Day 6 of Ramadan

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Day 6 of Ramadan 2011 – Ahmadiyya Mosque, Allen http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-6-of-ramadan-2011.html

Saturday, August 6, 2011 | Ramadan 6, 1432

PURPOSE: To share and appreciate the diversity within Islam.

THE PLAN: Iftaar at a mosque from every denomination including: Ahmadiyya, Bohra, Ismaili, Shia, Sufi, Sunni, Warith Deen Muhammad, Wahabbi and others. You are welcome to join me or experience it yourselves, we have to learn to respect the differences and appreciate the uniqueness of each tradition. God says the best among you is the one who knows each other for peaceful co-existence.

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Alhamdu Lillah, all praises to the creator for blessing the world with diversity. I am pleased to highlight the uniqueness of each tradition on a daily basis and I hope we can cherish it. If you think of sharing your Ramadan experience, time is to start now.

DAY 6 OF RAMADAN

Terms: Meanings Listed at the bottom
Sahri (Pre-dawn meal): Fruits and Vegetables
Iftaar (refreshments): Dates and Rooh Afza (Refreshing drink)
Iftaar (Dinner): Salad, Naan, Lentil and Goat Korma (curry), Ice Cream
Mosque: Ahmadiyya Masjid Bait-ul-Ikram, Allen, Texas
Culture: Muslims from Pakistan, India and Indonesia.

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The tradition is to gather and listen to a pre-Iftaar lecture (Dars) based on verses from Quraan. The talk was about Prophets Moses and Khizr (knows as the Green man, apparently because of the legend that he lived a long life) and obedience to God’s commandments. A similar tradition is followed at the WD Muhammad denomination.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim community has initiated a blood drive with a lofty goal of donating so many bags of blood by 9/11. It is a symbolic gesture of giving to America the most precious item one has; blood. We are working on having the announcement to be made on the Unity Day on Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 5:00 Pm at the Unity Church in Dallas. Details are at www.Unitydayusa.com you are invited to join us. The Muslims of the Bay area are also doing something similar there per the Shia Imam I met last night. These are great initiatives.

Breaking the fast :: About 8:26 the guest speaker finished his talk (Dars) in time for breaking the fast, they brought trays full of Dates for each one of the congregants to grab a few, utmost three. It was a tradition of Prophet Muhammad to snack-on up to three dates prior to the prayers. I cannot get over the math– 3 x 1.6 Billion Muslims, i.e. 5 Billion dates on any given day and for 30 days you are looking about 150 Billion dates consumption. As much as I know most every Muslim around the world observes the fasting and snacks on the dates. The dates from California, Morocco and Madinah (Saudi Arabia) are delicious, popular and meaty.

The Evening (Maghrib) Prayer consits of 3 units of prayer (Rakat) and the same verses from Quraan are recited every where in the world. I heard the word “Amen” out loud in unison by the congregation at the end of recitation of first chapter in the first and 2 units (Rakat) of prayers.

The Sunni and Ahmadiyya traditions are the mirror images of each other. In the Ruku (kneeling) posture the congregants quietly recite “Subhana Rabbi al Azeem” three times, simply put God is great and at the Sajda (prostration) “Subhana Rabbi Al Aala” again it means God is supreme and is repeated three times as well. The rest of the rituals are identical including turning the head to the right and to left to conclude the prayers with blessing of peace to the people on the right and the left.

The three units (Rakats) of prayer are the obligatory prayers for the evening (Maghrib) followed by optional prayers of two sets of two or four units of prayers. One thing I noted but not sure about is – after the obligatory (Fard) prayers every one moves to a different spot to pray in the Sunni congregation (Jamaat), here the individuals prayed on the same spot and perhaps because of lack of space.

My reference to Sunni is not because it is a standard or some such thing, but simply because that is the tradition I am familiar with and that’s the way I have learned to explain. It also makes sense to share it with the majority of Muslims (85% Sunni) who are not familiar with the other traditions. I must make a point to admire one of my favorite Imams Dr. Yusuf Zia Kavakci who is an amazing pluralist, he may not relate with the word but I see it that way. When he talks about the dos and don’ts of fasting, he invariably makes a point to say how it is done in the Hanafi, Shafii and other traditions without making the slightest point that one is better than the other, it is simply a different tradition. I pray that we have more Imams like him.

