Happy Hanukah | Jewish Festival of Lights

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Festival is a collective celebration of an achievement in a given community. The Festival of Hanukah celebrates the recovery and rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem

Learning about each other demystifies the myths about others and opens the doors of understanding. Indeed the best way to create a cohesive meaningful society is to be part of the joy, suffering and pain of the other. Our happiness hinges on the happiness of others around us and it is in our interests to be a part of the whole.

On my part I am committed to writing, talking and speaking about the essence of every possible festival that humans celebrate. I am pleased to share the following from different sources as I have not completed my own writing.

Hanukkah (Hebrew: חֲנֻכָּה‎, Tiberian: Ḥănukkāh, usually spelled חנוכה pronounced [χanuˈka] in Modern Hebrew, also romanized as Chanukah, Chanukkah, or Chanuka), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. The typical Menorah consists of eight branches with an additional raised branch. The extra light is called a shamash (Hebrew: שמש, “attendant” or “sexton”and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest. The purpose of the shamash is to have a light available for use, as using the Hanukkah lights themselves is forbidden.

Happy Hanukkah

Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and the public. He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Politics, Islam, interfaith, India and Peace, he is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and several nationally syndicated radio talk shows. Over a thousand articles have been published on the topics and two of his books are poised to be released on Pluralism and Islam in America. Mike’s work is reflected in several websites and blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/.

Bigotry against Hinduism in Russia

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Update: Russia finally backed off

Incredible attack on the Holy Bhagvad Gita

You and I have allowed blatant bigotry to be preached on our land unquestioned and unchecked. The damned thing is contagious and spreading to Russia and other nations.  Bigotry exists not because of bigots, but because we have not spoken out against it.

Six years ago in December of 2006, the Archbishop of Russia called Krishna a Satan, and five years ago, the city of Moscow made serious attempts to usurp the land belonging to Krishna Temple.  Of course, a few of us wrote about it and now per the news reports, the “Bhagvad Gita, one of the holiest Hindu scriptures, is facing a legal ban and the prospect of being branded as “an extremist” literature across Russia. A court in Siberia’s Tomsk city is set to deliver its final verdict Monday in a case filed by state prosecutors.”

I would have never thought this day would come, when Bhagvad Gita would be attacked, the sacred text of Hinduism, it is rather a dialogue on reflections of one’s conscience. It is one of the best self help books to find answers to the eternal questions about righteousness and one’s duty to the self and the world.  Hinduism is not a proselyting religion and Bhagvad Gita  should not threaten any one of those weak men of religion.

The Holy Qur’aan has been deliberately mistranslated by medieval European Kings to paint Islam in bad light so they can frighten their subjects and buy their loyalty, and of course a Muslim Hilali Khan matched those kings and injected words into the translations that were not in Quraan, he wanted to build up ill-will against Jews and Christians for his presumed gain to restore the Caliphate. He has mistranslated nearly  60 Verses of Quraan. Fortunately there are still 20+ translations that are good,  and thank God for that, the Arabic text has remained intact, although a group of proselytizing Christians have made attempts to mis-write Arabic version of Quraan in late eighties and distribute it in Kuwait. The best available translation is by Muhammad Asad, even this needs updating, but a good guide.

The attacks on Quraan and Bhagvad Gita are not based on knowledge but based on selling hate and collecting cash from the gullible congregants who trust the fox that guards the hen, all in the name of the man who taught to tell the truth and love thy enemy.

The good news is this bigotry is controllable, it has afflicted less than a percent of the population,  and all of us together have to work on keeping those cancer cells from multiplying and harming our civilization and our civility.

I urge Non-Hindus to pick up the phone and call the Russian Embassy, if you cannot stand up for others, why should anyone stand up for you? The least you can do is fax a few words to their embassy “This is not a good thing” or write your comments at www.facebook.com/speakermikeghouse or in the comment section of www.Theghousediary.com

Russian Embassy
2650 Wisconsin Ave, NW
Washington, CD 2007
Tel: 202-298-5700
Fax: 202-298-5735

Please remain polite and ask their government to take responsible action and not let a few among them dictate a national policy.  We are a small world, interdependent, interconnected and one fragile unit. Let’s preserve it.

When Robert Jeffress, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, John Hagee, Herman Cain, Tom Tancredo, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and a bunch of talk show hosts spewed hate against fellow Americans, very few of us have spoken out against them in public medium, and they take that as an encouragement and spill out more. You and I are further responsible for remaining silent, when they make shameless comments against Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Wicca, GLBT, Hindus and other. This is not the America we want, nor is this world we like to see. We have to enter into a positive dialogue with a singular goal of building cohesive societies where none of us have to live in apprehension of the other.

