Wife beating – Qur'aan 4:34

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http://nabsites.net/demo/wife-beating-quraan-434/

 

Mike Ghouse

This verse keeps popping up every few months and I am happy to present recent research work. Finding the truth is your own responsibility.
Bassam Abed, Michigan University writes, “The primary source of legislation on dealing with wife in Islamic law is verse 34 of the fourth chapter of the Qur’an entitled “the Women.” The verse presents the disciplinary scheme in the latter sentence of the verse—hereafter referred to as the “Discipline Passage.”
The verse in whole reads: (Husbands) are the protectors and maintainers of their (wives) because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient and guard in (the husband’s) absence what Allah would have them guard. As to the women on whose part you fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them first, (next), refuse to share their beds, (and last) spank them (lightly), but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means of (annoyance): for Allah is Most High, Great (above you all).

Cultures determine one’s behavior rather than the religion, indeed, religions are the product of environment; God says in Bhagvad Gita, “whenever unrighteousness takes over the society, I will emerge among you and reset the society to righteousness” and the Qur’aan, ” to every nation, and to every tribe, there will be a messenger to put them back on the path of righteousness” and that’s precisely what Jesus and Moses did; bring a sense of morality to the deviousness that preceded them.

Religion is about justice, inclusiveness and common goodness.

Thanks to the variations in translations, it shows us the limitations of human understanding, and challenges us to strive to grasp the whole truth. What was hitherto cut and dry is no more. May be it is Allah’s hint to us to get closer to understanding the truth. The monopolies would be gone and focus would be on the essence rather than literal meaning.

.Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar, an Iranian American and a former lecturer on Islam at the University of Chicago offers another meaning to the translation of the Arabic word “Idrib,” one of the most debated words traditionally translated as “beat,” which has been mis-understood and abused over the centuries by men who would be abusive any way, whether they are Muslim or not. “Why choose to interpret the word as ‘to beat’ when it can also mean ‘to go away’ – either one from the other, may be it meant separation as a process of re-evaluation.

Instead, Bakhtiar suggests “Husbands at that point should submit to God, let God handle it — go away from them and let God work His Will instead of a human being inflicting pain and suffering on another human being in the Name of God.”

Arabic Language Professor at the American University in Cairo Siham Serry said her interpretation of the word “idrib,” was “to push away,” similar but slightly different from Bakhtiar’s “to go away.”
The Prophet was consistent in word and deed, establishing his emulative example through both avenues. He asserted, “The best among you, are those who are best towards their wives, and I am the best among you in that respect.” Further, he never raised his hand against any of his wives. If there is a Hadith one needs to follow, it would be this Hadith.
The Qur’an outlines its expectations of a marital relationship:
“And among His (Allah’s) signs is this: that He created for you mates from among yourselves that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are signs for those who reflect.”
As this verse illustrates, some of the most important components of a healthy Islamic marital relationship is that the couple live in tranquility, with love and mercy for each other.
The Qur’an instructs husbands to treat the wife with kindness and equity: “Live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If ye take a dislike to them it may be that ye dislike a thing, and Allah brings through it a great deal of good.”
Equity and love between the husband and the wife is also metaphorically spoken of in the Qur’an when it states, “They are your garments and ye are their garments….” 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 insofar as each covers the others’ shortcomings and preserves his or her privacy; hence the tranquility and harmony.

It is not just the Qur’an that instructs husbands to treat their wives with love and kindness. The Prophet has been quoted as saying, “Among the Muslims, the most perfect as regards to his faith is the one whose character is most excellent, and the best among you are those who treat their wives well.” In this Hadith the Prophet, by a logical equation, equated faith (in essence one’s belief in religion) with good moral character and in turn stated that the best of the Muslims are those that treat their wives well. One can deduce from this Hadith that in order for a person to become one of the best individuals in the eyes of God, he has an obligation to treat his wife well. As mentioned earlier, the Qur’an requires kindness, love, mercy, and equity from the husband to the wife (and vice versa).

 

So far, one can see that tranquility, love, mercy, equity, and kindness are the hallmark of an ideal marriage under Islam
Whether the man is an Arab, American, Chinese, Indian, Maya or Zulu, he goes off the handle when it comes to tolerating a spouse who is unfaithful, while the hypocrite expects acceptance from the wife for a similar sin by him. It is for men like these Quraan instructs to hold on to their temper and separate, however, the interpretation to hit her with feather light stick will be fade eventually.
When the man is angry, religion gets thrown out of his system.
The article is compiled with abstracts from the writings of Dr. Bassam Abed, and Dr. Lelah Bakhtiar on the topic.
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Mike Ghouse 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.
He is a commentator on the TV, Radio and Print media offering pluralistic solutions on the issues of the day.   Mike’s work is reflected at three websites & twenty two Blogs listed at http://www.MikeGhouse.net/

 