One of the timeless advise Prophet Muhammad shared was to live a regret free life, meaning do not judge people without verifying and regretting it later for being judgmental. Quraan 49:6 “If any iniquitous person comes to you with a tale, use your discernment, lest you hurt people unwittingly and afterwards be filled with remorse for what you have done.” There is a lot of myth created about the Ahmadiyya Muslims from a pure political point of view, and the fodder they get is also from the same myths. It is like the right wingers who keep reading mistranslations of Quraan and for clarification they go back to the same mistranslations again and draw deeper but false conclusions.

I pray that in this holy month of Ramadan we Muslim shed our biases and believe that God alone can judge what is in one’s heart; and let’s not burden ourselves with misunderstandings and myths about others. Let everyone live their life as they wish and let’s make an effort to live a regret free life in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad.

The dinner was ready and everyone got their plate and the food. Fresh Salad, Naan, Daal and Goat curry. I went back for the Daal for the second time as it was good. A few of us seniors (LOL I never thought I was one and I am taking that identity without resistance) gathered around the office conference table and shared stories. One of the seniors was the general secretary for the Ahmadiyya mission in the United States, he flew in from California, he is a son of the legendary Muslims of the pre-partition India; the Johari brothers. I completely forgot to take the picture and was blessed to sit with a few Buzurgs (endearing term for the seniors). OMG, I am one of them now! I don’t know how my nieces and nephews view me as a senior… ?

The Buzurg talked about the upcoming conference in California where the people of different faiths read their holy scriptures on a given theme. Suhail Kauser my friend shared about the Quraan conference we held and possibility of the Sharia conference in March next year.

Murabbi (Imam/pastor) Zafrullah Hanjra will be here in Dallas for a week from tomorrow, he is the mission Chief for the South west Region. I have grown to like him, he is man of patience and wisdom and I enjoy visiting him in Houston.

The Ahmadiyya literature has quite a lot of research on science and religion, I believe one of their Khalifas (Religious leader) had said, Quraan is God’s word and Science is his action. Dr. Jari Khan presented a book to me “Revelation and Rationality – knowledge and truth” and I hope to read it in the coming weeks. Meanwhile I am reviewing a book on Peace in Israel and Palestine to be released on the day of United Nations vote for the statehood of Palestine. I hope to contribute a few good paragraphs in the book.

May you be blessed, Insha Allah, I will be at WD Muhammad Masjid tomorrow.

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, writer and a thinker nurturing the pluralistic values of Islam. More at: http://www.mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp
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MESSAGE: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2011/07/ramadan-message.html
POLITICS OF RAMADAN: http://nabsites.net/demo/politics-of-ramadan-on-moon-sighting/
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TERMS:
Sahri – Pre-Dawn meal before early Morning Prayer (fajr).
Iftaar – Sunset Meal as a conclusion of the fast.

Sawm – fasting from sunrise to sunset – No food, no water, no nothing and no intake of any food or water. More critically it is a practice to abstain from ill-will, malice, anger, temptations and human desires. Don’t hear, see, speak or act less than goodness.

Rituals – There are several variations in rituals and they vary from place to place. In Bangalore where I am from, the whole family gets up early around 4:00 AM and together cook extensive meals for Sahri /Suhoor, while others choose to cook earlier night and just warm it up and eat in the morning. The Iftaar is done elaborately at mosques, homes or other gatherings where friends from different faiths are invited to break bread and nurture goodwill.
Prayers – The ritual Muslim prayers involve several postures… I will update the details before the end of Ramdan.

 

Are you Oppressive or Conservative?

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http://nabsites.net/demo/are-you-oppressive-or-conservative/

When the Republican candidates thump their chest and say it aloud, I am a conservative, what do they mean? Are they confused between the words “oppressive” and “conservative” particularly when it is applied to LGBT issues?

Do they feel any sense of remorse when they reject the marriage between the consenting free willed adults?  What does liberty mean to them? 

Do they rejoice what Uganda is doing to its LGBT population? By the way Michelle Bachmann you may not be aware of the situation there, and if you are, I want to assure you it is not a “Moslem” country?

