Nation of Islam: Cult of the Black Muslims/Chapter 7
VII. RECRUITMENT AND MEMBERSHIP PROCEDURES
A. Recruitment
The most successful recruiter for the Black Muslims over the past few years had been Malcolm X. Due to the rising interest in the Negro rights movement, Malcolm's outspoken attacks on white society, widely publicized in the press, aroused the curiosity of many American Negroes. These people, therefore, were in a receptive mood when approached by Muslim recruiters "fishing" for "lost-founds" to "come to Muhammad's temple and hear our minister tell you of our program for the so-called Negro."
All temples require their FOI men to "fish" throughout Negro areas prior to the Sunday, public NOI meetings. Frequently, this is done in areas where Negro Christian churches hold their services. FOI men, while hawking the cult newspaper, also urge Negroes to visit open temple meetings. But strict rules forbid these recruiters, or any rank-and-file Muslim, to engage in discussion of NOI teachings with non-Muslims. Only NOI ministers and national officers trained to promote Elijah's version of Islam are permitted to teach the "lost-founds."
During the Spring of 1964, the FOI captain of one of the leading NOI temples discussed "fishing" procedures which he said Elijah wanted followed. He said Elijah was interested in the "trashy" or indigent-type Negro rather than the "elite" or "snooty" ones. According to this captain, Elijah was interested in dope addicts, prostitutes, thieves, gamblers, and drunkards. His technique apparently is to offer to society's black rejects the organizational apparatus of the NOI. Believing these social outcasts will be shunned by other Negro leaders, Elijah hopes to impress upon them that he is interested in their rehabilitation. After considerable experience, Elijah knows the unintelligent Negro is more apt to follow cult teachings.
To date, Elijah has had little success in recruiting educated Negroes, whom he calls "white folks loving" Negroes. He expressed his feelings toward them at an NOI rally in Detroit in May, 1964. He said, "College people think their education will save them. Negroes are ignorant even though they attended college because they do not have a knowledge of themselves. They will be destroyed because of their ignorance and stubbornness."
Cult ministers and other leaders recognize that the constant turnover in membership requires constant recruiting efforts. One extreme measure used in Chicago over the past few years has been the cult's effort to interest various Negro youth street gangs in NOI membership. NOI recruiters, taking advantage of a gang member's penchant for militancy, approach a youth and remind him that the NOI basically is fighting for the same objective as the gang, that is, Negro supremacy; and, whereas the gang is small, the NOI is great and would welcome these youths. As additional enticement, recruiters promise the gang member he will receive judo and karate training as a member of the cult. Chicago Welfare authorities, who have closely followed this recruitment activity, report the Muslims have had no apparent success. Gang members, when introduced to the religious aspects of the cult and the discipline demanded of members, after only a few meetings lose interest in the NOI.
The cult newspaper, "Muhammad Speaks," and Elijah's exploitation of famous Negro athletes are other approaches to recruitment which will be discussed later in this monograph.
B. Membership Procedures
The "lost-found" Negro who has been "steered" into the temple by NOI recruiters is met there by a well-dressed, polite FOI guard who takes the visitor's name. The guard explains to the visitor that before entering the meeting room he must be searched. Following a frisking, the visitor is seated near the front of the hall, facing the minister. Much of the minister's message is directed to him and his fellow visitors. Guests are always pressed to return to the next meeting.
After the initial visit by a "lost-found," the follow-up methods of the various temples may be slightly different. However, all temples continually urge nonmembers to "unite with your own kind." Those who express a desire to learn more of the NOI are considered "registrants." They receive a certain amount of instruction and are furnished a letter which they must copy in their own handwriting and send to Elijah Muhammad's Chicago address. This letter is the sender's application for membership and closes with the statement: "I desire to reclaim my own. Please give me my original name. My slave name is ... "
Usually, the registrant must wait several weeks before receiving an answer from Chicago. If he made no error on his application, he is notified he has been accepted for membership and his name entered in the "Book of Life."
It is explained to the registrant that the "so-called Negro," during the centuries he was in slavery, lost his original name and was given his master's surname. When the registrant becomes an NOI member, his "slave" name is dropped and he is given an X (meaning unknown)- until his "true" name is given back to him. When entered in the "Book of Life," the first James was James X; the second, James 2X; and so forth. Members with a common given name are now being given "X" names in high numbers, such as James 78X, John 57X,, and Charles 37X.
But how he receives his "true" name, if ever, is somewhat of a mystery to even the NOI member. in his letter of resignation from the NOI, denounced Elijah and complained about his flagrant injustice with regard to assigning "true," or original, names to his followers. Elijah never did favor certain old faithfuls with any but an "X" name said and added his observation that these slighted Muslims were those who achieved no material gain or fame in Elijah's eyes. Although recalled that Elijah had said he could not give out these names, that it was up to Allah, he noted that Elijah's favorites, such as his personal secretaries, received their "true" names quite early. learned of his while he was listening to a radio broadcast. He commented, "I am honored."