Spirituality is not wearing colorful clothes, long hair, beard, staying away from humanity… they are symbolic and external signs.
Spirituality is to be a part of everyone around you, and not to act and wear distinctly from others to separate yourselves from others – it is arrogance. It is becoming one with all. When you feel you are a speck in this gigantic universe, and you are an equally important speck in the making of the universe.
The dressing up is for show and to announce who you are. Indeed, arrogance and spirituality are inversely proportional to each other – i.e. the greater the spirituality in you, the lesser the arrogance. Higher the humility, higher is the spirituality.
I love my life – as I have learned to enjoy everything in life. I am comfortable with different cultures, races, faiths, ethnicities, and nationalities; indeed, I am home with all people. I have made mistakes and paid for it in humility and hurt, but I am beyond that now.
Every religion, culture, and philosophy have a system for it. The word that I have chosen in defining the role of a Muslim is – Khadimul Aalameen or Mukhlooqul Aalameen, it is someone who considers himself /herself to belong to and care for what surrounds him/her; life and environment.
As a believer in an abstract God that caused, sustains and recycles the universe, and as a follower of Prophet Muhammad, who was a blessing to mankind, I feel I should reflect some of those characteristics and call myself the Khadimul Aalameen (the one who serves and connects with the entire universe). I have no barrier between me and another human. I may disagree with someone’s views, but never take him/her as my enemy.
It simply means that those who want to be merely a speck in the universe, have their own flaws and good, they are connected with matter and life that surrounds them, they err, they recover, they have flaws but have learned to live with who they are. It is a joy when you don’t have barriers between you and everything that the universe is made of – life and matter.
In the chapter Islamic values in the book American Muslim Agenda, Quran offers guidance to set your goal posts, and that is to enable humans to dwell in an abode of peace; a conflict-free, hassle-free life. That is the ultimate purpose of life, Quran 6:127 (Asad), “Theirs shall be an abode of peace with their Sustainer; and He shall be near unto them in the result of what they have been doing.” Each one of us is in the pursuit of happiness with liberty and justice for all. A full explanation of the purpose of life is described in the book.
What is life?
One of the best explanations of life is given by the legendary Urdu Poet Pandit Brij Narayan Chakbast.
zindagī kyā hai anāsir meñ zuhūr-e-tartīb maut kyā hai inhīñ ajzā kā pareshāñ honā
Rough translation:
What is life – is an organization of different elements of creation – that is different atoms, molecules come together to form a life. He explains death as, disorganization or scattering of the same elements
My friends, you are spiritual without wearing colorful clothes, wearing a beard or chanting certain words, take it easy. If you are conscious of yourselves and connect with everything and person around you, you are spiritual. What the religious men do is laying the pathway, but that is not spirituality in itself.
Dr. Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His book, the “American Muslim Agenda” is about Muslim earning their respectable space in the society. The book is available at Amazon, Xlibris, Google, Barnes and Noble, and Kindle. Mike’s mission is to open people’s hearts, minds, and souls towards each other. He believes that the ultimate purpose of humans is to live freely and be comfortable with their culture, race, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, and individuality. Mike is a public speaker, author, interfaith wedding officiant, a newsmaker and the executive director of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. More about him in three formats at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/
Please note that at the Pluralism Center, we will rectify false information about any faith with no exception. In this piece, we rectified the misinformation about Islam.
I just read the “Birthright Trips to Israel” in the New York Times. I will be happy to add to their curriculum how to bring security to Israel and justice to the Palestinians; one will not happen without the other. The politicians have screwed people on both sides. I hope the next person they elect would be based on their promise and action plan to bring long term security to both the people, for you cannot live on like this, producing abnormal humans on both sides loaded with ill-will coupled with dehumanizing each other.
Here is an abstract from my book, the American Muslim Agenda available at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and other booksellers.
“I am taking you on a bus trip to Jerusalem. There were forty of us, most Americans and a few Europeans on a Middle East peace initiative by the Universal Peace Foundation of Reverend Moon.
Mike Ghouse, Dutch Imams and Mufti of Jerusalem The Bus tour Guide in Jerusalem by the Golden Dome Mosque (It was under repair then)
As the bus started moving, the tour guide came on the public address and said, “Today I am going to share about Islam. Islam has six pillars, and they are Jihad, (She said Jihad means killing Jews and Christians) I let her finish the long spill then got up and said, “I am a Muslim, and there are only five pillars in Islam, and Jihad is not one of them. Can I explain that to my fellow passengers?” There was a dead pause for a few seconds, and it appeared like an eternity.
The passengers were my teammates, and in unison, they shouted, “Let him.” Of course, I explained, and the two Dutch Imams (Picture) also joined me. She protested, but we insisted that we are Muslims and we knew the faith and produced her a printout upon return to the hotel. She promised to pass it on to the tourism ministry as they were the ones who approved the script. Islam is deliberately misrepresented in Israel; of course, the Palestinians do the same. As responsible members of society, we have to work on learning about one another as we are—the good, bad, and ugly among us.”
