Fox News – FBI Poster Offensive to American Muslims, Mike Ghouse says take it down

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Mike Ghouse on O’Reilly Factor,  Fox News tonight with Laura Ingram at 8:00 PM
EST about the offensive poster. ‘Offensive to Muslims’: Mike Ghouse and Dem
congressman Jim McDermott calls on FBI to take down photos of terrorists.

Mike Ghouse to FBI on Fox News –  “Robert Mueller, take that poster down”
The O’Reilly Factor – Laura Ingraham – Mike Ghouse 6/21/2013
First of all, as a
society, we have a responsibility to keep law and order and faithfully
guard the safety of every citizen. Hate is one of the many sources of
disrupting the peace in a society and it is our duty to track down the source
of such hate and mitigate the conflicts and nurture goodwill.  
FBI routinely posts the
pictures of  the wanted terrorists in the
post offices and public places, and even displayed on TV networks – so, if
people spot them, they can report.

Look at the stupidity of FBI – these terrorists are not in America, how will an
American ever spot these dudes? That ad should be posted in Yemen, Saudi Arabia
and Afghanistan, not here in America. That is waste of tax payer dollars.

Poster on Seattle Bus- needs to come down

The 2nd
Mistake is. Terrorists come in all colors, religions and races – to place the
Muslim ones exclusively is damn stereotyping and a cause of hatred and
disruption. This ad has got to go.

No American has to live in tension, apprehensions and fear of the other, that is the kind of cohesive America we want to build.

I had warned Fox news right here on September
23 and again on October 8,  in two
different appearances (http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/19631912/2012/09/25/controversial-anti-muslim-ad)
 that the posters in the New York subway
by Pamela Geller was dangerous
to fellow Americans, particularly Muslim women wearing a scarf, Catholic women
coming from a Church, Sikh Women, the older Hindu women with part of the Saree
covering their head, the Non-Muslim women from Africa donning their cultural
headdress. Does the city have a role in imbuing a sense of security in her
people, or each citizen is on his or her own? Did you know a Hindu man was
killed on the subway on mistaken Identity, is the security of that person means
nothing? Who is responsible for the death of that individual?

I am proud of Congressman, Jim McDermott from Washington State to work against
stereotyping any one. The Daily Caller reports the following:

McDermott, a Democrat from
Washington state, voiced his “deep concern” about the ad, which shows mug
shots of international terrorists, and asked the FBI chief to “reconsider
publicizing” it.

 According to McDermott, the “ad featuring sixteen photos of
wanted terrorists is not only offensive to Muslims and ethnic minorities, but
it encourages racial and religious profiling.”
 McDermott continued, “Representing terrorists, however,
from only one ethnic or religious group, promotes stereotypes and ignores other
forms of extremism. The FBI’s ‘Most Wanted Terrorists List‘ includes individuals of other
races and associated with other religions and causes, but their faces are
missing from this campaign.”

My previous appearance on The O’Reilly factor –  http://nabsites.net/demo/ghouse-on-bill-oreilly-about-indonesian/


—
Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a
writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work
place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers
pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in
Standing up for others
and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on
national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on
Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to
the Texas Faith Column at Dallas
Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and
several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work
through many links.

Goddess Saraswati and President Obama

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Goddess Saraswati and Obama Symbolize Relationship Between Indonesia and the U.S.

First,
as an Indian American, I welcome this gesture by the Indonesian Embassy
and congratulate them. They have indeed honored India, my motherland by
honoring her Iconic figure; Goddess Saraswati. Bhupen Ganatra and Amol
Mukherjee, the Indian leaders in Dallas add, “That this is great gift of
highest level… awesome gesture by Indonesia expressing the best of
religious harmony and importance of education by a Muslim nation
offering a statue of Hindu Goddess to a mostly Christian nation. For
this, Indonesia should be recognized by all nations… all religions.”

Devi Saraswathi, an icon of learning and Obama at her feet.

As
an Indian American Muslim, I am proud of Indonesia for following the
principles taught by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that each one of us is
responsible for the well being of our neighbors, communities, nations
and our world. We all came from a single couple and are made into
different tribes, communities and nations and the best ones among us,
God says in Quran are the ones who learn, understand and respect the
others. Dr. Akbar Ahmed, who heads the ibn-Khaldun chair at the
American University and a leading Muslim in America adds, “These
symbolic gestures build upon each other in building peaceful societies.”

To
promote pluralism, I would encourage you to click LIKE and Share on
Twitter and Facebook from the following link – a comment would be
encouraging. Thank you.

