hovering between the nation of islam and sunni islam, i met bro. malcolm in 1961, joined his entourage for a few days while he was coordinating events in los angeles, most days he reserved dinner time for conversations rather than strategy sessions, we discussed differences between what i knew about "orthodox" islam, sufism, shia, and the nation ... in many occasions he was unable to answer a question except to repeat "the honorable elijah muhammed tells us that ..... " but seemed uncomfortable with both question and answer ... it was no surprise to me when he returned from hajj and fully repudiated the nation, calling for a division of his work into two movements, one dedicated to the struggle for racial justice, and a marcus garvey like elevation of the afro-american nation. the second, a call to educate people about islam and to bring islamic teachings to all people of whatever race ...

... by this time i had already left the nation behind and now in contact with sunni muslims, had made my shahadah ? but while i never again met bro. malcolm, i honored him with my respect for his understanding of the two paths of struggle for islam, the first for liberation of all peoples who suffered under colonial and neo-colonial oppression and ethnic or racial discrimination, but afro-americans in particular, and second the need to spread the message of islam to all peoples, and to practice the most important aspects of islam ? social and economic justice!

when people ask me about how i became muslim, i always call myself an malcolm x muslim, who joined islam to fight against oppression and for social and economic justice, and that we muslims of the malcolm x generation are dedicated to this struggle, especially against the racist capitalist system that rules the usa and drives its global aspirations for empire, which savages peoples and ravishes lands ...