American Media cannot do it

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Is there any one in American Media except NPR and perhaps MSNBC who can do an interview of this kind without risking their jobs? What is amazing is it happens in Israel, the Israeli media  questions the Israeli Government policies, whereas the American Media risks the wrath.

We need to grow up and be fair in our dealings – we need to support Israel’s security but should not be unjust to the Palestinians, its a burden on our conscience.

http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/rizkhan/2011/02/2011289482599902.html

David Horowitz and the fear factor

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http://nabsites.net/demo/david-horowitz-and-fear-factor/

There are men and women, who know how to make money in the name of Israel, Palestine and God among other things. The best product to sell is hate, there is money in it, I guarantee it.

There are frightened souls out there who happen to be rich and it is very easy to tap their wealth, poor suckers will fall to the fear mongering tactics and write big checks. All you have to do is frighten them and “act” as the defenders for them and see how quickly your bank account swells.
The test is simple – write an article or speak about the imminent and impending danger and then say, you are going to stand against them like a Rock. You can test it and see how many suckers will fall for it.
There are several websites and appeals out there, invariably asking for the money. If the cause is real, one should give the money.
But,
Do you want to give the money to those who create a bigger mess? Or those whose work to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill?
In case of Israel and Palestine, if you give the money, give it to those who find solutions and not aggravations. There is a Chinese saying, “if you want the enemy gone for good, make friend, if you kill, his son will wait to kill you when you are dozing off”. Mother Teresa said, if you want peace, go talk with your enemies, you don’t make peace with your friends.
The Brotherhood Organization has an ugly history and some of the members harbor hate towards the western powers and certainly towards some of the policies of Israel. Then there are the settlers who are going against the laws and taking over the land illegally to build their own. Both are shamelessly quoting Quraan and Torah to justify their actions, and we  are letting them do it.
The question is, do you want the Brotherhood to continue doing what is not right? Do you want the settlers continue doing what is not right?  Do you want to fund these groups to dig in their heels? Do you really believe peace will come by pushing them to the corner? Neither of them are law abiding and we should not fund those ideas that aggravate the situation.
I wish David Horowitz collected the monies to build bridges, I will send him the money, but if he is selling books, and collecting the money in the name of protecting Israel, he will to continue to drain you as the situation gets worse with requests for more monies.  Is that what you want?
Those who are endangering Israel are no friends of Israel, they care about money for themselves, and they are many out there milked or milking monies like Madoff. Let’s find a way without opening your check book or if you open, let it be productive and not messy. There are organization who are doing the right thing to bring security to Israel following the Chinese saying and Mother Teresa quoted earlier, give it to them, make it conditional that the money should mitigate conflicts and not aggravate.
I urge Mr. Horowitz to make the enemy gone for good, make friends with them, at least go talk with them and don’t do the opposite; dig in their heels. It is not good for Israel.
Mike Ghouse for building cohesive societies
http://www.mikeghouse.net/
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HERE IS PROFESSOR HOROWITZ’S APPEAL

Get ready for the Brotherhood!

The situation in Egypt remains chaotic, but the Obama White House — while trying to cover its tracks with doublespeak — has finally settled on a position: Hosni Mubarak, lynchpin of Mideast stability for the last 30 years, must be thrown under the bus on the Arab streets.

And if he is replaced by the Muslim Brotherhood–anti semitic, anti American godfather organization to Hamas and al Qaeda? So be it! The Brotherhood is just another leopard whose spots will be transformed by the President Obama’s message of “change.” In fact, all the President’s men are telling the press, off the record of course, that Obama’s 2009 Cairo speech — chock full of apologies for U.S. misbehavior — actually caused the potentially catastrophic changes now occuring in Egypt.

Do business with the Muslim Brotherhood? Boast about creating the situation in which this organization can come to power?

This is not foreign policy, it is madness! That’s why I’m writing to ask for you help today. Will you follow this link right away to make an emergency contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250 or even $500 to the Freedom Center’s campaign to tell the Truth About the Muslim Brotherhood? If you are able to give $50 or more today, I’ll rush you a copy of Jamie Glazov’s best-seller, United in Hate: The Left’s Romance with Tyranny and Terror, which unveils the “Unholy Alliance” between the Radical Left and Radical Islam, and Robert Spencer’s latest pamphlet “Obama and Islam,” which illustrates the dangers present on President Obama’s “outreach” to the Muslim world.

