FREEMASONRY: WHY DID YOU LEAVE THE WEST AND TRAVEL EAST?

FREEMASONRY: WHY DID YOU LEAVE THE WEST AND TRAVEL EAST?

By Fahim A. Knight-El

The topic and discussion of Freemasonry seems to always be a reoccurring discussion and conversation on my Blog site, this isn't because I have sought to dedicate so much time and research in this area, but it is one of those discussions, that is popular by demand and just will not go away. I am still often contacted by people who have an interest in various aspects of the Masonic order (both Masons and non-Masons). I know people are constantly searching the Internet and purchasing non-authentic Masonic reading materials as part of their personal search and investigation about this Ancient and Philosophical Order called Free and Accepted Masonry (which has often been misunderstood by the outside world). I have so many books that I am reading, but I purchased an interesting book on Freemasonry titled, "Solomon's Key: The Codis Project" authored by R. Douglas Weber (actually it is a novel laced with many non-fictional truths shrouded under the guise of Weber's imagination). This book too verifies that Freemasonry still remains as one of those subjects that strikes curiosity and has an uncanny mystique of driving people who desire to know what's behind the symbolism and the cloak of secrecy that defines this ancient brotherhood. They desire to know for themselves, if Freemasonry, is a secret society and/or an Illuminati Front organization (or is it one of the masterful plans that is described in the "Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion" or may be even these writings and Freemasonry are only part of the hoax, which continues to deceive global humanity). It may even appear to the outside world that a sizable amount of the political and economic Movers and Shakers of this world's order have Masonic connections (or perhaps even this reality might be mere coincidental or may be not) and involvement (however, for others this notion somewhat confirms that Freemasons are a powerful and influential body of men that for centuries have factored into the global decision-making process). Thus, a number of our United States Presidents (and world leaders) have been Masons in fact our first United States of America President George Washington was a Freemason and a number of the Founding Fathers were Masons. There are still others who believe that even the present day Freemasons have a sinister agenda who wills an inordinate amount of power and influence over the political, economic and social affairs of the United States Government, as well as, outside of the United States and many further believe they possesses a hidden ulterior motive and are bent on controlling humanity by influencing all the moves on the global chessboard.

Some of this is without doubt, is rooted in fear mongering tactics and outright conspiracy propaganda in which amounts to nothing but mere speculation and undocumented hype in order to keep people under the control of religion and they do this by playing on people's fears (I refer to it as boogieman syndrome). However, people view Freemasonry, it will always have emotional arguments on both sides relative to the positions of its pundits and apologist. I am researcher by profession (I am the Chief Researcher of Keeping it Real Think Tank) and I have written perhaps over 20 different articles on Freemasonry, delving into the philosophical sciences of Speculative Freemasonry in which I am student of this ancient craft and eternal wisdom. I am constantly receiving emails and even phone calls from people asking me about the differences between Scottish Rite and York Rite Masonry (both of the rituals represents the hidden the symbolic history of what happened to the black man in America; thus no other persons directly fit the description of Hiram Abiff who was hit in head on brought on a westerly course and totally robbed of the knowledge of self--this blow rendered the Master Builder dead. No other people accurately fit the ritual history of what King Solomon described as a situation of the lost word, it was you who have no language and the three blows rendered to Hiram Abiff by the three Ruffians, it is only symbolic of what European colonialism and Chattel Slavery did to deduce us from our righteous thrones as the mothers and fathers of civilization to 'Negroes'. The Masonic ritual dramas and enactments is all pointed to the so-called American Negro, but he has no idea what his traveling experience truly mean--this is the world's best kept secret (Hiram Abiff is symbolic of his own history). Although, many of my so-called African Americans Masonic brothers have acquired all the Masonic degrees and yet there was the one most important degree that he has failed to acquire, which is the knowledge of self (we were stripped for 310 years of this most valuable and precious knowledge). This degree could only be acquired when the black man come in contact with knowledge that were taught by the likes of Martin Delaney, Marcus Garvey, Henry Highland Garnett, Bishop McNeil Turner, Paul Robeson, Malcolm X, Drew Ali, Kwame Ture, John Henrik Clarke, Elijah Muhammad, Clarence 13X, etc. These great illuminators represented the true knowledge that is needed to raise us up from that dead level to a living perpendicular on the square--90 degrees upright.

But one of the most frequent questions I get is, what is the difference between Prince Hall Affiliated Masonry (PHA) and Ancient Free and Accepted Masonry (AF&AM); in particular the question of who is 'clandestine' and which order is considered 'regular' Masonry (this has been a highly charged debate in which Prince Hall Masons have gathered a website that list many of the so-called Bogus Masonic Grand Lodges by States)? But I need to be fair here, because some of these Masonic entities listed on the said site deemed bogus by Prince Hall Masonry view themselves as a body of 'regular' Masons and are opposed to the characterization of being labeled 'clandestine' by PHA. Yet, some of them are un-chartered Freemasonic orders (or has made up fictious charters and the authenticity of their historical Masonic documents cannot be accurately traced) and are led by scam artists who use the name of Freemasonry in order to commit fraud, embezzlement and hustle potential gullible brothers out of money. But I am still always very careful of how I answer this question, because the Black Masonic Order of Prince Hall in the early 1780s had received a legal Masonic warrant/Dispensation from a traveling military Irish Lodge to function and operate as a legal body of Masons (This historical Masonic edict did make PHA a 'regular' body of Masons for over 200 years by being granted the legality to practice the Masonic Ancient Landmarks. But it was within the last 10-20 years that United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) passed an affirmative decree of finally recognizing Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and its subordinate lodges as being properly chartered and a regular sanctioned body of Freemasons. Many white Northern Masonic Jurisdictions in the United States had granted PHA Masonry recognition a long time ago, but even to this day at least 10 racist U.S. Confederate States still have yet to recognize Prince Hall Masonry as a legitimate Masonic entity--their actions and behavior stands to be condemned as one of the last overt vestiges of institutionalize racism.

Yet, this behavior does not bother me; because I have not been bent on receiving recognition and integrating into white mainstream Freemasonry, but like Dr. Carter G. Woodson stated in 1933 in his book the "Mis-Education of the Negro", the Negro believes that the white man's ice is colder than the black man's ice. What most people do not know is that Prince Hall Masonic charter predates any American Masonic charter, which makes this black Masonic organization the oldest in the United States of America. Think about this white folk have to tell us and approve whether or not we have the right and authority to declare ourselves as a legitimate body of Masons and now we as PHA have the audacity to serve as the Supreme Determiner over whether or not other Black Masonic Orders should be received as 'regular' Masons or forever be viewed as 'clandestine' by Prince Hall Freemasonry.

