My wife tested me with Burqa

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My late wife, late Najma’s family, was having a leisurely breakfast at our home. Out of nowhere, she said, “Mike, I will wear the burqa from now on.” Thank God, my response did not come out of my mouth, which would have been, hell no, you are not wearing it, and I am not going out with you in the Burqa.

Being a firm believer in freedom and free will, I said, “It is your choice” Then her whole family burst into laughter. She told me that they wanted to test me, as I talk about “respecting the otherness of the other,” which is pluralism. I am grateful to God that I had the common sense not to tell a woman what to wear or not wear. No one should have the right to dictate to others.

The Burqa is not a religious garment; all Muslims would have worn the same throughout the world if it were. It is different in each place. Culture has a firmer grip on people than religion. For example, if I had told my mother that she could not wear a saree in America, and she should wear what others wear, she would have told me to go to hell.

Likewise, in small towns in the subcontinent, if you tell them they have to eat with a fork and spoon, they will ask you to go to hell.

Would Hindu, Buddhist, or Muslim mothers from the subcontinent living in America be comfortable wearing mini-skirts? A Muslim woman who is used to wearing Burqa feels naked if she takes it off. Is that what we want?

Yes, it is not a religious garment; both men and women are required equal to be modest. Let the educational process begin, and let the women consider their own volition to give up if they want. There should be no compulsion.

Let’s not have the temptation to compel others unless you give them the same right to force you to change.

Mike Ghouse

Sharia Laws and Fixing Them

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Sharia Laws and Fixing Them is a chapter from the book American Muslim Agenda available at Amazon and Kindle

Whether you are an atheist, a theist, or an agnostic, you may see the element of balance embedded in every aspect of creation—life and matter.

What does God want? Mothers want her kids to do well, teachers want their students to score As, chefs want all their patrons to enjoy their food, and the makers of iPhone wants all their customers to enjoy the phone to its max benefit. So God wants all his creation to function effectively and harmoniously and cohesively as he has created. That can be called God’s will, and subscribing to that thought can be called submitting (Quran), surrendering (Bhagavad Gita), or following (Bible) the creator.

Ever since our conscious life began, there have been some individuals among us who have worked hard to keep God’s will. The purpose of every religious or nonreligious leader is to create societies where no one has to live in fear of the other or no one is to be pushed out of the web.

Religion is a beautiful instrument with a purpose to maintain the social cohesiveness among the inhabitants. A majority of people get that right; a few don’t. And those who don’t, don’t realize that they are working against the balance without being aware of it.

Justice is the one word that wraps God, balance, harmony, and cohesion together, and that is the foundation of all societies. Without justice, things go awry, and if not checked, they will degenerate from there.

Each society, civil or religious, has its code of conduct that it operates on. Islam is no different. Sharia in its purest form is a how-to-serve-justice manual based on the Quran and the hadith (Prophet Muhammad’s sayings and life examples). Indeed, it is a human effort to understand the concept of justice enshrined in the Quran for the day-to-day living. Sharia, like all other human laws, including the laws of the United States, has its shortcomings when it comes to just applications of the law. However, the world has evolved, but sharia has indeed frozen in time.

American Muslims have placed their trust in the American justice system and will continue to oppose the kind of sharia “that is prevalent in a handful of Muslim majority nations across the globe.” The misguided ones are duping Americans to believe that Muslims want sharia law here in America. They are wrong. No Muslim organization in America has asked for it—none. I will be one of the first ones, if not the first one, to stand up against sharia for the public. However, I support sharia for the personal use of people to square off their conflicts. We are Americans, and the law of the land is our law. There is no substitute for it.

The Genesis of Sharia Laws

After the death of Prophet Muhammad and the first four “rightly guided” caliphs, the new community was grappling with unique issues and was battling within to ensure that no one was denied justice. The desire to be entirely just was overwhelming.

Allah commands justice and ethical conduct (Quran 16:90; 4:58). You should stand firm in judgment, even if it went against yourselves or parents and relatives. Follow not your inclinations, lest you not be just (Quran 4:135, 6:152). Moreover, do not let the hatred of someone prevent you from being only toward him (Quran 5:8). You should do justice in all circumstances without any bias, discrimination, or prejudice, whether the outcome goes against you or your loved ones or in favor of your rivals.

Each issue was different, and the decisions were customized to one’s situations; it required a full-time judge to study the books thoroughly before a recommendation was made.

The scholars of the time met the challenge and created a body of knowledge as supplementary guidance and established the standards of moral conduct. Sharia laws were designed to be free from misapplications and regret-free decision-making processes.

Personal and Public Sharia

For this book, sharia is referred to as personal and public based on the functions. The personal sharia is about the relationship between an individual and the creator, whereas the public sharia is a relationship between the individual and the society.

The personal sharia deals with beneficial actions of individuals; they are purely personal and ritualistic in nature that every individual Christian, Jew, Hindu, or pagan follows in living their daily life—actions like praying, fasting, going on a pilgrimage, doing charity, feeding the hungry, taking care of neighbors, zakat, marrying, dying, and burying. It is indeed a guide for individual Muslims to observe and follow their faith.

The public sharia, on the other hand, deals with the individual’s relationship with fellow members of the society such as divorce, business contracts, adultery, theft, murders, conversion, apostasy, blasphemy, rape, and inheritance.

Sharia laws are intended to construct a complete justice system with fairness to all members of society. Peace and a sense of security are the products of justice in a given community.

American Muslims have placed their trust in the American justice system and are happy with the public laws that serve justice. They are not looking for any proposal to substitute the American laws while they practice their faith.

The violations of justice and the rule of law are in every faith, culture, and political system to varying degrees. In this respect, no community is free of blame, and no one can cast the first stone against another community.

However, like all laws, the public sharia needs a severe revision to reflect the changing needs of society. The values enshrined in the Quran are dynamic, and because sharia laws are derived from the Quran, they must indicate the compelling applicability of the book. In modern times, the contentious issues that have most often recurred stem from the treatment of divorce, women’s rights, inheritance, theft, adultery, apostasy, and blasphemy.

Even here in America, laws framed initially with the intention of ensuring liberty and justice for all were misapplied for over a century after they were written, resulting in the severe denial of rights to women and slaves. It is only in the last seventy-five years that we are tuning ourselves to the intent of our constitution. A woman is no longer considered a chattel, and slavery has become an illegal practice. As of right now, the rights of individuals with different sexual orientations are at the center of the debates as much as the acceptance of a woman president in our country. Regarding capital punishment still evolving, we are behind Europe, and we remain as antiquated as Saudi Arabia in putting people to death.

However, even as we speak today, there is yet another speculative issue that has been brought up: the issue of application of sharia laws here in our country. This contentious debate is mostly a product of the salespersons who earn their living selling fear.

As an American Muslim who has traveled throughout this country, I can strongly affirm that no group of American Muslims has called for the application of sharia laws in America. Although a few individuals may have expressed their support for compliance with the regulations here in our country, they have, nevertheless, remained avid supporters of the laws and freedoms of the United States.

Sharia Industry

The sharia industry has been built with strong fortifications to the point that many Muslims are led to believe that sharia law is divine. In this way, the application of sharia throughout history can be comparable to the business protection plans used by defense, tax preparers, and other industries where the involved matters are so complicated that the society needs them.

The brouhaha about sharia law by many congressmen and legislators is ridiculous. These legislators who are introducing the bills in different states to ban sharia laws are as Neanderthals as some of the Taliban. Hear me out—if you and your spouse file for divorce, the judge will not bang his gavel and say, “It’s done.” Efforts will be made to find reconciliation with services such as arbitration, marriage counseling, and pastoral counseling, hoping you may find the magical moment to reconcile. Add to that rabbinic counseling where a rabbi counsels a Jewish couple to bring them back together, so Muslims are asking an option of having an imam counseling. What the hell is wrong with that?

Islam teaches each to be accountable for their actions. We do not need a sharia industry, and Islam certainly does not have clerical establishment built into it, nor is there a need for one.

We can retain the private sharia and let go of the public sharia. The civil laws of our nation provide ample justice, and we don’t need a duplicate system. Sharia law was never considered divine to begin with. Hence, there is no need to even dream about it.

Fixing Sharia Laws

American Muslims have placed their trust in the American justice system and will continue to oppose the kind of sharia “that is prevalent in a handful of Muslim majority nations.”

The right-wingers are misleading Americans to believe that Muslims want that kind of sharia law here in America. They are wrong. No Muslim organization in America has asked for it—none whatsoever. 

We are Americans, and the law of the land is our law. There is no substitute for it.

Rather than the outright rejection of sharia that serves as a system of justice to the given populations in Muslim majority nations, we need to fix the laws; without it, a broad swath of the population becomes rudderless. Our constitution has been amended several times, and that is what is needed to be done with sharia.

However, the moderate majorities in all groups see the value in fixing the cancerous cells rather than rejecting the whole system. Unless we fix things, injustice in the name of justice will continue.

The golden rule is central to all religions, saying, “Treat others as you want to be treated.” There is no religion on Earth that teaches one to treat the other any less. Most people get their religion right, and some don’t.

Conservative men tend to be insecure when dealing with women; no matter what faith they belong to, they behave the same. Their perceived safety hinges on keeping someone or the other under their thumb, usually women.

Sharia was a human effort to dispense justice to fellow beings following the Quran and the Prophet’s examples; however, men are fallible beings and have failed to deliver justice. They have got it all wrong when it comes to women, apostates, blasphemers, and victims of rape. Sharia practiced in a few Muslim nations does not reflect God’s wisdom or the practice of the Prophet. It needs to be fixed. 

Criticizing Sharia

Our conservative lot gets offended when sharia is criticized as they (mistakenly) believe that sharia is God’s law, delivered like the Quran. Criticizing sharia is the right thing to do; after all, how are we going to fix it?

Muslims need to feel secure that God is not going anywhere, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is not going anywhere, nor Quran will disappear; they are eternal. God tells the Prophet not to worry if people don’t listen to his message because he is the one who gives guidance. God also says he will protect his system (religion). Shouldn’t we trust in God? The conservatives—be it Christian, Muslim, Jews, Hindus, or others—don’t believe in God and aggressively preempt him.

Just as Americans cannot fathom any other form of law other than the one we know, the Muslims in Muslim-dominated nations cannot imagine any other law either. Our rules are not perfect, and neither is theirs. We have amended ours many times, and so should they.

There is nothing wrong with the intent of sharia; it’s the corruption that needs fixing. When done, Sharia would be as good as any other law aligning fully with the human-rights declaration.