Full story –
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/goddess-saraswati-statue-_b_3460615.html

. . . . .

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a
writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work
place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers
pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in
Standing up for others
and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on
national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on
Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to
the Texas Faith Column at Dallas
Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and
several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work
through many links.

Texas Faith: Are Interfaith Marriages Good for Couples?

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Interfaith couples must be admired by one and all. When couples are having difficulty in getting along, they are setting a new standard: respecting the otherness of someone else and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each other. They may have grown up in different religious traditions, but yet, religion is not a barrier. The poet philosopher of the East, Dr. Allama Iqbal, says, Religion does not teach one to have ill-will. 

Texas Faith :Are Interfaith Marriages Good for Couples?
Dallas Morning News | Published on June 18, 2013
By Bill McKenzie  
 

Naomi Schaefer Riley has a new book out with the title Til Faith Do Us Part: How Interfaith Marriage is Transforming America. You can read about that book at this link and then this link.
Interestingly, Riley, a former Wall Street Journal editor who has written extensively about religion and culture, notes that 45 percent of all U.S. marriages in the last decade were between people of different faiths. Naturally, we may look at that as a sign of greater acceptance and tolerance, which a broad society needs to remain dynamic and growing.
But Riley also reports that marrying across religious lines may be very difficult for the couples involved. Their deeply-held differences may eventually become a problem, especially when it comes to raising children.

There are a number of ways we could go with this question, including why dating couples may spend more time worrying about political differences than religious distinctions. Feel free to chime in on that aspect, if you like. But the main point I would like you to consider is this: Interfaith marriages may help the broader society, but are they good for the couples?

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, and Speaker on interfaith matters, diversity and pluralism

Marriage is between two individuals who are willing to commit to each other’s well-being. They dedicate their lives to each other till death does them apart. The couple marries as a fulfillment of their desire for each other, and there is rarely a consideration to help the broader society.
However, interfaith, inter-racial and inter-ethnic marriages have paved the way for others in the larger societies who were once denied the right to pursue their happiness. Stories abound, where the lovers were prevented, harassed or killed by the parents, society or the clergy. We must appreciate their sacrifice, even though that was not their intention.
I must add a couplet from Urdu and Hindi Language, written by the Master Indian poet Mirza Ghalib:
Ishq par zor naheeN, hai ye woh aatish ‘GHalib’
ki lagaaye na lage aur bujhaaye na bane

Love is such a flame Ghalib (pen name),
you cannot lit or extinguish it, it just happens.

Like all couples, the interfaith couple also endures similar strains in their relationship, (8.4 and 7.9 marital satisfaction on Riley Scale) but it may take the avatar of faith if they are at each other’s throat. It is always easy to blame the religion for our failings. However, interfaith and other inter-relationships tend to be stronger.
Political differences provide humor to some couples. My father and mother voted differently but never had a fight over it except the occasional cold wars. I am a Republican and my wife is a Democrat, and we make attempts to convince each other, but back off as quickly as we initiate it, when she quotes me the Quran, “That you cannot compel your spouse to believe what she does not want to believe.”
Interfaith couples must be admired by one and all. When couples are having difficulty in getting along, they are setting a new standard: respecting the otherness of someone else and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each other. They may have grown up in different religious traditions, but yet, religion is not a barrier. The poet philosopher of the East, Dr. Allama Iqbal, says, Religion does not teach one to have ill-will.
I am a marriage officiant and have performed a range of interfaith marriages as a part of my pluralism work.

To see all the other responses, at Dallas Morning News at:http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/2013/06/texas-faith-are-interfaith-marriages-good-for-couples.html/
…….

Added: Interfaith marriages performed include; Jewish-Christian; Hindu-Christian; Muslim-Jain; Hindu-Muslim, Atheist Hindu and  Jewish-Muslim and other combinations. For details, please visit: http://www.interfaithmarriages.blogspot.com/

This is my 133rd contribution at Dallas Morning News

……
Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a
writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work
place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers
pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in
Standing up for others
and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on
national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on
Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to
the Texas Faith Column at Dallas
Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and
several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work
through many links. 

Fantasies of impotent Muslim clerics; Virgins in heaven with endless sex

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First of all Memri-TV focus on making their money by  providing
entertainment based in making fun of Arabs in particular, and Muslims
in general. They pick some idiot in some corner of the Middle East and
present him as the main stream Muslim leader. Unfortunately for many,
this looks like the view of all Muslims, because it is coming from
“Memri Research Institute,” Baloney!  It is not the view of Muslims. 

