Perry for President.

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A month ago as a moderate Republican I wrote, unless we find the right Republican candidate, Obama is the best option against the announced Republican candidates who are loaded with bigotry and will tear the cohesive fabric of America.

In the last elections,  I was hoping for Huckabee to make it, but thank God he got dumped, he was drenched in bigotry against fellow Americans. We don’t need men like him who will drown us in another war.

Obama is losing; he has not shown his mettle in bringing our men and women back home. America is suffering and he is blowing the money on a war that will not end. He chickened out to the tea partiers, he should have invoked Amendment 14 and tell them to hell with it, and do the right thing for the country, increase the revenues and not lose the credit ratings. Unless he takes a bold step, his leadership remains untenable.

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?

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

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

Honoring our Soldiers in Aghanistan

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HONORING NAVY SEALS | A MINUTE OF SILENCE PLEASE

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.

Serious dialogue on India and Pakistan

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http://nabsites.net/demo/serious-dialogue-on-india-and-pakistan/

DRAFT

I am as embarrassed as you may be, that we cannot find solutions to the issues between India and Pakistan. I am writing this note to the moderate majority of Indians, Pakistanis and Kashmiris of both nations. 

If you are born and bred as anti-Indian or anti-Pakistani, don’t bother to read. It will deplete your energy as you are not willing to see another point of view.  Those who read it,  read it as an attempt in finding solutions… you can improvise and negate on the issue and not attack any individuals in the dialogue.

Sincerely,

Mike
Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and is available to speak on Pluralism, coexistence, Islam, India, peace and justice. Details at www.MikeGhouse.net

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This is my response to a Rajinder Sud, and Indian who responded to Imran Kazimi, a Pakistani

Rajinder,

Your analysis is on very close on the target and I am pleased to offer a solution.

The root cause of all the tensions between the two nations stems from Kashmir!

The only beneficiaries of waving Kashmir slogan are the Pakistani politicians, Paksitanis military leaders and the Indian right wing politicians. They do not give a crap about Pakistan; instead they have used, abused, misused and ruined Pakistan.
All energies of Pakistan were channeled towards Kashmir, even the user-Pakistanis around the world  who wanted to siphon cash from the nincompoops have said  -“ Khoon bahayiengay magar Kashmir leke raheingay”.  they will never “baha” their damned Khoon, it is rhetoric  – apan ullu theek karnay tha unhien.

How long can the leaders and the users dupe the people?
Did they do any good to Pakistan?

The Major difference is most Indians do not fall for the users whereas the Pakistanis do not say a word about it and their silence encourages the users to continue with their rhetoric.    
All the tension between the two nations is about Kashmir!

I used to publish a News Paper called Asian American Journal (Asian News) and on the front page I placed a map of the subcontinent which showed Kashmir as an Indian state, one of the Pakistani Store owners threw all my papers in the trash and holds grudges and does the back biting and maligning, shame on those who fall for it.  

THE SOLUTION

Accept the status-quo, the LOC

It will free both the nations from any more tension, but will make it difficult for the military in Pakistan and the Right wing parties in India – all in a sudden they do not have an enemy and I hope they resist manufacturing one up. If there is democracy in Pakistan, public will refuse to be duped.

The Lashkar Taiaba and other outfits will go out of business, once the declaration is made and both the people can hope for an end to terrorism.
The monies saved on defense and terrorism can be channeled to food production to make Pakistan self sufficient and work on building their educational institutions.
First priority should be building infrastructure for democratic institutions and the process. The TV channels of Pakistan are fairly independent and they can play a major role in defining a democratic Pakistan.
When two democracies function well, there seldom will be a need for strong defense or any issue. It can lead to a loose federation in the long haul
The Kashmiris will have two states of Kashmir; one is in India and the other in Pakistan.
The Kashmiri Pandits need to be given back their land in the valley and offer all the privileges to them. Recent reports have indicated where the Kashmiri Muslims and Pundits were getting back together, that is good news.  It the damned non-Kashimiris who create the problem for the Kashimiris.  If we cannot do any good to them, we should do any harm either.
The idea of Independent Kashmir is dangerous – China can swallow it any time as they have done a 1/3 of it already. What are we doing to do? Nothing!  The Talibans can ride in and further destroy the pluralistic tradition of Kashmir making it painful for the Kashmiris, Indians and the Pakistanis.  