We hope to resume the workshops on Religion, every religion to remove the myths about each religion. http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/04/understanding-hinduism-workshops-by.html

Mike Ghouse is committed to do his share of building a cohesive world and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net and his current articles can be found at www.Theghousediary.com

My Sermon at Pathway Unitarian Universalist Church, South Lake

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It’s a blessing to understand the beauty and wisdom of many a religious traditions and most certainly, I find a common ground at the Unitarian Universalist Church, a universal place of worship where all traditions are welcome. If you unchain yourselves from any pervious conditioning about a faith or a tradition, your boundlessness will offer the joys of seeing the beauty in every tradition. I thank God for blessing me with no boundaries.

Pluralism Greetings & Pluralism Prayers
http://nabsites.net/demo/pluralism-greetings-and-prayer-a/

 My sermon was about three key points.

Finding the truth is your own responsibility, as truth relives one from anguish, ill-will and pain. No matter who tells you what about others, you are the one to live through the anguish and not them. It behooves for you and I to find the truth for our own peace of mind.

Personal responsibility in creating a cohesive society, I cannot be safe when what surrounds me is not, I cannot be at peace when there is no peace around me, if I threaten others, I am the most frightened one in my vulnerable moments.

Patience is a virtue. Nothing happens instantaneously, the seed has a plan, a program and process till it yields a flower, and it took me sixty years to be at this point in life. Living a regret free life is the key to successful living.

 I share the personal story of tying the loose ends of life and finding liberation. It is living a successful life free from anxieties, apprehension and in union with the self and the loved ones.

 Mike Ghouse
Committed to build a cohesive America
www.MikeGhouse.net

What should American Muslims do in case of Lowe’s?

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 What should American Muslims do in case of Lowe’s?
There is hope for Muslim Americans. We have to look up what Prophet would have done in a situation like this. He was the ultimate peace maker and applied a simple formula; conflict mitigation and goodwill nurturance to situations.
We know clearly that evil begins with an individual and acquires support from a few core members. The entire membership of Florida Family Association should not be held accountable for the actions of a few among them who are directly responsible to tear the cohesive fabric of America.
Posted by Mike Ghouse at 2:52 AM 

Texas Faith – Why music is central to Christmas or any religious story?

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Music is one big part of the harmony that binds people; it is a reflection of one’s moods. When we are joyous, we have to give expression to that sentiment to bring a sense of fullness to the feeling. 

http://nabsites.net/demo/texas-faith-why-music-is-central-to/

Every week a dozen of us respond to the question at Dallas Morning News and here is my response:
MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

Humans are programmed to seek harmony and the spiritual masters of every religious tradition have crafted unique rituals to bring a balance in our lives and put us in sync with the people and environment that surround us.

Music is one big part of the harmony that binds people; it is a reflection of one’s moods. When we are joyous, we have to give expression to that sentiment to bring a sense of fullness to the feeling.

However, the puritanical among us have opposed music and even singing, although music has been a major part of the tradition among many of us. In the early Judaic history, halakhic prohibitions on music on Sabbath observances prevailed. During Cromwell’s government in England, the practice of singing Christmas carols was banned as a pagan ritual and thus sinful.

Thank God we are growing out of those attitudes now. Indeed, celebration of Christmas was legally abolished in 1645 and declared as an offense by the Parliament in 1647. It was restored in 1660. Muslims are no exception to the pie, God said, bad music is bad and the puritans among Muslims call all music is sinful.

Music will continue to be a major part of our cultural and religious traditions. Ganesh festivities among Hindus are celebrated with weeklong musical evenings; Prophet Muhammad’s birth is celebrated by many Muslims by singing the Milaad Naats to appreciate the prophet. And today, December 13th, festivities begin by singing Khushali Mubarak, the birth celebration of HH Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims. A month ago, the Sikhs celebrated Gurpurab, singing Kirtans honoring Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. Music makes one happy and it is a part of most celebrations.

The essence of Christmas is hope; it is a celebration of the birth of Jesus and a sense of completeness is achieved by sharing that joy with loved ones and the ones in need. Christmas carols are a big part of the festivities. Without them, Christmas is not complete. We look forward to the big day by counting each day. Christmas without carols is like driving without a seat belt (discomfort and guilt).