There are many clandestine Masonic groups out there—who are so-called initiating and raising brothers from the 1st degree all the way to the 33rd degree in one night and charging thousands of dollars for these bogus Masonic degrees (they can not travel to foreign lands and territories just like those who did not have the proper password to enter Joppa). For example, I actually met a brother who had been deceived by one these type groups and he was telling me that he had a private United Supreme Council elevation in someone’s basement in which he went through all the Masonic steps in one night and was elevated to 33rd degree of Masonry (he had not been properly tried and was denied and definitely wasn't ready to be tried again)—I simply requested his for mine and I tried him on spot and his answers did not meet suitable proficiency. I led this brother to a legitimate Grand Lodge and helped got him healed from this chicanery. However, what he described to me, I did not see this as being far fetched (but I also knew that he was neither of the race, class or privilege status to warrant such elevation) because there are members of the Committee of 300 who possesses so much power and influence that their invitation into these high level Elitist Clubs (Bilderberg, Milner Group, Club of Rome, House of Rothschilds, Carlyle Group, Trilateral Commission, Council on Foreign Relations, etc.) revolves around class and bloodline and has nothing to do with the stringent process of initiation, which is ordinarily bestowed upon lower class neophytes who becomes members of fraternal and civic organizations such as: the Knights of Columbus, Elks, Skull and Bones, Freemasons, DeMolay, Odd Fellows, Lions Club, etc., which are Front organizations and societies.

The majority of the membership in the lower Orders do not know the passive roles they play to keep the Invisible Rulers in power. But most of those who belong to the Higher Elitist Orders also have dual memberships in the lower Elitist Orders. Their privilege sets them outside of going through the Medieval rituals, rites and sacraments--the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, Kissingers, etc., do the vouching for this class of men and women--their invites into these various Orders is about further maintaining dominance and control over the masses who toils in darkness (this part of the discussion is for the true enlightened mindsets to go out and do some homework). People ask me about my opinion of the likes of Alex Jones and David Icke, I am student of neither, yet I respect some of their knowledge and majority of the times they are right on point, but both of them strikes me of being Government backed agents who has gotten rich in this era of "New Age" information (what I mean is they have found a market which is based on telling white folk the truth, although Elijah Muhammad was exposing most of this in the 1930s). Also, many of you have never heard of Brother Steve Cokley or Dick Gregory they could match the best minds that white America could offer and possessed the ability to decode, breakdown, untangle and expose the true intent of most of the conspiracies that has baffled the American people. For example, who really killed President John F. Kennedy, Minister Malcolm X, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

But American style racism fostered the Mason Dixon line; this even established certain laws and rules relative to Chattel Slavery and later served as the geo-political basis for how post-slavery legislation would set the stage for Jim Crow laws and actually determined how segregation would be implemented and enacted in the North and the South. Some historians date this said period (Jim Crow) in American history with the 1896 Plessy versus Ferguson decision that lasted until 1954, in which Brown versus Board of Education overturned this racist Supreme Court decision that had stood for 58 years (Reference: C. Vann Woodward; "The Strange Career of Jim Crow"). For the scholars and intellectuals there is a very good read authored by Michelle Alexander titled, "The New Jim Crow", I advise my Blog audience to read Alexander's refreshing research and new perspective on the topic of Jim Crow. The Mason Dixon line stood as an imaginary line, which also often served as the line of Masonic demarcation for black Masons and white Masons relative to the overall racial socialization process that was established in the United States from the time the colonial masters voyaged from Great Britain in the 16th century and so-called settled on the "new world'. We know this was one of the biggest lies ever to be recorded in western civilization because the so-called Native Americans had crossed the Bering Strait 16,000 years before the European explores made their expeditions to continental North America in which they learned Cartography and maritime science from the Moors of North Africa (Reference: Dr. John Henrik Clarke; "Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust") and Ivan VanSertima book titled, "They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America", also highlights that Africans had arrived to the Americas long before Christopher Columbus.

Brother Ezekiel M. Bey and Brother Emanuel J. Stanley of the Blue Lite forum http://blue-lite.com/ this is a Prince Hall site where Bey and Stanley provides Prince Hall Masons with an interactive cyberspace Masonic classroom (the forum is exclusively for PHA Masons, but I think the forum need to be open to non-Prince Hall Masons in which to expand the dialog and foster critical thinking outside of the PHA Craft). I do know that the late Joseph Walkes in his monumental research and book titled, "Black Square and Compass: 200 Years of Prince Hall Freemasonry" wrote perhaps the most definitive history on the origin and evolution of Prince Hall Masonry in the United States of America. But he wrote as an apologist for American racism; I write as an open condemner of the practices of white supremacy on all levels (this is what separates me from most black leaders and from scared to death Negro scholars--I feel like we have an obligation to tell the truth regardless of the consequences, if we truly believe in Freedom, Justice and Equality. Jesus spoke in parables and he once stated that he who seeks to save his life shall lose his life. I have obligation to stand on truth and speak truth to power--how can they have teacher unless one be sent? As of late I have received a lot of inquirers about the points on the compass and the bird/eagle/phoenix/Benu that is part of upper Masonry symbolism, but I have refused to share my insight into the true meaning of the symbolism because there are many out there plagiarizing my research and is using my material and intellectual property unauthorized and furthermore is not citing me nor my Keeping it Real Blog site, but we will deal that when the time comes. No, one has a monopoly on ideas and knowledge, but whether you are a private person/institution, blog sites or University, if you are using my materials unauthorized I demand a cease and desist until you get my permission (I ordinarily do not have a problem with people reposting my writings for educational purposes, but not for monetary gain/profit and commercial incentives unless you are in a legal contractual agreement with me Fahim A. Knight-El.

Now, with that being said, lets move on I received an email message a few months ago from our local YahooGroup Prince Hall Masonic Message board forum and it had been decided that Masons in 24th Masonic District in Durham, North Carolina and perhaps others through out the state of North Carolina has planned a trip for November 17- 23, 2013 to visited the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) bet for sure that I will not be taking that trip to London. Let me clarify, I am not against the trip to London because I know there is a lot these robber barons have stolen from the Ancient Nubians and there is much that are shelved away in the libraries and museum in the dungeons of this international grand Masonic lodge. But as a staunch Afrocentrist, it is difficult for me to ever recognize the UGLE and to honor this institution with our presences stands as an act of historical hypocrisy. What can the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) truly teach me about Freemasonry? But many of my fellow brothers will view this trip as an affirmation towards completing their Masonic recognition and legitimacy by being invited and received by this so-called august body of white Masons in Europe. Who gave the United Grand Lodge of England its Masonic judicial and legal authority in which to act as as the premier Masonic Governance body over whether or not a Masonic Grand Lodge (or did they in 1717 decided this upon themselves) would be considered legal and deemed a regular body of Masons.

