Ayodhya Verdict Reflections

      Comments Off on Ayodhya Verdict Reflections

This article was first Published on November 9, 2019 at – : https://centerforpluralism.com/ayodhya-verdict-reflections/

Updated links listed below in addition to the report from the Wire

The issue

A Mosque stood in Ayodhya, it was built in the 15th century – since then, Tulsidas, the writer of the Ramayana, (that is the story of Lord Ram) did not write that Lord Ram was born in the precise place the mosque stood, Swami Vivekananda, the Icon of Hinduism did not mention it. The surveys did not indicate that, nor there any stories mentioned by the who is who in the Hindu community in the last 500 years, but a political party found Babri Masjid to be advantageous to have unlimited political gains.

Babri Masjid was built in 1528 when Tulsidas was seventeen years and was born and raised in Ayodhya. He made no mention of it in the Epic Ramayana that all of us revere. Poet Allama Iqbal had praised Ram lavishly in his poems.  Mr. Advani, then a major political figure of Jan Sangh (Political party) led the march for the destruction of the Mosque and it was destroyed on December 6, 1992.

BJP (formerly Jan Sangh) struggled with their divisive agenda and could not convince the Indians to give them more than 2 seats in the 545 member parliament for nearly 40 years. The politicians found it beneficial to politicize the issue and claimed that the Masjid was built on the where a temple stood before, and Lord Ram was born exactly 11,000 years ago where the Mosque stands now. Advani, rallied up people to go destroy the Mosque.

They destroyed the mosque, and right after that they got some 60 seats, and when they stirred up the passion of the Hindutvadis (Political Hindus and not regular Hindus) to build Ram Temple they gained a majority in the house of Parliament. These politicians got the taste, and have continually sowed the seeds of discord between Hindus and Muslims and earned a supermajority in 2019 elections.  But still, they were elected by 37% of the Indians and not even a majority of Indian voters. The election systems need to be corrected. The governing party or the coalition should have at least 51% of the votes cast to be a true representation of the people.

Today the Indian Supreme Court rendered their judgment to give the land to the party to build the temple.  There have been great suggestions to deal with the issue including the one proposed by Dr. AbuSaleh Shariff to build a cultural smart city https://thewire.in/rights/ayodhya-as-cultural-smart-city-a-mediation-proposal-for-the-mosque-temple-dispute

Ayodhya reflections – November 9, 2019

What is right, and what is wrong is the question, and where lies the future of Indian democracy, or we a Mobocracy or a Democracy?  

Courtesy – Indian Express

We are Indians, supposedly smart people, and we have to find a way out of this, we cannot let our motherland rot, and our society to degenerate into rejoicing belittling each other.  

Since three this morning, I’ve deleted hundreds of notes I wrote, some of you may be going through similar struggles, yet some of you are happy as a lark. I want to put together some reflections on how to steer India in the right direction.  

 What got me out of the freeze is this song, continually reverberating on my mind. The song is calling on us. https://youtu.be/kfAVUOvip9g

 The questions are not legal but moral.  

The Muslims would have had a moral upper hand, had they donated the land voluntarily with no conditions. If the Hindutvadis (not Hindus), the self-appointed representatives of the Temple issue came for more, the Hindus would have stood up and said, enough is enough. Bring us the jobs, and do not throw dust in our eyes.  

 The Hindu community’s will to welcome the gesture was not reflected by the men who represented them either. They could not assure the Muslims that after donating the Babri land,  no more claims will be made. Instead, we will focus on creating jobs, providing clean water, increasing literacy, bringing prosperity, and living our lives in the pursuit of our happiness.  

 Both communities have failed in their moral duty (not legal or political) to find a solution, given the destruction of a place of worship is wrong, and the destroyers were not punished. We have to remember, we don’t live under kings and dictators who did what they wanted to do, be it Muslim or Hindu Kings. We are a democracy, and we have a say in how we are governed.   

 Did the men who represented Muslims care for the opinion of the majority of Muslims? What would they have chosen? Muslims, at large, always wanted harmony and a cohesive India where we got along. It is not a religious issue; it is a social and political issue. Muslim kings have donated lands and grants to build temples, and we have a great history of that. Forget them, the ordinary Muslims amongst you, and I have donated to temples and vice-versa.  

Did the men who represented Hindus care for the opinion of the majority of Hindus? Would Lord Ram have Approved their actions? Again, as Indians, we find songs to reflect our thoughts. A majority of Hindus would agree with this song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGKFMGwFDwo

  Would Indian governance reflect the will of the people or the decisions of a few? 

What kind of India do we want? What kind of civilization do we want to foster? Do we want to continue to live in hostility propagated by political parties (not Hindus or Muslims)? When will we start living freely again?  When we have the jobs or places of worship?  

I urge my fellow Indian-Americans to think in terms of liberty, freedom, and not as Hindus or Muslims. We can find answers at least for our sanity, the sanity that purges ill-will, malice for the other, and let us live freely, and see eye to eye and invite each other in our celebrations and commemorations.   

We cannot let a few on each side, strip our goodness that we are blessed with from birth.  

Please share your thoughts, let there be no blame, but solutions to build a cohesive India. Both Muslims and Hindus have agreed to abide by the verdict of the Supreme Court, and I am glad to see numerous reports from the Muslim community to let go of it, and I am sure the same sane voices dominate in the Hindu community. It is not a victory or a defeat, and it is a moment of reflection about us, what kind of people are we?  

 Neither Hinduism nor Islam should be used to fight political battles. Let’s fight to keep the sanctity of both religions intact. In the long run, we would be smart to keep religions to bring us together and now sow division. Let’s say words that bring us together and not divide us. We have to move on.  

 Here is another inspirational song. If only we realize that none of us will live forever, then why create pain for others?

Jeevan aani Jaani Chaya, jhooti maya, jhooti kaya,
phir kake ho sari umariya, pap ki gathri dhoyee

If you revisit this site on Sunday, you will find links to many good pieces from both sides of the issue.

Mike Ghouse is a thinker, author, speaker, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. His new book American Muslim Agenda is available on Amazon, coming up are books on Human Rights and Pluralism. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His information is linked-in.

Added from the WIRE – several links follow this

Ayodhya Verdict: Hindu Parties Will be Given the Disputed Land 

What’s the news?

The Supreme Court has pronounced its unanimous verdict in the Ayodhya title dispute case, saying that the Hindu side – Ram Lalla as represented by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad – will be given the land where the Babri Masjid once stood. The Sunni Waqf Board, the main Muslim litigant in the case, will be given five acres at a separate “prominent” location in Ayodhya as “restitution” for the 1992 demolition.

A board of trustees is to be set up within three months for the construction of a temple, by the government of India.

The judgment delivered today is in the civil dispute case. The criminal case on the demolition of the 450-year-old mosque is still pending in a special CBI court in Lucknow, with the hearing at its final stages.

The Supreme Court’s 1,045-page-long verdict handing over the land rests on a narrow and extraordinary claim: that the Muslim side has not been able to provide documentary evidence that namaz was offered in the mosque from the time of its construction in 1528 until 1857, when it enters the annals of colonial law thanks to a riot in Ayodhya.

The crux of the judgment

The court says:

1. The mosque was constructed well over 450 years ago;

2. There is proof that Muslims worshipped there from 1857 till 1949 when they were illegally ousted “through an act which was calculated to deprive them of their place of worship”;

3. But because “they have offered no evidence to indicate that they were in exclusive possession of the inner structure prior to 1857 since the date of the construction in the sixteenth century…on a balance of probabilities, the evidence in respect of the possessory claim of the Hindus to the composite whole of the disputed property stands on a better footing than the evidence adduced by the Muslims.”

The glaring contradiction

What the court leaves unaddressed is the purpose the mosque served between 1528, when it was built, and 1857. If a dispute arose in 1856 between local Hindus and Muslims over the manner in which the inner and outer courtyards were being used, it stands to reason that this is because Muslims and Hindus had both been praying there from before.

In any event, when the court categorically asserts, “The Muslims have been wrongly deprived of a mosque which had been constructed well over 450 years ago,” it accepts that it was a mosque throughout its lifetime and thus, by definition, would have belonged to Ayodhya’s Muslim residents.

Yet, because the Muslim plaintiffs were able to provide no evidence to prove their exclusive possession, the court handed the site over to the Hindu plaintiffs.

Incidentally, nowhere have the Hindu plaintiffs, other than the Nirmohi Akhara which the court ousted, been asked to demonstrate exclusive possession of the site. Hindus worshipped at the Ram Chabutra outside the domed structure and the 18th-century European traveller Jozef Tieffenthaler’s account of the worship of the ‘bedi’ or chabutra/cradle is cited, but that is an ambiguous source for the claim that Hindus worshipped inside the inner courtyard, let alone on an exclusive basis.