Damned politicians poison their tourists – When the tourist have to interact and work with the very people, they were told bad things about – they are screwed, they are tense when working with “them” and anxious when they carry this burden to their homes. Neither family is happy, nor the workplace is getting dedicated workers as they are consumed with ill-will. Duncan Southall, writes, “The unfounded beliefs are usually associated with a phenomenon known as ethnocentrism, a belief that one’s own culture is superior to all others, past or present.”
I am passing a copy of this book to the Israeli Embassy and the Ministry of Tourism in Israel to get their act together. If they want security for Israel, which the Jewish people wish to, let them not teach hatred and falsities and make it difficult for the Israelis or the tourists to interact with the Palestinians. In the long haul, both people have to learn to live with each other, and you cannot believe in your might and do whatever is needed to win short-term political victories. Think long-term and plan long term – the goal should be the security of all people; if there is injustice, the law of Karma operates and delays good life for the Israeli citizens.
Mike Ghouse is a public speaker, thinker, and author. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/
Thanks for clarifying your statement about Governmentalization of Health Insurance for me, with that you connected with me and became my one of my few favorites.
Your talk on Morning-Joe fully resonated with me, indeed, as a rare Indian American, I live in all Black neighborhood and cherishing the experience and calling on the nation to work on integrated communities. Here is the article I wrote on April 21, 2019, much before your talk. https://centerforpluralism.com/why-integrated-
You are Ms. Pluralist, and I would like to meet with you for 30 minutes to do an interview for Pluralism News and present you with a book to understand American Muslims, it is called American Muslim Agenda. By the way, I am an independent who supports the candidates who are committed to building a cohesive America.
At one time I considered Dalai Lama to be a truly a God’s man – meaning he looked all the creation to be his beloved creation., he did not differentiate between one human and the other. I thought he was a pluralist, that is one who respects the otherness of the other and believes we are all one large family as eloquently mentioned in all religions. Years of reading about him had made me drop him like a hot potato a few years back. Here is Page 143 from the book American Muslim Agenda – a book about building cohesive societies.
A few points:
Lama said Europe is for Europeans – how idiotic can he be, then India is for Indians, should he be kicked out? Of course not, but for Lama to utter that non-sense is wrong.
He also made misogynistic comments. I will give him the leeway, many religious men from all faiths have two mouths – they say women are equal while discounting a woman standing next to them.
He had problems with religious conversions. Everyone should have a problem with forced and coerced conversions. However, everyone should have the freedom to convert, it is an endorsement of free will. We change spouses, clothes, vehicles, jobs, and field of professionalism, what is wrong with religion. People should be free to weigh all the options.
Buddhism is not God-centered, but God to me means the energy that runs the universe, and hence I thought Dalai Lama was a God’s man. You don’t have to believe in the dished-out version of God to be a God’s man. God is a general term for the energy that drives the universe and keeps in balance. Even an Atheist can be called God’s man under this broad definition.
Here is an excerpt from Page 143 of the book American Muslim Agenda, written six months ago before the Dalai Lama’s blunder.
“It does not matter to me if you believe in one god, two Gods, many Gods, or no God. But if you think you are accountable to someone or the other, your behavior toward fellow beings will change in creating a peaceful world. That someone or the other could be your conscience or God. I must acknowledge here that as of today, among all the living humans whom I know in the whole wide world, Pope Francis is one of the most inclusive of all human beings. He is indeed a God’s man, and he has an inclusive vision. Like Jesus, he has embraced all humanity without discrimination. I have written an article calling him my Imam. I was looking up at Dalai Lama and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar; both have failed miserably with their built-in prejudices against fellow humans. A man of God cannot be prejudiced and he or she is above the fray. The following Islamic value is for those who want to understand the oneness of God, that is, tawhid in the Quran. By the way, the Baha’i tradition has the most convincing explanations about tawhid. I learned about it, explaining to my radio audiences when the Baha’i representative could not make it to my radio show.
How Does Tawhid Affect Our Attitude and Contribute to Building Cohesive Societies? “References
Dalai Lama’s quotes from BBC link below
In a speech last year he said that refugees to the European Union should ultimately return home, adding that “Europe is for Europeans”, a statement he stood by when I challenged him on it.
“European countries should take these refugees and give them education and training, and the aim is to return to their own land with certain skills,” he said.
“A limited number is OK, but the whole of Europe [will] eventually become a Muslim country, African country – impossible,” he said. A controversial viewpoint, and a reminder that while the Dalai Lama is a spiritual figurehead he is also a politician with views and opinions like everyone else.
In another surprise, he reaffirmed his belief that beauty matters as much as brains. “If a female Dalai Lama comes, she should be more attractive,” he told me while laughing.
Shaping America | Zakaria on Terrorism | Kamala Harris | Christian & Muslim Persecution
FAREED ZAKARIA
Fareed is doing a show on terrorism at ten this morning. Observing him over the years, I believe he resonates with most of the moderate Americans, and I hope he will take the following approach.
All religions want people to live in peace, and today, I’m pleased to emphasize Jesus’s wisdom, condemn the sin and not the sinner, if we can do this, we have a chance to redeem the sinners from the crime. At least 15 of Prophet Muhammad’s actions mitigated conflicts and nurtured goodwill. Both these men are peacemakers and wanted to see a cohesive world where no one lived in fear of the other.
