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Ray Hagins does John Henrik Clarke impersonation par BLACKMUSICS
Greetings SaaNeter and All Brothers & Sisters,
Once again, here we are, having to waste precious time trying to straighten
out unnecessary misunderstanding and misrepresentations within our
community.
I wonder if and when we will begin to involve ourselves
in those issues that REALLY matter in our growth and liberation? How
can we when we keep spending precious time degrading and trying to
assassinate the character of another Brother or Sister among us?
There is a proverb that states, Never explain, because your friends
don't need it and your enemies won't believe you anyway. I have
certainly found this to be true, and yet there is something in me that
says there are those brothers and sisters in our community who are wounded
by the division, factions and bad mouthing that they see going on within
the ranks of so-called conscious people. So, it is for those who are
confused and disillusioned by un-Afrikan behavior among us that I write
this open letter.
On Saturday, April 24th, I was in Harlem NY at the invitation (booking)
of one of our Brothers, known as SaaNeter, to speak on the question
"Is Islam An Afrikan Religion?" I did speak to the audience,
but not within the parameters of what the planners wanted me to say,
and this caused a retaliatory response from the promoter of this event,
Brother SaaNeter (who felt as though I didn't fulfill my obligation
to him).
Below, I will list my reasons for my actions and comments regarding
this event. But please understand that my reason for doing such is to
NOT to justify my actions, but rather to provide and explanation for
those who are disillusioned by the apparent confusion and lack of unity
within our community.
On October 20, 2009, I sent the following open letter to SaaNeter because
he planned a “debate†between me
and the Hebrew Israelites. As you read this letter, perhaps you will
understand why I did what I did on Saturday night:
Hotep Brother SaaNeter,
This missive is to inform you that I will have to decline
your invitation for what I thought would be an open forum discussion
with one of our Hebrew Israelite brothers. My reason for such is as
follows:
Today I received about 10 to 12 communications (via
email, texts, and phone calls) about the event that you posted on YouTube
advertising Dr. Ray Hagins -vs- The Hebrew Israelites on Dec. 5! When
I watched the promo/announcement I got this very twisted feeling
in my gut. I was very disturbed that this event is being promoted like
a Don King boxing match.
When you asked me if I would come and discuss my research
about our Ancient story with a brother who professes to be a Hebrew
Israelite, I agreed to this on the basis that our discussion would be
an intelligent, respectful presentation of our views and the facts that
support them. But this is NOT the “spiritâ€
that is being projected in your promotion of this event.
For the sake of clarity, let me be VERY specific about
what my mission is (as far as our people are concerned). I am convinced
that the sole reason why I came out of my mother’s
womb is to be an instrument of returning our people back to the level
of spiritual existence and empowerment that we had before other cultures
invaded our Motherland with their religions and the literature that
is associated with them. In this way, we will experience the unity that
our oppressor has spent so much time destroying. Consequently, when
we begin to unite in spirit and mind, our healing will be the inevitable
result. That's what I am about,and that ONLY!
In your promotion of this event you used the abbreviation
of the word “versus†(Dr. Hagins
vs The Hebrew Israelites). I am not going to assume that many people
know what this term means, so let me state it for those who may not.
The word “versus†means against!
It denotes two entities (or factions) in opposition to each other; in
contrast with another.
So, SaaNeter, what you are actually advertising is
that I am “against†or “in
contrast with†The Hebrew Israelites! That is a gross
misrepresentation. I am not against (or in contrast with) any of my
people (whether they claim to be Hebrew Israelites, Christians, Muslims,
Rastas, Buddhists, Atheists, or whatever). The ONLY thing that I am
against is racism and the stratagems of white supremacy that are used
to divide, suppress, oppress and destroy us.
One of the most beautiful brothers that I know of is
Ben Ammi Ben-Israel. When I was making my transition to Afrikan Consciousness,
his contribution to my life helped me to become the minister and teacher
that I am today. I love him dearly. Even though I do not agree with
the eponymous identity that he has chosen to label himself and his followers
by, I have the highest respect for this brother and those who follow
him. So, it is incorrect to say or advertise that I am
“ against†The Hebrew Israelites.
These are my brothers and sisters, and many of them are dear friends.
One of the ministers of this organization, Min. Moriel Aziel, is a very
dear friend of mine and has been a guest speaker at The Afrikan Village
in St, Louis on several occasions. When I invited him to speak, I knew
that he was a Hebrew Israelite (and he knew that I wasn’t),
but we understand that our unity is based on the fact that we are brothers
in a war and OUR enemy is racism and the social injustices that emanate
from white supremacy.