No nation should be built on Religion, the two that were built – Pakistan and Israel have become a sore point in the history, we cannot reverse what happened, but we should stand up against any religious government.  Much of the terrorism in the world has emanated from those two. Religious governments do not have a good record anywhere. Even if it were ever to come in America, it will be hell – the first target will be the Jews, there is so much anti-Semitism built in there, the second will be Muslims and the third would be Hindus… no one will be spared by the evangelicals who want to harvest the souls and save the Hindus, Muslims and other Christians from going to hell.

The Kashmiris will have the autonomy and freedom to run their state as they wish, just as all other states within India do now. When Pakistan becomes a true democracy, the Kashmiri state to the north should enjoy the same privileges of a state within Pakistan.

India’s states are very independent and sometimes go against the center, it is like in the United States – Two major parties control the states and federal government. You have to be good to remain in government. Even the slogan “Ram Mandir bana kay raheingay’ did not go with the majority of Indians – they wanted jobs and prosperity.  Duping Indians with religion happened once, but will not happen again. It will not happen in America and I hope the Pakistanis will do the same once they have democracy in place, and they have a record of it.

Rarely democracies have fought wars.

The Pakistan Public needs to demand jobs and increase in food production, India can transport the food, tractors, automobiles at a much lower cost than Pakistan can get from elsewhere. Indeed, the Indian businesses that are going to China for production can create those jobs in Pakistan.
On my Part, I can say most Indians are ready to move on, but it will certainly happen once the post-partition Indians and Pakistanis die off and go to wherever they belong. They got too much hate conditioned in them. The 70’s generation does not carry the same baggage.  
As an Individual Pakistani, you can think about it… the changes won’t happen in one day, the energy is built up and critical level can be reached. Are you  in ?
If you are, are you willing to speak up?
 
Mike Ghouse
Committed to cohesive America
www.MikeGhouse.net
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Rajinder writes to Kazmi:

What you say is true that there is corruption and if you say “that is the reason why Pakistan is collapsing” – may be. But if so, why is India not collapsing?

You say “we are of the same umbilical chord”, I beg to differ. There is a huge difference in our mindset. In 60+ years India established over 8000 universities when there were only 10 in 1947, and if I am not wrong Pakistan has only two – Punjab and Sindh. Differece: education is supreme on the mind of an Indian. Pakistan has 28,000 madrassas training terrorists – midset. You will find thousands if not millions of stories that an Indian father will go to Bombay, drive a rickshaw in Delhi, work as a labourer in Ahmedabad etc. and send money to educate his son. Mindset.
India developed its economy in a planned manner – mixture of private and public enterprise. Pakistan built military complexes, allotting big farmlands to its retiring generals creating feudalism – mindset. No planning to develop any Industry. Even tiny Bangladesh did better.
India emphasized developing its music and movie industry – what did Pakistan do? Even poor Nur Jahan had hard time advancing her talent as she became Yahya Khan’s concubine. I have been told of some very juicy stories by her close confidant. Pakistanis often speak of Indian movie industry in derisive words – mindset.
India opted for mechanized farming, laid a huge network of irrigation canals in Punjab, Haryana etc. and tackled succefully its food shortage problem to a great extent and is today among the largest exporters of rice. Pakistan is barely producing enough for its needs and suffers from acute shortages. The hydro-electric dams India built provided electricity to almost every village and hutment all over the country. Can you speak of the same by WAPDA?
India added hundreds of thousands of railway lines, manaufactures its own locomotives and even exports them to African and South American countries. Does Pakistan?
India is building 30 miles of roadways every month and has changed the landscape of rural India and is doing so constantly. Does Pakistan.
What Pakistan did great is build Nuclear arsenal factories, created one of this planets largest armies and fighting capacity- difference: Mindset.
Instead India developed its Knowledge-based IT industry and is the world’s envy. Thousands of US and European companies have their service centres in INdia employing millions of educated workers. What IT industry do you have?
India took secularism and inclusive pluralism as its motto (I wo’nt quibble about its complete success) and Pakistan chose to become an “Islamic Republic”. Difference: Mindset.
India condemns and fights its reactionary Hindu extremism, whereas Pakistan promotes it. Mindset.
Sir, if we were of the same umbilical chord, then why don’t we think alike. What did a poet sayFault dear Brutus is not with our stars, but with ourselves that we are underlings”.

India had a dream of overcoming the handicaps it inherited and its situation as an underling and overcame the hurdles the British had left behind. Did Pakistan? It had the same problems as India, but did nothing to overcome them – instead it chose to fight India over Kashmir, Bangladesh over who is better Punjabi or Bengali, Afghaistan as a stooge of the CIA – right or wrong. India never became anybody’s concubine Pakistan chose to sit in the lap of the US for decades, until lately of course, when the US learnt that Pakistan was not a stable friend. We have a saying in our culture which says that a wise enemy is better than a foolish friend. Mindset.