I can claim to be conservative if it means I mind my own business, respect the others as I want to be respected, believe in liberty and personal freedom of individuals, believe that government should not butt in people’s personal lives, that people should have the freedom to eat, sleep, wear and believe what they want, as long as those beliefs are not dangerous to the security of America or their personal life.

On the other hand if I were to believe in interfering in other people’s life, and want to regulate who can marry whom, I would consider that to be an oppressive value.  This is something all religious people need to think about. Do they want to Play God or mind their own faith? It is time for the Republicans to re-examine the words Justice, liberty, conservative and oppressive. Who will take the lead paves his or her own way to true leadership to bring Americans together.

Mike Ghouse is a moderate Republican committed to a cohesive America and a frequent guest on Hannity show and other nationally syndicated radio shows. He is a speaker, thinker and a writer on Pluralism in politics and religion, Islam, interfaith, peace and cohesive societies. His work is indexed at www.mikeghouse.net and daily blog is at www.TheGhousediary.com

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Texas Faith – Religion and Art

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Where would you take a visitor today to see a modern connection between religion and art? If you have an idea in mind, please explain why you would take a visitor there. If nothing jumps to mind, what do you think that says about the modern relationship between religion and art?

Dallas Morning News – 12 expressions including mine at: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/08/texas-faith-modern-connections.html

Click on the pictures to see the enlarged version

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MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

Universal integration pillar, Guntur, India
A door for each religion

The Interfaith Peace Chapel on Cedar Springs in Dallas jumps to my mind. There was a dire need for a new religious space that reflects the new values of interfaith and pluralism. The artist has encapsulated the values of modern art and architecture to give a complete new dimension to a place of worship, a trend setter for the future interfaith buildings with a non-religious architecture and religious art pieces.

The Peace Chapel’s website describes this beautifully as “a modern masterpiece designed by award-winning and world-renowned architect Philip Johnson. It is a brilliant, inspirational design of ‘sculpture as architecture.’ Seating up to 175 people, the chapel provides ideal space for intimate worship services, commitment ceremonies and memorial services.”

Intefaith Peace Chapel, Dallas

The website further adds that “This sacred space makes a bold and highly visible statement to the world about our commitment to the vision God has placed upon our hearts. We believe wholeheartedly that God will transform millions of lives through this building!”

When the first Synagogue, Church and Baha’i temple was built in Jerusalem, the builders and artists of the time had a huge responsibility to create the space and add artistic value to attract the followers, as well as make them a model for future places of worship.



Dome on the Rock – Bait-el-Muqaddas,
My trip to Jerusalem August 2010

The same goes with the Bait-el-Muqaddas (Dome on the rock), where Muslims developed a completely new form of expression in art: calligraphy. Since Islam encourages one to believe that God is not an entity or a form but energy, the early Muslims could not collapse God into an image or a figurine and out came the transformative creativity – where the beauty was expressed in abstract forms of writing the verses of Quraan in a variety of ways.

Taj Mahal, India – My visit in 2002

Perhaps this is the major form of art in Islam and it is expressed in beautiful themes. The profession is still alive and mosques and tombs like the Taj Mahal are adorned with calligraphy. The Taj is 222 feet tall and the script is written proportionately from the bottom to the top of the arch. The bare eye sees the entire script in the same size, whether from five feet high or from 222 feet on top of the building.

Ismaili Muslims place of worship, plano
been there for its opening by Gov. Perry

New mosques are on the drawing boards that will blend in with American architecture. The Ismaili Muslim place of worship in Plano incorporates the modern architecture with traditional space values.

The modern art will influence all religious buildings; indeed there is a new 37-acre campus under construction in North Dakota where a synagogue, mosque and a church are under construction. Each will have their own space in addition to the shared spaces on the campus.

Mike Ghouse is speaker committed to build a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day – much of his work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net

Trust, Democrats and Republicans.

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A cursory look at the squabbles within the Republican and Democratic parties on the issue of trust is worth pondering and I hope the media commissions a study on the topic. To a majority of Americans, a good American is a good American, what do the Republicans and Democrats think about it?

Democrats

The Democrats would have no problems in nominating a presidential candidate who is Catholic, African American, Native American, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Woman, Gay or a Lesbian or anyone who is good for America. Democrats’ feel secure about themselves and trust the person based on his or her record.