Let’s deal with a few Sharia-related issues concerning rape victims, apostasy, and blasphemy laws.

Rape

The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) in Pakistan declared that DNA evidence in case of rape is supplementary, and they still require the four male witnesses to prosecute the rapists. Science (knowledge) means nothing to conservatives whether they are Christians or Muslims.

Asma Jahangir, a human-rights activist of Pakistan, responded, “The council members were refusing to reach out for the truth in rape cases and had given such urgency and prominence to their recommendation as if acceptance of DNA testing [were] a great threat to Islam.”

Moazzam Syed wrote in the World Muslim Congress forum, “So a rape victim needs to produce four pious Muslims who must have watched the full act of rape?” A few conservative Muslims may not like this statement, but that pales to the misery of the rape victim who endures the anguish for her entire life. 

That isn’t justice, and that isn’t Islam. Not only are the conservatives defensive, but they also carry an attitude; any suggestion of reason or application of logic threatens them, and they scream that their religion is threatened. I have heard these sentences from Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, and all other right-wingers in different circumstances.

A documentary (Pakistan) is in the making where a thirteen-year-old girl returning from the school was gang-raped, and the damned judge was embarrassed that she dared to bring the case to his court, and the men laughed and questioned, “Why was she not at home?” Shamefully, this is also a part of men’s attitude in America—“she asked for it.”

I am glad they had the sense at least to debate in Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Iran; the woman would have been stoned to death. Again, that is not Islam and purely the culture of those nations.

This shameful act of honor killing is not exclusive to Muslims. In Punjab, Haryana, and other parts of the subcontinent, the Hindus and Sikhs also kill their girl victims to protect the honor of their family.

Learning

The first word in Islam is iqra, meaning “read, recite, and understand.” That was the first word uttered to Prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. Iqra opens the door to everything in life. On another occasion, the Prophet said that if you have to learn something new, don’t hesitate to go anywhere, including distant lands such as China.

The prophet did not say, “Your minds are being plucked out. You don’t need it anymore to think. Everything is given to you in the Quran, and my examples—just follow it.” Indeed, the Prophet said in his last sermon that he was leaving this book to his followers to read, understand, and follow it.

Divorce

The guardians of sharia eagerly approved and adopted text-message divorces and even e-mail divorces because they cared about men and not the women. This is not justice, and this is not Islam.

Some of the conservative men don’t believe in the equality of women and don’t listen to the Prophet. The hypocrites say that “Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is a mercy to mankind.” Do they fully understand what it means? Fourteen hundred years ago, the Prophet declared that women were free to own property, own their business, initiate marriage and divorce, and could disobey their husbands if they were coerced into doing things against their will. That is Islam.

Twelve hundred years later, the Western societies accorded that status to women, including the passage of Women’s Suffrage Act here in America just a hundred years ago, while a few conservative Muslim organizations have gone back to the times before the Prophet.

Blasphemy

Prophet Muhammad did not punish anyone for blasphemy. Instead, he did the right thing—prayed for them. The self-appointed guardians of sharia laws can tell great many stories of the Prophet, yet they do the opposite.

The blasphemy laws go against the God-given freedom, and it aids the tyrants to abuse it. In Pakistan, a man framed a girl for desecrating the Quran. Joseph Colony, a Christian town, was completely destroyed before they discovered the truth.

Muslims believe that we are answerable to God on the Day of Judgment. The more of us speak up, the higher the chance of delivering justice to fellow beings; if we don’t, then evil persists. The least a Muslim can do is to speak up.

A petition was written years ago, urging the Pakistan government to release Asia Bibi, and an apology from Muslims to Christians was a part of it—an excuse for causing fear and apprehensions. Many Muslims refused to sign because of the inclusion of the word apology. It was a major disappointment.

Appeal for Justice to Asia Bibi and Mercy to Humankind

To: The People, Ulema, and Government of Pakistan

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is a mercy to humanity. He is indeed a blessing to the humankind and rightfully known as Rahmutul Aalameen. There are innumerable examples of forbearance, forgiveness, and kindness of the Prophet (PBUH) toward those who insulted and even tried to harm him.
One of the most famous stories often repeated is about an old lady who threw trash on the Prophet every time he passed in front of her door. One day, the lady did not throw garbage at him. Concerned, he asked the neighbors and found that she was sick. He knocked on her door and offered help. Overwhelmed with kindness and love, she chose to become a Muslim.
Once on the way to the city of Aţ Ţā’if, the Prophet was pelted with rocks by miscreants. His associates wanted to retaliate, even the archangel Gabriel offered to help bring relief to the situation. The Prophet said no. Instead, he asked God to forgive them because he was the last messenger. If they were destroyed, to whom would they preach? He hoped that if not them, their progeny will accept the God-sent message to humanity.
He enjoined us that “if anyone eats a full meal when his neighbor is hungry or starving, then he is not from among us.” He never said “Muslim neighbor.” He loved humanity and asked Muslims to be role models of charity, kindness, concern, and love to all.
What was the need for the Prophet to have endured such painful experiences? It was to guide humanity toward kindness and shape long-term solutions for peaceful communities and the greater good of the society at large. He was committed to mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill; indeed, he was the ultimate peacemaker, mercy to humanity.
As Muslims, we need to keep his message of kindness alive and bring to fruition what he was all about—Rahmutul Aalameen. Let the mercy and compassion he taught become a blessing to the universe and continue to shower on humanity.
We appeal to the ulema, [the] thoughtful people, and the government of Pakistan to give life to the examples of the Prophet in representing Asia Bibi. What would Rahmutul Aalameen have done?
Asia Bibi is not a Muslim, and her menial work was considered unclean (napak) by others who believe themselves to be good Muslims, denied her water from the common source. Is this not a most egregious insult, and the denial of water, the same as a denial to sustain life?
First of all, he (the Prophet) would not have denied Asia Bibi the water of life. Indeed, in another famous occurrence, a person fed water to a thirsty animal, and the Prophet had said God would grace the person for that act of kindness. He would have been kind and magnanimous and would probably have us pray for Asia Bibi’s well-being. God loves the forgivers and those who repent.
As Muslims, we need to keep his message of kindness alive and bring to fruition what he was all about—Rahmutul Aalameen. Let the mercy and compassion he taught become a blessing to the universe and continue to shower on humanity.
We owe an apology to Asia Bibi, her family, and the Christian community. We should build goodwill in our and their hearts.
We ask the people of Pakistan to debate about the blasphemy laws seriously. The violent silencing of Governor Salman Taseer calls for an immediate need for a discussion on the topic. Islam is about free will, and as Muslims, we need [to] stand against any oppression toward any human being following in the footsteps of the prophet. Amen!
In humility, we submit this appeal to bring rahmat (mercy) and justice to every human being.
Sincerely,

The Undersigned

  • Mike Mohamed Ghouse, World Muslim Congress
  • Dr. Imam Zia ul Haq Sheikh, Islamic Council of Irving, USA
  • Dr. Mirza A. Beg, World Muslim Congress, USA
  • Dr. M. Basheer Ahmed, USA
  • Dr. Nauman Anwar, USA
  • Bishop Ijaz Inayat, Pakistan
  • Dr. John Dayal, All India Christian Council, India

Muslims claim that the Prophet was a mercy to humanity. Shouldn’t the actions of his followers reflect that attitude toward fellow humans? Does Asia Bibi see the Prophet as mercy? Whose fault is that? The Muslims who denied her water must be punished for their acts. Had they given her way ahead of them to take water for her sick child, she would have given the dua prayers not only to them but also to the Prophet who taught them to be merciful.

Apostasy

It is a tool of oppression employed by kings, dictators, and some of the caliphs to keep the dissent under control. It is ironic that Islam insists on free will, yet some of these followers have messed it up. It is time, as American Muslims, to make a declaration to rid of this and hope that Muslims around the world will follow suit. 

There is no punishment for apostate; one is free to be a Muslim and choose to walk away from it without consequence. There is no support for the penalty in the Quran, but apostasy has crept in through sharia laws, crippling the inclusive nature of Islam and giving birth to political Islam.

This cooked up innovation was injected into Islam by Maulana Maududi, Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi, and a host of other Muslim “scholars” from the past. Sadly, Muslims have swallowed their stuff without questioning the validity of their claims.

Pastor Nadarkhani is the only case pending now in Iran. He was a Muslim and chose to become a Christian. The other two examples in the last ten years are that of Abdul Rahman in Afghanistan and Lina Joy in Malaysia. I hope the Iranian authorities release him soon; that is the Islamic thing to do.

We need to wrap our heads around the issue as it is not Quranic, and neither Prophet Muhammad punished anyone for abandoning Islam. It is a case of twisting God’s laws to suit the rulers or the patriarchy who wanted to control others.

However, the Quran mentions nothing of such punishment, so why should we impose such a cruel and inhumane form of punishment? Are we so insecure about our religion that if anyone is to leave it, we have to kill them?

American Muslim scholars are best suited to research the topic as their environment is as pluralistic as it was during the times of Prophet Muhammad.

Dr. Mohammad Omar Farooq writes in his blog Apostasy and Islam,

Now one of the most significant tools of anti-Islam/anti-Muslim propaganda is based on the issue of apostasy, claiming that Islam does not uphold the freedom of faith. Even our children are getting confused, and many are quietly disavowing our weak position on as fundamental an issue as freedom of faith/religion.
Undeniably, the traditional position of Muslim scholars and jurists has been that apostasy (riddah) is punishable by death. The longstanding problem of the conventional view, as held by Classical jurists or scholars, can be explained and excused as not being able to see apostasy, an issue of pure freedom of faith and conscience, separate from treason against the community or the state.

Dr. Louay Safi states,

Traditionalist scholars have long embraced classical positions on apostasy that consider the rejection of Islam as a capital crime, punished by death. This uncritical embrace is at the heart of the drama that was played in the case of the Afghan convert to Christianity, and which would likely be repeated until the debate about sharia reform and its relevance to state and civil law is examined and elaborated by authentic Muslim voices. Indeed, one cannot find in the Quran any support for the apostasy (riddah) penalty. . . . I am inclined to the increasingly popular view among contemporary scholars, that riddah does not involve a moral act of conversion, but a military act of rebellion, whose calming justifies the use of force and the return of fire . . . A Christian or a Jew who converts to Islam is no more a Christian or a Jew, but a Muslim and must be respected as such. By the same taken a Muslim who converted to Christianity is no more a Muslim, but a Christian and must be respected as such.