The talk about virgins is a fantasy of impotent men to live off in an elusive world.  They have fired up their own imaginations with endless sexual apetite, that they dont’ have it.  It is just not a few random Muslim clerics, but it is the fantasy of men from different races, ethnicities and religions,   men who are disappointed in their own manhood. 

 The ugly part of this story these guys are talking about is in the literature,  just
like the hard core pornographic magazines in American society is
avaialable, there is hard core literature among a few Muslim clerics–
which does not represent the values of Islam. Even though most Muslims
do not subscribe to this, they are afraid to question.

Here are three videos that I have watched: 
  1. No Black women or Asian women found or wanted in Muslim heavenhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8lhuMG1fbQ&feature=youtu.be
  2. Saudi Cleric Al Sweilem Extols Paradise’s Black Eyed Virginshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60kEEdkWgzE
  3. جنت میں حوروں کا تصورvirgins of Paradise Ur V  
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkT_P3FRjg4

The
3rd video is 7:38 Minute video and in Urdu language, the first part
through 3rd minute is pure pornography. I bet the teens with raging
sexual desires will possibly masturbate to this guys talk.

I
am glad I ran into this video because of 2nd part of this video: It is
by Mirza Tahir Ahmad and he interprets this as fantasy – he talks about
“hoor” as an ideal man and woman in paradise free from the cycle of
desires and satisfaction. Pleasure is a mental thing. I like his
interpretation and response, except one small thing: The way he compares
spicy Asian foods to the “tasteless” western food.  If he can improve
on that comparison without the tone of denigration, I would pass this as
an educational video.

Is it possible he is talking about the abstract ideals?
When
the cleric in firs video talks about women should look at their men
only, is he talking about super focused relationship with total loyalty?
– It should have been vice versa also which the misogynistic idiot
refuses to see.

When he talks about the strength of 1000 men, (in
the 3rd video, the guy talks about 100 men) is he talking about what
guys dream about in a relationship to please the woman sexually?

It
sounds like fantasy of impotent men. Impotency is not derogatory, some
men like this sheikh really believe in fantasy of being a potent man in
that elusive paradise.
Are these guys transferring the ideal of this
world- good sex, loyalty and exclusivity which they may not have to the
fantasy of Paradise? Is their paradise a fantasy of day dreaming, that
they consider being real and looking forward to it.

As a Muslim,
these videos are repulsive to me, they denigrate women. It’s not just a
few Muslims who do this; it is by insecure men in all societies, faiths
and races.

Mike Ghouse is a thinker, writer and a speaker on
pluralism, interfaith, Islam, politics and building civil societies and
offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.www.MikeGhouse.net and
www.TheGhousediary.com

Happy Fathers Day

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HAPPY FATHER’S DAY
URL – http://nabsites.net/demo/happy-fathers-day-2/

One of my most affectionate moments with my Dad occurred, when I left home to
work in Saudi Arabia in 1977, he hugged me and kissed on my forehead, that
meant so much to me. I continue to dwell in that moment.  In the Indian society in the 50’s and 60’s affection
was not expressed verbally, but the affection was part of every moment of the
life.  

Once I refused to go to Ramadan Eid prayers as I was loosing interest in
religion and becoming an Atheist, I was about 15 years old then. My father did
not get angry or threw a fit over that, instead, he sat down and had a conversation
with me – and offered me choices – that I lived in the society and to survive
and live a fuller life, I have to get along with them and have a working relationship.
I was expecting a boring lecture or anger – I got neither instead I was moved by
his wisdom.   

M. Abdul Rahman
Everett A. Blauvelt
 

He never hit me except once – I was sitting at the porch of my house relaxing, and
watched a man fell off from his bicycle with a big bag of rice. He was
struggling to get back on it, and I was laughing… at a distance I saw my father
coming… and then he sped, that sent a chill in my bones, had never seen him in
that mode… I ran inside the home, he helped that guy and followed me. I hid on
the heap of Paddy bags in the corner of my house. He went out and pulled the
branch of a mulberry tree and bam – he got me and said something to this
effect, “my son will not sit and do nothing when someone needs help. He got me
brainwashed pretty well to stop and lend a hand to anyone in need.”

My father is my hero. He opened the windows of
wisdom to me and led his life as an example. He was one of the most open minded
persons I have known; he had prejudice towards none, indeed, if I pass that
test and I am getting closer, I would like to have my head stone read
“zero prejudice”.  Thank you Dad!

