Zoom: Women’s Liberation Journey of 100 years.

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Women’s Liberation Journey of 100 years ( 1920-2020 )
Sunday, Dec 27, 2020 – 12:00 to 2:00 PM – EST

Zoom  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85075535297?pwd=aTEyZTF0VHVYQWtQTmRNQTZJKzNQQT09
Meeting ID : 850 7553 5297 | Passcode 755847

If it is Sunday, it is Pluralism. The show is about Pluralism in culture, gender, religion, politics, and the workplace. Every Sunday at Noon EST. Today’s program is about Gender Pluralism. All our upcoming programs are listed at https://centerforpluralism.com/workshops/

Speakers: MaryAnn Thompson-Frenk, Shalini Gupta, Dr. Nyla Ali Khan, Dr. Ida Jones, and Dr. Mike Ghouse

Speaker Bios and program details at
https://centerforpluralism.com/zoom-womens-liberation-journey-of-100-years/

The program video will be posted on YouTube, please do subscribe to our channel at https://www.youtube.com/centerforpluralism  

About the Center for pluralism

  • Our Mission — Our mission is to build cohesive societies.
  • Pluralism defined– Respecting the otherness of the other.
  • What is a Cohesive Society? A community or a nation where every member of the society feels secure about his/her ethnicity, faith, culture, and political and sexual orientation. 
  • Our Vision —  To see every human feel secure about his/her faith, ethnicity, race, political and sexual orientation, or any other uniqueness. 
  • Our Goal — Is to open people’s hearts, minds, and souls towards each other, and live in harmony. 
  • Our Accomplishments —Link  What have we accomplished?
  • Shaping the future of America —  Link 

We have the systems and programs in place to accomplish our mission and have a positive impact on society.  

Let me start the program now

It is embarrassing to think that One hundred (100) years ago, women were considered men’s property and were required to be obedient and subservient to men. Thank God for the women’s liberation movement. That narrative is changed over the last 100 years; now men and women are equal in people’s minds, hearts, and souls in all aspects of life, but in practice, it is not 100% yet, and we must get there. This is our effort.

We have come a long way, but a lot more to go. However, at this time, humanity has almost reached the pinnacle of civilization; at least most men in America consider all humans (Men and women) as equals in their thoughts, assumptions, talks, and actions.

The process began with the passage of the women’s suffrage act in 1919, when women were allowed to vote for the first time in the United States.

Let us talk about 2020; it was jubilation when Geraldine Ferraro was nominated as the first vice-president of the United States, she was not elected. Then came Hillary Clinton, she was nominated by her party to be the President of the United States and did not make it either. I have heard a few men saying that they would not accept a woman as the United States president. Thanks to the Democratic Party and Joe Biden (I am not a Democrat or a Republican, but an independent vote.  I am narrating the history of the women’s movement), Kamala Harris is finally nominated and elected first Vice President of the United States.

It is a hard-fought journey of 100 years.

As Americans, we are the most advanced culture in every aspect of life but for the misogyny.

Throughout the ages, women have gone through tremendous tensions and humiliation by none other than their own loved ones, parents, husbands, siblings, and even children.

 Let me share a few quick examples.

 The most disgusting act of some men is their attitude towards women, and they feel they are entitled to them, especially towards friendly women. You’ve seen our President, Hollywood Moguls, Corporate execs, Senators, Congressmen… Idiots they are. This attitude of entitlement has to be busted.

 In given group discussions, when a woman attempts to talk, the men speak out louder and try to shut the woman out – somehow, men assume that women don’t know about the issues. In one of the meetings here in DC, there was an equal number of men and women; a woman board member raised her hand several times, she was discounted. Finally, I got up to make the point and told the moderators to let the women talk…. Women also have to be assertive, somehow, they take a back seat, and they should not.

 My cousin is a politician in Bangalore; he took me to meet a big-time donor and a politician aspiring to run for office. I took my two nieces with me in their 30s, we sat in the living room, the host signaled his wife to take the girls inside – I said no to him and said they are staying here, it is about their future. Then the discussion began, and I asked my nieces to share their opinion, and they gave – it stunned the men there, the girls put out the most intelligent response.

I dedicate my segment to my sister, my late wife Najma, and my grandmother, who were fiercely independent women who took charge and brought prosperity to society. My grandmother lost her much of her whole family in the Spanish flu in 1919. She walked with her daughter and her son for 12 miles, as the bus to the city ran two times a week.  She single-handedly raised them by selling flowers in the bus stands, never took any help from her brothers, and her son, my father, ultimately became the mayor of Yelahanka. 