Republicans

Republicans would have problems in nominating a Presidential candidate who is a catholic, African American, Native American, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Gay or a Lesbian or anyone else. The candidate has to have the support from a evangelicals; a few of them are are too insecure to trust anyone other than themselves. Facts don’t matter to them, it did not to President Bush.

They have trusted Colin Powell, Condi Rice and Sarah Palin to a greater degree. However Powel had to lie the story at UN and resign as he could not fabricate any more. I am not sure about Rice. Romney will not make it, the right wing bias stand in his path.  I hope studies  will be conducted to authenticate or falsify the Republican bias.

Mike Ghouse is a moderate Republican, a speaker committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. Read the latest on his blog www.TheGhousediary.com and check out his work indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net

A call to Republican party

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REPUBLICANS WITH GUTS OUT THERE?

Republican fall out in 2012 is preventable,  if they do not let the extremists radical speak up for them. For about a decade Muslims got run over by their extremists resulting in a mess still to fade. I spoke up then, and I am going to speak up now. Any moderate Republicans out there? If you want to save the party and keep the majority in the house, speak up louder than the divisive men and women among us.  Bark in unison, like they do?  Any Republicans with guts?

Happy Independence day to India

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http://nabsites.net/demo/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/indianflag_MikeGhouse.gif

My Dear fellow Indians,

An Indian is an Indian is an Indian, period.
We are Adivasis, Atheists, Bahais, Bos, Buddhists, Christians, Dalits, Hindus, Jains, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Tribals, Zoroastrians and every possible grouping. We are Brown, Black, White, Yellow and green with envy and phir bhi dil hai Hindustani (our heart is Indian).

Our Motherland is represented by 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 proud of our heritage – a multi-faith, multi-cultural, multi-regional and multi-linguistic society, where we have come to accept and respect every which way people have lived their lives. For over 5000 years, India has been a beacon of pluralism – it has embraced Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Baha’i and Zoroastrianism to include in the array of the indigenous religions; Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

We may want to consciously start thinking and acting as one people, one people within a nation and a community and one people globally. It’s like home when we are conflict free. I do hope each one of us purges any bias towards the other, there is joy in being free from ill-will. Try to be free from it this day forward… free from anything that prevents you from being a part of the whole.

Our combined philosophies believe in one world ; Hinduism describes the world as Vasudaiva Kutumbukum, the whole world is one family, the idea of Ek Onkar(one) in Sikhism, you are all created from the same couple as Quraan puts it and Jesus embraced every one regardless of who any one is… similar philosophies are grounded in all our religions.

A few don’t follow their own heritage and resort to theivary, loot, murder, terrorism, rioting, rapes, infanticide and other evils that destroy the fabric of the society, but a majority of every group goes about their own way, living their life with struggles and ease and don’t even bother others. We should build upon the 99% of population and not on the less than 1% that does not follow any principles.

On this day, and every day from here forward, make a pledge to yourselves to talk about in terms of we Indians – and not Malyalee, Gujarati, Bengali…. or Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Isaee. Don’t expect others to jump and say the same, give them the time and if you are consistent for at least a year, you will see others emulating you.

India led the way to the freedom movement, since 1947 every country has been liberated from colonialism. Indian democracy is a shining example to the world, where the people have peacefully transferred the powers. Indians are inherently secular and economically capitalistic. They believe in “live-and-let-live” life style, which is the essence of capitalism.

Through the years we have expressed the highest degree of maturity on handling extreme situations; the more divergent opinions we hear, the larger our heart grows, the bigger our embrace would be and we can cushion more differences. Let’s continue to honor the concept that there is always another side to the story, as finding the truth is our own responsibility. I am proud of my heritage and am proud to be an Indian-American.

Click and enjoy:KEY INFORMATION

Jai Hind

Mike Ghouse

Mike Ghouse for India – http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker, writer and a frequent guest on Hannity show and nationally syndicated Radio shows and Dallas TV, Radio and Print Media. He presides America Together Foundation and is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

Over 1000 articles have been published on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, India and cohesive societies. Two of his books are poised to be released this fall on Pluralism and Islam. He is available to speak at your place of worship, work, school, college, seminars or conferences. His work is encapsulated in 27 blogs, four websites and several forums indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/

Pakistan Independence day | Azaadi Mubarak

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I wish a very happy independence day to my Pakistani Friends.

