Janmashtami is the celebration of Sri Krishna’s birthday, and the Hare Krishna group calls his appearance rather than the birthday. My parents told me that I was dressed up as Baby Krishna when I was a baby. I had always wanted to learn about Krishna, and my late wife and I visited his birthplace in Mathura. That was an awesome experience. I remember hunting for the eternal song ‘Brindavan Ka Krishna Kanhaiyya” by Rafi. I was so upset that Sonu Nigam sang the same song and finally found the original by Rafi in a remote part of Mathura.
Lord Krishna is the 8th Avatar (representation) of Vishnu, meaning the facet of the creator that manages the preservation aspect of life. Hinduism sees God in three broad categories; Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma reflects the creator’s form of God, and Vishnu represents the preserver aspect of creation that inspires one to be righteous, and Shiva brings a finite ending to life. It is a part of the life cycle; every human is born, lives on, and finally disintegrates.
On my radio show in Dallas way back in 2003 and 2004 – Swami Nityanand and I read the entire Bhagavad Gita for our audience in 104 episodes, the same was done for Islam and Christianity and 50 hours for every religion from Atheism to Zoroastrianism.
The right way to celebrate Lord Krishna’s birth celebrations is to read at least a chapter from Bhagavad Gita. I am inspired by it, and I am a Muslim today because of reading a verse from Bhagavad Gita that called on each one of us to find the truth and not go by what people say.
I am glad the Huffington post has published this with Janamashtami songs and all. It has been my commitment to share the essence of festivals, so that we, the people of the United States, may learn more about each other we have been doing this for 25 years.
Mike GhouseComments Off on Trump and Netanyahu Screwed America
Way back in 2017, I wrote that if Trump alienates Muslim nations, we end up losing big time. I predicted that they would go to Russia or China and invest in their capacity to build military hardware, which will cause massive layoffs in our defense industry. We will lose a whole lot of jobs. Has Trump made a deal with China that he will drive the Muslim nations to them in return for personal favors? We need to look at it.
Turkey is buying Russian equipment now, and Iran has an agreement working with China. Next, Saudi and other countries will turn to China.
Netanyahu is an enemy of Israel in the long haul. The Nuclear deal with Iran was the best thing to prevent or stall Iran from building its nuclear capacity. On Netanyahu’s urging, Trump tore the agreement and went against the community of nations. Now, Iran will be encouraged by China’s support. It is bad for Israel and bad for America.
Netanyahu pushed Obama to support Mubarak – what a disaster it would have been for Israel and the United States. Had the US-supported Mubarak, the Egyptian public would have viewed us as their enemies, as he was a disgusting oppressor. We lost Iran because of the same mistake by Carter’s*** policy to support Shah instead of the people. Except for Obama, none of the recent presidents understood that the relationship is between people and not the dictators who come and go.
We need a President who places America first, not his interests.
***
If Carter had asked the Shah to step down and work with the people of Iran and Khomeini, he would have remained the head of the state like the Queen of England, and the transition would have been smooth.
That one wrong decision led the Iranians to see that America is siding with their oppressor. Which lead to the hostage crisis, Shah was on the run disgracefully and had to be buried elsewhere, and Carter lost the election.
Mike GhouseComments Off on Shaping the Future of America with Mike Ghouse
Given the growing political, social, and ethnic divisiveness among fellow Americans, what do we need to do? How do we shape our future so that all of us can live without apprehensions?
With so many interactions among people of different cultures, races, and faiths, we are bound to face conflicts. Our goal is for every American to live freely, and we must shape our future. Join me for a live discussion on Facebook with Hugh Ballou of the Synervision Leadership foundation.
MIKE GHOUSE LIVE ON FACEBOOK TUESDAY AUG 4TH WITH HUGH BALLOU ABOUT SHAPING AMERICA’S FUTURE Aug 4, 2020, 02:00 PM
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 it is our duty to prevent such conflicts, 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 fear 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. Let me state this clearly, “My peace and tranquility hinges on the peace of people around me,” and “My safety is tied to the security of people around me.” It behooves me to build societies where all are secure; it guarantees my security and my tension free life.
We are committed to building a cohesive America, an America where each one of us feels secure about our ethnicity, faith, culture, race, and other uniqueness. To accomplish that vision, we have several programs, events, and workshops to be a catalyst to bring about the results,
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 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.
Muslims have reduced Islam to a religion of rituals, and that is not what Prophet Muhammad had on his mind. God wanted each one of us to be an individual who cared for God’s creation—fellow humans and the environment. Muhammad led the way by becoming a model citizen—the main.
The Quran offers guidance to set your goalposts, and that is to enable humans to dwell in an abode of peace; a conflict-free, hassle-free life.
