Once, in a certain PHA grand lodge in the southern region of USA, a man who was an irregular mason wanted to become a regular mason.
After 7+ years of being clandestine, he finally saw the light and there were many brothers who were happy for him and vowed to be there during his raising.
Then, his inept WM had a "problem" with the candidate: he was a Muslim. In the south, being a black Muslim is much of an anomaly compared to the east coast or mid-west. The befuddled WM did what every incompetent WM would do and seek answers from uninformed brethren read past masters. They all told him the same thing "don't"...he met a well-informed one who said go ahead...but with a 4 is to 1, he did something even worse: he talked to his deputy district grand master.
"Would he obligate to a bible?" the man asked.
"He said he may to the first 2 degrees, but he wants his third on a Koran." the WM replied
"I would not allow a Koran on an altar in my district."
So, the confused WM went back to the PM who told him to raise him and let him know the remarks of the District Deputy.
The PM was in shock, he had traveled all over the world and in his military experience seen the Koran on the altar of a few military PHA lodges that had members who were Muslims.
Since he had the Grand Master's ear, he decided to have a chat with him on the District Deputy's remarks. But instead, he was shocked on what transpired one evening in a lounge with the GM and the WM sitting with him.
"No Muslim will ever be a Mason in my jurisdiction as long as I am alive" GM said
"What?" PM replied in shock
"No Muslm. Absolutely not. Prince Hall is a Christian fraternity"
After he composed himself, the PM told him "Ok. That is fine, put it on paper."
"No."
"Well, if that is what you feel, then as Grand Master you have to put it in an edict."
"I won't..." GM replied, then turning to the WM he said "...you have heard what I said. If I hear that man is a mason, I will have you expelled for contumacy"
A couple of years later, the same GM slipped this opinion into a communication sent throughout the country. It was met with shock and disgust. He retracted his statement and killed the plans he had later of declaring that jurisdiction as a Christian jurisdiction. The only hint left of that debacle is a couple of lines in his Grand Session address where he affirmed the Three Great Lights in his jurisdiction as The Holy Bible, the Square and the Compass.
No one argued with him and many in attendance including those who threw a fit agreed with him. You see, they were not angry with him for what he believed, they were angry that he was bold (read stupid) enough to put it on paper and jeopardize the reputation of the fraternity publicly as well as jeopardize the non-profit status of his Grand Lodge's foundation accounts.
As for my good friend and dear brother, he is still a Muslim, still a veteran, still a hardworking entrepreneur, still a dutiful family man, still a loyal and faithful husband. After the drama that was caused, he felt his spirit dampen. He left the fraternity and has moved on still wishing in his heart that he was a mason.
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