By Lance Jessurun
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One of Elijah Muhammad's top ministers from
1952 to 1963 was the former Malcolm X
Also the son of a preacher, Malcolm
had converted to Islam while imprisoned
in Massachusetts at the urging of two of his
brothers, Philbert and Reginald, who were
both NOI members.
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Following the assassination of President John
F. Kennedy, Elijah Muhammad forbade his
ministers from commenting on the incident.
In a press interview, Malcolm X violated
Muhammed’s orders and said President
Kennedy's murder was "chickens coming
home to roost".
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In the early morning hours of February 14,
1965, a Nation of Islam-owned home in East
Elmhurst, Queens where Malcolm X and his
wife and three children resided was
firebombed. Malcolm X publicly accused
Elijah Muhammad of ordering it.
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Three members of the Nation of Islam's
Temple No. 25 in Newark, New Jersey were
convicted for their roles in the murder of
Malcolm X. His widow, Dr. Betty
Shabazz (1934–1997), believed for the
remainder of her life that the assassination
was ordered from the highest levels of Nation
of Islam leadership (Elijah Muhammed).
Elijah Muhammed
Malcolm X