The Muslim Brotherhood is the source of jihad in the Middle East (and, for that matter, in the U.S. where the FBI has proven that it operates through the Muslim Student Association and other fronts). Its Palestinian branch, Hamas, is a terror organization whose charter calls for the annihilation of Israel. In fact, Osama bin Laden was a graduate of the Brotherhood and so was the mastermind of 9/11, Sheik Khalid Mohammed! So in suggesting that the Muslim Brotherhood can be a democratic partner in Egypt, the Obama White House — so quiet when real democrats were being killed on the streets of Teheran in 2009 — has outdone even the Carter administration’s destabilization of the Shah of Iran in 1979 and its welcoming of the theocratic fascist Ayatollah Khomeini as a “saint.”

In the current chaos of Egypt, the radical left and its radical Islamist allies see possibilities. This unholy alliance wants a takeover by the Muslim Brotherhood because this would be the most dangerous possible outcome for the U.S. and Israel. They want to persuade the American people that the Brotherhood is actually committed to “democracy,” not hatred and violence. And even now, while pulling its punches with an eye toward attaining power with a hands-off assist from the Obama White House, this sinister organization admits that it will tear up the Egyptian-Israeli agreement of 1979, which means that Israel will be once again under the gun as it was in the first few years of its existence… and that a war engulfing the whole of the Middle East is once again on the table.

We can’t allow this to happen! That’s why I’m urgently asking you to make a contribution of $50 or more to support the Freedom Center’s efforts to alert every American to the gravity of the situation in Egypt.

The Freedom Center cannot determine how the present chaos in Egypt will end. But exposing the big lies of the left is the core of our mission and we can educate America about what is at stake. That’s why we need to get my book, Unholy Alliance, United in Hate, “Obama and Islam,” and the other pamphlets we have produced on the radical Islamic jihad into as many hands as possible.

Will you help us today by following this link to make a donation of $50 or more to the Freedom Center’s campaign to tell the Truth About the Muslim Brotherhood? Don’t forget that we’ll send you copies of both United in Hate and “Obama and Islam”, as well.

We stand at a critical crossroads which has potentially catastrophic implications for the future of Israel and America itself. We need to act quickly to tell the Truth About the Muslim Brotherhood! I hope the Freedom Center can count on your support.

Sincerely,

Muslims condemn Murdering Ahmadiyya Muslims in Indonesia

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No Scripture supports any killing; Certainly Quraan does not support it.

The only condonable killing is in self-defense, even then the scripture commands you to back off, if you see the signs that the offender is backing off, the best among you is the one who forgives and the forgiver is one of the dearest beings to God.

These Muslim-labeled men are hiding behind religion for their evil acts and shame on us, as a society for according them that false label and allowing them carry on those acts as if Islam sanctions it.
As a society, we should condemn every aggression and murder regardless of the label the killers use; religion, security, politics, democracy, capitalism, collateral damage, communism, progress, Quraan, Gita, Bible or the Torah.  There simply is no justification for any murder.
There is belligerency among a few Muslims; they are so arrogant that they knock God out his seat and take over judging other people’s faith, shame on us we are letting them take over God’s role, he alone is the master of the day of judgment.  You cannot judge other peoples faith, it is between them and their creator. Only God knows what is in one’s heart and there are numerous examples and stories in Quraan about it.
The silent majority of Muslims do not approve this, but at least a few of them need to speak up. This is not acceptable and we express this disgust by signing the name below.
As a Muslim I will urge Muslims to condemn any evil act. We cannot allow religious stamp on the evil things men do. It is up to Hindus, Jews, Christians and others to do their work in the name of their faith if their faith is used to justify crimes.  
We must resist temptations to point fingers at others; it amounts to justification of our own wrong doing. Each one of us is answerable to the creator for our silence, just like each one of us will receive a traffic ticket for speeding, others get away on the same road, but there is nothing we can do about it. We were wrong and it is our own responsibility to fix ourselves. If we do that, then our voice will carry value.
You and I have the power to express, we can boldly say that using religion to kill any one is wrong, that is the least we can do. 
I hope and pray that the community of nations and societies treat this as capital crime and every one involved in killing must be punished.
I request that this note or a different note be circulated among the “silent people” to let them sign, a first step in being righteous.
Are you gutsy enough to sign up? If you are, write your name and the name of your town down in the comments section. Or create your own appeal and do it, but please do it.
Please join Mike Ghouse to nurture the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam. Islam is about justice and fairness and balance in a society, that is all God wants in Quraan (49:13); for us to get along. http://www.worldmuslimcongress.net/
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In a message dated 2/9/2011 9:12:28 A.M. Central Standard Time, xxxxxxx@aol.com writes: I have just viewed the clip of the murder of Ahmadiyyas in Indonesia.  I have a question.  The Quran says:  109:1-6 -to you your belief, to me mine.   So why are the Ahmadiyyas being murdered?  What scripture supports this terrible travesty of justice? 
Blessings, Marylou