Nowhere in the Quran does God say to “kill” those who leave their religion. On the contrary, God emphasizes that all Muslims must practice the total freedom of religion.

Means of insight have now come unto you from your Sustainer [through this divine writ]. Whoever, therefore, chooses to see, does so for his good; and whoever wishes to remain blind, does so to his hurt. Moreover, [say unto the blind of heart]: “I am not your keeper.” (Asad, Quran 6:104)

Sharia was a human effort in delivering justice to fellow beings following Quran and the Prophet’s examples; however, humans are fallible beings and are not providing justice to women, apostates, blasphemers, rapists, and rape victims. 

Sharia, as practiced in a few of the Muslim nations, does not reflect God’s wisdom, nor does it correspond with the Prophet’s practice. It needs to be fixed before we sink with our sins of injustice to fellow humans in general and women in particular. 

American Muslims

American Muslims have placed their trust in the American justice system and will continue to oppose sharia laws as they are applied in many places across the globe. I will be one of the first ones, if not the first one, to stand up against it. The Muslim majority in America is happy with the American system and does not want to have sharia law here in America.


On the show Hannity on Fox News, I have challenged the likes of Spencer and others to show an American Muslim organization that wants to impose it on Americans. It’s merely a hype; they cannot substantiate it. This may be bad news for the likes of Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, Brigitte Gabriel, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, John Hagee, and a host of other right-wingers who thrive on selling hate and painting chaotic scenarios. It will hurt their sales and affect their cash flow. They cannot dupe Americans with unsubstantiated and statistically insignificant claims. Americans are trained to see another point of view and to be nonjudgmental.


As a Muslim, I stand against sharia for public consumption but allow for personal use for people to square their conflicts. We are Americans, and the law of the land is our law. There is no substitute for it.

If it is not common sense, then it is not Islam.

A Few Verses on Justice

Behold, God enjoins justice, and the doing of good, and generosity toward [one’s] fellow-men; and He forbids all that is shameful and all that runs counter to reason, as well as envy; [and] He exhorts you [repeatedly] so that you might bear [all this] in mind. (Quran 16:90)


BEHOLD, God bids you deliver all that you have been entrusted with unto those who are entitled to that, and whenever you judge between people, to judge with justice. Verily, most excellent is what God exhorts you to do: verily, God is all-hearing, all-seeing! (Quran 4:58)


O YOU who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in upholding equity, bearing witness to the truth for the sake of God, even though it be against your selves or your parents and kinsfolk. Whether the person concerned be rich or poor, God’s claim takes precedence over [the claims of] either of them. Do not, then, follow your desires, lest you swerve from justice: for if you distort [the truth], behold, God is indeed aware of all that you do! (Quran 4:135)


“And do not touch the substance of an orphan—save to improve it—before he comes of age.” Moreover, [in all your dealings] give full measure and weight, with equity: [however,] We do not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear; and when you voice an opinion, be, even though it be [against] one near of kin. Also, [always] observe your bond with God: Be just, this has He enjoined upon you so that you might keep it in mind. (Quran 6:152)


O YOU who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity; and never let hatred of anyone lead you into the sin of deviating from justice. Be: this is closest to being God-conscious. So, remain conscious of God: verily, God is aware of all that you do. (Quran 5:8)

Criticism of Islam, Quran, and the Prophet

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Criticism of Islam, Quran, and the Prophet is a chapter from the book American Muslim Agenda available at Amazon and Kindle

We need to welcome every criticism of the Quran, Islam, and the Prophet and deal with it with grace. Let freedom of speech be the cornerstone of Islam.

People ask me over and over, “How do you put up with the likes of Hannity and others who denigrate Islam? How can you sit with Brigitte Gabriel and have a conversation?” I repeat the same story every time, which every Muslim can reel off in a hurry.

An old lady threw trash on the Prophet every time he passed by her home. One day, when the trash was not thrown on him, he was concerned about what happened to the lady. So he went in and found out that she was ill. He asked her if he could help her with anything. The kind gesture moved her. Wouldn’t you? When she learned that he was Muhammad upon whom she threw the trash, she was overcome with his kindness and became a fan.

Islam is not going disappear; no one can mess with the Quran, and the Prophet is not going anywhere. By opening ourselves up to criticism, we will learn a lot more about our faith than we will ever know. We need to move away from intolerance to acceptance of a different point of view without having to agree with it. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) lived through it, and Muslims can learn from his examples.

Criticism can fade away or rain in on us, depending on how we respond to it. Lack of conviction in one’s faith breeds intolerance toward criticism, whereas firmness in religion can lead us to learn from criticism, explore the infinite wisdom, and realize the strength of our faith (imaan)—a good feeling to have—instead of living in doubt and shooing criticism away.

You may ask, “Why are you presenting a different point of view, and why should I believe you?”

I will ask you, “Why wouldn’t you review the work of Tariq Ramadan, Hamza Yusuf, Ziauddin Sardar, Wahiduddin Khan, Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, Asghar Ali Engineer, Chandra Muzaffar, and a host of other critical Muslim thinkers? Why should you believe every word of Maududi, Banna, and others? Isn’t Islam for all times and all people?

If the Prophet were to have said to travel by a camel to Mecca for Hajj, what he said was a means of transportation to get there, not the camel. We have to look at the essence or the meaning of the verse rather than what they sound.

Way back in 1967, my sister had asked me if I knew more than Dr. Allama Iqbal. That question had never left my mind, and I had to scramble for the answer. The answer was a definite no, but I did not want to discard individual responsibility of not learning and knowing it on my own. I was always stuck with one of the most potent sentences from Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) last sermon: “I am leaving behind this Quran, and it is your responsibility to understand and follow it. You will not go astray.” The responsibility to know was placed directly on us. Prophet Muhammad never said, “Look, I am assigning the responsibility to teach this book to Shaikh Abdullah or to the Al-Azhar University.”

Just as a sidenote, some Muslims believed he asked to follow Quran, and some thought that he said, “Quran and sunna (his practice).” And yet some more believed that he asked to follow “Quran, sunna, and his family.”

Like all mothers, my mother taught me responsibility; she said, “If you do wrong, you alone will get punished and not your brother who might have instigated you. It is not what he said, but it is how you respond to him that matters to me.” She would invariably add, “On the Day of Judgment, you stand alone. There will be no one for you as each one of us will be busy in reflecting on our deeds.”

The Quran repeatedly reinforces the paramount principle of faith: “O You who believe, on you rests [the responsibility] of your souls” (Quran 5:105) and “that no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another’s burden” (Quran 53:38). The picture was clear to me.

The best thing that has ever happened to me was walking away from Islam and the Quran when I was a teen. I made the same mistake that every maligner of Islam made—reading the wrong translations of the Quran and blaming the religion for it.

After thirty years of searching for the truth, I found a fact. Islam is an inclusive faith. It is about coexistence; it is a faith that appreciates all God’s creation and urges one to respect the otherness of others (Quran 109:6) without having to agree. Quran explicitly says (Quran 49:13) that all of us are his creation, created to be different, and that we have to learn about one another to mitigate the conflicts and nurture goodwill. Today I am proud to be a believer, not a blind one but a critical believer in Islam.

Critical thinking has given me an inordinate amount of confidence to the point of challenging Pastor Jeffress in Dallas, that if he finds three faults in the Quran, I will convert to his faith. If he cannot see it, all I ask of him is to become a blessed peacemaker and work with me in mitigating conflicts and building a cohesive America, where all of us can aspire to live without the fear of the other.

He backed off as we returned the lousy challenge with the request to reason and finding the truth. We held a workshop on the Quran with ten non-Muslim clergy on the panel and four Muslims, including Imam Zia Sheikh, Dr. Basheer Ahmed, Imam Shakoor, and Brother Hamid Shaikh, and I moderated the event. A full accounting of the fact, including media interviews and the program, is recorded in details at www.QuraanConference.com.

When you have an issue with your spouse and child, you don’t scream and shut them down; the problem will not go away unless you face it and solve the issue. When people accept the solutions willingly, we will have peace. Isn’t that Islam is all about?

Indeed, we must gracefully respond to every criticism of the Quran, Islam, and the Prophet, and I have the patience to welcome it.

Aren’t we supposed to learn and know one another to mitigate conflicts and create the kingdom of heaven right here on Earth while waiting to go to the next heaven? Didn’t God say, “The best among you is the one who learns about the other” (49:13), so the myths, phobias, and fears can be dismantled?

I urge fellow Muslims to be open to all the criticism with confidence. Don’t shut it, and let freedom of speech be the cornerstone of Islam. Islam stands on its own; it does not need our defense, and it is silly to protect God or the Prophet. They are not weaklings or our property to protect. They belong to the whole universe, don’t they?

Muhammad Yunus, a Muslim thinker and a writer at New Age Islam responds, “Doesn’t the Quran repetitively say, ‘repel evil with good’ (Quran 13:22, 23:96, 41:34)? Shouldn’t you take the opportunity to demonstrate the good in your faith and remove the cloud of hatred that is forming by the twin growing menaces of the day—Islamophobia and radicalization?” Inscribe on the facade of your mosques in bold and golden letters the verses of the Quran that demonstrate the divine scheme on religious pluralism—Quran 2:62, 2:136, 4:124, 5:69, 22:17, 64:9, and 65:11, for example.

Tell the believing world by visual display on billboards at all Islamic centers that the divine light is lit in all places of pure worship (Quran 24:35) and God’s name is proclaimed regularly in monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques (Quran 22:40). Inform the atheist and all categories of nonbelievers that they all are recipients of a portion of divine spirit (Quran 15:29, 32:7–9, 38:72) and that God will judge them as well, along with the believing humanity (Quran 22:17). Tell the whole world that however they demonize our Prophet, we must ignore them as this is an article of faith for us (Quran 6:112, 25:31).

Dr. Tariq Cheema of the World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists adds another point of view, “The Muslim scholars and intellectuals around the world must rise to the challenge and offer guidance to the faith-loving masses on how to encounter the exploitation of freedom of speech, which is often quite provocative and insulting. On the other hand, everyone must strive for legislation that guards the sanctity of all religions and his or her prophets, scriptures, and symbols alike.”

Islam is a universal, inclusive faith; it is from Rabbul Aalameen [creator of the universe; its prophet is Rahmatul Aalameen (mercy to humanity)] and we should be mukhlooqul aalameen (universal, all-embracing beings). Islam is about goodness and not forcing others and not domineering but co-existing, just as the Prophet did and proclaimed in the Madinah treaty. Islam is about appreciating everything God has created in this universe (Quran 55:16).

