Some light on the Fez and Turban

This information is from Subordinate Temple 11

FEZ

The Fez is one of the oldest headdresses of man. It is signified as "figure 1" on the Charter of The M.S.T. of A. The Fez itself represents a dual heritage; it is a national and religious headdress. It is worn by those whose nationality is Moorish by descent, and it is also worn by those who are Moslem by creed. Many Islamic dignitaries throughout history wore the Fez. You can find information on the Fez in many different books. One book in particular Ohaspe mentions the Fez; it is referred to as the brimless hat that is worn by the "Faithist" which was at one time composed of light.

Ultimately the Fez is worn by those who have gained knowledge of self; on the
spiritual level as well as the mundane. The tassel itself represents degree. There are some individuals who are apart of secret organizations that dawn Fezzes in secret with their tassels tied down. When the tassel hangs freely from the Fez, the person dawning it is aware of the 360-degree sphere of knowledge. When you have 360 degree's of knowledge, you are aware of universal truth; no matter where you are located, or what language a person may speak, you can communicate intellectually with a man of wisdom The Fez also is not to be disrespected with writings, and symbols. The truth is plain, and clear. The city of Fez in Morocco received its name due to the mass production of Fezzes. The city of Fez was founded by Idriss I, a political refugee from Arabia; he was the cousin of Ali, the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammed.

(1)The ladder reaching from the heart of to the Heart of Allah has three steps: Belief- what man thinks perhaps is truth, Faith- this is what man knows is the truth, Fruition- this is man himself the truth. (Holy Koran of the Moorish Science Temple of America)

(2)To whom to do we refer at times as being the great God? Allah. All nations have a name for Allah, in Egypt he is Thoth, Zeus is his name in Greece, Jehovah is his Hebrew name, but everywhere he is the causeless cause, the rootless root from which all things have grown. (Koran Questions for Moorish Americans. Holy Koran of the Moorish Science Temple of America.)

(3)Has Allah endowed thee with wisdom, has he enlightened thy mind with the knowledge of truth. Communicate it to the ignorant for their instruction. Communicate it to the wise for thine own improvements.

TURBAN

The Turban worn with the Moorish American pin in the center also represents dual heritage; it is worn by women whose nationality is Moorish American, and religion is Islamism. Men can also wear the Turban worn without the Moorish American pin in the middle. The Turban is also one of the first headdresses worn by mankind. The Turban is supposed to be worn by those who are clothed in their proper frame of mind.

The Tulip flower many times is associated with Holland, but the flower and its name originated in the Middle East, where both are associated with Turban's. Tulip's were brought to Europe in the 16th century. The word Tulip, which earlier in English appeared in such forms as 'Tulipa' or 'Tulipant,' and it came to us by way of the French 'Tulipe' from Ottoman Turkish 'Tulbend,' "muslin gauze." Our word Turban was first recorded in English in the 16th century, and is traced to the Ottoman Turkish "tulbend," the Turkish word for gauze, which Turbans can be wrapped. Tulip was used for the flower, because when fully opened out the bulb resembles the Turban. The French explorer Pierre Belon's popular book "Les Observations de plusieurs singularities (first published in 1553)
described how the flower-loving Turks wore single Tulip flowers in the folds of their Turbans.

The instructions for the "High Priest's" clothing was given to Moses via the Torah. The headdress worn by the High Priests was called a Mitre. The headdress would today be called a Turban. Mitre is used by some Bible translations to translate the Hebrew word (pronounced) 'mits-neh-feth' which was the name given to the Levitical "High Priest's" headdress, "a long band of fine linen, wrapped around the head." The Mitre (Turban) is mentioned in numerous places within the Torah (Exodus 28:4, 37, 39; 29:6, etc.) The Turban is the symbol of purity and righteousness. It is reported that Prophet Muhammed said that the "Turban is a frontier between faith and unbelief," "My community shall not fall away so long as they wear Turban," "At the day of judgment a man shall receive a light for each turn of the Turban round his head," "Wear Turbans and thus distinguish yourselves from the peoples who came before you."

