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A review by nate_dogg
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X, Alex Haley
4.0
Part 1 - Race and American Institutions
This book is a damning indictment of both society and religion in America. One questions which institution has been, is, and continues to be more hypocritical towards race between the government and the church.
The fact that the US can conjure out billions to Europe for the Marshall Plan and more billions to Ukraine to fight a proxy war with Russia and yet continues to deny reparations to American blacks that are descendants of slaves tells you everything you need to know about how seriously the country takes both the race issue and its history of crime, slavery and genocide against non-white people.
The fact that Christian apologetics were used to justify slavery, segregation, and all manner of evil against black people in America and that their god watched for years as this happened without intervening should make any Christian think twice about the morality of their affiliations and proclamations.
Part 2 - Islam on Malcolm and Black America
Islam was both a blessing and a curse for Malcolm X.
It provided him on a personal and on a tribal level, an identity that he and other black Americans never had - the idea that they were the chosen people of god and that their suffering had some level of meaning.
Additionally, the religion provided the fatherhood that he had never really had via Elijah Muhammad at the lowest point in his life when he was in prison, the discipline to be studious and regimented in his approach to life, and the conviction and medium through which he spoke candidly about the true conditions of both the negro in America and their white oppressors.
However, I also think that Islam was a limitation because of the mythic and dogmatic nature of religion. One can see an example of this in Malcom’s refusal to acknowledge the reality that Elijah Muhammad was perhaps not as perfect as he came across and Malcom’s continued loyalty to the man even after having a bounty placed on his head and his name and reputation tarnished. Another example of this is his refusal to acknowledge the humanity of some white people until his experience in Mecca (no surprises there though, anecdotes and personal experiences hold more weight in the eyes of the religious than data and evidence - not to suggest that Malcolm had any good evidence to believe that white people in America were not devils however).
For someone that seemed to understand history, I’m curious to know if Malcolm X looked into the history of Islam and its relationship with slavery. I’m also curious to know if he understood how Muslims in the middle east and elsewhere treat non-Muslims, apostates, and atheists. I would reckon that it is no better than how whites treat blacks in America.
Part 3 - Religion
The solution to the supernatural myth of christianity is not the supernatural myth of islam as much as the myth of white supremacy is not solved by black supremacy (but I understand why the idea would be a appealing to a people group that were stolen from their lands, worked like animals, and had their history erased - black supremacy that is if one was not following along closely).
This is not an indictment of Malcolm or what he stood for. He was a revolutionary in his empowerment of American blacks, but his message was bound to be stymied from the start because of the religious platform he was running on. It wouldn’t have been long before the all to familiar question of evidence was asked for with regards to the supernatural claims of Islam.
Part 4 - Quotes I Liked
“When I saw the crowd of fifty or sixty reporters and photographers, I honestly what celebrity I had been on the plane with.”
-the man is as humble as he is witty
“Well I believe it’s a crime for anyone who is being brutalized to continue to accept that brutality without doing something to defend himself.”
-non-pacifism
This book is a damning indictment of both society and religion in America. One questions which institution has been, is, and continues to be more hypocritical towards race between the government and the church.
The fact that the US can conjure out billions to Europe for the Marshall Plan and more billions to Ukraine to fight a proxy war with Russia and yet continues to deny reparations to American blacks that are descendants of slaves tells you everything you need to know about how seriously the country takes both the race issue and its history of crime, slavery and genocide against non-white people.
The fact that Christian apologetics were used to justify slavery, segregation, and all manner of evil against black people in America and that their god watched for years as this happened without intervening should make any Christian think twice about the morality of their affiliations and proclamations.
Part 2 - Islam on Malcolm and Black America
Islam was both a blessing and a curse for Malcolm X.
It provided him on a personal and on a tribal level, an identity that he and other black Americans never had - the idea that they were the chosen people of god and that their suffering had some level of meaning.
Additionally, the religion provided the fatherhood that he had never really had via Elijah Muhammad at the lowest point in his life when he was in prison, the discipline to be studious and regimented in his approach to life, and the conviction and medium through which he spoke candidly about the true conditions of both the negro in America and their white oppressors.
However, I also think that Islam was a limitation because of the mythic and dogmatic nature of religion. One can see an example of this in Malcom’s refusal to acknowledge the reality that Elijah Muhammad was perhaps not as perfect as he came across and Malcom’s continued loyalty to the man even after having a bounty placed on his head and his name and reputation tarnished. Another example of this is his refusal to acknowledge the humanity of some white people until his experience in Mecca (no surprises there though, anecdotes and personal experiences hold more weight in the eyes of the religious than data and evidence - not to suggest that Malcolm had any good evidence to believe that white people in America were not devils however).
For someone that seemed to understand history, I’m curious to know if Malcolm X looked into the history of Islam and its relationship with slavery. I’m also curious to know if he understood how Muslims in the middle east and elsewhere treat non-Muslims, apostates, and atheists. I would reckon that it is no better than how whites treat blacks in America.
Part 3 - Religion
The solution to the supernatural myth of christianity is not the supernatural myth of islam as much as the myth of white supremacy is not solved by black supremacy (but I understand why the idea would be a appealing to a people group that were stolen from their lands, worked like animals, and had their history erased - black supremacy that is if one was not following along closely).
This is not an indictment of Malcolm or what he stood for. He was a revolutionary in his empowerment of American blacks, but his message was bound to be stymied from the start because of the religious platform he was running on. It wouldn’t have been long before the all to familiar question of evidence was asked for with regards to the supernatural claims of Islam.
Part 4 - Quotes I Liked
“When I saw the crowd of fifty or sixty reporters and photographers, I honestly what celebrity I had been on the plane with.”
-the man is as humble as he is witty
“Well I believe it’s a crime for anyone who is being brutalized to continue to accept that brutality without doing something to defend himself.”
-non-pacifism