Support The Wire

The Chilling Message Underlying the Ayodhya Verdict

In his analysis titled, “What the Supreme Court’s Ayodhya Judgment Means for the Future of the Republic”, Siddharth Varadarajan writes, “We can pretend all we like that the Supreme Court was only adjudicating a civil dispute. In reality, there was nothing ‘civil’ about what a judge on the bench had called “one of the most important cases in the world”. The dispute cannot be divorced from the politics which has driven it.

“The title suit in the Babri Masjid matter has been going on in one form or the other since 1949, mainly in the local courts of Faizabad, where Ayodhya is located. It took on national salience in the 1980s, thanks to the cynical politics of Lal Krishna Advani, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Rajiv Gandhi and now forgotten villains like Vir Bahadur Singh and Arun Nehru.

“BJP leaders conspired to demolish the mosque on December 6, 1992 and a Congress prime minister, Narasimha Rao, allowed them to get away with the crime. So did the Supreme Court judges of the day. Twenty-seven years later, the demolition case continues to linger. Even when all the evidence is recorded and arguments made, the outcome is uncertain since it is no secret that the prosecuting agency – the Central Bureau of Investigation – has wilfully dropped the ball.

“Justice S.A. Bobde was right in observing in his interview to India Today – shortly after being named as the next Chief Justice of India – that there have been governments of all political persuasions in power at the Centre since the Ayodhya case first emerged in 1949. Yet the fact that the case ended up being fast-tracked at a time when the party in power today is one which openly asserts its partisanship on Ayodhya should be reason enough to worry us about happens next to the Republic. We already have a draft citizenship law which explicitly excludes Muslim refugees. A law has been passed that criminalises the abandonment of wives by Muslim men but not men of other religions. It is not a coincidence that the only part of India where the constitutional protections of liberty and free speech do not apply is a Muslim majority region, Kashmir.” 

The fate of the criminal case

“Although the apex court chose to prioritise the title suit, fast-tracking it to a conclusion, it is not clear how the bench intends to firewall the demolition case from its verdict on the ‘property dispute’.

“In his interview to India Today, Justice Bobde denied the court was attempting to legislate on matters of faith. He agreed with the suggestion that it is a “title dispute” but added: “The only thing is, what is the character of that structure, that is one of the issues. But even that structure doesn’t exist any more.”

“Shouldn’t one of the issues then also have been why “that structure” – i.e. the Babri Masjid – “doesn’t exist any more”?

“The main beneficiaries of the Supreme Court’s verdict on Saturday are organically linked to the main accused in the crime of demolishing the mosque. If the Ayodhya case is really one of the most important cases in the world, it is so because of the violence it is associated with. Can this case really be settled, then, without punishing the leaders responsible for that violence?

The five-judge bench represented an impressive array of judicial wisdom. Sadly, their judgment offers no pointers on this fundamental question,” Varadarajan adds.

 “We Respect the Judgment, but Not Fully Satisfied”

Reacting to the verdict of the Supreme Court on Saturday in the Ayodhya title dispute case, leaders of various Muslim organisations have said that they “respect the judgment but are not fully satisfied by it.”

At a joint press conference organised by several Muslim organisations such as the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Jamaat e Islami Hind and Jamiat Ulema Hind, the community leaders stated, after studying the judgment in detail, that they will in all probability file a review petition.

Addressing the media in the national capital shortly after the apex court unanimously decided in favour of building a Hindu temple on the disputed land, Zafaryab Jilani, the lawyer for Sunni Waqf Board, said, “We will go through the judgment in detail and with the assistance of our seniors like Rajeev Dhawan and most likely we will file review petition.” 

The leaders expressed their contentment at the fact that the apex court had observed that the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 was “an egregious violation of the rule of law” and that the act of placing idols inside the mosque was wrong.

“This gives us hope that in future no other mosque in the country will be touched,” said M.R. Shamshad, another lawyer who represented the Muslim side.

Speaking at the press conference, Syed Sadatullah Hussaini, president of Jamaat e Islami Hind said that they totally endorse the statements made by the lawyers and “whatever will be decided after consultation we will stand by it”.

However, the AIMPLB has expressed its disappointment over the verdict. “The judgment is against our expectations. We presented solid evidences to prove our stance. Our legal committee will review the judgment,” tweeted the AIMPLB handle, on behalf of its general secretary.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that after a meeting of various Muslim organisations, it has been decided that they will not accept the five acres of land offered to them in judgment.

Congress Hails SC Verdict, Owaisi Says Apex Court ‘Not Infallible’

The Congress today hailed the decision of the Supreme Court in the Ayodhya title dispute case and urged all parties and people to accept the same. The party stated that it is in favour of the construction of a Ram temple and noted that the verdict has closed the doors on all those who have been indulging in the politics of religion over the issue.

Addressing a press conference, party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, “The Supreme Court has today honoured faith and belief.” (In fact, the court explicitly said it was deciding the case on the basis of adverse possession and not faith and belief.) He announced that a meeting of the Congress working committee had been held under the chairmanship of party president Sonia Gandhi where the Supreme Court verdict was discussed. Therein, he said, a resolution was passed on the issue of the verdict and the construction of a Ram temple. 

Answering a question, Surjewala said the Congress was in favour of the construction of a Ram temple.

He said after several years, the Supreme Court has settled this issue with its ruling. “I feel this issue is not of giving credit to any party, person or organisation. With this decision of the highest court of the land, the doors have been opened for the construction of a temple of Ram Lalla but this order has also closed the doors on Bharatiya Janata Party and other people who were playing politics of religion and faith on this issue.” 

“The Supreme Court is supreme but not infallible”

All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen leader and MP Asaduddin Owaisi while reacting to the judgment said: “The Supreme Court is supreme but not infallible.”

Asking if he did not have the “right to express dissatisfaction with a judgment”, he noted how the All India Muslim Personal Law Board too had said “it is not happy” with the ruling. He said he too was “not satisfied with the verdict”, but had “full faith in the constitution”.

He also cautioned about the repercussions of the ruling. “A victory of faith over facts – that is what this judgment is. There are several other mosques in this country over which ‘Sanghis’ have laid claim. Now we are wondering if they will cite this judgment in those cases too.”

On the issue of the five-acre land the court allowed to be given to the Muslims, he said: “We were fighting for our right, we don’t need five acres of land as donation. We should reject this five acre land offer, don’t patronise us.”

A list of articles to be added for the next few days:

  1. India’s Court clears the way for Hindus to build a temple over Mosque – https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/indias-supreme-court-clears-way-for-a-hindu-temple-at-countrys-most-disputed-religious-site/2019/11/09/ca0b54f8-0258-11ea-8341-cc3dce52e7de_story.html 
  2. Ram’s Political triumph – https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/ayodhya-verdict-supreme-court-ramjanam-bhoomi-babri-masjid-case-6112164/
  3. Indian court favors Hindus – https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/08/world/asia/ayodhya-supreme-court-india.html?searchResultPosition=1
  4. Guarded Opposition respects Janam Bhoomi verdict https://theprint.in/politics/guarded-opposition-respects-ram-janmabhoomi-verdict-aap-alone-to-welcome-it/318655/
  5. Supreme Court says Temple should be built where Mosque existed – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/09/ayodhya-verdict-hindus-win-possession-of-site-disputed-by-muslims?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVS19XZWVrZW5kLTE5MTEwOQ%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUK&CMP=GTUK_email 
  6. My House Demolished, I Go To Court, Court Awards The Land To The Demolisher, Is This Justice? https://countercurrents.org/2019/11/babri-masjid-verdict-my-house-demolished-i-go-to-court-court-awards-the-land-to-the-demolisher-is-this-justice
  7. Ayodhya Explained – https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/ayodhya-explained-supreme-court-faizan-mustafa-says_in_5dc694b5e4b02bf57940668f  
  8. Indian supreme court gives in to hardliner Hindus http://www.albiladdailyeng.com/indian-supreme-court-gives-hardliner-hindus/#.XcZ6cXDhVoc.whatsapp
  9. Tushar Gandhi on Ayodhya – https://indianexpress.com/article/india/tushar-gandhi-on-ayodhya-verdict-if-godse-tried-today-he-would-have-been-murderer-and-patriot-6111521/
  10. SC judgment is not the end of the story, it is the beginning: VHP – http://muslimmirror.com/eng/sc-judgement-is-not-the-end-of-the-story-it-is-the-beginning-vhp/
  11. Ayodhya : Imagined, framed and legitimized – http://muslimmirror.com/eng/ayodhya-imagined-framed-and-legitimized/

Indian Embassy Celebrates Guru Nanak’s 550th Anniversary

      Comments Off on Indian Embassy Celebrates Guru Nanak’s 550th Anniversary

This article was first Published on November 13, 2019 at – : https://centerforpluralism.com/indian-embassy-celebrates-guru-nanaks-550th-anniversary/

Nov 12, 2019, Capitol Hill, Washington DC — The Indian Embassy and the American Sikh community celebrated Gurpurab of Baba Nanak at the Hart Senate building, over 200 people attended the ceremony.

