In Search of the Messiah
The Sun of Islam Rises In the
West-Egypt Mania in Chicago
by Mother Tynetta Muhammad

"He created the heavens and the earth with truth. Highly exalted be He above what they associate (with Him)!" Holy Qur�an, Surah 16 Verse 3

Ever since my early childhood, the imagery and history of ancient Egypt always captured my imagination and thoughts to the extent that I felt that I was actually there in this present moment of time. I wrote poetry and short stories which reflected my presence living along the banks of the Nile. I meditated on the monuments in lower Egypt, a short distance from Cairo in the desert, communing with the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid. Little did I know that in my future years, I would be once again immersed in the images of Egypt in a later period of my life as wife of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, who laid a base in his teachings for greater understanding of Egypt, its Signs and the meaning of its monuments.

In the early 1960s, I visited the Chicago�s Field Museum to see the first extraordinary Exhibit of some of the contents of King Tut�s Tomb that were on loan from the Cairo�s Museum of Antiquities in a first time tour of the United States. I was amazed at the startling array of golden objects that were discovered in his tomb as unearthed in the expedition of Howard Carter and Lord Carnavaron from England, who are accredited with finding King Tut�s Tomb in the Valley of the Kings in 1922. Following the Exhibit, I purchased a Large Solid Ebony Black Bust of the most famous Queen Nefertiti as a gift for the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

He received it graciously and made a comment to one or two of his sons who were present at his dinner table when the gift was presented that it reminded him of his recent visit to Egypt as guest of the late President Gamel Abdul Nasser, and his visit to the Museum of Antiquities beginning in December, 1959. His tour also included other countries in Africa and the Middle East which ended in Pakistan in 1960. I remembered that he took pride in this handsome bust and had it placed on the radiator that faced the front entrance foyer of his home at 4847 South Woodlawn Avenue that led into the little pine wood room that displayed the photo of Master W. Fard Muhammad which was placed on the wall over the mantle of the fireplace.

It was during the 1960s when my four children were born, when the images of the family of the 18th Dynasty once again resurfaced during one of my study periods at the library doing research. There in the section of the library collection of Medical Journals, I found one dealing with the purported anomalies of the physical characteristics of Pharoah Akhenaten and his family. The author noted pecularities in the cranial size and shapes of the head which tended to be oblong and featured an indented tuck at the back of the skull. I mused over these photos because this feature was similar to the shape of the skull of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. This pecularity also appeared in the skull of many of his offspring.

It also occurred in the latter period of the 1960s that I began designing a type of fez similarly worn by Nefertiti. My original design had been sculptured from silver with a crystal jeweled band extracted from the silver mines in Mexico. From this sample, which was shown to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, was drafted the pattern which, with some alterations, became what he called the first women�s fez that was worn with the first uniforms manufactured in the women�s clothing factory set up by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad in Chicago which also showcased the M.G.T. Boutique of accessories. The study and appreciation of History helps us to keep our balance, respect and focus as we move and function in the current passage of time with its modern and progressive developments.

It is this sense of history of the time which inspires and guides me in all my endeavors and research of the Divine Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and extends to me the great blessing and understanding of my work as a helper of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, the great Helpmeet of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

Now once again a furor of Egypt- Mania has resurfaced in Chicago with the joint effort of The Art Institute of Chicago in conjunction with the Chicago Lyric Opera Theater all focusing on an outstanding Art Exhibit and Opera Performance centered around the Charismatic Figure of Akhenaten and the Amarna Revolution. The original idea was organized by Rita Freed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in affiliation with the stunning premier of the Opera Akhenaten, which boasted a sell out attendance in Boston as well as in Chicago. Programmed events were scheduled throughout the city at various institutes of higher learning in concert with the history and impact of Egypt on the modern world. All of this activity triggered the phrase of "Egypt-Mania" in Chicago. "Allah�s commandment will come to pass, so seek not to hasten it. Glory be to Him, and highly exalted be He above what they associate (with Him)!" Holy Qur�an Surah 16, Verse 1

To be continued.