For many years before his death our brother Asa Hilliard who authored the book titled, "SBA: The ReAwakening of the African Mind" Dr. Hilliard who was one of our most prolific Afrocentric writers and scholars often took tours to Egypt (Kemet) in which to expose so-called African Americans to the majesty of their Nubian ancestors. I would be interested in traveling to North Africa Egypt (Kemet) as opposed to England and learning from the true ancient masters of Freemasonry. It was not called "Freemasonry" it was the Mystery Systems, which was one of the oldest adept and neophyte system of initiation learning. The civil war and political unrest in Egypt, which was instigated by the United States; moreover our brother President Barack Obama has made some reactionary moves, in particular in North Africa and the Middle East along with its European allies and this political unrest has led to the ravaging and pillaging of the historical artifacts and tombs of the greatest civilization on earth. How many of my Prince Hall brothers have an interest of traveling to Africa and learning and discovering the knowledge of self from brothers like Anthony Browder and Ashra Kwesi who coordinates fact find missions to Kemet (Egypt) every year or do we still view Europe as the citadel of learning? I guess from that perspective I will always be a renegade brother of the Craft.

Bro. Light Seeker: "Peace Brother. My name is Brother Light Seeker. I have been wanting to join a lodge for over 2 years. I reside in South Carolina.

I am severely torn between Prince Hall and AF&AM. I just read one of your articles, it pertained to the division of the black lodges. I am very impressed with your article. And I share your sentiments about the African origins of Freemasonry".

"In your article, you spoke about doing research on a Lodge before you join. But I'm still not quite sure on how best to conduct that research. In my area, the Prince Hall lodge seem to be more structured and established. However, they also seem to be more complacent. They're generally older and I do not see them doing a lot. Conversely, the AF&AM in my area are younger and seem to be more active in the community. It appears that they study more, they are of the Scottish Rite. However, it's a relatively new lodge. In fact, they don't have a lodge yet, they meet at a recreation center".

"I was so impressed with you article that I was moved to send you this email. And I gladly welcome anything you have to share with me to aid
me in this very important decision. Thank you in advanced!"

Fahim A. Knight-El: "Peace Brother Light Seeker: I first, would like to thank you for your very kind words and I truly appreciate you taking the time to read my work (I was touched by your words and I felt your sincerity coming across and emanating with nothing but good energy). Thus, perhaps as you can tell, from my writings, that I am very passionate about the subject of Freemasonry and yet at the same time, I do not mine rendering criticism when it is necessary. I am no doubt, an advocate that true Freemasonry had its origins in Kemet (ancient Egypt) in which I maintain that Kemet was Black and Nubian (African) this has been a point of contention between me and some of my brothers of Prince Hall because I refuse to accept the United Grand Lodge of England as the mother lodge of Masonry. You make a very interesting point in your observation about the Prince Hall Lodge and AF&AM Lodges in South Carolina. I always first tell a potential brother/candidate who are seeking to become a brother Mason is to make sure that the potential lodge that you are petitioning has a legitimate and recognized charter (no fly by night authorization; with no Masonic Jurisdiction empowering it to work). I am a Prince Hall Mason and I do not desire to come across bias and not objective, but many AF&AM lodges do not have legitimate charters that are recognized. Yet, I have always given some of them the benefit of the doubt, in particular those that are associated with John G. Jones (perhaps one of the modern fathers of Black AF&AM in North America) to be considered as 'regular' and not 'clandestine' by Prince Hall Masons. We take Freemasonry serious, we do not attempt to resemble a college fraternity where it is fun and games and function as a social club (PHA properly train its brothers to be able to travel the world with what they know and be able to defend our ancient rites and sacraments with the utmost proficiency). Thus, every Mason was first made a Mason in their heart and this plank is much bigger than the external outward appearance of what one might deem complacency or the lack of progress being demonstrated by the PHA order. The older Masons in PHA are the rock and foundation of the order. I was trained by an older instructor named Brother A.O. Grady (may the Creator be pleased with his soul), but these old men gave me my Masonic foundation. But I desired to take my thinking to the next level and begin to think outside of the box. I do think AF&AM attract younger brothers and they do a lot of good in the community, but just be careful because some of these groups that come in the name of Freemasonry, are scams established to hustle potential brothers out of money. They do not have a legitimate Grand Lodge or charter and they rent recreation centers and hotels to conduct unlawful Masonic business. I have met some good AF&AM brothers who are brothers in the truest sense and they had the ability to give me the word, token and sign and that was good enough for me because I am an advocate of Black Masonic unity. I will not tell you which way to go, but I am here to answer any questions or concerns that you may have. Thank you again for reaching out".

Bro. Light Seeker: "Peace Brother Knight, I was anxiously awaiting your response. I rolled over at about 5:30am to check my phone and there it was! And you did not disappoint! Brother, I believe that the Most High's energy works divinely to attract certain elements together. We just have to be keen enough to recognize when this process is in motion. So I rolled over out of my bed at 5:40 to respond to your email. Because I couldn't wait to do it! I feel like you have potentially saved me from making a mistake".

"Brother Knight, I am very passionate about anything I stand for. And because I have had a couple of reservations about the younger brothers, I have told the WM that whatever I do, I give it at least 100%. But I don't want to give 100% to a vehicle that wont fairly compensate me. A lot like yourself, I have a passion for studying. That is the chief reason why I share your sentiments about the African origins of the most ancient and noble craft. And that modern Freemasonry is but a fraction of what our brothers in Kemet, Nubia, etc. possessed. However in our society, even a fraction of what those great Minds possessed is worthy enough to erect a philosophical structure upon. And that's why I sincerely desire to be raised in this great Fraternity. One of the things that attracted me to the AF&AM is that they are of the Scottish rite. And from what I am able to perceive on the outside looking in is that the Scottish Rite takes you deeper in the understanding of Freemasonry. But then again, from what I am able to tell, a Prince Mason can also be of the Scottish rite. A little confusing, but I am doing my best to investigate as much as I can. As I mentioned earlier, Brother, I just want to position myself in the best vehicle to be properly raised to be a beacon to humanity".

"How do I find out if these brothers have a legitimate Lodge or Charter? Because I am sure that if I ask them that they will simply say yes. Brother I'm pretty busy throughout the day. But again, I will be awaiting your reply. But I am also going to give you my phone number. If you find time, I would love to converse with you. If you are going to call, text me ahead of time to give me a heads up. I don't want to be tied up with something when you call. Thank you again in advance!"

Fahim A. Knight-El: Peace Brother Light Seeker: "Thank you again, for your kind and thoughtful words. You already appear to be an enlightened Brother, who has acquired the knowledge of self. I have always pride myself on being well read thus, when I joined Freemasonry I was already exposed to a sizable amount of the ancient knowledge, but it was my personal curiosity that led me to joining Freemasonry, I desired to know for myself (also I wanted to make a contribution to humanity and I sought Masonry as that vehicle). I discovered immediately that not many Black Prince Hall Masons were exploring and scholarly assessing and evaluating Speculative Freemasonry; there existed a scholarly vacuum that needed to be filled. I believe my calling was to establish a cyberspace Masonic resource medium (Internet classroom) where we could discuss Masonic ideas and remain true to our obligation/oath that binded us to secrecy. Many of Brothers of the Craft both Prince Hall Masons and Ancient Free and Accepted Masons are mere ritual Masons, but as I stated above, I felt a need to create some type of Black Masonic intellectualism forum where we become the authorities of our own ideas. Brother, I do not believe nor accept that you have arrived at this space and time by circumstances or coincidence, it is the divine energy of the universe that has brought you to investigate Freemasonry (listen to your inner self and allow that to be your guide). Yes, I would ask the so-called Worshipful Master to show me and explain to me, how they arrived at a charter and ask him to give you the historical origin of this particular AF&AM order. The Prince Hall Phylaxis Research society listed what they deemed as Bogus Masonic Grand Lodges and Masonic organizations here is the link: http://thephylaxis.org/bogus/index.php. Now, scroll to the left and click the icon that says Bogus GLS and it list every state including South Carolina where Bogus grand lodges have been established and take your time to explore the site. Let me try to explain the two Masonic tracks and/or ladders this way; once a brother is raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason (third degree) he then can choose to go up the left side of ladder which is called Royal Arch Masonry (or York Rite and/or called the Red House) you must be a Master Mason to travel up the Red House (York Rite Masonry)".