India promoted women in the field of education and workforce, Pakistan kept them in bondage. Mindset.
Yes, we shared the same planet but not the umbilical chord from times immemorial. Muslims always had a religious chip on their shoulder which the Hindus resented, not that there are no Hindu zealots but not like the Muslims. Unfortunately when Hindus felt that they were being marginalised by the Muslims, Sikhs, Christians in the south in the 60’s, etc., then these reactionary movements started and got their following which is now on the wane. Extremism in Pakistan which fosters violence is on the increase. Mindset.
Muslims never made good businessmen, but they took pride in becoming good builders, farmers and artisans etc., but Pakistan needed business minds. Mindset.
Sir, Hindus often ask: Aqal badi ke bhains. You tell me Sir, are we of the same kind.
Do not find faults with India, there may be many but inspite of them India is forging ahead, why is not Pakistan? If you say that India could do better without corrupt politicians, then you are dead right, But then can you name me one country on this planet where there is no corruption. USA, Canada, Russia, France, Italy, Greece, Spain????? Where there are human beings there is greed, corruption etc. but India at least is aware of it and is fighting it. Is Pakistan? You have your military running the country for decades and have no guts to fight it. Mindset.
Did I say everything right or do you still differ.
Rajinder

Day 5 of Ramadan 2011

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http://nabsites.net/demo/day-5-of-ramadan-2011/

Friday, August 5, 2011 | Ramadan 5, 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.

………………………………….. …

God willing, I will highlight the uniqueness of each tradition on a daily basis and I hope we as Muslims can cherish it. I encourage each one of you to experience it and write about it.

DAY 5 OF RAMADAN

Terms: Listed below

Sahri (Pre-dawn meal): Oat meal in Soya Milk
Iftaar (refreshments): Dates, Chana Masala (spiced Chickpeas) and Milk
Iftaar (Dinner): Fresh Salad, Pita Bread, Rice and Chicken Korma (curry)
Mosque: Shia Masjid, Momin Center, Irving
Culture: Urdu Speaking Muslims from India and Pakistan and others

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Praise the lord, they have expanded the Shia Mosque in Irving, it’s almost double the size from last year and they have added a room, a beautiful sanctuary with hardwood floors. Several picture frames were set on the wooden cabinets with the names of twelve Imams in the Shia tradition with the name of Abbas son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib (first Shi’a Imam and fourth Rashidun Caliph) placed prominently in the middle and a brass plate with hand symbols hung in the middle. I believe they call the sanctuary the Imam Bara. I just could not resist noting my Dad’s election symbol which was the hand when he ran for the Mayor of Yelahanka Town Municipality in the early fifties.
Of all the Mosques I have been to, this Mosque has the best carpet with inlaid design for the prayer rows demarcations, and I loved the color of the carpet – it’s kind of greenish Khaki. Mujahid, one of the leaders of the community said that it was imported from Turkey and they had placed heavy padding under the carpet. Indeed, it was a luxury to sit on that carpet.

Iftaar:

The breaking of fast occurs nearly 20 minutes after the sunset; the dusk is interpreted as the disappearance of light after the sunset an uniquely Shia Tradition. The fast ends with Azan (Adhan) the prayer call and everyone breaks the fast with dates and other refreshments, water or the Milk followed by the prayers. The Iftaar dinner is after the prayers and they had the delicious Chicken Korma (curry) that reminded me of my Taiba Uncle’s curry, which will never fade out of my memory. Apparently it was cooked by the Aunt of Abbas a friend I have known for nearly 16 years. Compliments to her for the wonderful Chicken Korma.
The 2nd Prayer call is to gather the worshippers for the ritual prayer called Namaz or Salat. During this call, when the name of the Prophet Muhammad is recited, the Muezzin (the reciter) and the congregation both recite the full Darood (Peace prayer to the Prophet and his progeny). This practice is unique to the Shia branch of Islam.

As the people gather up, the prayer begins, unlike the Sunni Mosques where the Imam invariably asks the congregation to stand in straight lines and shoulder to shoulder, this Mosque assumed that they do and did not make the call.

Another unique item is the biscuit size round clay tablets placed on the floor to rest the forehead during the prostration posture.

As the prayer begins, the worshippers drop their hands to their sides while the Sunnis bring their folded hands together on the abdomen. At the end of the recitation of first chapter of Quraan, the word “Amen” is uttered silently.