Last year people needed freedom from floods, this year I hope the seeds for a vibrant democracy are sowed in each heart here in Dallas or elsewhere in the world. Let’s aspire to be the best we can be in our duties to humanity.

Years ago, I had a radio show called independence special where every morning for an hour we learned everything about India and Pakistan… and I had Indians sing Pakistani national songs and Pakistanis sang Indian national anthem, it was all live on Radio. Indeed many of them made an effort to learn the hit songs.

You may want to consciously start thinking and acting as one people, one people within a nation and a community and one people globally. It’s like home when we are conflict free. I do hope each one of us purges any bias towards the other, there is joy in being free from ill-will. Try to be free from it this day forward… free from anything that prevents you from being a part of the whole.

On this day, and every day from here forward, make a pledge to yourselves to talk about in terms of “we the Pakistanis” – and not Punjabi, Sindhi, Pathan, Baluchi…. or Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Isaee or Parsee. Don’t expect others to jump and say the same, give them the time and if you are consistent for at least a year, you will see others emulating you.

 

May this Independence Day free us all from bias towards fellow beings. Amen

Pakistan Paindabad.
…
Mike Ghouse is a speaker committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His works is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net

PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE ON FOX

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Republican Presidential debate in Iowa

1. Romney Sticks out
2. Gingrich was good, but his bigotry and wife cheating will sink him
3. Bachman did not shine, her idea on debt will cost her
4. Huntsman is ok,
5. Ron Paul is great but he will not make it
6. Pawlenty, Santorum and Cain – will be gone
7. Perry and Romney – will go foward
8. Evangelicals will axe Romney
9. Perry will be the Nominee, unless he goofs up bad

I wrote 3 pieces against the exclusive prayers of Perry, however except that NY statement on GLBT which he needs to clarify, nothing significantly dumb has come out of Perry’s mouth yet. I can understand his need for exclusive prayers with …his crowd, but as long as it is not against others, he may have a chance.

If I were to venture on something important, it’s my family and friends I would pray with and I would extend that benefit to Perry.

Has he made a mess yet?
All indications are that he will make
Mike Ghouse is comitted to a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on the issues of the day. All his work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net

Perry for Presidenthttp://nabsites.net/demo/perry-for-presiden/

KRLD Radio
July 7 at 11:55am
If he is sincere in representing Americans he needs to demonstrate it by inviting them all to his prayer fest. Americans 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. He has an opportunity to win public opinion if he chooses to go the middle path representing the majority of Americans.
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Dallas Morning News :: Is Rick Perry’s “Day of Prayer and Fasting” about religion or politics?
If he is using this event as a prelude to run for the President, it is another opportunity for him to be a change maker like Presidents Reagan and Clinton who have reshaped the divisive politics into an inclusive one. They were in tune with the sentiments of the moderate majority of Americans; and likewise, it would be difficult to beat Obama with divisive politics, Americans believe in live and let live and who ever aligns with them has a faint chance. http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/06/is-rick-perrys-day-of-prayer-a.html

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Dallas Morning News:: Is Perry responsible for the religious company he keeps?
We should not tie Perry to Hagee or Wagner, nor should we have tied Obama to Wright. They stand on their own and should be accountable for what they say and do, and not who they listen to or friends with. http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/07/texas-faith-are-perry-and-obam.html

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Huffington post :: Rick Perry has to prove his sincerity
If Governor Perry is sincere in calling Americans to join in the prayers for peace and prosperity of our nation, he has an opportunity to demonstrate it by giving a dignified space to every representation of the 312 million Americans.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/perry-has-to-prove-his-si_b_874392.html

A moment of humanity after 46 years of war.

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It is an extraordinary story of a pilot Qais Hussain who was courageous to reflect on an act he did that bothered him and after a period of 46 years, he was able to get it out and hope with it came relief to him.   He shot down a civilian airplane that strayed in to his national territory, the humanity in him made him hesitant because it was a civilian plane, but he hit because he got the confirmation that it might me a reconnaissance plane. On the other side, I felt very emotional that the people who lost their families did not have rancor towards the pilot who shot their parents. It is an emotional story and brings the humanity out of you.