Knight-El (continued): "Masons are given a word at their third degree raising and I took an oath of silence never to reveal that word to a non-Mason so I am not privy to give you that password, but we are taught that at the death of Hiram Abiff during the building of King Solomon's Temple that the real word was lost and King Solomon gave a substitute word in which every third degree Master Mason receives that word at their Raising. But Royal Arch Masonry (York Rite) admonishes that you can not receive the "real word" unless you climb Royal Arch Masonry. The Red House is considered the Christian side of Masonry there is a lot of symbolic Christian symbols and history associated with York Rite Masonry in which the last step up this ladder is called the Knights Templar Degree (this travel might be from 4 degrees to 14 degrees). Now, Although, this is Christian Masonic Chivalry at its best, it eventually allows the candidate to enter the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (better known as the Shriners where Islam is practiced in secrecy) in this house it has an Islamic theme in which Islamic jargon and language is used that is very closely tied to the religion of Islam and Prophet Muhammad (I refer you to "Freemasonry: Ancient Egypt and the Islamic Destiny" authored by Mustafa El-Amin) . The Scottish Rite degrees from the Prince Hall Masonic perspective begins from the 4th degree to the 32nd degree and only a Master Mason can petition to go up the right side of the ladder as well, but AF&AM start their Masonic teachings off by confusing the candidates by using the Masonic term Scottish Rite as though it stands separate and apart. White Masons also uses the term Scottish Rite Mason to classify their entire Masonic order from the 1st degree to the 32nd degree referred to as the Master of the Royal Secret degree or in the Northern Jurisdiction this terminating degree is called Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret (Prince Hall divides the the first three degrees as the Blue House) and after that one can pursue the Scottish Rite side of the Masonic instruction and curriculum. Ok good brother I pray and hope this explanation will assist you in your understanding. I remain open to communication".

Bro. J. Muhammad: "Greetings,While searching for information on a subject, a link to your blog appeared in my search. I went to check it out, since it came up and I was under the impression it would have information relative to my search. It did not, but I browsed a few of your articles as they caught my eye, and after reading several, I just hoped to pose a question to you. First, you seem to be very knowledgeable about the subjects you undertake, but I saw you mentioned in the footnote of one of your articles that you are yourself a Freemason. My question to you is this: in many of your writings, you make the claim that you are shedding light on many topics and subjects that deserve to have light shone on them, to wake the people up, and remove alot of the falsehoods and untruths that have held sway over the centuries. Yet, you profess to be a member of the very organization that, as history can prove, has had a heavy hand in promoting and spreading the disinformation you claim to be fighting. I know that "everything isn't for everybody", but how can you "square" that (as you and brothers would say) with what seems to be a big part of your lifes work---to remove falsehood, and shed light, not for the few, but for the many? How does that work? At first, I admit, I was very impressed with your knowledge of the topics you wrote about, but then it hit me...."wait a minute, how can this brother be one and both? How can he claim to be clearing up the fog that has clouded the minds of our poeple for so long, and yet, be a member of the group most accused of doing just that?". I will be the first to say, I know very little, if nothing at all, about Freemasonry, but this just doesn't seem to "jive" with me, and I hoped you could help this brother sincerely seeking to understand. As Salaam U Alaikum".

Fahim A. Knight-El: "Peace Bro. J. Muhammad; Thank you for reading my blog and I appreciate both the kind words and critique that you have shared with me. Yes, Sir, I do take shedding light and exposing my people to the truth seriously. But let me clear perhaps the undergirding points of your disagreement with me, which is my Masonic involvement and membership".

"Firstly, I do not accept nor view Freemasonry as being an institution that is set up to deceive people, in particular the Black Masonic Order has no real power to determine the national nor global economic, political, and social outcomes of world affairs, but some have a tendency of lumping all Freemasonry in one neat ball and it creates confusion based on misinformation. It is no different than people in Western society stereotyping all Muslims as being militant, radical and terrorist inspired bent on inflicting Jihad against the United States, Christians, Jews and other non-Muslims".

"Now, because there are a small sector of Muslims who have deviated from the true teachings of the Qur'an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that does not make all Muslims bad or evil people because of the wrong actions of a few. This is the same indictment that people associate with Freemasonry (Some believe Masons have a hidden agenda and is covertly manipulating society) some also believe that Islam and Muslims are in a religious conspiracy to dominate humanity via violence".

"But I am to smart to allow anyone to use propaganda to mis-skew Islam and Muslims as a bunch of evil terrorist and I think that you are smart enough to understand that all Masons are not part of some evil Cabal bent on deceiving the world—there are good and bad people in every organization and no doubt Freemasonry possess its share and if you read my Blogs on the topic of Freemasonry I have been very critical of the teachings, leadership, direction, etc., of the Craft".

"Here is, perhaps a more a valid argument: there are Invisible Secret Societies that have vested interest in dominating the global affairs of Humanity and is moving us closer to a New World Order and a One World Government; these groups uses certain segments of Freemasonry as Fronts and as distractions to further their agenda, but even in these cases African American Freemasons are peons and are inconsequential in the decision making of these high level chessboard moves that the Rothschilds and the Rockefellers has authority to make. And to be honest with you most Black Masonic Orders do not have a clue about the inner workings of Bilderberg, Club of Rome, Carlyle Group, Milner Group, Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, House of Rothschild, etc. The true Power Brokers".

"These are the entities that one should be concern about; not overt Freemasonry (in particular Black Prince Hall Freemasonry). So I use my knowledge to teach and to help elevate the conscious level of the Black Masonic Orders in which I chosen the strategy and tactic to be inside the lodge to teach and educate my brothers to the knowledge of self, because often it is difficult to have this same type affect from the outside. I see myself as being sincere and honorable and I do not think that me being a Mason has upended by credibility as a researcher and truth teller."