We should condemn terrorism and not the terrorists; if we can separate the two, we have at least a chance to redeem the men who are on the wrong path.
Don’t push terrorists to the corner without giving them the options. It allows them to consider the choices; if we don’t, we are causing them to be emboldened with their stance and do the damage in many ways.
In reality, we don’t want the terrorists to be the terrorists, and we should not double down and box them to remain a terrorist. We need to dialogue them, and that takes giving them value as humans. Animals fight with their horns, fangs, and paws to resolve the disputes, humans dialogue, that is the right tools for the survival of humans.
Let’s see what Fareed says
Mike
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SHAPING AMERICA
If we want the change, we have to make an effort.
Ten years from now, you will not find a place of work, worship, playground, school, restaurant, theater and other areas of public gatherings where you will not see people of different faiths, races, and ethnicities interacting, working, studying, intermingling, playing and even marrying each other. These interactions are bound to create conflicts, and we must prevent such disputes, so each American can live securely with his or her faith, culture, gender, race, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.
We have already witnessed how the natives (those who have been here for several generations) feel about the new Americans. It is not a phobia but a natural feeling of losing one’s way of life and one’s world.
A vast majority of us have heard things about others from our friends, news, social media, or our knowledge of others, and we instantly form opinions about others. As responsible individuals, we must strive to strip stereotyping and build pathways to ensure the smooth functioning of our society, whether it is the workplace or our neighborhoods.
We need to reassure each other, particularly the disconnected ones, 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 the way of life each one of us wants to lead.
The Center for Pluralism will continue to bring non-stop actions in bringing Americans together from different faiths, political affiliations, societies, and cultures and be a catalyst for a safe and a secure America for each one of us, as we move through this transition.
As we learn to respect the otherness of others and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.
Please visit our website and participate as a volunteer, sponsor, or donor. We are a Washington based non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, and your donations are appreciated to continue the work we are doing. https://centerforpluralism.com/donate/
# # #
KAMALA HARRIS
I hope to get the time with candidate Kamala Harris, and I will be calling on all the candidates and the book American Muslim Agenda has been distributed to over 75 people in the Department of State, members of Congress and Senators. I hope to interview President Trump, as well. Here is a letter I send to Kamala Harris, and her scheduler is working on the appointment.
June 29, 2019
Dear Senator Kamala Harris,
Thanks for clarifying your statement about Governmentalization of Health Insurance. I am glad you are for a plurality of private insurance and the Medicaid for all. That makes a big difference, and you have un-alienated a few Republicans towards you. I believe by next week, you will the among top three candidates.
Your talk on Morning-Joe, today, fully resonated with me, indeed, as a rare Indian American, I live in all Black neighborhood and cherishing the experience and calling on the nation to work on integrated communities. Here is the article I wrote on April 21, 2019, much before your talk. https://centerforpluralism.com/why-integrated-societies-are-good-for-america/
You are Ms. Pluralist, and I would like to meet with you for 30 minutes to do an interview for Pluralism News and present you with a book to understand American Muslims, it is called American Muslim Agenda.
By the way, I am an independent who supports the candidates who are committed to building a cohesive America and I hope you do, be prepared to answer non-political social questions.
The state Department is holding its 2nd annual Ministerial conference -a three-day conference from July 16-18 with two additional days for side events. The center for pluralism is organizing two events. We need speakers to talk on these subjects immediately. Send me your profile to SpeakerMikeGhouse@gmail.com
PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS
The presentation will be on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC. It is about phobias in general, including homophobia, misogyny, xenophobia, Anti-Semitism, and Idolatry phobia, and Islamophobia and Christian Phobia in particular.
We will be tracing the origins of these phobias and their current manifestations. The Christians and Muslim minorities are persecuted everywhere in the world and are harassed, raped, and lynched by a few men and women from the majority of the fellow countrymen.
What is the solution? How can we mitigate these phobias and let Christians and Muslims live freely and practice their faith, culture, and traditions without fear? We will explore the roles the communities, national leadership, and the international bodies and above all, education.
Religious Freedom is proportional to the economic prosperity of a Nation – if you can talk about this, please call me. The event will be on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC.
The economic prosperity of a nation is directly proportional to Religious Freedom. It frees people from the daily tensions of what to eat, drink, wear and believe, or loss of income. They become a productive employee and devoted members of their family and contributing to the prosperity of the nation.
Dr. Mike Ghouse is a public speaker, author, pluralist, Muslim, interfaith wedding officiant, and the executive director of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More at More at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/
There is a lot of conversation that goes on in different forums. I saw the following picture in Whatsapp by one of my Muslim friends in India. On the other hand, my Jewish friend in Dallas shared her experience on Facebook, all in a day’s work. I was sensitive and commented on the wrong choice of words, and commented on both the threads.
The dialogue follows.
