  :I'll try to clarify the article over the next few days. In short, Malcolm X rejected the idea that the Nation of Islam's teachings were Islam and that Elijah Muhammad was a holy man. He also rejected the view that white people were devils; he said that people should be judged by their actions, not by the color of their skin. :Part of the rancor toward Malcolm X was due to his incessant public criticism of Elijah Muhammad. Leaders of the Nation of Islam described him as a traitor who was worthy of death, and many NOI members agreed. —  / 