Bro. J. Muhammad: "Thank you, Brother. I am aware of , and in agreement with, much of what you have said, below. and, after reading your explanation, I understand perfectly your logic and reasoning of "working from the inside out". I have to say that I am going to spend much of the day going through the archives of you blog, as I have been hungry and thirsty for the kind of knowledge and wisdom you display. I have had to shed many assoociates, and trim my circle down considerably, as I continue to grow in both age and wisdom, I find that many of the people I used to deal with did not want to make progress mentally. I cannot stomach willfully ignorant people--people who have the ability to know and do better, but choose not to. I would like to catch up with you one day if possible Brother, as we are fairly close in proximity (I am in Va.), to ask you more concerning Freemasonry. I have had many Masons in my family (both my grandfathers were Shriners, and I had an uncle who was 33rd Degree), but never sat at their knee to discuss with them. My father is an Alpha, but not a Mason, so I couldn't speak with him concerning it. I am interested in learning more, but as mentioned, since I shed many associates, I do not have any close firends who are Masons (the one I do have is currently in Afghanistan). I am anxious to learn and know more. As Salaam U Alaikum".

Fahim A. Knight-El: "Peace: Bro. J. Muhammad: Thank you brother for the reply; my approach to knowledge is being a "Free Thinker" in which this frees me up to be objective in assessing and evaluating knowledge--history and wisdom. I consider myself a student of knowledge. I have always advised my brother Masons that true knowledge is 360 degrees and I do my best to keep them exposed, in particular to the knowledge of self. However, this is where I have always broken with black Masonry and have received a sizable amount of criticism from some members of the Craft: I have never accepted the historical view that the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is the mother of African/black Freemasonry and this is what makes our Order "legitimate" but I believe based on research that the Europeans usurped this knowledge from ancient Kemet (Egypt). I am one of the few black Masons who openly stand on this contention. Your uncle at 33rd degrees has been invited into the truth and he knows the true reality of God and who the Black man really is. Yes, Sir I am in Durham, North Carolina and the pleasure would be mine to meet you. Here is my latest article on Marcus Garvey: http://fahimknightsworld.blogspot.com/2012/04/marcus-garvey-versus-web-dubois-what.html . I remain open to further dialog."

Bro. A.G: "Brother Knight, I hope this message finds you in good health and spirits. I am Brother Grant and I hail from the MWPHGLW and jurisdiction. I reside in Fayetteville, NC but currently located in Southwest Asia for another month or so. The reason I am sending you a message is because I am thirsty for knowledge and have read many of your posts on fahimknightsworld.blogspot.com. The statement is true, "If a person seeks knowledge, he will find it".

"I am 38 years young and a father of three. I was raised from a dead-level to a living perpendicular on the angle of a square in September 2008. I walked the labyrinth the same year and became a member of the O.E.S. My wife is a member of the order as well. I have always wanted to become a MM and in 2008, I was ready".

"I became interested in becoming a MM when I saw how the brothers took great care of my aunt when my uncle passed in 1994. When I felt that I could live up to the standard of a MM that he was, I "asked one" and became one. In 2008, while stationed in Korea, I petitioned and was greeted".

"I had some great brothers in my lodge that taught me only what they had been taught by their mentors and such. I always felt there was more to the ritual, the symbols, the grips and the story of Brother H.A. Through reading books such as "Stolen Legacy", etc., the truth emerged".

"Daily, I find myself researching things like Kemet, the Egyptian Mystery Schools, Imhotep, speeches on Youtube, etc. and I have become thirsty for knowledge, basically, the TRUTH. I was Senior Deacon and Junior Warden of my lodge and enjoyed teaching new candidates what "I was taught" through study material. Now that I look back on it after being enlightened more, I feel as if they were cheated from the truth as well as myself Honestly, I was placed in these positions too early".

"Other things such as the Supreme Alphabet, Supreme Arithemetic and the number 7 (there are a lot of things in the world and universe that equals this sacred number)".

"I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully get the chance to meet you when I return to NC at the end of next month. I am demiting from my current lodge to a lodge in NC upon return. Again, I am eager for knowledge and if I could be a student of your teachings, I will not disappoint you. May the G.A.O.T.U. continue to watch over you".

Fahim A. Knight-El:" Peace Bro. A.G: Thank you again brother: the search for knowledge is a journey. Let me first state that I have written probably over 20 articles on various aspects of Speculative Freemasonry. Please take a moment and browse my older blogs on my page and you will see the many articles that I have written on Speculative Freemasonry. The 120 degree Lessons are associated with the Nation of Gods and Earths (better known as the Five Percenters). I also have written at least two articles on my Blog on the Five Percenters. This group is an off shoot of the Nation of Islam in which the founder Clarence 13X Father Allah (1928-1969) was once a member of the Nation of Islam in the New York Mosque # 7 in early 1960s under Minister Malcolm X".

"Master Fard Muhammad (1877-?), the founder of the Nation of Islam in 1930 gave the Honorable Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975) a set of catechism lessons similar to the Masonic Catechism Lessons, which he called them the "Supreme Wisdom" Lessons, moreover, incorporated in those lessons which was originally for registered Muslims of the Nation of Islam only (meaning years ago you had to be a member of the NOI to get copies of these lessons), a body of lessons was titled, "Student Enrollment" and "Actual Facts" and there were many more lessons connected to the "Supreme Wisdom" lessons".

"The Honorable Elijah Muhammad admitted that he was once a Mason and some scholars argue that there are a lot of similarities between how the Nation of Islam and the Masonic lodge is structured. Thus, most Nation of Islam apologist would refute the notion that Muhammad borrowed some of his theories and philosophy from the Masonic school of thought".

"Clarence 13X Father Allah defected from the Nation of Islam in approximately 1963, he was originally from Danville, Virginia just 60 miles from Durham, North Carolina; Clarence 13X Father Allah tweaked some of Elijah Muhammad's teachings (and established what he called the 120 degree lessons) and declared himself as "Father Allah" moreover, his teachings and program had a more secularize view of Elijah Muhammad's "Supreme Wisdom" lessons however, the Five Percenters do not view themselves as a part of the "Black Muslim" religion. But view themselves as Free Thinkers in which they have embraced the esoteric, occult and Gnostic schools of thought—they are more concern about the philosophical wisdom as opposed to the religious and/or theological significance".

"Now, back to the 120 degree lessons just like the Masons (when you are going through Blue House Degrees, it requires the utmost study discpline) each Five Percenters is taught to commit those lessons to memory and many can recite the lessons with the utmost accuracy (knowledge is built and born from the study Cipher). The 120 degree lessons represents the philosophical foundation of the the Nation movement. They also believe that the black man is God".

"They look to use math and science in a philosophical way to test and prove philosophical ideas from an empirical perspective by examining a subject by pursuing the objectivity relative to the scientific method of research. The 120 degrees in my opinion compliments the SERIOUS student of Freemasonry—you see brother all truth is interconnected and interrelated. The Five Percenters understand that knowledge is 360 degrees and we as Masons can learn a lot from their teachings".