Who wants to be the President of Pakistan

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A few thoughtful comments from facebook are added at the end of the paper for your review.
If the Television stations in Pakistan can create a show, “Who wants to be the President of Pakistan” and let it begin with 100 members from all over Pakistan to participate in the competition. The candidates will be narrowed down by their ability to answer questions, and the public and Judges will determine the winners. It is almost like the Presidential debates in America.
The process will create capable individuals all across the nation and each issue will be discussed thoroughly in the public and everyone will know where each contestant stands.
The best thing that will ever happen to Pakistan is the involvement from capable persons from the general public. The sons and daughters of the rich and the politicians will most certainly be there and may learn to swallow a dose of humility debating with the common man, standing shoulder to shoulder in the debate without any one having an upper hand. 
 Let Pakistani people set an example to the world, if America can elect an ordinary man to be her President, Pakistan can do it too. It will give hope to every Pakistani regardless of his or her financial, political, religious, societal or linguistic standing. Every Pakistani should be able to compete in it.
 I have tagged this note with Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz Shariff, Bilawal Bhutto, Christians, Hindus, Sikh and Minorities within Muslims in Pakistan.
 If the TV’s cannot do it, let the Public in each city start the process via debates in town hall meetings. Twelve months of debates should produce capable, inclusive Pakistanis to take charge of the nation. Let the opportunity be open to every Paksitani.
 The judges must be grilled by non-partisan non-Pakistani judges to ensure they are not biased towards any candidate, ethnicity, religious or public affiliation, the interest of Pakistan should be in their hearts.
 The Pakistanis have been deprived of their own sensible common sense government for decades. While nations that are contemporary to Pakistan have prospered. A democratic stable Pakistan is good for her people, good for the neighbors and good for the world.
Can the people of Pakistan do the same as the Tunisians?
Can the leadership voluntarily step down and live a dignified life?
This is a seminal document; the Pakistani people can expand from here and make it happen. The Pakistanis living in America, Canada and UK can start the mock debates to set a model. They need to set an example of shedding their bias towards fellow Pakistanis, if people can start thinking that they do not have an upper hand, but same hand as others, that will be progress.  
Mike Ghouse offers pluralistic sustainable solutions to media and the public. His work is all listed in 3 sites and 22 Blogs at www.MikeGhouse.net  
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ABOUT 50 COMMENTS AT THIS MOMENT ON FACEBOOK
1/16/2011 12:20:06 PM
 Raik Sabeel Something must happen, and I am sure, something will happen. Imran Khan and his party might be a good chance. But will they be able to to convert all those radicalized people out there?
Nazir Sindhu Hi Ghouse can u provide me some sponsor who sponsormy show I will try to develop such show on some channal otherwise peoples of Pakistan cannot do any thing because they are crushed by aristocracy .mr. bhutto cheats awam on slogan of social justice ,zia ul haq cheats then on name of Islam . lords cheats them on name of democracy jenrals cheats them on name of hounesty. what u expect from awam .
Arif S Khairuddin Very good call. Basically there should be such a show for N Korea, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, West Bank, Gaza, Nepal, Syria, Yemen, Myanmar and all other countries that have puppet governments.
Mohsin Maqbool Elahi Good idea, Ghouse. But who will sponsor such a show? And will it be allowed to be aired by the powers that be?
Haroon-Pascal Mian That’s funny question Arif, more than you can know. When I was a kid, my French Mum asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up?I replied, ‘The President.’ ‘Of which country?’, She asked (my late Dad was a Pakistani.) I answered, ‘I have not …decided yet.’
Haroon-Pascal Mian Mike, let me put one together, and I will present it to you, .
It will have to do with, 1.) Education, 2) Corruption, 3.) A change in Pakistanis’ mindset, 4.) Human Rights – for the Poor, Women, Minorities, as well as Animals, 5.) Sanitation…, 6.) Land Reforms, 7.) End of Indentured Servitude, 8.) Kashmir, and India policies, 8.) Seperation of Mosque and State, 9.) Repeal of Hadood and Blasphamy Laws, 10.) Judicial Reform. Just to name a few points.
Syed Fayyaz Hassan Mike, please leave Pakistan alone, you worry about Indias corrupt culture. Dont insult Pakistan’s polity by calling the Democratically elected people as most corrupt. Pakistan is created by ballot and will be protected by ballot only.
Mike Ghouse Fayyaz, the world is one small planet, we are all in it together, it is in our interests to create a cohesive world. If there is a conference of planets, and you came from Earth, you and I will say we are from the Planet Earth and perhaps t…he Continent Asia… we are unlikley to say I am from India, Paksitan or Sri Lanka. Let’s look at the larger picture.
Please do not shy away from responding to the issues, the world is an open society. India, America, Pakistan, Canada or China… are all sujbect to discussions. A healthy democracy in Pakistan is good for every one in the world including India.
Carol Mason I am commenting solely to place this on my wall for friends in and from PK to read. I have a good friend who is a producer with Middle East TV in Washington, DC, Mike. Will message you about how to contact him.
Sabena Siddiqui All we need is a few good men….and kick all these scum out..
I have never voted in any of the elections because all the parties stink
Muhammad Abd Al-Hameed Under the Constitution, especially after the 18th amendment, President is just a figurehead. A better idea would be to ask, “What do you want to do for the country, and how?” The best practical plans should get public and government support…. For example, I would like to eradicate poverty completely and permanently. To do it, I have written a comprehensive and very practical plan in my book, “Ghurbat kaise mit sakti hai,” published recently by Classic Publishers, Regal Chowk, The Mall, Lahore. The English version, “The plan for eradication of poverty in Pakistan,” is available at Kindle Store of Amazon.com.
Mtt Pakistan Sorry, I didn’t read the full text. but first para.
This is very good suggestion, I shall be with you if we could jointly work on this purposal. Even my website http://www.markthetruth.com/ is available for this purpose.
Mtt Pakistan ?@Haroon, presenting yourself for the post is good initiative you taken, but you have got to respond to the public in a friendly manner. Name calling, using darogatory words against religious personalities like “Mulla” will decrease your nu…mber and you will be failed by majority of the people.
You must have logic in your head, instead of long tongue in your mouth. Sincere suggestion, do not take seriously.Secondly, I now read the whole text. Though, I have reservations on the text of Mr. Mike, but let’s start it. The true spirit of democracy will automatically remove objections of each of us.
Let’s allow people to decide what would be the future of the country by accepting or rejecting the theologies presented by each and ever person.
Mike Ghouse ?- Muhammad Abdul Hameed
It is the ideas like this on poverty, Zindagi trust, citizens and other institutuion on education, Imran Khan on health care… gather up ” a few good men” as Sabena puts it. You can gather three to four aspects of …the society and hold a 2 hours gathering among friends or in the library or a restaurant… talk about your solutions in preciese bullet format… so people should be able to list back when they leave… gather momentum.. all great things in life have begun with an individual…. set some uncompromising ground rules – pull experts ( no need for phd) on inclusion, social cohesion and conflict mitigation and goal orientation… there are people around you who can do it.