I know another woman in my town who cooked and sold breakfast items from her home and raised her son, who achieved 1st rank in Engineering at Bangalore University.  There is another single woman in Louisville; as a nurse, she raised three boys, two of them are doctors, and one is Engineer. I applaud them all.

 It has nothing to do with religion or nationality; it is pervasive among men. Thank God for America; all of that is going away; we have come a long way and have some more to go where men feel, think, believe, and act as equals.

The stinky male attitude of entitlement, what does she know, and the desire to dictate how a woman should behave have got to go. When society respects equality, together, we can bring good things to life and abundant prosperity.

More at https://centerforpluralism.com/zoom-womens-liberation-journey-of-100-years/

SPEAKER BIO’S
MaryAnn Thompson-Frenk

MaryAnn is a renowned speaker, published author, philanthropist, and award-winning international sculptor. She is a co-founder and president of Dallas-based nonprofit Memnosyne Institute is on a life mission to help communities worldwide to navigate globalization’s pros and cons.  She believes we are more interconnected and interdependent than ever before, so we have to be thinking systematically or won’t survive. She is a pluralist and embraces the whole of humanity without question. She has done some fantastic work with the Native American communities from Hopi to the Mayans, she has helped bridge the communities as well.

I must add that, whatever MaryAnn does, she does it whole heartedly, she puts her heart, mind, and soul into it.

More at https://informatedfw.com/profiles/mary-ann-thompson-frenk/

Dr. Nyla Ali Khan

Dr. Nyla Ali Khan is a professor at Rose State College, Midwest City, OK, and teaches at Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC). Dr. Khan was honored by The Journal Record as one of the fifty women making a difference in Oklahoma in 2019 and 2020. Author of several published articles, book reviews, and editorials. As an educator, her goal is to engage in reflective action working with diverse cultural and social groups questioning the exclusivity of cultural nationalism, the erosion of cultural syncretism, the ever-increasing dominance of religious fundamentalism the irrational resistance to cultural and linguistic differences. Her unflinching commitment is to pedagogy, scholarship, and her unrelenting faith in the critical focus that education can build bridges across racial, political, and ideological divides.

Dr. Ida Jones

Dr. Ida E. Jones is a historian, archivist, and author. Her four books explore the lives of African American men and women through utilizing their archival collections. In August 2010, she shared a platform as moderator with Dr. Rosalyn Terborg-Penn at the 90th anniversary of the suffrage movement. In tribute to Dr. Penn, she promotes the unique history of Black women in the suffrage movement. Dr. Jones is a consummate scholar who believes deeply in Mrs. Mary McLeod Bethune’s words, who stated, “power must walk hand in hand with humility, and the intellect must have a soul.”

Shalini Gupta

Shalini Gupta has been a senior Organization Development/ Change Management professional in Fortune 500 companies leading Transformational Change initiatives. Ms. Gupta is also an Author, Consultant, and Trainer on Diversity and Inclusion.  Shalini is actively involved in public service work utilizing her professional background. She is President of United for Peace – a nonprofit organization with a mission to create healthy communities based on respect and unity across differences. She is an ardent admirer of Mahatma Gandhi and his philosophy of nonviolence. Shalini hopes that the collective voice for peace and nonviolence will be louder and more robust than the lobby for guns and war machinery one day.

Dr. Mike Ghouse

Mike is a speaker, thinker, author, community consultant, pluralist, activist, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. Mike is deeply committed to Free speech, Human Rights, and Pluralism in Religion, Politics, Societies, and the workplace. He is the founder and president of the Center for Pluralism and a fellow at the World Muslim Congress, a Think Tank. Mike is an author of the book American Muslim Agenda, building a cohesive America.  He has dedicated his life to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions to the media and the policymakers on issues of the day.  Everything about him is at www.TheGhousediary.com.

Zoom: How to be a Good Politician, Dec 13, 2020

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WHY SHOULD YOU RUN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE (Monthly event)
Sunday, Dec 13, 2020 – 12:00 to 1:30 PM – EST

Dr. Arjumand Hashmi, Three Times Mayor of Paris, Texas
Puneet Ahluwalia, Contesting for Lt. Governor, State of Virginia
Pious Ali, Councillor, Portland, Oregon
Hosted by the Aliyah Khan and Mike Ghouse

Bio’s of speakers appended below

ZOOM Meeting ID 83 6153 3975 | Passcode 525731
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88361533975?pwd=Tzd4b1YwNjgrbmhRQ29EcWI0WXJCZz09

If you are passionate about seeing an America that values human rights and safeguards everyone’s way of life, then NOW is the right time to make it happen. Depending on your level of interest, you have the option to choose from being a part of the City Council, County, State, and Federal government.