Ok brother just go through my Blog here is one of the links dealing with the Five Percenters: http://fahimknightsworld.blogspot.com/2010/09/clarence-13x-taught-five-percent-nation.html. Here my link to a Blog dealing with the books that I recommend: http://fahimknightsworld.blogspot.com/2010/04/whats-in-your-library-here-is-glimpse.html and here is one the best books that took me over 20 years to read and understand:http://fahimknightsworld.blogspot.com/2009/08/when-student-is-ready-master-will-enter.html. But do not forget view and read the various articles and debates that I have on Freemasonry on my Blog".

Bro. Iran M. "Bro. Fahim Hello I saw something that you wrote on Hiram Abiff, My dad is a master mason and i have thought about joining somehow over the last year Ive been alerted by my ancestors i believe that its time to learn of self. I went from christian to hebrew isralite lol then i learned about Kemet and from there it led me to astral theology all in one year...so its safe to say ive had a few headaches and a lot of revelation..Im in cary nc and would love to meet you...I know lots of info about the hyksos hittites and when i talk to my dad about joining masonry he always hints at the fact that somehow i already know seemingly too much lol but he never elaborates...get at me bro."

Fahim A. Knight-El: "Peace: Thank you brother for reaching out to me and thank you for reading my article on Hiram Abiff. My love goes out to your father, a brother of the Craft. It appears that you have experienced various spiritual paths and often we are led to these paths because there is something that the Creator/Supreme desire to teach us and/or expose us to some valuable and timely lessons. Freemasonry is not a religion, although, we embrace the good principles found in all faith traditions. Thus, your father is probably right about the amount of knowledge that you have acquired relative to the knowledge of self (it becomes difficult to play Johnny Stupid), you know your history and fully understand the role your people have played on the stage of human civilization. It becomes rather difficult to embrace knowledge that might be rooted in Eurocentric philosophy after you know the truth. This has been my challenge and fight, which is to truly enlighten the Craft to the knowledge of self. I as a so-called black Mason do not look to the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) as the mother lodge of Masonry; I was taught by some master teachers who pointed me to Kemet (ancient Egypt) as being the foundation of Masonry. This has been a point of contention for me and the black Masonic family who are constantly seek recognition and legitimacy from the white Masonic structure. However, even recognizing your higher level of consciousness and understanding; I still think you will bring a lot to the lodge relative to your exposure to knowledge. The Bible says my people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge; we need intelligent and outside the box thinkers who has a gamut of spiritual and intellectual experiences to share, perhaps this will assist in moving the black Masonic Order to the next level. So I encourage you to humble yourself and sit down with your father and get a good objective and un-bias perspective of what it means to be raised from a dead level to a living perpendicular on the Square. Lastly, please take the time to review all of my blog writings that I have written on Freemasonry: Here is the link:http://fahimknightsworld.blogspot.com/2012/03/brother-to-brother-freemasonry-i.html

Bro. Iran M. "I saw the El on the end of last name, which made me think moorish. A lot of those cats follow the nation, as well as your article, I believed it referenced Master Farrad Muhammed. Are you a follower of the Nation of lslam?"

Fahim A. Knight-El: "No, left organized religion a long time ago. But like you, I have ventured into various spiritual paths. I found organized religion to be to confining and to controlling. But I am a bit curious of why did you associate me with the Nation of Islam? Thank you Bro. McKinney: most Moors follow the teachings of the Moorish Science Temple and the largest organized set of Moors follow the Prophet Noble Drew Ali who founded the Moorish Science Temple in Newark, New Jersey in 1913 in which the majority of them do not accept nor follow the teachings of the Nation of Islam or Master Fard Muhammad; there are serious distinctions between the Moors and the Nation of Islam. Moors believe that they are the parent organization of the Nation of Islam, which is true. No, I am not a follower of the Moors nor the Nation of Islam, I would consider myself more of a Free Thinker; I accept truth from whatever direction it may come. Yes, I may have cited Master Fard Muhammad, but cite and quote many non-Black Muslim sources, as well through out my many Blog postings. Thank you for the reply and I truly remain open to any further discussion and if I could be of assistance, if you decide to travel the Masonic route please do not hesitate to let me know".

Bro. Iran M. "I did not mean to assume anything my brother. I am glad you are open for discussion. We have much in common....any info on sovereignty???"

Fahim A. Knight-El: There is a Brother named Taji Tarik Bey (You can Google Search him, he is big on the sovereignty concept), Yes, I am somewhat familiar with this concept. There is another brother named Ali Muhammad who has done a two part lecture titled, "The Science of Law and Commerce" in which historically they believe that we are part indigenous people as Moors (African Americans) and we share a legal/ethnic lineage with the Native Americans (who the United States recognize them as a sovereignty entity inside of America) and in the 1700s Morocco was the first nation to formally recognize United States sovereignty from Great Britain. There were legal treaties signed between the Moors and the United States Government that granted the Moors citizenship within citizenship and they were granted rights and privileges as a sovereign and legal nationality within the United States. President Woodrow Wilson officially recognized the Moorish Science Temple of America (MSTA) as a legal incorporated entity and accepted the Moorish Americans as a legitimate nationality bound by the rights and privileges bestowed to other independent people of the earth. The Moorish Science members were giving nationality cards and this ensured them that they were not just Negroes, Colored men, Blacks, Africans, etc.,but they had a nationality (Moorish American) that the United States Government agreed to recognize. Many Moors have opted out of getting state drivers licenses and there is a universal document that acts like a passport, Drivers licenses and even appears to have some type of diplomatic immunity associated with this new set of identification which comes under certain legal positioning associated with the concept of sovereignty. I think you can have a dual citizenship and based on states rights--license plates and drivers license are so-called unconstitutional under certain state laws. Let me stop here because I am not an expert on this matter, it is really outside of my realm and to complicated for me to explain."

Bro. Joseph Ferguson: "(Note: Bro. Ferguson is a AF&AM 33rd degree Mason and Worshipful Master from Texas in which he and I have been on a constructive positive dialog crusade for almost three years now and I truly consider him a brother Mason): That article was fantastic (http://fahimknightsworld.blogspot.com/2012/03/brother-to-brother-freemasonry-i.html). I have to agree withBro. X, there is a gret divide in Masonry. I told you if my interactions with some PHA brothers on Facebook and it drained me. I had to and am currently taking a break from it. The reason is that when brothers who think like myself, from all affiliations bring up Kemet or anything else that really unites us. There is always somebody bringing up negativity. Many guys have just stopped using the page because they want knowledge. The funny thing is that many PHA brothers, as well as many brothers from all affiliations all want the same thing. Like I told one guy you cant take my knowledge and my thirst for more. As for me, I have started a district Study session during my Lodge meeting. We broke down the 2nd degree esoterically. This is just the beginning..."

Fahim A. Knight-El: "Thank you good brother; I we all still have a lot of work to do, but like brother X, I came to Freemasonry because of the knowledge and it is kind of disappointing when you find out there there are other agendas, other than working to raise the conscious level of the Craft. I am not against Fund Raising activities or some of the socializing, but lets not forget one of the most important planks--making good men better. I think imparting good information and knowledge is a key component to retaining new brothers and keeping their interest level high. I applaud you for starting the district study sessions. I did find Brother X's comments true and published them to expose this problem inside of Prince Hall Masonry. We have to change our ways."

