Texas Faith: How to balance compassion with justice in the immigration debate?

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As the Jewish scriptures say Ve’ahavta la’ger, you must love the stranger to remove the sense of discomfort in him….. Justice is the ultimate truth in preserving trust in a given society, for the society to function cohesively and effectively. Compassion is part of the equation in achieving sustainable outcomes.

Continued: http://nabsites.net/demo/texas-faith-how-to-balance-compassion/

Texas Faith: How to balance compassion with justice in the immigration debate?

by Wayne Slater, Dallas, Morning News/ Published 3:58 pm on February 26,2013

Courtesy Dallas Morning News

Conservative evangelicals have become unlikely allies in pressing for the establishment of a path to legal status and citizenship for 11 million undocumented residents. We published a story about that last week. People of faith have long been an integral part of the immigration debate. But it’s the increased involvement of conservative evangelicals with unquestioned social-conservative credentials that is worth noting as Congress and the White House consider immigration reform. Groups like the Evangelical Immigration Forum have sought to bring together a diverse coalition around the biblical injunction to welcome the stranger.

Wilshire Baptist Senior Pastor George Mason, a Texas Faith panel member, was quoted in the story:“Circumstances culturally and politically have thrown evangelicals back on their biblical authority, to ask what does the Bible really say about this. There may be lots of political positions that differ on how we accomplish it, but they want to be on the side of God in their minds. Otherwise, they feel they will be in some way accountable to God for their failure to be obedient.”

But what does the Bible say about immigration? The Bible does encourage kindness toward the outsider and the alien. But it also specifically says we are to follow the laws and obey civil authority. Millions of immigrants have broken the law. And we are a nation of laws.

At the heart of the political debate over immigration is the tension we often find in Scripture between justice and compassion. How do we reconcile that tension? How do faith-based people in a civil society do what’s both moral and just? Can we be both fair and right? Or do policy debates like immigration inevitably force us to take sides between two competing views — both of which make claims in our faith?

Considering the debate over immigration, what does your faith say about bridging justice and compassion?


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

Compassion is the means to Justice, and justice is the ultimate truth in preserving trust in a given society to function cohesively and effectively.

As a nation we quietly followed the ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ attitude with the undocumented workers because it suited us in boom times to meet the infrastructure needs of the 90’s. Now that we face unemployment, we are ready to throw them out, how disgustingly selfish could we be? It mocks our own sense of justice to deprive them and their children of the roots they have established here with our consent. The just thing to do is close the border first, and then offer amnesty to them as President Obama has proposed.

Here is an example of bridging justice and compassion in Islam: The 2nd Caliph of Islam Umar was known for Justice. He refused to punish a thief, as he saw that the state fell short of the responsibility to create a society where the man did not have to steal food to feed his kids, the very basic needs of life. He also removed the Christian ban on Jews to pray in Jerusalem in 638 AD after he conquered the City, the prevalent laws were no justice to him that deprived Jews to pray in what they believed.

Religion has been used, misused and abused to suit our lust for power. As a moderate Republican, I welcome the change of hearts among hard core Republicans with caution. Mason is right, “they want to be on the side of God” and I must add, hope they are sincere and not using God to gain new voters to get back in power to push their beliefs onto others.

The Bible, Quran and most of the scriptures say spread the good word to the four corners of the world. Mark 16:15, ‘Go into the entire world and proclaim the good news’ to the whole creation. Jesus, Moses, Krishna or Muhammad did not have political boundaries to worry about immigration. Do we follow them?

As the Jewish scriptures say Ve’ahavta la’ger, you must love the stranger to remove the sense of discomfort in him. Indeed, it is obligatory in all religions to greet the stranger and welcome him with a Salaam, Shalom, Peace, Namaste and other greetings. The long term security of the world comes through generosity and caring about others.

To read contributions of all the 14 panelists go to:
http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/2013/02/texas-faith-how-to-balance-compassion-with-justice-in-the-immigration-debate.html/ 

My 4 minutes Speech on Immigration Reforms:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrjU0KULv-Y
…

 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.

LGBT Panel discussion at UNT- University of North Texas

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The LGBT Panel was organized by Dr. Mark Vosovik, head of the LGBT studies at University of North Texas in Denton on Tuesday, February 26, 2013 between 6:30 and 9:30 PM. 

The panlelist were listed as follows:

Mike Ghouse, World Muslim Congress

Rabbi Geoffrey Dennis, Jewish Congregation Ami Kol,
Rev. Jo Hudson, Senior Pastor United Church of Christ
Rev. Jeff Hood, Evangelical Preacher
Rev. Peter Johnson, Southern Christian Leadership
Dr. Sinivasan Srivilliputhur (Hinduim) Professor of Engineering at UNT

Rev. Jo Hudson was the only member on the panel representing the LGBT community, the rest were Non-LGBT members of the community. 

Panelists: Srivilliputhur, Dennis, Ghouse, Hudson, Johnson and Hood

The program was videotaped, so you can hear the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Meanwhile, the program entailed each panelist speaking for 15 minutes about who they were, their stand on LGBT, the scriptural stand, and the future of the societies followed by Questions from the audience.

The program was satisfying in the context, every one was comfortable with their take, and fortunately none of the panelists were biased towards Gay and Lesbians.

My talking points

What does God want?
Humans v Animals –horns v
Balanced creation
Freedom
Individual responsibility and accountability
Society’s responsibility toward individuals who mess up the society
Society’s responsibility towards individuals who mind their own faith
God loves us all.

This is my 2nd panel discussion on the issue.
There is a need to understand the wisdom of the compassionate creator
than the tyrant God we make him out to be. What the scriptures command
us to do is to respect the sanctity of
life that God gave us all. In a smaller pond, God is smaller and in the
ocean, he is boundless, it is up to us how we see him, her or it. 

Most Muslims that I know are like myself, however my acceptance of LGBT as a normal expression of sexuality is not shared by most Muslims, just as the Majoritarian views of Christians and Jews. 

As Muslims we cannot shut ourselves out of the society; we need to be a part of
it. If our youth aspire to lead the nation in the future, we had better learn
about our society, rather than earning the label of a bigot like Santorum, Cain,
Perry, Huckabee or Bachman.  Please note that I am a Republican myself, a moderate one driven by reason and rationality.

I am also a moderate Muslim driven by common sense. I was born and raised as a Muslim and chose to become an Atheist for nearly 30 years. In the late nineties, I was flipping through the pages of Bhagvad Gita, as I did with all the holy books, and got hit by a verse, ” finding the truth is one’s own responsibility”. Then I was on a journey to find the truth, it meant purging all the positives and negatives I had learnt about Islam, and starting all over with skepticism. Nothing to me in life is beyond question. So I became a Muslim just around 9/11, thanks to Bhagvad Gita’s wisdom, Karen Armstrong books and a few other incidents. I chose Islam not because it is superior to any faith, but because I was familiar with it and took the time to critically examine it,  and its pluralism aspect appealed to me. I could have been a Hindu, Buddhist, Christian or a Jew, all are valid paths to me.  