Arif S Khairuddin ?@Haroon: Islam is the way of life,therefore, the Holy Quran and Hadiths of the Prophet should be the source of polity and jurisprudence. Basically, you should not be against religious preachers (Mullahs) who have the apt interpretation of Quran. Every sensible person should be against these half baked Mullahs that preach venom. To run a country, you have to pull along all types of people.
Sabena Siddiqui Correct…the future President has to be moderate,balanced and able to carry all these forces and four provinces….
Haroon-Pascal Mian So Arif, you don’t believe in the Quaid’s Pakistan? Listen to the speech he gave on religion not being the business of the State?
Mike Ghouse Great debates will be challenge the best in people, and ultimately a few good men and women will emerge who can become the core leaders.
Syed Rizvi as wonderful as democracy is, it is not a system that is meant for every nation. Pakistan, in its current form, cannot and should not be a democracy. Pakistanis do not deserve the right to vote, hold elections, or even free speech. a democr…acy requires that people to a minimal extent respect the value of human life, tolerance at all levels, and the ability for majority of the population to make their own decisions based on decent moral values, rationality, and civility. these are all traits that do no exist in pakistani society. from the rich spoiled corrupt class down to the religiously extremist poor class, you cannot find any of those things in 90% of the people there. I’m not here to endorse any candidate, but remember exactly what musharaff said when he was being forced out of office by all sides “you guys will regret getting rid of me”. not to say things were great during his time, but at least he had hold on the country and could still keep the wahabis/salafis at arms length and the economy there was some what stable at the time. Now, pakistan is going to be the next somalia. Pakistan needs to be be under a dictatorship/military law for at least the next 10 years. There needs to massive arrests and target killings of mullahs, landlords, politicians, and business owners who all have had a hand in the downfall of pakistan. There needs to be a complete cutoff with relations from the arab world (accept for religious pilgrimages) because that is where this ideaology has come from. pakistanis have always had some weird infatuation with bowing down to the arabs, and the arabs have doen their best to infect Pakistan with their own wahabi/salafi ideaology that has turned pakistan into a jihadi hotspot. a good model for pakistan to follow would be one of Turkey, where the military controlled the country for decades and as things got more in control, more and more democratic reforms were made. Until then, Pakistan should be kept in a choke hold and on a tight leash from the entire world. my suggestions might seem harsh, but if anyone has traveled to pakistan in the last couple of months or have been closely following events, there is no other solutions. it is going to be ugly and it is going to be violent, but there is no other way. Pakistan needs to be gutted from the inside out.
Mike Ghouse ?- Haroon,Arif’s point was wise.
Nothing will change unwillingly, when people are entrenched in attitudes, you cannot push them out, they will dig in their heels. The more conflicts you mitigate, greater your success will be. Fighting extree…mism with extremism will result in challenges to each other and nothing will move forward.
Haroon-Pascal Mian No power can hold another nation, and specially a nation of 400 million souls in subjection; nobody could have conquered you, and even if it had happened, nobody could have continued its hold on you for any length of time, but for this. The…refore, we must learn a lesson from this.
You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State. – Jinnah
Mike Ghouse ?- Haroon, the role of the new leader is to bring all Pakistanis together and build a just and cohesive socieity. People fully support the idea where every one has to sacrifice for the ultimate good.
Haroon-Pascal Mian When Germany was re-built were Nazi included?
Mike Ghouse Germans were uwillingly reprsented by the Nazis, and Nazism was all about annihilation of Jews, GLBT and other fellow nationals. Pakistan is not infected with that kind of hatred towards fellow Paksitanis.
Kamran Haider Bukhari Mike, frankly it sounds absurd to me and to many who would read it. Sorry, but this is quite idealistic for a Nation where democracy means power and corruption. The idea above is definitely wonderful, but the application of it is impossible…. Imran Khan, one of the most popular celebrity in Pakistan couldn’t win more than couple of seats for his party whenever his party ran in the general elections. Do you really believe that Zardari, Nawaz Sharif, Altaf Hussain and Mullas are going to support this notion? Never… Kindly come up with something applicable… We have a lot other serious issues like hunger, poverty, disease, flood, earthquakes, addiction, terrorism and fight against terrorism… Yes, I agree bringing a new regimen from the middle class would definitely be beneficial for Pakistan… But it cannot come through a TV show… it can only come through revolution and that would come after hell of blood… Like French revolution… but that is also not an answer… currently we must address minor issues and bring awareness in the masses… when the masses would be educated and free to chose then the change would come… it would be a slow process but that would happen… first of all America must leave this country and after that masses should be educated and their basic needs should be fulfilled… then they would be able to differentiate between right and wrong…
A TV show choosing the President of Pakistan a great dream but cannot be fulfilled…
Haroon-Pascal Mian I beg to differ. Ask Ahmedies, Christians, Hindus, and secular Muslims if they agree with you. I have friends amongst the above groups. I visit Pakistan every year. And, Every year the situation gets worse. Ask the late Governor Tahseer, or B.B., if they agree.
Mike Ghouse ?- Kamran, thanks for the comment;
1. You spoke the truth, there has not been a history of things that were accepted by people without questioning.
2. The note above mentions that it is a seminal document to evovle and grow, by ciritiquing a…nd fine tuning it.
3. I urge you to share your ideas of bringing a change, without an effort nothing will change. You can contribute significantly as you see the impossibilities and from there you will create possibilities.
Pllease put together plan, however small or draft format it would be. I know you can do it, you took the time to see different windows and write.
Mike Ghouse ?-Kamran,
the idea of a TV show works, as it becomes enterrainment while being productive, it will keep the public engaged in it, it will generate ideas in every mind that watches the show. TV show makes will add value and bring national au…diences. I bet the show will score the highest ratings making it profitable to the businessess. Through this a new paradigm of political awarnes and involvement will be created.
Don’t you want that to happen?
Kamran Haider Bukhari Mike sure I will do it… I love my motherland and would do anything for it to make things better… Give me some time and please leave your email address in my inbox here on facebook… You will receive a draft from me soon…
Keep up the good work…
 You are welcome to add your comments;
http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/01/who-wants-to-be-president-of-pakistan.html#comments
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President Obama’s Speech at Tucson Memorial