Obama throws me off compeletely

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Advise to Obama on Egypt.

 http://nabsites.net/demo/obama-throws-me-off-compeletely/

What throws me off completely is that every time I write about Obama, within a week he uses similar words in his speech. It’s happened time and again. I feel certain that he will speak similar words within a day or two, I just want to register with you before it happens. The article is pasted below.

Ever since I read Obama’s speech to the Illinois senate, I have followed him and have written over a dozen articles about him, despite being a Republican, I have voted for him and held two rallies in Carrollton in support of him. He is the right man to bring cohesiveness to America and influence the world with the ideas of inclusivism.
Oddly, unasked, I was considered for two positions with his admin, the last one was special envoy to the OIC. I was told that the state department and particularly Hilary Clinton reads my write ups, whether she does or not, I am thrilled to share the same with you.
This will appear in Dallas Morning News today;
The President must remain focused on aspirations of the people and facilitate a sustainable change with grace and dignity, rather than leaning on individuals. 
We must not forget that the basis of our relationship is between “the People of the United States,” and “the people of Egypt,” and not between Mubarak and Obama.
I would advise the President to have a five fold agenda to develop a sustainable outcome.
President Obama must boldly support the aspirations of the Egyptian people and laud them for breaking the cycle of violence.  We must admire them for giving life to one of the most civilized forms of a political change; non-violence. It is a new experience for the Arab world and due encouragement will pave the way for others with similar aspirations. 
To Mubarak, he could say, “Mr. President you have dutifully served the interests of your people by relinquishing them from wars, anxiety and disruption of their lives through the peace accord with Israel, and now I urge you to honor the wishes of people and earn their respect and live a dignified life as a proud civilian, it is good for you and your people in every imaginable way.”
The legitimate fears of Israel are to be addressed. While assuring our support, we need to ask them to trust the Egyptians and support their aspirations for self determination.
The less we alienate the people the better off we would be, and it would be wise to give room to the Brotherhood to re-align themselves with new realities of the region instead of pushing them to dig in their heels, a Hamas mistake we must not repeat.
The security of region hinges on partnerships rather than aggravations, whether it is the Israelis or the Egyptians, people in distress remember and stick with those who will stand by them.
President Obama is blessed with this Golden opportunity to become a catalyst in shaping the world of democracy particularly in the Arab world. He should not miss a beat in nurturing our relationship with the people; it gives permanency to our policy.
He must reward them for becoming the pioneers of change and offer them a forum to map out their future.
11 Other members of the Texas Faith Panel have shared their opinions as well  at Dallas Morning news – http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/02/texas-faith-how-would-you-advi.html
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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer. He runs the Foundation for Pluralism championing the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other and is committed to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress.

Mike is available to speak on Pluralism, Islam, Civil Societies, and Peace & Justice at your place of worship, school, work place, seminars or conferences.  He is a media commentator offering pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. 

Mike’s work is reflected at three websites & twenty two Blogs listed at http://www.MikeGhouse.net/

Dallas Natia Mushaira, aqeeda and women

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http://nabsites.net/demo/dallas-natia-mushaira-aqeeda-and-women/

There are two aspects of Mushaira I want to share;
1) Aqeeda or broadly devotion to the prophet and

