<I am curious and would appreceaye knowing, why a white person would want to join NOI as opposed to other denominations taht are multicultural?>

simple, greater understanding.

I do have to be honest ,I don't WANT to become A muslim, a jew , or a christian. I think Muslims and Jews are generaly a little more interesting to talk to in my experience. That being said, I think that all intelligent and passionate people can learn from each other and with greater understanding of one another we can live in harmony with each other.

I just want to weigh in with regards to this thread. I can remember being raised in the Missionary Baptist church in the Deep South. To us then Christianity was religion with the big R. I knew of the Jews as a people but had no familiarity with their religious traditions. The Nation of Islam was familiar to me as a psychological response to the racist and hegemonic society in which I lived. In my view religious practices are only relevant to people if they have a profound connection to the life that people live. As I have grown older, I have lost a need for connection with all formal religious practices, having gone through a period when I fellowshipped with people of a variety of faiths. . I see no need to connect myself to any religion. There was a time when , in my early twenties I was tempted to change my name to a Muslim name and become a pseudo-Muslim and learn to speak Arabic. However, that made just as much sense as me having a British name (which I do) , speaking English as my first language, and defining myself as a Christian. So, I prefer to continue my ambiguous identity as an Agnostic African American which is sure to evolve to something else in my lifetime.

noi is a religion for black people made by black people which has little affiliation with true islam - the teachings of noi are shirk (the one sin allah swt will never forgive). why a white person would want to join puzzles me - it would be like oj simpson joining the kkk. im muslim by the way - as salaamu' alaikum

Assalamu aliakum Azizah, and well said.

There is no 'conventional' Islam, there is only Islam, and that's it. The ''Nation of (so called) Islam'' has a racialist agenda, and their teachings such as Allah's manifestation in human form, as if God Almighty could ever be concieved of as being so impossibly crude, are purely heretical, and as such, has nothing to at all to do with Islamic principles. To refer to the cult as 'Islam', is very offensive.

The prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, on matters of race said:

''An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab over an Arab - except by piety, and good actions.''.

He also said:

"Allah is to be praised and thanked for ridding us of the vices and pride of the days of ignorance. O People! Note that all mankind are divided in two categories only: the pious and God-fearing who are esteemable in Allah's reckoning, and the transgressors and hard-hearted, who are lowly and contemptible in the eyes of Allah."

In the Holy Quran we are informed:

"And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations In your languages and your colours; verily in that are signs for those who know." (30:22)

"O Mankind! Most certainly, it is We (God almighty) who have created you all from a single (pair) Of a male and a female, And it is we who have made you into nations and tribes, That ye may recognise each other (Not that ye may despise each other). Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you." (49:13)

From Malcolm X:

"Never have I witnessed such sincere hospitality and the overwhelming spirit of true brotherhood as is practised by people of all colours and races here in this ancient Holy Land, the home of Abraham, Muhammed, and all the other prophets of the Holy Scriptures. For the past week, I have been utterly speechless and spellbound by the graciousness I see displayed all around me by people of all colours."

Ameen.

Peace be upon us all.