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Listening to him is coming home to me, its being at peace and being a part of the energy that surrounds one. The goodness in him brings tenderness to the heart.  He is all about an inclusive America, an America that is good for every one of the 301 Million Americans. His speeches are inclusive and you can his stamp in everything he does. He praised Republicans in his speech and talks about Phyllis Schnae the gifted quilter who put both jets and Giants on the quilt, a republican came to see democratic Congresswoman Gabby’s speech.  I had gotten away from TV for over two years except watching the clips and Super Bowl, but last night I watched the 34 minutes video with joy.
PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO, YOU MAY FEEL AT HOME AS WELL, MEANING AT PEACE:

Had we not gone to war in Iraq and Afghanistan and blew billions in destruction, we would not have faced budget deficits, unemployment and the difficulties we are facing today. Obama would have had an opportunity to restore America’s dignity around the world and become a catalyst to unite Americans. He has a difficult task and uphill battle.

I am still a Republican, a moderate one for that matter and have not changed the parties, and I sincerely wish to see at least a few among the Republican leadership to talk about peace, free themselves from hate for others and take Benadryl to stop itching for war and destruction.
I have written over a dozen articles and I find myself in tune with Obama, and there was a time, I was monitoring his speeches, and invariably I write and a week later Obama was using similar thoughts and words in his speeches. http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/  and even wrote in advance that he will use similar words and he did.
You can watch my new site www.AmericaTogetherFoundation.com and you will see similar words of inclusion and cohesiveness, I need to listen to him more often.
Last night I watched this video… darn it some of the words on the 17th minutes and 18th minutes were exact identical in my speech some ten years ago, five years ago and in my press release at www.unitydayusa.com
PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO, YOU MAY FEEL AT HOME AS WELL, MEANING AT PEACE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztbJmXQDIGA&feature=player_embedded
  
17th Minute- sense out of chaos
18th Minute- talking that heals
23rd Minute- what small part we have played in making other peoples life better
24th Minute – part of our family, American family 300 Million
28th Minute the civil discourse
28th Minute- question each others ideas without questioning the their love for the country
29th Minute- how we treat each other is all about civility
31st Minute- unadulterated by hate
31st Minute- America to be as good as she imagined children’s expectations
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 Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker, writer, optimist, educator, organizer and an activist of Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, India, peace and Civil Societies.
Mike Ghouse 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 Saturday, at your place of worship, school, work place, seminars or conferences. 

He is committed to working with media and the leadership in offering insights and solutions to effectively managing the multi-religious, multi-ethnic and pluralistic societies in the making. 

He is a regular commentator on the TV, Radio and Print media offering pluralistic solutions to the issues of the day. 