2) Reduced role of women in the program.
Every one has a different level of devotion to the prophet and each one expresses it differently. As I go around different places of worship within and without the religions, I have learned to appreciate the “devotion” expressed in different formats.   
The Naatia Mushaira (Praise songs honoring the Prophet) reiterated a fact that Muslims are not a monolithic lot and I am glad we are accepting the diversity within without judgment; we are as diverse as God has made us.
Indeed, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) made our life easy for us by predicting that there will be 72 (a metaphoric number to express diversity) tribes among his followers and each one was to compete in doing good.  You may find a refreshing wisdom in it; the prophet wanted us to accept that we are going to have differences but we will join in together in creating peace, salaam to every one of the humans that share the planet with us. There is a greater wisdom in the 2nd part of that statement that one among you would be the  righteous one,  and here is the kicker; only Allah will judge that, not now, but on the Day of Judgment, thus we were encouraged to compete in doing good without being judgmental about the other.  
Most of the Muslims understand that Allah is Rabbul Aalameen (Lord of the universes) and not our exclusive God, and they also believe that the Prophet is Rahmatul Aalameen (Mercy to mankind) and not just the prophet of men, but women as well.
A few among us strip the universality of Islam and make it a private club, and become judgmental about others and pre-empt Allah and the Day of Qayamat and condemn people.  No one can judge the faith of others, if they cannot get the Malik-i-Yo Middin that is recited at least 17 times a day; then I have no Idea what they can get out of parroting it.  
Do we have the humility to respect the way “the other” tribes worship God and respect Muhammad (pbuh)? Are we arrogant to declare that others are wrong? Are we humble enough to accept that our tradition works for us, as others’ work for them?

This is the toughest question Muslim will face. Once the humility enters our hearts and arrogance exits, Taqwa (piety and spirituality) grows within us.

AMAZING NAATS
Great poetry was recited, at the same time I was respectfully swallowing how a few of us have made Muhammad (pbuh), a substitute for God. Please don’t say Naoozu billah, only God knows what is in one’s heart.
It was refreshing to hear these couplets;
            Nirali shaan hai us ki, a ummat-e-mustafai hai
            Amal say dur hai lekin aqeedate inteha ki hai
            ( there is devotion but far from acts of goodness)
And
            Mere pyare nabee nay mujh say bus itna chaha tha
            Faqt insaan kehla-oon, faqt insaan bun jaaon
            (My prophet asked me to be a good human, I hope to become one)
And
            Le aayi hai kis mukhaam per apni fikr
            Paighambar say Ishq hai, paigham say nahin.
            (we love the prophet but have forgotten the message)       
In the past, I have heard a few couplets, where the poet was close to saying God was born out of the Noor of the Prophet…   however the following lines were mild compared to what I have heard in the past,  these  lines lead to dual interpretations;
·        Sooraj may tab aanay lagi 
·        Naat padhna ibadat kay barabar hai 
          Reading in the praise of the prophet amounts to worship to God
·        Bus itna fasila hai Rasool aur khuda may, ek dil ke paas ek rag-e-jaan ke
·        Ek shabeha noor-e-haq, dur shakl-e insaani mili
As a person who appreciates every which way people bow to the creator, it was fascinating for me to see the reverence for the prophet expressed differently. One group loves the man for the glad tiding he brought to the society and admires him for being humble, and the other one makes him divine. To you is your belief and to me is mine.
Mahtab Hussein writes on the face book, “I do have much Love for my Prophet but never worship him. I do appreciate his Human Capacity, his Eloquent Speeches, his love for people & Humanity, his personal character and his human Qualities.”
That was my sentiment as well. I love the prophet for bringing Rahmat to the world; he brought pure goodness to all humanity, of which we the Muslims are a part of.
The role of women 
Prophet Muhammad brought Rahmat, kindness to humanity and uplifted women from the oppressive traditions. He established and treated them as equals.
Women & Men are each other’s garments, each other’s respect, each others partners, being just is what God commands you to be. This equitable relationship between the husband and the wife must be one of love, mercy, tranquility, and kindness.
“Scholars have interpreted this to mean that husbands and wives need mutual support, mutual comfort, and mutual protection. It is also a reference to the fact that spouses are each other’s sanctuary in so far as each covers the others’ shortcomings and preserves his or her privacy; hence the tranquility and harmony.” Bassam A. Abed & Syed E. Ahmad.
Among us Muslims, a few of us do not have the guts to speak up when we see something wrong.  With one mouth we say Prophet is Rahmatul Aalameen but with the other we have a different rule. That “sher” is reflective of the state of affairs with the South Asian Muslims. “Paighambar say Ishq hai, paigham say nahin.”