God is nothing but a system that binds the universe together and keeps it
functioning with built-in anomalies like Tsunamis and meteorites and collusion.

There was a time people were killed for saying earth
was round, treating a dying person with medicine was a sin…. we have come a
long ways and we will do so with the GLBT acceptance.

113 Chapters of the Quran begin with the words God
is merciful and Kind, these are the most recited words- Meaning, that is the
highest value we can place on this energy. Like a mother, he has allowance for
all the things that we mess up – the entire world is created in a self
balancing system.. if we mess it up, we are responsible for it. Messing up equates
to disturbing the balance – like stealing, murdering or raping against free
will.

Did you see the recent picture – a mother dog
brought 12 puppies from a house on fire, each one, risking her life. God is
like that…because we are his creation. OK, take God as the source of
creation, or the cause of the big bang or cause of that amoeba’s existence.

Humans are born with
a free will and there should not be any compulsion on any one to believe
otherwise. 

Morgan Davis | Dr. Mark Vosvik

To be completed later …………..

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 Americaand 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 onSean 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 atHuffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal sitewww.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links. 

Testimony of Mike Ghouse on Native American heritage Day

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Note: I was to speak at the state capital, but got up late thing morning with severe headache and flu and runny noes and missed the time to be in Austin. I really regret this, this is my first down in 7 years and I cannot believe it happens on such an important date. I thank Peggy Larney to read the testimony in my behalf.

TESTIMONY OF MIKE GHOUSE
To be read at State Capital in support  of the Native American Heritage Day
 URL – http://nabsites.net/demo/testimony-of-mike-ghouse-on-native/

As an American committed to building a cohesive America, where every American feels an integral part of the society, with no apprehension, discomfort or fear the other, it is my duty to support the H.B. No. 174, a bill to create the Native American Heritage day.

Every community, nation and the tribe has a day dedicated to honor that community. It is a day, on which the community comes together and celebrates it with fellow members of the society at large, it builds a sense of community and a sense of belonging and is a source of self esteem and recognition.

We are God’s own country; we are blessed with every race, nationality, ethnicity, language, culture and religion. We see God as one, none and many and in every form; male, female, genderless and non-existent, being and non-being, nameless and with innumerable names.  We are committed to preserve this pluralistic heritage of America.

As Texans, it is our duty to uplift each other, so together we have a peaceful cohesive society where we are no strangers exist. If we can learn to respect the otherness of others and accept the God given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

This day, the Native American Heritage day is long overdue, with great humility we need to approve this bill and celebrate the heritage of fellow Native American Texans.


Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916
SpeakerMikeGhouse@gmail.com
2665 Villa Creek Dr, Suite 206
Dallas, TX 75234

……. 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.

Muslim Intrafaith Dialogue at Boniuk Center, Rice University

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 MUSLIMS TOGETHER IN HOUSTON

Thursday, February 21, 2013. 

This was the first of its kind Intra-faith Dialogue between Ahmadiyya, Sunni, Shia and WD Muhammad Groups of Muslims.  This dialogue is not an effort to reconcile the differences, or finding convergence, it was merely to begin a process of sharing where we agree or disagree, and honestly acknowledging our differences without judgment. The panel made every effort not to appease any one, but to state their own position politely in a genuine dialogue without ever considering the other opinion to be anything less. It was not an effort to convert the other, but rather our struggle (jihad) to understand each other genuinely. Precedence to this effect was set up by the man himself; Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), some of which I shared last night.  

Ghouse. Dr. Shaikh, Al-Qazwini, Pardee, Ali, Haneef, Motley
CLICK ON PIC TO SEE A LARGER VERSION
I am pleased to express my gratitude to Dr. Milton and Laurie Boniuk, Chairperson, Executive Director Michael Pardee and coordinator BJ Smith of the Boniuk Center. Dr. David Leebron, President of Rice University, and Sabrina Motley, Director of Asia Society. 

Thank you for sponsoring the first of its kind dialogue among Muslims themselves, the outcome and the tone of the dialogue was very encouraging. I also thank Dr. Basheer and Dr. Saleha Khumwalla for hosting the intra-cultural dinner.


Dr. Boniuk, your center, Rice University and Asia Center have unleashed an initiative that will grow and give hopes for a better world, a world where a fellow Muslim or a human need not be  uncomfortable, apprehensive or afraid of the other. Indeed, it is small step for Muslims, but a giant leap for mankind. Your enthusiasm for Intra-faith Dialogue among Muslims is one the most critical efforts in centuries, and we appreciate it.

This program would not have been successful without Michael Pardee’s dedication; he relentlessly pursued this until the job was done executed perfectly. It was not an easy thing to bring diverse people together, congratulations Mike.

Of course, the success hinged on our guests who attended the event to a packed house, they participated with silence, applause and questions, and hopefully have walked away with a hope that there is a reason to believe that the efforts like this will bear fruit.  I cannot thank enough to our Panelists, Imam Azhar Haneef, Imam Wazir Ali, Imam Moustafa al-Qazwini and Imam Dr. Zia Shaikh for responding to some of the toughest questions with grace, precision, fullness and within the given time.

The only thing I wish different was time allotted for the program; I wish it was two hours. But, on the other hand, I am happy that due to time limitation, a good foundation is laid and a good tone is set up for Dialogue-II as a progression, and setting up a model for similar conversations elsewhere.

The Department of State has listed me as a stop to dialogue with visiting Scholars, Imams, Ministries and Religious men and women from North Africa, Middle East, Central Asia and China. Our interactive conversation on Pluralism and interfaith is usually set for 4 hours and over the last ten years, I must have exchanged or taught Pluralism to over 100 such men and women, and indeed the Saudi Interfaith Dialogue was seeded here in Dallas. I must report to you, that the programs have been as exciting as our program on the 21st, they are as much tuned into Pluralism as we are here, but yet, their message has not reached their masses, no media has given coverage to such great things. Where is the gap? And what are we missing? There is a disconnect somewhere and we need to work on it in Asia, particularly in Pakistan, Iraq, Bangladesh and India.

This dialogue by no means was an effort to reconcile the differences, or finding convergence, it was merely to share where we agree and honestly acknowledge our differences without judgment. The panel has made every effort not to appease any one, but to state their own position politely in a genuine dialogue without ever considering the other opinion to be anything less. It was not an effort to convert the other, but rather our inner struggle (jihad) to understand each other genuinely. Precedence to that effect was set up by the man himself; Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), some of which I shared last night. 

Indeed, we lived up to what a real dialogue ought to be per Rabbi Gordis, “Dialogue only has meaning if it respects the autonomy of the other; absent that respect we have monologue.”

Your input for Dialouge-II in the comment section below would be appreciated, we are all in this together. If you write a fine short statement, we will include it in one of the articles in the coming months.

THE PROGRAM

Sabrina Motley, Director of the Asia Society and Michael Pardee, Executive Director of the Boniuk Center shared the visions of their respective organizations.

The Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance at Rice “is dedicated to nurturing tolerance among people of all and no faiths, especially youth, and to studying the conditions in which tolerance and intolerance flourish.  Their mission is to understand the conditions that make peaceful coexistence possible and to promote these conditions locally, nationally and throughout the world.”

Asia Society has a similar mission, “Asia Society is the leading educational organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders and institutions of Asia and the United States in a global context. Across the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, the Society provides insight, generates ideas, and promotes collaboration to address present challenges and create a shared future.”

Together, the Boniuk Center and the Asia Society have facilitated meaningful inter-faith and intra-faith dialogue series to promote understanding from within the diverse family of faiths and with other faiths. Indeed, they have had meaningful dialogue within the Christian and Jewish traditions, and now they are extending the opportunity to the Islamic tradition. 

Please note, it was not easy to put this program together, as Michael Pardee mentioned earlier. 25 Imams were invited, and only four decided to address the issue and not pass the buck on to the next generation. Indeed, these are the denominations that have most of the conflicts, particularly between Sunni, Shia and Ahmadiyya. Although WD Muhammad tradition is Sunni, their presence is critical, as WD Muhammad is the first one in America to start the interfaith Dialogue and rightfully called America’s Imam. They do not have the conflicts with any group as others have,  and their embrace is larger than others and we look up to them for guidance.  

Mike Ghouse, the moderator begins the program with greetings in a few religious traditions. May we be drenched and soaked in peace, and together, let’s hope to produce peaceful outcomes.

Greetings of Salaam, Shalom, Peace, Satsriakal, Namaste, Alla-abho, Hamazor Hama ashobed, Buddha Namo and wishes in every possible way known to mankind.(The meaning of greetings at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo3a8wX6SXQ)


Tonight’s program is Unique and first of its kind, there have been efforts, but not a serious conversation like the one we are holding tonight. We have about an hour of dialogue followed by Q & A. We will do our best to cover a few topics that will subtly serve as a foundation for this process of mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill.

We realize this is a pilot project, the first of its kind dialogue in the United States. We, the panelists and the moderator take the responsibility seriously to lay the best possible foundation for future dialogue, and Boniuk Center becomes the guiding light. Again thanks for Mike Pardee
My role as a moderator of the event is to set the tone of the dialogue and shape the outcome of the conversation.  The outcome will stand on respecting the otherness of the other and accepting the uniqueness of each tradition without judgment. The most important aspect of this process is to have the panelists respond to the questions asked precisely, fully and within two minutes.
We will address the issues with grace, and the civility that Prophet Muhammad had advocated.
Sura Fatiha Recitation by Hafiz-e-Qur’an Mr. Khamanwalla.
Islam is a universal faith that has embraced every race, ethnicity, language and culture. Indeed, the Quran opens with gratitude to the lord of the universe and ends addressing the whole humanity as well.

Yet, at this precise juncture in history, the Ahmadiyya Muslims are persecuted in Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh, and the Shia Muslims are harassed and killed in Pakistan daily, and oppressed in Bahrain, Iraq and other places. The Sunnis are facing severe challenges in Syria as well.  These developments are getting worse by the day and there is a need for a way out. I hope our dialogue will be a small step in that direction, a gift from the Asia Society.

Dialogue; indeed, this is a dialogue. I am pleased to Quote Rabbi Gordis, one of my mentors in the art of dialogue, he was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York, in 1964
“Dialogue only has meaning if it respects the autonomy of the other; absent that respect we have monologue. True conversation may uncover areas of convergence but is most important in helping to understand areas of divergence. The question for participants is: Is that divergence threatening or problematical or it can be a source of enlightenment and enrichment by broadening the perspectives and insights on the experience of being human that one gains from one’s own religious tradition.”
Dialogue requires active listening, and responding to the issue with the intention of mitigating conflict, we must continuously avoid going into different directions, if we need clarity to our positions.
Sura Kafirun in Qur’an is my guidance to conduct civil dialogue. In this Chapter (Sura) the Qur’an addresses the believers (in other systems) in the most dignified way, putting everyone on par without putting anyone down. It is an exceptional example of civil conduct for one to follow. Nowhere in this chapter has it claimed the faith of Muslims to be superior and other’s to be inferior.

This chapter is about consciously nurturing civility in societies. It is not about overlooking the differences and focusing on commonalities, it is simply about accepting the otherness of other. You are who you are and I am who I am and let’s figure out how we can co-exist with the least tensions.

Prophet Muhammad’s example served the foundation for Pluralism; he taught how to respect the otherness of others without having to agree with the other.

Briefly the peace treaty between the Quraish of Mecca and the Muslims of Medina was ready for signature, the terms were all agreed upon. However, the representative of Quraish Mr. Suhayl Ibn Amr looks at the signature line and objects to the name of the other signatory written as Muhammad, the Prophet of God. He blunts, you are not the prophet of God…… you can imagine the scenario of Prophet’s associates feeling angered for such a blasphemous statement, but the Prophet did something amazing. He asked Hazrat Ali to redo the name as Muhammad son of Abdullah, Ali refused, and most would too, so the prophet erased the part “prophet of God” and had inscribed “son of Abdullah” the deal was signed. (A few Muslims who believe in blasphemy laws need to study this phenomenon)

The point is Prophet respected the otherness of the other, without compromising on the principles, he knew Suhayl ibn Amr did not believe him to be the prophet of God, but believed him to be truthful and trustworthy man, and knew him as Son of Abdullah. The key lesson is to learn to respect the otherness of the other in prophetic tradition. Prophet’s work was mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill.

(Not included in the talk but worth a serious dialogue  among Christians and Muslims about  the persona of Jesus, a source of original conflict between the two groups that began in AD 957 by a Syrian Pastor who declared, “Quran is a false book written by a false prophet” because Jesus is described as a prophet in Quran, and not the God incarnate as written in the Bible – this statement must have been repeated a million times and we held a full blown conference on the topic – The second issue that is the source of conflict between the Jews and Christians was the false, but a propagated notion that Jews were Christ Killers)  
The first interfaith dialogue in the US was established by America’s imam Warith Deen Muhammad, although Ahmadiyya Muslims have taken steps in the direction sine establishing their mission in1929.

This dialogue by no means was an effort to reconcile the differences, or finding convergence, it was merely to begin a process of sharing where we agree, and honestly acknowledging our differences without judgment. The panel has made every effort not to appease any one, but to state their own position politely in a genuine dialogue without ever considering the other opinion to be anything less. It was not an effort to convert the other, but rather our struggle (jihad) to understand each other genuinely. Precedence to this effect was set up by the man himself; Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), some of which I shared last night.
Our esteemed Imams will now establish how to deal with the issue and what makes one a Muslim and who sets the theological boundaries and its impact on generational differences? Is there a need for reform and what should be the focus in building cohesive Societies within and without?
By nature religions are conservative, and hold on to the values passed on for generations. By all means feel free to be yourselves! No need to appease or no need to denigrate the other.
 Please take a minute or less to sum up about your tradition,
Please recite the verse 2:148 and explain what is good work, and what does “God has the power to will anything” mean?

