and unity of every facet and component of society and all the facets and components that reflect the strength and dignity of the human family.

	What we are basically saying is that we stand on the essential truth, that's in the Constitution, that we see as the true life blood of the Constitution and that is that all men are created equal, endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable Rights and everyone of us has that human potential, that can grow and flower and cultivate to it's fullness.

	So we want to welcome all of you here. Sister Mildred, Sister Shirley Mohammed, Imam Meer Mohammed, Imam Sultan Mohammed, Brother Imam Mokhtar Deer, Sister Shacrea and Sister Aida, on our diets.

	So once again we want to welcome everyone here, we want to thank you for your participation today, over the years and we hope that you enjoy yourself and really have a good time today and pay close attention to what Imam Dougie Deen Mohammed has to say.

	Thank you all so much.

	Assalamu alaikum.

	At this time we will ask Imam Sultan Mohammed to come forward and bring on Imam W. Deen Mohammed.

	Takbir, Takbir, Takbir.

	Allahu Akbar

Imam Saltom:	In the name of Allah, the most gracious, most compassionate, I bear witness there is no G-d but Allah and I bear witness that Mohammed is his servant and messenger.

	Brothers, Muslims, Friends, Guests we are very happy to have you here, today, for a great theme such as United for Moral Excellence. And when I look out in the park, I say, if we unite for moral excellence, we look kind of divided out here. So I think if we can come a little closer together or you can just let us know that you are definitely united, for that cause, we understand that you are out there but we are all here united for moral excellence. So, if we can come together here, there are different groups here, our guest speaker Imam Deen Mohammed will be speaking to us. So those who are way out in the park, if you can hear us, good. But we'd like to see us together, because we are here for a united cause. United for Moral Excellence.

	The man I'm going to introduce, he doesn't need a bunch of titles. The title he has is sufficient and that is, I am bringing before you a man that has been struggling for many years. Most of his life in the cause of Islam and the cause to help propagate the religion of our Islam, throughout America and throughout the world. This man Imam Mohammed has set out an example for many Muslims around the world and we are very honored to have him here to address us on such a beautiful occasion and such a magnificent theme, United for Moral Excellence.

	Many of us, that are sitting here, probably won't be able to grasp the totality of that meaning, that meaning United for Moral Excellence. But I know after you hear our speaker Imam Deen Mohammed, you have more insight, more understanding, of what we are here today for. So with no further delay, I would like to bring to the microphone Imam Deen Mohammed.

	Takbir, Takbir, Takbir.

Imam Deen:	[Foreign Language 00:09:27]

	In the name of G-d, the gracious, the compassionate. [Foreign Language 00:09:38]

	I bear witness that there is but one G-d and Mohammed is the messenger of G-d.

	Peace be on to you, Assalamu alaikum.

	We give thanks to G-d first of all, for our presence here today, on the 4th of July, a day that's observed by Americans throughout the land.

	As we were driving to the airport today, early in the morning, I noticed how empty the streets were and I told the brother who was with me, I said, "there's only one other day of the year when the streets are empty like this, and that's on Christmas." A day that is observed by most of the people, and all of them observe this day, but many of us are not in touch with the meaning of this day. We observe it because we want a day of pleasure, we want a day of leisure, a day of recreation. But it is important to keep in touch with the meaning of this day, especially when we find that that meaning that is important to our life is being lost. It's not in our life anymore. It's not in our spirit anymore. It's not in our habits anymore. So it is very important to keep in touch with the meaning of this day.

	There is one thing that I keep in mind when I think of the 4th of July, and that is independence, because that's what it's called, it is Independence Day. Now this country could have chose ... The leaders, the founders of this country could have chose to celebrate freedom. This could be called Freedom Day, but they did not choose to call this Freedom Day, it is called Independence Day. And I think that we should know the difference between freedom and independence.

	Freedom is a very general term, it can be the freedom to go out in the park and play ball today. The freedom to have barbecues and cool drinks and a good time, a relaxation, that's freedom. That's a kind of freedom. They chose to call it Independence, because that's a more serious word. When you hear independence, it brings to your conscience a more serious message, than when you hear freedom. Freedom we have to really search the deep depths of our soul, our deep mind and conscience, to understand freedom. Because the first level of conscience will remind us that we are not free from the immediate things that we would like to be free from. Like free from the jobs, so we can go home and eat. But there is a deeper freedom and it has to come from the deepness, from the depth of our souls and conscience. That's a very difficult, that's a philosophical term. But independence is easy to grasp.