Mere pyare nabee nay mujh say bus itna chaha tha
Faqt insaan kehla-oon, faqt insaan bun jaaon
By Khalid Khawaja

The woman who gets beaten will take the beating in all cultures, but when shameless men conveniently use (abuse) Islam to justify their acts, Prophet is not a Rahmat to them any more, Prophet was not Rahmat to Asia Bibi. Who is denigrating the prophet worse than the cartoonists?  

I urge Muslims everywhere to bring about a change and I hope in Naatia Mushairas, whereever we hold; we would want to see a women sing the Naats. They have a greater love for the man who uplifted them than the men.
  
Recently, I have witnessed shameless men walking out from a public gathering when a Muslim woman went to speak. the greatness of women is they put up with this non-sense to keep the dignity of the event, thank God , we live in America, a land of justice and as Imam Feisal alludes, the principles of dignity and equality of Islam are practiced in this nation. We don’t have to let others denigrate our religion based on our acts.  I will speak up and I hope there are more “men” out there who have the guts to speak up.
You can see how some of these men could feed the Fox news; they are a fodder to the right wing news media.  Unless we speak up against unjust practices, the right wingers beleive that we are an accomplice.
Prophet Muhammad is a mercy to mankind and each one of us who truly believes in it has to make that happen. May Allah guide us all to receive the message of the prophet to act on it and not talk about it. Amen!
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Mike Ghouse
http://www.MikeGhouse.net/

Muhammad (pbuh) the peace maker

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God willing this will continue with a series of talks on how different peacemakers around the world have contributed in creating an ideal society, the kingdom of heaven on earth where all humanity lives and feels home.

Tonight I spoke on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) at Fun Asia, Richardson in a Natia Mushaira (poetry session in Urdu language in praise of the prophet) a tradition among Muslims of South Asia and perhaps others. I did not say anything new, but offered a new dimension to think about. http://nabsites.net/demo/muhammad-pbuh-peace-maker/

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I spoke to the predominantly Muslim audience gathered to sing hymns in praise of the prophet, a mercy to mankind. It is a South Asian Tradition, however,  not all Muslims celebrate Prophet’s birthday differentiating between respect for him and making him divine. Prophet had said, only God is worthy of all worship. As a Muslim I know deep down no Muslim worships the Prophet, but expressess his or her appreciation in a vareity of ways.  Personally I accept the diversity,  it is a genuine admiration for a man who showed how to live in peace and tranquility with one self and with others.
I am simply copying the bullet points from my power point, but the explanations will come in the form of video later.
How did this program “Muhammad the peace maker” come about?
Every Year across America, the peace communities celebrate the season of peace from Jan 30 through April 4, a period of two months. These two dates are sandwiched by the assassinations of Mahatma Gandhi and Rev. Martin Luther King
As Muslims we have not reached out to the communities and shared about Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) mission, who is Mercy and a blessing to mankind, meaning his systems, and his teachings if followed, could bring the ideal peace and justice to the world.
So, I asked the peace organizations that I wanted to present the role of Prophet Muhammad in creating cohesive societies, they agreed.
The house was packed and a majority of them had heard negative things about the prophet. It’s amazing how we human beings fall for falsities about others, Muslims do it, Hindus do it, Sikhs do it, and Jews do it… and so do the Christians and other. I am glad the people had a chance to learn about the prophet, especially when those cartoons were floating around.
Now, I have taken this up to speak about the Prophet, the peace maker in a series of talks on Peace makers.
This program was designed from a very generic point of view. Nothing I will say would be new, However, It will offer a new dimension that some of you (Muslims) may find it refreshing… 
Who is a peace maker? Would you agree it is the one who mitigates conflicts and nurtures good will and brings about a sustainable balance to the society?  Does that make sense?
What is peace? Peace can be defined as Justice, and Justice gives birth to peace; when there is justice, and there is a sense of security among people.

What do the expressions “coming home to”, “feels like home”… mean to you? It is like a child in a mothers lap, feeling safe and secure and knowing that if he or she is hungry and cry, justice will be served, he will be wiped or she will be fed. At home, you are at peace when you drop all your guards, and feel secure and safe.