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

Asserting Muslim Moderation

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I appreciate your note, “Would you care to comment on these stories?  Would you say that the media quoted are propagating anti-Muslim sentiments or would you say that some of the difficulties Muslims are facing emanates from their own misguided clerics? “
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Dear Dr. Peerwani,
I am pleased to repeat my quote, “Unfortunately, the media mirrors the stories generated by less than 1/100th of 1% of population and dumps on the rest of the population as though it is ‘their’ story, and the public on the other hand has not demonstrated their support for scrutiny and good news. “
Sadly we have encouraged media by giving them the ratings and watching tragic and terror stories in highest numbers.  Media has slipped from their social responsibility to survival mode, they have to make money to stay afloat and they will deliver what sells.
The “misguided clerics” thrive because the guided ones do nothing about it, to the misguided it is a tacit approval. There is an apt expression in Urdu “ Un kay moo kaun lagega” who want to entangle themselves with them?
Muslims, particularly some of our Imams and the Mosque heads are gutless souls, they are afraid of losing their position or a paycheck and are not willing to speak up when they see something wrong. They are not leaders but herds shepherded by the ones who fund them. Prophet had wisely guided us, let not one hand know the other who you give the charity to, there is a ton of wisdom in it and support the idea of free will in Islam.
All of us, the extremists, the left and the moderate majority are seeking solutions for a cohesive society. We have to find avenues of expression and avenues of gratification and bring a balance back to the society. 
There is a deeper societal issue at work in the instances you have quoted below. The Pakistani people have taken a lot of beating from their governments since independence, there is hopelessness out there and the avenues of drawing satisfaction (pleasure) are limited and are disappearing for them. A few aspects of the make up of the society are comparable to the aspects of Palestine. They see a different picture for Indians next door; they see the progress of South Korea that is about the same age. They are utterly helpless.
Given the goal of creating peace and prosperity for every one in Pakistan, we have to carefully craft a dialogue to find solution. We cannot afford to have the passionate religious people to dig in their heels and bring an impasse.  Quraan offers wise guidance to find solutions, let there be no compulsion, as it is not sustainable.
There is a great hope though, I watched the debates on Pakistan TV show which  are listed on the right panel at www.BlasphemyLaws.com  in three segments – I felt hope for Pakistan watching those debates, my emotion was the same ‘tears of joy” that I had when Mandela was released from Prison and Obama’s election night. The debates were honest, sincere, and opposing views discussed with civility.
When a child is incapable of standing up to the bully, the only way of getting that pleasure is through destruction; he has fewer choices of receiving that gratification other than being destructive. A few in Pakistan have reached that boiling point to harm, hurt or destroy the symbol of that Goliath infrastructure represented by Taseer. Justifications will be produced but they have no choice to end the gloom and it may be an expression of such desperation. Allah knows the truth and perhaps our psychologist can analyze this and share with us.
Mike Ghouse
http://www.mikeghouse.net/
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From Dr. Nizam Peerwani
Dear Mike,
Thank you being the voice of moderation in this troubled times and for standing up for Muslims, and also for sharing this story with me. Since you have been following the story of Salmaan Taseer closely, I am sure you must have come across the following three segments which I have quoted below with citations.
“Qadri told a judge Monday in written testimony that he decided to kill Taseer after he attended a gathering on Dec. 31 organized by Shahab-e-Islam, a small group that operated in his neighborhood in Rawalpindi, just outside Islamabad. He said speeches given by a cleric leading the group, Qari Hanif, and another member, Ishtiaq Shah, played a major role in his decision.”[1] “A group of over 500 Pakistani scholars and clerics have described the policeman who gunned down the Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer as a ‘Ghazi’ and have warned against any expression of sympathy for slain PPP leader, saying it would tantamount to an act of blasphemy. Warning the people not to lead or offer funeral prayers for Taseer, 66, the clerics part of Jamaat-e-Ahl-e -Sunnat Pakistan, a grouping representing the moderate Barelvi sect of Sunni Muslims praised the Elite Force policeman Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri and called him a ‘Ghazi’, an Islamic warrior.”[2] ” Several top clerics today refused to lead the funeral prayer for slain Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, who was opposed to the controversial blasphemy law, following a call by an influential Islamic body in Pakistan. 
 
The funeral prayer, scheduled for 1 pm local time, was delayed by almost an hour as the imam of Lahore’s Shahi Masjid and the cleric of the mosque at the Governor’s House along with several others refused to lead it, sources said.”[3]
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[1] Arabnews.com, Tuesday, 11 January 2011  |  Safar 6, 1432  [2] Indianexpress.com, Posted: Wed Jan 05 2011, 18:14 hrs[3] Deccan Herald. Tuesday 11 January 2011
Would you care to comment on these stories?  Would you say that the media quoted are propagating anti-Muslim sentiments or would  you say that some of the difficulties Muslims are facing emanates from their own misguided clerics?
Just wondering. Best wishes,
Nizam P.
—–Original Message—–
From: Mike Ghouse
To: worldmuslimcongress@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tue, Jan 11, 2011 11:34 am
Subject: MuslimAgenda :: Asserting the fact that Muslims are moderate Qoum.
It is important that we assert the fact that the majority of Muslims (and Pakistanis) are moderate people.
Unfortunately, the media mirrors the stories generated by less than 1/100th of 1% of population and dumps on the rest of the population as though it is ‘their’ story, and the public on the other hand has not demonstrated their support for scrutiny and good news.
Islam forbids killing anyone, unless it is in self-defense and it is indeed a morbid sin to commit suicide. This statement breeds an enormous confusion among a few Muslims and non-Muslims, they want to know what to believe, what the radicals are doing in the name of Islam or the ones who say they are misrepresenting it.
Full article at:
Taseer’s killer, media and the Muslim majority
http://arabnews.com/world/article232984.ece

Taseer’s killer, media and the Muslim majority

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Taseer’s killer, media and the Muslim majority

http://arabnews.com/world/article232984.ece
By MIKE GHOUSE
Published: Jan 11, 2011 19:39 Updated: Jan 11, 2011 19:39

DALLAS, Texas: The responsibility to perpetuate the truth falls squarely on each one of us, indeed, we have to maintain a balance and build cohesive societies. We cannot let nations, societies and communities come apart over divisive issues, whether we are Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Sikhs or others, we cannot let the statistically insignificant few to represent us, neither our silence should be construed as an endorsement of the views of the few.

Malik Mumtaz Qadri shot the very person he was to guard; Punjab Gov. Salman Taseer. The governor was faulted by him for speaking out against the blasphemy laws, a few men have welcomed this killing and have hailed Qadri as a “Hero” for defending the honor of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and showered him with rose petals, a cultural symbol of honor.

An appeal was circulated seeking justice for blasphemy-accused Asia Bibi of Pakistan, of the thousands on my list, three wrote, “Do you know what are you are going to lose — both the worlds perhaps?” Another one writes, “Islamically, insults and abuses against the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) count as acts of war and rebellion against a justly created Islamic entity. The Qur’an commands terrible punishment for such acts of war. “Finally, the third one writes, “Salman Taseer was a shame on Islam”.