	Independence is easy to grasp and it's very serious and it is celebrated today, on the 4th of July. I think all Americans should stay in touch with the meaning of independence, the great importance given to independence and the kind of independence that we celebrate. We celebrate an independence that makes possible the hope, for life in the new world. The hope for life in the new world and we call the day Patriotism Day, New World Patriotism Day, we call it back then in '77, when we thought of joining the American people in the celebration of independence. We called it New World Patriotism Day.

	Now what is a new world? What are we patronizing? New world, new world is being patronized. What is the new world? If we are celebrating power, there was power before the new world. In fact, the power of the British Empire, perhaps in the old world was greater than the power now. That we enjoy as members of this nation and the national world and global community. If we celebrate the freedom to drink, have a good time, let it all hang out, blow the check Friday night, well that's no new world. That's no new world celebration, that was in old world too.

	If you celebrate the freedom to prey on each other, to take advantage of each other, to shoot up each other, to kill each other, to sell each others dope, to sell narcotics to each other, to each others money, to rob each others home, to take each others women, to prostitute the ladies, that's no new patriotism. They had that plentiful in the old world.

	What is it that we have here in the new world, that wasn't in the old world? A new respect for man. A new respect for man. A sacred respect for man and a belief that all men, regardless of their color, regardless of their nationality and their national origin, all men deserve the same freedom in this land, in this new nation, called America.

	So this New World Patriotism day is really patronizing something, that is sacred to man, sacred to every person, man, woman and child. And when we understand that, and if we understand that the Muslims are joining, in the celebration of the Independence of America, in that spirit, in that spirit, and in that mind, then you understand why we have New World Patriotism Day, led my Muslims. And believe me, they are in Chicago doing the same thing we are doing right now. It's nation wide. Muslims throughout this nation are observing this day and we are observing it in that spirit and with that sake of respect, for the sacredness of the human person.

	The Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the preamble to the Declaration of Independence tells us about this sacred respect and it is very vital to the Constitution itself. It sets the tone, the spirit. In fact it is the foundation, the justification, for the very Constitution itself. This sacred respect for the individual person. Its right to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, etc., etc., etc.

	These ideas are also in our religion, not under the same title. But these ideas are also precious and sacred in our religion. Prophet Mohammed, the peace be upon him. The peace and blessings be upon him. He said your brother's life is sacred, his blood is sacred, his property is sacred. Do not violate the life, blood and property of your brother. This is the teachings of the prophet. You will find that this language is very much like the language we find in the noble and great statements, sacred statements, that are made of the importance of each and every individual person, in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence, that belongs to the Constitution of these United States.

	Another point, we'd like to make ... I didn't come here for any speech. I came here, really, to join you in the celebration and recognizing this day; sharing the interests of all citizens of conscience; to support the best of their country, to support the best of their nations aspirations. To support the future, the future hope, of the people gone, passed, long ago dead and those that are still living. The hope for a model, a model society. One respecting G-d, the Creator and one respecting the excellence of man that G-d created. So that's what we came here for, not for a long speech.

	But since I am in this park and I just learned this park, is Malcolm X Park. A lot of things that we don't know about Malcolm X. The park may attract people of different minds, some will come to the park because they are aware of their blackness, some will because they are aware of their muscles, their militancy, or whatever. Others will come because they remember Malcolm and respect him for the many good things he said and for the many good and great things he did. But when I come to this park, and I hear that this park is the Malcolm X Park, I think of the Malcolm X that I identify with. The Malcolm X that I identify with was the man that feared G-d. The Man who wanted to see people doing right. The man who wanted to see people with the opportunities to grow in to the excellence that G-d created for them. When I come to this park I think of the Malcolm X that said Allahu Akbar, G-d is greatest. I think of the Malcolm X that said Mohammed Rasulullah, Mohammed is the messenger of G-d. I think of the Malcolm that said the Muslim life is the best, because I'm a Muslim, so I identify with that Malcolm and when I come to this park, that's what I think about.

	And believe me, you Muslims should understand that Malcolm declared his belief in Allah. He declared his belief in prophet Mohammed. He said he was a Muslim. He died declared a Muslim. He made pilgrimage to the Holy City Mecca, an obligation that so long Muslims who are able to make that trip financially and otherwise, once in their life. He made that trip and he returned to these United States and proclaimed the universal, wholesome, pure concepts of our religion, that there is but one G-d and one humanity, that Man is one. That there is no devil race and no G-d race. There is one G-d and all men are nothing but men. Malcolm declared those things when he returned and he preached universal concepts and if this park is Malcolm X Park, you Muslims ought to be here more than Non-Muslims. Because you have more in common with Malcolm than Non-Muslims.