His Excellency Ambassador Harsh Vardhan Shringla

His Excellency Ambassador Harsh Vardhan Shringla presided the event. He was precise and effectively delivered the message on the occasion of 550th Gurpurab. As an Indian-American, I am pleased that he is a great representation of India.

Senator Todd Young, Congresswoman Judy Chu, and Indiana Congressman Greg Pence gave an amazing talk about Guru Nanak.

The three speakers on the panel gave an outstanding talk on Sikhism and Baba Guru Nanak. (Names to be added). One of them was Professor Nikky Guninder Singh. She explained the concept of oneness embedded in the phrase Ek Onkar very well.  There is only one and no one like God. You can clearly hear the syncretic nature of Sikhism, there is Hinduism in it and there is Islam in it.  The other professor gave a powerpoint presentation of Nanak in pictures, once again, it was a delight. She pointed out to two pictures, in one Baba Nanak looked like a Muslim Peer, and in the other a Hindu monk. She explained that it was due to how each artist perceived him, the first one was a Muslim and the 2nd one was a Hindu. There are no real paintings drawn of Baba Nanak,  Sikhi teachings do not encourage image-making of the creator or even Baba Nanak as it limits the limitless.  She was right, as a Muslim, and of course, as a pluralist, it seemed she was giving a talk on Islam.

Apparently, the pictures we see of Guru Nanak are artists renderings, as also presented his universal message of equality with pictures.  I hope to recall and write the key points in a few days along with the names of the speakers. They were Incredible speakers!

Indeed, I will be speaking at the 550th Anniversary celebrations in New York next Sunday.  My article about Baba Nanak is at https://centerforpluralism.com/guru-nanaks-550th-birth-anniversary-ad-2019/

It was a joy for me to see the Indian Embassy reflect India’s pluralistic ethos, hence this additional note. India is one of the few nations in the world that has a fully functional pluralistic governance, Indonesia is the other one.  Perhaps, India is the first nation on the earth where you find several religions functioning in one place and in one community. India’s constitution has laid the foundation for all religions to have their own laws to govern, while the criminal laws are common to all Indians, the personal laws are different for each faith. India has successfully managed pluralism, which is respecting the otherness of the other. Throughout her history and particularly after receiving Independence.

The founding fathers chose the pluralistic form of governance, however, the word Pluralism was not common during that time, and secularism was the word used, to actually mean Pluralism.  As the founder of the Center for Pluralism, it gives me great joy to give credit to India for the origins and practice of Pluralism. When the entire world was fighting religious wars, India was focusing on considering all her people as one family – Vasudhaiva Kutumbukum. That is the ethos of the Indian people.

Seventy years ago, the world Pluralism was not in circulation, and now it has become a household name. Indeed, the Center for Pluralism (aka Foundation for Pluralism established in 1996)  along with Harvard University’s Pluralism Project have popularized the word in the ’90s and at the dawn of the new century, the Global Pluralism Center has added more literature on Pluralism. Today, there is no scholar who does not talk about Pluralism. Please visit www.CenterforPLuralism.com

HE Ambassador Harsh Vardhan Shringla and I had a brief moment to chat and I mentioned to him that my fellow Indian-Americans have contributed to the richness of America in science, medicine, mathematics, technology and software development, and my contribution would be the gift of Pluralism to America. I am planning to visit with him and discuss organizing a few programs highlighting India’s contribution to America; Religious Pluralism.

Mike Ghouse is a thinker, author, speaker, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. His new book American Muslim Agenda is available on Amazon, coming up are books on Human Rights and Pluralism. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him at linked-in.

A meaningful thanksgiving

      Comments Off on A meaningful thanksgiving

This article was first Published on November 25, 2019 at – : https://centerforpluralism.com/a-meaningful-thanksgiving/

What can you do to make this Thanksgiving a meaningful holiday? 


Do you recall a situation when you gave a gift or complimented someone, but they did not thank you? Did you feel something was missing? Later, if that person came back and said, thanks, did you feel a sense of completion to that transaction of giving and receiving? If your attitude was affected, it also got restored, didn’t it?

Likewise, if you hurt someone, and walk away, do you feel the incompleteness of the transaction? But when you say sorry to that person, the ‘bother’ escapes you, a burden off you. 

As a spiritualist, I would say, for every wrong we do, an equal amount of energy drains from us, and for every good we do, energy recoups. We are continually receiving and giving energy, and the intake and outgo must be equal to have a healthy living, or else we are thrown off balance.

Thanksgiving day is an opportunity to square things, and express gratitude to those who have done some good to you; a word of encouragement, a smile, recommendation, a dollar when you needed, and all the little things. Our life scale tilts with those receivings – by giving to others, you will regain your balance.

The accountant chants the mantra that for every debit there is a credit; the physicist has proved that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and the doctor declares, that blood loss from the body of an individual must be replenished with blood to sustain life.

For every hurt we hurl on others, an equal amount of burden gets dumped on us, and until we say sorry and repent genuinely, the energy balance within us deteriorates. If you accumulate a whole lot of these incomplete transactions, it will have its effect on you. Today is one of the few days in a year, you have that opportunity, particularly with family. 

Life is a self-balancing act; everything we do and say moves the needle from balance to imbalance, and back to balance.

The mechanism functions around forgiveness, repentance, service, and gratitude. These values are a product of co-existence inculcated through religious teachings; however, the atheists would also achieve the same without invoking God. If you wish to read the 12 values that make the world a better place, check out chapter 16 in the new book, American Muslim Agenda – available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kindle, and other outlets. 

How can you make your holiday meaningful? 

From the first breath to the last, we are walking on a thin wire. It is the act of falling in for temptations and resisting them, saying wrong words and apologizing, and it is about regretting and cherishing what is wrong and what is right. Life is about getting hurt and recovering, losing income and figuring out how to meet ends, falling into depression and getting out of it, feeling sad, and attempting to be happy. 

Most of us succeed! We have seen bad days, and if we are stuck in it at this time, a year from now it will be our history.  We are alive today, aren’t we? All those good and bad happenings are a part of our story. We thought each one of the difficulties was unbearable, but we have endured all of them. Remember how many of them are bygones. 

Expression of gratitude is the ultimate balancing act in everyone’s life. We know whom we receive the good from and offer our appreciation. The absence of a simple thank-you creates an imbalance in the relationship and spiritual energy, while a simple thank you restores it.

We need to be considerate of those who did not have a good childhood, youth, adulthood, or retirement. Let’s be kind to those who are struggling to take care of themselves and fighting for a square meal. The least we can do is show that know that we care.

There is no one out there who can claim that he or she walked into the world on his own, nor is there anyone who can say, I walked myself into the grave. We all need help and help others who need it. That’s how it functions. 

 The least you can do: 

 Whenever you get a moment, start thinking about the people who helped you at home, school, workplace, public space, library, bus, metro, and other places. Please make an effort to review your life movie as you are driving, taking a shower or sitting on the crown.  Let it not be an effort, whoever comes to your mind is fine, if they don’t that’s fine too. You feel good about thinking about them; the mere thoughts are an expression of gratitude.  Those who have wronged you, forgive them, let them be free, but more than them, you will be free.

The most you can do: 

Don’t lose enthusiasm due to a large number of people you have to thank, and you can do it by carrying a piece of paper and writing down the names as they pop in your mind. Even if you don’t get a chance to call everyone on the list, you have already expressed your gratitude by writing and thinking about them. When we show our appreciation to the person who has made a difference in our lives, it brings a ton of relief. It’s ours to keep. Call them a few if you can, just to thank you for a specific act, word or support. Keep it short – talk and listen in equal proportion. 

If you don’t believe in God, that is fine, and it is still a release when you say thanks to the invisible good that came to you un-asked.

If you are a single or empty nester and nowhere to go, call up Salvation Army, a hospital or a homeless shelter and volunteer your services. There is joy in serving others.