Islam forbids killing anyone, unless it is in self-defense and it is indeed a morbid sin to commit suicide. This statement breeds an enormous confusion among a few Muslims and non-Muslims, they want to know what to believe, what the radicals are doing in the name of Islam or the ones who say they are misrepresenting it.
There is an old saying, “evil thrives in the world unchecked because good people do nothing about it” and the purpose of writing this article is to invoke the goodness in people to speak up.

An overwhelming majority of people in every faith get their religion right; it is a divine instrument that teaches one to be truthful to oneself and bring about a balance within and with what surrounds; life and matter and live in harmony with the creation (the word is ‘follow’ for Christians, ‘surrender’ for Hindus, and ‘submit’ to the will of Allah for Muslims). The prophet was called “Amin” the truthful and the trustworthy. The core value of all religions is expressed in terms of the Golden rule; treat others as you would want to be treated to create orderly societies so everyone can live without the fear of others.

The silent majority needs to speak out at crucial times like this where the murderer Qadri is being hailed as a hero in defending the very Prophet who was a mercy to mankind. This entire sordid affair started when Bibi, a Christian woman was denied the water by a few senseless individuals.

One of the many things you can do as “speak out” is to organize conferences on blasphemy where differing views are listened and understood. You can also sign the petition to express that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was indeed Rahmatul-Lil-Alameen; the man who brought mercy to humanity. http://www.petitiononline.com/Asiabibi/petition.html

Unfortunately, the media mirrors the stories generated by less than 1/100th of 1% of population and dumps on the rest of the population as though it is ‘their’ story, and the public on the other hand has not demonstrated their support for scrutiny and good news.

We cannot accept statistically insignificant number of people to represent any group. The right-wingers among Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Jews have become a fodder for each other. The left on the other hand shouts that we have to declare a war on right-wingers. Mahatma Gandhi had aptly said an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.
The public is as guilty as the media when it comes to what gets currency; it is a vicious circle and has to be consciously chucked. Qadri should be treated as disloyal criminal for murdering the very person he was to guard and not fall to hysteria generated by the few.

As people of faith, also known as peacemakers, we cannot cause people in conflict to dig in their heels and stick with unamenable positions, we have to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill for the ultimate good of all. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) applied that method in many of his examples. His wisdom comes as guiding light; follow the middle path. Everyone has a God given space, if we can learn to respect that, conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

As moderates we are an overwhelming majority in every society whichever way you classify them, we can express our support to the middle path and ask the extremists to study the life and examples of the Prophet, the ultimate peacemaker and spread kindness and goodness invoking his name.

— Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies through America Together Foundation and 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. He an be contacted at MikeGhouse@aol.com.

Sarah Palin, Blood-Libel Hypocrite

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Sarah Palin opposes collective blame for monstrous crimes, unless they’re committed by Muslims.
By William SaletanPosted Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011, at 11:55 AM ET
http://www.slate.com/id/2280964/
We have to root out dividers of our nation, America does not matter to the radical like Palin, it is her and her and her.

Invocation at Carrollton City Council

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Pluralism Prayers

Carrollton City Council, January 11, 2011-01-11
Dear God please accept our prayers in every name we call you; father god, Ahura Mazda, Allah Jehovah, Ishwar, Wahe Guru, Mahavira, Buddha, Jesus Christ and every name we call you with reverence.
Creator of the universe, guide us to do the right thing in every moment of our life
Causer of our existence, guide us to open our hearts and minds towards fellow beings
Dear God, guide us to shed the arrogance,
Dear God, guide us to achieve humility in our lives
Dear God, guide us to respect all your creation
Dear God, guide us to learn to respect every which way one worships you
Dear God, guide us to become goodwill nurturers
Dear God, guide us overcome our prejudices
Dear God, guide us to honor your will
Dear God, guide us to speak up when there is injustice
Dear God, guide to treat others as we want to be treated
Dear Lord, we thank you for the blessings you have showered on America, Texas and our City Carrollton. Bless our men and women in Blue and our soldiers defending our freedom. In your name we begin our council meeting and seek your blessings and guidance to do the right thing – Amen

Can Religion-based Terrorism be eliminated?

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My response to the article posted by Hasni Essa.
http://nabsites.net/demo/can-religion-based-terrorism-be/

Hasni,

The author has made some compelling arguments; he almost had a touch down but missed it and he has gotten wrong at places.
“The guiding principle remains the improvement of the lot of perceived oppressed people.” Then he adds, “What about outfits like the Talibans and others. They are also criminals but carries common tags as terrorists – driven purely by religious fundamentalism.”
I am going to miss the field goal, the solution is somewhere there, and can’t pin point precisely.  Religion is really a cover for the wrongs men do, and it is wronger for us to give them a sanction of religious cover. No religion teaches one to murder, rob, steal, lie, rape or to be unjust, yet we thoughtlessly blame Religions of the same.  
Human insecurities produce arrogance to falsely give a sense of security. Religion was anti-dote to such disorders, indeed religions came into being to allay such fears and imbue humility into the society – to bring about a social order and balance where every one can feel safe and live without the fear of other.
There is a beautiful statement in Bhagvad Gita and Quraan some thing to this effect;   Krishna say, whenever a society loses its social order (Adharma) I will emerge in that chaos and bring the righteousness (dharma) back. Quraan adds, to every community and every nation God has sent a peace maker, messenger or a prophet to restore the order in that society.
Religion is a balancing mechanism in society, it is lack of religion, lack of values that create chaos and swings the pendulum to the other end and it takes several swings to bring balance.  It is lack of check on greed that causes the Somnath destruction; it is the hopelessness in society that gives a sense of power to the Qadris to kill Taseers. As a society the pendulum in Pakistan is wildly swinging and it will take time to bring a balance. It is lack of religion, and oddly in the guise of religion that has created that drama in Pakistan.  The author has missed that point in the end zone.
The unstated purpose of religion is bringing a balance to an individual and what surround him; life and matter.
He completely missed the point about religion, and most people including Muslims make that mistake “The Talibans are akin to Wahhabists of Saudi Arabia – followers of purest form of Islam — not allowing any deviation from the principles of Koran, they claim.
 It is such a fallacious statement; “Purest form of Islam” is used negatively in his statement, it is indeed good, it is about free will and justice and equity to every human being.  It will bring mercy to mankind and peace to every human.  The author and many a Muslims also give sanction to such a fallacy. The Wahhabis and Talibans are not the followers of purest form of Islam.
Terrorists do not have a religion, if they did, they would not be violating the guidance religion offers. It is for them religion came into being and they are far from it.
It is a good article, loaded with random thoughts incoherently sewn together.