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. (Quran 6:127)
And [know that] God invites [man] unto the abode of peace, and guides him that wills [to be guided] onto a straightway. (Quran 10:25)
While we are here, we have to figure out how to be a part of the abode of peace now and in this life, if we do that right, we will be in the abode of peace. We should not comprise this life for the afterlife.
Islam gives us two types of values: rituals and values. Rituals help each individual find his balance in life – they call is the five (5) pillars of Islam. The wisdom behind these rituals leads to the values, which are universal. The twelve Islamic values help us find our balance with fellow humans and what surrounds us—the environment. This chapter is original and expected discussions on these. All these values are fully backed up by the verses from the Quran.
TWELVE ISLAMIC VALUES
Islamic Value No. 1: The Amin Islamic Value No. 2: Tawhid Islamic Value No. 3: Accountability Islamic Value No. 4: Truthfulness Islamic Value No. 5: Justice Islamic Value No. 6: Forgiveness Islamic Value No. 7: Service to Mankind Islamic Value No. 8: Humility Islamic Value No. 9: Equality Islamic Value No. 10: Pluralism Islamic Value No. 11: Free Will Islamic Value No. 12: Civil Dialogue
From the book ‘American Muslim Agenda.’ www.americanMuslimAgenda.com
COVID has changed our practices, Muslims are not going to Juma prayers to the Masjid, Kaaba was closed for several months. Even burials and weddings have different rituals – but the essence remains the same.
People are looking for alternatives – the Prophet said to go to Mosque for Juma, can we go to the Mosque until the COVID is over? We have a choice. Prophet also said to stand shoulder to shoulder in the prayers – do we do that? The essence of that idea was to be together, and not allow divisiveness – the essence remains the same, but we now, stand 6′ apart.
People are questioning the Qurbani of animals, and God wants us to think. Everyone has a choice – not all Muslim practices are the same.
When the Prophet said to go to Hajj – the means of transportation then was a Camel. Today we fly in the planes – Hajj is the same, the essence of transport is the same, but the means are different. Should we insist on riding the camel? Jesus rode on the donkey to Jerusalem, does that mean everyone has to do the same?
Punishing the thief was to prevent him from stealing again – cutting hands was a practice then, but now we put him in prison. The essence is the same; prevent thievery; the mode matches current social dynamics.
You can donate the meat to the poor – that is one-time Sawab (good-deed). If you can help them how to earn and take care of their families, it becomes Sadq-e-Jariah (continual blessings). This Eid, I paid to a woman who weaves the baskets and takes care of her family and she is a Hindu woman. Neither Allah nor Muhammad were discriminative, they said, take care of your neighbor. Period. There is a greater good in it. I also chose to donate the money to a patient in a hospital who could not afford the hospital fee.
The essence of Islam is to create cohesive societies where every human feels secure about his/her faith, race, religion, region, ethnicity, or any other God-given uniqueness.
Mike GhouseComments Off on Have Muslims wronged Trump?
Mike Ghouse
Referring to the beautiful Eid greetings from Boris Johnson, the PM of UK, Habib Ghanim posted a question, where is Trump? (Video links below)
Muslim organizations have conducted many surveys, and have concluded that “those who know Muslims tend to have normal relations with Muslims.”
Yes, that is true!
Some people are hardcore haters of others, and facts don’t matter to them, it is in their genes to hate someone or the other. If it is individual they hate, I understand, but to hate anyone affiliated with that individual does not make sense.
Although I debated interviewing Michael Cohen and others to see if Trump has a history of dislike towards Muslims, I did not get the time to pursue it.
Based on the wisdom in verse 41:34 that I have experienced success multiple times. I am pleased to share a few translations.
Safi Kaskas, “Good and evil are never equal. Repel Evil with good, and your enemy will become like an intimate friend.”
Pickthall, “The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one which is better, then lo! he, between whom and thee there was enmity (will become) as though he was a bosom friend.”
Edip Yuskel, “41:34 Not equal are the good and the bad response. You shall resort to the one which is better. Thus, the one who used to be your enemy may become your best friend.”
Yusuf Ali, “Nor can goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: Then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate!”
And here is the biggest surprise from a man whose translations have been fodder for Islamophobes. I am really surprised to see such a good translation from Hilali Khan, “The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better (i.e. Allah ordered the faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger, and to excuse those who treat them badly), then verily! he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend.”
Hannity boosts Trump’s ego, and Trump sees everyone through Fox’s lens.
If Trump had relationships with Muslims, close relationships, was there a 0.1% chance that he would not be what he is towards Muslims?
Is there a chance to invite him to Muslim conventions (again and again until he accepts), it might put a dent? Is that what God is saying in 41:34?