As the Jewish Scriptures say, Ve’ahavta la’ger — you must love the stranger for that guaranteed happiness. Jesus reached out to the ones who were abandoned by society. Prophet Muhammad said the least you can give to others is a smile. The Hindu Scriptures guide you to treat the whole world as one family. Buddha, the learned one, taught the joys of living for others. The Sikh faith work on the principle of serving humanity. The Jains and Baha’i believe our happiness comes from taking care of others. The Native Americans and Wicca think we have to take care of what we see around us and preserve it for the next seven generations, life, and the matter. With malice toward none is good advice from Mahatma Lincoln to follow.

Happy Thanksgiving

Most people say thanks without fail, those who miss out on a few things; we have an opportunity to reflect on this Thanksgiving Day. When you express your gratitude to the persons who have made a difference in your life, it brings a ton of relief to you. Make an effort and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with it. May you be blessed to be a blessing to others. Amen! God bless America!

 You will enjoy the Appaiah story – The essence of Thanksgiving – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyDBHp4GQaM 

Mike Ghouse is a thinker, author, speaker, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. His new book American Muslim Agenda is available on Amazon, coming up are books on Human Rights and Pluralism. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His information is at linked-in

Letter from Trump Admin to Modi

      Comments Off on Letter from Trump Admin to Modi

This article was first Published on October 17, 2019 at – : https://centerforpluralism.com/letter-from-trump-admin-to-modi/

A letter signed by various NGO’s was presented to Hon. Sam Brownback, Ambassador at Large for Religious freedom around the world. It will be presented to the President, Secretary of State, Defence, and Attorney General as well https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K6590nqx_Vi5DIb-sCzytrdMILMzlToun_EBWZk0B5k/edit

INDIA APPEALOctober 16, 2019

TO:

Hon. President of the United States, Donald Trump
Hon. Secretary of the State, Mike Pompeo      
Hon. Attorney General William Barr   
Hon. Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper 
Hon. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback

Dear President Trump,

We urge you to ask the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, to lift the six-week-long severe restrictions on the ordinary lives of the 7 million citizens of Kashmir, restore their freedom, and ensure the rule of law is in place. Here are a few points to consider;

  1.  Prime Minister Modi’s actions in Kashmir can unleash a genocide of the Christians, Muslims, Dalits, Sikhs and others, and further lead to a significant setback to American economic and security interests in South Asia.
  2. Seven million people have been living in a prison-like environment in Kashmir since August 5, 2019. It has been more than a month now, and there are no signs of easing. The complete blockade of communications and freedom of movement has made life unbearable for the people, as they cannot purchase food, medicine, or even know what is happening to their relatives. This blockade needs to end.
  3. Reports from the United Nations point to more than 50,000 deaths since 1989 in the area. 214,000 children have been orphaned during the years of conflict.  Civilians continue to experience brutal oppression. “Close to 3,000 people have been detained in Kashmir — many of them children — since Aug. 4,”  The most recent study (2011) shows over 20,000 people have been detained without charges. An unaccounted number of rapes are happening. 
  4. The Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits, and others are patiently enduring lynching, abuse, rape, and endless harassment. If there is no solution offered to their suffering, it may lead to chaos and genocide, which may require costly international intervention if the conflict is to be prevented from spreading.
  5. Mr. Modi and his government must further ensure that every Indian, regardless of religion or ethnicity, will be treated as an equal citizen, protected by legal authorities. and allowed to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.
  6. We urge you to ask Prime Minister Modi to allow the Commissioners of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to visit Kashmir and Assam, and enable them to report the facts on the ground.
  7. India is a bulwark for us against Chinese expansionism. It needs peace and stability to remain healthy, not social unrest.
  8. Kashmir is a flashpoint of Indo-Pakistan conflict, and it is a ticking time bomb. Should a nuclear exchange over this land occur, it will result in millions of casualties.

Your message will carry enormous weight with the Government of India, and an additional dispatch from the Department of State as well as Ambassador Brownback to this effect will keep our allies — India and Pakistan — from moving towards disaster.

Your timely statement will do miracles. The world would appreciate you and your administration for stopping a possible genocide of Uyghurs, Kashmiris, and Indians if you can act in time.

Ambassador Brownback has reiterated that if people are free from fear, they can focus on nation-building, and everyone will prosper. Religious freedom in the United States is a compelling reason for our prosperity; the world can learn from our experience.

Your message will help promote and restore India’s democracy and freedoms.

# # #

Initiated by the Center for Pluralism, Washington, DC –
Mike Ghouse – Cell (214) 325-1916 |  (202) 290-3560
Respond to: Mike@CenterforPluralism.com 

NGOs supporting the appeal. 

  1. International Christian Concern – Matias Perttula 
  2. United Sikhs – Pawan Kang 
  3. St. Nicholas Freedom Group – John Anderson 
  4. Christian Solidarity WorldWide – Anna Lee Stingl
  5. US Women Christian Chamber of Commerce – Ambassador Lydia Gonzalez
  6. International Center for Rights and Justice – Rev. Joseph Grieboski
  7. US India Policy Institute – Dr. Hyder Khan
  8. American Indian Muslims – Kaleem Khawaja 
  9. International Human Rights Committee – Nasim Malik
  10. Uyghur Human Rights Project  — Omer Kanat
  11. Redeem USA – Dr. William T. Devlin 
  12. Church of Scientology – Sue Taylor
  13. Citizen Power Initiatives – Jianli Yang 
  14. Hardwired, Inc – Tina Ramirez
  15. Islamic Society of North America – Dr. Sayyid Sayeed
  16. Indian American Muslim Council – Mohammad Jawad 
  17. The Way to Happiness Association of Florida – Kelly Pomeranz
  18. Muslim Philanthropy – Rasheed Ahmed
  19. United Muslims of Interfaith Alliance – Iftekhar Hai
  20. Red Eagle Enterprises – Scott Morgan 
  21. Jubilee Campaign USA – Ann Buwalda
  22. Great Truth – Andy Swarna 
  23. Happy Science USA Washington Bureau – Satoshi Nishihata
  24. AdvanceUSA – Dr. Carl Herbster 
  25. The Association against Religious Persecution – Shirley Fan 
  26. Law and Liberty Trust – Lauren Homer
  27. Journal of America – Abdul Sattar Ghazali
  28. UMA Interfaith Alliance – Iftekhar Hai 
  29. The way to Happiness Association – Kelly Yaegermann 
  30. Liftup Now foundation – Dr. A. Ojutiku  
  31. JAMAAT – Jews and Muslims and Allies together – Walter Ruby
  32. Christian Freedom International – Wendy Wright 
  33. St. Nicholas Freedom Group – Fr. John Anderson 
  34. American Humanist Association – Roy Speckhardt 

Individuals

  1. Mohammed Siddique
    2. Tufail Ahmed
    3. Uma Shankari Naren
    4. Rabbi Herb Levy
    5. Asrarul Haque
    6. Dr. Rashid Chotani, MD, MPH, FRCPH 
    7. Danielle Khan. special Asst to Ambassador Swanee Hunt
    8. Victor Begg, Interfaith Community Leader, Florida

Imam Yasir Qadhi’s disgusting words against Jews

      Comments Off on Imam Yasir Qadhi’s disgusting words against Jews

This article was first Published on October 17, 2019 at – : https://centerforpluralism.com/imam-yasir-qadhis-disgusting-words/

A few years ago, I came across one of the disgusting speeches of Imam Yasir Qadhi, and I let go of it. But now, he has spoken again, and I have to condemn his words. If the words in the following video are his, I reaffirm my condemnation, and if he did not say those words, I render my apology.

Men like him make the pristine Islam look bad. A few Muslims will be upset with me, and I want to remind them that Islam is about justice, fairness, equity, and mercy and not what Imam Qadhi is preaching. Thank God more and more Muslims are speaking out against wrongful teachings, hitherto fore they were afraid of criticizing big-name scholars and they got away.  But no more, we are seeing big names like Tariq Ramadan, Nauman Ali, Zia Shaikh and several others are falling by wayside.

There are two types of Islam – one is the dished out version, which is swallowed without questioning and repeated from generation to generation. Then there is pristine Islam that questions everything and respects every human being that the good God has created. A majority of Muslims follow the pristine Islam, which is natural for humans. Indeed, Islam is called deen of fitra – or a reflection of human nature.

I wrote an article called “Source of Extremism” in Islam – It is not the Quran or Islam, but the secondary books that are the source of extremism. If we did not have these books, Islam would remain stain-free guidance for society. Yasir Qadhi is probably a follower of those books and not the Quran.

Qadhi quotes, (rather misquotes) the prophet. There is no compulsion in Islam, and Islam is about free will, but his statements in the video contradict that idea. The idea of free will is asserted three precise times in the Quran (Please read the chapter free will in the book). I condemn his word he used for Jews and Christians.

