|
Beirut Visits in Malcolm’s Travel Diary
|
page 11
Text is taken from an AUB thesis Autobiography, page 217 : a feminist entanglement with Malcolm X in Beirut / by Helen Holt Zuckerman.
Malcolm X in Beirut, 1964
Early in 1964, on March 8, Malcolm X announced his split from the Nation of Islam. His first major move after the split was to travel to the Middle East and Africa from 13 April to 21 May, primarily to perform pilgrimage, the Hajj, in Mecca, then to visit other cities.
His first stop after hajj was Beirut, April 29 1964
Malcolm came to Beirut invited by Dr. Malik Badri, who tried to arrange for Malcolm to speak at the American University of Beirut, where Dr. Badri was teaching. The University refused to host Malcom X for his “anti-American" stance. Malcolm spoke instead at the Sudanese Cultural Center in Beirut. The American press reported that his speech caused a riot, but the local daily newspaper contradicted this fact, stating that “a lively discussion followed.” More
Second visit to Beirut, September 29 1964
On his second visit to Beirut, Malcolm X was invited by Dr. Aziza El-Hibri, then a student at AUB and the Head of the Debating Society, who organized Malcolm X’s visit to campus. During an with interview with Dr. El-Hibri, she indicated that his speech at the University was recorded but went missing the next day. She mentioned that in his speech, he tried to connect racism in the United States to Imperialism in the Third World.
