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A daughter recounts her father’s legacy, and sets the record straight on the 44th President. SINCE MY MOTHER PASSED AWAY, I have committed my life to perpetuating my family’s legacy of unyielding service to humanity.  A significant aspect of that work involves protecting their legacies from being misappropriated and misrepresented for someone else’s agenda - or because they simply don’t understand the full scope of my father’s evolution and lifework.  In 2002, I published my first book, Growing Up X, a coming-of-age memoir about a daughter who not only witnessed the traumatic untimely death of her father, but was blessed by the unparalleled strength, courage and guidance of the most dedicated mother.  Most people don’t realize that my father, Al Hajj Malik Shabazz aka Malcolm X, was an extremely young man - just in his 20s - when he committed himself to social justice.  He was barely an adult when he hoisted humanity upon his shoulders and began advocating for human rights. I often hear people say my father changed when he went abroad.  He didn’t change - he simply evolved. My father is regarded worldwide as a man of impeccable character and integrity.  Quite naturally, I was utterly appalled when I switched on my TV screen and saw a very intimate picture of him kneeling in prayer surrounded by a montage of images of what would be associated with terrorism and extremism.  Not only did this perpetuate extreme and negative depictions of Muslims and Islam, but also unwarranted, inaccurate images of my father.  To hear the audio of his words being used to demean Obama and create divisiveness among his supporters was beyond disturbing. Those images of Islam, Muslims and my father along with the statements (Al-Zawahiri’s statements) served to imply negative assumptions about Islam, about Muslims and of course about my father.  Were he alive today, my father would share everyone’s joy about the prospect of returning the United States to a position of credibility, respect and leadership in the world.  He would extend his hand in service and support of President Obama’s agenda and initiatives to empower citizens of the U.S. - and of the world - in the exercise of human rights. My dedication is to continue to seek knowledge and do what I can so that my father’s image isn’t used to promote terror, violence and animosity in this country or anywhere on this earth.  Forty-four years after his martyrdom, he remains the most famous and recognized Muslim American, as well as a role model for men and women alike advocating for social justice.  The Autobiography of Malcolm X remains on the all time best-sellers list since its publication.  His legacy continues to inspire individuals from all backgrounds, ethnicities and religions to believe in equality, freedom and the inalienable rights intended for all of humanity. Obama himself has said that my father’s autobiography provided him with a sense of identity. My father didn’t commit himself to integrate schools nor to integrate restaurants.  He never felt that one should have to ask or plead with his brother to drink from the same fountain or eat in the same restaurant.  As a result, his focus was much broader; he fought for the inalienable God-given rights primarily of those psychologically traumatized by generations of slavery and its aftermath of prejudice and institutional racism.  One of his greatest gifts is that through his teachings of history, he empowered the African diaspora with a sense of identity, self-respect and purpose. Forty-four years ago, the idea of an African American as President of the most powerful nation on earth - let alone President with a name that is common among Muslims - wasn’t even imaginable.  Yet in 2008, the people of the United States of America voted.  I’ve never witnessed such worldwide interest and pure elation regarding the election of a U.S. President.  My father would have likely appreciated the fact that for 21 months, Obama proved himself to be a man of commitment and determination, and that he effectively built coalitions across the lines of race, gender, creed and age.  My father would have shared the world’s joy regarding his decisive victory - and not just because Obama is an African American - but because he’s an African American who is beyond qualified and prepared. “I WAS UTTERLY APPALLED WHEN I SWITCHED ON MY TV SCREEN AND SAW A VERY INTIMATE PICTURE OF HIM KNEELING IN PRAYER SURROUNDED BY A MONTAGE OF IMAGES OF WHAT WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH TERRORISM AND EXTREMISM.” A Harvard Law School graduate, President of the Harvard Law Review, a constitutional law professor, a U.S. Senator and a hard-working individual willing to put himself on the line in order to build coalitions, Obama is unsurprisingly respected by leaders the world over.  And I know my own father would have been impressed by the sheer diversity of support from places like the Philippines, South Korea, South Africa and virtually every corner of the globe that President Obama has received. My father would never ever demean Obama; he would share the world’s excitement about the prospect of returning the U.S. to a position of credibility, respect and leadership.  He would lend his support to this opportunity for unity and peace. One would hope that President Obama will lead by example, adhering to the Constitution that the founding fathers fought so hard in this new world to establish.  One would hope that during his Presidency, a just and peaceful solution will end the decades long conflict between the nations of Israel and Palestine.  Most people don’t know that the Palestinian people have lived without a state for more than 66 years.  Most are unaware that Palestinians have been brutally oppressed and made refugees in their own homeland and in surrounding countries.  Very few know that in the Gaza strip, the Palestinian people have been completely blockaded where they are, unable to receive food, fuel and medical aid.  The situation is so dire that even their hospitals are forced to have power cuts because of the lack of supplies, and they are slowly being starved into submission while the world silently looks away. “MY FATHER WOULD HAVE LIKELY APPRECIATED THE FACT THAT FOR 21 MONTHS, OBAMA PROVED HIMSELF TO BE A MAN OF COMMITMENT AND DETERMINATION, AND THAT HE EFFECTIVELY BUILT COALITIONS ACROSS THE LINES OF RACE, GENDER, CREED AND AGE.  MY FATHER WOULD HAVE SHARED THE WORLD’S JOY REGARDING HIS DECISIVE VICTORY ...” I believe that President Obama and the citizens of the world will also come to understand that Islam is a religion of peace and unity, which in effect, are the same ideals for which my own father advocated.  These ideals run contrary to those of that small minority of people who have obviously strayed away from the message of the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when he taught that even if you absolutely have to fight, it should be avoided at all costs as a peaceful solution is better and bloodshed is abhorred by God.  That even in such a case, you should display the beauty of Islam in your conduct in battle in an honorable way by adhering to the strict laws of conflict and chivalry that have been a fundamental part of the religion since the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) 1400 years ago.  This includes the order not to harm a single innocent person regardless of their religion or race because according to the Qur’an, if you kill one innocent person, the travesty is considered so great to God that it’s as if you have killed the whole of humanity.  I am certain that I, along with the overwhelming majority of Muslims, resent the falsehoods and stereotypes perpetuated of Islam.  There exists instead a very small minority of individuals who use a religion that has historically been a force for social change, education, justice, equality and unity among people of all ethnicities, as a tool to promote their selfish message of hate, to kill innocent people and to misconstrue its beautiful teachings as a means to divide mankind and gain a false sense of power.  It is my true belief that President Obama is well aware of the absurdity of condemning an entire religion and trampling on the human rights of its followers in response to the extremism of a limited number of practitioners and/or to condemn any religious group because of the actions of a few.  By this acknowledgment, he would by default be treating Muslims and Muslim countries with the same respect and dignity with which any person should be treated.  I am confident that President Obama will be a shining beacon of what it is to be an American of true integrity - just like my father. Ilyasah Shabazz is the third daughter of Malcolm and Betty Shabazz.  She leads a life dedicated to preserving the X legacy, and developing educational programs which foster self-empowerment and individual responsibility.  She is the author of ‘Growing Up X’, and is currently working on her new novel, ‘Retracing My Father’s Footsteps’. http://www.elanthemag.com/index.php/what_malcolm_taught_barack/