So what does it take on your part?

All you have to have is a desire to serve, the ability to work and lots of love for the people, and respect for truth.

And what can we do for you?

We will bring monthly guests who have taken the courageous step to become public officials such as State Delegates or Senators, US Congressmen or Senators, County Supervisors and Mayors of a Town/City, who are a great inspiring model to learn from and follow. They will share their stories, tips, and resources on reaching out to communities and fundraising.

We will provide you with tests that help determine which political ideology, your thoughts, and values align with. We will also share the popular criteria most politically engaged people look for to decide which candidate to support out of the many in the race for a particular position. We will also help you learn the filing process and the qualifying criteria.

Now a few words about the host organizations:

Virginian Muslim Political Action Committee (VMPAC) is a registered non-partisan Political Action Committee of Muslim Americans living in Virginia. It was formed in May 2005 as a coalition of several preexisting active Virginian PACs. The goal of VMPAC is to raise awareness of various issues, educate the public about the political process, and provide opportunities to stay engaged.

The Center for Pluralism is a non-profit, non-partisan organization committed to building a cohesive America. Every American should feel secure about their faith, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, or any other distinction. With that mission, we are dedicating our effort to shaping* the future in the religious, political, workplace, and social spheres. Indeed, this work is part of our Political Pluralism.

The best thing you will learn over time is to become a pluralist, i.e., an inclusive person who values human life and can connect with all Americans comfortably. That is how we build one nation for the common good of ALL living in America.
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Dr. Arjumand Hashmi
Three times Mayor of Paris, Texas
https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/a-mayor-of-many-worlds/

Dr. Hashmi, a 53-year-old Republican, took a more circuitous path to become the mayor of Paris than most of his good ol’ boy predecessors. He was born in Karachi, a bustling port city on the Arabian Sea, and raised in Abu Dhabi, where his father, a Pakistani air force officer, served as a defense attaché to the military of the United Arab Emirates. After graduating from the American Community School of Abu Dhabi, Hashmi returned to Karachi to attend Dow Medical College.

After eight years in New England, he relocated for his first job in Tampa, Florida, finding the muggy clime there far more similar to the weather of his youth, and became a civilian liaison to U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base. There, he befriended American generals, including Tommy Franks. By the way, it was the same base where General Schwarzkopf came from. 

In 2006 the hospital administrator in Tampa tapped Hashmi to revamp the cardiology department at Paris Regional Medical Center. Drawn to Dallas’ sterling public schools, his wife, Rizma, and three school-age sons opted to move into a mansion in Highland Park, one hundred miles from Paris.

Born in Pakistan and raised in Abu Dhabi, the mayor of Paris, Texas, Dr. Arjumand Hashmi, tackles city business in between patient visits and holds the distinction of making the small East Texas city a medical destination for former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf.
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Puneet Ahluwalia
Candidate for Lt. Governor of Virginia in 2021
www.PuneetforLG.com

Puneet Ahluwalia is President of New World Strategies based in Mclean, Virginia. He specializes in assisting companies and organizations on navigating issues with various US federal and state agencies. He is a strong advocate for religious freedom and minority rights.

Puneet is the Executive Director of the South Asia Minorities Alliance Foundation. He works with the chairman of the organization to highlight concerns of religious and ethnic minorities of South Asia. He works closely with the International Religious Freedom (IRF) roundtable members. He has expertise in coalition building and messaging, combined with a strong background on understating the complexities of international affairs.

From 2011 to 2015, Puneet Ahluwalia was a partner with both Franklin Global Group LLC and with Global Political Solutions LLC, two multi-service government relations and business development firms based in Washington, DC. As an associate with George Allen Strategies, he assisted and advised clients on various economic, financial and energy issues.

Mr. Ahluwalia is the Founder of the Proud American PAC in the state of Virginia. The goal is to elect conservatives to various offices with emphasis on engaging with the large successful growing minorities. He is a candidate for Lt. Governor of Virginia in 2021.