 (Asad) for, every community faces a direction of its own, of which He is the focal point. [123] Vie, therefore, with one another in doing good works. Wherever you may be, God will gather you all unto Himself: for, verily, God has the power to will anything.

What is good work?
What is the key issue that you hear about each one or anyone that makes you think they are less of a Muslim or no Muslim
Panelists can respond if the differences are worth mentioning.

Please explain verse 2:62, once again what does it mean to lead a righteous life?

[2:62] surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the converts; anyone who (1) believes in GOD, and (2) believes in the Last Day, and (3) leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.

What makes one a Muslim and who sets the theological boundaries?
Has living in America affected the outlook and separation of culture and religion? What does the next generation think about these differences?
Dr. Boniuk’s objective was to explore what Muslim organizations are out there that can bring these groups on a common platform. What does it take to heal and to come together and what does it take to create peaceful societies?
Asia Society is working on this objective and what can we do about Asia, where nearly 2/3rds of Muslim live, and nearly 75% of them live under the light of democracy. What are the solutions to what is happening in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Indonesia… about the intra-faith conflict, what needs to be done there?  The Ahmadiyya and Shias are persecuted, harassed and being killed, what does it take to stop it?  
What are you willing to do? What can you do? What each one of the Muslim can do, what are the simple step. (Due to time constraints I did not mention what we are doing – for the last three years during Ramadan, a few of us are visiting Mosque a day to break the fast (Iftaar) without skipping any denomination, and are make an effort to visit different mosques for Friday (Juma) sermons).
For the responses, we will wait for the video and the transcripts, meanwhile, if you the reader have viable answers, please share in the comments section below.

This dialogue is a small step for the Muslim kind, but a giant leap for humanity. I hope it will encourage more dialogue and full day conferences with a single goal; mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill, the theme in every action of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

… The organizers, the Imams, much of the audience I talked with, and I have walked out with the satisfaction of producing a worthwhile dialogue for us to ponder and take the necessary steps to advance conflict mitigation and goodwill nurturence.
r-l: Dr. David Leebron, Laurie Boniuk and Dr. Milton Boniuk
Dr. Zia Shaikh, Moustafa Al-Qazwini, Azhar Haneef, Wazir Ali
Mike Ghouse in the background
Referenced links:

  Referenced links:

  1. This report – Muslim intrafaith Dialouge
    http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/02/muslim-intrafaith-dialogue-by-boniuk.html
  2. Houston Chronicle about Intra-faith Dialogue http://nabsites.net/demo/muslim-intra-faith-dialogue-in-houston/
  3. Rice Center’s Report of the event
    http://news.rice.edu/2013/02/22/commonalities-in-focus-at-rare-intrafaith-dialogue-on-islam/
  4. Quran on how to conduct civil dialogue
     http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2008/07/sura-kafirun-un-believers.html
  5. Rabbi Gordis on Conducting a dialogue 
    http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/02/religious-dialogue-basics.html
  6. Saudis, Interfaith and Pluralism
    http://pluralismcenter.blogspot.com/2013/01/saudis-interfaith-and-pluralism.html
  7. Warith Deen Muhammad appreciation week in Dallas
    http://nabsites.net/demo/wd-muhammad-appreciation-week-in-dallas/
  8. Criticism of Prophet, God and Quraan
    http://nabsites.net/demo/criticism-of-islam-prophet-muhammad/
  9. Pluralism Greetings in
    Chicagohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo3a8wX6SXQ

  10. Mitigating conflicts and
    nurturing goodwill.

    http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/01/mission-of-world-muslim-congress.html

  11. Standing up for Jews

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/standing-up-for-jews-gays_b_650167.html

  12. Ramadan Daily – visiting a Mosque
    a day for Iftaar

    www.RamadanDaily.com

     

  13. Full blown conference on Qur’an
    by Non-Muslim Clergyhttp://quraanconference.blogspot.com/2012/12/pastor-robert-jeffress-ignites-quraan.html

  14. Pluralism Speaker
    http://www.mikeghouse.net/InterfaithSpeaker_MikeGhouse.asp
  15. Muslim Speaker
    http://mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp
  16. My Curriculum Vitae
    http://mikeghouse.net/MikeGhouse-CV-09192012.pdf

……. 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: Should leaders love their country more than their souls?

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No
matter how much a president loves his country, justice should be the
core value to sustain the harmony and trust in societies and no compromise to be made.

URL- http://nabsites.net/demo/texas-faith-should-leaders-love-their/
 
Texas Faith: Should leaders love their country more than their souls?
By Bill McKenzie / Editorial Columnist
Dallas Morning News, Published on February 5, 2012

New York Times columnist David Brooks touches upon this theme in this essay. Here’s one excerpt:

“In
the real world, a great leader is called upon to create a civilized
order for the city he serves. To create that order, to defeat the forces
of anarchy and savagery, the virtuous leader is compelled to do hard
things, to take, as it were, the sins of the situation upon himself.

“The
leader who does good things cannot always be good himself. Sometimes
bad acts produce good outcomes. Sometimes a leader has to love his
country more than his soul.”

That’s pretty disturbing. Should a
leader really love his country more than his soul? If so, does that mean
country should come before faith?

To me, this is one of the more
challenging parts of the intersection of religion and politics. I would
love to hear your thoughts about whether leaders must on occasion love
their country more than their soul.

Fourteen panelists contributed to this forum, to read the contributions from all the panelists, please visit – http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/2013/02/texas-faith-should-leaders-love-their-country-more-than-their-souls.html/

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

Do
the means justify the end? Both the politicians and spiritual masters
have made those decisions and have justified their actions. But there is
always a price to be paid for all such actions, either in the moral
deprivation of the society or the long-term destruction of justice.

When
it comes to justifying the means, the Second World War always jumps out
at us, and we continue to justify the bombing of Hiroshima-Nagasaki
and, of course, Germany. Even the anti-war pacifists among us justify it
to save greater number of lives, and in particular preventing the
annihilation of Jews in the Holocaust. The Torah and Qur’an share this
wisdom, “Saving a life is like saving the whole humanity.” With a tag
that killing one is like killing the whole humanity, have we been able
to balance between the two?

President Lincoln balanced the need
to keep the nation together for the right purpose, and it was difficult
on him to justify the war. Indeed, he loved America more than his soul.
He could have listened to his advisers and not gone to war and lived his
life. But the America he envisioned, which we benefit from today,
justified the means.

The drone attacks in Pakistan are killing
innocent civilians and creating more hatred towards us than taking the
individual bad guys out. In that case, the end does not justify the
means and we must speak out against this nonsense.

The unjust
Bush war had its price, which we will continue to pay in terms of
carrying the spiritual burden of mass killings of the innocent and
destruction of the nations who had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks
on us. President Bush was a revenge-seeking machine rather than someone
who wanted justice.

Unfortunately, not all people feel that way,
but the torch bearers of the conscience will live through it and
question ourselves for not protesting the war that brought untold
miseries to others and us in terms of unemployment, foreclosures,
suicides among our soldiers and plain destruction of our nation.