FEZ AND TURBAN WORN DURING PRE-COLUMBIAN TIMES HERE IN THE AMERICAS

Many times people may wonder about the origin of the Fez and Turban. The cliché, "there is nothing new under the sun," rings very loudly with truth in reference to the subject of Fez and Turban, because the Fez and the Turban is not a new headdress. We must remember the Holy Prophet Noble Drew Ali has not only brought us back to the state of mind of our forefathers, but he has also brought many things that are particular to our culture and history.

The Fez and Turban are symbols of our identity; they are very key to establishing our Moorish American Moslem presence in our community. The Fez and Turban is a national and religious headdress. There exist evidence of the Fez and Turban being present in North and South America during the Pre-Columbian period. In South America, the German art historian and collector Alexander Von Wuthenau describes a group of heads produced by Mixec artists from the Oaxaco reigns in Mexico, as "Moorish looking." He also refers to a "superb Moorish looking" clay sculpture of the Vera Cruz classic (300-900 C.E.) period. There is also a classic era Vera Cruz sculpture described by Wuthenau as a "fine characterization of an old man with a hat." The so-called hat looks identical to a Moroccan style Fez. The Smithsonian published text: The Native American (1991) actually describes the head coverings of the Osage and Arikara of the southeast plains as "Turbans." Young Seminole men are also shown wearing what the text calls "Turbans," which resemble Maghribi Fezzes.

Message to the Moorish American Moslems of America

The Fez and Turban are two of the oldest headdresses worn by man. The Fez and Turban are your free national and religious headdress. It represents your national descent which is Moorish, and your religion which is Islamism. In 1774, we were stripped of our nationality and our divine creed. We were not allowed to practice Islamism nor
identify with our ancient Moorish culture; not until the coming of the illustrious Prophet Noble Drew Ali. Prophet Noble Drew Ali brought back the old time religion, which is Islamism, our nationality, and our flag, etc., but what I want to focus on in this dissertation is the national headdresses he brought back to us. We should esteem ourselves thrice blessed for the things Prophet Noble Drew Ali brought back to us.

I must state on the onset that the Fez and Turban does not make you a Moorish American. The Fez and Turban are symbols of who we are, and symbols of what we represent. If we say we are Moorish-Americans we should look the part also. Prophet Noble Drew Ali said he needs strong men and women to uplift the nation and take their place in the affairs of men. It truly takes a strong man or women to wear their headdress outside of the temple on a daily basis. Prophet Noble Drew Ali says, when you join the Moorish Science Temple of America "you will have the power to redeem your race because you will know who you are, and who your forefathers were." When you join the M.S.T. of A. you can help your people. The M.S.T. of A. Inc. is a religious non- profit corporation. The M.S.T. of A. Inc. is a business for the uplifting of fallen humanity; once you join you are apart of that business (member of the corporation). If you take your Fez or Turban off immediately after the meeting, or soon as you leave the Temple, you are not performing a progressive action in the area of uplifting fallen humanity. Your people need you! They actually need the Prophet, but how do they meet the Prophet, but by you. It is reported that a European congressman in the year of 1832 stated, "We have extinguished all avenues by which light may enter the slaves mind, if we extinguish the capacity for him to see the light our mission will be accomplished." By wearing your Turban or Fez in the public you are planting seeds in the minds of those whom you come in contact with. You are serving as a beacon light for those who are in the dark. You may be walking by a seeker after truth everyday, and not realize it. That seeker is not going to seek knowledge through you, because you look just like he/she does; you are blending in with Negro, black, and colored. Our people are not going to receive the lessons of Prophet Noble Drew Ali through osmosis. Our people need visual aid.