	I'm not saying that you should take over the park now. The park belongs to the people. But don't stay away from the park. This is Malcolm X Park, I feel very good here, today, in a park that was given a name in his honor, out of respect for what he represented. I feel very good in this park today, especially on Independence Day.

	One thing me and Malcolm had in common too, we wanted to be independent and I still want to be independent. How about you? You to be independent? Well let's celebrate Independence Day.

	Assalamu Alaikum.

Crowd:	Takbir, Takbir, Takbir.

IWDM:	Takbir, Takbir, Takbir.

	Allahu Akbar.

	I think Allah has really blessed us and rewarded us today for our efforts, by the timely comments of our leader, Imam Mohammed. Also, the kind of comments that bring forth a kind of cultivation, that wants you to go out and do more and keep this type of day going on and bringing more days like this to Malcolm X Park.

	We here, in mass of Mohammed, under leadership of Imam Sultan Mohammed, which is here in Washington, D.C. Which is under the austerities of the District of Columbia, under the leadership of the honorable Marion Barry Jr. We would like to present a proclamation to Imam W. Deen Mohammed, from the city of Washington, D.C. and the Mayor of the District of Columbia, the honorable Mayor Marion Barry Jr.

	Brother Imam Deen Mohammed, this is from Mayor Marion Barry Jr., Mayor of the city of Washington, D.C., who I understand was invited here today, but had to leave Washington, D.C. and go to Chicago and be with his family. And the proclamation reads as follows: By the mayor of the District of Columbia, whereas on Thursday, July 4th, 1985, the New World Patriotism Day coalition will sponsor a celebration, in honor of our nation's birthday, to help generate a re-birth of the ideals contained in the Constitution of the United States. And whereas this event, is a result of the ecumenical efforts of Christians, Jews and Muslims, who are working to unite Americans in appreciation of common heritage and pride in our diverse ancestry. And whereas the New World Patriotism Day celebration will feature a family picnic and parade with national and local guest speakers, who will focus attention on our basic freedoms and the need to recognize the rights of others. Now, therefore, I the Mayor of the District of Columbia, do hereby proclaim Thursday, July 4th, 1985 as New World Patriotism Day, in Washington, D.C. and call upon all the residents of our great city to join with me in saluting past and presents patriots who have labeled to ensure a free and tolerant future.

	Brother Imam Deen Mohammed, thank you so very much. Now and for this program, for all the programs and as well, I suggest keep on thanking him all day long, but we just want to let you know that we appreciate you coming here, two years in a row.

	Takbir, Takbir, Takbir.

	And we want to let our leader know that we love and appreciate him. Not only as a noted Muslim and Islamic scholar, but also for one of the generating forces here in America to bring truth, goodness and righteousness and G-d's way. Not only for Muslims, but for all humanity.

	Brother Imam Deen Mohammed, may Allah bless you and reward you. Thank you very much and we wish you G-d Speed.

	Assalamu Alaikum.

	I do like to make several announcements.

	Restrooms are here, to the rear of the stage.

	Also, lost and found will be here at the stage.

	I want you really to sit back and enjoy yourself, we have a good program planned for you today and we hope each individual person here will surely enjoy himself and benefit from these proceedings here today.

Male:	So again, we want you to enjoy yourselves and I think majority of us here are Muslims, but I just want to say something here today, you see way out there in the park and the same park we are in, they are Christian as well. So I want you to make them as Muslims feel welcome here as well. Don't shun them, but make them feel like they are apart of this program as well. There are many Christians here with us, but we'd like to see the Christians to join in with us as well, as Muslims. So, have a warm spirit here today, with hope, Allah bless you to have a beautiful evening, and enjoy our entertainment.

	Peace be on to you, Assalamu Alaikum.

Male:	A patriotism celebration for all. It's nothing to come here just to eat barbecue and drink some pop or sodas or something like that. That's nothing. We can do that on any day. It's nothing to celebrate independence, if you don't know what you're celebrating. I think this country can bring it's citizens together, in unity.

Female:	Does July 4th have a special significance for you?

Male:	Yes, it does. Yes, it does. I was raised to believe that with no hope, to have citizenship rights and equality in America, as a child until I was 30 almost, I believed that the blacks should have separation, or to at least identify in America with nationalistic ideas and concepts separate from that is American people. I came to believe that the original position that we took, was wrong and that it cheated us out of a good life, that we are entitled to as Americans. I believe that, now, there is great opportunity for us to grow in this country. That this country's idea of freedom, the idea of democracy and freedom, gives opportunities to us, that is hard to find anywhere on Earth, so it's hard to find anywhere on this Earth. I believe that it is a highly competitive society, but if you're willing to compete, opportunities are great here.