If it is not common sense, then it is not Islam. What Qadi is saying is not common sense.

Please be aware that there are two deliberate mistranslations of the Quran on the market with mal-intention of crating ill-will between communities. There are 55 translations available now, and most of them are ok, a few are good, but a perfect translation is yet to come.

Islam is about facilitating cohesive peaceful societies. Two of the 17 chapters in the book American Muslim Agenda are titled, “Source of Extremism” and “Essence of Islam.” You might consider taking a look at it.

Muslims have their share of Robertsons, Grahams, Jeffress, Kahane’s, and others. They are in every religion, political, and social group. We condemn their sin and not them, as they are redeemable.

God only can save the students in Texas and Tennessee, where Imam Qadhi is teaching. Shaker Elsayed is another Imam in Virginia who made a similar mistake about FGM, and the poor man was merely parroting what he read in the secondary books. If these guys stick to the Quran, they can never go wrong.

The “American Muslim Agenda” will clarify what Islam is. The Islam I have learned is by rejecting the dished out versions, and questioning and criticizing God, the Prophet, the Quran, and Islam. You will find wisdom. Of course, all religions have similar knowledge. A mother knows what to do with a crying baby, whether she lives in Amazon Jungles or New York City. Wisdom is there all around us and in all religions.

God bless America!
Mike Ghouse

US Imam says the Muslims absolutely have the right to take the property of filthy Jews and Christians

By FireSideChat access_time1 month agochat_bubble_outline26

Yasir Hadhi, a prominent American Imam and college professor at Rhodes College, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Courtesy of Frontline –

He was described in a 2011 New York Times Magazine essay as “one of the most influential conservative clerics in American Islam.”

Just recently, Hadhi publicly said that Christians and Jews are the “filthy,” “impure,” and basically no different than “feces” and “urine.”

He claimed that “if [Christians and Jews] don’t [convert to Islam,] their life and property are halal [free for the taking] for the Muslims.

Just recently, Hadhi publicly said that Christians and Jews are the “filthy,” “impure,” and basically no different than “feces” and “urine.”
He claimed that “if [Christians and Jews] don’t [convert to Islam,]

Hindu Muslim Dialogue Society

      Comments Off on Hindu Muslim Dialogue Society

This article was first Published on October 17, 2019 at – : https://centerforpluralism.com/hindu-muslim-dialogue-society/

We have several Jewish-Muslim groups, Christian-Muslim groups, Sikh-Hindu groups, but not many Hindu-Muslim groups. Most of the conflicts are within these groups and not the smaller groups.  There are many among us who do not see eye to eye. We need to rise above the pettiness of the politics and start meeting and enjoying each other’s company as we had in India a decade ago.  Shame on the Muslims and Hindus who do not know about each other’s traditions first hand, and whatever the hell they know is from the wrong sources. What a bad foundation of knowledge!

We live in a country that is for the brave and the free – relatively free from ill-will, prejudices, and hatred of each other. Live your life freely. What you say to your friends should be the same as what you say in the public.

HINDU MUSLIM DIALOGUE SOCIETY

Mission: To demystify the myths about each other’s faith.

Vision: To see Hindus and Muslims accept each other as fellow humans, and learn to respect the otherness of the other. As Americans, we should live freely and get rid of our biases.

Difficult dialogues, positive goals.

No membership, just free to join an un-join. You can create your own groups.

Raising Children – Parents poison their children against each other; when the kids grow up, they have to work with the very people they were told to stay away from. At work, they are working with distrust and sometimes ill will with others. Even Indian and Pakistani Parents poison their children against each other. We should not dump our problems on our children, they are American, and they don’t give a flip about India or Pakistan or other biases. We need to raise our children to enjoy life with fellow Americans.

Public Office – If you want your kids to run for Public office, raise them to earn the votes from everyone. Don’t screw up their lives with your hatred for the other. It is not worth it.

Dialogue rules will be developed by the consent of the members. There will be an equal number of Hindus and Muslims in each group.

Form your own group

Despite disagreements, we should focus on cohesiveness.

India Report presented at Liberty Committee

      Comments Off on India Report presented at Liberty Committee

This article was first Published on October 29, 2019 at – : https://centerforpluralism.com/india-report-presented-at-liberty-committee/

INDIA REPORT
10/28/2019 – Religious Liberty committee Meeting

An appeal to President Trump and his administration requesting him to ask Prime Minister Modi to restore freedom to the people of Kashmir. It was submitted to Ambassador Brownback on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, for further action. We thank 34 NGO’s for signing the letter shared by the religious liberty committee.  The letter is appended following the summary and solutions.

This paper outlines the concerns, the background for such developments, and the solutions.

Summary 

The primary concern about India today is the gross violation of religious freedoms and human rights, which could lead to genocide and bring disastrous results for the Indian economy, it will adversely affect India’s hitherto cohesiveness, and hurt American Security interests.

Modi can save India if he listens to the sane voices and restores freedom to every Indian to pursue his/her life, liberty, and happiness. The downfall can be reversed, provided Modi sees the full picture and warns the nation of consequences to lynching, harassing, raping, and threatening Christians and Muslims to convert to Hinduism, disappear or live as 2nd class citizens.  Mistreatment and harassment of Dalits need to stop.

The Congressional hearings on 10/22/19 were devastating to the Indian American supremacists, as it tore open the façade of democracy posed by the Modi administration. More at https://countercurrents.org/2019/10/hindutva-loses-in-the-us-congress

Modi administration has a record of creating facts to support its undemocratic actions. I suspect they will attempt to bulldoze the State Department with fake security threats that led them to revoke article 370 in Kashmir. The Indian court system has thrown out the fake encounters manufactured by the Modi administration in the past and information should be verified before trusting.

To save India from getting slapped on a label of a country of particular concern, all that the Modi government has to do is issue visas to the commissioners of USCIRFT to visit India and report the facts.

The Government of India has denied visas to the Commissioners of USCIRF, and also denied access to Senator Van Hollen to go into Kashmir. If India needs to come out clean, it should be open to investigations and let the truth come out.

Consent of the Governed meant nothing to Mr. Modi when he abolished the article 370 – The Indian Parliament did pass the abrogation bill after the fact but without the consent of the people of Kashmir.

1.9 million Indians are declared stateless. The ugliest part of the situation is the bill the Modi administration is trying to pass, it would reward citizenship to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs while denying the same to Muslims. Civilized nations do not discriminate.

I must advise everyone to distinguish between Hindutva and Hinduism. Hindutva is an aggressive movement patterned after Nazi ideals claiming Hindus to be a superior race.  The problem is not the belief, as the preachers of all religions ridiculously claim superiority of their faith. The problem is the violence it is unleashing on the minorities. Hindutva guides people to acquire political power and subjugate all others. Indeed, it calls for the continued oppression of Dalits (Untouchables) and the elimination of the inferior people like Christians and Muslims from India by 12/31/2021. Modi has not condemned these statements by his party men.  Hinduism, like all other religions, guides one to live a meaningful life. It teaches how to receive moksha or salvation from the conflicts of life and frees one from the cycle of life and death.

Except for a few, most of the Indians and the Indian diaspora dream about a cohesive India where every Indian feels secure about his/ her faith, ethnicity, and culture. Where he or she is free to eat, drink, wear, or believe whatever suits him/her.

My advice to Indian Americans is to be on the right side of history. If you stick to Justice and stand for liberty and religious freedom instead of the RSS cult and its leaders like Modi, you cannot go wrong. And you don’t need to pander to either Republicans or Democrats.

THE APPEAL FOR SIGNATURES
10/15/2019

INDIA APPEAL

TO:

Hon. President of the United States, Donald Trump
Hon. Secretary of the State, Mike Pompeo
Hon. Attorney General William Barr
Hon. Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper
Hon. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback

Dear President Trump,

We urge you to ask the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, to lift the six-week-long severe restrictions on the ordinary lives of the 7 million citizens of Kashmir, restore their freedom, and ensure the rule of law is in place. Here are a few points to consider;

  1. Prime Minister Modi’s actions in Kashmir can unleash a genocide of the Christians, Muslims, Dalits, Sikhs and others, and further lead to a significant setback to American economic and security interests in South Asia.
  2. Seven million people have been living in a prison-like environment in Kashmir since August 5, 2019. It has been more than a month now, and there are no signs of easing. The complete blockade of communications and freedom of movement has made life unbearable for the people, as they cannot purchase food, medicine, or even know what is happening to their relatives. This blockade needs to end.
  3. Reports from the United Nations point to more than 50,000 deaths since 1989 in the area. 214,000 children have been orphaned during the years of conflict.  Civilians continue to experience brutal oppression. “Close to 3,000 people have been detained in Kashmir — many of them children — since Aug. 4,”  The most recent study (2011) shows over 20,000 people have been detained without charges. An unaccounted number of rapes are happening.
  4. The Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits, and others are patiently enduring lynching, abuse, rape, and endless harassment. If there is no solution offered to their suffering, it may lead to chaos and genocide, which may require costly international intervention if the conflict is to be prevented from spreading.
  5. Modi and his government must further ensure that every Indian, regardless of religion or ethnicity, will be treated as an equal citizen, protected by legal authorities. and allowed to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.
  6. We urge you to ask Prime Minister Modi to allow the Commissioners of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to visit Kashmir and Assam, and enable them to report the facts on the ground.
  7. India is a bulwark for us against Chinese expansionism. It needs peace and stability to remain healthy, not social unrest.
  8. Kashmir is a flashpoint of Indo-Pakistan conflict, and it is a ticking time bomb. Should a nuclear exchange over this land occur, it will result in millions of casualties.