Like many of you, I believe in the wisdom of the Quran, in this instance, 41:34. Thank God for his guidance, I have learned to engage with those who dislike Muslims. Sean Hannity is a good example; he has learned to limit his ire, ire towards “radicals” among us, instead of all Muslims. That is a baby step, and we have to do a whole lot more. A few more stories are worth reading in the book American Muslim Agenda.
We will take you back in times, to the melodious Sada Bahar songs of the ’50s and ’60s. It will be a memorable afternoon for you and your family.
July 31 is the 40th anniversary of Rafi Saheb’s death. We will continue to enjoy his evergreen songs, as we do with Lata, Asha, Kishore, Mukesh, Talat, Saigal, and other great singers of our times.
Rizwan is a versatile professional singer and has performed in several live programs with us and others worldwide. He sings in several languages and renders the music on his keyboard. He is good at it!
He is also a poet and has been an accomplished cricketer in his youth, having played Ranji Trophy, and Duleep Trophy in the late 60s and early 70s and is still playing and coaching. He received his degree in Law from the Aligarh Muslim University and a degree in journalism from Baroda University.
Alka Batra is known for her community activities. She has organized cultural programs for the Indian Associations’ Republic Day, Independence Day celebrations and Baisakhi program for the Indian Embassy. She had the privilege of singing National Anthem during the visits of Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and Narsimha Rao. Alka has raised funds by singing for charitable causes. She served as a president of Chetana, a cultural and charitable association. Singing is her passion.
The program will be presented by Mike Ghouse, a former Radio and Television host of programs like “Golden Oldies and Golden Melodies,” “Festival of Faiths” “Wisdom of Religions – all the beautiful religions,” and Talk show and anchor of the Desi TV show years ago.
Please don’t miss the first and the last songs, be on time and enjoy the show.
Please feel free to donate to defray the cost and do more programs like this, bringing the desi community together – https://centerforpluralism.com/donate/
Mike GhouseComments Off on Should Muslims sacrifice cattle on Eid-al-Adha?
by Dr. Mike Ghouse, Washington, DC
On Friday, July 31, 2020, over a billion and a half Muslims around the world, will be slaughtering millions of goats, camels, and cattle to carry out Abraham’s tradition of sacrificing the symbolic lamb. Is there an alternative to the ritual of slaying animals on Eid Al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice? The answer is yes!
Rituals are the pathways to accomplish milestones of peace for oneself and with what surrounds one; life and environment. None of us can escape from the ceremonies. Each of us instinctively follows certain routines, from waking up to the time we go to sleep. Whether we shower, eat breakfast, go to the office, or gym, we follow the rituals.
The essence of Islam is to create cohesive societies where every human feels secure about his/her faith, race, religion, region, or ethnicity. It is time for Muslims to consider the essence of sacrifice rather than the ritual itself.
Real sacrifice requires us to give up some of what is dear to us. It is about parents going to sleep without food but feeding their kids; it is clothing their kids while waiting to get their own. In the case of extremities, we would instead get the bullet and save our loved ones, we are willing to rescue an individual from a freezing lake risking our own lives, and even strangers do that.
A thousand years ago, a man’s assets were made up of his goats, camels, and cattle. The ultimate sacrifice one would make was to give away his precious assets in gifts. Today, the most cherished possession is money, and people must be willing to part some of it to give the ability to the receiver to spend on his/her critical needs.
One of the examples set up for guidance was the test of Abraham’s faith, love, and devotion to God, which humans do routinely, “If you love me, you would do this for me.” A simple assurance would suffice, be it your fiancé, spouse, kids, siblings, or parents.
It was Abraham’s turn to face the command of God to sacrifice his son. Upon hearing this, he prepared to submit to God’s will and places his son on the block. Right at that moment, a lamb appears as an alternative. Then God revealed to Abraham that his “sacrifice” has already been fulfilled.
Does God want animals to be sacrificed?
Not at all. Qur’an, Al-Hajj 22:37 (The Pilgrimage) is clear: “Never does their flesh reach God, and neither their blood. It is only your God-consciousness that reaches Him. It is to this end that we have made them subservient to your needs so that you might glorify God for all the guidance with which He has graced you. And give thou this glad tiding unto the doers of good.”
The act symbolizes our willingness to give up a part of our bounties to strengthen and preserve the web of the universe and help those in need. We recognize that all blessings come from God, and we should open our hearts and share with others.
What would you sacrifice instead?
It is customary for Muslims to sacrifice an animal on the day of the Hajj, a symbolic representation of Prophet Abraham’s act. What are our alternatives?
We can put that money to a different use that will do greater good like lending to a street hawker who can sell things from a cart and take care of his family or a single mom who can weave baskets or make sweaters to take care of her family. The beauty of this practice is you can make the same money repeatedly work for the common good. Muslims call it Sadaq-e-Jariah, which is continual giving.