During the Ruku (kneeling) the Imam (prayer leader) recites out in audible voice the name of God three times along with sending peace and blessings (darood) to the Prophet, a Shia Tradition. The process is repeated during the prostration as well.

On the 2nd Unit of the prayers, in the standing position, after reciting the first chapter of Quraan and an additional chapter, the Shias lift their hands and do the supplication prayers, the only other place I have seen that practice is at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Finally at the end of the 3rd Unit of prayer – they do not turn their head to the right or the left while saying As-salaamu aliakum o Rahmatullah as the Sunnis do.

During the month of Ramadan, most mosques bring guest Imams and here at the Momin Center, Imam Nabi Raza was visiting from San Jose, California. He is from Richmond Town, Bangalore, and a fellow Bangalorean and has been in the states for nearly 20 years. He was excited about my visit to every mosque during Ramadan so we can learn to respect the uniqueness of each tradition. He talked about the extensive programs they have in the bay area Mosques where all the Sunnis and Shias gather up on occasions. He mentioned that they gather up 15-20,000 Audience in Bangalore to celebrate Prophet’s birthday (Maulood, Milaad). Insha Allah, God willing we may coordinate visiting Bangalore as I give a talk “Prophet the peace maker” every act of the prophet had one thing in common – conflict mitigations and goodwill nurturance.
Nabi Raza’s talk topic was Sura Baqara, verse 2:183

Al-Baqara (The Cow) 2:183

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ (2:183)
2:183 (Asad) O YOU who have attained to faith! Fasting is ordained for you as it was ordained for those before you, so that you might remain conscious of God: –
He talked about what constitutes Muttaqeen, the pious one and he honed on Hazrat Ali’s speech, the number one item (of the 101) is to “speak precisely and to the point” He referenced Prophet Muhammad’s saying where he had said, the most important gift to human beings is intelligence and the tongue (ability to speak) and must be used discreetly, as it is the tongue that can hurt others, can bring troubles in the communities and families.

One of the final attainments in the stage of piety is the ability to receive guidance from God – he used the word Wahi, the revelations. When you have achieved the purity of your being, all that comes to you is God’s wisdom. Indeed, I believe in that as the Sufis do and most Christians subscribe to that whereas it is not a part the Sunni tradition.

The most appealing item of his talk was – God does not need your prayers or fasting, it’s for your benefit that you do. He said if all the humanity abandons God, it does not make any difference to him, or if the whole humanity worships him every minute of the day, it does not make any difference to him, we are a speck (Carl Sagan?) in his unlimited Universe. Indeed the Bhagvad Gita says, even serving others, helping other is for selfish reason; it is an act of self preservation and self balancing. Just the other day, I was sharing with a few friends that I am a Muslim for me and not for anyone else. Several of my Sunni friends attempted to correct me – You are a Muslim for the sake of God. I reiterate that I am a Muslim to be in tune with the universe to seek my own balance in the whole.

Islam is not a monolithic religion and it will take another generation of constant exposure for Muslims to learn to accept and respect the otherness of other. The same goes with the Christian denominations, they are in the same boat of not accepting the other denominations as legitimate and you will find that in every religious tradition. That is not religion; religion is indeed about humility and not arrogance. Together we all have to grow up to enjoy the beauty of humility and valuing the God given uniqueness of each one of us.

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.

Muslims in India – An Honest Look

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I was hopping from video to video and dawned on this video on IBN with Shabana Azmi. Every word she has said resonates with me. The link is at the end of my note. Ramzan is getting to me… I will be counting the next two hours to Iftaar and looks like every minute is an hour. I am planning to go to the Shia Masjid (Momin Center) for Iftaar on the 5th day of Ramadan.

I really put the label Muslim on me after 9/11, as she took it after Babri Masjid. Prior to that I did not call myself a Muslim like she did not, I was a cultural Muslim, I was rather an Atheist. Amazing words and incredible experience! I have written each one of those words in my write ups…
When she said to the politicians why do you consult the bearded…? I have written almost that in Huffington post, “The Ground Zero Mosque, nay, the Muslim community center in New York was a major turning point in adding the average American Muslim to the media mix of the public faces of Muslims who are not only moderates but also contribute to the overall peace, prosperity and security of America.” I was a product of that.

She also talks about digging in her heels for a forced identity on her and attributes the increasing Hijab wearing to that event. Hijab is something new to a lot of us from the early fifties. Hijabs are everywhere now. One of my Doctor friends came to visit us in Hospital when late wife was going through surgery for her cancer… the one thing he mentioned as both of us noticed Hijabi doctors walking around… where do they come from?