Bro. Belay: "Dear Fahim , At different times i have got the chance to read your articles . Since your articles depict that you are always in the books of various disciplines , i have concluded that i can get guidelines for questions that are creeping in my mind in search of knowing oneself, knowledge and the mystery schools of the ancient world and the black race .Thank you in advance for your time and consideration .Belay.

Fahim A. Knight-El: "Peace Belay: I am often asked the question about book recommendations; I have an extensive personal book collection and I consider my library to be the most precious commodity in my home. I wrote an article may be a year or two ago titled, "What's In Your Library? Here is a Glimpse Into Mine' I wrote this article to give my readers a glimpse into my library, as well as bring them closer to my mindset by exposing them to the type of literature and reading materials that helped to shape my worldview. I could not reference every title in my library, but I pulled out those titles that had a profound intellectual affect on my development. Knowledge and wisdom is forever unfolding and no one has a monopoly on knowledge. Thus, I will always consider myself to be a student of knowledge. So I am share the below link with you from my blog articles that deals with books that I would recommend. http://fahimknightsworld.blogspot.com/2010/04/whats-in-your-library-here"

Brother A.B. "Greetings brother, My name is Brother A. B. a member of Lilly of the Valley #264 under United Most Worshipful Scottish Rite Grand Lodge, Texas A.F.& A.M. Brother I'm emailing you to let you know that your article was very helpful and informative. Infact, your dialog with Bro. Kedar has motivated me to do my own research and what I found completely flabbergasts me. I've only been traveling about 3 years now, and I think what really disturbs me most, is when a candidate isn't informed or educated on his or her choice when it comes to the 3 letter or 4 letter issue. Most candidates aren't even aware there is a choice. When I myself asked about the difference, 3 years ago, I wasn't told the complete the truth about the situatuion. John G. Jones never came up in discussing the origin of the black 4 letter orders. Im starting to believe either the info. was deliberately withheld, or the brothers were ignorant of these facts themseives. Candidates petition to join a lodge for many different reasons, but for those who are truly searching for light, I think will find that this topic is relevant and matters. The origin is like the cornerstone of the foundation, that other stones will be set in relation to, and if its not perfect, then an unstable structure is the result. IE (insufficiency, incompetency, deception, etc....) just to name a few byproducts of a fraudulent operation. Again thank you for bringing light to this matter."

Fahim A. Knight-El: "Peace Bro. A.B: Thank you for reaching out to me and thank you for your kind words. I truly enjoy communicating with the craft; thus, Bro. Kedar and I had a very spirited debate on aspects of Speculative Freemasonry and the history of the origin of African American (Black) Masonry in the United States. I do agree with you that some time when a potential brother knocks (or asked one to be one) some Masonic orders do not give them the full and complete history of their Masonic order. I see John G. Jones as one of the pioneers of Ancient Free and Accepted Masonry (AF&AM), but the fact of the matter was that he was an expelled Prince Hall Mason from Illinois jurisdiction; I try to stay away from which orders should be deemed "clandestine" and "irregular" and I do not think Prince Hall Free and Accepted Masons should place themselves as the official overseers of Black Freemasonry within the United States and have taking the role to determine who will be considered a "regular" body of Masons. Yet, I do believe that we all have a duty and responsibility to defend Freemasonry from fly by night clandestine groups who do not possess a charter or dispensation from some legitimate grand body empowering it to work. I advocate that brothers due their due diligence and homework prior to joining a Masonic order and become fully informed about their history and to make sure they possess a recognized legal charter. Nevertheless, I am for black Masonic unity and I do my best to reach and teach as many brothers that are open. Thank you good brother for contacting me and I truly respect and appreciate your comments".

Hosea Lodge: "No more needed to be stated you got to the point . Thank you very much I have met the the DGM of PHA state of C.A. and have talk to the Grand Master on the phone to set a date to come to the table to talk i am hoping we can get things moving soon. let there be light."

Fahim A. Knight-El: "Peace Brother; I too pray that the Black AF&AM and PHA orders can move forward, and in the name of Masonic progress and unity should move forward. Our reputations are depended upon us as Masonic brothers to show to ourselves, community and the world that here were a group of African Americans who overcame the Willie Lynch syndrome and demonstrated that we have the ability to move beyond the psychological pathology that was systematically heaped on us for 310 years. Please stay in touch".

Milton Knight: "Peace my brother, obviously you are a good dude with the last name (Knight) lol. I wanted to discuss with you my disappointment in Masonry. Since I have been raised it has been closed to a year. Masonry is not what I thought it would be. When first coming through I posed a question. What does masonry have to do with me as a Black Man? Where did masonry start? Did masonry start in Africa? None of these questions were answered. Either they did not know or they did not want to give me the information".

"Now that I have become a Master Mason I have been doing research. (George James), (Zachary P. Gremillion), (Ashra Kwesi) yourself and many others. My research has lead me back to Africa. Since this is the case, why are we being taught the euromasonic teachings. I am not interested in St. John the Baptist or St. John the Evangelist. I want a deeper understanding of the mystery schools of egypt. What did they teach in these schools and why are we not teaching all new brothers who come in the true teachings? I have so much more to ask you but, I will wait to hear your correspondence."

Fahim A. Knight-El: "Peace Brother Knight, perhaps it is just a coincidence that we share the same slave surname (Knight) and you and I, know that our slave name is indicative of one of the greatest criminal acts ever committed against humanity (I am curious about your roots and us having the same slave name). I often, wonder, as I embrace my people's collective consciousness; why I am I still wearing and honoring the slave master's name in the 21st Century—are we overtly embracing the crime by still carrying his name, it implies that I/we are still not free and as long as the so-called African-American continues to wear their ex-slave master's names, we will always be viewed as their property and nothing less than modern day slaves".

"The time has come to break the shackles of economic, social, and political dependency and carve out an independent destiny for ourselves (Reverend Al Sharpton and others desire to keep the so-called American Negro on the present day master's plantation). My brother, I can truly relate to your personal assessment of Freemasonry and the type of expectations you had relative to joining the Craft and after being raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason and perhaps becoming disappointed. My Brother, here is the problem from my perspective, which is unless one has acquired the knowledge of self (prior to joining Masonry) than the ritual and even the Masonic teachings and lessons do not have the ability to fulfill our practical and philosophical yearning to render us satisfied with the journey that we chose (the true lodge is based on our willingness to pursue internal development that is rooted in character building) to take and obligate ourselves to".

"There is a lot of ancient knowledge and teachings found in Masonry and there is a wealth of knowledge open to our disposal and in reality, we should not be looking to external leadership (or the institution of itself) to satisfy our yearning and quest to experience the true meaning of Masonry. No, brother or degree process/ritual has the power or authority to make us good brothers and most of all learned Masons".