Nature is amazing, you can even call it an evolutionary process. Over the years all minorities (that includes white, blacks, browns and others in different places) and people of faith or no faith (each faith is a minority in one place or the other) and of course, add gender, ethnicity, and culture to the pool. These minorities feel the brunt of the respective majoritarian ill-will. In this commentary, I will keep my focus on Jews and Muslims who have built-in antennas to see the prejudice flowing out of other people’s words and actions.
Indian Muslim friend
Ghouse: Shafi, ‘kicked out’ is a disrespectful word; they were forced out for being Jews.
Shafi: yes, just for my knowledge & my sympathy with the Jews, & because. I think you know more about Jews, will you please let me know (enlighten me) why the Jews were evicted forcibly from every other European nation?
Ghouse: Shafi, they were forced out because the Christian right (not all Christians) believes that Jews killed Jesus. It is not true, it was the tradition that killed the rebel not Jews. Someday, I hope to hold a conference on reconciling between the four major faiths – Judaism, Islam, Christianity and Hinduism, all of them have gripes. It was not the religion but the prevalent tradition that caused persecutions. For example, you could not apply the 2019 LGBTQ laws in the year 1950, the laws were just not there. You could not enforce the 1964 Civil Rights Laws in the year 1952.
It’s the most common accusation, and I have witnessed it in pastor Phelps rallies, and have taken the pictures of the ugly placards, that said, “Jews killed Jesus.” I stood with Jews (full story in Huffington post in the year 2011) at the Holocaust Museum, Texas Jewish post, Akiba Academy, and a few synagogues. There are many pictures and a story about it.
Muslim-right (not the majority of Muslims) also has mistranslated Quranic verses to foster ill-will against Jews and all of that is being corrected now. More in the book American Muslim Agenda.
72% of Americans were opposed to the Iraq war, yet dictator Bush pushed for it. For God’s sake, we are a democracy – should we be responsible or the leaders? Shame on us, we did not do enough to stop the dictator who did things unilaterally and on our behalf. Israel is no different. But I do know a majority of American Jews are tired of the continued conflicts and they want justice for the Palestinians and security (not military, but be able to freely travel without apprehensions) for the Israelis.
What the government of Israel does is a violation of human rights, UN resolutions, occupation, settlements, and harassment of civilians. That is wrong, and 195 out of 200 nations are pissed off at Netanyahu (not Israel) and resent such violations, and it is not Anti-Semitism, it merely is resentment for not respecting the collective opinion of the world. Just as many nations are reluctant to negotiate with Trump (not America) as the next president may reject his executive orders as he did with President Obama’s EO’s.
Yes, there are a few creepy rabbis who have said to kill mothers who give birth to Palestinian babies, so are the creepy Imams who say the opposite. Neither of these creepy men and women represents the majority of Jews or Muslims. We need to remember this every time we talk about these issues. We should consciously fight any kind of stereotyping that crawls on our minds. If we cannot do it, then don’t expect the other to do it.
As Muslims, we should not be unjust to any one of God’s creation because we disagree on their politics or economics; we must continue to seek justice.
We should follow the Quran’s “right” translation for the long term good of all humanity, that is, if we sincerely believe in the Qurans’ wisdom, and I hope you do.
From the book, American Muslim Agenda, the chapter on Islamic value # 5 – there are a total of 10 verse listed in the book, a few among them are here.
Quran 5:8, (Asad), ” O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.
Quran, 4:135 (Asad), “O you who believe, you shall be equitable, and observe GOD, when you serve as witnesses, even against yourselves, or your parents, or your relatives. Whether the accused is rich or poor, GOD takes care of both. Therefore, do not be biased by your wishes. If you deviate or disregard [this commandment], then GOD is fully Cognizant of everything you do.”
Quran 49:6 (Asad) “O you who believe, if a wicked person brings any news to you, you shall first investigate, lest you commit injustice toward some people, out of ignorance, then become sorry and remorseful for what you have done.” Prophet Muhammad had suggested living a regret-free life.
Here is one of the many articles on the topic, that may answer some of your questions.
So I met my husband at Mac’s barbecue by Fair Park today like we have done many times over 15 years. The owner has always chatted with us about the gossip in the neighborhood, and He then started in about Laura Miller and called her a Jew Nose. I was sure he didn’t say that, so I asked him to repeat what he said then told me the same thing. I gently told him I was Jewish, but he repeated himself, saying if I ever saw her, I would know what he was saying. I told Laura is a person that happens to be Jewish. Quietly got up and we walked out. I will never go back again. I am still shaking.
Mike Ghouse: Erica, in 2005, a councilman in Dallas city hall pointed his finger, and said, “you people” to a Jewish man, I was outraged and wrote in Dallas Morning news at that time.
Antisemitism is mitigatable thru education. The good news is there are far fewer bigots now than a decade ago.
Why don’t you write on his website if there is one, and I’ll add to it?
My vision of America is for each one of us to feel secure with our faith, race, ethnicity, culture, and other uniqueness. It is articulated in the book American Muslim Agenda.
Erica: Thank you, Mike Ghouse, for all you do to stop this hate through education. That’s why I am so fond of you. I have no interest in trying to destroy his business. I think we should all speak out when we hear this kind of talk whether it is Jewish, Muslim, Black, Brown, Native American or even Asian. My dad was the first generation American and struggled with antisemitism. He was so proud to send money to Israel to help plant trees. One thing I remember my dad saying was that the difference between Jews and non-Jews is that Jews kept their suitcases packed by the front door.
