Islam Quote by Alex Haley
““I later heard somewhere, or read, that Malcolm X telephoned an apology to the reporter. But this was the kind of evidence which caused many close observers of the Malcolm X phenomenon to declare in absolute seriousness that he was the only Negro in America who could either start a race riot-or stop one. When I once quoted this to him, tacitly inviting his comment, he told me tartly, "I don't know if I could start one. I don't know if I'd want to stop one.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Autobiography of Malcolm X, 1965
Malcolm X acknowledges uncertainty about inciting or preventing violence, highlighting the complexity of his role.
In simple terms: He isn’t sure about starting or stopping riots.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the limits of personal agency.
Themes
leadership
responsibility
violence
identity
uncertainty
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
historical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- public speaking
Key Concepts
Political activism
civil rights
media scrutiny
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you handle ambiguous moral choices?
- What responsibilities come with public influence?
A Different Perspective
His influence is often oversimplified.
![“During his hajj, Malcolm [Malcolm X] fell into a new Islam with the same blind faith that he had given to Elijah. Since he lived just a year after his hajj, Mecca became the neatly presented and cinema-friendly conclusion to his lifelong thread of transformations: but he finally found the Truth…” quote by Michael Muhammad Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b55/michael-muhammad-knight-25566_blind-faith_during-his-hajj-malcolm-malcolm-x-fell-i_988413.jpg)
![“Ben Carson also denounced [Donald] Trump's ban all Muslims proposal saying we do not and would not advocate being selective on one's religion.” quote by Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0d7/rachel-maddow-1240_bans_ben-carson-also-denounced-donald-trump-s_674.jpg)
![“[Islam] Leaves no room of human legislation in an Islamic state, because herein all legislative functions vest in God and the only function left for Muslims lies in their observance of the God-made law.” quote by Abul A'la Maududi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/704/abul-a-la-maududi-51903_function_islam-leaves-no-room-of-human-legislatio_886.jpg)
![“[T]he people who are close to Allah worry so much about wasting time that they call themselves to account for every breath they spend - how many of us wonder about how we spend our day, let alone each breath?” quote by Ethar El- Katatney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a43/ethar-el-katatney-236694_allah_t-he-people-who-are-close-to-allah-worry_3003.jpg)
