Page:1965 FBI monograph on Nation of Islam.djvu/75



A. Recruitment

The most successful recruiter for the Black Muslims over the past few years had been Malcolm X. Due to the rising interest in the Negro rights movement, Malcolm's outspoken attacks on white society, widely publicized in the press, aroused the curiosity of many American Negroes. These people, therefore, were in a receptive mood when approached by Muslim recruiters "fishing" for "lost-founds" to "come to Muhammad's temple and hear our minister tell you of our program for the so-called Negro."

All temples require their FOI men to "fish" throughout Negro areas prior to the Sunday, public NOI meetings. Frequently, this is done in areas where Negro Christian churches hold their services. FOI men, while hawking the cult newspaper, also urge Negroes to visit open temple meetings. But strict rules forbid these recruiters, or any rank-and-file Muslim, to engage in discussion of NOI teachings with non-Muslims. Only NOI ministers and national officers trained to promote Elijah's version of Islam are permitted to teach the "lost-founds."

During the Spring of 1964, the FOI captain of one of the leading NOI temples discussed "fishing" procedures which he said Elijah wanted followed. He said Elijah was interested in the "trashy" or indigent-type Negro rather