Animals
settle their disputes by locking their horns or tearing each other
apart. Humans, instead, were endowed with the ability to dialogue and
bring resolutions to the conflict.

No matter how much a president
loves his country, justice should be the core value that sustains the
harmony and trust in societies.

Additional writing:

Of course, how many Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist leaders follow their religion?

Quran
condemns offensive war, and no one is to wage a war against the other,
unless it is in self-defense. The guidance even extends to the
individuals, when someone throws you out of your own home forcibly,
harasses you and your family, then you have a right to search, and
wherever you can find them on your property, you have a right to shoot
(American Terms) the invader and be not responsible for it. It further
adds, if the intruded begs for mercy, he should be given a chance, for
God loves those who forgive and create harmony in the society.

I
believe in the Reagan Doctrine, peace through strength, use the
strength to bring peace.  Animals settle their disputes by locking their
horns or tearing each other, humans were not given the horns to do the
same, and instead, they were endowed with the ability to dialogue and
bring resolutions to the conflict. Reagan did that successfully.

Post morteming the events, no matter how much a president loves his country, justice should be the core value.

 ……. 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. 

Muslim Intra faith dialogue in Houston

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Ken Chitwood of Houston Chronicle asked the following questions about the intra-faith dialogue in Houston and here are my responses to the questions;
INTRA-FAITH DIALOGUE BETWEEN
SUNNI, SHIA, AHMADIYYA AND WD MUHAMMAD DENOMINATIONS 


Describe the outline of the event at the Asia Society. Who will be involved? What is the schedule? What is the format? What is the expected outcome?

PROGRAM OUTLINE:

The Intrafaith Dialogue on Islam is a presentation of Boniuk Center’s Bridge-Builder Series to be held at the Asia Society Texas Center,1370 Southmore Blvd, Houston, Texas 77004 on Thursday, Feb. 21st. There will be a reception @ 6:30 P.M. and the event will start at 7:00 P.M. Registration required due to limited seating at – InfoDeskASTC@AsiaSociety.org

The event will be opened by Mike Pardee, the Executive Director of the Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance; he will introduce the officers of the Boniuk Center, Rice University and Asia Society.

The moderator Mike Ghouse, Religious and Cultural Pluralism Commentator, President of the Foundation for Pluralism and America Together Foundation will take the dialogue forward.  The event will be graced by a panel of four Imams representing four different traditions within Islam.

Imam Azhar Haneef, Vice President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of the US, Silver Spring, Maryland. Imam Wazir Ali, Masjid Warithud-Deen Mohammed and Masjid Al-Qur’an, Houston, Texas. Imam Moustafa al-Qazwini, Founding Director of the Islamic Education Center of Orange County, California, and Imam Dr. Zia Shaikh, Author and resident scholar of the Islamic Center of Irving, Texas.

This is an extraordinary event in the United States, if not the first, it certainly is a rare event of intra-faith dialogue among Muslims. Islam is a universal faith that has embraced every race, ethnicity, language, tradition and culture. Indeed, the Quran opens with gratitude to the lord of the universe and ends addressing the whole humanity as well in the last chapter. Our esteemed Imams will share about how they deal among themselves and with others. What makes one a Muslim and who sets the theological boundaries and its impact on generational differences? Is there a need for reform and what should be the focus in building cohesive Societies within and without?

We will touch upon the dynamics of Muslim societies here in the United States, as it resembles with the interactions within Asian societies. According to the latest Pew Survey 61.7 % of all Muslims reside in Asia and it behooves for the Asia Society to have a model dialogue to understand the dynamics.  Conflict within religious tradition is no news to the Jewish and Christian traditions, but how they accept each other is news.

We hope to close the event by 8:30 including a few questions and answers followed by refreshments for the attendees. Arrangement for nightly prayers called Isha is also made for Muslims who wish to join the prayers. 

WHO WILL BE INVOLVED?

The Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance at Rice “is dedicated to nurturing tolerance among people of all and no faiths, especially youth, and to studying the conditions in which tolerance and intolerance flourish.  Their mission is to understand the conditions that make peaceful coexistence possible and to promote these conditions locally, nationally and throughout the world.”

Asia Society has a similar mission, “?Asia Society is the leading educational organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders and institutions of Asia and the United States in a global context. Across the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, the Society provides insight, generates ideas, and promotes collaboration to address present challenges and create a shared future.”

Together, the Boniuk Center and the Asia Society have facilitated meaningful inter-faith and intra-faith dialogue series to promote understanding from within the diverse family of faiths and with other faiths. Indeed, they have had meaningful dialogue within the Christian and Jewish traditions, and now they are extending the opportunity to the Islamic tradition. 

 OUTCOME

This is a pilot project, first of its kind in the United States. The panelists and the moderator take this responsibility seriously,  and will lay the best possible foundation for future dialogue.

We hope to have consensus on a few issues, and acceptance of difreferences as well. The dialogue will be carried in the examples set by Prophet Muhammad, we will learn to respect the otherness of other and accept the uniqueness of each tradition with due respect.

You are a self-described “pluralist.” Explain that position in your own words…

A pluralist is someone who respects the otherness of others. Indeed, if we can learn to respect the otherness of others and accepts the God given uniqueness of each one of the seven billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge. In religious terms, pluralism is respecting every which way one appreciates or worships the creator.

Religion is about humility and not arrogance, humility builds bridges to create a better world, whereas arrogance is destructive and generates conflicts and resentment. After all God has not signed a deal with any one behind others back to claim superiority of one belief over the other. The purpose of religion is to bring peace to an individual and live in balance with what surrounds him or her; people and the environment.

My role as a moderator of the event is to facilitate the panelists to respond to the questions asked, and address some of the toughest issues with grace. We need to understand how cultural and generational nuances manifest themselves in various communities; the role of grace, fellowship, and forgiveness in their traditions; the effects of theological differences within family of faiths and if there is a need for reform, and what should be the focus?

 I will be invoking the practices of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in how he dealt with the conflict and refer to the ideals embedded in Chapter 109 of Qur’an that I teach in conducting a civil dialogue.

Why are you hosting this event?

This event is critical to setting the tone of dialogue among Muslims, and as a pluralist activist Muslim, who regularly interacts, speaks, writes and visits Mosques of every denomination with no prejudice, this is a God-given opportunity for me to moderate this event and I thank Michael Pardee for this opportunity.

I hope to educate, and motivate people in creating a cohesive environment to work, socialize and function effectively, and offer pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

The  deep commitment I have in building cohesive societies, where no human has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the fellow human is matched by my extensive work in inter and Intrafaith.   I have been teaching and conducting workshops on every religion including Atheism, have done 520 hours of radio talk show on every religion, and write weekly at Dallas Morning News and each one of the article weaves through at least three religions in a given article, I write regularly at Huffington post, and many periodical around the world. Additionally I have a strong presence on National and Local TV and Radio media.