Mike Ghouse: Erica, the last sentence is perhaps my motivation and the work we do at the Center for Pluralism – to create societies where each one of us feels secure about our faith, race, ethnicity, and culture. You may like this piece – Boosting Jewish Muslim Relations –
I’m a free person and not influenced by any interests, and have refused to take fund for our organization by such groups. My organization will remain financially weak because of the stand we take. We don’t project or manufacture enemies to frighten the crap out of constipated men and have them open their check books. We see others as informed, misinformed, or ill-informed citizens, and our role is to educate the know nots. I have many successful stories to share about making a dent in the thoughts of the kings and princess of Islamophobia. I don’t believe I have enemies, and some may disagree with my stances, but not the whole of me. My mission is to open people’s hearts and minds towards each other.
Wednesday, May 22, 2019, Capitol Hill, Washington, DC — The Equality Labs of America presented a historic congressional briefing on the evil of casteism that has followed several Indians to America. It is hard to believe these men and women have taken the oath to uphold our constitution, but grossly violate the ideals enshrined in our declaration of independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
More pictures below
Congresswoman Pramila Rajagopal sponsored the briefing, her staff and other congressional staff took copious notes for record and action. Several organizations were concerned about discrimination of Dalits even in America and attended the meetings to learn about it.
As always, there are negative forces out there, instead of presenting their case for the public to understand and support them, they resort to denigrating the other and killing the programs thru undue influence. Last year, I know two events on the Capitol Hill got canceled. It’s very un-American, if you have a reason to believe you have a point, communicate it effectively and not thru undue influence, someday all such nefarious activities will be shot down, truth ultimately prevails. We call it Satyameva Jayate.
It is in this context; we can conclude that this meeting was overwhelmingly successful. Indeed, it is the critical step towards acknowledging and serving justice to the Dalits.
It amazes me at the caste discrimination among South Asian Americans is rampant.
My recommendation to the presenters is to define casteism for the American audience. In simple words Caste is boxing groups of people as inferior beings by their birth, they are the outcasts and untouchables. You don’t eat with them or even sit with them, let alone let them enter your home. If someone tends to act equal, he or she gets beaten up. It is still happening in India.
Thanks to my father for breaking all the rules. The Dalits would sit with us, eat with us in the same utensils and my mother would make them tea and we all drank with the same cups. It had a profound effect on me. I have fought with people at the public taps for the wait the Dalits had to endure and the shameful acts of washing the tap several times after a Dalit collects the water from the tap. I am glad my parents did not poison me with prejudices that many parents in India do. The poisoning against Dalits, Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs have been intensified in the last five yars. If this is not checked, every Indian will lose at the end.
The 90 minutes hearing was loaded with information; some of it was shocking, and some were unbelievable that it is happening in our country.
Themozhi Soundarajan, the Executive Director of the organization, is to be congratulated for organizing an effective program together.
Most White Americans assume everything runs per the rules, and they have difficulty in understanding why any idiot would discriminate the Blacks? For example, most Hindus in India guess everything is straight forward, and they cannot fathom why Muslims face blatant discrimination in housing. The same goes with the Muslims in Pakistan, and they have difficulty in believing that the Hindus were discriminated in their country. I hope someday, our Hindu majority in America will wake up and say to the GOI, look we enjoy all the freedoms and opportunities in America, and we want similar equal opportunities for Dalits, Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs in India. We want India to follow the American model and restore its glory days of living and cherishing each other.
The following presenters shared their documented experiences followed by recommendations backed up by useful, robust empirical data. You can read the full report at http://www.equalitylabs.org/castesurvey
Themozi Soundarajan: Government
Amol Kamble: Workplace
Maari Zunick-Maitreyi: Education
Divya Chand: Human and Civil Rights Organizations
Maya Sharma: Religious institutions
It is hard to believe that a few Indians bring their evil of superiority to America, its anathema to the American values of equality in opportunities, justice and access to everything in the pursuit of ones’ happiness.
“No one is more privileged than the other, and it is this arrogance that one is entitled to more privileges over the other, that has been the source of evil in societies including discrimination.” Excerpt from the book American Muslim Agenda.
A part of being American is to imbibe the values of equality and treat fellow Americans as equals. It frees the individuals from the agony of mistreating others.
Ambassador Brownback had urged the members of religious freedom to present their case without negating the others’ claim. A few among us will do everything to stop you, but don’t let that discourage you.
We have to educate fellow Americans to understand the value of equality. It is this value that is responsible for our prosperity, and we cannot let America slide back to discrimination.
Shame on us for mistreating fellow Indians of all stripes, let’s do the right thing and be on the right side of history. I urge all Indians to support this initiative.