	I'm a nationalist, myself, but not black, just American.

IWDM0:	Assalamu Alaikum brother Imam, my name is Mustaf Abdilla, I represent the economic voice and I was wondering if you could give us something to kind of tie in New World Patriotism Day with the economic situation that we're trying to develop, something for our readers and the economic voice?

Imam Deen:	Yes, the real meaning of national dignity, includes the acquisition of wealth. Wealth, property, is a necessity in the life of man, for his dignity. If there was no strong economy, no strong desire in the founding fathers, for economic dignity, I don't believe you would have any kind of dignity in this country. In fact, I don't believe you'd have a country at all.

	Other questions?

IWDM1:	[inaudible 00:29:41]

	I want to know, how does the New World Patriotism tie in with the spiritual dignity of America?

Imam Deen:	When Americans just start enjoying the freedom, to satisfy their personal and individual appetites, then they risk losing the real life that this country makes possible for it's citizens. And that's an opportunity to pursue all of your noble, decent aspirations, to fulfill your desire to be the best human being in the eyes of G-d and the eyes decent people. Without us knowing, that this country really belongs to those people of higher aspirations, as much as it belonged to the people who come here just for material benefits, or material gain. In fact, the more legitimate citizens in this country, according to what the writers of the Constitution, the founding fathers and the men who originally, and women who originally, sacrificed to build this nation, according to what they wanted, the ones who have the first right here are the ones should be respected here first, are those who pursue the higher aims and noble aids and objectives of man.

	Without us being the better idea and spirit, we are not even with the patriotism celebration at all. It's nothing to come here just to eat barbecue and drink some pop or sodas or something like that. That's nothing. We can do that on any day. It's nothing to celebrate independence, if you don't know what you're celebrating. I think this country can bring it's citizens together, in unity and times of crisis and get the majority support. Sufficient numbers to support anything it wants. That's right in the eyes of a decent society. I think you can do that in spite of our cultural differences, our religious differences, our racial differences, this country can do that. Why? Because our Constitution and the better minds of our leaders have kept us in touch with the sacred rights of man and we know that those rights are not the rights of a wild beast, separated from his nation. They're the rights of man, not beast.

	Did you have a question?

IWDM1:	Yes, sir.

	We're talking about celebrating Independence Day, here in this country and places like Ethiopia and Sudan, they're going through a terrible fight.

	Do you see a mass of, in terms of Muslims, in this country, going out to lend a hand, economically or in some other way?

Imam Deen:	Yes, Muslims are contributing and I get letters at home, from Muslims, who are asking what are we doing to help the Ethiopians? What are you doing to help the starving people of Africa? And I receive checks from Muslims, they say will you please give this to the relief fund, for the suffering and starving people of Africa. I had to return one check back, because we are not set up for that. So, I returned the check and I told them, I gave them information on where they should send the check.

	We have made donations to Ethiopia and Ethiopians relief, through UNICEF and also through another charity. We've made a donation last year. We've made a donation this year. We hope to make another donation for four years. We have to do something. We do have that concern in our community and I think we are doing something about it. More importantly, since this is Independence Day and we are trying to recall the reasons why we are not wanting to leave this country. And I've met many who don't like, but I haven't met too many that want to leave.

	We should reflect on this. The Ethiopians and the suffering people of Africa, are being helped by free contributions from millions of Americans. They entertain us, they got together, they raised millions of dollars, they're sending a great amount of money to relieve the situation over there. American people and also our government, because of the support from the American people, our government is able to send shiploads of aid and assistance, in the form of food, etc., medical aid to the suffering people of Africa. I just hope that someone is over there saying, what is that saying we have, you can give a man a fish, but it's better to teach him how to fish, teach him to fish, right? I hope somebody is giving Africa that message too, because they need the opportunity to learn how to manage their continent for themselves. They need to become as self-sufficient as possible and I think America should lend all of its support, that it possibly can. And I believe it'll have the support of it's citizens, to give Africa that kind of help. The food is good, but the better help is to show them how they can have industry and they can have a thriving country, for themselves.

IWDM1:	Imam Mohammed, while reading the American Muslim Journal, at that time, I saw you standing in the picture of Doctor Booker Taliaferro Washington and it was stated that you felt proud standing under him. Also being that this is the 104th year, this particular day, July 4th since 1881, the Booker Washington [inaudible 00:36:26] especially institute, how do you see that as a continuation of the independence by our people in this country and in particular the African American people?