Your Fez and Turban are conversational pieces. Someone may question you about your Fez or Turban; they have just given you a platform to expound on the teachings of our Illustrious Prophet. The Moorish Holy Koran teaches us that for man to know he must be that what he knows. If we know we are Moorish-Americans lets be those Moorish-Americans. We wear our Turbans and Fezzes on the top of our heads. Your head is the pinnacle. It is the head that governs the body. Many will use the excuse "well it's not about whether or not you have your Fez or Turban on, it's about your character." And I say Praise Allah, My contention is that by wearing your Fez or Turban that will help you put the tools that we use in the workshop of the mind into action. It will help you cut away those knotty useless and ungainly parts; it will help you draw a circle around your passions etc., and if wearing your Turban or Fez does not remind you to stay in higher self, somebody else watching you will. Because a person will never forget how you acted like a fool in your Fez. Some will use the excuse "everybody knows I am a Moorish-American because of my Bey (or) El, and my actions are that of a Moorish-American." The average person on the street who needs to know, does not know that Bey and El are Moorish family names, and those who do know are either masons, arm chair historians, or moors who at some point in their life lost confidence in the Prophet. And, yes you may be displaying the character of a righteous Moorish-American, but who knows that you are displaying the character of a righteous Moorish-American; to those who are paying attention to you, they just think that you are a good person; "a good black man," or "a good black women." But when you wear your Fez or Turban, and display your righteous Moorish character; people will associate your righteous character with the Fez and Turban.

Our unconscious brothers and sisters were mentally poisoned into thinking that they are not beautiful, therefore hating themselves from the top of their heads to the bottom of their feet. We are here to erase that falsehood, and show them that we are a proud nation of people and should be eager to look like that strong, fearless nation that our ancestors built for us. "What your ancient forefathers were, you are today without doubt or contradiction."

Just take the time out to think of how the consciousness of your community, or your neighborhood, or your work place would be raised if all proclaimed Moorish-Americans wore their Fezzes and Turbans everyday. People would in turn be more acceptable to the Fez and Turban; it is many times unaccepted because it is unseen and unknown to the average person, therefore when they see that one Moor who is dawning the Fez or Turban, it looks foreign, and that Moor would in turn be the subject of ridicule. We should be trying to establish our Moorish presence in the community. If the Fez and Turban were worn by more Moors consistently, that would also put the teachings of the Prophet out in the forefront, and the Prophets teachings would not be so foreign to the average individual on the street. By Moors wearing their national headdresses in the public more often, we could break the chains of mental slavery quicker; we could resurrect the minds of our people. This would be a powerful move to make. Power is the result of force, and force is the will of Allah and is omnipotent, and thinking things directs the force.

The Moorish Science Temple of America is a religious organization; a national and a divine movement. It is not a rotary club, nor is it Masonic. It is not clandestine nor secretive; it is public. The Moorish Science Temple of America is an Islamic organization. Islamism is way of life; thus saying it is very bad etiquette when a Moorish-American takes his or her Fez or Turban off directly after the meeting is closed. When we do that we send out a message to the membership, and the public. We are actually saying that a Moor is supposed to look like a Moor while only during Temple meeting times, when it is our people outside of the Temple need the visual aid. We are sending the superman/Clark Kent message; while in the Temple we wear our capes, and robes, and Fezzes/Turbans and deliver a powerful message, that has the potential to save humanity, but outside the Temple we blend in with Negro, Black, and colored; therefore people wont know our true identity unless they come to the Temple; they have a term for that in psychology, and that term is "cognitive dissonance."

Our Fezzes and Turbans are uniforms for Moorish-Americans. It informs the public of who you are. When a group of individuals have a job or specific task to perform, usually they wear uniforms, so people can identity them according to the task they are performing. We recognize a police officer by his or her uniform; his/her job is to protect and serve. We recognize a nurse by his/her uniform. We recognize a fireman by his/her uniform. We recognize a priest by his uniform. We recognize a Sunni Muslims by their uniform. We recognize a Monk or a Nun by their uniform, but it is only the Moorish-American who is not fond of adorning his or her uniform, and we have the essential task of uplifting fallen humanity. Moorish-Americans we are to imitate the Prophet. Prophet Noble Drew Ali was a teacher that treaded the way and left his footprints clearly cut which all can see and be assured that he our master went that way; we don't want to be blocks of wood pointing the way. Let's establish unto ourselves principles of action and see that we ever act according to them.