Debate Over Muslims, Slavery, and Early American History

the beautiful religion of Christianity. We have to do all of those things at once.

You said that historically Muslims didn't enter this country until the, the, the latter part of the 20th century. That's just factually untrue.

Uh, and, and I think to, to- It's a very small number ... ignore the fact, uh, it, n- not, not relative to the number of enslaved Africans who were brought here, and that was Mehdi's point that I don't want to see distorted.

They converted to Christianity. Uh, th- they were forced to convert to Christianity.

That, j- just like, that's like, that's like me saying- Like they were forced to convert to Islam ... there weren't that many Jews...

That's like, that's like me saying there, that's like me saying there weren't in, that many, many Jews during the Inquisition, right?

Be- bec- there, if, if you're forced to hide, if you're forced to convert, I'm not using that as, th- that's not a feather in your cap.

The point here is that this nation was built- But not, not, we're drifting away, Mark.

We're, we're drifting away ... on the backs of enslaved Africans.

I, I, no, no. Enslaved Africans built- Yeah, but we're drifting away, but Mark, Mark ... enslaved, enslaved, enslaved Africans built this country, and many were Muslim, and many even after- Yes, even if they don't. Yes, even if they don't ... even after the era of slavery, still held onto,

they still held onto Islam. Yeah, that is true, and, and Michael did say that.

And many, and many of, and many of them- Let me just jump in ... and many of them practiced secretly and silently, and even at the beginning of the 20th century- Okay ... with the Moorish Science Temple- Yeah, but secret Muslims are important ... with, with the Ahmadiyya Movement.

We're just, we're moving away. There's numerous movements, and, a- and, and if you look at the Founding Fa- Hang on, hang on please. Time out, please ... God forbid I bring, we bring some facts in here