Moorish Science Temple off America

The Moorish Science Temple off America (the temple of science Moor of America), or Holy temple off moorish science is a founded religious organization in 1913 with Newark in New Jersey, and claiming to be Moslem. In practice, the group is a Syncrétisme drawing some of its sources (in addition to the Islam) in the Bouddhisme, the Christianisme, the Franc-maçonnerie, the Gnosticisme and the Taoïsme.

Its basic principle is that the Afro-Américains were of ascent Moor, and were of this fact of Moslem origin.

The creator and prophet of the group were Noble Drew Ali , born Timothy Drew (1886-1929) in North Carolina. After its death, the Temple burst in several groups claiming itself of its heritage, which exist always today.

Doctrines

The group had its own version of the Coran, supposed to be lost by the other Moslems, and being the true form of Coran. The name given to this book is Holy the Koran off the Moorish Science Temple off America , sometimes shortened in Circle Seven the Koran .

Ali taught that the Moors were “Asian”, and that there existed only two people on planet, Europeans and the Asian ones. People of the Asia, the Africa, and the Peaceful , but also the Latin-American ones, and the indigenous people of Americas all were regarded as “Asian” in lesson of the Temple. For this one, Europeans represented “the individual lower” (Satan), driven out Mecque by the Asian Moslems. In practice, the new religion exaltait black nationalism and was addressed especially to the Afro-américains. Marcus Garvey, one of the creators of black nationalism, was particularly respected.

The members of the temple carried fez, (including Drew Ali, which raised a feather Cherokee in his) and often added the suffixes “Bey” or “El” to their names, to affirm supposed heritage Moor to them. The use of initiatory titles like Diacre or exilarque was also frequent.

Orthodoxe Islam forever agreed to recognize off the Moorish Science Temple America like Moslem.

Disappearance of the prophet

The Temple suffered from the meticulous monitoring, and probably even of harassing by the police force of Chicago, city or the direction of the Temple had settled. A member of the temple, Claude Green El, left the organization, declaring large sheik, taking along with him a certain number of members of the original temple, before being stabbed by the unknown ones. Drew was arrété and perhaps beaten by the police force, then released under monitoring while waiting for a bill of indictment. He died a little later in 1929 and one speculated in the implication of the received ill treatments of the hands of the police force. The exact circumstances of its death remain unknown. Its implication in the murder of Claude Green El was never proven.

Posterity

After the death of Drew, the group burst in three rival factions, of which some exist always today. Brother C. Kirkman-Bey, the confidant of the prophet, became leading the most important group, which always bears the name of “ Moorish Science Temple off America, Inc. ”, of which it is the legal continuation.

A scission formed the “ Reincarnated Temples ” (réincarnés temples), carried out by the former driver of the prophet, brother J. Givens El, who was then called “ Noble Drew Ali, Reincarnated ” (Noble Drew Ali réincarné). Givens El, and the brothers Richardson Dingle El and Timothy Dingle El which succeeded to him, sign that the prophetic spirit of Noble Drew Ali remained intact and passes from the one to the other to died of the predecessor. “ Reincarnated Temples ” precede off the “ Noble Order Moorish Sufis ”, founded in Baltimore in 1957 by the former Large Mufti Sultan Rafi Sharif Bey. This group will give rise to later “ the Moorish Orthodox Church ” (the church ortodoxe Moor) and “ the Moorish League ” (the league Moor).

Lastly, the third branch, undoubtedly least important to date, was rested by another close relation of the prophet, the brother E. Mealy El.

The groups resulting from the Moorish Science Temple off America are always active, and are a certain success, in particular in the prisons or they develop a strong proselytism. The competition and the media visibility of the other groups of Moslem American blacks or Nation off Islam limit their capacities of development however.

Influences

It was noticed that many resemblances existed between the Temple and Nation off Islam . NoI, become at the beginning of XXIe century a rather powerful organization, was thus creates one year after the death of Drew, with Detroit, not very far from Chicago, old center of the Temple. NoI took again a speech of solidarity between the people not-white, and indicated the latter as being of satanic nature. Islamization total or partial of the names of the members resembles partly the modification of the names of the members of the Temple.

It is often advanced, although without final proof, that Wallace Fard Muhammad, founder of Nation off Islam , had been member or close to the Moorish Science Temple off America .

See too

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