Shabana was truthful about her being a cultural Muslim, I am sure a few don’t like it to hear it, so was my case. A few Muslims did not like me for being truthful about my identity that I did not claim to be a Muslim, it was the 9/11 and study of Pluralism that really turned me around and claim my religious and spiritual identity as a Muslim.

She talks about Eid celebrations where to be a Muslim meant wearing Gharara, eating Biryani… on Birayani deal, way back I had sponsored her show with Farooque Shaikh and after the show she came to our home for dinner. She loved the Hyderabadi Kacchay gosht ki Biryani and double ka meetha that my late wife had cooked. Shabana said for the first time in some 20 years she got to eat delicious Biryani and she acknowledged over eating.

She wanted to go for a walk, she and I walked around the lake in front of my house…she was curious about how the city and school system worked – She could not believe those Cities, Schools and most organizations are supported by local taxes as opposed the Government. As we talked further I realized I had the socialist inklings once, but have moved to accept the responsible capitalistic economic system for growth and prosperity. It was a great conversation… The next day we had a fund raising dinner for her school in her home town.

Shabana Azmi reflects what an average Indian Muslim is all about; an active participant and contributor towards the society he or she lives in.

I hope you watch this video; it is one of the best analyses of the Muslim experience. I believe most of the Desi Muslims can relate with her. My dear friend Shariff (Sachar Report guy) and I grew up in Bangalore as main stream Indians and we rarely found ourselves to be any different than others. Fortunately we both know her.  We were very integrated in the society and thank God I have never felt that I was not a main stream person in America either. Issues are faced by all, but rarely have I been identified as anything different other than the Pluralism I preach.

I did not mean to write this… I like Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar and their activism. They are the symbol of average integrated Muslims in the society and I am glad to be one as well.

Shabana Azmi on the Muslim Experience,  an old video but a timeless piece. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQq9pGWfj34&feature=related

Mike Ghouse committed to a cohesive America.
www.MikeGhouse.net

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Muslims condemn Vandalism at Toronto Jewish School

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The World Muslim Congress Condemns Vandalism at Toronto Jewish School
Dallas, Texas – August 5th, 2011 – The World Muslim Congress condemns the  vandalism of the Robbins Hebrew Academy which is attached to the Beth Tikvah synagogue in Toronto and calls on police to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. According to a report, vandals spray-painted a swastika and the words “Islam will rule.”
The world Muslim congress endorses the following press release by CAIR Canada. Much of the world is torn apart due to a few rogues among us, Mike Ghouse, President of the World Muslim congress adds, “No Canadian or American has to live in disgusting harassment by other. I urge the Canadian government to find the miscreants and punish them to the maximum punishment available under the Canadian Law.
And I urge the Muslims around the world to condemn these men for tarnishing the name of Islam, no one gave them the permission to do that and Islam clearly forbids any denigration of other faiths.
I urge the Jewish community to condemn the bad guys and not their families, ethnicities and religion. We need justice and it can be achieved only by blaming the individuals and not the religion.
Quraan, 49:11 – “O you who believe, no people shall ridicule other people, for they may be better than they. Nor shall any women ridicule other women, for they may be better than they. Nor shall you mock one another, or make fun of your names. Evil indeed is the reversion to wickedness after attaining faith. Anyone who does not repent after this, is the transgressors.”
Quraan, 22:34 – For each congregation we have decreed rites whereby they commemorate the name of GOD for providing them with the livestock. Your god is one and the same god; you shall all submit to Him. Give good news to the obedient.
Mike Ghouse, President
 World Muslim Congress
www.WorldMuslimcongress.org 
www.MikeGhouse.net
(214) 325-1916
# ##
CAIR-CAN Condemns Vandalism at Toronto Jewish School
– For immediate release –
(Ottawa, Canada – August 5th, 2011) – The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) today condemned the recent vandalism of the Robbins Hebrew Academy which is attached to the Beth Tikvah synagogue in Toronto and calls on police to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. According to a report, vandals spray-painted a swastika and the words “Islam will rule.”
“CAIR-CAN stands firmly with all Canadians in denouncing this act of hate and intimidation. We wish to unequivocally voice our support for all victims of such intolerant and divisive acts. It is clear that the individual(s) responsible are deeply ignorant of the basic tenets of mercy, understanding and compassion inherent in the Abrahamic faith traditions.”
“In January of this year-CAN issued a Statement on the Sanctity of Sacred Spaces which complements our earlier Statement on the Sanctity of Sacred Texts. The latter was released in September 2010 as a response to the proposed Qur’an burning in Florida,” said Ihsaan Gardee, CAIR-CAN Executive Director.
“CAIR-CAN urges local politicians and security officials in Toronto, as well as provincial and federal governments, to work together to continue to relentlessly combat all forms of racism including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. We call on the authorities to prosecute the perpetrators of these acts to the fullest extent of the law to send a strong message against hate crimes and intolerance.”

