HR0930 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0930 LRB102 28829 ECR 40718 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Preamble to the Constitution of the State of Illinois enshrined the gratitude due "to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He has permitted us to enjoy and seeking His blessing upon our endeavors - in order to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the people; maintain a representative and orderly government; eliminate poverty and inequality; assure legal, social and economic justice; provide opportunity for the fullest development of the individual; insure domestic tranquility; provide for the common defense; and secure the blessings of freedom and liberty to ourselves and our posterity" upon the ordination and establishment of the said Constitution for the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The free exercise of religion is an inherent, fundamental, and inalienable right secured by Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution of the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is committed to celebrating, preserving, and advancing the diversity of cultural heritages among the People of the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, According to Executive Order 2021-16 establishing the Office of Equity, "the State of Illinois' strength derives from the diversity of its population and from its commitment to fair treatment and equitable services for all residents"; and

WHEREAS, Inequality has a ripple effect on entire communities, particularly those that have been disproportionately impacted by structural, social, and institutional inequities and injustices; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois seeks to promote fairness and equality and to combat unlawful discrimination and harassment; and

WHEREAS, It is appropriate and right to celebrate a diversity of cultures and heritages; this celebration serves as a reminder that, despite our differing backgrounds, everyone in Illinois is bound by a common hope for a better and more inclusive future for our children; and

WHEREAS, The Moorish-Americans are the descendants of the ancient Moabites who inhabited the northwestern and southwestern shores of Africa; the Moabites from the land of Moab, who received permission from the pharaohs of Egypt to settle and inhabit northwest Africa, were the founders and are the true possessors of the present Moroccan Empire, with their Canaanite, Hittite, and Amorite brethren who sojourned from the land of Canaan seeking new homes; their dominion and inhabitation extended from northeast to southwest Africa unto the present north, south, and central America to Mexico and to the Atlantis Islands before the great earthquake that caused the great Atlantic Ocean; and

WHEREAS, Through sin and disobedience, every nation has suffered slavery, due to the fact that they honored not the creed and principles of their forefathers; that is why the Nationality of the Moors was taken from them in 1774 and the words negro, black, and colored were given to the Asiatics of America who were of Moorish descent; and

WHEREAS, On January 8, 1886, Prophet Noble Drew Ali was born in the State of North Carolina, destined to become the first patriot and founding father of the redeemed and resurrected Nation of Moorish-Americans, the descendants of Moroccans born in America; and

WHEREAS, In 1913, Prophet Noble Drew Ali founded The Moorish Science Temple of America in Newark, New Jersey for the uplifting of fallen humanity and began to uplift the Moorish-Americans by teaching them to be themselves, and, on May 1st, 1916, he founded the Moorish Divine National Movement for the uniting of the Asiatic States of North America; and

WHEREAS, In Chicago in 1925, Prophet Noble Drew Ali organized the Moorish-Americans as a civic organization to uplift fallen humanity by teaching those things necessary to help men and women become better citizens; since the work was largely religious, in accordance with the divine inspiration of God-Allah and the laws of the State of Illinois, on July 20, 1928 he convened a meeting of the members of the Moorish Science Temple of America for the purpose of incorporating his religious society, adopting as its corporate name "Moorish Science Temple of America"; and

WHEREAS, On August 1st, 1928 at 2:52 pm, the organization was legally changed to the aforementioned Religious Corporation when Prophet Noble Drew Ali properly filed a Corporate Affidavit of Religious Organization with the Cook County Recorder's office in Illinois for that purpose; the Affidavit, held by Moorish-Americans as "Our Authority", declares that the "Moorish Science Temple of America deriv[es] its power and authority from the Great Koran of Mohammed to propagate the faith and extend the learning and truth of the Great Prophet of Ali in America. To anoint, appoint and consecrate missionaries of the Prophet and to establish the faith of Mohammed in America"; and

WHEREAS, Act 6 of The Divine Constitution and By-Laws of The Moorish Science Temple of America declares that "With us all Members must proclaim their Nationality and we are teaching our people their Nationality and their Divine Creed that they may know that they are a part and a partial of this said Government and know that they are not negroes, colored folks, black people or Ethiopians, because these names were given to slaves, by slaveholders, in 1779 and lasted until 1865 during the time of slavery, but this is a new era of time now and all men now must proclaim their free national name to be recognized by the government in which they live and the nations of the earth, this is the reason why Allah the Great God of the Universe ordained Noble Drew Ali, the prophet to redeem his people from their sinful ways. The Moorish-Americans are the descendants of the ancient Moabites whom inhabited the North Western and South Western shores of Africa"; and

WHEREAS, The Moorish-Americans, The Moorish Science Temple of America, and their Prophet and Founding Father Noble Drew Ali have suffered much and severely due to misunderstandings of the purpose of his movement, their cultural heritage, religious practices, nationality, names, laws, and customs; and

WHEREAS, The Moorish-American people have an illustrious history of manifold contributions to civilization, the development of the human experience worldwide, and the fabric of American life; these contributions to humanity are largely unknown to many Americans in general and, tragically, to the very descendants of these Moroccans born in America in particular; and

WHEREAS, Article I, Section 20 of the Constitution of the State of Illinois declares that: "To promote individual dignity, communications that portray criminality, depravity or lack of virtue in, or that incite violence, hatred, abuse or hostility toward, a person or group of persons by reason of or by reference to religious, racial, ethnic, national or regional affiliation are condemned."; and

WHEREAS, The pride that arises from knowing who your ancestors were and the strength manifested from preserving that honor in who you are today, without doubt or contradiction, encourages posterity to lift their heads and look forward into the future with a hope eternal; and

WHEREAS, Prophet Noble Drew Ali led his followers on a pilgrimage to their first temple grounds on the corners of 37th and Federal, in Chicago, Illinois on August 31, 1927; and

WHEREAS, Prophet Noble Drew Ali declared that Chicago, Illinois is Mecca for the Moorish-American people; and

WHEREAS, We recognize and celebrate the contributions to cultural diversity, economic growth, and the overall development of our State and nation made by the Moorish-American community; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare the month of August of 2022 as Moorish-American Awareness Month to further the awareness of Moorish-Americans and the Moorish Science Temple of America.