If they curse the Prophet, the Prophet is not going to be sworn. Have strength in your faith, and return badness with good. We know all the examples of his work. When you hear someone curse the prophet, say, “I am sorry you feel that way, but if you wish to seek the truth, find it on your own. I will be happy to connect you with someone who can guide you. You had better believe that nothing will come off me or the Prophet. Your words do not have the power to reduce Islam or the Prophet. I will pray for the peace of mind to you.”

Don’t feel compelled to convince anyone. Let go. What did Allah say to the Prophet when he was frustrated that people were not getting his message? You do your dharma (duty) and let them have the freedom to accept. Elsewhere, God says there is no compulsion in matters of faith (Quran 2:256).

Have confidence. Read what is right in Islam and ignore the bad things others say, write, or put in film about Islam or its Prophet. From the very first day of his mission, the Prophet was criticized, the Quran reviled, and the criticism and revulsion only gained momentum through the Medieval Ages as Islam continued to win the hearts of other people. It has come to the surface again with greater ferocity, but we, the Muslims, as peacemakers must act peacefully.

Islam is not going anywhere. The Prophet is not going anywhere. And by opening up, you will immensely enjoy your imaan (faith) with genuine admiration for its wisdom. I thank Allah for helping me see the light and beauty of Islam, and you can too.

I will share the details of my responses to Geert Wilder, Robert Spencer, Noni Darwish, and a host of others who earn their living by gratuitous criticism of Islam. They are ready to use responses against any criticism.

Who Speaks for American Muslims?

The overwhelming majority of Muslims are moderate. However, there are not enough speakers out there to articulate what Muslims actually believe and practice and highlight their significant contributions to America.

Those who had a morally corrupt agenda filled the gap and spoke negatively about Islam. Unfortunately, their version becomes the currency, and so many Americans fall for it in the absence of the right information.

Everyone wants to see a cohesive America where no one has to live in apprehension, tension, or fear one another. The Center for Pluralism, also known as the America Together Foundation has embarked on a mission to train speakers to deliver the message of Islam as practiced by American Muslims, which is distinct from Islam practiced elsewhere in the world.

There is no doubt that a few Islamophobes are out to get Muslims; they are well paid to do so, and it is their livelihood. But in the same vein, Muslims would not be well served to believe that all of them are of the same ilk. These Islamophobes are simply afraid of what the “Islamists” are doing in the name of Islam and worried sick about its ramifications for America. Rationally, they know it is not in America, but still, the phobia persists.

We must listen to our fellow citizens and moral duty to allay their fears.

Pulitzer Prize winner Judith Miller speaks out on Fox News. “So many Muslims fear speaking out for the reactions they get from their own community. Until we win that battle inside, the jihadists will take center stage. We are going to go on creating the impression that the Islamists jihadists are the majority, and they are not.”

Brigitte Gabriel of Act for America adds, “Where are the funders of people like Mike? Is there not a megamillionaire in the Islamic world who can say, ‘You know what, I believe in your moderate message and can give Mike five million dollars to build the grassroot organization’?” Here is a video: https://www.facebook.com/MikeGhouse/videos/1438210749532124/.

The right-leaning Muslims curse Gabriel, Spencer, and Geller out, while the left discounts them, leaving the moderates deal with the issue. What I hear them say is this: Where are the mainstream Muslims to speak out about what they practice? The mainstream Muslims have reached the point of zero tolerance toward extremism and have the desire to assertively seek to push the literalists to see the essence of Islam.

The most sustainable way to counter “Islamophobia” and violent extremism is through education. Our programs are designed to bring Americans together; the more we see one another in social, cultural, civic, religious, political, and other settings, the less divisiveness there will be, resulting in fewer misunderstandings and misperceptions among us.

No one speaks for Islam, and yet anyone can speak for Islam. Quran does not set boundaries, nor does the Prophet make it exclusive. It’s a public religion, and there is no private control over it.

Free speech is an inalienable right of every individual, and it’s uploaded in our DNA. 

Non-Muslim Speakers

Many great speakers are not Muslims but are more knowledgeable than most Muslims. Some of them are Dr. Karen Armstrong, Prof. John Esposito, Late Houston Smith, Acharya Pramod Krishnam, Lakshmi Shankaracharya, Swami Agnivesh, Lesley Hazleton, Rabbi Gerry Serotta, and many others. 

There are those who deliberately misinform the public, and they are the likes of Robert Spencer, Pamela Geller, Brigitte Gabriel, Steve Emerson, and Jamie Glazov. They have financial gains in maligning others and posing Islam as their enemy. They know there is a correct version, but they choose to stick with the discarded version that serves their purpose.

A good example is Muslims have rediscovered that jihad means “inner struggle and fighting against the whims and base instincts of ill will, anger, revenge, jealousy among other temptations.” Of course, it was Muslim scholars around the times of the Crusades who gave the meaning of “armed struggle” to the word jihad in response to the campaigns and messed up the decorative purpose of it. The “Islamophobes” insist on that messed-up sense. I’m not buying it, nor any Muslim in America would buy that. However, there are still a few Muslims left out there who believe in it. 

Then there are disgruntled former Muslims—such as Walid Shoebat, Noni Darwish, Ibn Sina, Ayan Hirsi Ali, and Taslima Nasrin—who have a personal ax to grind and take it out on Islam. Some organizations shamelessly pay them well for bashing Islam. I am blessed to have discussed and debated with most of them. One such story is in the section “Pushing Back on Tarek Fatah.” 

Muslim Speakers 

Islam has several divisions. The bulk of the followers are Sunni, that is, nearly 85 percent of the entire Muslim population. About 12 percent are Shia and its subdenominations, and the Ahmadiyya Muslims make up approximately about 1 percent, and the rest fall into different categories, including Sufis and Alawis.

The mainstream within Sunni is flooded with speakers, while Shia mainstream speakers are available on request. There is a shortage of speaker among Ahmadiyya, Ismaili, Shia, and other groups, and usually, they have to get permission from higher-ups to speak. They want to make sure someone well informed speaks for them.

Among Muslim speakers, we have a range of speakers, but there are very few who can speak in a language for people of other faith traditions to understand.

Criminals such as Abu Bakr Baghdadi and Bin Laden also speak for Islam, and they have teeny-weeny followers who fell for their bullshit.

Then you have imams from the Wahhabi tradition who understand Islam but unfortunately believe in enforcing their understanding on others, completely defying the fundamental Islamic creed: there is no compulsion in matters of faith; one is free to understand and follow what suits them.

There are a few who dabble in interfaith-speak but stick to their logic “Because God says so” or “It is in the Quran” and does not work for atheists, agnostics, and many others in different faiths. 

Who Should Speak for Islam?

If it is not common sense, then it is not Islam. If one cannot explain the wisdom and merely quote the holy book, they have not grasped the idea of Islam. 

Who Would Be the Right Speaker on Islam?

Anyone who has understood the essence of Islam and communicates those values would be a right speaker—the values that contribute to the well-being of the entire society and not a specific group such as accountability, truthfulness, justice, forgiveness, caring for fellow beings, humility, pluralism, civil dialogue, harmony, and pluralism. Quran and Islam are guidance to live in peace with oneself and with others around the one.

  • God says in chapter 55 that he has created everything in balance, interdependence, and harmony. The sun, stars, and the planet functions as planned.
  • God has given the responsibility to humans—the intelligent species who are capable of managing their environment, ecological balance, social balance, and mental balance for their own good.
  • “God is just, merciful, and kind” is repeated more times than any other word.
  • God wills that we continue on the planet by taking care of ourselves and what surrounds us. If we wreck anything, ultimately, we are messing with ourselves.
  • God is not a villain of others as a few clergies have made him out to be.
  • God does not make deals with others behind our backs. Who wants a god like that?
  • An extensive survey was conducted by the Pew Foundation across the world where over 80 percent of Muslims in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia said they condemned any attacks on civilians and said it was never justified. They speak for Islam.
  • God rewards those who care for his creation—all his nature. No one is more privileged than the other, and no religious way of life is superior to the other. They are all different paths to create societies where humans can live without fear (verses in the section “Islamic Value No. 10: Pluralism”).

That is the whole message of the Quran. The right speaker communicates that. Islam is not about the ruling, controlling, and dominating others; it is about living in harmony with what surrounds you—life and environment. 

Prophet Muhammad’s Words about the Quran

In his last sermon, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “I am leaving this book to you.” He addressed the thousands of congregants who had gathered around him. “It is your responsibility to read, understand, and follow it.”

Please remember the message was very clear. The Prophet did not assign the interpretation of the book to “anyone”—not a single person. He did not say, “If you have problems, here is Shaikh Know-it-all to answer your questions.”

He knew that each person has their own experience and reference to see the openness of God’s words to guide the individual to live in peace with themselves and with what surrounds them.

The Prophet was about creating responsible societies and accountability for one’s words and actions. No one but you is responsible for your efforts. 

Once, his daughter Fatima was excited and asked, “Dad, do I go to paradise because I am the daughter of the Prophet?” He said, “No, it is not automatic. You have to earn it. There is no nepotism in this religion, my child.”

So every Muslim should technically speak about Islam, but that does not happen with any religion. Most people just want to follow the rituals and don’t even want to know. If I get something from Amazon, my son reads the whole manual to put the stuff together; I just go at it.

The Quran Has Been Deliberately Mistranslated

The Quran is a book of guidance to live in peace with oneself and with what surrounds one—life and environment. It is designed to create cohesive societies where no human has to live in apprehension or fear of others. Most people get that right, and a few don’t. That is the case with everything in life. The Quran is never the problem; it is our understanding that is the problem. 

Way back in AD 1143, the first translation of the Quran, the European leaders commissioned a hostile Quran translation to foster warfare against Muslim invaders. Later, Muslim leaders produced another translation to inflame Muslims against Christians and Jews.

Pristine Islam and Mangled-Up Islam Exist Together: A Chapter on Two Islams 

It is time for Muslims to take the steps necessary to allay the fears of fellow Americans and undo the tensions, remove the suspicions, and restore trust among Americans. This is what a Muslim ought to be—a conflict mitigator and a goodwill nurturer.

Do American Muslims Want Sharia?

We owe it to fellow Americans to clarify the myths about sharia and propose fixing this problem through a conference that is being planned with Islamic scholars and those who are opposed to sharia to make the event credible. Let’s “clear the air” of misunderstandings for all Americans. We need to put this fear behind and move on with our lives (see chapter “Sharia Laws and Fixing Them”).