“We also urge the synagogue and community leaders to remain vigilant and to immediately report suspicious behaviour to the proper authorities in order to establish a clear record of such incidents.”

CAIR-CAN is a national, non-profit, grassroots organization striving to be a leading voice that enriches Canadian society through Muslim civic engagement and the promotion of human rights.

CONTACT: Ihsaan Gardee, CAIR-CAN Executive Director, 613.254.9704; 613.853.4111

– 30 –

Day 3 of Ramadan 2011

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Wednesday, August 3, 2011 | Ramadan 3, 1432

PURPOSE: To share diverse cultural experience of Ramadan.

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.

………………………………….. …

DAY 3 OF RAMADAN

Terms: At the bottom.

Sahri (Pre-dawn meal): Honey bunches of Oates cereal with Yogurt
Iftaar (refreshments): Dates, watermelon and Milk
Iftaar (Dinner): Chana Masala (spiced Chickpeas), Chicken Biryani and Kheer (Rice Pudding)
Mosque: Madinah Masjid, Carrollton
Culture: Predominantly Urdu Speaking Muslims

You can click on the pictures to see it in large size)

Madinah Masjid is perhaps the only Mosque in town where you find a steady presence of people for Iftaar, be it a weekday or weekend, Iftaar refreshments and meals are served for the full length of Ramadan, 29 or 30 days.
I could not resist taking the picture of sun going down almost touching the ground over the horizon way away in the clear skies. Would you believe the temperature was 105F at 8:25 PM? It was like standing in front of the open fire pit.
It was nice to see the organization at works; two rows of white sheets were laid out for people to sit around; in all four rows with about 80 people. On the men side eight individuals wore brown chef jackets and were ready to serve. They were wearing hand gloves and setting the plates on the floor, it was incredible to see this formality in the mosque.

At 8:27 PM, two minutes before the time to break the fast, the Imam started reciting scriptures of blessings followed by Amens for each verse. At 8:29 the Adan (Azan), the call for prayers began and once again with a short grace, we broke the 15 hours fast with the Dates. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) obviously chose the dates to break his fast and Muslims around the globe emulate to honor the prophet (please check day 2).

This Mosque opened up in the early 2000 and has carried the unique tradition of celebrating Milaad (Prophet Muhammad’s birthday), Observing Muharram (Ashura, mourning of the death of Imam Hussain), Gyarveen (honoring a saint) dinners, Chehlam (remembrance of the departed souls on the 40th day) and a host of other festivities that most Mosques do not allow. There is a room for everyone here, although a few Muslims may not visit the Mosque as they are not comfortable with a few traditions. I thank God for blessing me with the mind to appreciate all the uniqueness and to respect the devotion by each Muslim as well as people of other faith or no faiths.

The Ritual prayer is called Salat in Arabic and Namaz in most of the subcontinent and perhaps Turkey, as I heard Imam Dr. Kavakci utter the word Namaz in my conversation with him on the first day of Ramzan (Ramadan). Like the Makkah Masjid (Day two), in this Mosque the word Amen is said quietly after reciting the first chapter of Quraan in units one and two of the three units of prayer. Similar practice of reciting dua (supplication) after the Namaz is followed in the Mosque as in Makkah Masjid.

After the optional prayers, men were asked to sit around the sheets on the floor while the volunteers in the uniforms served the dinner; it was all clean and hygienic work! Another volunteer walked by and collected the paper plates and cups in a bag.

Javed Hyder is a friend who heads the volunteer services at the Mosque and I have watched him consistently serve the community for over four years. He is a fellow Home builder and a fellow Bangalorean and was an office neighbor. I asked them to gather up for a picture and they did, not only that, Javed asked me to take the picture of the volunteer women folk and it was good to see familiar faces and teens on the team.
If you wish to get a complete picture of the different practices, please review the daily record as I will do my best to avoid redundancy over the next thirty days.

