It's a religious group you may not have heard of, but that may change after a couple was arrested following a stand-off at the Hospital for Sick Children, apparently caused by a quarrel over treatment for an infant.
The child's parents are followers of the Moorish Science Temple of America, which was founded in New Jersey in 1923 by Timothy Drew (pictured), a leader of the black Muslim movement.
One of the religious organization's main tenets is that all black people are descended from moors and therefore have Islamic roots.
Drew, who changed his name to Noble Drew Ali, is considered a prophet. He was inspired by the teachings of Marcus Garvey who worked to inspire people of African heritage to unite and take Africa back from European colonialists. Garvey was the founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA).
Elijah Muhammad, the former leader of the Nation of Islam, claimed both Ali and Garvey were the inspiration for his beliefs. There are roughly 30 members in Toronto, with many more in the U.S.
In terms of the group's relation to the Sick Kids incident, the local leader known as the Grand Sheik insists the family didn't refuse treatment and that medical help is not against the sect's religious beliefs.
"Why would somebody refuse to treat their child?" he asked Monday. Friends and supporters insist the mother fled because of concerns Children's Aid would be contacted to take away her nine-month-old boy.
