With the attitude of what-have-I-to-lose, they hope that some benefits might come to them by joining the NOI.
For a multitude of reasons, there are American Negroes who sympathize with the Black Muslims or actually become loyal followers of Elijah Muhammad and his NOI leadership. For those who join, "the Messenger's" word is law, and all who wish to remain in the cult must follow Elijah's strict discipline as imposed by his loyal ministers. But this discipline has not been able to prevent trouble in the cult.
Elijah's former leading spokesman, Minister Malcolm X, Elijah's
b6
b7C broke from the cult. From these former leaders, we heard Elijah called "a religious faker" and "a fraud" who promoted "concocted religious teachings." Another NOI minister who left the cult in disgust described the NOI as "organized like an army"--the members just "following along" trying to obey the strict discipline demanded by the higher-ups who are carrying on "one of the biggest rackets in the land."
Who are these higher-ups of the NOI? What type of man leads this strange organization?
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