Does Quran Promote Violence?

This is not only for concerned Americans but also for Muslims. In effect, the Quran tells you to mind your own business and let others mind theirs.

If you are a “doubting Muslim” about Quran, we will hold a workshop for your group. Many Muslims seem to be faith deficient. Shamefully, a few Muslim scholars have deliberately misinterpreted sixty verses to make Allah unfriendly toward Jews and Christians.

This is the year of the great American integration. Muslims have to be contributors to the goodness of America despite getting the short end of the stick.

Our approach ought to be conflict mitigation and goodwill nurturance and not confrontation. Discussions and dialogue, however frustrating they might be, open up new vistas of cooperation. That is what pluralism is about—respecting the otherness of others. There is a whole chapter in the Quran on that.

My safety hinges on the safety of people around me, so it is in my best interests to work for the safety and goodness of fellow Americans.

Many Muslim “leaders” are conformist chickens and run like hell if anyone makes even the slightest of noise. They are afraid and cannot cope with dissent and disagreement. They just don’t dare to take the stand for doing the right thing. Leadership has the vision to foresee the problems and cobble reluctant people and oppose views together through agonizing discussions and move toward maintaining the dynamic equilibrium of the societies. 

It takes guts, and we hope to train enough Muslim leaders to take those steps.

Thanks to our imams, they are a blessing and play a key role in reshaping Muslim relationships with fellow Americans. In the past, we have asked the imams, and they have come through it. We asked them to pray for the release of Yazidi women, persecuted Christians, or harassed Shia or call on them to urge Muslims to honor our veterans on Veterans Day. They have done it all. Fellow Americans need to know this, and we are going to do a lot more now.

Among the imams, Muslim scholars, and us, we will test one another in stretching beyond our sketchy religious boundaries created during the Middle Ages but will unequivocally stick together and remain within the pluralistic traditions of Islam.

The Source of Muslim Extremism

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The Source of Muslim Extremism is a chapter from the book American Muslim Agenda available at Amazon and Kindle

Contemporary Muslim scholar Hamza Yusuf writes, “This insidious disease [extremism] has a source, and that source must be identified so we can begin to inoculate our communities against it.”

Indeed, that source is apparent. Hamza Yusuf knows it, and Muslims know it. We just did not want to deal with it and, instead, placed the blame on others. Let’s face it. It is the rogue interpretations and mistranslations of the Quran that have created this mess.

These men are not the ones whom we conveniently portray as Islamophobes, but they are our own scholars, namely Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Kathir, Maududi, Banna, and Qaradawi. There is no doubt that much of what they have written is good stuff, but all that so-called good gets wiped out with some of their bad write-ups.

If we want Islam to be Islam, a religion of peace, we need to muster the courage to stand up and reject those interpretations that are anathema to the pluralistic nature of Islam. Those secondary books are mistakenly elevated to be divine by a few Muslims. Bold actions are required.

Allah is not the enemy of Shias, Sunnis, Ahmadiyyas, Jews, Christians, Hindus, gays, lesbians, Buddhists, atheists, pagans, Native Americans, Zoroastrians, and others as many Muslims wrongly make him out to be. They have reduced the universal god (Rabbul Aalameen) to a private god owned by them and acted for them. This is not acceptable.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is a mercy to mankind. He is indeed a blessing to the humanity and is rightfully known as Rahmutul Aalameen. There are innumerable examples of forbearance, forgiveness, and kindness of the Prophet (PBUH) toward those who insulted and even tried to harm him. In all his acts and words, the Prophet was a model of kindness to fellow humans. Muslims frequently recite this verse, and yet a few of them understand its implications.

If you ask Asia Bibi (Pakistan), Nadarkhani (Iran), Lina Joy (Malaysia), Abdur Rahman (Afghanistan), and a host of others charged with blasphemy or apostasy laws, they have difficulty in seeing the Prophet as a mercy to mankind. How can they see it if the radicals among Muslims harass them in the name of the Prophet? If Muslims who cause others to curse the Prophet are penalized, things will change. The whole Joseph Colony was burned down in Pakistan as someone falsely reported that a Christian desecrated the Quran. It was a lie, but it was too late.

Most Muslims know that the apostasy and blasphemy laws are not rooted in Islam. They are tools of oppression introduced by dictators and monarchs, yet Muslims at large have not rejected it, while a few of them believe in it. In fact, in some of the Muslim-majority nations, death is the penalty for anyone who insults the Prophet.

Did you know what the Prophet did when he was insulted and bodily harmed? He did what Jesus did—he forgave them and prayed for their well-being. Every Muslim proudly tells this story. It happened when the Prophet was heading to a town called Aţ Ţā’if. But do Muslims get it? If they did, they would not have killed Van Gogh of Jyllands-Posten cartoons or would not waste their time demonstrating against Pamela Geller or other hate mongers. Instead, they should go and pray for them for God to give them guidance to be the peacemakers. If we get the funding, we have a beautiful documentary to make on this issue with a real story.

All this venom in the name of Islam is coming from a single source—the subsequent books. These books were written by individuals who reacted to situations such as crusades and massacres. Shamefully, Muslims have given full value to their words as though they were equal to the Quran. No one has questioned these books and fables. Until we replace these secondary books with the right books, we will be struggling with extremism.

For Muslims, the Quran is the only authentic book, the book of guidance, to build cohesive societies where no human has to live in fear. If we follow this book, we cannot go wrong.

Sharia, as practiced everywhere, is not divine. It is “man-made.” Divine, by definition, should be flawless and timeless. Sharia laws cannot be religious by any stretch of the imagination. It is a body of law created by men with the intent of serving justice to fellow beings. Sharia laws desperately need amendments. Our own constitution has been amended twenty-seven times to be in tune with the times and timelessness. God’s law cannot be anything but justice, fairness, kindness, and mercy.

We cannot pass the buck and discount our critics as Islamophobes. The criminal Al-Baghdadi quoted Ibn Hisham’s biography of the Prophet for his evil acts of sex with the Yazidi captives and Christian women. I talked to a few imams; they said that his biography was not considered 100 percent authentic. Then why do Muslims recommend one to read that biography? I would instead recommend Karen Armstrong’s journal where the Prophet is a human like you and me and we can relate with him.

There are two types of Islamic literature: the Quran and all other books. What needs to be done is put a warning label on the “other books,” that their authenticity is subject to verification as the Quran is the only book guaranteed to be authentic.

Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, and Brigitte Gabriel are not cooking up things. They are merely quoting what is written up in hadith, tafsir, and seerah (secondary books). Even though they know it is wrong, it suits them to malign Islam for bucks.

The good news is 99.99 percent of Muslims live their lives and let others live theirs. But that one-tenth of 1 percent is enough to create a mess. Why should they listen to you when they have those books to give them their legitimacy?

Extremism in Islam and all religions will continue until the subsequent primitive books are replaced with the correct ones. We cannot force anyone to believe.

We have to work with those who are diametrically opposed to us and plan on bringing basic goodness to all in two or three generations. It has to be a gradual process of reason and logic involving everyone. Any attempt to quick fix will backfire and worsen the situation. Believe me, they’ll hold on to their beloved books.

Let’s stick to the Quran. We just cannot go wrong. I know this frightens many Muslims; it is as if pulling the rug from under their feet. In reality, you can live a moral and conscious life by only following the Quran. Rejecting those other so-called Islamic books will not disorient you at all.

As a first step toward fixing our problems, we need to rehabilitate the hadith. A new compilation of hadiths is the need of the day; it will have two sections. The first section will reflect those hadiths that are compatible with the attributes of God (just and merciful) and Prophet Muhammad’s nature (a merciful and kind to fellow beings). The second section will include all the questionable hadiths for the scholars to prove their authenticity.

You and I will ignore the following, but religious clergy out there latches on to these. Because it is in the books, it must be authentic. As they use to say, if it is in the newspaper, it must be true.

Our problems are the following:

  • We are afraid of questioning the old-time scholars, many of whom are insensitive to fellow humans who are not Muslims as they are not raised in the pluralistic environment that Prophet Muhammad lived through.
  • The man who writes the biggest check for the mosque can shut others up. They don’t even try to see another point of view and abandon good ideas.
  • Most Muslim leaders follow the idiom “Monkey see, monkey do,” that is, we will do if others are doing it. They lack conviction and don’t dare to be the first.
  • Leadership is not appeasing friends and members of the mosque but leading the community through the Pul-e-Siraat, that is, the steep road.

God has blessed us in America; we are free and brave people. If we cannot take the responsibility to fix the problems and boldly take out the germs that have infected the way Muslim have understood Islam, I think no one else in the world can do it.

It is time to take back our religion. I will be happy to boldly stand with all Muslims who want to see Islam as a religion of peace, not only in words but also in deeds. Here are a few pieces.

For the heck of it, please check at least five translations of Quran 3:85 and see how messed up they are. Meanwhile, I will finish writing an article on Quran 3:85. Of course, everything written above applies to all faiths, but that does not abdicate our responsibility to fix our own problems.

There is a big list of these hadiths from the subsequent books, and a few are listed here with references. You will find similar nonsense in the Manusmriti, that is, the Hindu sharia.

  • A man will not be asked in the hereafter as to why he beat his wife. (Sunan Abu Dawud 11.2142)
  • Women can visit mosques but must not wear perfume. (Sunan Abu Dawud 2.0565)
  • A divorced woman must marry another man and must have intercourse before she can remarry her former husband. (Malik’s Muwatta 28.7.18)
  • One must seek Allah’s refuge from women, slaves, and camels. (Sunan Abu Dawud 11.2155)
  • A woman enters slavery of her husband in marriage. (Imam Ghazali, volume 2, page XX)
  • The house, the wife and the horse are lousy luck. (Sahih Muslim 26.5523)
  • Marriage gives the man the right to enjoy a woman’s “private parts.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 7.62.81)
  • Some jihadists had sex with the captive women in the presence of their husbands, and some were reluctant to do so. (Sunan Abu Dawud 11.2150)
  • A woman can’t travel a day’s journey without her mahram. (Sahih Muslim 7.3105)
  • People ruled by a woman will never be successful. (Sahih al-Bukhari 5.59.709)
  • Menstruation is a defect in women for they cannot fast and pray during their periods. (Sahih al-Bukhari 3.31.172)

Arrogance Is the Source of All Evil

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Arrogance Is the Source of All Evil is a chapter from the book American Muslim Agenda available at Amazon and Kindle

The battle with arrogance has boldly begun. In April 2009, I gave a short speech upon receiving the Slater’s “the religious communicator” award from the Religious Communicators Council. The following sentences from my acceptance speech became very controversial and formed the basis for many discussions: “I am a Muslim, and Islam works for me, just like Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, or your faith work for you. Your faith is dear to you as mine is to me. I am further humbled to say that my religion Islam is not superior or inferior to any, nor any religion is superior to Islam. To claim Islam is superior amounts to arrogance.”

