QuestionbyMattiasGardell.
SoinAugustof1977,whenyouwentpublicwithyour
criticismofthedirectiontakenbyImamMuhammad,whatwasthereactionamongthe
brothersandtheMinstersofhis,tothatpostion?
HonorableSilisMuhammad:Iwouldliketodetailthatforyou.rstandforemost,Ifeared
thatIwouldbekilled.IdidnotprepareforlifemorethanIpreparedfordeath,forItoo
wasateacheroftheF.O.I.andIknowwhattheF.O.Iistodotothosewhorallyaginst
theleader.Ipreparedtogoalone,andifdeathshoukldcome,sufferitalone....AndI
proceededtohavedialoguewithBernardCushmeer,whoreferstohimselfandyourefer
tohiminyourbookasJabrilMuhammad.AtthattimehelivedinPhoenix.
IhadwrittenupthestatementthatIwishedtopresenttoWallaceinperson.Upon
departingforChicagoIleftacopyofthestatementwithmywife,andtookonewithme
forBernardCushmeer.IstoppedfirstinPhoenixonAugust19th,andspentthenight
therewithcommonfriendsofoursBernardCushmeer'sandminewhereuponIgavethe
lettertohim,begginghimtonotopenitandreadituntilafterAugust21.Hepromised
thathewouldfollowmywishes.Onthemorningofthe20thIcaughtaplaneoutof
PhoenixforChicago,alone,myheartinmythroat,mykneesshaking,becauseIamjusta
man,that'sall.
So,asamanmykneeswereshakingandmyheartwasinmythroat,butanotherthingwas
takingplacetoo.Havingmadethedecisiontosacrificemyselffortheinformationorthe
knowledgethattheHonorableElijahMuhammadwasthelastMessengerofAllah,
willingtosacrificemylifetoprovethatMasterFardMuhammadwasAlmightyGod
Allah,thatManisGod,Iascendedmentally.Inthatcriticalandcrucialstageofmylife
anawarenessopeneduptome.Ithadbeengrowingallthewhile,butitwasheightned
whilethatplanebuzzedthroughthesky,andasitwasdescendingitbuzzedevenhigher.
IcouldhearbetterandIcouldseebetter.thephysicalearaswellasthespiritualear,the
physicaleyeaswellasthespiritualeye,wasopenedwider.Itwasablessingtoascendin
thatway.Onlyincriticaltimeswhenyouarethuswillingtogiveuplifedoyoureach
thoseconsciousness.IwishIwasmoreeloquentsothatImightexplainthe
consciousnessthatisinallmen,thatcanbebumpedintoifyoudaretakethechancetodo
somethingsomonumentalastotryandprovewhoGodisandwhatGodis.Ioffermyself
asproofthathewascorrectsinceIhavenothingbettertooffer.Ihavenoscripture,I
havejustmyself,aF.O.I.thespiritofElijahMuhammadisinme.Theinformationthat
wastaughtbyMasterFardMuhammadisinme.MessengeMuhammadgavemehis
name,Muhammad.whatwillIdowithit?I'mgoingtokeephisnamealive.I'mgoingto
keepthenameMasterfardMuhammadasAlmightyGodAllah,andtheonylthingthatI
havetoofferasproofofthatismyperson.
WaliBaharmetmeatthehotel.ItoldhimwhyIwasinChicago,butIdidnotgivehima
copyoftheletter.Perhapsatthetime,twoandonehalfyearsafterMessenger
Muhammadhadpassedaway,theF.O.I.wasperhaps400orstrongatHeadquarters.
MinsiterlouisFarrakhanwasstillwithWallaceatthetime.WaliBaharwaswithWallace
also,infacthewasWallace'sbodyguard.WhenItoldWaliBaharthatWallacewasin
errorconcerninghisfatherandIwantedtoproveittohim,hethoughtthaIwascrazy.He
calledmywifebackinL.A.totryandfindoutwhatwashappeningwithSilis...hashe
gonecrazy.butthetruthis,Ihad.(smiling)AndIlovethecrazystatethatI'min.I/m
inthecrzaystatestillandit'sagreatfeeling.
Onethenextday,whichwasthe21st,IwenttotheSupremeCaptain,Raymond
Sharreif'shouse.HehadbeenSupremeCaptainfortheHonarableElijahMuhammad,
peacebeuponHim,forapproximatelyyearsorbetter.Iaskedhimifhecouldgetmean
audiencewithWallace.Hesaidno,thathecouldgetmeanaudience,butthatWallace
wouldbetheTempletodayandicouldseehimattheTemple.SoIwenttotheTemple...
aTemplethatibelieveIpalyedagreatpartinhelpingtoacheive,forIknowofnoman
whosoldmoreMuhammadSpeaksthanSilisMuhammad.Iknowofnomanwho
encouragedmorementosellMuhammadSpeaksthanSilisMuhammad.
IenteredtheTemplethereonStony,notshakingasmuchasIhadbeen,butstill
apprehensiveandalone.WhenIwalkedin,manyofthefacesthatIhadknownwerestill
present,andtheywerehappytoseeme,initially.TheyfeltthatIhadcometoembrace
Wallace,andthatIhadcometomysensesandlearnedthatMasterFardMuhammadis
notgod,andthatHonorableElijahMuhammadisnottheLastMessengerofAllah.The
newshadnotgottentothemyetthatIancometositdownwithWallaceandtryand
showhimhiserrorIwalkedintothemainportionoftheTemple,andsawthattherewere
IslamIsawmenbowdownwiththeirbehindsineachother'sfaces.Thiswassounlike
theNationofIslamthatIhadknownin1970.Athoughthitmethatisholudgetdownlike
themtopray,butIsaidno,it'snotwhyI'mhere.SoIstoodthereinthecenterofthefloor
withallthesemenboweddownaroundme,ladiesandmenandIprayedinthecustom
thatMessengerMuhammadhadtaughtme.