Your message will carry enormous weight with the Government of India, and an additional dispatch from the Department of State as well as Ambassador Brownback to this effect will keep our allies — India and Pakistan — from moving towards disaster.

Your timely statement will do miracles. The world would appreciate you and your administration for stopping a possible genocide of Uyghurs, Kashmiris, and Indians if you can act in time.

Ambassador Brownback has reiterated that if people are free from fear, they can focus on nation-building, and everyone will prosper. Religious freedom in the United States is a compelling reason for our prosperity; the world can learn from our experience.

Your message will help promote and restore India’s democracy and freedoms.

# # #

Initiated by the Center for Pluralism, Washington, DC
Mike Ghouse – Cell (214) 325-1916 | (202) 290-3560
Respond to: Mike@CenterforPluralism.com

NGOs supporting the appeal.

  1. International Christian Concern – Matias Perttula
  2. Christian Freedom International – Wendy Wright
  3. United Sikhs – Pawan Kang
  4. Nicholas Freedom Group – John Anderson
  5. Christian Solidarity Worldwide – Anna Lee Stingl
  6. US Women Christian Chamber of Commerce – Ambassador Lydia Gonzalez
  7. International Center for Rights and Justice – Rev. Joseph Grieboski
  8. US India Policy Institute – Dr. Hyder Khan
  9. American Indian Muslims – Kaleem Khawaja
  10. International Human Rights Committee – Nasim Malik
  11. Uyghur Human Rights Project — Omer Kanat
  12. Redeem the USA – Dr. William T. Devlin
  13. Church of Scientology – Sue Taylor
  14. Citizen Power Initiatives – Jianli Yang
  15. Hardwired, Inc – Tina Ramirez
  16. Islamic Society of North America – Dr. Sayyid Sayeed
  17. Indian American Muslim Council – Mohammad Jawad
  18. The Way to Happiness Association of Florida – Kelly Pomeranz
  19. Muslim Philanthropy – Rasheed Ahmed
  20. United Muslims of Interfaith Alliance – Iftekhar Hai
  21. Red Eagle Enterprises – Scott Morgan
  22. Jubilee Campaign USA – Ann Buwalda
  23. Great Truth – Andy Swarna
  24. Happy Science USA Washington Bureau – Satoshi Nishihata
  25. Advance USA – Dr. Carl Herbster
  26. The Association against Religious Persecution – Shirley Fan
  27. Law and Liberty Trust – Lauren Homer
  28. Journal of America – Abdul Sattar Ghazali
  29. UMA Interfaith Alliance – Iftekhar Hai
  30. The way to Happiness Association – Kelly Yaegermann
  31. Liftup Now foundation – Dr. A. Ojutiku
  32. Nicholas Freedom Group – Fr. John Anderson z
  33. JAMAAT – Jews and Muslims and Allies together – Walter Ruby
  34. American Humanist Association – Roy Speckhard

Individuals

  1. Mohammed Siddique
    2. Tufail Ahmed
    3. Uma Shankari Naren
    4. Rabbi Herb Levy
    5. Asrarul Haque
    6. Dr. Rashid Chotani, MD, MPH, FRCPH
    7. Danielle Khan. special Asst to Ambassador Swanee Hunt
    8. Victor Begg, Interfaith Community Leader, Florida

Hindutva forces lose out at Congressional hearings 
https://countercurrents.org/2019/10/hindutva-loses-in-the-us-congress

Hindutva is not Hinduism 
https://centerforpluralism.com/hindutva-is-not-hinduism/

Sincerely,

Mike Ghouse
Center for Pluralism
Mike@CenterforPluralism.com
(202) 290-3560 or Cell (214) 325-1916
Washington, DC

# # #

If you wish to receive the full 20 pages report, kindly email to Mike@CenterforPluralism.com

Message from Trump to Modi

      Comments Off on Message from Trump to Modi

This article was first Published on September 10, 2019 at – : https://centerforpluralism.com/message-from-president-trump-to-prime-minister-modi/

LAST CALL FOR SIGNATURES 

  • View and read the multi-faith letter with several organizations- please list yours by 10/14/1919 to deliver to the addresses listed below.
  • Please email Dr. Mike Ghouse at Mike@CenterforPluralism.com if your organization would like to sign on.

INDIA APPEALNeed your organization listed by 10/14/19 to submit

TO:

Hon. President of the United States, Donald Trump
Hon. Secretary of the State, Mike Pompeo      
Hon. Attorney General William Barr   
Hon. Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper 
Hon. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback

Dear President Trump,

We urge you to ask the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, to lift the six-week-long severe restrictions on the ordinary lives of the 7 million citizens of Kashmir, restore their freedom, and ensure the rule of law is in place. Here are a few points to consider;

  1. Kashmir is a flashpoint of Indo-Pakistan conflict, and it is a ticking time bomb. Should a nuclear exchange over this land occur, it will result in millions of casualties.

2.  Prime Minister Modi’s actions in Kashmir can unleash a genocide of the Christians, Muslims, Dalits, Sikhs and others, and further lead to a significant setback to American economic and security interests in South Asia.

3. Seven million people have been living in a prison-like environment in Kashmir since August 5, 2019. It has been more than a month now, and there are no signs of easing. The complete blockade of communications and freedom of movement has made life unbearable for the people, as they cannot purchase food, medicine, or even know what is happening to their relatives. This blockade needs to end.

4. Reports from the United Nations point to more than 50,000 deaths since 1989 in the area. 214,000 children have been orphaned during the years of conflict.  Civilians continue to experience brutal oppression. “Close to 3,000 people have been detained in Kashmir — many of them children — since Aug. 4,”  The most recent study (2011) shows over 20,000 people have been detained without charges. An unaccounted number of rapes are happening. 

5. The Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits, and others are patiently enduring lynching, abuse, rape, and endless harassment. If there is no solution offered to their suffering, it may lead to chaos and genocide, which may require costly international intervention if the conflict is to be prevented from spreading.

6. Mr. Modi and his government must further ensure that every Indian, regardless of religion or ethnicity, will be treated as an equal citizen, protected by legal authorities. and allowed to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.

7. We urge you to ask Prime Minister Modi to allow the Commissioners of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to visit Kashmir and Assam, and enable them to report the facts on the ground.

8. India is a bulwark for us against Chinese expansionism. It needs peace and stability to remain healthy, not social unrest.

Your message will carry enormous weight with the Government of India, and an additional dispatch from the Department of State as well as Ambassador Brownback to this effect will keep our allies — India and Pakistan — from moving towards disaster.

Your timely statement will do miracles. The world would appreciate you and your administration for stopping a possible genocide of Uyghurs, Kashmiris, and Indians if you can act in time.

Ambassador Brownback has reiterated that if people are free from fear, they can focus on nation-building, and everyone will prosper. Religious freedom in the United States is a compelling reason for our prosperity; the world can learn from our experience.

Your message will help promote and restore India’s democracy and freedoms.

# # #

Initiated by the Center for Pluralism, Washington, DC –
Mike Ghouse – Cell (214) 325-1916 |  (202) 290-3560
Respond to: Mike@CenterforPluralism.com 

NGOs supporting the appeal. 