Mr. Ahluwalia served on Trump campaign Asia Pacific American Advisory Committee in national campaigns.  Additionally, Mr. Ahluwalia was elected State Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia. He served 2 terms as First Vice Chairman of the Fairfax County Republican Committee.  He is on the steering committee of the Northern Virginia Republican Business Forum. He has been active at various levels for over 20 years in the Republican Party.

Among his many accomplishments, Mr. Ahluwalia regularly contribute articles on S Asia issues and on the importance of 1st and 2nd amendments of the US constitution.

Puneet did his Bachelor of Arts from Delhi University. He speaks several S Asian languages and has traveled extensively.  
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Pious Ali
Councilperson, City of Portland, Maine. https://www.portlandmaine.gov/1879/Pious-Ali-At-Large

Pious Ali is the first African-born Muslim American to be elected to a public office in Maine, first to the Portland Board of Public Education in 2013, and then to an At-Large Portland City Council seat in 2016, then re-elected in Nov 2019. An assertive, pragmatic, and compassionate leader with a background in community organizing, activism, and civic engagement, Pious works as a Youth and Community Engagement Specialist at the University of Southern Maine’s Portland Empowered program. 

Having founded several programs for leadership and civic engagement opportunities for youth, the most recent being the Muskie School’s Civic and Community Engagement Fellowship, he has labored throughout his career to building meaningful dialogue across cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, and faith-based communities. Pious has been recognized by his community for the impact of his work many times, most recently with the Gerda Haas Award for Excellent in Human Rights Education and Leadership from the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine and The Watering Can Award from the Maine Initiatives, which honors activists for racial justice and equity in Maine.

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Profiles: Dr. Pandit NK Sharma

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Born in 1952 to a family of Vedic Scholars, Pandit NK Sharma gained early exposure and insights into the rich heritage and legacy of Vedic Shastras by his father, Devagya Bhushan Pandit Dulichand Sharma, who was a renowned scholar of his era and was considered an expert authority in Ved, Shastras & Astrology.

He worked very closely with Former Prime Minister Mr. Rajiv Gandhi on highly confidential and important political missions and wanted to reinstate him as the Prime Minister in 1991 before Mr. Gandhi became a victim of an international conspiracy.

Born in 1952 to a family of Vedic Scholars, Pandit NK Sharma gained early exposure and insights into the rich heritage and legacy of Vedic Shastras by his father, Devagya Bhushan Pandit Dulichand Sharma, who was a renowned scholar of his era and was considered an expert authority in Ved, Shastras & Astrology.

He worked very closely with Former Prime Minister Mr. Rajiv Gandhi on highly confidential and important political missions and wanted to reinstate him as the Prime Minister in 1991 before Mr. Gandhi became a victim of an international conspiracy.

After the unfortunate and sudden demise of Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, He advised Congress High Command to nominate PV Narasimha Rao as the President of Congress party president which eventually led to Rao becoming the Prime Minister. He continued to work very closely with PV Narasimha Rao as his political strategist and was the cornerstone to many of Rao’s political engagements that had major social and economic implications. In the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition, Pandit NK Sharma spearheaded the Muslim Outreach Programme and made monumental efforts in restoring the lost social fabric by means of various policy-level initiatives.

To assuage the feelings of Muslims, he conceived many schemes that offered them better participation, protection, and welfare benefits.
A slew of measures undertaken to achieve this objective included setting up of Minority Development Finance Corporation, Passing of Waqf Amendment Bill, Setting up funds for Madarsas, Kabristan, etc, and reintroduction of 15 point program for Muslims.

A Stamp in the honor of Ala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (Founder of a Barelvi school of thought) is also known to be released at his behest in 1995.
To rebuild the confidence and unity amongst the two communities he started meeting Spiritual heads of various Muslim Shrines and engaged in dialogue with learned Muslim scholars from prestigious nationalist & religious organizations. He organized around 30 meetings all over India in Delhi, UP, Bihar, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, etc, which were attended by Rao and other top ministers from his cabinet.

Many high profile appointments were also done in the government to give better recognition to the minority community. He persuaded Rao to appoint Zaffar Shafullah as the first Muslim Cabinet Secretary of India. On his
recommendation, representations of Muslims were increased to 9 cabinet ranks, highest to date.

Ever since 1993, when he organized Indian PM’s first-ever visit to Ajmere Sharif (after the Islamic Revolution in 1979), he has been paying regular homage to Dargah of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti (RA) and was instrumental in getting the postage stamp released in commemoration of 800th Urs of great Sufi Saint popularly known as Khwaja Gharib Nawaz.