My dream is to initiate a course and teach pluralism and co-existence, and a book is in the making as a text. Pluralism is our future, and as a futurist, based on the trends, I foresee, that two generations from now, we would be comfortable in saying, my religion, culture or life style is one of the many choices, and further down the road, a significant number will proclaim that my way of life is not superior or inferior to any.

By the end of 2020, there will not be a major work place in America or other places, where you will not find people of different faiths, cultures, ethnicities, races, nationalities
and social backgrounds working, eating, playing, marrying, and doing things together.
They will
consider ‘claiming superiority’ would be sheer arrogance and religion (a
major part of life to many) is believed to imbue humility that builds
societies, communities and nations in creating that elusive kingdom of
heaven where all of us can live  without apprehension or fear of the
other.
We need to prepare ourselves for those eventualities to prevent possible conflicts and lay a good foundation for nurturing goodwill and effective functioning of the societies.  Exclusive communities will become a thing of the past. (Foundation for Pluralism, Pluralism Center)

Being a Muslim, I am deeply committed to nurturing the pluralistic values embedded in Islam (World Muslim congress). The role of a Muslim is to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill, most people get that, a few don’t, just as with any other religious group.

 
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. 

 
What do you think Asian Muslims have to add to the general conversation regarding Islam in the U.S.? Texas? Globally?

Muslims like all humans are designed to be free; a majority of Muslims live in Asia and nearly 2/3rds of them live in democratic environments. They deeply believe in freedom of speech and pluralistic values taught in Qur’an and the prophet. They grew up in an environment where they interacted, went to school, worked with and inter-married Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and others. Respecting the otherness of others comes naturally to them.

Most Muslims feel Americans live a more Muslim life than Muslims in the Muslim majority nations. The biggest value is the sense of equality and humility imparted in every ritual aspect of Islam, which they see it practiced in America every day, even the president stands in the line to take his (hope her some day) food when he is with our soldiers. Justice is the other most important value to them and they love the American Justice system.

Muslims have much to contribute to the well being of the United States through the Islam they practice and of course, Texas has one of the largest Muslim populations in the United States.  The Asian Muslims have a great potential to affect the outcomes of the world in shaping pluralism and co-existence. The late Gus Dar of Indonesia, where the largest number of Muslims live, has done remarkable work in Pluralism, and his highness Aga Khan of the Ismaili Muslim community (predominantly Asian) has dedicated a center for pluralism in Canada. In the United States, Dr. Eboo Patel, and I, Mike Ghouse (both Asians) are relentlessly pursuing and nurturing pluralism and its value in building effective societies where no human has to live in apprehension or fear of the other.

 Why is such a conversation as this panel will be having timely?

At this precise juncture in history, the Ahmadiyya Muslims are persecuted in Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh, and the Shia Muslims are harassed and killed in Pakistan daily, and oppressed in Bahrain, Iraq and other places. The Saudis and Iranians are at odds and refer to each other as Shia and Sunni, Ahmedinejad was cautiously received in Egypt, and he was treated as an outsider. These developments are getting worse by the day and there is a need for a way out.

I am glad the Asia Society is living up to its mission, “generates ideas, and promotes collaboration to address present challenges and create a shared future.” Indeed Boniuk center is nurturing tolerance through these dialogues. I thank them for facilitating this. I am deeply committed to pluralism and have been working on it for the last twenty some years and it’s a joy for me to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill. Indeed that is how I have defined the role of Muslims at my other organization; world Muslim Congress.

This dialogue is a small step for the Muslim kind, but a giant leap for humanity. I hope it will encourage more dialogue and full day conferences with a single goal; mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill, the theme in every action of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

I hope this conversation becomes a catalyst for positive changes that the two organizations and the foundation for pluralism and world Muslim congress aspire to achieve. 

………………………………..

India’s unfinished social contract

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Indeed, the story is the same with most nations. Injustice will not go away; no matter how much we fake it, it builds up and is likely to erupt, engulfing everyone into its flames. In the end, everyone loses. The long-term security of a nation hinges on Justice and fairness (Dharma) to every Citizen.

As Indian Americans, we gripe about our limits in the society, and we do shout discrimination, we do scream when so many Indians were denied visas. We hate when a Guru, a student or a politician, is denied a visa to the United States. We have also carried huge discussions on Bobby Jindal and Nikki Haley, believing that because they converted to Christianity, they made it, and there is resentment.

These issues are not going to go away; they sit with us, not with all of us, though, but if someone attacks those attitudes, whoever can speak out for us, we become fans of such person. When I attacked Senator Williams and Pastor Jeffress for their ignorant comments about Hindus, I got massive support. Similarly, if a Hindu speaks out for Justice to others, he or she will be liked as well.

In the United States, resentment was building up in the ’50s with Rosa Park, Selma, Montgomery, and other incidents. The black panthers came into being; the situation would have exploded had it not been for the civil rights and equal opportunity acts led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Americans together quickly cured the explosive situation.

As Indians, we have to bring closure to many of the unfinished issues. Our language has to be inclusive, we should all have empathy towards the plight of others. Another Modi’s famous dialogue comes to my mind, “Tumhara khoon, khoon, aur hamara khoon Pani??

I am glad; we are a pluralistic democracy rather than an autocratic, monarchic, or dictatorial system where critical issues take time to resolve through consensus rather than imposition. Because of the nature of our governance, we have piled up unresolved conflicts that will take time to heal. Among them are; Sikh Genocide, Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi, Kashmiri Pundits, Gujarat Genocide, misogyny, and discrimination against the minorities as well as the majorities in schools and jobs. There are other issues, but my focus is on social issues.

HISTORIC INDIA

The old wounds like the Somnath destruction, indiscriminate killing of Hindus, forced conversions, Jaziya, Ghazwa-e-Hind, Mosques built over Temples have been simmering on the psyche of Hindu Indians. It was expressed during Gujarat, to show Muslims their place and to show Sikhs their place during the Sikh Genocide of 1984. We have allowed resentment to flourish towards each other, and the politicians have used us to have their gains. Yes, you and I both. We need to face things squarely and find sustainable solutions.

There is a need for a severe national dialogue where Muslim Indians disown those freaky kings who wreaked havoc on fellow Indian Hindus. Muslims need to disown Aurangzeb and Ghazni continuously. I seriously doubt if there is any Indian today who is a descendent of them or has inherited their loot. Today’s Muslims are not responsible for what the kings did. Indeed, most kings, whether Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Budh, or otherwise, have done their business to annex the next land, rob the rich, steal from the temples, and fill their coffers. Hindus, on the other hand, need freedom from that pain, and they need to realize that Muslims have nothing to do with what those kings did. We need a national declaration from Hindus and Muslims releasing each other from the past and together forge a new future, and continuously guard ourselves against falling into the old pit.

INDEPENDENT INDIA

Our constitution has flaws, and we need to make some amendments seriously. The Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists are categorized as Hindus. Even here on my Radio show in Dallas in 2002, a friend said Jainism was an offshoot of Hinduism, and it was immediately objected to, it’s happened a few times. We need to learn to recognize the sovereignty of each faith and tradition and honor them for their distinct belief. If you don’t think it is a problem, wait until this happens to you.