"Many of the Masonic leadership (in Ancient Free and Accepted Masonry and Prince Hall Masonry) possess a limited understanding of the extensiveness of Speculative Freemasonic thought and they do not pursue Masonic ideals from a scholarly perspective (often it is a case of the blind leading the blind). They have not read enough to make the Masonic connection with Kemet (Egypt) and other landmarks in Africa and as Africans living in America our Masonic experience becomes incomplete because we are being taught to view Masonry from the prism of an alien culture and people (studying the European landmarks of Masonry). I personally have zero and no respect for the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) because our original landmarks goes much further than 1717 (the Original man in Kemet was practicing Masonry 10,000 B.C. to 20,000 B.C.) and most black Masonic lodges still follow the UGLE as their MOTHER and authority—even have bought into believing and accepting that unless this so-called Supreme European Masonic body affirms them, this makes them more “regular” and “legitimate” than other so-called non-UGLE sanctioned Masonic jurisdictions".

"Dr. George G.M. James in 1954, authored the book titled, "Stolen Legacy" which he dismantled and deconstructed the notion that Greek Mythology was a superior culture to Kemet (Egypt) and historically proposed that the Greeks stole (Kemetic Philosophy) their knowledge from ancient Kemet (Egypt)—these set of truths also challenged the premise of schools of thought that were germane to Eurocentric Freemasonry having its origin in Greece and Roman and later England (one of the greatest lies ever told).

Nevertheless, every brother came to Freemasonry on his own freewill and accord and after the Deacons and Wardens escorted and took us on a symbolic journey (circumambulation) to be examined and reexamined by the Senior Warden (West)and the Worshipful Master (East). It was to bring you to the understanding that you had to approach the celestial lodge in proper due and ancient form (someone initially held our hands and guided us in this manner). Thus, after being brought from darkness to light and being physically released from the physical cabletow (It was symbolic to let us know that we are free to explore and are not bound by any restraints). Also it was at that point, that your own eyes were giving back to you and you now had the vision to see and understand what was taking place with you. The guides (Junior Steward and Senior Steward) relinquished their duty of being your help-meet of moving you as a poor-blind candidate. This was to further teach you that guidance and Masonic understanding would be your responsibility to further your travels from this day forward. The Lodge in particular, black Masonic lodges are more about having a beer and organizing for the next party or social event (I did not join Masonry for that reason)". "They for the most part are not knowledge seekers, thus most of them are just ritual book Masons and when you went through the three Blue Lodge Degrees as a candidate who were required to demonstrate suitable proficiency; it made this process live and after being raised, Masonic instruction became secondary and study process took a back seat to social extra-curricula activities.

Lastly, Dr. Asa Hilliard titled, “SBA: The Reawakening of the African Mind” and he has a very good discourse on what were being taught in the Egyptian Mystery Schools and of course George G.M. James book mentioned above. Ok good brother, I pray and hope that I have answered all your questions."

Milton Knight: "My family came from Mississippi, majority migrated to NY, there are some in Chicago, Oklahoma and Dallas. I have zero respect for UGLE, they know the truth. I often aske myself are we clandestine? I wonder if they (UGLE) sit back and laugh in amasement at our ignorance. We are asking a thief for what is rightfully ours. Its astonishes me when I hear other brothers call this one clandestine or fake mason. Actually, if we are asking the euromason for our own teachings and they are shovling lies to us. Then we are clandestine based on that term. You got to love the trickery, nothing new under the sun".

"As far as myself, I have studied African studies in college as well as accounting. I worked in the music industry for ten years, now I am on another personal growth journey. I know my email may be all over the place but it is so refreshing to find a brother who shares the same thoughts. It is challenging within my lodge. I often hear, you keep talking that Africa stuff".

"Now a question? 33 Degree Master Mason. Was the european only given 33 degrees. That is one degree above freezing. I was told that there are higher degrees in Masonry. I do know that the first three degrees are the most important and all other degrees are considered honorary, but what about 34-360. Is there somethings I am not privy to as of yet? I just want to search for TRUTH. Once again my eamil is somewhat jumble mumble, I have so many thoughts running through my mind and questions".

Fahim A. Knight-El: "Peace Bro. Knight; thank you for your response, and thank you for sharing the geographical regions that your family originated. My family roots are in Georgia and I have little doubt that my ancestors, perhaps arrived as captives and prisoners of war (Chattel slaves) via the slave ports of Savannah, Georgia or Charleston, South Carolina slave ports (arriving as part of the Middle Passage and Transatlantic Slave Trade)".

"Now, back to the discussion and conversation of Freemasonry, I am assuming that you are a non-Prince Hall Mason because ordinarily most of my PHA brothers let me know up front what jurisdiction and/or lodge they hail from. However, it really does not matter to me because I am not in a position to declare one "regular" or "irregular" and I have met a sizable amount of my non-Prince Hall Masonic family whom I have a lot in common and you seem to be the type of Masonic brother that have chosen an African-centered approach to assessing and analyzing Speculative Freemasonry and whether you are a three-lettered Mason and/or four-lettered Mason, it truly does not matter".

"Thus, I am more concern with our willingness to go beyond European Freemasonry and to bring the proper LIGHT to our lodges and jurisdictions in order to improve the thinking of Craft Masonry on every level (we must work to destroy these artificial barriers and forge a brotherhood that is rooted in unity)".

"This will require so-called African American Masons to come out of the Shrine play house (or fun house) and commit themselves to a serious study process (and stop playing with Islam). They can do this by purchasing everything that our brother Cheikh Anta Diop, Chancellor Williams, John G. Jackson, J.A. Rogers, Ivan Van Sertima, Josef Ben-Jochannan and many other of our intellectual warriors who have written life bodies of works in order to correct "His-Story".

"Lastly, there are degrees higher than the conferred and honorary degree of 33rd and our brother Zachary Gremillion (90th degree) author of "African Origins of Freemason" and I have heard him talk about degrees beyond the 32nd and 33rd. I do not know if Prince Hall Masons accept or acknowledge Masonic degrees beyond what I have mentioned. But I personally respect the works of Brother Gremillion-El. He serves as the Sovereign Grand Master over the Imperial Cushite Order, Ancient Grand Lodge of Khamet (a non-Masonic entity). Here is the link to the site http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UnitedGrandLodgeofCushiteMasterBuilders/. Okay good brother I hope these answers to some of your questions and comments are sufficient".

Fahim A. Knight-El Chief Researcher for KEEPING IT REAL THINK TANK located in Durham, NC; our mission is to inform African Americans and all people of goodwill, of the pending dangers that lie ahead; as well as decode the symbolism and reinterpreted the hidden meanings behind those who operate as invisible forces, but covertly rules the world. We are of the belief that an enlightened world will be better prepared to throw off the shackles of ignorance and not be willing participants for the slaughter. Our MOTTO is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight-EI can be reached at fahimknight@ yahoo.com.

Stay Awake Until We Meet Again,
Fahim A. Knight-El