Imam Deen:	What he did, what he achieved, Booker T. Washington, has more meaning and more need, and we have more need for now, than we did when Booker T. Washington was here. Because when Booker T. Washington was on this Earth, we didn't have the freedom and opportunity that we have now. With the amount of freedom and opportunity that we have now, we should be doing much more than what Booker T. Washington did out there. Look at the situation for the black colleges now, look how desperate they are to survive. Money is not coming from blacks. Blacks have enough money to support black colleges themselves, but how come that support, that financial support is not coming from blacks who have money? To those black colleges? It's because we don't have the sensitivities, we don't have the high mind that Booker T. Washington and his supporters had.

	Booker T. Washington also preached, very much the same thing I preach, and I thought I was preaching something new until I read his words and that is that you have to live with Americans and you have to respect Americans and you have to convince them that you have no intent to hurt them or to rob them, you are not harboring any ill feelings towards them. You have to convince them that you are a healthy element, that you are a healthy element in the American society. Then you will find help coming from other people, to your cause. That's what I preach.

	Join hands with whites, with Irish, with Italians, with Chinese, with anybody. Join hands with any American who share that kind of concern for America and who is a member of the human family. Join any people in the spirit of support for these noble ideas and noble principles. Rest their fear, let them know that I'm a solider for the excellence of man and I don't harboring any ill feelings towards another man, regardless of his race. We have to do that. We have to feel trust, trust among ourselves and trust for ourselves from other people. We have to build trust for the faith in the African American people, among other people. And the only way to do this is we have to speak our minds, let it be known that we identify with the excellence of man and the excellent people of this nation, in this nation's history. Those excellent people in this nation, identify with them. And once we do that then we can move about and enjoy the freedom and grow, materially, progress economically and I guarantee you, I believe in a strong economy, I guarantee you'll find more support coming from African American and more support coming from blacks and more help from the outside.

	What's even more important, when you come in to this kind of mind, you have more faith in yourself. You have bigger things to work for. You find that you have more energy to spend. You find that you have more endurance, because you're working for bigger things and greater things. Just by identifying with the big cause of man, in fact it's the cause of global man, but we are talking about America now. By identifying in the big cause of man, your energies just flow up and they flow where they are needed. They come to where they are needed. And you become much more productive yourself, because of identifying in a greater idea.

	The thing that I hope to see is us really studying our situation, studying our past and take another look at our past leaders and look at them with a new mind that we have and in light of the new opportunities that we have. Don't write them off because they didn't sing a song like we wanted them to sing it, but lets see the words, maybe you wasn't a good singer but maybe you had good lyrics. Let's look at the words.

IWDM1:	Thank you.

	Brother Imam, the two current issues, and if you could just touch on them very briefly. What impact can the Muslim community in America and others in America make towards helping to resolve the problem in the Beirut and Lebanon and that area? And also can there be any impact made to help the people South Africa, to resolve their problems?

Imam Deen:	There's already impact, there's plenty of impact right now. I mentioned the support that's coming, the financial support, the government aid, that's coming to Africa from the American people. What the entertainers have done, has really been great.

IWDM1:	This is South Africa.

Imam Deen:	You're talking about South Africa? Not Africa in general, South Africa.

	For South Africa, I would say that the best we can do is, the hate in America, in a cesspool way and show by what we do in America, as African American people. That those same conditions in South Africa are not hear anymore. The African American man in America would do more to establish himself, or take more advantage of the opportunity in America to establish himself financially, to establish himself as a dignified citizen of this planet. That would be the best help we could give South Africa.

	Then the white South African government can say hey, that was worth it, what America did, it was worth it. Look at all the great people, the black people. Look at the black people over there. Right?

	And the blacks in Africa will say hey, look how they have progressed, since freedom. And then they'll encourage them to do more to speed up the process for them, right?

	We can go over there and join some demonstrations, we can demonstrate in Washington. I think the path of demonstrations is almost out. The path of work is in. The path of demonstrations is out.

Female:	You say South Africans are following the example of America in terms of them [inaudible 00:43:47] letting the Africans over there have more freedom. Do you see them as following America's concept?

Imam Deen:	I think so. I think they are forced to. They are forced to. They compelled to follow America's strategy or program, for bringing citizenship, full citizenship to it's black citizens. I think they are forced to do that.

IWDM1:	Thank you very much.

Imam Deen:	You're welcome.