Please do not forget to read the Politics of Ramadan; it is written for Non-Muslims to relate and understand the traditions. Hence you find a constant reference to Jewish, Christian, Hindu and other traditions. Unless people can relate with our practices, they won’t be able to grasp it. We are guided in the Quraan to know each other. Knowledge leads to understanding and understanding to an acceptance and appreciation of a different practice.
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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.

British Actress Inspired by Prophet Muhammad’s Life

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Thanks to Hasni Essa for sharing this article with a great introduction, I read it and I really liked it. I can relate with Myriam Francois-Cerrah. The following note is written with the intention of a long term sustainable cohesive societies and I hope some of my Muslim and Christian friends get it and I know most of them do.

 

My story is similar in the sense I came to Islam for similar reasons that she did. As a Pluralist who respects all of God’s creation and honors every which way one adores the creator, I found Quraan (Beware, there are two bad translations that the right wingers go by, rather than 23 good ones – details at www.Quraantoday.com ) to be a book of guidance in living with justice and fairness to every human being, where no one is afraid of the other, it was about creating peaceful societies and that is really what Islam is all about. Myriam has summed it up very well in her story and I am deeply inspired by Prophet Muhammad’s guidance and I urge individuals to find it on their own.

Religions indeed came into being to fix the dysfunctional societies, a majority of the people gets it and a few don’t. Those who don’t get it wear the same religious label but act entirely opposite of what their religion guides them. Neither Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews nor others act their religion out, they act their greed out. 

Rarely do I read conversion stories as I do not see the need for it, each religion is beautiful and serves the purpose of bringing tranquility and balance to the individual. The missionizing operations in Islam and Christianity are more interested in religionizing and branding the individuals rather than bringing tranquility and peace to them. Quraan was clear when it said, whether you are a Jew, Christian or other, you need not worry about God’s grace, he will shower you with this blessings if you are good to his creation; people and the environment. Indeed, Prophet Muhammad fortified it by saying that if you marry a Jewish or a Christian woman, you don’t need to convert. Those are powerful statements from a Pluralism point of view. Prophet Muhammad and Jesus (and all the messengers) offered models of living that will serve the individuals and the humanity, their models were so good that people would want to emulate them and that was the right approach, it was about free will.

However, if one is not satisfied with the given set of beliefs be it Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu or the other, she or he must explore and find what works and go for it. It is a shame that a few states in my India place restrictions on one’s choices. No one should dictate what one eats, drinks, breathes, wears or believes.  

I get a lot of calls from people asking me about Islam, and I always tell them to take time to learn their own beautiful faith and not jump, despite that about nine have converted in the last year. At least 3 are Mormon girls and one an Atheist, Hindu and others.  I want to share an interesting sentence I heard a few weeks ago in my sermon on Pluralism – he asked if there is a way for him to follow Islam without being associated with Muslims? Most likely the few Muslims he met may have invited him to become a Muslim brand based on belief rather than what the belief will do to him; bring tranquility and peace.  Miryam has alluded to it, “I did not immediately identify with the Muslim community. I found many things odd and many attitudes perplexing. The attention given to the outward over the inward continues to trouble me deeply.” Indeed, a few visible Muslims have subdued the significance of the inward attainment and reduced the religion to external manifestations.
Let religion be a solution to your peaceful existence and not a brand.

 

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and is available to speak on the topic of Pluralism, Islam, India and Just societies. Details at www.MikeGhouse.net

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British Actress Inspired by Prophet’s (peace be upon him) Life
Myriam Francois-Cerrah Embraces Islam

http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/my-journey-to-islam/contemporary-stories/452274-british-actress-inspired-by-prophets-life.html

The politics of Ramadan on Moon sighting

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Muslims around the world will begin fasting from Monday, August 1, 2011 and for a whole month thereafter, however, for some it will begin only if the moon is sighted. The story is same with the Jewish and other traditions that follow lunar calendar. Rosh Hashanah like Ramadan comes 11 or 12 days earlier each year.

Since the beginning of Islam, there have been debates as to what constitutes moon sighting. Some interpret that there has got to be a minion to declare that they have seen it themselves with their own eyes and some do not accept it unless they have seen it themselves. It is also acceptable if the moon is sighted elsewhere, but now, each group has to have their own moon sighting. In the United States there is an organization that monitors moon sighting and announces it in advance. The Islamic Society of North America has announced that Ramadan begins on Monday, August one. Over the millennium we learned to accept and respect the otherness of other.

Politics plays a crucial role in our Temples, Synagogues or Churches, Mosques are no different. A few scientifically-inclined-Muslims have adopted NASA’s calculations believed to be precise. However, four different traditions are operating concurrently; i) Strictly Calendar, ii) NASA and iii) Sighting with bare eyes and iv) sighting by others in the community.