I have spent a few Christmas evenings with Mrs. Swaran Latha and Mr. Roberts while growing up, and one of my fond memories was falling off a stool while tinkering with a Christmas LP. It was Jim Reeves and I was barely five years old. I have enjoyed participating in Christmas celebrations with the Blauvelt family and my own family for many years after I came to the United States and continue to celebrate it with my family as a cultural celebration now.

Way back in the late nineties, when we organized the Foundation for Pluralism, one of our goals was to celebrate the birthdays of spiritual masters of every religious and non-religious tradition with music and learning about the good they have brought to the world. I have not been able to do that, but have always found time to write a tribute about them. Jesus is indeed my mentor, and as a Muslim I accept him as one of my guides and will talk and write about his significance to the world. And in my own tradition I will recite his virgin birth story dedicated to Maryam, Mother Mary in Chapter 19 of Qur’an and pray on his birthday.

Merry Christmas y’all.

To read all the responses, go to Dallas Morning News at
http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/12/texas-faith-why-is-music-centr.html

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Mike is committed to building a cohesive America, where no American has to live in anxieties, discomfort of fear stemming from a fellow American. He will be happy to share the mission and goals of the organization in the making. Mike’s work is fully indexed at  www.mikeghouse.net and all his articles are at www.Theghousediary.com

A Muslim’s take on Mr. Subramaniam Swamy

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URL: http://nabsites.net/demo/muslims-take-on-mr-subramaniam-swamy/

First of all, the dearest person in God’s book Quraan is the one who forgives and secondly Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has clearly set up a model of behavior for Muslims; to pray for the ones who throw rocks (Taif story)  at you or harm you. We simply cannot go wrong following that guidance to create better societies.

I welcome the reform Mr. Subramanian Swami has espoused, and his decision to teach tolerance. Indeed, King Ashoka was a reformed man after the Kalinga war and proved it by preaching and practicing non-violence. His character was defined by who he was rather than what others were not.  
Mr. Swami has the freedom to teach what is in his heart, but if he has made that transformational announcement to teach tolerance, he will have to prove that to himself through his actions and we have to give him the benefit of doubt. I hope Muslim groups take the initiative to invite him to speak and let him have a chance to change, if he does, it is good for India, if he is the same, he cannot do more harm than he has done to harm the fabric of India’s cohesion. But please give him the due respect for making that effort, even if he fails.  Let the public judge and refrain from judgment. Only God knows what is in one’s heart and all we can do is nurture good will, which is more powerful than aggravating the fragile balance.

The first lesson for him to learn in tolerance is that he cannot demand from others, what he  himself does not have. He has got to let go of the baggage.

The second lesson to learn is grasping the full meaning of the wisdom embedded in the idea of “Vasudaiva Kutumbukum” – when you embrace the idea, you will act and treat the world as one family. If we can learn to respect the otherness of other and accept the God given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

In invite him to join me in becoming an Ambassador of freedom and peace, where a human can eat, drink, wear or believe what one chooses.  We don’t have to emulate those whom we love to condemn, let them emulate us and let’s change the world with you and me first changing.

In the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), I pray for Mr. Subramanian Swami to become a teacher of tolerance. May God give him the same energy and zest to do the right thing.

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies where no Indian has to live in anxieties, discomfort or fear of the other. His work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net and his current articles at www.TheGhousediary.com

Originally published at Op-Ed at Indian Muslim Observer:
http://www.indianmuslimobserver.com/2011/12/latest-editorial-muslims-take-on-mr.html

Quoted in  India Abroad as well:http://www.indiaabroad-digital.com/indiaabroad/20111216?pg=6#pg6

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http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Americas/Swamy-preaches-tolerance-after-Harvard-drops-him/Article1-779323.aspx

That is disingenuous Mr. Tarek Fatah.

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Fatah on Honor Killing in Canada

Mr. Tarek Fatah is fully aware and cognizant of the mistransla­tion of the verse 4:34. I am not surprised at him for not even mentioning the correct translatio­n as a caution. He chose to let it ride; it suits his agenda that is downright ingenuous.

I am one of the many who prayed for the well being of Mr. Fatah when he endured cancer. Did the Doctor man condemn his whole body to be trashed for a few cancer cells? Or did he cure the cells and got Mr. Fatah well? It’s like the death penalty in the USA; would he bash the entire US Constituti­on for a few lousy creepy laws on our books? Same goes with Sharia, a few bad applicatio­ns of Sharia, should not make him bash the entire Sharia law. treat what is bad like the good doctors do.

Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar offers another meaning to the translatio­n of the Arabic word “Idrib,” traditiona­lly translated as “beat,” which has been mis-unders­tood and abused over the centuries by men who would be abusive any way, whether they are Muslim or not. “Why choose to interpret the word as ‘to beat’ when it means ‘to go away’ either one from the other, may be it meant separation as a process of re-evaluat­ion.

Mr. Fatah, you have rightfully earned a place don’t lose it by. Go get a book and read it; find the truth instead of barking at what is visible.

Here is the information on the translation: http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2009/05/wife-beating-quraan-434.html
 
This is Fatah’s article:  A Man’s Honour Lies Between the Legs of a Woman http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/tarek-fatah/honour-killing_b_1133349.html?ref=tw&just_reloaded=1

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His work is fully indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net
 

Tony Powerz and Mike Ghouse on Fox Radio, South Carolina

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It was a delight to be on Tony Powerz Radio Show this afternoon, a conservative popular talk Show Radio host in South Carolina. The live conversation went on  air between 3:30 PM EST and 4:00 PM on Fox Radio AM 1380.  The topics sequenced from President Obama’s speech, Taxing the rich, Middle East, foriegn policy and aid to Pakistan.

It is a great news for the moderates around the nation to hear one among them is speaking assertively.  Tony Powerz was an incredible host in framing the questions to get the best out of his guests.  Tony was indeed open to hearing a moderate point of view where President Obama was not only criticized but praised on the things he has done well.  For disclosure purposes, I am a Republican, a moderate one and firmly believe that my loyalty to America comes first and then to the party. The statement I made in 2007 and was also articulated by Congressman Ron Paul this week.
President Obama’s speech in Missouri yesterday had the elements of us vs. them; there was no need for the President to deepen that chasm.  Instead, he should have stuck to his usual self, building a cohesive society.  I was critical of the President on his take.
It was a pleasure to share my proposal on taxation policy. Instead of the feds receiving funds through taxing the rich and re-spending, the ideal situation would be to let the rich keep their money and create the jobs.   Give them an equal amount in tax incentives to spend on hiring people and expanding economy and creating jobs, which will generate payroll taxes as well as the income taxs directly from Americans to the IRS. I trust the individual to create the jobs rather than the fed (pun intended). All will gain and no one will be discouraged from making money. The rich should make the money and invest responsibly back in job creation rather than the government.
On the Middle East, President Obama has blundered as well as made some good decisions. The good decision was to stick with the people of Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen, had he supported the damned dictators’ that come and go, we would have lost the people, they would have looked down upon us for supporting the tyrant rulers.
The biggest Obama blunder is rejection of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations. The Jewish people have endured a long history of suffering, and now they are enduring another pain, the pain of sacrificing their principle of Justice for  security. They wanted to be free and get over the anxiety and sit down and discuss with the Palestinians as two legal entities. Obama blew that opportunity. Justice to Palestinians and security to Israel would have put the world on a new tract of co-existence; it would have weakened the Iranian argument as well. Injustice to the Palestinians is the mother of all conflicts in the Middle East. The right refuses to see it, the Muslim majority nations would agree with that analysis. Iran would sit down and work with us for a better Middle East. I hope the policy makers open their eyes to it.  We don’t really support Israel, we support those who make money in the name of Israel. The Israelis don’t need our duplicity, they need a genuine lasting security.
Buldozer Netanyahu erred  by siding with Dictator Mubarak. The peace treaty was between the people of Egypt and the People of Israel and NOT between Mubarak and Netanyahu, lasting peace happens with acceptance from the people and not the dictators’ who are here today and gone tomorrow.
The same goes with the US Aid to foreign countries. Why are the Pakistani people not with us? The answer is simple, the money we gave to Egypt, Israel or Pakistan did not go to benefit the people of those nations, it went to the people who made their lives miserable.  I am kind of supportive of Governor Perry’s idea of Zero Budget.  Let all the foreign aid budget be reworked based on tangible and sustainable goodwill towards us, the Americans.
We have wasted our monies giving to the dictators and oppresses, it was a piss down the drain. Why should people, the public hail us when our monies are used to beat them up?
The foreign policy needs to start from scratch, if America does not have a benefit from the good we do, then why do it? If the work does not yield lasting goodness for the recipients and the benefactors, drop it. Don’t waste our resources.
I thank Tony, Fox and AM 1380 for giving a voice to sanity.
Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His work is embedded in 30 some blogs and a few websites and all is indexed at www.mikeghouse.net

Texas Faith: Should sexual immorality disqualify an otherwise capable candidate?