To infuse the feeling of composite nationalism, he advised top UPA II cabinet ministers to honor the prominent freedom fighters from
the Muslim community. Accordingly, 2 commemorative postage stamps were released to mark the 100th year of the Silk Letter Movement and to hail the spirited efforts of Shaikhul Islam Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani for leading the Khilafat Movement that symbolized the finest of national sentiments marked by exemplary Hindu-Muslim bonhomie.

Pandit NK Sharma is well respected by all schools of thought and enjoys cross-channel access to various sects of the Muslim community. He has given lectures at all prominent Dargahs and Darool Ulooms including Devbandh. Many renowned organizations too like Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind (founded in 1915), Jamiat Ahle Hadis, Majlis-e-Mushawarat, AIMPLB regularly seek his advice and patronage.

He has strategized, organized, and sought support for various Anti-Terrorism Rallies held by these organizations in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Calicut, Deoband (Uttar Pradesh), Delhi, etc.

He notably contributed and pushed for the progressive dialogue on the Kashmir issue by persuading separatist Hurriyat leaders to engage in peace talks with the Indian government in 2003. The significance of these talks was immense as it was coming after a gap of 14 years of continuous blood bath in the valley.

Pandit NK Sharma is also closely associated with His Holiness Jagadguru
Shankaracharya of Dwarka, Jyotish, and Puri Math and has mediated various meetings between religious leaders of both communities to create a broad consensus on an amicable solution for an out of court settlement on the Ayodhya issue.

As a Founder President of the Universal Association For Spiritual Awareness (USA*), Pandit NK Sharma strongly advocates for the need for social, political & economic change at the policy level to realize communal harmony. He has aided and regularly participated in the ‘World Confluence on Humanity, Power and Spirituality’ ever since its inauguration in 2010. This annual confluence is a brainchild and initiative of Kanoria Foundation, a trusted entity founded by the Kanoria family which has been in
business for over a century.

In recognition of his untiring efforts for the past 25 years, he has been invited as a state guest to many countries in the MENA region like Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, etc. Ever since he has been traveling frequently with a vision to strengthen Indo-Arab ties. He has visited the US, Europe, Mauritius, Singapore, and Hong Kong, etc to participate in various seminars where he has highlighted, time and again, the importance of Vedic
Governance, which is fundamental for co-existence.

His vast experience and rich network has also proved economically beneficial to many business houses across India & other countries that rely heavily on his advice and guidance.

*Founded in 1994, Universal Association for Spiritual Awareness (UASA) is a non-profit organization trust that advocates support for interaction and engagement with worldwide spiritual heads & thought leaders to bridge the social & religious differences for creating health, vigor, wealth, peace, harmony & universal brotherhood among all.

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Zoom-Why should you run for public office?

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Training potential candidates how to be inclusive and what they need to do starting today to have a successful run for public office

Why should you run for Public office  (Monthly event)
Sunday, Nov 22, 2020 – 12:00 to 1:30 PM – EST

Zoom link | Meeting ID 822 4835 0652 | Passcode 881319 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82248350652?pwd=eFZrMlpQZWlTSTlxQ2lLSm4yRXVNZz09

Did you ever feel that if you were a Congressman, Senator, State Representative, or a councilman, you could have done better than many of them out there? If you did, you are qualified to run for that office. You don’t need any background or experience for that, all you need is courage, the rest we can assist you.

Meet

Sam Rasoul – announced his candidacy for Lt. Governor of the state of Virginia

Karishma Mehta – announced to run for state delegate of the state of Virginia

Ghazala Salam – President, American Muslim Caucus

The program will  include items such as follows:

1. We will have special AOC like guests to encourage and motivate you to run.

2. We will share resources on “how to raise funds” and how to reach out.

3. We will coach you to be inclusive.

4. We will provide the tests and you decide which party to align with or to be independent

The Center for Pluralism is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. We reach out to every American regardless of one’s faith, politics, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

Co-Hosts: Aliya Khan is a Community Grassroots Organizer and 2016 and 2020 State Delegate for Senator Sanders. Aliyah is a Co-Founder and Board Member of VMPAC

Host: Mike Ghouse, is president of the Center for Pluralism, committed to building a cohesive America where no American feels excluded.

