On March 18, 2022, a heated debate ensued between Rami Salam El and panelists on the Sabir Bey show regarding the usage of the title “Grand Sheik” as it pertains to Taj Tarik Bey.
Rami Salam El on the Sabir Bey Show
At the 30:31 mark, Rami Salam El, a former self-proclaimed “Grand Sheik” and founder of the International Asiatic Moorish Hip Hop (IAMHH Temple) YouTube channel, declared that “Taj Tarik Bey is not a legitimate, a lawful, or authorized Grand Sheik”. He also went on to allege that Taj Tarik Bey “has been promoting himself…conducting lectures…[and] presenting himself as a Grand Sheik.” Activities that Rami says are fraudulent.
These claims were later put into context by another panelist who clarified the etymology of the compound word Grand Sheik, and explained how he previously asked Rami Salam El to “show the evidence of Taj Tarik Bey calling himself a Grand Sheik of the Moorish Science Temple of America” – which he stated that Rami could not provide. He also declared that Taj Tarik Bey has consistently said over the years that he “doesn’t accept any of those titles”, but that the people “view him as their Grand Sheik”.
Granted, the act of calling oneself a “Grand Sheik of the Moorish Science Temple of America”, without having been duly appointed as such in accordance with the laws set forth by Prophet Noble Drew Ali, is in fact a fraudulent act.
However, the issue at hand is whether the general title “Grand Sheik” can be used by Moors who are not active members of the Moorish Science Temple of America (MSTA) or if it’s a title that’s exclusive to the organization’s members.
It’s important to note that the term “Grand Sheik”, etymologically, means “great or noble old man”. Taj Tarik Bey, being an elder in his 70s and held to high esteem by the people for decades of great and noble works teaching Moorish history and civics, meets all the prerequisites for the general title of Grand Sheik.
One of the underlying issues preventing Moorish unity centers around the inability to distinguish between lawful and fraudulent acts of fellow Moors. Whether it’s due to the degradation of truth resulting from the infiltration and subsequent division of the MSTA, the lack of knowledge from insufficient study, overabundance of misleading information, or plain old resentment, many Moors seem to struggle with discerning the difference between lawful and fraudulent as it pertains to the activity of Moorish Americans who are not members of the temple. Whatever the reason may be, the reality is that Moors are divided in their comprehension of the usage of the title Grand Sheik.
Another underlying issue obstructing Moorish unity is the ego-fueled unwillingness to relent or reserve an opinion that’s unsupported by substantial evidence. There appears to be a culture in which many Moors believe they are right and those who disagree with them are wrong, despite a lack of supportive evidence.
While this may be attributed to one’s own ego, its frequent occurrence in the Moorish community – often resulting in unnecessary arguments and defamatory remarks which violate the principles of Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom, and Justice – begs the question of whether this mentality is a remnant of the Negro mentality of self hate or the true nature of Moors being a “hard-head, stiff-neck, mean set of people” as described in Oral Statements and Prophecies By Noble Drew Ali #37.
Either way, these are but a few of the issues hindering our progress and reunification. Will the Moors ever surprise the Prophet by doing right?[1]
[1] – A reference to #157 of the Oral Statements and Prophecies By Noble Drew Ali