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Two new paradigms including the integrity test for the candidate are explored, Media has completely missed out on this one. Cain is history, he had a chance for a graceful comeback, he blew it. The integrity test is embedded in our pledge of Allegiance and I seriously doubt if any one of the candidates will pass the test. Should we take a chance with Gingrich to betray another vow? 
Morality brigade: Cain and Gingrich

Should this moral standard, and the public attention that goes along with it, disqualify an otherwise capable candidate from holding office? Is the nation better off because of it? Ten Texas Faith Panelist at Dallas Morning News respond including;

http://nabsites.net/demo/texas-faith-should-sexual-immorality/

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

The office of the President is about trust and we the people of the United States of America, expect the trustee to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.

A person’s character is judged by how he/she acts or reacts to incidents in life. We all have the capability to mess up the intricately held web of life, or strengthen it in building a cohesive society for the good of every American.   The decisions a President makes in critical moments are an extension of his or her personality and can ruin the lives of millions of people who were merely a strand in the web.  Each candidate has to pass the tests of integrity for us to place our trust in him or her. 

Herman Cain is history now. His arrogance got him into the corner and left him with no choice but to suspend the campaign.  Had he gracefully resigned at the very beginning of the process and announced that he will prove his innocence, he would have had a big window to come back at least on a VP ticket, he blew it.

I hope he is innocent; however I trust the claims of the women, shame on those men for belittling a woman’s testimony and finding faults with her instead of him, as though it would absolve him.  It also reflects poorly on the Republican Party for not asking him to resign earlier on.

Newt Gingrich probably will not pass the integrity test either; the political ad “Serial hypocrite” by Ron Paul raises millions of questions about him. Do we need to compel him to acknowledge those nefarious dealings or would he volunteer the truth.  

One of them allegedly broke the wedding vows, the other admitted it. Now, they may have broken their pledge to the nation and the media is yet to explore it. With one mouth they pledge, “… one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” And with the other, one would not hire a fellow Muslim American in his cabinet and other would make the lives of the fellow Americans difficult because they believe in a different faith or have a different orientation. What does indivisible, liberty and justice mean to these men?

Should we give them a chance to betray another vow? “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”  

A new paradigm of disclosure needs to emerge. Is it difficult for the candidate to lay everything on the table at the announcement of one’s candidacy? The fear is legitimate, if the candidate is aware and did not disclose, or was not aware of his own wrong doing, and then do we need to invest our trust in him or her? In the land of plenty, we have a lot more qualified candidates than we can imagine, but they don’t come forward for the scrutiny and disclosure. We need one candidate to take that first step and disclose everything and lose it out, it will open us to discuss that issue and perhaps a decade later our societies will value integrity and give birth to new qualifications to accommodate the Cains and Gingrichs.
Ten Panelists respond at Dallas Morning News
http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/12/texas-faith-should-sexual-immo.html

 Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and the public. He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Politics, Islam, interfaith, India and Peace. Over a thousand articles have been published on the topics and two of his books are poised to be released on Pluralism and Islam. Mike’s work is reflected in 4 website’s and 27 Blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/ and you can find all of his current articles at www.TheGhousediary.com

How do you commemorate Imam Hussain?

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Since, I write about every festival and commemoration of the people of the world, I was asked by a friend and then more asked, how do I pay my respects?

You don’t have to be a Muslim to commemorate Imam Husain’s commitment to righteousness.  We celebrate the birthdays of Mahatma Gandhi, MLK and others regardless of what religion we practice, and commemorate their death as well. Imam Hussain is another great personality who refused to endorse a corrupt man to govern his state, his endorsement was critical for the ruler Yazid, which he did not get, and like all other dictatorial maniacs, Yazid had Imam Hussain and his entire family killed. Imam Hussain may be gone, but his legacy lives on. Imam Hussain was killed on this day, the 10th day of the first Month of the Muslims calendar called Muharram. I believe this day coincides with the day Moses returned, Noah’s ship landing and among other things.

The easy thing to do is sit down for five minutes, close your eyes and reflect on all men and women who stood up for righteousness, we are all beneficiaries of such a gift of sacrifice on their part. And make a small commitment to yourselves that you will stand up for the rights of others regardless of who they are,  and the least you can do is to speak up, or write a comment when you read, don’t back from doing the right thing…. Great men and women of spirit do not want anything, all they want is for all of us to get along and live a greater life and when you make a small commitment, they feel that their effort was appreciated.

Muslims do a variety of things including fasting and joining together to pray and pay a tribute to him. You can read more about the imam and share the article at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/muharram-2011-centrality-imam-hussain_b_1117929.html

Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His work is listed at www.MikeGhouse.net