Bill Text: IL HR0930 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Declares 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.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-11-15 - Referred to Rules Committee [HR0930 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-HR0930-Introduced.html

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.