Warith Deen Umar facts for kids

Warith Deen Umar (born Wallace Gene Marks in 1945) is a Muslim leader, known as an imam, from the New York area. He lives in Bethlehem, New York. For some time, he was the main Muslim chaplain for the New York State Department of Correctional Services, which manages prisons. He retired in August 2000. After retiring, he continued to visit prisons as a volunteer. However, he was later banned from visiting state prisons by New York Governor George Pataki after reports suggested he made controversial statements about the September 11 attacks.

Early Life and Education

Warith Deen Umar was born in 1945. He was the seventh child in his family. His father was a minister in the Black Muslim faith. Umar was named in honor of Wallace Delaney Fard.

In 1971, Warith Deen Umar spent time in prison. Before this, he met Louis Farrakhan. While in prison, Umar became a leader within the Nation of Islam group. During this time, he changed his name to Wallace 10X. After leaving prison, he went back to school. He earned a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. He also received a Master of Arts degree in Islamic Studies. In 1975, he became one of the first Muslim prison chaplains in New York.

Career as a Chaplain

Warith Deen Umar served as the Administrative Chaplain for the New York State Department of Corrections. In this role, he was responsible for religious services for Muslim prisoners. However, he faced criticism for his approach. Reports stated that he prevented prisoners from accessing materials from more common Muslim groups. Instead, he was said to have shared ideas that were seen as against America. He was also reported to have made statements about the September 11 attackers that were considered inappropriate. Because of these actions, Warith Deen Umar was permanently banned from entering any New York State prison.