Islam
            
            
            
            
             The UnIslamic Nation of Islam The mention of the "Nation of Islam" will undoubtedly
            
             cause an immense number of responses in any situation. To some, this organization
            
             symbolizes blatant racism. To others, it is seen as a savior of the black community.
            
             Regardless of one's opinion of the Nation, though, the differences between
            
             Al-Islam(traditional Islam) and the beliefs of the Nation cannot be denied. The Nation of
            
             Islam is a social movement. This social movement is undoubtedly rooted in religion, and
            
             its principles are derived from those of traditional Islam, but their basic philosophies are
            
             so strikingly different that the Nation of Islam cannot be considered Islamic. In 1930, the
            
             Nation was founded by an African immigrant who called himself Wallace D. Fard
            
             Muhammad. He stated that his mission was to take "the black nation to the full range of
            
             the black man's possibilities in aworld temporarily dominated by the blue-eyed
            
             devils"(http://www.forerunner.com/foreruner/X0065_Nation_of_Islam.html). This
            
             philosphy was carried on to the next leader of the Nation, Elijah Muhammad, and
            
             eventually to the current leader, Louis Farrakhan. The Nation was founded as a black
            
             organization, and has remained as such. Islam, on the other hand, is all encompassing.
            
             The first, and most astonishing, difference between the Nation and traditional Islam is the
            
             role of race in the church's philosophy. the Nation's philosophy clearly states that, "We
            
             believe that intermarriage and race mixing should be prohibitted (www.noi.org/
            
             program.html)". The traditional wording of the Koran, however, states that diversity in
            
             race is one of Allah's greatest creations(Koran, 30.22). The Nation of Islam restricts its
            
             membersip to those who are black. the beliefs of traditional Islam, however, state that all
            
             persons are born Muslim, and that "every person is endowed by Allah with the sp...