Please visit the section “Islamic Value No. 12: Civil Dialogue” to grasp the fullness of the statement, which is reflected in the Quranic verses.

On the way back to my table, John Lovelace, the president of the Council of Churches in Dallas, shook hands with me on his way to receiving the lifetime award. He asked, “Why did you make that statement?” and added, “I cannot say the same.” I responded that the society might not be ready now, but a generation down our kids and grandkids would view religion in those terms—a choice like any other choice in life.

My fellow Muslims expressed the concerns that if I did not consider my religion to be superior, then why follow it? I was called by Imam Dr. Zia Sheikh and Imam Dr. Zia Kavakci to explain the statement. I asked them, in turn, to answer me a two-part question: Whom does God love the most and the least? 

Apparently, the universal answer to that from the Quran is “the one who forgives and forgives often” as they rebuild relationships and equally free the receiver and the giver to create peace. Of course, the person whom God loves the least is the one who is arrogant.

They understood it but could not agree as that was not the tradition. Thanks to both of them for listening, they are the intellectual imams with their own boundaries. It is not just Muslims but also Christians, Jews, Hindus, and others in the same boat. Religion is a peacemaker and not a conflict generator that comes from arrogance that leads to missionizing the other.

It is up to each one of the Muslims to think, read, and understand Islam. Doesn’t arrogant attitude bring repulsion in the other? Does that contribute toward peacemaking, a significant purpose of Islam?

Religion is about humility and not arrogance. Humility builds enduring relationships and sustains peace, while pride kills the links and creates chaos. No matter what faith you practice, to claim it to be superior is sheer arrogance. I can speak for Islam.

Arrogant men had abused religions and made them instruments of their arrogance. All the conflicts and wars stem from this arrogance. No wonder God does not like arrogant people as they mess the peaceful world he has created.

When a Muslim utters “Allahu Akbar,” it sends chills down one’s spine, forgets the Fox viewer. Even many Muslims don’t get that right. In a few words, “Allahu Akbar” is meant to invoke humility and not arrogance and to acknowledge a greater eternal power than us.

God is not a villain of his own creation as a handful of the clergy (from all faith traditions) makes him out to be. When she was in her early teens, my daughter baffled me with her wisdom. I took my kids to every place of worship, so they respected every faith tradition and did not grow up to be bigoted ones. Once, I took her to a Baptist church on Lavon Drive in Garland, Texas. I reminded her that she could cherish all the right things the pastor had to say but had to listen to Dad and not him when it came to other faiths. She blurted out, “Dad, if he does not put other faiths down, why would people go to his church and pay him the money?” Ah, church is a business.

I was listening to a sermon by Pastor Robert Jeffress in the First Baptist Church of Dallas. He claimed that only Christianity taught the purpose of life and no other religions showed that value. When he emphasized “no other religion,” I started making mental notes. Baha’i, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism, Islam, and every religion I knew talks about the purpose of life. How can this pastor make such bold assertions about other faiths? What does he know? I brought that up with him at the meet-and-greet hour, and he ignored it.

A day will come when a rabbi, pandit, imam, pastor, shaman, gyani, or religious men and women of all faiths will genuinely understand religion. The learned ones can speak eloquently about any faith, without denigrating or hinting lessness of the other. How can you call a man learned when they do not know about others and yet speak about others?

There are a good number of clergy and scholars who can speak about other faiths with utmost honesty. There is Dr. John Esposito, a devout Catholic who can talk about Islam on par with any Muslim professor; Acharya Pramod Krishnan; Lakshmi Shankaracharya; and many other Hindu sages who have understood Islam as it was meant to be—a humanitarian faith. Karen Armstrong can represent any religion, Rabbi Gerri Serrato can speak about Islam reasonably well, and there are many leaders from other faiths who know Islam more than the average Muslim does. When they share the values of Islam, they are not minimizing the importance of their own faith but being honest about the other religion. Likewise, there are Muslims who can speak eloquently about Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, and other faiths.

On the other hand, there is clergy in each faith who make unverified claims that other religions do not have the goodies they have. What do they know? Ask them; they know nothing, and whatever they know about the others are myths dished out to them. Beware of these preachers or anyone who puts down other faiths. They want your money.

It is time we remind the speaker to take some lessons from real faith practitioners of diverse backgrounds to understand other faiths. The Center for Pluralism offers workshops on twelve different religions to understand the essence of each faith.

It is also time for those few Muslims to shelve their arrogance that Islam is the only faith acceptable to God and learn that the creator God accepts all religions, provided they are kind to his creation—life and environment. 

Apology to Jews and Christians

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Apology to Jews and Christians is a chapter from the book American Muslim Agenda available at Amazon and Kindle

Who does God love the most? It is the one who forgives and seeks forgiveness. The wisdom is simple; by forgiving, you find yourselves free from tensions and guilt. You don’t have to run away from a social gathering if you see that person who has harmed you. Once you forgive, you can see eye to eye with anyone and live freely without fear.

A month before my late wife Najma passed away, we made a list of all the things that would release her from tensions and free her. One of them was a conflict with our friend Mansoor Shah during a planning session for a fundraiser for Zindagi Trust, an educational foundation. After that, no matter which gathering we went, either they would find an excuse to get the hell out of the party, or both of them were tense and did not want to face each other. It went for several years.

I called Mansoor Shah and told him that Najma might not live more than a few months and that he needed to visit her and clear the air. He pretended, “There is no problem with Najma Apa. I respect her tremendously.” But when he and Najma faced each other, both of them cried and forgave each other. It remains a great example, and the comfort remains the bottom line of forgiveness.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was an ultimate peacemaker. In each conflict he dealt with, he saw a room for mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill among competing tribes. Fifteen examples are commonly told about his fairness and justice, but seldom Muslims have seen the underlying message of conflict mitigation and goodwill nurturance.

God wants his creation to live without apprehensions; that is the chief purpose of religion—any religion and most certainly Islam.

Apology to Jews, Christians, and Others

I am pleased to tender my apologies to Jews, Christians, Hindus, and others who are offended by the few verses of the Quran. In fact, they are not the verses; they are the flawed translations.

If you are a Jew, Christian, Hindu, or the other and happen to pick a “free” copy of the Quran and read the first chapter as it happens frequently, you may find it pleasant for a few minutes, and then you would probably choke.

The very first sentence “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful” may sound good. Maybe you would say Jesus, Krishna, Yahweh, or another name in whatever language you may be familiar with but then decide Allah is okay too. It is another way of addressing the creator.

The second verse reads, “All praise is due to God alone, the Sustainer of all the worlds.” You may get excited and say, “Wow, praise the Lord, Brother.” That’s right. All praise is due to God alone; if you are a Hindu, you may invoke Vishnu.

The third verse sounds similar to the first one. However, the first one is really not the first one but an introductory verse for every one of the 114 chapters, except one where it is placed in the middle for a purpose.

So far, so good.

What comes now is Quran 1:4 “Lord of the Day of Judgment!” You may find that interesting as well. It sounds like the Muslims also believe in the day of reckoning or see the law of karma operating, that is, you shall reap what you sow. It is about accountability.

Going to Quran 1:5 “Thee alone do we worship; and unto Thee alone do we turn for aid,” you may nod and feel right that you picked another excellent book to read.

Here comes the next; Quran 1:6 says, “Guide us the straight way.” You may or may not ponder, but you are eager to finish the first chapter and go to the next line.

Watch out now. You may spill your coffee from the rude shock you get and perhaps get offended. You may just close the book and look again on the cover as if to make sure it is the Quran you are reading, and it is.

The Quran 1:7 was “The Way of those on whom you have bestowed Your Grace, not [the way] of those who earned Your Anger [such as the Jews], nor of those who went astray [such as the Christians].” Depending on the level of your disgust, you may drop the book or use different words or be determined to find the truth.

That would be my response too, and indeed, that was my response nearly two decades ago.

Peace be upon you, my friends.

For thousands of years, Muslims—like Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhist, Zoroastrians, or others—simply recited the verses in Arabic, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Pali, Aramaic, Latin, or other languages, without paying attention to what it really meant. It was a ritual; it was needed to be read. You read it, and off you went.

A few years ago, one of my friends gave me the looks of disbelief when I said the word Islam meant “peace.” Later on, he opened the first page of the Quran, and his finger went right to verse 7. I was completely taken aback. I knew something was not right about that translation. God could not have said that, but I could not deny the fact of what I saw. I had no words, and my mind was racing to drop out of this or search for the truth.

It was quite an awakening to me as it would have been to those Jews, Christians, Hindus, and others who may have read this particular verse and perhaps sixty other verses that had a similar tone.

I became acutely aware of the different translations that were available and became conscious of the fact that most of the average people do not pay attention to the meaning of the words of the holy book or any religious text, for that matter, as religion is no more than a ritual for many.

Now with all my humility, I apologize to my Hindu, Christian, and Jewish friends in particular and all others in general for not doing our part, fixing the translations of the Quran.

Please don’t throw away the mistranslated Quran you have on your hands. Know for sure what you have read was not what God meant; it was a flawed translation.

I became passionate about finding the truth and held Quran conferences and gave a presentation on scriptural reading at the Parliament of World’s Religions in Melbourne, Australia. The process found about sixty verses that have been purposely mistranslated down through history. In the Middle Ages, European leaders commissioned a hostile Quran translation to foster warfare against Muslim invaders. Later, Muslim leaders produced another translation to inflame Muslims against Christians and Jews. It was all for politics, and I will be sharing the full story in my next book.

That lousy translation was the work of Hilali-Khan who found a reference in Ibn Kathir’s writings. Both were wrong to misinterpret God’s word, and we are wrong for not detecting early on. Thanks to the efforts of many American Muslims and a delegation from Saudi Arabia sponsored by the Department of State who has been instrumental in fixing a few of the mistranslations, particularly Quran 1:7. The prints after 2014 have the correction.

The State Department has a visitor’s program where they bring Muslim ministers and clergy from around the world. I have given a presentation on American religious landscape to nearly thirty such groups, including the mufti from China and Russia and most of the Middle Eastern nations.