When you are home with your best friend, you do not choose your words when you talk with him or her, you speak your heart, there is comfort, there is home in it, it is like being in mothers safe and secure lap. That’s what a home means, being yourselves and at ease.
The Ideal Society per Prophet Muhammad was a society like a mothers lap for a child.
I have not verified this particular Hadith (Saying), where the prophet says, the height of civility in an ideal society is where a woman or a child can walk any where any time without any fear. He is claimed to have said that if a woman can walk from Madina to Damascus without any fear, that is the ideal society, where every one respects and honors God and his words of creating a Jannah (kingdom of heaven) on the Earth. That is respecting each ones God given space.
The golden rule is same, exactly same in every religion – do unto others as you would want others to do to you. Treat others as you wanted to be treated.
Those who get their own religious message are good religious people, and those who don’t, tend to be on the fringe and harbor ill-will towards others.
Allah o taala – the God almighty says in Quraan, “to every nation, every community and every tribe, I have sent a messenger, a prophet or a peace maker”.
God loves his creation, as the “Shaer (poet)” likes his “sama-een (listeners)” and wants to render the best Shaeri” for them. Allah cares about his creation and sends a peace maker to every nook and corner – no one is deprived of his love.
The message is the same in all Religions, Avatar Krishna says, whenever and where ever there is Adharma (social disorder), I will emerge from among you and restore the righteousness, the dharma back. It is almost like the laws of nature, the physical laws seeking balance, every piece of matter seeks its own balance, it’s built into it, if it fails, and it collapses. Indeed Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) made it clear that he did not bring a new religion, he just brought the same message that 124,000 other messengers had brought, it was comprehensive and inclusive message.
Look at all the peace makers of the world; they all came to fix the societies. Moses, Buddha, Zarathustra, Mahavira, Krishna, Rama, Jesus, Muhammad, Nanak, Bahaullah… and all the peace makers and they did fix their respective societies. Their work is marked by utter un-selfishness, all their work was geared towards creating a functioning society.
Muhammad the peace maker:
Now let’s talk about a few things that Prophet Muhammad set the examples for, there are over 15 items, but respecting the time, I will keep to a few of them.
Darood please.. Allahumma soli ala, syedina shafiana o maulana muhammadin o barik o sallim.
MODELS OF PEACE – AMIN 
The first model he created for the world to emulate was the title and honor he received from his community – THE AMIN, the trust worthy, the truth seeker and the one whose integrity and honesty was beyond question. Mind you, he was called AMIN, not by Muslims but others.  He was called Amin much before he set out on his mission to work on building the concept of Tauheed, the oneness of humanity, oneness of creation, oneness of God where every one feels home; being in the lap of the mother, safe, worriless, anxiety-less, safe and secure.  Hinduism has a beautiful word for it Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the whole world is one family, indeed every religion has the idea of oneness built in to it. 

Heck our pledge of allegiance is fashioned that way,one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Whether they are Muslims, Christians or Hindus, or Americans, Chinese or Arab, the fulfilment of that vision is gradually realized and never 100% ,  less than 1% of any group does not get that message.