The same can be said for my brothers and sisters who
claim Islam as their way of life. One of the greatest instruments in
the hands of God that I have ever had the privilege to listen to is
the Hon. Minister Louis Farrakhan. Many of his ministers and followers
are as family to me (i.e, Minister Jamil Muhammad, Minister Ava Muhammad,
Minister Louis Muhammad (in Youngstown, OH), Minister Donald Muhammad
(in St. Louis, MO), Professor Griff, Brother William Freeman X and my
Muslim family in Memphis, TN, and I could go on and on). All of these
have been my guest and have been featured speakers at The Afrikan Village
in St. Louis. And of course I cannot leave out my Rasta brothers and
sisters (especially Brother Diamond, Ethelbert Harrison in Nassau, Bahamas
and the family there). And I could continue to name so many more…
You see, SaaNeter, I am watching the Almighty do a
GREAT work through The Afrikan Village. When I travel and lecture, brother
and sisters from ALL of our backgrounds come and join in unity. This
past Sunday, we were blessed to start another fellowship in Columbia,
SC. We had close to 300 brothers and sisters there. The beautiful (and
most powerful) part of it was there were Christians, Muslims, Hebrew
Israelites, Rastas, Kemetians, pastors, and others there. And it was
AWESOME because in The Afrikan Village we simply gather and fellowship
as “Afrikans!†There are no “sidesâ€
or factions at any event that I speak at because we are family (regardless
to whatever paradigm one holds at this point in their development).
My brother, you and I have known each other for some
time now. And even though you are one of the main “bootleggersâ€
of my DVDs, as I have told you before, I do appreciate you getting the
message of liberation out to the masses. I am not ignorant of the fact
that many of our people know of me and the message that I speak as a
result of your selling and distributing your copies of my DVDs. I have
gone into more Black book stores than I can count and seen my lectures
re-packaged by you. One brother was actually at one of my lectures (and
his table was 2 tables from mine) selling re-packaged DVDs of my lectures
that he ordered from you. It was so deep that all I could do was laugh.
LOL! But (while I am on it), it would be nice if you would send in a
donation every now and then to help me keep getting this message out
there. (I just had to get Jthat in there).
SaaNeter, on the real, you are a good brother and soldier.
And you know that I have no problem coming to speak for you. But this
time, I have to decline ONLY because of how it is being presented to
our people. I am very willing to have an open forum and share the results
of my research with anyone, but I cannot do it under the context of
a debate or a promoted conscious boxing match (especially when the end
result is to sell as many tickets as possible). That's not me, my brother.
I am a spiritual leader of a lot of people, not a competitor!
When those who look to me as their spiritual leader, and others of our
people sit and listen to me, I want them to see and hear a man who is
about uniting and empowering us, not trying to prove who among us is
right or wrong.
I have sent this as an “open letterâ€
because of the Internet posting of the debate that you had planned.
It is very important to me that our people understand what I am and
what I am NOT about. Hopefully we can reschedule something for which
I feel much better.
In Maat,
Brother Ray.
NOW leading up to Saturday night's event...
Brother SaaNeter called me MANY, MANY times asking me to come to Harlem
to speak. In light of the position that I thought that I had made VERY
clear to SaaNeter in the letter above, He said to me, “Dr.
Ray, we want you to come to Harlem my Brother. Harlem misses you, and
we just want you to come and speak to us. YOU CAN CHOOSE WHATEVER TOPIC
YOU WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT…YOU CHOOSE THE TOPIC. We
just want you here my Brother.†It was ONLY because
SaaNeter said that I could speak on whatever topic that I wanted to
speak on that I agreed to his invitation. I repeat, this was the ONLY
reason I accepted his invitation.
I told him that I would find out the costs of airline tickets, hotels
rooms and car rental for me and my staff to come there. The cost of
these things came to $2,160.00. SaaNeter knows that I DO NOT charge
the community for coming to speak. I did not charge him one dime! He
knows this and he is trying to say that I “STOLEâ€
his money, and he knows that these funds were for 4 airline tickets,
4 hotel rooms, and a rental car.
SaaNeter went to a NY branch of the bank that I use and deposited the
funds so that I could purchase the tickets before the price went up
any higher. I purchased the NON-REFUNDABLE airline tickets the same
day.
A couple of days AFTER these NON-REFUNDABLE tickets were purchased,
SaaNeter called me and said, DR. RAY, HERE'S WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO!
I'M GOING TO BRING IN DR. WESLEY MUHAMMAD AND THE TOPIC IS GOING TO
BE "IS ISLAM AN AFRIKAN RELIGION?" IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A
DEBATE IT'S GOING TO BE A DISCUSSION.
I knew then that I was in a Catch 22 situation. I knew that the
ONLY way that SaaNeter was going to get the point that I DO NOT participate
in these Don King intellectual boxing matches under the guise of Afrikan
liberation was to just wait until the event and publicly say it to the
entire audience (with the hopes that perhaps someone on SaaNeter's staff
will get the point).