  1. International Christian Concern – Matias Perttula 
  2. United Sikhs – Pawan Kang 
  3. St. Nicholas Freedom Group – John Anderson 
  4. Christian Solidarity WorldWide – Anna Lee Stingl
  5. US Women Christian Chamber of Commerce – Ambassador Lydia Gonzalez
  6. International Center for Rights and Justice – Rev. Joseph Grieboski
  7. US India Policy Institute – Dr. Hyder Khan
  8. American Indian Muslims – Kaleem Khawaja 
  9. International Human Rights Committee – Nasim Malik
  10. Uyghur Human Rights Project  — Omer Kanat
  11. Redeem USA – Dr. William T. Devlin 
  12. Church of Scientology – Sue Taylor
  13. Citizen Power Initiatives – Jianli Yang 
  14. Hardwired, Inc – Tina Ramirez
  15. Islamic Society of North America – Dr. Sayyid Sayeed
  16. Indian American Muslim Council – Mohammad Jawad 
  17. The Way to Happiness Association of Florida – Kelly Pomeranz
  18. Muslim Philanthropy – Rasheed Ahmed
  19. United Muslims of Interfaith Alliance – Iftekhar Hai
  20. Red Eagle Enterprises – Scott Morgan 
  21. Jubilee Campaign USA – Ann Buwalda
  22. Great Truth – Andy Swarna 
  23. Happy Science USA Washington Bureau – Satoshi Nishihata
  24. AdvanceUSA – Dr. Carl Herbster 
  25. The Association against Religious Persecution – Shirley Fan 

God of Spinoza and Einstein

      Comments Off on God of Spinoza and Einstein

This article was first Published on September 10, 2019 at – : https://centerforpluralism.com/god-of-spinoza-and-einstein/

It is a good discussion indeed. Once again, thanks for sharing.

I align with these thoughts. I have written in several places that God is not in the business of day to day management of life.  I cite Sura Rahman verses 5-11, that he/she/it created everything in balance and harmony – all things run precisely in the way they are ‘programmed. The planets, sun and the moon run their course, the earth tilts at a certain degree to create seasons, A grain of wheat is perfectly programmed to reproduce a grain of wheat, one drop of semen is a capsule of the entire life of a new human. Even our body is programmed to function normally with the right food, liquids, and air. The only thing that is not programmed is our will – the free will. I will write a full article, What will God do? Essentially nothing.  It will not be for public but a few friends

The following was shared by Mohammed Imran.

Apparently, when Einstein attended some conferences in the numerous universities of the USA, the recurring question that the students asked him was:

– Do you believe in God?

And he always answered:
– I believe in the God of Spinoza.

For the ones who haven’t read Spinoza
hope this shall give them an idea.

Baruch De Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher, of Portuguese Jewish origin, considered one of the great rationalists of his time along with the French philosopher Rene Descartes. Spinoza was born in Amsterdam in the 17th century of a businessman father who was successful but not wealthy.

This is the nature of the God of Spinoza:

God would have said:

“Stop praying and giving yourselves blows on your chests, what I want you to do is to go out into the world to enjoy your life. I want you to enjoy, you sing, have fun and enjoy everything I’ve done for you.

Stop going to those gloomy, dark and cold temples that you built yourself and that you call my home.

My house is in the mountains, in the forests, the rivers, the lakes, the beaches. That’s where I live and express all my love for you.

Stop blaming me for your miserable life; I never told you that you were a sinner.

Stop being so scared. I do not judge you, nor criticize you, nor ever is angry with you, nothing bothers me, nor do I devise punishment. I am pure love.

Stop asking me forgiveness, there’s nothing to forgive. If I made you… I filled you with passions, limitations, pleasures, feelings, needs, inconsistencies… of free will, how can I blame you if you do or say something out of that what I put in you? How can I punish you for being as you are, if I’m the one who made you? Do you think I could create a place to burn all my children who misbehave, for the rest of eternity?

What kind of God can do that?

Forget about any kind of commandments, of any kind of laws; those are wiles to manipulate you, to control you and only to create guilt in you.

Respect your peers and don’t do to others what you don’t want for you. The only thing I ask is that you pay attention in your life, that your alert status is your guide. This life is the only thing there is, here and now and the only thing you need.

I have made you absolutely free, there are no prizes or punishments, there are no sins or virtues, no one carries a marker, no one carries a record.

You are absolutely free to create in your life a heaven or hell.

I couldn’t tell you if there’s anything after this life, but I can give you a tip. Live as if there wasn’t.
As if this was your only chance to enjoy, to love, to exist.

So, if there is nothing, then you will have enjoyed the opportunity I gave you. And if there is, be sure that I will not ask you if you behaved well or not, I will ask you. Did you like it?… did you have fun ?..What did you enjoy the most? What did you learn?…

Stop believing in me; believe is to assume, guess, imagine. I don’t want you to believe in me, I want you to feel me when you kiss your beloved, when you play with your little girl when you love your dog when you bathe in the sea.

Stop praising me. What kind of egotistical God do you think I am?
I’m bored of your praise, I’m fed up with thanks. Do you feel grateful? Prove it taking care of yourself, your health, your relationships, the world around you. Do you feel overwhelmed?… Express your joy! That’s the way to praise me.

The only thing sure is that you are here, that you are alive, that this world is full of wonders.

What do you need more miracles for?
Why so many explanations?

Don’t look for me outside, you won’t find me. Find me inside… there I’m beating in you.”

Baruch De Spinoza

From Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_and_philosophical_views_of_Albert_Einstein

Religious and philosophical views of Albert Einstein

In his book Ideas and Opinions (1954) Einstein stated, “In their struggle for the ethical good, teachers of religion must have the stature to give up the doctrine of a personal God, that is, give up that source of fear and hope which in the past placed such vast power in the hands of priests.”[3] In December 1922 Einstein said the following on the idea of a saviour, “Denominational traditions I can only consider historically and psychologically; they have no other significance for me.[9]

Pantheism and Spinoza’s God[edit]

Einstein had explored the idea that humans could not understand the nature of God. In an interview published in George Sylvester Viereck‘s book Glimpses of the Great (1930), Einstein responded to a question about whether or not he defined himself as a pantheist. He explained:

Your question is the most difficult in the world. It is not a question I can answer simply with yes or no. I am not an Atheist. I do not know if I can define myself as a Pantheist. The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds. May I do not reply with a parable? The human mind, no matter how highly trained, cannot grasp the universe. We are in the position of a little child, entering a huge library whose walls are covered to the ceiling with books in many different tongues. The child knows that someone must have written those books. It does not know who or how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child notes a definite plan in the arrangement of the books, a mysterious order, which it does not comprehend, but only dimly suspects. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of the human mind, even the greatest and most cultured, toward God. We see a universe marvelously arranged, obeying certain laws, but we understand the laws only dimly. Our limited minds cannot grasp the mysterious force that sways the constellations. I am fascinated by Spinoza’s Pantheism. I admire even more his contributions to modern thought. Spinoza is the greatest of modern philosophers because he is the first philosopher who deals with the soul and the body as one, not as two separate things.[22]

Einstein stated, “My views are near those of Spinoza: admiration for the beauty of and belief in the logical simplicity of the order which we can grasp humbly and only imperfectly. I believe that we have to content ourselves with our imperfect knowledge and understanding and treat values and moral obligations as a purely human problem—the most important of all human problems.”[23]

On 24 April 1929, Einstein cabled Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein in German: “I believe in Spinoza’s God, who reveals himself in the harmony of all that exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fate and the doings of mankind.”[24] He expanded on this in answers he gave to the Japanese magazine Kaizō in 1923:

Scientific research can reduce superstition by encouraging people to think and view things in terms of cause and effect. Certain it is that a conviction, akin to religious feeling, of the rationality and intelligibility of the world lies behind all scientific work of a higher order. […] This firm belief, a belief bound up with a deep feeling, in a superior mind that reveals itself in the world of experience, represents my conception of God. In common parlance, this may be described as “pantheistic” (Spinoza).[25]

Hindus must be appreciated

      Comments Off on Hindus must be appreciated

This article was first Published on September 10, 2019 at – : https://centerforpluralism.com/hindus-must-be-appreciated/

It is tempting to use the phrases Hindu Terrorism, or Hinduism is violent given what is happening in India.

Hindus must be appreciated – remember, Hindutva is not Hinduism, 

Please do not use the words Hindu Terrorism or Hindu Terrorist. It is offensive to a majority of Hindus; they are good people like all other majorities in other faiths.  As a Muslim, I am offended by such a phrase.  Let me explain why. 

Yes, when the extremists from the Modi government or its affiliates tell you, that Muslims and the Christians will have to convert to Hinduism, get killed or disappear or live as 2nd class citizens after 12/31/2021. You are tempted to call it Hindu Terrorism. Modi has not condemned this, as if he smiles when others do his dirty work. 

But look beyond, the good Hindu majority is standing up for the human rights of all Indians, to them, religion is individual, and all are Indians.  In fact, only Hindus will save India, they are the majority.  Hindus are speaking out now, and I am glad to see that.  Ignore the trolls on social media, they do not have any common sense – you write something, and they attack on something else. 