Quran and Inclusiveness

It may come as a rude shock to Muslims who do not read the Quran that God will take care of those who takes care of his creation without prejudice. You don’t have to be a Muslim to earn God’s grace. All you have to do is care for his creation. There is a story to make that point.

A lady of ill repute once found a thirsty cat that was about to die. She makes the time to go find water from a distant spring in the desert, and the cat lived on. The Prophet said that God will forgive that lady’s sinful life. Islam is all about caring for fellow beings and creating cohesive societies where no one has to live in fear. Of course, Muslims are humans like Christians, Jews, Hindus, and others and do not fully follow the guidelines of their religion.

God could not be more precise than this. He honors those who care for his creation.

It appears that religious men are trained to send people from different religious backgrounds to hell as if God were sneaky and made deals with others behind our backs.

Let it be clear that the Quran does not monopolize on God; neither the Quran was written for Muslims. It was for all humanity, and we share his creation with all other living beings.

According to the Quran, all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

We have honored the children of Adam, and provided them with rides on land and in the sea. We provided for them good provisions, and we gave them greater advantages than many of our creatures. (Quran 17:70)

The Quran gives everyone the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

There shall be no compulsion in religion: the right way is now distinct from the wrong way. Anyone who denounces the devil and believes in GOD has grasped the strongest bond; one that never breaks. GOD is Hearer, Omniscient. (Quran 2:256)

Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of the person.

O you who believe, equivalence is the law decreed for you when dealing with murder—the free for the free, the slave for the slave, the female for the female. If one is pardoned by the victim’s kin, an appreciative response is in order, and equitable compensation shall be paid. This is an alleviation from your Lord and mercy. Anyone who transgresses beyond this incurs a painful retribution. (Quran 2:178)

You shall not kill any person—for GOD has made life sacred—except in the course of justice. If one is killed unjustly, then we give his heir authority to enforce the judgment. Thus, he shall not exceed the limits in avenging the murder, he will be helped. (Quran 17:33)

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms without distinction of any kind.

Say, “We believe in GOD, and in what was sent down to us, and in what was sent down to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Patriarchs; and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and all the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction among any of them. To Him alone we are submitters.” (Quran 2:136)

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing.

We thus made you an impartial community, that you may serve as witnesses among the people, and the messenger serves as a witness among you. (Quran 2:143)

The Quran teaches us not to distinguish among believers.

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

Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the converts, and the Christians; any of them who (1) believe in GOD and (2) believe in the Last Day, and (3) lead a righteous life, have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. (Quran 5:69)

Let’s learn to respect the otherness of others and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of us. Then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

Thanks to the Media

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Thanks to the Media is a chapter from the book American Muslim Agenda available at Amazon and Kindle

Thanks to Fox News, particularly Sean Hannity and Stuart Varney. Please hold your breath and read the details before you jump to conclusions. Thanks to Dallas Morning News for publishing over 250 pieces in 5 years and 175 articles at Huffington Post in the same period. There are several others, but to name a few, it is op-ed news, the Daily Arab News, Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, Austin Statesman, Arab News, Al Bilad, Indian Panorama, Mulberry Ledger, Lakeland Ledger, and nearly 300 periodicals that have published over 3,500 articles on pluralism and pluralism in Islam.

A few vocal Muslims are as blind as the ones they accuse of others. They don’t hear things, don’t see things, yet they judge others. Facts don’t matter to them, and that is not the Muslim thing to do. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had said.

A few Muslims hated me for going on the show Hannity and were extremely agitated. An executive director of a prominent civic organization chewed me out for thirty minutes, and I listened to him to see if he made any sense; he did not. However, he did apologize for the rudeness and asked me not to write about it.

Another prominent Muslim wrote a scathing piece, calling me a useful idiot of the right in an established Muslim website. There are many such articles about the ones who speak up without verifying or seeing the whole picture. I hope the majority of Muslims will speak up against such nonsense. It does not matter to me. The truth stands on its own.

Why Fox News and Sean Hannity?

Mother Teresa had said something to the effect, “If you want to make peace with your enemies, go talk with them, talking with friends won’t change the equation.” This statement has been a source of inspiration for me to dialogue with those who differ.


Years ago, there was a Catholic nun on Tim Russert’s show Meet the Press. She said in plain English, “The moderate people don’t have the passion for giving confidence to people who are apprehensive.” She added that the moderates’ would reason with themselves, whereas the people on the right would blurt out with confidence even though they know it would not pan out.

Dukakis failed, and Bush had won on the same principle. George Bush claimed that he would chase Osama Bin Laden to the far end of the world; he did not. The logical Obama did not make tall claims, but he got the guy.

With that background, as a moderate person, I added reasonable confidence and passion in my take on issues. Hannity was my fit, and thanks to him for inviting me to be on his show—a total of 110 TV appearances with him and over 100 syndicated radio shows.

Perhaps, I am one of the first few Muslims who looked like everyone else to go on national TV. Before that, a Muslim was someone with a beard, an identifiable headgear, and robes and invariably wore their “Muslimness” by reciting a few words in Arabic to an audience who just wanted to hear a message in English. Of course, you know Juan Williams got into trouble by his comment on Muslim garb.

They gave a nongarb Muslim a break, and my first encounter was with Pamela Geller when she was demonstrating against the Ground Zero Mosque. We need to appreciate Hannity, Varney, Ingraham, Gutfeld, and Megyn at Fox for helping us see our mistakes and pointing them out to us. We need to thank them for making us think and plan on getting back on the right path.

Sean Hannity has relentlessly pursued antisharia rhetoric. All he wants is an assurance from the Muslim community that they have no interest in sharia as practiced in Saudi Arabia or Iran. American Muslims have detested such laws and would not want any of that here in America, but they have failed to express it. I have explained the reclassification of sharia into personal and public applications, which Hannity understood.

Indeed, there are two chapters on sharia in this book. Sadly, the average Mohammad, Ali, Amina, Fatima, Ayesha, and Abdul are not aware of the genesis and intent of sharia, and they may find it offensive to hear that we don’t need the public version of sharia. They are afraid to question, let alone think that it is not divine. As a Muslim, I support the personal version of sharia that is between the individual and the creator, but I firmly stand against a public version of sharia where a third party administers the justice. We are Americans, and the law of the land is our law, and there is no substitute for it.

American Muslims have placed their trust in the American justice system and will abide by it with their heart, soul, and mind. The sections on “The Genesis of Sharia” and “Fixing Sharia Laws” will explain the full story.

Let me quickly share two significant accomplishments in working with Hannity and Varney. Hannity now has a copy of Muhammad Asad’s translation and understands that by reading three verses before and after the misunderstood verse gives a clear picture of justice and mercy embedded in Quran. God is just and merciful. He has not bashed the Quran in the last several years now. Stuart Varney, on the other hand, declared on his show in November 2015 that he would not use the phrase “Muslim terrorist” anymore; instead, he agreed to use the phrase “terrorists among Muslims,” and the same was understood by Hannity, but he did not keep it after ISIS came into being.

For a long time, I was planning on a rally against ISIS and terrorism. Most Muslims wanted to do it, but they did not want to be the first one to stand out there. Stuart Varney of Fox News put me on the spot, and that prompted me to hold the rally. Thanks to Fox News, Sean Hannity, and Stuart Varney for announcing about the event and acknowledging it—one more thing out of the way in building bridges as we are all in this together.

Those Muslims who question “Who gave you the permission to speak on behalf of Muslims,” I would say, “Go ask Bin Laden and Abu Bakr Baghdadi.” Indeed, a Muslim’s authority to represent their faith is granted by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who said it was your responsibility to read, understand, and act out from this book of guidance—the Quran. He never said you must have a degree from Deoband, Al-Azhar, Qom, Rabwa, or Jakarta. Islam was not meant to be the business of clergy; it was intended for individuals to follow and live a good life of caring for what surrounds them—life and environment.

The myth that Jews control the media needs to be removed. No one stopped me from writing my opinions on a variety of subjects, including blogs on Israel and Palestine where I have boldly pointed out the mistakes of the Israeli government (not Jews or Judaism). American media is generally fair, except for a few outlets on the right and left.

I am driven by my mentors, meaning the people whose words profoundly affect me and influence my actions on a daily basis. They are Jesus Christ, Prophet Muhammad, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Lord Krishna, Buddha, Abraham Lincoln, Rabbi Gordis, VP Hamid Ansari, Michael Lerner, Pres. Barack Obama, Pope Francis, Aga Khan, and my father, mother, and a few more.

I hope you find this book meaningful and appreciate our media, the pillar of democracy.

Americans Together

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Americans Together is a chapter from the book American Muslim Agenda available at Amazon and Kindle

Our mission is to be a contributor toward building a cohesive America where no American
has to live with anxiety, discomfort, or fear of another. Freedom is the most cherished American
value and the most cherished Islamic value as well.

It is our individual and collective responsibility to keep law and order and faithfully guard
the safety of every citizen. Hate, prejudice, and stereotypes are some of the many root disruptors of
peace in a society. We must track down the source of such ill will and work on mitigating it.

We believe humans are open to choices and will make the best choices if the path is paved
for them. We have provided many ways through our annual events, such as Unity Day, Reflections
on Holocaust and Genocides, and Thanksgiving. It has been our experience that our participants
walk out with a commitment to be less biased, less prejudiced, and willing to stand up for others for
the sake of the general good of humankind.

We are committed to enhancing the efforts nationally, one brick at a time. We are building a
cohesive America where each one of the 323 million Americans feels safe in their homes, at their
jobs, in places of worship, and in public areas.

What Do Americans Want?

A majority of Americans want a just society where everyone feels safe, secure, and without
fear of others. What exactly do we want? How will we make the change? How do we convince
those cashing in on hate and fearmongering? Can we find a way to make peace lucrative and
redirect energy toward creating a cohesive America?

Our Founding Fathers laid the groundwork for such a society: “We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Martin Luther King Jr. famously expressed this in his speech: “I have a dream that my four
little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character.”

Chief Seattle, a Native American, said this perfectly: “All things are connected. Whatever
befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a
strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does it to himself.”

John F. Kennedy said, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for
you – ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”

We hope to capture your responses in a moving story about America.

America Is God’s Own Country

We are one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Where else will you find a nation that embraces people of every race, nationality, ethnicity,
language, culture, and religion? Where else do we enjoy such diversity where we can see God as
one, none, and many; in every form—male, female, genderless, and nonexistent; being and
nonbeing; and nameless and with innumerable names?

