1982-October-22

A.M. Journal

Muhammad Speaks

Imam W. Deen Muhammad

QUESTION: I am very inspired that Imam; W. Deen Muhammad has an answering session in the A.M. Journal.

My question is: why should we have the government flag on our newspaper when America has disrespected God's laws more than any other country and has little respect for Bilalians if any at all? What does their flag represent to us?

IMAM: It represents another attempt to correct that kind of thinking and to correct the kind of behavior that this person is criticizing.

If we can represent both our country and our religion, then we can be a part of that good element in America that is trying to make America live up to what it claims.

QUESTION: What is allowed and what is forbidden where making money in prison is concerned?
- Ashborough, North Carolina

IMAM: Well, I would direct him to prison regulations.

As far as I am concerned, a Muslim, if he has an opportunity to make money in prison, should work as hard to make money while he's confined as he would when he's free.

Unless we are missing something that the reader intended, I think that question is very clear and very correct that whatever is not allowed in our religion for us in free society, won't be allowed for us when we are behind bars. We don't have any moral code or laws or disciplines that apply to free society and when you are confined behind bars, all that is changed. We don't have any such situation like that in our religion.

Since we know that giving in to the temptation to get by easier is what put a lot of us behind bars, I think while the inmate is behind bars, he should make an extra effort like most of the Muslims who are behind bars do. He should make an extra effort to show that he is a well disciplined Muslim and that he's not weak for those illegal kinds of involvements.