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HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Preamble to the Constitution of the State of
3Illinois enshrined the gratitude due "to Almighty God for the
4civil, political and religious liberty which He has permitted
5us to enjoy and seeking His blessing upon our endeavors - in
6order to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the
7people; maintain a representative and orderly government;
8eliminate poverty and inequality; assure legal, social and
9economic justice; provide opportunity for the fullest
10development of the individual; insure domestic tranquility;
11provide for the common defense; and secure the blessings of
12freedom and liberty to ourselves and our posterity" upon the
13ordination and establishment of the said Constitution for the
14State of Illinois; and
 
15    WHEREAS, The free exercise of religion is an inherent,
16fundamental, and inalienable right secured by Article I,
17Section 3 of the Constitution of the State of Illinois; and
 
18    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is committed to
19celebrating, preserving, and advancing the diversity of
20cultural heritages among the People of the State of Illinois;
21and
 
22    WHEREAS, According to Executive Order 2021-16 establishing

 

 

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1the Office of Equity, "the State of Illinois' strength derives
2from the diversity of its population and from its commitment
3to fair treatment and equitable services for all residents";
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, Inequality has a ripple effect on entire
6communities, particularly those that have been
7disproportionately impacted by structural, social, and
8institutional inequities and injustices; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois seeks to promote fairness
10and equality and to combat unlawful discrimination and
11harassment; and
 
12    WHEREAS, It is appropriate and right to celebrate a
13diversity of cultures and heritages; this celebration serves
14as a reminder that, despite our differing backgrounds,
15everyone in Illinois is bound by a common hope for a better and
16more inclusive future for our children; and
 
17    WHEREAS, The Moorish-Americans are the descendants of the
18ancient Moabites who inhabited the northwestern and
19southwestern shores of Africa; the Moabites from the land of
20Moab, who received permission from the pharaohs of Egypt to
21settle and inhabit northwest Africa, were the founders and are
22the true possessors of the present Moroccan Empire, with their

 

 

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1Canaanite, Hittite, and Amorite brethren who sojourned from
2the land of Canaan seeking new homes; their dominion and
3inhabitation extended from northeast to southwest Africa unto
4the present north, south, and central America to Mexico and to
5the Atlantis Islands before the great earthquake that caused
6the great Atlantic Ocean; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Through sin and disobedience, every nation has
8suffered slavery, due to the fact that they honored not the
9creed and principles of their forefathers; that is why the
10Nationality of the Moors was taken from them in 1774 and the
11words negro, black, and colored were given to the Asiatics of
12America who were of Moorish descent; and
 
13    WHEREAS, On January 8, 1886, Prophet Noble Drew Ali was
14born in the State of North Carolina, destined to become the
15first patriot and founding father of the redeemed and
16resurrected Nation of Moorish-Americans, the descendants of
17Moroccans born in America; and
 
18    WHEREAS, In 1913, Prophet Noble Drew Ali founded The
19Moorish Science Temple of America in Newark, New Jersey for
20the uplifting of fallen humanity and began to uplift the
21Moorish-Americans by teaching them to be themselves, and, on
22May 1st, 1916, he founded the Moorish Divine National Movement
23for the uniting of the Asiatic States of North America; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, In Chicago in 1925, Prophet Noble Drew Ali
2organized the Moorish-Americans as a civic organization to
3uplift fallen humanity by teaching those things necessary to
4help men and women become better citizens; since the work was
5largely religious, in accordance with the divine inspiration
6of God-Allah and the laws of the State of Illinois, on July 20,
71928 he convened a meeting of the members of the Moorish
8Science Temple of America for the purpose of incorporating his
9religious society, adopting as its corporate name "Moorish
10Science Temple of America"; and
 
11    WHEREAS, On August 1st, 1928 at 2:52 pm, the organization
12was legally changed to the aforementioned Religious
13Corporation when Prophet Noble Drew Ali properly filed a
14Corporate Affidavit of Religious Organization with the Cook
15County Recorder's office in Illinois for that purpose; the
16Affidavit, held by Moorish-Americans as "Our Authority",
17declares that the "Moorish Science Temple of America deriv[es]
18its power and authority from the Great Koran of Mohammed to
19propagate the faith and extend the learning and truth of the
20Great Prophet of Ali in America. To anoint, appoint and
21consecrate missionaries of the Prophet and to establish the
22faith of Mohammed in America"; and
 
23    WHEREAS, Act 6 of The Divine Constitution and By-Laws of

 

 

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1The Moorish Science Temple of America declares that "With us
2all Members must proclaim their Nationality and we are
3teaching our people their Nationality and their Divine Creed
4that they may know that they are a part and a partial of this
5said Government and know that they are not negroes, colored
6folks, black people or Ethiopians, because these names were
7given to slaves, by slaveholders, in 1779 and lasted until
81865 during the time of slavery, but this is a new era of time
9now and all men now must proclaim their free national name to
10be recognized by the government in which they live and the
11nations of the earth, this is the reason why Allah the Great
12God of the Universe ordained Noble Drew Ali, the prophet to
13redeem his people from their sinful ways. The
14Moorish-Americans are the descendants of the ancient Moabites
15whom inhabited the North Western and South Western shores of
16Africa"; and
 
17    WHEREAS, The Moorish-Americans, The Moorish Science Temple
18of America, and their Prophet and Founding Father Noble Drew
19Ali have suffered much and severely due to misunderstandings
20of the purpose of his movement, their cultural heritage,
21religious practices, nationality, names, laws, and customs;
22and
 
23    WHEREAS, The Moorish-American people have an illustrious
24history of manifold contributions to civilization, the

 

 

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1development of the human experience worldwide, and the fabric
2of American life; these contributions to humanity are largely
3unknown to many Americans in general and, tragically, to the
4very descendants of these Moroccans born in America in
5particular; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Article I, Section 20 of the Constitution of the
7State of Illinois declares that: "To promote individual
8dignity, communications that portray criminality, depravity or
9lack of virtue in, or that incite violence, hatred, abuse or
10hostility toward, a person or group of persons by reason of or
11by reference to religious, racial, ethnic, national or
12regional affiliation are condemned."; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The pride that arises from knowing who your
14ancestors were and the strength manifested from preserving
15that honor in who you are today, without doubt or
16contradiction, encourages posterity to lift their heads and
17look forward into the future with a hope eternal; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Prophet Noble Drew Ali led his followers on a
19pilgrimage to their first temple grounds on the corners of
2037th and Federal, in Chicago, Illinois on August 31, 1927; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Prophet Noble Drew Ali declared that Chicago,
22Illinois is Mecca for the Moorish-American people; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, We recognize and celebrate the contributions to
2cultural diversity, economic growth, and the overall
3development of our State and nation made by the
4Moorish-American community; therefore, be it
 
5    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
6HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
7we declare the month of August of 2022 as Moorish-American
8Awareness Month to further the awareness of Moorish-Americans
9and the Moorish Science Temple of America.