I am not upset with SaaNeter for what he did any more than I would be
upset with a fish for swimming, or a bird for flying! This is what SaaNeter
does! HE IS AN EVENT PROMOTER. This is how he feeds his family. And
I have no problem with that! What I am upset about, is how he has disrespected
me and has since engaged in trying to smear my name because I refused
to participate and play a role in his production. SaaNeter just doesn't
get it, I DON'T PARTICIPATE IN THESE DON KING TYPE EVENTS BECAUSE IT
DOES NOT HELP TO EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY! As I stated to the audience
in Harlem, these events are nothing more than a display of intellectual
masturbation only resulting in egotistical ejaculations.
I spoke with Dr. Wesley Muhammad right after SaaNeter told me what he
had decided to do. Dr. Muhammad apologized to me for what even he felt
was misleading on SaaNeter's part. I told him that I don't participate
in such events. After further discussion, we agreed that we would NOT
allow our people to see us at odds each other. We spoke on a couple
of occasions to reaffirm our position on the community seeing ONLY unity
among us because we both knew what the REAL agenda was in this event.
SPECIAL NOTE: For the sake of definition let's define what a debate
is. A debate is 1) the formal discussion of a motion before a
deliberative body according to the rules of parliamentary procedure;
2) a regulated discussion of a proposition between two matched sides.
(Webster's
So, you see, SaaNeter (and those who think that I was wrong) evidently
does not understand that a discussion IS a debate. A rose, by any other
name smells just as sweet. You can call a rose a stinkweed, but the
smell is still that of a rose. You can call a rose a skunk-blossom,
but that does not change the fragrance. So, call it what you will…the
result is the same! Everyone kept saying, THIS IS NOT A DEBATE, THIS
IS A DISCUSSION! Even Dr. Muhammad made it clear that the word “debateâ€
was not to be used, but rather a “discussion.â€
So what, a debate IS a discussion between two different or opposing
perspectives.
The TRUTH here is that the event in Harlem was to be a Don King type
intellectual boxing match between two scholars within our community.
Now, whether you want to accept this fact or not doesn't change the
odor of it one bit.
To our Brother, SaaNeter, I believe that you are angry because I exposed
your agenda for financial gain! The truth of the matter is, this is
how you eat, by promoting events in the name of liberation. And I am
okay with that. In my opinion you could had this discussion on your
radio show and a couple of thousand people could have learned the same
information for FREE! But no, you wanted to sponsor an intellectual
boxing match at $20.00 a ticket. And one of us was to be judged the
WINNER.
I know that you wanted me to disprove and invalidate Dr. Muhammad, but
what would have been gained by that? WHAT? The only thing that would
have been gained by that is a lot of good brothers and sisters (who
are Muslims) would have left there confused and in doubt. Not only that,
but Dr. Muhammad would have had to deal with the consequences of not
defending his religion as he should have. I refused to let you use me
for that! I don't do those things, my Brother! Dr. Muhammad is a good
and very sincere Brother. I look at him and see myself all over again.
I was not about to invalidate that young brother's research in front
of all those people. I don't do that. His presentation was ACCURATE
(within the parameters of his research), and THAT'S why I said that
I didn't disagree with one thing that he said.
Dr. Muhammad did NOT prove that Islam was Afrikan, he only proved that
there were Afrikans who practiced Islam! I do not disagree with that
at all. But, I was not about to damage the credibility of his scholarship
before that audience.
SaaNeter, stop ranting about the money that you stated as food that
I took out of your children's mouths. Come on Brother, keep it
real, you made your money back and then some. There were well over 300
hundred people there at $20.00 a pop! The $2,160.00 that you spent was
an investment and you know it. So stop ranting as though you lost money.
In closing, I must ask, What have I learned from this experience? I
learned that I must not allow people to use me as a drawing ticket any
more. I will only speak at those events where I KNOW that the purpose
of this event is to gain the knowledge necessary for the empowering
and unity of our people.
Hotep, my brothers and sisters, I wish you the best. And, PLEASE stay
focused on what our REAL mission is. The mission of The Afrikan Village
& Cultural Center, where I serve as the Chief Elder and Spiritual
Leader is to be an Afrikan-centered, scripture-based ministry of Excellence
whose purpose to Evangelize (take right knowledge to those who do not
know), Edify (build and uplift one another), and Equip (prepare our
members to effectively carry out our purpose) its members, through the
knowledge of the Truth, to serve the community and reach the world with
the message of Afrikan of liberation while striving to be compassionate
in our love, excellent in our service, holy in our living, and reverently
spirited in our fellowship.
In Maat,
Dr. Ray Hagins
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