The Moors Strike Back: Sharif A. Bey Clears the Record (Part 1)

 Brother Sharif A. Bey is an expert on Moorish Jurisprudence and if you would like to know more about him, feel free to check a previous blog where his statements on a blogtalkradio interview was the centerpiece of discussion.

I was compelled to contact Brother Sharif, and he agreed to answer some questions for me. Again, thank you, Brother Bey, for elaborating on the MSTof A.  I trust that many of those who are interested in the MSTof A will find this information useful as I formed the questions based on many questions I feel the public may have about this movement. Again, enjoy.

Sia Sobek:
Marcus Garvey referred to African-Americans as Negroes while Noble Drew Ali referred to them as Moorish-Americans.  In my previous blog, I discussed discrepancies with "Moor" being used as a term to denote one's nationality.  From a Moorish-American's perspective, how does the term Moorish-American more effective than the modern day term  "African-American?"

Sharif Bey:

On pg. 109 of "Philosophies and Opinions of Marcus Garvey" he states "the negro needs a nationality."  This quote underscores the fact that Garvey used the term "negro" as it was the common denoting term of the day, yet stressed the need for a national identifying name.  His use of the term "negro" in the proper context is comparable to Prophet Drew Ali's use of the term "Asiatic;" both were describing our RACE, not national origin. 

Drew Ali's use of the term "Moorish American" to most accurately describe us in the national/political context is apt, firstly because racial/ethnic categorization and national/political identification are two different things (although the two are often connected), secondly, as nationality determines one's political status, the last known political affiliation our people had prior to our loss of nationality and subsequent enslavement was with the Moroccan Empire.  Our state of servitude came as a result of our loss of national identity, ie., ceasing to maintain our connection to our native political entity on these shores.

Conversely, the term "African-American" denotes connection to a continent and not a political body/nation/state, and therefore is unqualified as a signifier for national identity.

Sia Sobek:
Garvey seemed to be focused on uniting all "negroes" as he called us, yet Noble Drew Ali's members often perceive African-American's who call themselves "black" as being second class citizens solely based on their association with the term "black."  Blacks under Ali's ideology, for example, have no nationality.  The concept seems to be more divisive than unifying.  Explain how Ali's message was for the total unification of the race, though it superficially can be perceived as divisive.

Sharif Bey:

In this era of time, civilized people all over the world are identified and recognized not by color, but by national descent, which is why dark-skinned, wooly-haired "negroid" peoples native to Mexico, Honduras, Brazil, etc. are not called "black", but Mexicans, Hondurans, Brazilians, respectively.  Honoring our mothers and fathers by name and principle in this way (ie., recognizing and reclaiming our national descent and connection), for our people, is the very first step in "standing upright" as respectable civilized people and thereby becoming for the first time since our fall able to demand that respect from all other civilized people. 

 In the New Testament Gospels, Jesus' mission is ultimately to "spread the gospel" to the world, and yet the first part of his mission was to prepare a chosen nation to raise, then use that nation to "go out to all the world and preach the gospel..."

Likewise, as prophets, avatars, saviors, etc. are sent to nations to raise that especial nation, then commission that nation to be the example for the world, so it is with the program of Prophet Noble Drew Ali.  As in days of old, the Prophet's mission is to make our nation (the fallen Asiatic sons and daughters of North America) the "avatar" for the Uniting of Asia/the unification of melanated peoples, by first making us like himself.  He was sent to us so that we could be sent out to the world.  This is what is referred to as "raising the dead."  Incidentally, the word "black/negro" (derivative of the word 'necro'/'dead') in the history of humanity has ONLY been used to describe our people in our present condition (no nationality, or 'civiller mortuus'/dead in the eyes of the law).  Since the year 2000 the world has been watching the sudden resurgence of the Moorish movement; they are witnesses to the Biblical Resurrection.