Knowing a few imbecile men will attack me, I want to assure them that the right thing to do is for each one of us to stand up for the rights of others. In the end, all men and women should get justice and fair treatment. Indeed, I am blessed to have stood up for the rights of all individuals from Atheists to Zoroastrians and everyone in between including LGBTQ community and Native Americans, in this case, the Hindus. http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/04/standing-with-hindus.html?m=1
Whenever I can, I listen to the speeches of political leaders and I have done the same with a few speeches of Prime Minister Modi. The following video is about 70 minutes long. The speech was made around May 24, 2019.
Prime Minister Modi is unquestionably one of the greatest orators of this decade. I watched his full speech to the NDA – that is the National Democratic Alliance made up of BJP (Bhartiya Janata Party) and regional parties.
He rightfully acknowledged the contributions of Dr. Ambedkar who gave the constitution and acknowledged the sacrifices of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. Then he added Veer Savarkar as a contributor to the spirit of independence and that is to please the base, as Veer Savarkar is one of the guys who sowed the seeds of discord and promoted ill-will towards fellow Indians. If someone hates a fellow Indian because he is a Muslim or a Christian, it was because of wrongful propaganda of Veer Savarkar, Golwalker and a handful of others. I wish they had believed in freedom and respect for the otherness of the other. We cannot blame them for what they did, but at least we should not repeat their mistakes.
PM Modi talked about Sab ka saath, sab ka Vikas, a great slogan, and added sab ka Vishwa’s – that is the trust. Together with all, prosperity for all and confidence of everyone. He missed the opportunity to achieve that, or he may not have meant it. He has to clarify that.
PM Modi, could have laid out a plan in a few words how to achieve everyone’s trust, urging his base to give up on lynching, harassing and making the life difficult for ‘minorities’ and have a national day where all Indians come together and celebrate unity. Take a pledge that each one of us will contribute towards building goodwill among fellow Indians and not ill-will.
Overall the speech was good but severely deficient, as it was not the speech to Indians, but a speech to his base. He delivered them the red meat.
He urged the audience to speak up when they see something wrong, and my first response was Mr. Prime Minister, let that begin with you, you take the lead and speak up when there is a rape, when someone is lynched, harassed or beaten up in daylight. Don’t wait for three days to stop the damage. Much of the crimes would go away if you speak up instantly. What holds you from speaking? He has to earn the trust of all to bring sustainable prosperity to all.
Do you agree, the most patriotic person is the one who keeps the government on their toes and prevent them from making mistakes? You do your share, and I will do mine because I care about every Indian, and my work would bring Indians together and not pit one against the other.
The Prime Minister can start with one simple step – open the speech with Namaste, Jai Bhim, Salaam, Satsri Akal, Jai Jinendra, Buddha Namo, AlahAbho and Shalom. That is how you start to sab ka saath, the saath of 1.25 billion Indians in one single sweep. Related: Why Integrated societies are good for America (India). https://centerforpluralism.com/why-integrated-societies-are-good-for-america/
Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His book, the “American Muslim Agenda” is about Muslim earning their respectable space in the society. The book is available at Amazon, Xlibris, Google, Barnes and Noble, and Kindle. Mike’s mission is to open people’s hearts, minds, and souls towards each other. He believes that the ultimate purpose of humans is to live freely and be comfortable with their culture, race, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, and individuality. Mike is a public speaker, author, interfaith wedding officiant, a newsmaker and the executive director of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. More about him in three formats at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/
If you are a conservative, then grudgingly you’ll see a value in what this book offers, and if you are on the left, you want more of it, and the moderates will dance with joy.
If you are a conservative, then grudgingly you’ll see a value in what this book offers, and if you are on the left, you want more of it, and the moderates will dance with joy.
The book, “American Muslim Agenda” serves a two-fold purpose. On the one hand, it separates the chaff from the grain for fellow Americans to see Muslims for who they are and not how they are projected. On the other hand, it challenges Muslims to restore Islam to its original purpose. That is creating cohesive societies, in our case, a cohesive America, where each one of the 323 Million Americans feels secure with his/her faith, race, ethnicity culture, sexual and political orientations. The book presents many success stories to keep the reader bemused.
I am pleased to submit three versions of the blurbs on the book talk. If you can arrange for the conversation, I will be happy to make the trip. The format can be 20 minutes take away points and then Q&A for the rest of the hour.
The presentations are geared to meet the needs of our hosts: 60 minutes program with 40 minutes for Q & A or a 90 minutes program. We want our esteemed guests to go home fully satisfied with all the questions they have about Islam and Muslims.
Book Talk Version 1.0
Title of the talk: Muslims making America the Greatest nation on earth.
Americans Muslims are committed to building a cohesive America, an inclusive America where each one of the 323 Million Americans feels secure about his/her faith, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual and political orientation.
When you are free from apprehensions, and connect with fellow workers, the workplace becomes a joy to be. You will give 100% of your heart and mind to your work, and your family benefits from having a whole of you with them creating a little heaven for yourselves.
Dr. Mike Ghouse, author, public speaker, pluralist, interfaith wedding officiant, and the president of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC., will discuss how Muslim efforts in building a cohesive America are working.
He points out that we are Americans, we are free and brave people, and must jettison our apprehensions about each other to live freely. Mike advises that if you are a conservative, then grudgingly you’ll see a value in what this book offers, and if you are on the left, you want more of it, and the moderates will dance with joy.