Relentlessly, I have commented on the subject in the last few days at Whats-app, Facebook, and other social media, and chose to write a few full paragraphs on it.

A majority of good Hindus are standing up for the rights of Muslims, Christians, Dalits, Sikhs, and others than you can ever imagine. It is wrong to use the phrase Hindu Terrorism; it is offensive and adds to the aggravation.

Coming up: Muslims must be appreciated

Remember, the right people will always win; the extremists wither away. The song from the old movie Bombay to Goa is playing out in my ears… “Na Koi Raha hai, na Koi Rahega, mere desh azaad ho ke rahega.  Sikander bhi aaye, khalandar bhi aaye,” to that I add, “Indira bhi aaye, Modi bhi aaya… no koi Raha hai no koi rahega.”  No one is eternal, we have seen Alexander the creep come and go, we have seen others like him come and go, and we have seen Indira Gandhi come and go, and now, we will see Modi come and go – at the end of the day my people have to figure out how to live without fear of each other. 

HINDUTVA IS NOT HINDUISM

I hope you know the difference between Americans and Trump, Israelis and Netanyahu, India and Modi. And also know the difference between Islamist and Islam, and Hindutva and Hinduism.

 Hinduism has always been a pluralistic tradition, and it has welcomed Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Baha’i, Zoroastrianism, and other traditions into its fold. All religions have thrived in India just like they do in the United States.

A majority of the people are innocent, and they believe that everyone is treated the same way are they are. However, the fact is a white person cannot understand the tension a black man feels when he gets in the car to drive. A Hindu in India cannot comprehend the apprehension a Dalit, Muslim or Christian feels “these” days, it is all a new phenomenon.

Since Modi Government took control, India has become one man’s rule, and the nation is going down the tube. I do hope Modi will wake up and listen to sane voices, otherwise, the public will remove him as they did to Indira Gandhi when she became a one-person rule.

People can live with a bad economy, but they get sick of division and discord among fellow Indians.  The very purpose of government is to ensure all of the inhabitants of the land live freely and securely. Under Modi Raj, everything has gone wrong from the economy to disastrous demonetization, giving major contracts to his buddies like the Rafel, GST, Farmers suicides, Triple talaq and now the Kashmir blunder. How far is he going to sink India before we wake up?

A few members of Sangh Parivar (family of BJP party) and its affiliates are calling for India to be free from Christians and Muslims in the year 2021. The choices are converting back to Hinduism, deport them (to where?) or kill them all. 

The radicals among Hindus imagine a genocide in the likes of the Holocaust to make India Muslim Mukt and Christian Mukt – that is free from Christians and Muslims.  They don’t realize that all Indians are of the same race and have lived for thousands of years. 

It goes against the interest of America, which is seeking India to be a bulwark against Chinese/ Communist influence. It is also in the interest of America to secure her investments. 

If we don’t take the right steps now, America has a lot to lose, of course, India will be down the tubes.  It will be tied up for two decades to rescue India, as it did with the Jews from the Holocaust and Muslim from the Genocide in Kosovo.   

 So please do not use the phrases ‘Hindu Terrorism’ or Hinduism is a violent religion. Accuse the bad guys and not the faith. As a Muslim, I take severe offense if someone uses those phrases. In the end, only Hindus can save India and her people, all her people, including Muslims, Dalits, and Christians.   

Let me give you the reasons for it. 

There was a time when people did not hesitate blatantly using the phrases Muslim Terrorist or Islamic Terrorism. I have done my share of the work tirelessly fighting against using such terms and have won a concession from Fox News. 

Thanks to Stuart Varney who chose to use the phrase Terrorists among Muslims, while Sean Hannity kept up his word until ISIS came into being. Most Americans now see the difference and use their words thoughtfully. 

The word Islamist is used to refer to the extremists among Muslims, like the ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Brotherhood, Lashkar-Taioba, and their affiliates. None of their acts have a basis in Islam. Indeed, they are the ones who need to learn Islam. Check out the chapter ‘Source of extremism among Muslims’ in the newly released book American Muslim Agenda. 

Similarly, the Neocons and the KKK cannot be called Christianity, nor the Hindutva can be labeled Hinduism. The right-wing Zionists are in the same boat. None of these are religious movements, even though they claim to carry a religious banner. All these are pseudo-political movements of insecure people seeking security in a vacuum. They are incredibly fanatic in their beliefs, and there is only one way for them. 

 Animals resolve their conflicts by killing each other, whereas humans talk and find solutions. You can see that animals have horns, fangs, and paws for that purpose, and humans have a tongue to speak. However, the animal in these fringe group makes them resort to annihilating the others whom they perceive as a threat to their life. 

 The Hindus are reasonable people, and Hinduism is an open and accommodating religion, just like the others. The majority of Hindus want the good for all, and they believe the world is one family, and we must care for each other. I will defend all religions equally because religions are a good thing if we can get the extremist embrace their respective religion. 

 HINDUTVA IS NOT THE SAME AS HINDUISM 

The word Hindutva has Hindu in its name, but it is not Hinduism from any stretch of the imagination. It is a political movement like Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Nazi, right-wing Zionism (not Zionism), Neocons, and others.  

Once again, condemn the acts of RSS/ Sangh Parivar and not Hindus or Hinduism. 

Hitler and Mussolini have inspired the fountainhead of the Sangh Parivar (RSS and its affiliates). 

 We are Our Nationhood Defined a book by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue MS Golwalkar.

“…To keep up the purity of the nation and its culture, Germany shocked the world by her purging the country of Semitic races – the Jews. National pride at its highest has been manifested here. Germany has also shown how well-nigh impossible it is for races and cultures, having differences going to the root, to be assimilated into one united whole, a good lesson for us in Hindustan to learn and profit by,”

The following paragraphs are from Haaretz Newspaper, please note a few spellings have been corrected, otherwise, the quotes are as is. 

Mein Kampf, on display and on sale at Mumbai International Airport, December 2017, is a money-spinner for India’s reputable publishers: Jaico alone has sold hundreds of thousands in the last decade Shrenik Rao / Madras Courier   

Haaretz writes, “In 2004 when now-Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, school textbooks published by the Gujarat State Board portrayed Hitler as a hero and glorified fascism. The tenth-grade social studies textbook had chapters entitled “Hitler, the Supremo,” and “Internal Achievements of Nazism.” The section on the “Ideology of Nazism” reads:

“Hitler lent dignity and prestige to the German government. He adopted the policy of opposition towards the Jewish people and advocated the supremacy of the German race.”

The tenth-grade social studies textbook, published by the state of Tamil Nadu in 2011 (with multiple revised editions until 2017) includes chapters glorifying Hitler, praising his “inspiring leadership,” “achievements” and how the Nazis “glorified the German state” so, “to maintain a German race with Nordic elements, [Hitler] ordered the Jews to be persecuted.”

“There is nothing wrong,” he said in a chilling interview in 1993 with Time magazine, “if Muslims are treated as Jews were in Nazi Germany.” Citing Hitler’s infamous polemic, he tried to apply fascist ideology in the Indian context. “If you take Mein Kampf and if you remove the word ‘Jew’ and put in the word ‘Muslim,’ that is what I believe in,” he said.

This fanatical admiration for Hitler and his genocidal agenda is not an aberration. It was and still is, endemic among the RSS leadership. 

MS Golwalkar, another early RSS leader, also known as the “Guru of Hate,” idolized Hitler’s Nazi cultural nationalism, and wanted to create a Hindu nation by adopting Hitler’s totalitarian and fascist pattern.

 A growing contempt for India’s minorities manifests itself racist remarks passed with casual insouciance.

It’s not uncommon to hear remarks such as “These bloody Jews/Rothschilds/Soros control the world/financial system/whole of Hollywood.” The number of Jews in India is very small. Yet there is, despite a long-held belief to the contrary, anti-Semitism. “These Christian missionaries deserve to be hanged – they are only interested in conversions” is another frequent comment. Only 2.4% of India’s population is Christian. Yet they are constantly attacked. When it comes to India’s Muslims, the invective is multiplied exponentially.

As Khushwant Singh wrote in 2003, “The juggernaut of Hindu fundamentalism has emerged from the temple of intolerance, and is on its yatra [on the march]. … The fascist agenda of Hindu fanatics is unlike anything we have experienced in our modern history.” 

Mike Ghouse is Executive Director of the Center for Pluralism. His book American Muslim Agenda is available on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, Kindle, Google, and other book stores. He is a speaker, thinker, writer, newsmaker and an interfaith wedding officiant. More about him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/

Other articles

# # #