AndIwaitedforImamWallaceD.Muhammadtocomeforththatimightseekan
audiencewithhim.Henevercameforth,soididn'tseehimlecturethatday.Onthesmae
day,rightafterthemeetin,IwenttotheSecretary,whowasalsofromLosAngeles,
havingrelocatedtoChicago.IaskedifhecouldgetmeanaudiencewithWallace.He
couldnot.IhaddatedthelettertobedeliveredAugust21,1977andIwasthereto
delievertheletterAugust21,1977.Allofthiswasaconsciousdesign,withfull
awarenessthatIwaswalkingintodeathand/orlifeandIwantedirtooccurAugust21.
NowthenewshadgottenoutwhysilisMuhammadwasinthecity,becuaseIhadgiven
thisinformationdirectlytotheSupremeCaptainformmymouth...Onaboutthe4thor5th
dayWaliBaharcameagaintoseemeandIaskedhimifhecouldgetmeanaudience
withWallace.Wallacehadputoutthewordthathaswasnotafraidtospeakwith
MessengerMuhammad'sfollowers,andthathewouldspeakwithanyoneofus.Allthe
communityhadthisinformationincludingWaliBahar,Wallace'sPersonalCaptain.
WaliBahrwenttohimtoseekanaudienceforme,andWallacedeclined.ThenWali
gavehimtheletter,andreadtheletterhimself.UponWali'sreturntome,becuaseiwas
liftedmentallyandthat'sallImeanismental..Idonotmeanthatiwasinsomeheaven
outinthesky,butheaveninthemindbeingthusliftedandthussensitive,Icouldbehold
inWaliBahar'seyeshisdisappointmentihisleader,inhisrefusaltoseeme.ThusIsaw,
orbeheld,thefallofWallaceintheeyesofWaliBahar.ForteoorthreedaysWaliBahr
cameandsatwithmewhenhegotoffwork.Ononeoccasionhetookmeridingtoadrug
storethatisnowclosed,andwesatdownontheporch,andhesaidtome"thisisgoingto
beinteresting."
Atanyrate,someofthemenihadtaughtandtrainedwhilelivinginChicagocameby
theapartment,onebyone,toseeme.Theyweresent,someofthem,toseewahtIwas
reallyupto.Eachofthemthatwouldcomebywouldsay"whoareyoutochallenge
Wallace?"Believeme...theyhadtakenmessengerMuhammad'spictureintheirhomes,
andhadpalceditdownhere,andhadplacedWallace'spictureabovetheHonorable
ElijahMuhammad'spicture.InfacttheyhadtakenMasterFardMuhammad'spicture
downaltogether."WhoareyoutocomehereandchallengeWallace?"theywouldask.
"WallacehabeentheonepreparedtotakeovertheNationeversincehewasachild.It
wasordainedofhimbyMasterFardMuhammadwhenhewasborn...evenbeforehewas
born.Wallaceknowsthescripturebackwardsandforward.WallacecanspeakArabic.
WhoareyouthatyoufeelthatyoucanchallengeWallace?"
EachtimeIwouldhearaknockonthedoor,andiwastherealone,notknowingwhowas
ontheothersideand/ortheirintent,myheartwouldrace."Isthisoncomingnowkill
me?Isthistheonewho'sgoingtoshootme?"Iwouldopenthedoor.Andwithout
soundinglikesomecrazyman,ofcrazierthanIam,Ibelieveitwasmycountenance...I
believeitwasmypresence...Ibeliveitwasmystateofmindthatdisarmedthosewhodid
haveillintent.Andtherewereanumberofthemwhodidcomewithillintent.Wali
Baharwouldlatertellmethanamesofsomeofthem.It'snotimportanttoputthatinyour
book.Therewasaparkrightacrossfromtheapartmentandthereweremenrunning
aboutthatparkanddoingtheirexercise,buttheywerewatchingtoseewhowouldcome
go.Afteraboutthirtydaysofstayinginthatapartment,WaliBahar,whowasstill
PersonalCaptaintoWallace,cametomeonaparticulardayandsaid"SilisIthinkyou
shouldleavenow".
Heknewsomethingthenthathewouldnotrevealtomeuntilsomesubsequentyears
later.AtthatpointintimeIdidpackup,becauseIhaddonewahtIhadcometheretodo.
SotheletterwasnotinfactdelieveredAugust21st.Wallacedidnotshowup.And
Wallacerefudestohavethatmeetingwithme.ButIhadprovenwhatIwentthereto
prove..thstthereisnospiritGod..thatmanaloneisGod.AndthatWallace'sfathertaught
thecorrectteachingsandwallacewastheoneinerror.IfthespiritGodhadpower,thenI
shoulbedashedintohell,becauseIambutamancometochallengethespiritAllah,the
spiriGod,theomnipotentbeingthatWallaceclaimedtoserve..andyethehadfearinhis
heart.Consquenlty,asyousee,hedidfall,whichweforetoldintheletterwouldtake
place...ifyoureadthatletter.It'stheDeclarationofSpiritualWar.Expertsfromthebook
HEARSILIS