He points out that we are Americans, we are free, and the brave people, and must jettison our apprehensions about each other to live freely. How do we accomplish that? It is by knowing each other.
America has always led the world in science, medicine, math, agriculture, automation, information technology, exploration and all the advancements of the human race, and it is time for us to lead the world in building a cohesive nation. The book offers concrete solutions to Americans to make America a great and powerful model nation of inclusion for Americans to enjoy living their lives productively and purposefully, and the world to look up to us to emulate.
We have to assure each other and every American without exception that we are committed to each other’s security, prosperity, and peace. Our goal is to reach out to every American who has not been reached before, particularly those who do not understand us. As American Muslims, we uphold, protect, defend and celebrate the values enshrined in our constitution.
Mike will share a few incredible success stories of dealing with our friends on the right and answer questions about Muslim efforts.
The book “American Muslim Agenda” will become a reference manual to knowledge seekers and teachers of Islam, and those who want to see one nation, one people and one America. For Muslims, it is backed up with verses from the Quran. You can order this book from Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Google, and other book stores. See the talking points at
http://www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com and Mike’s extensive profile appended at https://www.linkedin.com/inmikeghouse
Book Talk Version 2:0
Title of the talk: Muslims making America the Greatest nation on earth Americans Muslims are committed to building a cohesive America, an inclusive America where each one of the 323 Million Americans feels secure about his/her faith, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual and political orientation.
When you are free from apprehensions, and connect with fellow workers, the workplace becomes a joy to be. You will give 100% of your heart and mind to your work, and your family benefits from having a whole of you with them creating a little heaven for yourselves.
Dr. Mike Ghouse, author, public speaker, pluralist, interfaith wedding officiant, and the President of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC., will discuss how Muslim effort is ongoing in building a cohesive America, where each one of the 323 Million Americans feels secure about his/her faith, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual and political orientations.
He points out that we are Americans, we are free and brave people, and must jettison our apprehensions about each other to live freely. Mike advises that if you are a conservative, then grudgingly you’ll see a value in what this book offers, and if you are on the left, you want more of it, and the moderates will dance with joy.
The book paves the way for Muslims to own their mistakes, remedy them, and correct how fellow Americans perceive Muslims. Mike argues that Islam is not about imposing your ideas or governing others. Instead, Islam is about living your life and letting others live theirs with freedom. It is a bold challenge to Muslims. He shows a narration from humanity’s (Aalameen) perspective of the essence and purpose of Islam for the first time in history.
Mike articulates, for the first time in Islamic history, twelve values of Islam that contribute to creating secure, orderly and cohesive societies. He concludes that the best way to combat Islamophobia (and other phobias) is through education, engagement, and dialogue. Mike lays out a clear agenda to foster harmony among fellow Americans. It is akin to planting a seed and nurturing to give the beneficence to the next generation.
Mike believes when Muslims become one with all and defend American values with their souls, they will become part of the American story, and everyone’s language will automatically shift from us vs. them to us, the one nation under God with liberty and justice for all. As American Muslims, we uphold, protect, defend and celebrate the values enshrined in our constitution.
This book will become a reference manual to teachers of Islam and knowledge seekers about Islam, as it is backed up verses from the Quran. You can order his book from Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Google, and other book stores. See the talking points at
The American Muslim Agenda, is a primer, a blueprint, and a road map for Americans in general and Muslims in particular.
A Muslim is someone who is a conflict mitigater and a goodwill nurturer, following the formula for peaceful societies practiced by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and guided by the Quran.
As a community, American Muslims have not developed any concrete plans to extricate themselves out of the chaotic situations, hostility and incessant Islamophobic rhetoric we face. Each time a terrorist acts out, we start praying and wishing that the terrorist not be a Muslim. We are Americans, and we can do better than that.
There is only one America, and all of us are fully integrated parts of that nation. We need to learn to engage with those who are opposed to us, and reassure them that we are all in this together. Mike will share some success stories.
When we start defending America and the American values we are in! We become an integral part of American Fabric. That is the clear objective articulated in this book.
The book is available at Amazon, Kindle, Google, Xlibris, Barnes & Nobles, and other book stores. The softcover is priced at $19.99, and the hardcover is $29.99. It is also available as an eBook.
The American Muslim Agenda will be in the hands of lawmakers, presidential candidates, media persons, lobbyists, think tanks, educators, interfaith activists, CEO, and fellow Americans. The book is about building a cohesive America where each one of us can live securely with our faith, race, ethnicity, and culture.
As American Muslims, we uphold, protect, defend and celebrate the values enshrined in our constitution.
Would this book bring a change?
Would this bring a change among Muslims towards others and others towards Muslims? Indeed, this book lays out a clear agenda to foster harmony among fellow Americans. It is akin to planting a seed and nurturing to give the beneficence to the next generation.
Some of the reservations we have about Muslims is based on what we have heard from our parents, friends, teachers, pastors, and TV. It is time for us to learn first-hand about them and remove the misunderstandings and live freely.