Here are fifteen key ideas, as I have said earlier, every one of you know every one of the following stories, all I am asking you to look at it afresh and the deeper dimension embedded into these in creating that one family and mothers lap for the humanity.
It is essentially expanding and sharing with you what Rahmatul Aalameen means in terms of peace and tranquility to humans.
•        Aswad stone story – a model of peace to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill
•        Taif Example – good will is sustainable over revenge against those who pelted stone at him. Did he not turn the other Cheek? He knew violence begets violence and goodwill nurtures peace.
•        The Old lady throwing trash, it is the patience and genuine caring without having an ill-will towards the one who has the ill-will towards you. Can you apply this in your daily life?
•        Prophet walks up to a Jewish procession and kisses their Torah to show respect and consciously creating values of inclusiveness and co-existence.
•        What is a Good deed, Quraan 49:13 and Prophet’s example of planting a seed or sapling that will benefit others?
•        Peace Treaty signature – Muhammad Bin Abdullah instead of Muhammad Rasool Allah – Prophet gave an example of learning to respect the otherness of other, one of the greatest examples that can be applied in peace making between Israel and Palestine of any situation.  Can you think of how valuable this is in peace negotiations?
•        Muhammad (pbuh) was the 2nd Human in history who carried an interfaith dialogue; the other was Cyrus, the Zoroastrian king. I will cut to the point… He offered Najran Christian scholars to pray at his mosque when the time for prayer came. Can you imagine this? He did not believe what they believed, he did not believe Jesus was son of God, but yet he offered them to pray at his mosque. What does it tell you? Showing respect for others belief.  I have written an explanation of Sura Kafirun that you may want to visit.  http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2008/07/sura-kafirun-un-believers.html
•        Madinah charter, one of the first pluralist documents offering freedom to practice ones faith – the other one was by Cyrus. The prophet was the king, civic and religious leader, he did not have to offer freedom to any one. But yet he chose to initiate the charter offering Jews, Christians and others their freedom to practice their religion.  It’s a lesson for Muslim majority nations to follow, if at all they follow their own prophet.
•        Treat no prophet above the other, it is one of the most powerful verses in Quraan, it is to prevent Muslims from believing that their prophet is superior and bred arrogance in them. The moment one feels superior to the other, conflict takes root. One is trying to look down and the other is fighting. That is the bravest thing to say and that is the right thing to say, religion is all about humility and not arrogance. As I said earlier, you knew the story and here is a dimension that some of you may have missed.
·        Honoring Bilal a superior place in paradise to remove the prejudicial barriers that existed then; how many of your are guilty of it? Yet some claim they are Aashiq-e-Rasool, (fans of the prophet, without following his teachings). There is no room for prejudice in Islam an it is prejudice that destroys the social fabric of the society.
•        Men and women are each others garments?
            Equal rights for women…
•        inculcating the values of equality through the prayers, fasting etc
•        establishing individual responsibility for one’s behavior
•        emphasis on free will/ arrogance  spirituality
Next time around, I will give a full presentation and go in detail on all the points and perhaps in Urdu.
Thank you.
# # #
Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer. He runs the Foundation for Pluralism championing the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other and is committed to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress.

Mike is available to speak on Pluralism, Islam, Civil Societies, and Peace & Justice at your place of worship, school, work place, seminars or conferences.  He is a media commentator offering pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. 

Mike’s work is reflected at three websites & twenty two Blogs listed at http://www.MikeGhouse.net/

Chicago opportunity

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I am visiting Chicago to facilitate income opportunities for those who can spare few hours a week to create a reliable income stream. If you live in Chicago area or know some one who is looking to add an income, please join us for business dinner (semi-formal) on Tuesday, February 15 between 7 and 9 PM. Send me the info… in my in-box …or call me.

Dallas Snowed-in, play time

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DALLAS DOES SNOW | PLAY TIME | 02.04.2011

Have you played the little paper ships? In my child hood there was a canal in my uncle’s town near Bangalore, my sister, my cousin and I placed the paper ships on it and watched them float… we even placed the soda bottle caps on the water and watch them float.. and my cousin Shafi would throw a rock to sink the cap… and we argued…it was fun! I have added song at the end of the note, enjoy that one too.

 
Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157625851451609/show/

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It snowed on Monday and today is Friday, it’s been like this for the whole week, all offices are closed down… looks like a few of us are working. 1984, 1989, 2004 have witnessed weeklong snow in Dallas..

I don’t recall the dates.. but remember playing with my son Jeff when he was five years old… put him in a card board box and pulled him all over the front yard at Clearfield house. he was scremaing with joy! , driving to the hospital when is mother was pregnant… when roads were all covered.. that was 11/26/84! I remember, Mina, my daughter and I making the snow man at Duke house some where around 1994 or 95 I had to dig up all the pictures and put them together to watch some day…

…Yesterday, I was on phone with Yasmeen while parked, as usuallly it happens
In the rear view mirror I saw a paper ship floating on the sheet of ice in the parking lot… it was incredible movement, it appeared so real in the mirror…I was simply watching it… then got out of the car to video tape, some one drove right on it.

It was so tempting to go make paper ship and place it on the ice sheet and watc it float with small wind, or even blowing air from the mouth…

Have you played the little paper ships, in my child hood there was a canal in my uncle’s town Peresandra near Bangalore, my sister, my cousin and I placed the ships on it and watched them float… it was fun

There is a Ghazal (song) in Urdu/Hindi..-
O kagaz ki kashti, baarish ka paani, enjoy it if you know urdu/hindi…
The poet is sayiing; take away my wealth, take away my fame, but give me back my child hood, the memories of running in the rain, playing ships, liseting to grand ma…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB7ih3X4C9M&playnext=1&list=PL737900015B772B84

 

Hannity to choudary – you are one sick miserable SOB

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http://nabsites.net/demo/hannity-to-choudary-you-are-one-sick/
Hannity and Cleric Choudary – Heated exchanges
The video link is provided below
This morning, Hannity show wanted me to see if I supported any aspect of Brotherhood and I said no, and I did not find any one who supported the Brotherhood either, not in America unless there is some one out there. So they go to London to get this radical Imam who does not represent the majority view, he may be the Pat Robertson of UK.