Then I owe my gratitude to Dadski Everett Blauvelt. Since my
father passed away in 1977, Dadski has been a great father figure to me, he
always inquired about my family all his life and was very caring and helped me
through the death of my father. He was instrumental in getting me here in the
United States and he passed away on April 21, of this year.

The way I have learned to appreciate these men is by taking time. I will do my early
morning prayers of gratitude for these two men.

I
am blessed to have so many great friends who are fatherly figures to me;  Sri. D D Maini; Rev. Bill Mathews; Dr. Harbans
Lal; and Dr. Qureshi. Happy father’s day to ya’ll.

I feel the pain of those who did not have a good father, or had an abusive father or did not even know a thing about him. I am proud of you for making it in life despite not having a father, and respect and understand your pain and struggles. I pray for the well being of all those how feel sad today,  that is the least we can do in a cohesive society. If any one of you considers me a fatherly figure, please feel free to call and talk to me for a few minutes.

Mike Ghouse
www.MikeGhouse.net
(214) 325-1916

Praying for Nelson Mandela; the symbol of freedom

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URL – http://nabsites.net/demo/praying-for-nelson-mandela-symbol-of/

Sunday,
February 11, 1990 was a heavy day for me, I was glued to the TV to watch the
historical event happening in my life time; the release of Nelson Mandela from
the South African Prison. I choked, and I cried. And again, today is a heavy day for me. I am anxious about his health. He is in his last days of his life, the
president of South Africa has given up on Medicine and counting on blessings
and prayers from the people around the world. May God keep his wisdom and the
flame of freedom alive? 
Praying for him in essence is rekindling the spirit of freedom within us.

Freedom is the most cherished value for me, and to see freedom at last for a
man in an apartheid nation was worth crying. A new tone of democracy was going
to be set in the world for the first time in the predominantly Black African
Nation.

I am also kicking myself – two weeks ago, my friend Sante Chary and I briefly
talked about jumping in the plane and go visit Nelson Mandela, we had to go
through a lot of rig morale to see him, we dropped the idea. Sante has a
distinction among many things – to have an envelope signed by nearly eight US
Presidents and several world leaders. He is a go getter and gets things done.
Sante is one of the few friends where he and I have nothing to trade, nothing
to gain, but just wish and support each other in our endeavors. I like this
guy!

Can you imagine the power Mandela
held? He shook the empire, they could have easily killed or poisoned him, but
they did not have the guts to do that. What made Gandhi, Mandela, and MLK
successful?

None of them had anything to gain, all they wanted was justice and harmony in
the society, and that was their drive, when you become unselfish, you can do a
lot of good to the world.  It begins with
learning to respect the otherness of other and accepting the God given uniqueness
of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.


Nelson Mandela is one of my mentors.  Some of the other joy-teary moments that I can recall are –
release of Mandela, fall of the Berlin
wall, Obama’s election night,  Peace
treaty between Israeli and Egypt, Peace between Ireland and England, Aung San
Su Kyii’s release and Freedom at last for the Egyptian people. 

What made these men and women unique and powerful?
They were free from the pettiness and all embracing and affectionate like the
spiritual Master of all religions.  Several
things were common to them; among them are:

1) No wall between them and another soul
2) No religious and political boundaries for them
3) No preference when it came to serving another
human
4) The good they did, benefited larger humanity
than self
5)  Justness was a paramount value for them
6) No bone of prejudice in them.
7) Their world is the same size as God’s world.  

Here is
information about him at Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela
…
Mike Ghouse is a

speaker,
thinker and a

writer
on

pluralism,

politics,
peace,

Islam,

Israel,

India,

interfaith,
and cohesion at work place. He is
committed to building a

Cohesive
America
and offers pluralistic solutions on
issues of the day at

www.TheGhousediary.com.
He believes in

Standing up for others
and has done that throughout his life as
an activist. Mike has a presence on
national and local TV, Radio and Print
Media. He is a frequent guest on

Sean
Hannity show on Fox
TV, and a commentator on national radio
networks, he contributes weekly to the
Texas Faith Column at

Dallas Morning News;
fortnightly at

Huffington post;
and several other periodicals across the
world. His personal site

www.MikeGhouse.net
indexes his work through many links. 

