-1. Blight Arrest Pioneer Patrol (BAPP)
Channeling the sincere efforts of human service and physical support that the men of the Nation of Islam (FOI) were known for:
The purpose of BAPP is to correct, arrest and prevent blight in the inner-city community. We will arrest the blight of crime, unclean physical abode and other forms of blight in our community.
- We will seek to enroll Muslim and non-Muslim males who have shown that they are no longer contributing to the spread of blight over the community and that they are now interested in an are ready to serve the good interest of the community, respecting the laws of Al Islaam and the laws of the United States of America.
- We will seek to create an active unit (team) that will effectively serve as a blight deterrent to turn things around in favor of the community for all residents, Muslims and non-Muslims.
- We will be an aid to the community for saving the ridiculous loss of tax dollars and community supported public services by assisting public service department
(1) Combat physical; Social and Moral blight.
(2) Assist in the Social, needs of the outer community.
(3) Add our good works to strengthen the good in the community.
“We want to have our neighborhood that’s our responsibility. If it’s blighted, we want to remove the blight from it. About 15 years ago, almost ago, I came up with a concept to put a lot of us to work, who didn’t have work. I said, “The government doesn’t have to pay us, our dignity wants this.” We started a group called the Blight Arrest, like a cop arrests a criminal. Blight Arrest Group, it was a Blight Arrest Group in Chicago (Blight Arrest Pioneer Patrol) and it spread around, some of them are still active. Blight Arrest Group.
I said, “Our soul will pay us if we poor without a job, go out and get the trash away from the sidewalk, clean the street,” don’t let that trash be out there blowing all around the stores, let us remove the trash. The store man asks, “What are you doing?” Say, “I’m picking the trash off that is in front of your store.” Says, “Why are you doing that?” “My dignity calls for that, this is our neighborhood, this is our neighborhood, our neighborhood, our dignity asked us to clean the trash from your store, we had to come [unintelligible 00:25:23] to the store.”
I told them, “If you can paint, you can’t find a job painting, you see a house on the block that’s an eyesore, and it needs painting, go tell the neighbor that, “I’m a Muslim and I want to paint this house.” “How much are you going to charge me?” “Nothing if you don’t have it. Nothing. My dignity asked me to go to work and right now the state department has no work for me, I can’t find work, but my dignity says I need work, my manhood says I need work, so I want to work until I can get paid for it so that my soul will feel good.
“Yes, so I preached this philosophy, I preach this philosophy to our brothers who were militants members of the Nation of Islam, the F.O.I, the Fruit of Islam, I preached it to them and they were happy to join. They impressed the city so much, they got the fire department chief to come down and talk to us. They attracted them. The police chief had to come and talk to us, businesses started talking to us, they liked us, believe me, they have our history brother and that’s why Imam is sitting at the table in the sky. (Imam W. Deen Mohammed, “State of the Muslim Address” delivered at the Ninth Annual National Convention, Secaucus, New Jersey, 08/30/1997)
-2. New Earth Team (N.E.T.)
Mission & Purpose: Brothers and Sisters go out into the outer community and invite the people to a better way of life (al-Islam). Brothers and Sisters pass out flyers, brochures, etc. Hold seminars on Human Development at YMCAs, churches, public schools, colleges, universities, drug abuse centers, radio programs and street corners. “Calling the general society” to embrace the life giving teachings of al-Islam.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, if you would take just one note of Al-Islam and sing that note to your fellow men and the people in your community wherever they give you an opportunity, you will change this society. You have to have faith. The Jehovah’s Witnesses, what do they have? Look how bold they are. Look how dedicated they are. Look how they sacrifice their time. They are not afraid for you tell them,’ ‘get away from my door.” They don’t mind you hurting their feelings. They care more about the mission than they do their feelings. They knock on doors Saturday morning, Sunday morning, they’re out on the streets different days of the week selling their publication. (IWDM, 09/10/1978)
This is the religion of social justice. This is the religion of true liberation. This religion liberates their mind, brings justice back to the oppressed, kills inequality. You can’t practice inequality and be a Muslim. This is the religion for us and for all people. Once we realize it, we will become missionaries—all of us. Even if you have 40 hours a week jobs, that’s no excuse. You still can take some of that time and become missionaries for Al-Islam. (IWDM, 03/30/1979)
The True Light 