Barkha Dutt the anchor woman rightly pointed out that the soldiers make the best peace makers, as they have seen the futilities of war first hand.

A lot of this has happened during the Vietnam War, where our veterans have gone back and visited the families who were their targets.
VIDEO AND FULL STORY AT: http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/the-buck-stops-here/46-years-after-the-war-a-moment-of-humanity/207609?hp

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/the-buck-stops-here/after-the-war-a-moment-of-humanity/207609

It is a powerful story….

Mr. Hussain was not able to express his feelings well, and I really feel for him. It was simply beautiful to hear the three ladies who had lost their loved ones but did not have any acrimony or ill will.

This story needs to be explored further.

Barkha and Beena I salute you.

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It was a similar emotion that inspired me to write a note about the loss of our soldiers in Afghanistan and I prayed for them after Iftaar in Ramadan, the month of Mercy.

HONORING OUR SOLDIERS | A MINUTE OF SILENCE PLEASE
http://nabsites.net/demo/honoring-our-soldiers-in-aghanistan/

In memory of our soldiers and Navy Seals who died on Saturday, please observe a minute of silence honoring them. May God bless them and give patience to their families. May God give us the wisdom to end Wars and find solutions through mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill.  Amen

I urge fellow Muslim Americans to pray for their well beings, Insha Allah I will pray special prayers for them after Iftaar and Maghrib prayers this evening.

Our soldiers are the defenders of our freedom, they gave up their lives for us, and we have to express our gratitude and pray for them.  

Mike Ghouse is committed to working towards cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. All his work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net.

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TEXAS FAITH: What does feminism mean to you?

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That question is the subject of a growing discussion given that Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann both claim to be feminists. Except their feminism differs from the days of Gloria Steinem. Lisa Miller, a religion writer for Washington Post.com and On Faith, describes Bachmann’s feminism this way.
There are about 12 panelists in Dallas Morning News’ Texas Faith’s weekly column and all opinions including mine are at: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/08/texas-faith-what-does-feminism.html
MIKE GHOUSE, PRESIDENT, FOUNDATION FOR PLURALISM
The Palin-Bachman feminism is a new phenomenon; indeed they are setting a new assertive standard for feminism, where the deferential role for a woman in public square may become extinct like the dinosaurs. Palin-Bachman may not be the right role models, but they are the first most visible ones.
Way back in the movie Disclosure, Demi Moore played a challenging role of an aggressive female boss which at that time was labeled as manly woman’s role, it went to the other end of the spectrum of feminism. During the last Presidential election campaign Hilary Clinton was firm and assertive but not an aggressive, gun-toting attacking tigress like the Palin-Bachman duo, she applied logic and reason and rightfully the media was not deferential to her because she was a female.
In case of Palin-Bachman the media is at a loss in handling their aggressiveness and not sure if they would cross the line of feminism and get attacked for seeking substantiated answers. They need to treat the duo like they would any candidate male or female, and on their part the duo needs to substantiate their responses to set the new standards of feminism and not chase the media out with incomplete brash answers as it will be injustice to the emerging healthy feminism. NPR had a great story on Bachman on Tuesday which addresses the media shyness.
Yet, the three candidates accepted the traditional role of a deferential female to the husband within the family setting believing it to be a religious duty. This is the new public standard for the role of a woman until the deference gets replaced with equal partnership, yet maintains the family harmony and cohesion; there is room for us to grow up. 
We may have to modify the Virginia slims slogan to “You have come a long way woman (baby no more)” in establishing and defining the new feminism; genderless in the public square where no one dares to have an upper hand in any endeavor of life and yet and play feminine traditional role in the family setting. Helen Reddy’s song “I am woman” is playing in my ears now.
It has a lot of winning appeal to women; it authenticates their own vision of womanhood and offers a role model for them to emulate. Be yourselves, do what is right irrespective of the opinions out there, eventually that will become the standard and the norm of the society where you are viewed as an individual contributor for the wellbeing of the family and the society. I welcome this new benchmark, it was long overdue.
Mike Ghouse is a speaker committed to a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day – all his work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net