It is one of the bold books written about Muslims, and it highlights the sources of extremism and how to cure it.
Unfortunately, some of the Muslim scholars from the past have reduced Islam to a religion of rituals and obedience. This book brings clarity to Muslims and fellow humans and separates the chaff from the wheat for you
What is the overall theme of your book?
The overall theme of the book is to open people’s hearts and minds towards each other. I believe that the ultimate ‘unexpressed’ purpose of humans is to live freely and be comfortable with one’s culture, race, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, and individuality.
Why do you think that this book will appeal to readers?
It will appeal to Muslims and Non-Muslims alike, as they have never seen the pristine, pluralistic Islam. Moreover, for the first time in Islamic history, the essence of Islam is explained. Also for the first time, the book explains twelve values directly from the Quran that contributes towards building cohesive societies with no privileges to one over the other. It is human nature to get along with fellow beings, and this book will resonate with them and pave the path for them to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
TAKE AWAY POINTS FROM THE BOOK
The American Muslim Agenda challenges Muslims to think and restore Islam to its original purpose – i.e., to create a cohesive America, where each one of the 323 Million Americans feels secure with his or her faith, race, ethnicity culture, sexual and political orientations
2. The American Muslim Agenda paves the way for Muslims to own their mistakes, and remedy them. It corrects how fellow Americans perceive Muslims.
3. Islam is not about imposing (Sharia) your ideas or governing others. Islam is about living your life and letting others live theirs, with freedom. That is the original Islam.
4. The essence and purpose of Islam are narrated from a humanity’s (Aalameen) perspective for the first time.
5. Never before in Islamic history, twelve values of Islam that contribute to creating secure, orderly and cohesive societies have been articulated. Verses from the Quran fully back each value. Thus, the book becomes a reference manual to teach and learn Islam.
6. The best way to combat Islamophobia is through education, engagement, and dialogue. There are many success stories narrated including dealing with Fox News, Sean Hannity, Stuart Varney and the supposedly most of the Islamaphobes.
7. This book is the product of twenty years of research and interviews with the right, left, and the moderate fellow humans from many faiths including 150 interviews at Fox News and its many right-leaning guests.
8. Can a Muslim become President of the United States? What does it take, there is a full chapter on the topic?
9. In the end, it is learning to respect the otherness of the other and accept the God given the uniqueness of each one of the 323 million Americans.
10. There is a whole lot more, and it is all in the book.
Thank you.
Dr. Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His book, the “American Muslim Agenda” is about Muslim earning their respectable space in the society be it social, religious, cultural or political. The book is available at Xlibris, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Kindle. Mike’s mission is to open people’s hearts, minds, and souls towards each other. He believes that the ultimate purpose of humans is to live freely and be comfortable with their culture, race, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, and individuality.
Mike is a public speaker, author, interfaith wedding officiant, a newsmaker and the executive director of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. More about him athttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/
Rev. M’ellen Kennedy of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Atlanta delivers a sermon on the essence of Islam. If her video sermon clip (21 Minutes) resonates with you, then the book “American Muslim Agenda” will appeal to you. Indeed, the essence of Islam is how to live your life in harmony with yourselves and with fellow humans. You will see Islam as the Aalameen (all others) see it. Twelve values of Islam that contribute towards creating cohesive, orderly and just societies her together backed up by at least five verses from the Quran and one hadith. You will also read with clarity the essence and purpose of Islam.
Most non-Muslims have gotten the essence of Islam right, and I will be sharing video clips from Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist and other religious leaders.
In behalf of Dr. Nakadar, publisher of The Muslim Observer (http://Muslimobserver.com ), who has sponsored several copies of the book “American Muslim Agenda” to be gifted, I will be shipping a copy to Rev. Kennedy in Atlanta.
Dr. Nauman Anwar has sponsored the books to the two senators and a few congressmen from Texas. Farooq and Dr. Rehana Kausar have sponsored books to be delivered to members of Congress and a few presidential candidates. Dr. Hussain for elected officials from around Maryland. Dr. Humaira Ali is directly gifting 15 books every month to interfaith leaders. You are invited to spread the word and sponsor the books as well.
You can purchase the books directly from Amazon and ship it to the people who need to understand and respect Islam, or ship (Minimum 15 books) to me to be hand delivered to elected leaders in Washington DC.
I am walking the halls of the Congress three times a week until I place the book in the hands of every elected official. The book ’American Muslim Agenda’ will be placed in the hands of legislators, presidential candidates, media persons, lobbyists, think tanks, educators, interfaith activists, CEO, and fellow Americans. The book is about building a cohesive America where each one of us can live securely with our faith, race, ethnicity, and culture.
No more talking, let’s change how fellow Americans perceive us and build a secure America for each one of the 323 million of us. I cannot be safe if people around me are not; it behooves me to take the initiative. I am available to give a presentation at your place of worship, workplace, your community or your group at your home.
Thank you
Dr. Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His new book, the “American Muslim Agenda” is about everything you wanted to know about Muslims. The book is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Kindle. Mike is a public speaker, author, interfaith wedding officiant, a newsmaker and the executive director of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. More about him in three formats at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/