Here is a real story, an American Christian said Salaam Alaikum to a Hindu, or Namaste to a Muslim –most of us smile, as we don’t see that as a problem. However, my Hindu friend and the Muslim friend were quick to point out the biggest mistake of that’s man’s life and spent time teaching them, fortunately neither were denigrating the other. Once I said Salaam to an Egyptian looking guy, he was ferocious and said, I am not a Muslim, no Salaam to me.

You may enjoy the following videos delivered to a gathering of 1200 Christians in the Chicago bible Study class that I attended. I sound like a preacher in it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo3a8wX6SXQ.

A benediction for Obama’s inauguration is here and hope you like it as well – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/president-obamas-ideal-inaugural-benediction_b_2481579.html#es_share_ended.

Most of us Indians meet and greet for a few minutes in a year, and want to keep it that way. Very few of us have a genuine interest in putting off sparks. If you do take the time, you will find what is going on in each Indian, the resentment towards fellow Indian is quietly simmering inside, and It needs to be addressed, not suppressed or do the typical Indian thing, “there is no problem.”

We need to dig deeper and remove such sparks for the long term good of the nation and each one of us. Hate towards the other eats us alive, and we need Mukti from it.

We need to dig deeper and remove such sparks for the long term good of the nation and each one of us. Hate towards the other eats us alive, and we need Mukti from it.

What happened to Sikhs was not an instant reaction; there was some unfinished business brewing among communities that erupted and resulted in the Genocide; the same goes for the Muslim Genocide in Gujarat. We cannot brush aside these issues, and the sparks were there. We need to dig up and find solutions; if not, this will happen again.

Indian Muslims should not be criticized for Pakistan either, they chose to stick with India, and any accusation should be shameful and condemned by every one of the 1.2 Billion Indians. We all need to jump on those Idiots who point their fingers at fellow Indians who are Muslims.

We should not dump these issues onto the next generation, and we are conquering the space, we can overcome our prejudices too, that is the greater Jihad (inner struggle) Lord Krishna and Prophet Muhammad had called for. The nation is moving forward cautiously, but unless we bring closure to the issues, we may not feel the goodness in our hearts. The problems will not go away by burying our heads in the sand.

We need to apologize, forgive, and restore Justice collectively
to the victims of such genocides.

Mike Ghouse is a former Board Member of the Dallas Peace Center with a lifetime commitment to the center and its work. Please visit DallasPeaceCenter.org for details.

Valentine's Day message

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VALENTINE DAY’S UNIVERSAL MESSAGE
FOR MY SINGLE, COUPLED AND MARRIED FRIENDS


Love
has no bounds. Indeed, its a relationship of caring between husband and
wife, mother and son, father and daughter, mother daughter, brother
sister, brothers, sisters, friends, uncles, aunties, Granpa and Gramma,
friends, and any one you care about. Valentine’s day has moved from an
exclusive rendezvous between two lovers to an universal meaningful
expression of caring between any two people, and as a futurist, I see
this morphing into a universal affection day within a decade.
Throughout the history of language, words have taken on new and expanded meanings; Valentine’s Day is no exception, and eventually, it will become an all inclusive romantic day. 

Please feel free to say happy valentine’s day to your sister, mother, brother, daughter, dad, uncle or a friend. It is a much bigger word now than it started out to be. Take them out for dinner and send them flowers to let them know that you care if you are the only one for them at this point in life.

While we Americans express it by presenting red roses to our loved ones, the Filipinos will break another record; the number of people kissing at the same time, Brazil will have another major festival on her beaches celebrating love. You are welcome to share other such expressions.

On the other side of the world, a few frustrated ones will go to the other extreme. A handful of Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshi Hindus and Muslims will go on bashing and harassing the people who want to spend their time in peace. They ransack shops that sell the cards, and have a record of beating up couples in restaurants. If I were a peacemaker, pundit or an Imam, I would actively seek these men to respect the otherness of others, and ask them to join for tea and laddus (dessert) at the Temples, Mosques or other places of worship and have them fall in love with God,  and sing songs praising the lord, instead of bullying others on the street. We need to pave the way for people to respect the “otherness” of others.

Sadly, some of you are going to feel lonely, if you miss the love in your life; you have an opportunity to fulfill it. There is plenty in you that you can give by feeding the homeless, visiting lonely patients in the hospitals or nursing homes, disadvantaged women and children, our veterans… share whatever little you have with them including the time and just listening to them. When a homeless person asks, give whatever you can, that is the most affectionate thing to do, you will enrich yourselves far greater by sharing.

The best thing you can do for yourselves it to take an hour away from every
one, and reflect on your life without blaming any one and figure out how to change it. Your love does not have to be expressed in the romantic sense, channel it out with family members, or a good old friend, or just by yourselves by caring for them, and doing things un-asked, and without any expectations of reciprocation.

There is nothing more
peaceful than knowing yourselves, consider appreciating what ever you have, and accepting the way you are without wishing to be something and someone else. You don’t need to compare with any one on the earth, there is none like you, you are one in 7 billion; you have your own unique thumb print, eye print, dna, taste bud, colors, foods, smells, sights… by God, you are your own model! When you accept that you are unique with your problems and joy, you will find peace and love.

When you love yourselves, i.e., you do not wish you had things others have but be content with what you have, you do not wish to look like someone else and be happy that you can at least breathe, you do not wish to wear like someone else, you do not want to talk like some one else, and do not want to live like some one else, then you have accepted your uniqueness that God gave you (ok, the genetic, if you don’t believe in God), when you do that, you are in love with yourselves.

Don’t forget, if your love makes you humble, you become the honey and attract good friendships, on the other hand if you become arrogant that others are inferior to you, you stink, and repel like hell and no one would want to be friends with you.

Make the commitment and just do it, if you
like it recommend it to your friends.

If you are not single and have a spouse, listen to these songs and see if they express you.

I dedicate these three songs to Yasmeen, my dear wife.

Kenny Roger’s, you decorated my life: I particularly like the line which says, there is no rhyme or reason that is what love is all about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJkPFSt326c

Ronnie Milsap’s, what a difference you made in my life,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ni1WPGEZtg&feature=fvst

Muhammad Rafi’s ai Husn Zara Jaag in Urdu/ Hindi,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_qGtHjM6Oc

and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s, aap say mil kay in Urdu/Hindi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixRn65ImoRQ

My expressions would be incomplete without honoring the poet of love, Mirza Ghalib, one of the greatest romantic poets of all times who composed his poetry in Urdu/Hindi and Farsi.

Ishk per zor nahin, hai a o aatish ghalib
Ke lagaye na lege, bujhaye no bujhe.

Affection is that flame O Ghalib,
you cannot lit or extinguish it deliberately,  it just happens.

There is a beautiful Hindi/ Urdu song for the people who are platonic friends, it is one of my top ten favorites! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9oufp_mc30

I have seen the twinkle in those eyes,
let love remain love, and not give a name to it,
leave it alone and don’t label a relationship to it,

Happy Valentine’s Day.

