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Good afternoon and again agreed to in peace and to my Muslim brothers and sisters, I say, As-salamu alaikum.

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It's certainly an honour and pleasure to be here, to be a part of the discourse and actually to pay tribute and recognise the work of Dr.

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Hudson and Miss Harvey and the progressive group and all of those who've made the sacrifice.

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One can only imagine the efforts in the struggles that were necessary to bring us thus far,

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and so I speak this afternoon from the Islamic perspective, not just from the position of resistance.

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But more so from a position of persistence, from the standpoint that.

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The latter speaks more to continuously moving forward with your objective in mind.

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So let's proceed forward.

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I'll share a bit about the birth of the Nation of Islam and its mission, the Islamic faith and its fortitude and it combating racism.

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Perhaps two examples of Claremont School in the Mahomet speaks. And then where we are today with respect to the Islamic community.

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It is it is without doubt without question that racism is the foundation in Bermuda society.

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In the creation of race construction, it occurred in two phases.

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And beginning of time with the early settlers up to nineteen seventy.

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And then the 1970s and 80s, and perhaps we can argue today.

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That the third phase has just occurred.

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When you talk about international business and the lack of diversity in males, et cetera, in the particular institution.

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Well, that industry. But even before we get there, let's just make the point that racism,

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as our dearly beloved scholar, Dr. Swan points out, was actually built into colonialism.

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And in the case of colonialism, I think it's important for us to get these nodes sorted out to remember that Bermuda is still a colony.

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And as much as we enjoyed these privileges. There's more work to be done with disrespect.

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Why? Because colonialism is a system whereby the colonised colonisers ruled through policies used for the purpose of controlling for independence.

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It's also a system. Which perpetuates policies of exploitation.

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We're the colonisers have the monopoly over the economy.

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Moving forward, capitalism also. Brings forward the idea of inferiority.

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And in society. And so it is against this backdrop that the nation of Islam v. the Muhammad Speaks newspaper.

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Arrives in Bermuda, I must point out as well that this time this 1960s and 70s era.

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Is a time when other organisations, such as the Bermuda Industrial Union, which is already established,

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the Progressive Labour Party and of course, as we heard earlier from the Black Roy Cordray were formed very active in this society.

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The organisation itself, the nation of Islam, as we well know, was created by the Honourable Elijah Muhammad,

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who was influenced by Marcus Garvey, and so Garvey's philosophy was self-determination to do for self.

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Elijah Muhammad believed that it was important for African-Americans who were being oppressed to institute to create a system

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that would combat the racial oppression and injustice in the society so that transform and arrives here in Bermuda in the 1960s.

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In so doing, gentlemen such as Kenneth Castle, Dalton, Matthews Askew, Muhammad pick up the paper and have the desire to disseminate it nationally.

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We know that much risk was involved in this dissemination because the paper was banned in nineteen sixty three.

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And it was banned under this premise, which was put forward by Lord Madumere that the doctrine of black supremacy and non-cooperation of whites.

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Could affect the less coloured. Unions.

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OK. The doctrine of black supremacy and non-cooperation of the white community could affect the last call it Bermudian.

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Where we are. That's where it was. Already in so doing, the members of the Nation of Islam saw fit to persist.

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Selling a total of twelve thousand papers.

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In any event, 1974 marks to highlight the peak of the Nation of Islam in that the organisation is able to formulate its beliefs,

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its value system, established businesses increase its membership.

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I believe there were in excess of over 300 members, and they become.

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Are a mainstay in the community, so to speak.

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Well, nineteen seventy five is very significant because it brings about the passing of the Honourable Elijah Muhammad.

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And in so doing. His son, Imam Warty Mohammed, assumes the leadership of the nation of Islam.

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Imam Mohammed. Bless his soul.

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Created one man, what about a transformation of black Muslims and convert it over one million African-Americans and by extension,

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Bermudian into Orthodox Islam? Dr. Suliman Yang identifies it as a bloodless revolution where one million African-Americans

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saw fit to make the transformation from the nation of Islam to Orthodox Islam.

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And I point out there the point the idea of Orthodox Islam being that there's one God prayer fasting charity and a visit to Mecca.

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Now, in that transformation, he also changes the name of the Muhammad Speaks newspaper to Malala and Luus.

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So the fact that even though the page the paper was banned, it never became an issue, no longer because the name was changed.

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Moving forward, perhaps the largest obstacle, the biggest obstacle was with respect to the Muslims opening an elementary school.

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And what I've pointed out here is the timeline and the articles that were back and forth throughout the country in this effort.

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A total of 15 years for this religious community to open up a school.

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And let me make the point. And by 1990, when the time had come, there was still no government approval.

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So. Were they resistant? Or were they persistent in addition to the opening of the school?

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Email, Mohammed also had recommended.

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That the Muslim community become engaged in the broader community that it it opened its doors to other ethnicities and other communities

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because the philosophy prior to that was one of quote unquote separation the nation of Islam did not want to integrate with the main society.

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Perhaps one of the most significant points that he stressed to the community was the idea of impressing upon them and the believers,

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the removal of racial images in religious institutions and in the homes because of the negative impact it had on individuals.

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You know,

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you're familiar with the kind of cloth sturdy with respect to the doors where little children were given a black doll on a wall that white doll?

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Well, interestingly enough, that effect still takes place a day.

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Why in twenty eighteen we still see African-American women beating themselves, bleaching their skin for wanting to be of a lighter complexion.

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So let's push this forward, I have a minute they say what's happening in the transformation since the transformation?

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Well, since two thousand sixty 20 twenty 40,

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the local community has seen fit to host a a number of international conferences where 150 to 200 Muslims have seen fit to visit the

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shores and integrate with unions because we've seen the submission of the the massive Muhammad submission to the independent commission.

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This is very significant. Why? Because I told you earlier about the purpose of colonialism and what it is in the Muslims position.

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With this then and now, it's important for us to determine our destiny as a people.

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In two thousand and twelve, there was the appointment of the first Muslim senator, whether Cuomo should care.

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And then recently, in twenty eighteen, they have the highest ranking female officer Muslim.

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Now you might ask, would. What else is happening well, on a daily basis, on a weekly basis, Muslims take the time to feed the homeless.

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They reach out interfaith dialogue, visit the prisons, et cetera.

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There's much to be done. There's a hospital that needs to be built. A cultural centre that needs to be established.

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And so the challenge for the next generation or the present generation is to embrace modernity.

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With patience and perseverance.

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But more importantly, believe and know that their responsibility is to follow through from the work that has been done from our pioneers.

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I leave you with friends for nan's quote. Every generation a relative obscurity must explore his mission or purpose.

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Fulfil it. You got it.