A special guest with Mike Ghouse
Details at https://centerforpluralism.com/why-should-you-run-for-public-office

Why should you run for Public Office (monthly event)
Sunday, November 22 – 12:00 t0 1:30 PM EST

A monthly program to include a few specific items

1. A special guest like AOC to encourage and motivate you to run
2. We will share resources on “how to raise funds” and how to reach out
3. We will coach you to be inclusive.
4. We will provide the tests for you to align with the Republican or Democratic party or to be independent.

Did you ever feel that if you were a Congressman, Senator, State Representative or a councilman, you could have done better than many of them out there? If you did, you are qualified to run for that office. You don’t need any background or experience for that, all you need is courage, the rest we can assist you.

We are the Center for Pluralism, a non-profit, non-partisan organization committed to building a cohesive America, where every American should feel secure about his or her faith, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, or any other distinction. With that mission, we are dedicating our effort to shaping* the future of America in the religious, political, workplace, and social sphere.

In the political arena, we want to encourage everyone to run for the public office, we will share resources and training center to get organized.

We are sharing this note to encourage everyone to run for public office. Each one of you knows the system,  well. Every one of you has a grandchild or an adult son or daughter who can run for the office in a few years.

You must reach out to every American in your constiututency, even if they shut the door on you.

If someone wants to run in 2022, we have to start working now.

All are welcome to join the training, we hope to ready candidates who care for America and American interests first. We will be happy to strip the poisoning* your parents may have injected in you towards fellow Americans from different faiths, nationalities, races, ethnicities and other uniqueness.

We need to reassure each other, that together as Americans, we are committed to safeguarding the American way of life. No American needs to worry about losing his or her way of life. Together as Americans, we uphold, protect, defend, and celebrate the values enshrined in our Constitution, a guarantor of our political and social structures that each one of us wants.

Let me share a few thoughts about my own experience, how you can do it. By the way, the details are in Chapter 17 of the book American Muslim Agenda.

Following the advice to build up from grassroots in chapter 17 of the Book American Muslim Agenda, I chose to live in an all-Black neighborhood in SE DC to build up with the goal of running for DC City Council leading to Mayor. If you think it is difficult, you are wrong, it is very easy to run for public office. Here is the full story on building your place in politics.   https://centerforpluralism.com/black-neighborhood-is-my-neighborhood/

It was also published earlier in the Black Newspaper in my neighborhood.

I was seriously debating about running for office. In 2018, I made inquiries and was willing to relocate to Comstock’s constituency in Virginia; then, my Kidneys gave up on me.

This year, I got the app to run for council at large in DC in 2020; I don’t have the energy to run the campaign, so I dropped the idea. Now, I’m going on in-home dialysis that will hopefully give me the strength and time to focus on training future candidates for 2022.

Why did I write this?

It is to encourage my fellow Americans to run for office.  Almost everyone I have met is capable of running for office.

The only qualification required is GUTS, do you have it? If you do, it is time to join the course. It is free, but we urge you to donate to our organization to carry on work like this.

We have to shape the future of America that is good for all Americans. No American has to feel insecure about his/her way of life. 

Related articles:

Shaping the future of America – https://centerforpluralism.com/shaping-americas-future/

I live in all Black Neighborhood – https://centerforpluralism.com/black-neighborhood-is-my-neighborhood/

Poisoning your children – https://centerforpluralism.com/poisoning-your-children/

Mike Ghouse

India’s Uniform Civil Code

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Mike Ghouse

Like a monkey, Modi is jumping from tree to tree, experiment after experiment, each one causing pain and tensions to the Indians. He has messed up the country badly – Notebandi, GST, CAA, 370, messing with the constitution, democracy, freedom, and a long list of failures, including tearing India’s proud social fabric. Now he is messing with farmers to serve his lords Adani and Ambani and will be jumping to make India homogenous.

People should demand jobs that will make them atma nirbhar and not all these diversions’ tricks to fool the Indians.

Now he is going to push all Indians to be exactly alike. He is planning to hold webinars to shove it on unwilling Indians.

One nation is a good idea, but his one country is forcing everyone to be alike.

We need to counter his narrative to make India one nation, the non-sensical idea of subscribing to one country’s idea. We will do webinars right behind them, each time, opposing and challenging their narratives?

We need to gather people who believe that God has created each of us to be unique beings with our own thumbprint, eye print, taste buds, religious buds, and DNA? No one is alike.

Look at nature – no star is alike, no planet is synonymous, no mountain is a mirror of the other, and look at the life forms – How many million life forms do we have? It is going against nature (GOD) to kill the diversity, and it will fail, another experiment of Modi.