HUFFINGTON POST: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/valetines-day-universal_b_1275148.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. 

So what if Brenan is a Muslim? Part 2

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I agree with you, it does not suit me to use the expletive, and I humbly acknowledge it.

My apologies to you and others who have expressed their dislike or not.

The note was in response to the calls, Sean Hannity announces my website and his text goes out to a million of his followers, many of whom are following me as well as chasing me. I was getting non-stop calls from all over the United States as if I am the Pope of Muslims. Nagging questions like, he (Brenan) is a Muslim in closet, he has connections to God knows, what are you going to do about it…. and did you know he is a Moslem?

My response to that question was the title of the topic, so I captioned the article to make the point. So what if he is? Actually Collin Powell had used the same phrase minus the expletive.

Now, to your other question, perhaps because you don’t have the first knowledge of what I do (as a volunteer); Here is the elaboration of the response I wrote to my other Indian friends, with whom I connect fairly well and respect.

” (name) ______,  I was equally mad when a council man in Dallas pointed his finger at the other and said “You  people” to a Jewish man. I was outraged and wrote that in Dallas Morning News in 2005. When Bush did not sign the bill to allow the Wicca (another religious tradition) Veterans in Arlington Cemetery to have their own headstone, I went ballistic. When the state Senator Williams of Kentucky called the Governor names for participating in Bhoomi Puja in E-Town, I was jumped all over him and wrote in Huffington post, when the Pastor from Kansas called Jews, Christ Killers and staged rallies in front of the Holocaust Museum and a few synagogues and Texas Jewish post, I was there with the Jews protesting against the pastor.. . I have worked with the Dept of Justice to include Jain symbol in their symbols of religions, have held the rallies against the Gujarat massacre and held a program about Sikh and Bangladeshi Genocides…

Yes, we have condemned strongly against the plight of Hindu Pundits of Kashmir in our Holocaust and Genocides programs…wrote and generated calls to the Russian embassy in DC to pull back the ban they were working on banning Bhagvad Gita, challenged Moscow for usurping the Hare Krishna Temple land, condemned the desecration of temple in Trinidad, condemned and wrote to the Minister of Malaysia to punish those idiots who threw the head of a bull in the Temple in Kuala Lumpur… 15 years ago, I got threatening calls from a few right winger Catholics for defending the bishop in Lisbon who allowed a Hindu couple to get married in the church and they place Ganesh Icon on the altar, which got the bishop fired…and I got nasty calls from some of the idiots, they said, shame on you to defend the idol worshippers. It is easy to back off isn’t it, that is what most chickens do, thank God; I will not be pushed around when it comes to standing up for others.

Nanak, no one asked me to do this, Hindus did not ask, Jains did not ask, Christians did not ask, Jews did not ask… I did it because it is the right thing to do. It is not just them, when someone attacks a Muslim for his religion I will fiercely go after him, and I have gone after Sunnis in Bahrain for being brutal to their Shias, Armadas in Pakistan, Bangladeshi and Indonesia, even here…  We hold a lot of interfaith dialogues, no one pays me or asks me, but I always include all religions, Hinduism, your faith is never missed in my writings. Look at Dallas Morning news – 112 articles, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Islam, Judaism… are all weaved in each article.

I hope you will stand up for every one regardless of their religion, if you have stood up for a Jain, Sikh, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jew, Buddhist, Baha’i, Adivasi, Dalit…  please share, we need more people who do that to change the world.

Here are some of the links:

After I finish compiling all others, I will compile what I have done for the oppressed among Muslims. Since it is my religion, I am doing at the end. 

Aren’t you and I taught in India, that you feed the guests first and eat in the end, did not your mother and my mother ate after all the family was fed?  I am doing nothing different than that, and I hope my fellow Muslims understand that.

Unless we stand up for others, why should anyone stand up for us?

Please share your experience of standing up for Jains, Sikhs, Muslims, Adivasis, Tribals, Dalits, Bahai, Jews, Christians and others… it is good to hear that.

The pope resigned today, and hopes the new one will be open to all faiths and not be biased against any. I was going to write about it in Dallas Morning News on Monday, but simply ran out of time. Some ten years ago, the Baptist convention in Atlanta had said bad things about Hinduism, I had written to their convention at that time, and I have faced off with their president from two years ago in defending Catholics on the national radio.

I request each one of us not to judge others without knowing or hearing the hearsay.

Thank you.

 Reference: http://republicanmoderates.blogspot.com/2013/02/so-fucking-what-if-john-brenan-is-muslim.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.

So fucking what if John Brenan is a Muslim

      Comments Off on So fucking what if John Brenan is a Muslim
SO FUCKING WHAT IF JOHN BRENAN IS A MUSLIM?

As
a Muslim I am sick of the radicals among us, and as a Republican I am
sick of the radicals among us. The one gratifying fact is, we can find
them all quarantined in one cess pool of GOP. Thank God much of the GOP
is clean, and it is time for us to pray for these sickos.

URL – http://nabsites.net/demo/so-fucking-what-if-john-brenan-is-musli/


It is time for us, chicken shit moderate Republicans to speak up before they
ruin the GOP and lose the house in 2014. We need Patriotic Republicans to speak
up for the sake of our nation. The majority of us Republicans are good, caring
sensible moderate humans.


As a Muslim, I was sick of the radicals among us who attempted to take over and
represent Islam with their extremism label, and it took us nearly ten years to
condemn them to retreat. We still have many years to subdue them, but we
do have the balls to do it over a period of time for the sake of common good of
humanity. This is the decade of moderation, and caring for the whole humanity.

As a Republican, I will do my share of the common good and urge fellow
Republicans to do the same; we owe it to our nation to preserve a strong two
party system through legitimate arguments and discussions. We need to speak out
against filth, and shout out against the rhetoric like John Brenan is a Muslim,
so what if he is? What the fuck is your problem?

Statistically these radicals are
insignificant in numbers; they are not even a sample to call them a
representation of the group. It would be dumb on our part to encourage them to
believe that they express the sentiments of the people, they are not, and we
need the polls.  Whether they are Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus,
Republicans or Democrats or the other, they will continue to terrorize the
majority of their respective group, if we let them.

Not a day goes without some dumb-ass
fellow Republican making an ass of himself and sadly herself as well. I was
going to write a journal on the stupidities of my party members… then gave up;
it will take up all day long. I do hope more and more Americans will see the
ugliness.
 

It
is time for Chris Christie, John
Huntsman, Colin Powell and their likes to jump in. I do expect President
Obama and Speaker Boehner to speak out against this, wouldn’t you?


First they came for Muslims, and I did not speak up,
because I was not one of “them”;

Then  they came for Jews, and I did not speak up,
because I was not one of “them”.

They exhausted Mexicans, African Americans and Catholics,
and I did not care, because I was a protestant.

Finally they ambushed me, and shamelessly I am cursing at the others
for not giving a shit about me.

I have rarely used an expletive, that is not me, but I could not express my
frustration without these words, I cannot see my America shattered by the few
ugly ones.

…. 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.