The Power of the 'Dis'-Respect

By: Allah Universal Lord Life Justice Shabazz

"Bonasera... Bonasera... What have I ever done to make you treat me so disrespectfully? Had you come to me in friendship, then this scum that ruined your daughter would be suffering this very day. And that by chance if an honest man such as yourself should make enemies, then they would become my enemies. And then they would fear you. ..... "We’ve known each other many years, but this is the first time you came to me for counsel, for help. I can’t remember the last time that you invited me to your house for a cup of coffee, even though my wife is godmother to your only child. But let’s be frank here: you never wanted my friendship. And uh, you were afraid to be in my debt. I understand. You found paradise in America, had a good trade, made a good living. The police protected you; and there were courts of law. And you didn’t need a friend of me. But uh, now you come to me and you say — 'Don Corleone give me justice.' — But you don’t ask with respect. You don’t offer friendship. You don’t even think to call me Godfather. Instead, you come into my house on the day my daughter is to be married, and you uh ask me to do murder, for money." -Vito Corleone, The Opening Scene from "The Godfather"

"My beloved is white and ruddy. His skin is as the most fine gold. His cheeks are as a bed of spices." Even though he hasn’t washed since last December. "His eyes are as the eyes of doves. His body is as bright ivory. His legs are as pillars of marble." In pants so dirty they stand by themselves. "He is altogether lovable." But he’ll always be a two-bit punk... ...so he’ll never be my beloved. What a shame." -Deborah, Taken from "Once Upon A Time In America"



I will not engage in discouraging words... Society has provided enough of that for Black people. We have learned from them how to bash each other’s brains out, like the best of them. We have become excellent at telling each other we will never make it. This is anger at it’s finest. We, as Black People have developed hatred to "state of art."

We may speak as derogatory as we like or want, but rest assured, as Gods and Earths we are ignoring the devil’s we are creating, because we can’t look our difficulties straight in the eye. We refuse to refine and develop. We want people to except this as the way we are. Chuck D. said in an interview concerning the album titled, ‘It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back’, "The Nation of Millions is us as a people." When asked about the Ego in Hip-Hop, He said, “Many of these people speak about what they know. I was raised by Parents that know a lot. When they know more, they will speak about more things.”

Allah is bigger than my body. Allah is all and all is one. When you curse me, you curse we because you do not respect us. You cannot see we are one or the path that you are going down as you proceed. ["Ihdinasw-swiraatwal mustwaquiim" Show us the right path - Fatiha in the Qur’an] If I am made doomed by you, then humanity is. If you hate me, you hate yourself. If you despise me, you despise yourself. Our math says, "Islam is the culture of peace which make things consider and live in harmony. Malik El Hajj Shabazz (Malcolm) once said, "You cannot hate the roots of a tree and not hate the tree itself. You give me a Black Person who has a negative opinion of Black People, and I’ll give you a person who has a negative opinion of themselves."

I represent the hope of us as a People, as do you. When we engage in condescending conversation concerning each other, we sink deeper into a ‘self-imposed pit of purgatory.’ The reason why some of us cannot see that "day for which we have waited" (39/1-40), is because those same persons have not done anything to move us closer. They have not "given all we have and all within their power" (40/1-40). As a person who teaches civilization, I should encourage and help instruct: "Knowledge, Wisdom, Understanding, Culture, Refinement..." (17/1-40). If I discourage, talk negative, and take things from my student’s home, then I am a negative person and a thief. I am robbing them of their glory and magnificence. I should encourage towards excellence. If I do not, then I am doing the devil’s work. I am robbing others of "their light," while living off of their excellence. I am parasitical and living off of their words, instead of providing them with my light as an Enlightener and/or Educator. I should be a role model in word and deed. Not saying we are perfect, just refined and striving for excellence in everything we do. I embrace the standard, regardless to where I am at, in any given point in the cipher. What our lessons teach comes first. Might I add here that while my persons may quote from the Qur’an and other sources, it is because we are universal and engage in journalistic works. But make no mistake, what Father Allah taught is my foundation. I say this because even though Elijah never revealed what the Ten Percent taught to him before Fard, there has been a concerted effort to remove what Elijah taught on behalf of the powers that be. Rest assured, there are some Ten Percent amongst the Five Percent. Be very leery of subterfuge by anyone who advocates too far from the foundation. We are magnificent as a People. Our resistant towards the Colored Man’s criticism had and has to be great, if we are ever going to rise to prominence. We as a People cannot engage in these subversive types of practices. While disses and ‘yo momma jokes’ are amusing, they are immature and putting us back into the same practices Hip-Hop was created to do: move us away from the tendency towards self destruction that gang warfare and street life provided. I’m sure if Tupac, Biggie, and Easy E could speak, they would concur, “Six feet deep is where the real gangsters dwell.”

Let me say here that I am not behind anyone who engages in these types of egotistical, personal grandiosity, regardless of their relationship to me. If you see or hear that, it is a lie! I do not speak of such things and do not want to be associated with such things. I encourage one on one dialog. Each cipher bears its own justice and I disassociate myself from such things and persons. This is the way I was taught, and was taught that the Father Allah taught this way. I am to be identified as a person who is a freedom fighter for the upliftment of our People. This is what I teach, nothing else. These things -egotistical, personal grandiosity-, are not about Nation building. I will condemn the practice but not the persons. I have too much love for us as a People. I don’t blame others for my short-comings. If the Kingdom of God lies within, then the Kingdom of faults does too. “Earthquakes is caused by the son of man experimenting with high explosives. In fact, all that above is caused by the son of man” (8/1-40). “God made devil” and the adverse conditions he was incarnated into, is “to show forth and prove his powers” (38/1-40). But he will not elevate from these situations, if he does not accept responsibility and agree to humble himself so that he can change.

Live by the Law of your Degrees:
Righteous Ways for Righteous People!
　
Peace
Allah Universal Lord Life Justice Shabazz