Introduction to This Side of Paradise: The Religious World of Elijah Muhammad, by Pr. Curtis Tilleraas
INTRODUCTION In Chicago, Illinois, in the heart of the Midwestern United States, at 7351 Stony Island Avenue, a former Greek Orthodox church 1 has been transformed into a mosque; and it now serves as the national headquarters of the Nation of Islam. According to the Nation's official webpage, "The mosque is named Maryam after the mother of Jesus.... This is to identify it as a holy place from which men and women come forth reborn and transformed with a renewed mind in service of God to fallen humanity." 2 No longer does Orthodox iconography adorn the dome and the great Iconostasis. No longer can one enter the gates of heaven on earth during the chanting of the Divine Liturgy, enveloped in clouds of incense and prayer, bearing witness to “Christ our God.” Rather, visitors will discover the following words written in Arabic, "There is no God but Allah." The Nation's webpage goes on to say, "In the center of the dome is written, "Allah is