Socially we are unique as well. Our women folk wear several colorful sarees and Shalwar Kameez. Do they want all of them to wear the same uniform civil clothes?

Does BJP want all women to wear uniform jewelry?

We have hundreds of car designs and colors. Do they want all cars to look alike with the same color?

From Assam to Gujarat, Kashmir to Kanya Kumari, we eat different foods. Does BJP want all of us to eat the same food?

Should every Indian wear Kesar color one piece of clothes, disregarding climate?

There are three distinct God icons in the Hindu tradition – Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and many Avatars. Do they want to wipe them all into one item forcibly?

We Indians must be proud of our diversity. It’s how God has created us.

Together as Indians, we are Hindus, Dalits, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Atheists, Nastiks, Buddhists, Bahá’í, Tribals, Jews, Bo’s, Qandharis, Bakarwals inclusive of every group of Indians. Anyone who breathes the air of the land drinks the water, eats the food, and chooses to be an Indian with Indian blood running in him or her. We are all Indians and are all created equal, but not the same, and no one is more privileged than the other.

We should not allow any evil force to pit one Indian against the other. Each of us should make an effort to tell them to work for an India, where Indians together can create an exemplary India. We should ask them to join us and build a cohesive India where authentic sab ke Saath, sab ka vikaas ho. Sab ka Samman ho, aur sab ko nyay mile.

Are they willing to treat Dalits, Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs as a part of one nation or become their version of Hindus to be one?

Mike Ghouse is the founder and president of the Center for Pluralism. He is a speaker, thinker, author, consultant, pluralist, activist, a news-maker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions to the media, public, and policymakers. More at www.TheGhousediary.com

References
To push for ‘one nation, one election’, BJP will hold 25 webinars over the next few weeks – https://m.hindustantimes.com/india-news/to-push-for-one-nation-one-election-bjp-to-hold-25-webinars-over-next-few-weeks/story-ii3Lj90RoLfGkuYyclkHaO.html

MAUDUDI ON HINDUTVA

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Maulana Maududi had the foresight to see the current situation in India coming. Unfortunately, he based his understanding of his narrow interactions with the Hindu Mahasabha group, not the regular Hindus. It is the same as others interacting with the Taliban and ISIS and not the regular Muslims.

Hedgewar, Golwalker, Savarkar, Abubakr Baghdadi, Hitler, Wirathu, Mussolini, Netanyahu, and the Taliban do not represent the pristine values of values, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, or Christianity.

Maududi’s political Islamic literature contributed towards aggravating the relations and not mitigating them. His writings may be a reaction rather than thoughtful deliberations. Islam is about creating peaceful societies, not dictate anyone but guide them towards creating harmony among all humans by respecting the otherness of the other. He did not get that right.

Regular Hindus, Muslims, and others get along with everyone. We have to find a way to bring cohesion among all of us.

CHRISTMAS, KWANZA AND HANUKKA IS FOR ALL

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You may like this video- it has a taste of a festivity from Atheists to Zoroastrians. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vAwvoqz01I&feature=emb_logo
If you think about the essence of each festival, it is designed to bring people together to celebrate and put differences behind, it is a frequent refresher. The message of each one of the great souls like Abraham, Moses, Zarathustra, Krishna, Confucius, Rama, Buddha, Mahavir, Jesus, Muhammad, Guru Nanak, Baha’ullah, Joseph Smith, and several others was for people to live in harmony, it was to protect the weak and to acknowledge that we are all children of God, and thus it is our duty to care for everyone. All religions serve the same purpose – to make us better humans.

The biggest source of peace comes when we shed the arrogance and believe, feel, talk, and act equally with others. Try it, you will love the feeling.

Happy Kwanza and Happy Hanukkah.

Merry Christmas
Here are a few of many of my articles on Christmas

A Muslim’s Christmas
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-muslims-christmas_b_1167258
The Essence of Christmas
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/festivals-of-the-world-es_1_b_4492571
Building Respect this Christmas
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/building-respect-this-chr_b_801103

Interfaith Christmas
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/interfaith-christmas-making-god-boundless_b_2347856
Standing up for others
www.Standingupforothers.com

To learn more about what we do, please visit www.CenterforPluralism.com

Mike Ghouse
Center for Pluralism
Washington, DC
(214) 325-1916

Love Jihad in India

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LOVE JIHAD

The laws enacted in UP and other places denigrate Hindu women as foolish and dumb, as if they don’t have their own minds. Women should have the freedom to marry whoever they want. No government should have the right to tell a woman she falls in love with, whom she marries, what she eats, wears, or believes. We have to get beyond the primitive patriarchal society that wants to control women.