Here is the heated exchange between Hannity and Choudary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANG9s5EoAnQ
It was a bad interview; Hannity was slapping his pre-determined thoughts on to Imam Anjem Choudary and the Imam did not get a chance to deny them or chose not to.  Both were argumentative.
I am appalled at the Imam, why didn’t he tell that there is no such thing as 72 virgins, killing a human is like killing whole humanity. Killing is forbidden in Islam except in self defense. That he condemns the killing of 3000 Americans on 9/11 – this is straight from Quraan – Killing is forbidden.
[17:33] 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 justice. Thus, he shall not exceed the limits in avenging the murder, he will be helped.
Of course, Fox is determined to put a view out and nothing contrary to that will be given full time.

I wish I had gone

Face book has some great comments for this piece:
http://www.facebook.com/MikeGhouse#!/notes/mike-ghouse/hannity-to-choudary-you-are-one-sick-miserable-sob/10150143300287774

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and writer on Pluralism and Islam offering pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.  http://www.mikeghouse.net/

Texas Faith – Role of religious faith when there are no good choices

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Wayne Slater/Reporter    Bio |  E-mail  | News tips

When a Catholic hospital in Phoenix recently terminated a pregnancy to save the life of the mother, the church acted. The bishop stripped the hospital of its affiliation with the diocese and excommunicated the nun who approved the abortion. The hospital said the 27-year-old mother would almost certainly died otherwise. But abortion runs counter to Catholic faith. And there’s no doubt the bishop had the right to do what he did.
Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times suggests the episode underscores a clash between two expressions of religious faith. Without litigating the deep and difficult issue of abortion itself (if we can), consider a broader question: What’s the role of faith when there’s no good choice? Sometimes doctrine says one thing but circumstances say another. What happens when both sides believe they have the fundamentals of faith on their side? How do we bring our faith to bear in situations where there is no good choice?
Our Texas Faith panel weighs in. And it’s telling that two members invoke Dietrich Bonhoeffer, which is where we start with the panel’s answers. Read on.

TEXAS FAITH: What’s the role of religious faith when there are no good choices?

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas
The pledge of allegiance defines the role of faith fairly well; it is to build cohesive societies, expressed as one nation under God (oneness) indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
When conflicting sides believe they have the fundamentals of faith on their side, division is an amicable outcome as a last resort in civil societies, whereas the intolerant societies will resort to harassment and oppression.
Pluralism is a culmination of an attitude in civility, if we can learn to respect the otherness of other and accept the genetic God given (or genetic) uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge for societies to function cohesively.
Indeed, every social, cultural and religious system has a built-in mechanism to sustain its cohesiveness, however when insecure men get threatened, the spirituality (humility) of religion gets knocked over and control aspect of fallible human beings takes over and sacrifice the very purpose of religion; cohesiveness.
Islam was endowed with such a mechanism to deal with issues that had no precedence or choice. The system was called Ijtihad, a process of achieving consensus among parties independent of a given understanding.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) asked his followers to refer to Quraan for any questions that might come up after he was gone, if no answers were to be found, he said, check out my examples and if there isn’t one, then consult among yourselves, struggle to be just and righteous.
That system was weakened nearly four centuries after death of the prophet. The rules were made to exclude those who did not subscribe to the ideas of men controlling knowledge and power. Thus a great tool of keeping the communities together got decimated.
Thanks to America and its spirit of freedom and fearlessness, the institution of ljtihad will flourish and influence the Islamic thinking around the world for Muslims to once again become participants and contributors towards the well being of societies at large.
Research is warranted to determine the factors that split the groups. There was one Christianity, Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism once, not anymore. Even the smaller groups like Jainism, Judaism, and Sikhism have split into sub-groups and the process will continue with every group as they grow in size, as naturally as the amoeba.
How do we bring our faith to bear in situations where there is no good choice? We have to do our Ijtihad and focus on the purpose of religion; cohesiveness.
 12 Opinions listed at http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/02/texas-faith-whats-the-role-of-2.html