Female Genital Mutilation-cutting (FGM) – Muslims condemn the ugly practice

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Female Genital Mutilation-cutting (FGM) – Muslims condemn the ugly practice

“Suhair al-Bata’a, a thirteen year old Egyptian girl died while the brutes were mutilating her genitals this week. This is an abhorrent cultural practice.  Indeed, it is not an Islamic practice or the Muslim practices worldwide; it is a shameful practice by many groups including Muslims, such as a few Bohra Muslims in India and other Muslims in Egypt, Somalia and Yemen.  Unless we condemn this ugly practice, it will be propagated as a Muslim practice,” concludes Mike Ghouse, president of the World Muslim Congress, a think tank based in Dallas.

It’s time we remove the name of Islam and Muslims from this disgusting practice, just as the Medical Associations of the United States and United Kingdom have banned the practice since 1996, not only was it legal in America but it was covered by the health insurance. Muslims need to join the Christians and all others who condemn this.

Following the condemnation is the ugly history and practice of FGM here in America and Britain.  

The World Muslim Congress joins the American Society for Muslim Advancement in condemning this practice.

The Global Muslim Women’s Shura Council (The Council) stands together with the Egyptian National Council for Women in demanding the eradication of this practice. The Council condemns FGC as a harmful and un-Islamic practice that contradicts the teachings of the Qur’an and the Prophet’s Example (Sunnah). Laleh Bakhtiar, a Council member and the author of the English translation The Sublime Quran, states: “There is no mention of FGC in the Qur’an, it is a cultural practice growing as it did out of local customs in Egypt and elsewhere.”

Daisy Khan, Executive Director of American Society for Muslim Advancement, said, “FGC violates human rights of over 130  million women worldwide and continues to pose a threat to three million girls every year, and as a tradition, it is an absolute corruption of the Islamic doctrine and must be eliminated from all Muslim societies.”

In August 2010, 96% of Muslim women polled worldwide declared FGC to be an un-Islamic practice which must be eliminated. The Council has prepared various educational tools to help in the elimination of this practice. The Council appeals to the public to read/view and disseminate the three minute long video-
http://youtu.be/aL7p2omnw_g – the two-page digest “Female Genital Cutting: Harmful and Un-Islamic,” and the ten-page full report.

FGM IN AMERICA

Female circumcision was legal in the United States until 1996, and even Blue Cross Blue Shield Covered the costs as a part of the insurance coverage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ORnf1BiL38c

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a harmful traditional practice that involves the removal of part or all of the female genitalia.  The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified FGM into 4 types:

1.    Clitoridectomy: partial or total removal of the clitoris and/or the prepuce

2.    Excision: partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora

3.    Infibulations: the most extreme form, the removal of all external genitalia and the stitching together of the two sides of the vulva

4.    Other: all other harmful procedures done to the female genitalia for nonmedical purposes, for example, pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterization

What are the health consequences of FGM?

FGM is generally performed without anesthetic, and can have lifelong health consequences including chronic infection, hemorrhage, and severe pain during urination, menstruation, and sexual intercourse. It could lead to complications during childbirth and increases the risk of newborn deaths. Women may also suffer psychological trauma as a result of being subjected to FGM. While anti-FGM advocates occasionally report cases of death as a direct or indirect result of FGM, there is no statistical data on how many girls die from the procedure.

FGM is recognized internationally as a human rights violation, torture and an extreme form of discrimination against women and girls.

Why is FGM performed?

To control women’s sexuality and to ensure virginity until marriage and fidelity in marriage.

To make a girl more acceptable in the community and increases her eligibility for marriage.

As a traditional rite of passage into adulthood.

FGM is associated with notions of being “feminine,” “modest,” “clean” and/or “beautiful.”

Various myths surround FGM in practicing communities, e.g. that the clitoris will grow into a penis if not cut, or that a baby will die if its head touches the clitoris during birth.

America’s Forgotten History of Female Circumcision

In the USA, while involuntary female circumcision never became routine like involuntary male circumcision became, it was promoted and done by some of the same doctors who were doing it to boys.