The NASA-oriented and the Calendar-group misses out the fun, joy and exhilaration of waiting and watching the needle thin moon on the horizon. The whole family gets out on the roof tops, or higher grounds, some even climb electric poles, and a few will drive out where they can see the sky without obstacles, kids would climb on parent’s shoulders, and a few run from place to place shouting in excitement, did you see it? It is like the belief in Santa Claus, Angels and other myths, each tradition fulfills one’s emotional needs and every one becomes sentimental. After all, if celebration does not have the excitement, it is not a celebration.

America’s spirit of freedom touches every soul, no matter what religion or tradition they follow. American Muslims are no different, they prefer to have a pre-set date to start fasting and the celebration called “Eid” pronounced as Eeed as in Eeel. The idea is for them to take a day off from work or get an optional day off for their children from the schools. Always, the joy multiplies when the family and friends celebrate it together. They prefer to start on a pre-set date and trust the calculations.

The conflicts are the same everywhere on the earth. Each group subscribes to one of the four systems mentioned above. America is no different; you will find celebrations on one or three different days in any given city, the Sunnis, being the largest group has the greater division within, while the Sufis, Shias, Ismailis, WD Mohammad, Bohra and Ahmadiyya follow the pre-determined dates.

The consensus may be attributable to having central spiritual leadership in all groups except the Sunni. However like the American Public wishes to see the Republicans and Democrats drop the party lines and focus on what is good for America, the Muslims also wish they could celebrate the Eid on one single day. It ain’t going to happen, it is human to differ. It is against the spirit of Ramadan to denigrate, diminish and devalue other practices.

The essence of Ramadan is to become humble, simple and free from ill-will, anger, meanness and hate. Let’s fill our hearts with goodwill and honor Ramadan by saying “Eid Mubarak” or Happy Eid to everyone who celebrates on a different day in the same town. The essence of Ramadan is joy and let’s not prick any one’s bubble; God has not signed a pact with any one behind others back, let’s rejoice the differences of interpretations. If you want to celebrate every day, go to every celebration.

In the spirit of Ramadan, I pray that Ramadan gets into our hearts and minds and make us embrace all factions of Muslims without undermining their tradition and further pray that we treat every human on the earth with dignity, respect and care.

That is indeed the wisdom expressed in Qur’an, Al-Hujurat, Surah 49:13: “O mankind! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. The noblest of you, in sight of God, is the best in conduct. God Knows and is Aware of everything you do.”

The Next article is “The Rituals of Ramadan” followed by the “Spirit of Ramadan”.

Ramadan Mubarak!
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 runs 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 MikeGhouse.net.

TEXAS FAITH: When is it okay to apply moral absolutes to public policy?

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Dallas Morning news weekly question: When is it okay to bring a faith-based belief grounded in moral absolutes to public policy debate?

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

The faith-based belief grounded in moral absolutes has always been a part of the public policy debate though not postured as such. After all we are conditioned with certain beliefs and are driven by it. Most of the issues that were debated have had strong religious grounding and opposed or supported the Women’s rights, Roe v Wade, the civil rights, the Catholic president, Civil Unions, GLBT marriages, immigration and other.

Despite the emerging moral absolutes, I am confident that the moderation (in terms of giving space to the other) will prevail in the long haul.

The ones who speak up in general and Teavangelicals in particular are driven by strong absolutes, while the majority of any group of people tends to be moderate and gives space to another point of view.

However, the nations, religions, politics and the communities are not driven by the majorities; the initiatives are taken by the extreme right and the left and the outcome is determined by their wrangling and is supported or rejected by the majority at the polls when things get out of handle.

Even the budget that just passed did not have the full support of all the Tea party candidates, the votes were divided and that is how things should work, we cannot stereotype the Tea Party, liberals or the conservatives, each one of us is a composition of different values. Indeed, we have come a long way to accept and respect the otherness of other without resorting to extreme solutions. That is the benchmark of civil societies.

Thanks to the wisdom of the founding fathers and the strength of our constitution for giving durable governance in the history of mankind. The extremes will fizzle out in the long haul, and moderation will prevail. I salute the checks and balances built into our system and as long as the Americans give the house and senate to different parties, America will be safe and the governance of the people will endure and the idea of live and let live remains intact.

Dallas Morning news – 8 panelists respond: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/08/texas-faith-when-is-it-okay-to-1.html

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/