Mike Ghouse for cohesive societies
http://www.mikeghouse.net/

# # #
Mike,
Read this. Isn’t it true everything what the author writes and says.
Would you scratch your head in search of an “elusive clue to the emerging peril”, as the author says. Where would you place yourself, and try to bring communal peace and harmony among people of every religion which seem to breed ” religious Fundamentalists.” Even though they are minority, they sure raise hell and scare peace loving people of all religions.
Someone has said: The best religion is the most tolerant.And religion without humanity is a poor human stuff.
We find none of these anywhere in any religion among any of these religious fundamentalists.
So help them their God.
Hasni
# ##
Can Religion-based Terrorism be eliminated?
Nalinaksha Mutsuddi  
I’m in a good fix now. It’s 9 degrees Celsius inside my room at 10 am. I can’t do anything except worrying about the weather and the world. Worrying has become a good pastime for me. And that is what I’m doing now.
 
The media – print or electronic – is a good supplier of fresh ingredients for worry — of course, if you intend to adopt it as your pastime –kidnapping, murder, violence, arson, destruction, scam — everyday, everywhere – in our country and in their country — all over the world. There are fatal accidents due to so many factors: avoidable as well as unavoidable and daily doses of petty thefts and burglaries in the neighbourhood. Killings too are committed out of rivalry, property disputes, greed or sheer jealousy — all major or minor cases of social miscreants — not committed by regular offenders. And there are professional criminals like Abu Salem & Co. — should we bracket them as terrorists? Probably no, they are gangsters,   different from Naxals, Maoists and the Talibans. Naxals and Maoists also are terrorists: though they should better be designated as insurgents as they are motivated by political ideology to overthrow a constituted government by subversion and armed conflict.  They believe the government is not looking after the interest of the downtrodden majority. They may believe in any specific religion at personal level, but their terrorist activity is not driven by religion. LTTE also falls in this category, propelled by the idea of political marginalization due to ethnic minority, in Srilanka. Their sole goal remains the betterment of the exploited class and that is their religion. That is their professed intention. Of course, for some, there may be other ulterior motifs – joining any terrorist group may just be a camouflage. Overall, for the rest – hardcore dedicated ideologues — the guiding principle remains the improvement of the lot of perceived oppressed people.     
What about outfits like the Talibans and others. They are also criminals but carries common tags as terrorists – driven purely by religious fundamentalism. The Talibans are akin to Wahhabists of Saudi Arabia – followers of purest form of Islam — not allowing any deviation from the principles of Koran, they claim. Al-Qaeda, JeM, LeT et al can be bracketed in this class. Activities of Al-Qaeda – a brainchild of Osama Bi Laden – operate internationally. Though, they target all Non-Muslim states of the world, their avowed enemy is the U.S.A. – identified as the main enemy of Islam —  attacking Muslim countries like  Iraq and Afghanistan and hampering world wide promotion of Islam.
 
There is a growing hostility among Hindus – though limited to miniscule number — in India, against seeming ascendance of Islam in the country. A simmering grievance nourished since the time of vandalizing of Somnath and other temples to avenge the past act of aggression and destruction is raising its ugly head now. There are many stories of yester-year demolition of Hindu temples around the country. At the time of actual happening it was not possible to resist or prevent the attack due to inherent weakness among Hindus. Now is the ripe time to avenge the old misdeeds of Muslim invasion.  Mecca Masjid bombing, Malegaon blasts, Gujarat massacre and Ajmer blast et al are examples of this.  
 
A similar hatred is brewing among certain sections of Hindus prejudicial to Christians. There is a craze for English education even after the British left the country. Convent schools were never the preserve of the poor. They can’t afford it, despite their hidden wish to have it. They see wrong in the inroad making by Christianity among the Tribal people. During British period they could do sweet nothing. Now they are active in wrecking Churches and ruining Christian-run schools, thereby curtailing the growing influence of Christianity. They are up in reconverting the tribals back to Hindu fold.
With the spread of education and improved communication facility it portends to intensify gradually into the future. To limit or eliminate it altogether will be well nigh impossible. To confine it to a reasonable range cultivation of religious tolerance is paramount. Without going to its religious root it will remain intractable. All avenues of curtailing the radical elements in each religious group must be explored on a continual basis.
 