Clitoridectomy: Nineteenth Century Answer for Masturbation

http://www.nocirc.org/symposia/first/duffy.html

The following six excerpt quotes are from actual American medical journals:

“…that the girl who becomes irritable, disagreeable and hysterical may become charming, interesting and possessed of all feminine graces when her prepuce[clitoral hood] is forcibly peeled away from the glans of the clitoris, and we have made a distinct step forward in civilization…” [Is evolution trying to do away with the clitoris? Transactions of the American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Vol. 5, 1892, pp. 288-302]

http://www.historyofcircumcision.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=50&Itemid=68

“I for one have circumcised as many girls as boys, and always with happy results.” [Circumcision of Girls. Journal of Orificial Surgery, Vol. 7, July 1898, pp. 31-33]

“Many neuroses and even psychoses have their origin in pathological conditions of the hood of the clitoris.” [Circumcision in the Female: Its Necessity and How to Perform It. American Journal of Clinical Medicine, Vol. 22, No. 6, June 1915, pp. 520-523]

http://www.noharmm.org/CircintheFemale.htm

“Circumcision will relieve one of the greatest causes of masturbation” [Why not circumcise the girl as well as the boy? Texas State Journal of Medicine, Vol. 14, May 1918, pp. 17-19]

“The same reasons that apply for the circumcision of males are generally valid when considered for the female.” [Circumcision of the Female. General Practioner, Vol. 18 No. 3, September 1958, pp. 98-99]

http://www.noharmm.org/circumfemale.htm

“If the husband is unusually awkward or difficult to educate, one should at times make the clitoris easier to find[by amputating the clitoral hood].” [Female Circumcision: Indications and a New Technique General Practioner, Vol. 20, No. 3, September 1959, pp. 115-120]

http://www.noharmm.org/femcirctech.htm

Read the talking points on how FGC is un-Islamic and harmful:

http://www.wisemuslimwomen.org/images/uploads/WISE_Shura_Council_FGC_2-page_statement.pdf_.pdf

Read the Muslim Women’s Shura Council Full Report here:

http://www.wisemuslimwomen.org/pdfs/shura_council_fgc_digest.pdf

Learn about ASMA FGC elimination projects in Egypt:

http://www.wisemuslimwomen.org/currentissues/femalegenitalcutting/

The World Muslim Congress is committed to sharing and producing literature about the core values of Islam; Pluralism, Justice. www. WorldMuslimCongress.com

My mother, what a mother!

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I called up my brother Kalim today, the fourth one among four
brothers and a sister. He is physically not on par with the others, and
he could not even finish his high school either, despite all the sincere
efforts he made, it did not work out for him.

My mother
was super defensive about him, and perhaps I am too, since my father’s
death in 1977, and through early Nineties, I took care of the family,
then my youngest one took care of it until a few years ago. Many times
before her death, my mother had asked me to take care of Kalim- and that
was a promise I took seriously, always defensive about him, and always
ready to take care of him, and made sure no adverse decisions were made
in the family to affect him. My sister and I are like twins, never
fought in life, and always understood each other.  But the only time I
have fought with her to the point where she did not speak with me for 4
hours was defending Kalim on a silly thing.

Today, I
called him up, and said that the monies coming from the sale of our
Parents property this month, would completely free me from that promise
to mother. He is on his own now, with his kids making good monies as
well. It was such a relief to me; I don’t need to concern myself about
him anymore.

Then I suggested that a certain amount of
money be placed in fixed deposits in his name and his wife’s name – as a
security for old age, I would not be comfortable without it. Then he
said – Mother has already done that…. My first response was, oh mother, I
thought I was not sending enough money, but here you are, doing the
right thing, taking care of the one who needed most.  Mother I salute
you, I wish I could have said that, when you were alive!  Thank you.
Amma.

Mike Ghouse
www.MikeGhouse.net

Examples of pluralism poetry in Hindi and Urdu

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Thanks for the inquiries and clarifications about pluralism theme – let me sum up my work of 20 years, “If we can learn to respect the otherness of others, and accept the genetic uniqueness of each one of the 7 billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.” Pluralism is simply an attitude.   
Some samples of poetry thus far;
I would encourage you to write on different issues where our attitudes determine the   pluralistic attitudes of acceptance of the other. Pluralism is not limited to religion, it is applicable in social, cultural, food, clothing, and linguistic, nationalistic, and ethnic aspects of life. Let’s face them with an attitude of an acceptable solution without aggravating the situation, and instead of keeping inside and poisoning the blood, lets discuss them in poetry format.
  • Naheed Shad’s poetry is going to be focusing on samajik issues, and I am pleased to hear that. It would be a breath of fresh air.
  • Ravi Kumar has included “bhook” in his poem ( this would be a good format – roman English and Hindi/Urdu- to benefit all readers – we request the poets to write the roman english in their own words, as others may mess it up).
saaraa aalam hee rotaa ho, jab bhookha koi sotaa ho 
सारा आलम ही रोता हो, जब भूखा कोई सोता हो
  • Taj Hashmi wrote on universality of righteousness
     Sab ke chhatoN par aur kehtoN meiN pani barsata hai 
Khuda Woh to yeh nahiN poochhta, “Tu ne mujhey aaj  yaad kiya hai ya nahiN”?
When He showers rain, it happens on every rooftop, no garden is out of its way
God never asks the silly question: “Did you remember me today?”
  •  Shah Alam Asar writes,
Pandito, Rahibo, Mullao meri baat suno
Ibne Adam hain sabhi, Farq jatate kion ho

(It’s a good take on Vasudhaiva Kutumbukum – the whole world is one family, what does it matter to prove the differences?)