Dr. Nauman Anwar: “Sacrificing animals without making a public spectacle is still a good idea, as long as no wastage of the meat and hides occur. Many Muslim countries have a lot of poverty, and if the meat reaches the deserving population, it will help improve the nutritional status of the poor.
Let your single sacrifice multiply rather than the one-time sacrifice of animals. Prophet Muhammad had emphasized service to fellow humans as the highest service to God. Quran (4:152) says, if you are kind to your fellow humans, which is my creation, you will earn my grace regardless of your faith.
Honoring police, firemen, and soldiers
Every day our police officers and firemen risk their own lives to protect ours, our freedom is protected by our men and women in the uniforms. I urge fellow Muslims to stop and salute every one of these men and women, honoring them for their love for humanity. Better yet, call the firemen, policemen, and let them know that as a Muslim you appreciate their sacrifice, and this festival is about appreciation for such sacrifice.
I did that in Louisville; within minutes, the officer had emailed the article to his fellow officers, appreciating the Muslims.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had said the least you can do as a charity is to smile and appreciate the otherness of the others.
You can wish your Muslim friends by saying, Eid Mubarak, Eid Saeed, Happy Eid, Happy Festivities, etc.
Dr. Mike Ghouse is the founder and president of the Center for Pluralism. He is a speaker, thinker, author, community consultant, pluralist, activist, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. Mike is deeply committed to Free speech, Human Rights, and Pluralism in Religion, Politics, Societies, and the workplace. His latest book, the “American Muslim Agenda” is available on Amazon, Kindle, and the bookstores. He has dedicated his life to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions to the media and the policymakers. More about him at www.TheGhousediary.com.
Mike GhouseComments Off on Greatest speech on civility towards women by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez takes a giant leap in the history of civilization.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s words came from her heart, and she represents the value of equality, civility, and dignity of all humans. She spoke for me and spoke for all women and all civilized Americans, how fellow humans should be treated. Rep Cortez’s speech is a giant leap in the civility of American culture. A moment of pride that we all must cherish. She made history.
On the steps of National Capitol, Congressman Ted Yoho (R -FL-3) calls Congresswoman Cortez, among other names, a “FB.” What is shameful is the accomplice Congressmen Roger Williams (R-TX-25) did not stop Yoho.
These two men represent typical chauvinistic arrogant men who do not belong in the house of representatives’, a body of civilized men and women to serve the nation. They are a contagious disease and must be quarantined.
Insecure men like Yoho and Williams seek their false notion of security by demeaning women. The ugliness of these two men and men like them is not reflective of any group of people, be it faith, race, culture, or ethnicity. I expect some civilized humans to run against these brutes, play the following video in the campaign, and give them a crushing defeat. Let’s get rid of all such men from a civil body that represents America’s collective civility.
Of course, no society is perfect; we have come a long way and a long way to go, go, we must.
Prophet Muhammad’s vision of a civilized society is encapsulated in the following narration. He envisioned the ultimate in civilization is when a single woman laden in jewelry could travel from Madina to Damascus and return safely without being harassed.
The Tribute given by Pramila Jaypal at the end of the speech was from her heart and reflected our hearts.
I applaud the wisdom of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s full response.
Additional notes below
I was in a group meeting of about 5 men and 2 women – every time one of the women spoke, the guys tried to cut her off or speak over her voice, as if her opinion does not count or she knows nothing. I am sick of that attitude. I have been in larger meetings, where women take a back seat, they raise their hands to speak up, but the damned moderators ignore them and they just won’t raise their hands. I am glad to have spoken and made sure whoever raises the hand, gets to speak, and others to listen without interrupting. I admire representative Occasio-Cortez speech, don’t let anyone speak you down.
Dr. Mike Ghouse is the founder and president of the Center for Pluralism. He is a speaker, thinker, author, community consultant, pluralist, activist, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. Mike is deeply committed to Free speech, Human Rights, and Pluralism in Religion, Politics, Societies, and the workplace. His latest book, The American Muslim Agenda, is available on Amazon, Kindle, and the bookstores. He has dedicated his life to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions to the media and the policymakers. More about him at www.TheGhousediary.com.
Mike GhouseComments Off on 25th year of Srebrenica Massacre
This is the 25th year of SREBRENICA MASSACRE
2020 is the 25th year of the Bosnia Genocide. Thanks to Ambassador Holbrook for persuading President Bill Clinton to take action and bomb Serbia to stop the further genocide.
During that Bosnia crisis, I watched Phil Donahue with some Russian guy on the show.
After hearing a statement from the hosts, I went blank, and my blood was boiling, I am glad I did not die that night. All I remember was how the Russian guy discounted women being raped – he said something to the effect ” oh, they are Muslim women.” It is ok to rape Muslim women.
I sat down at the office in Dallas, Texas, and set my Mac to send non-stop faxes to that studio – the next day, they were a little more careful.