The kind of terrorism, we face everyday, is completely based on religion. To say terrorists have no religion serves no purpose. They are distinctly Hindu or Islamic or self-styled representatives of any other religious group. They all draw inspiration and sustenance from religion. In Srilanka, the pacifist monks advocated resorting to terrorism to counter the LTTEs. In Vietnam, many Buddhist monks took refuge to self-immolation in protest against American invasion. There is no ISO 9000 for any religion. It is not possible either to decide who is following true religion and who is not. Nobody has any monopoly over any brand of faith. Interpretation varies from man to man and as a result differences arise leading to violent strife. So far, we are confined to inter-religious conflicts. 
A new trend of militancy within same religion is growing fast.  This is specially true in case of Islam. The recent assassination of Punjab governor Salman Taseer is a pointer. This occurred in an Islamic country – a devout Muslim killing a liberal one.  What is more portentous is the mass support extended to the killer. Many clerics refuse to undertake funeral service for the victim. Besides common clashes between Sunnis and Shias there are other cases of frequent destruction of Sufi shrines in Pakistan. Can fanaticism and modernity be reconciled within the tenets of Islam will remain a formidable problem for the future. We can denounce Prof. Huntington’s theory of “clashes of civilization” but can we wish away the looming danger of growing clashes ‘within civilization’?
 
And now – if you like – begin scratching your head in search of an elusive clue to the emerging peril.  
01/08/2011   

Anti-Semitism at works in the shooting of Giffords

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Congresswoman Gifford

 We express our sympathies to the family of Congresswoman Gifford who is recovering from gun shots by a right wing extremist, Anti-Semitism seems to be one of the motives and her support for the health care reforms is another one.

Years ago,  a council man in Dallas addressed a Jewish councilman as “you people” and I was enraged at the “you” version to address a fellow American and thanks to Dallas Morning news for publishing my outrage. Last year Pastor Fred Phelps set up his road show to show his hate for Jews and Gays and lesbians. I went from place to palce, from the Holocaust Musuem to the Jewish Post to the Akiba academy standing in solidarity with the Jews and GLBT community. The Muslims have taken one more initiative; to commemorate holocaust for four years in a row to tell the Jewish community that you are not alone, we are with you in your tragedy. In December we announced holding a series of educational programs to build a cohesive America and one of them was the the Anti-Semitism in America.
Anti-Semitism, Islamophobic and other phobias are a product of insecure people, as Americans together we have to bring them all in our fold and find solutions. Americans together will stand with Jewish people against Anti-Semitism. God willing we are planning on having a conference on the topic.
 Mike Ghouse for a cohesive America
Courtesy of

JTA News Alert
January 9, 2010

Memo notes Giffords’ Judaism in motives of alleged attacker

(JTA) — A U.S. Department of Homeland Security memo reportedly notes that Gabriel Giffords is Jewish in describing the motives of the Arizona congresswoman’s alleged assailant.

The memo, obtained by Fox News Channel, says that Jared Lee Loughner mentioned American Renaissance, an extremist anti-immigrant group, in some of his own postings.

“The group’s ideology is anti-government, anti-immigration, anti-ZOG (Zionist Occupational Government), anti-Semitic,” says the memo sent to law enforcement, which also notes that Giffords, a Democrat, was the first Jewish congresswoman from Arizona.

Loughner was arrested after Giffords and at least 16 others were shot Saturday at a meet-your-lawmaker event at a Tucson shopping mall. Six people were killed, including a 9-year-old girl and a federal judge, John Roll. Loughner was tackled and arrested. Giffords, a Democrat in her third term, remains in critical condition after being shot in the head.

Loughner, who is being held by the FBI and has been described by authorities as “unstable,” reportedly listed “Mein Kampf” and the “Communist Manifesto” as two of his favorite books on his MySpace page. Several hours before the shooting he reportedly left a “Goodbye friends” message, which also said “Please don’t be mad at me.”

Giffords was outside one of her signature “Congress at your corner” events outside a Safeway in Tucson, part of her congressional district, when the gunman approached and shot her. A Giffords staff member, Gabe Zimmerman, 30, the organizer of the event, was among the six casualties.

A suspected accomplice whose image was captured on a surveillance video camera outside the shopping center also is being sought, according to reports.

Dr. Michael Lemole a surgeon at the University Medical Center in Tucson, Ariz. said Sunday morning at a news conference that Giffords was responding to doctors’ commands. During a two-hour surgery on Saturday, doctors removed bone fragments from her brain in order to help reduce swelling. The bullet went through the left side of her head, he said.
Giffords was elected to Congress in the Democratic sweep in 2006. She made her Jewish identity part of her campaign.
“If you want something done, your best bet is to ask a Jewish woman to do it,” Giffords, a former state senator, said at the time. “Jewish women — by our tradition and by the way we were raised — have an ability to cut through all the reasons why something should, shouldn’t or can’t be done, and pull people together to be successful.”
Giffords, 40, was raised “mixed” by a Christian Scientist mother and Jewish father, but said she decided she was Jewish only following a visit to Israel in 2001. She attended services at a local Reform synagogue.
In a recent photo, she posed with the new U.S. House of Representatives speaker, Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), at her swearing-in with her hand on the Five Books of Moses.
Giffords fought a hard re-election battle last year against the national anti-incumbent, anti-Democratic mood. She tacked to the right of her party on immigration, saying border security was of primary consideration.
The election was called in her favor weeks after the vote.

Giffords’ office had been vandalized in March after she voted for health care reform. Friends said she had received threats for her positions on health care and for opposing her state’s new law allowing police to arrest undocumented immigrants during routine stops.

The National Jewish Democratic Council suggested that the heated rhetoric of the last year contributed to the climate that led to the attack.

“One suspect, now in custody, may be directly responsible for this crime,” the group said in a statement. “But it is fair to say — in today’s political climate, and given today’s political rhetoric — that many have contributed to the building levels of vitriol in our political discourse that have surely contributed to the atmosphere in which this event transpired.”