On my part, I will urge the Muslim organizations in India to send the message to the community that Islam forbids converting anyone by compulsions or deceit. It is simply not acceptable. If the woman, either Muslim or Hindu, wants to convert to other faiths, it should be her choice.

However, I urge all Indians not to poison their children against people of other castes, ethnicity, or faith. The poison will make their lives difficult when they grow up and have to commute on a train, bus, or uber, work with them in the same office. You will be screwing up their happiness and joy when they don’t trust the fellow worker, suspect the co-passenger, or resent the student who sits next to them.

In every group, you will find people violating the rules. Is there any group out there where few of its members don’t break society’s norms?

Muslims are no exception – Islam forbids, yes forbids compelling anyone to believe against their will.

It goes further and tells the women that if your husband forces you to do things other than your belief, you can walk out of the marriage; such is the importance given to free will.

A few Muslim men want their wives to convert to Islam for whatever logic they have, including peace in the family. The majority of Indians (all religions) live in joint families, and it may be necessary for conversion to minimize the tensions.

But it has to be with her free will. The woman should discuss these issues upfront and not get into a relationship that will force her to believe things against her will. It is a shame that many Indian husbands (Hindus, Muslims, and others) demand obedience from their wives and even threaten them to obey. How many Indian women are denied of living a happier life and live in oppression? The ultimate patriarch and control freak, Chief Minister Yogi, should pass laws to protect women and not denigrate them.

I counsel interfaith couples before marrying and ask them some 30 questions about free will. Of the 90 weddings I have officiated, about half of them involve Muslims and non-Muslims. I present them scenarios of conflicts and how that could breed resentment instead of harmony. The creator wants harmony in his creation, and it is he (she or it) who puts (GPS) love between two individuals. In almost all religions, they believe not even a blade of grass occurs without the creator’s will. If they have compatibility issues, they should not marry. Compatibility is the key to harmony and a happier marriage.

In the United States and Canada, religion is not an issue in general, as the couples don’t live in joint families and don’t have to compromise their free will. When they marry, they have a clear understanding of the conflicts and handle all the contingent issues.

Mike Ghouse

The Evil Axis of MBS & Netanyahu

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Posted on Facebook on November 25, 2020, · 

Will this AXIS manipulate Trump to bomb Iran before Trump has to give up the presidency? Do we want a destructive warlike Iraq? This villain of the world Netanyahu is hell-bent on wars, to weaken America. What do you think?

Trump is not a warmonger, but the evil axis of Netanyahu (not Israel or Saudi), and MBS can manipulate Trump to make it difficult for Biden.

Let me be clear, it’s not Israel, it’s the man who is evil. Netanyahu is hell-bent on destroying Iran and weakening America.

Let me be clear, it’s not Israel, it’s the man who is evil. Netanyahu is hell-bent on destroying Iran and weakening America.

Instead of a dialogue, Netanyahu has always resorted to bombing and killing others. Under him, Israel is the only nation that has violated the will of the community of Nations. It breeds resentment by 189 countries when they were rejected by the US Veto.

The United States should demand the nations to sit down and find the solutions instead of arming one against the other.

Mike Ghouse

Mike Ghouse

Biden should pardon Trump

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If Biden can pardon Trump, he can become an uniter of the Americans for the common good. If the Senate majority goes to Republicans with Georgia runoff, Biden will be a lame-duck president, as was Obama in his second term. A pardon will earn support from the Republicans and Trump’s 71 Million supporters.

I know some of 75 million Biden supporters may want a pound of Trump’s flesh, which does not help our nation or anyone. Let me share the wisdom of religions.

Revenge will not cease with punishment in this case. We have to turn the other cheek, meaning not aggravate the conflict.

Forgiveness will unite people, and it builds bridges. That is what the Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Native American, and other traditions recommend. We need to honor that tradition; it has a lot of wisdom in it. As a nation, we need to come together and focus on jobs. We should not get entangled in these gratuitous battles instead of enjoying our lives and being good to our families, communities, and the nation.

Pardoning Trump is the right thing to do and the best way forward; it is in our country’s best interests.

Mike Ghouse
Center for Pluralism