  • Saeed Qureshi concludes his poem
Mazhabi azadiyaan, ilm o masawat o amal
so taraqqi yafta qoumon ka a ayeen hai.
( freedom of religion, equality are the hallmarks of progressive societies)
15 More poems on their way!
CULTURAL PLURALISM

Some of us may have bias towards skirts, sarees, shalwar kameez, dhoti, Arab gear, pagdi, hat, topi, Hijab, pallu….does the bias contribute towards a well functioning society? Applying pluralism means – accepting each custom as unique, but not inferior or superior. You wear and feel good about your skirt, and I feel good about my Saree.  Humility builds bridges and arrogance destroys the relationships.

FOOD PLURALISM 

If you like Gulab Jamun and I like Ras Gulla – would we listen to a dietician, nutritionist, doctor, scientist, food connoisseur or any one –  if they say Gulab Jamun is better than Ras Gulla? You probably would  say – Chal, hut, bhaag yahaan say! 

LINGUISTIC PLURALISM

Back in Bangalore in the late 60’s – people have killed each other on the silliest of things – it is the size of the  cut out  pictures of Dr. Raj Kumar, Kannada film actor and M.G. Ramachandran, his counterpart in Tamil films. The fans were vying with each other to build the taller cut out for their idol – they went from 25 feet and all the way upto to 60 feet tall, rioting was common – all they had to learn was Raj Kumar means everything to the Kanndigas and MGR means everything to the Tamilians, so what?

PLURALISM IN BEAUTY
Because I am a guy, I am sharing my perspective – in college days we argued vehemently over who is more beautiful; Hema Malini, Waheeda Rahman or Rekha. We kept forgetting that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,  and we would have saved the anger and a mukka – two of them become bitter towards each other, they were trying to force each other to believe either Hema or Waheeda was more beautiful. I said, so what you cannot even get an audience with them – Those guys envy me,  I had the luxury of sitting and talking with both the most beautiful women of India, and I was in hog heaven!
PLURALISM WITH SPOUSE

Please note, I will not use the language pluralism with wife – spouse means either wife or husband and in no particular order, as neither is above the other. Does it bother you that your spouse wears a dark green suit (male or female)? Is that a source of conflict every time you go out?  Why do we have to push the other to wear what we want,  and wear what is not comfortable to them… let them wear and be happy. A happy companion is better than the grouchy one waiting to get even.

Pluralism is simply an attitude – necessary to keep the conflicts in every aspect of life to a low level.
PLURALISM IN HINDI AND URDU
I attended the meeting at Urdu Ghar tonight, and I just could not believe the environment of pluralism there…   I am a life member of the International Hindi Association, a great secular organization, and I was looking for a similar secular and a pluralistic organization in Urdu – eureka, I found it.  I will write more about it.

We were working on finding a word in Urdu for pluralism –  many words were considered, but most of them agreed on the word “Bahimiyat” proposed by Dr. Amer Suleman, and now its his turn to explain Bahimiyat in a quartet or a full Nazm as an introduction in the program – like wise, the word Anekant vaad does not fully represent the breadth of the word Pluralism, and Anand has floated Anekta may ekta… we need another word to fully describe pluralism,  and I ask Anand Punjabi to write a quartet as an introduction or we ask  Nishi, Sushila jee, Fateh or Chini Saheb propose and write multiple words.
There was a good song in a film called “Do Kaliyan” which talks about dropping the Urdu-Hindi ka Jhagda – if you have time, it is a good song- by my mentor Kavi Sahir Ludhianavi.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQuBmwOUFpU
Please feel free to call me or any one of our team members – you can text me and give me the time to call back.  (214) 325-1916. I have a perfect record of returning every call and every email that asks me a question despite the amount of emails and calls I receive.
We are looking for someone to sponsor tea/soda/ pakora/samosa…. And some funding for producing the book – you can contribute from 50-500, all funds will be accounted and listed. You can go to: http://americatogetherfoundation.com/donate/




Thank you.

Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916/ text

……. Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel,India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. 

Texas Faith: What does it mean to be an American?

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Dallas Morning News – What does it mean to be an American.

To
this immigrant American, the word American has always conjured up the
image of my dear friend and father figure for over 36 years; Dadski Lt.
Everett A. Blauvelt, USNR and a WW II Veteran (1916-2013) buried at the
US National Cemetery in Grand Prairie. On his 97th birthday this
January, we asked him to share the biggest lesson of his life – and his
instant response was, “to mind my own business” shaking his head on
every word.  Indeed, to be American is to mind our own business, and yet
be compassionate and caring for fellow beings like Dadski.

Continued: http://nabsites.net/demo/texas-faith-what-does-it-mean-to-be/



Texas Faith : What does it mean to be an American today? 
Dallas Morning News | Published on June 11, 2013
By Bill McKenzie  
 
 
This question is more than an academic one. It goes to the heart of the immigration debate that is growing hot in the Senate this month. 

The Senate is debating a reform bill that could come up for a vote by July 1. A part of that legislation focuses on institutions that help immigrants become part of American society. I recently wrote a column about this aspect of the bill, which you can read at this link.

http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/columnists/william-mckenzie/20130513-william-mckenzie-senate-bill-would-help-immigrants-join-the-mainstream.ece

Tamar Jacoby of Immigration Works USA has written extensively about the concept of assimilation. As she has pointed out, what it means to be an American today is vastly different from what it meant in, say, the 1950s. 

Almost a decade ago, Jacoby wrote this:

We may need a new definition, or new understanding of assimilation — a definition that makes sense today, in an era of globalization, the Internet, identity politics, niche advertising and a TV dial that offers a choice among a hundred or more different channels.

“Even as they live out the melting pot myth, today’s immigrants and their children are searching for new ways to think and talk about it, and together, they and the rest of the nation face the challenge of updating the traditional ideal.”

For more of her essay, see this link: http://www.manhattan-institute.org/meltingpot/html/part_1.pdf

I would say we still are searching for an update for that ideal, including how immigrants become part of the mainstream without losing their ethnic identity.

This is obviously hard work. As our society becomes more diverse, America develops a broader and richer culture. At the same time, nations depend upon some common core of values, beliefs and identity to hang together. And that requires some kind of definition of what it means to be an American. 

So, how would you define being an American today?

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas, and Speaker on interfaith matters, diversity and pluralism

 To be an American means to be free to live my life as I choose but with a responsibility to the common core values that enhance the safety of my fellow Americans. All it takes is to follow the rule of law to contribute towards a cohesive environment for everyone, one in which we function effectively when we understand that my freedom hinges on the freedom of people around me.

To this immigrant American, the word American has always conjured up the image of my dear friend and father figure for over 36 years; Dadski Lt. Everett A. Blauvelt, USNR and a WW II Veteran (1916-2013) buried at the US National Cemetery in Grand Prairie. On his 97th birthday this January, we asked him to share the biggest lesson of his life – and his instant response was, “to mind my own business” shaking his head on every word.  Indeed, to be American is to mind our own business, and yet be compassionate and caring for fellow beings like Dadski.

America is God’s own country and a microcosm of everything God has created in the universe from her geography, seasons, resources, people and diversity from sea to the shining sea. To be an American is to be in tune with our land.  

Our land is represented by native as well as immigrant Americans of every race, nationality, ethnicity, language, culture and religion. We see God as one, none and many, and in every form, male, female, genderless, existent and non-existent, being and a non-being, nameless and with innumerable names, yet what unites us is the idea of all men are created equal and every man has the right to his life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. 

Assimilation means being a part of the whole with our own unique identity. It does not mean we have to give up anything, or be not who we are not. Yet, it means we can choose to enjoy and celebrate the civic holidays together, respect each other, work together, drive on the same roads, uphold our constitution, defend and serve the nation together and mind our own food, drink, clothing, housing, beliefs and life style.  

Indeed, the phrase conservative American will take on a new avatar, it would mean minding our own business without messing with anyone else’s life-style. It amounts to learning to respect the otherness of others and accepting the God given uniqueness of each one of the 318 million Americans for the common core values of safety and well being of all.

…..
…….
Mike Ghouse is a
speaker,
thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to
building a Cohesive
America and offers
pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and has done that
throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on national and local
TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on
Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to
the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning
News; fortnightly at Huffington
post; and
several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes his work through many links.