(Reprinted from the Muslim Journal 10-21-05)

Imam W. Deen Mohammed Speaks To “Stop The Violence” Rally In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Imam W. Deen Mohammed

(The following address by Imam W. Deen Mohammed was delivered on July 23, 2005, in Philadelphia, Reran., at the "Stop The Violence" Rally organized by Andrew James, of Philadelphia and who spoke at Cultural Night during The Mosque Cares sponsored Annual Islamic Convention 2005, in Chicago, III.)

Our Greeting is Peace be unto you, As-Salaam-Alaikum. We thank G-d for our presence on this very, very important and inspiring occasion for me. I came from Chicago for this occasion, because I met Andrew James at the Center where he got his training.

I was so impressed with him, although he said only a few words. I saw right away that he was deep, very sincere and totally committed to do the job that he is doing.

I was so impressed, that I asked him to be on the program with me at our Convention in Chicago over Labor Day weekend. We want him to address our big Convention audience, because we need to see and hear youngsters like Andrew James.

We always begin with G-d's Name, Bismillah, Ir-Rahman, Ir-Rahim, the Merciful Benefactor, the Merciful Redeemer. What's good for the appearance, health and progress of a neighborhood or a community is best for the appearance, health and progress for the individuals living in the neighborhood and community.

We have in our religion a saying that comes from G-d in our Holy Book, where He says to us, "Think not that man is bigger than the creation. The creation is bigger than man."

We cannot manage this creation by ourselves. We can only manage this creation. if we have something Superior to ourselves that is helping us. And G-d is the Answer for the religious people.

But if you have respect for parents and hold on to respect for parents to be more important than your own self, you can save your life. If you be like grass, which is mentioned in the Bible and other Scriptures - and I know grass; I have to cut grass and water grass.

Sometimes, it takes too much water and the water bill is too high and I can't water it and it dies. But as soon as the water comes back to it, the poor grass lives again.

I was managing a health food store once, and there are many things that my father taught about African Americans' health. A Christian woman told me, "Wallace, I see you have some health products there. Let me give you some of this grass juice."

I said, "Grass?" And she said, "Why do you say it like that? Don't you know big animals, like elephants, eat grass; it supports big animals?" I said, "I hadn't thought of it like that. Yes, I do know that." So I took some of her grass juice home and drank it, although I did not have too much of a taste for grass.

We speak of common people as the "grassroots," the regular, common people. We speak of our roots, too. One of our roots is to respect our parents. We will be acting a fool, and if momma calls us, we will stop acting a fool. If daddy calls us, we will stop acting a fool. We need to go back to our roots!

In our roots is respect for those things that should be respected. And don't follow the spirit of the bad part of the world, or the bad section of the world or the bad people of the world. Follow the good spirit. Care about yourself enough to protect yourself from death.

If you let your morals be changed, if you let the way you see right and wrong be changed, and you don't care any more about right and wrong, you are letting a killer kill you. The killer is the bad influence in your society.

Fight these things. If you don't have respect for religion anymore, at least have respect for the demands your moral life has on you. Don't you know, if you don't follow the best advice for your own good life, forces inside your body will help you to get rid of you.

Thank you. I congratulate this occasion. And I salute Andrew James. Peace be unto you, As-Salaam-Alaikum.