Americans together are committed to preserving this pluralistic heritage of America, and
American Muslims will be contributors toward such a society.

This book speaks for the moderate majority who has America first on their agenda.
“America first” is not at the cost of others but a strengthening of who we are so we can be a role
model for the world to emulate, caring for fellow humans and standing up for religious freedom.

On the extreme left, among American Muslims, we have Tarek Fatah, Asra Nomani, Zuhdi
Jasser, and a few others who do not see the accomplishments and progress Muslims have made in
America and across the world. They beat up on Muslims the moment they open their mouths, and
they want a pound of flesh from the majority of American Muslims.

The Muslim left does not understand what freedom means, and its desire to induce Muslims
to give up their traditions is amusing. Who the hell are they? It is a shame that the Christian, Jewish,
and Hindu right gives them a lift. There is no doubt they want the changes, but you don’t dictate to
others from outside; you have to be a part of the transition to cause a change.

The right-wing Muslims, on the other hand, are just as fanatic as the right-wing Christians,
Hindus, Jews, and others. If they had their way, they would make life difficult for everyone. The
average American will lose their freedom. They dig in their heels and assert that Islam is the only
religion acceptable to Allah, just as Christians assert that Jesus is the only savior or the Jewish
belief that Jews are the chosen people.

The majority of Americans is moderate Americans. They enjoy their faith and let others
enjoy theirs without negating one another. This is the silent majority who live their lives, take care
of their families, contribute toward their work, serve the community, and earn their income through
old-fashioned hard work. They aspire to retire enjoying time with their families and to help their
communities.

If our friends on the left, such as Zuhdi, are sincere about the change, they may want to
consider working with the moderates in the American way—persuasion but not imposition, choices
but not condemnation. You cannot anger the majority and expect them to follow your “version” of
Islam. Let’s work the imams. No doubt, there are few lost souls in every tradition, but a majority of
imams in America care about fellow humans and care about America’s well-being. Sometimes you
sound like the “Rip Van Winkle,” waking up and imagining the world of twenty years ago. Wake
up. There is a whole new generation of patriotic Americans.

The change agents need to be on the same boat to steer us out of troubled waters rather than use the remote control to change the course. I invite the right and the left to become integral parts of
the community and work with us in fixing the problem as partners and not as adversaries. You
cannot gather honey if you kick the beehive.

The good news is that a majority of evangelicals are honest to good people who have chosen
to live the life of Jesus. There is a whole array of national pastors—such as Bob Roberts, Rick
Love, Jim Eaton, and George Mason—who care for humanity first and, in essence, follow the real
teachings of Jesus, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Muhammad, Nanak, Confucius, and native traditions.

Muslims need to extend their love to pastors like Pat Robertson, John Hagee, Billy Graham
Jr., and Robert Jeffress. Pastor Jeffress has gone to extremes and appears to be an anti-Christ
pretending to be a follower of Christ. As Muslims, we have dedicated and thanked him for inspiring
us to hold a workshop on the Quran to dispel the myths surrounding these scriptures. Pastor Jeffress
had said terrible things about Islam, the Prophet, and the Quran; we thanked him and asked him to
join us in the workshop to learn. He declined, but we appreciated him. That is the Muslim way.

Rev. Dr. Jack Sara, an evangelical pastor in Jerusalem, writes about the other evangelical
pastors, “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favor to the great, but judge
your neighbor fairly” (Leviticus 19:15). Leaders should issue words of reconciliation and make
every effort to be true and impartial mediators. They should not be instruments for the division and
the escalation of violence. I hope our president is aware of this verse.

There is a handful of priests of all faiths who honestly appreciate the value of other
religions. They are secure in their own faith and do not hesitate to praise other faiths. It has never
diminished their confidence. It means merely that all religions are good; choose the one that works
for you.

Once, my daughter, when she was a little girl, had exclaimed, “Gee, Dad, God can be
worshipped in so many different ways.” This happened in the sanctuary at the Ekta Mandir, DFW
Hindu Temple in Irving, Texas. She went with me to every place of worship in Dallas as part of
familiarizing my kids with different faiths, races, ethnicities, and gender orientations. She went with
me to the LGBT’s Hope Cathedral in Oaklawn, Dallas.

I hoped to raise my kids with prejudice toward none, period. I know, if they run for public
office, they will earn the respect of every American.

No matter where they work or what they do, our kids are going to be working with people of
different faiths, races, and ethnicities. As parents, we have the responsibility to raise them to enjoy
their life by respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each one
of us. I feel sorry for the kids whose parents poison them with various prejudices and make their
lives miserable when they grow up and have to work with people they were told not to trust.

In the center of the spectrum are moderate Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Sikhs,
Buddhists, Baha’is, Native Americans, Shinto, Wiccan, atheists, pagans, and others. They are
indeed the majority who mind their own faith and let others follow theirs. Unlike the left and the
right who are hell-bent on changing others, moderates are secure people who simply live their lives.They have no problem whether you worship or not and whether you adore one, two, or many forms
of God.

There are many things American Muslims need to fix, but sadly, very few have the spine to
take this challenge. This is going to hurt us, not from outside but from within.


The next generation of Muslims would not want to be identified as Muslims, and it is a
shame that we put them through such an ordeal. It is a home run when one is connected to their
heritage and comfortable with American values. Otherwise, they are lost souls. These issues are not
exclusive to Muslims but shared with immigrants from all cultures, faiths, and regions who have
similar problems. However, my focus in this book is about American Muslims.

This book The American Muslim Agenda is about Muslim integration to the point of
abandoning the divisive language of “them versus us” and instead beginning to speak of “us.” There
is no “they”; all of us are “us.” When we start defending America and American values, we are in.
We become an integral part of the American fabric.

The Quran is contested in India’s Supreme Court

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One Mr. Wasim Rizvi is planning to file a petition in the Indian Supreme Court to remove 26 verses from the Quran, and supposedly they incite violence.

As a former Atheist, I was critical of the Quran for a full 30 years, and I understand the right-wing Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, and others for their hatred towards the Quran.

I was like them, but one day I was flipping the pages of Bhagavad Gita and came across a verse that changed my life. Its meaning was finding the truth is your responsibility.

That led me to do the critical research and found the truth – that there are nearly 30 verses in the Quran that were deliberately mistranslated for political reasons by Muslims and Christians alike to promote ill-will towards each other.

I found the Quran to be a book of guidance for everyone, not meant for any particular group, including Muslims as a political group. The book is about building cohesive societies where every human aspires to live securely regardless of his/her ethnicity, race, religion, culture, or any other uniqueness. It is about creating harmony among humans, all humans.

That truth led me to believe in the Quran and Islam, and I chose to become a Muslim, a confident Muslim. I will take a challenge from anyone who has misunderstood the Quran and comes up with those verses. I know the poor folks are going by the mistranslations of the Quran, and I feel I must share the truth with them as it brings relief. Over the years, I have responded to several such accusations, and I have conducted workshops on them.

We should not curse the man Rizvi, for he knows not. As I understand, he is trying to save his tail from several corruption charges, but that should not matter; what matters is addressing the issue.

Thank God they have narrowed it down to 26 verses and not the entire Quran. It is a God-sent opportunity for Muslims to clarify the false propaganda about the verses in the Quran by presenting them with the correct translation.

The hardcore believers will not change their minds, as facts don’t matter to them; accusing is all they want to do. Their business creates an imagined enemy to frighten the weaklings and earn their support for their political ends.

The good news is the majority of our fellow members from the family faiths, the Hindus, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and even Muslims who may have doubts, will see the clear picture. 

If we believe that Allah is the creator and sustainer of all humanity and Muhammad (PBUH) is a mercy to humankind, then our actions should reflect compassion to all.

Rizvi is a political opportunist like Tarek Fatah*, who takes the wrong translations of a few verses and throws them to the eager wolves whose inclinations are to accuse anything Muslim. They know the truth about the mistranslations and subsequent correction of a few verses, but still, they choose to tarnish it for financial gains.

There are millions of our Hindu friends who believe that those verses cause Muslims to be violent. Both the thoughts are wrong; Muslims are not violent, some among us are, as they are among Hindus and others.

I want to assure my less than confident Muslims that the Quran is a perfect book, however, the problem is with the translations. 

There are 50 such translations on the market now, and the story is the same- my fellow Muslims have lost the ability to question the interpretations out of fear from the establishment.
We have the opportunity to correct those verses and let fellow Indians – both Muslims and Hindus know the truth and believe in what is right – I hope this will mitigate the conflicts and nurture goodwill.

The public behavior of a few Muslims is wrong by calling names and dehumanizing rascals like Rizvi. The Islamic way is to respond to them by offering correct information and not cursing.
I urge everyone to be a confident Muslim. Quran is not going anywhere, nor is Islam. Allah will guard it, and we have to do our work.

Once I have the list of 26 verses from the Supreme Court, God willing, I will respond to bring clarity to my Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and other friends. I have begun the process here is a short video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwAyQRPsu3A 

If it is not common sense, then it is not Islam.


Mike Ghouse
Author: American Muslim Agenda and an upcoming book, “Kill the infidels.” All about Mike is at www.TheGhouseDiary.com

Christians threatened in India and Pakistan

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Christians threatened in India and Pakistan.

Christians are being threatened to stop praying. The first part of the video is from near Sialkot, Pakistan, and it is in the Urdu language; the second part is near Bangalore, India, and it is in the Kannada language. I will translate both and place before the NGOs, USCIRF, and the Department of State to take action.

The extremists will spread further if the Governments remain silent. It is not an internal matter. Corona has no boundaries so is our global society made up of the community of nations. Injustice to one is an injustice to all (MLK). The Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Jews, and others feel the pain if one of their fellow religionists is harassed elsewhere in the world.

In this case, it is not Hindus or Muslims harassing the Christians, it is the radicals among them. Hinduism and Islam shun interfering in how other people worship the creator, but religion does not matter to the extremists; they don’t get their faith right; they wouldn’t be radicals if they did.

First of all, the Muslims around the world condemn this act, and secondly, the entire humanity needs to stand up for the rights of Christians in this case. If all of us stand up for others, yes, others, the world would be a better place in the end.

Ideally, we all should stand up for the rights of others; if we don’t stand up for others, why should anyone stand up for us?

We appeal to both the Government of India and Pakistan to safeguard Christians’ rights and arrest the hooligans and give a stern warning to those who mess with the worship of fellow countrymen.

We appeal to the Department of State to tie our relations with India and Pakistan on economic exchanges.

Dr Mike Ghouse