Evil exists in the world, not because of evil people, but because good people do nothing about it. I am urging good people to speak up, that is all it takes.
You must have watched Tigers chasing a herd of Buffaloes – they run like crazy, ultimately the tiger will get one of them. You must have also seen four or five Buffaloes turn around and face the tiger, and the Tiger takes a back step, then the Buffaloes run towards him and the Tiger takes a hike.
Since Modi became the Prime Minister of India, an incredible amount of hotshot TV anchors have emerged, who spew endless amounts of hate, causing social discord. If this continues unchecked it will bring chaos to society, where no one will trust the other. It will bring instability to India and that will stop the foreign investment bringing the economic engine of India to a grinding halt. Which will bring a major economic disaster, the people who enjoyed prosperity in the last twenty years stand to lose everything they have gained.
Indeed, India is redeemable. All it takes is for the CEO’s to speak out against the destructive trends.
Israeli Professor speaks up
Rahul Kanwal is perhaps #2 hate monger in India, he got an Israeli Professor hoping he will pour kerosene on his hatred, but the Professor is an intellectual, and he spoke up, shutting this hate monger to shut up.
Ambassador Sam Brown Back Spoke! http://muslimmirror.com/eng/blaming-muslims-for-spread-of-coronavirus-in-india-is-wrong-such-attempts-should-be-countered-aggressively-us/
It’s sad to see some of our Indian leaders have resorted to sowing the seeds of discord among Indians, pitting one group of Indians against the other.
We hope someone sits down and talks with them. Their ideas are destructive to India, no one will gain from it. We also hope Prime Minister Modi starts speaking up and sets the course. Not sure, if the Prime Minister wants this to happen.
He has not spoken against lynching and harassment of Muslims and Christians respectively. A pregnant Muslim woman was not admitted to hospital because she was a Muslim, and today, a hospital in Gujarat State is separating Hindus and Muslims in the hospitals into different wards. What is the purpose? Will the Prime Minister speak up?
Subramanian Swamy – I am surprised how he was even appointed to teach at Harvard. The guy does not understand freedom, democracy, and pluralism. Anyway, he was kicked out of the University, but he is hell-bent on sowing discord between different Indian groups. It will lead to chaos, and instability and that will lead to an economic disaster.
One of these days, I would like to interview him, and see if he is redeemable to be a normal human being, who can drop the hate and at least now destroy India. I believe everyone is redeemable.
1. Shaping America’s Future (full article at the end)
2. Happy Easter, a Muslim Celebrates Easter
3. Happy Passover
4. Do Muslim Charities get the credit they deserve?
5. Corona’s social impact
6. Before Corona gets you, what needs to be done?
7. Please sign the relief petition for Sikhs in Afghanistan
When we live as neighbors, we might as well learn about each other. The best way to build cohesive societies is for its members to understand each other’s sorrows and joys, and festivities and commemorations. Wouldn’t it be nice if you know a little bit about your neighbor’s festival and perhaps invite them to your celebrations to start safe neighborhoods by understanding each other? Every human and every religious group celebrate something or the other in their way, each one is different, but the essence is the same; celebrations and commemorations. A simple language is used for most people to get a gist of it. Over the last 25 years, I am blessed to have written the essence of major festivals of almost all religions from Bahai to Zoroastrians and everyone in between. It’s all on the google search.
…………………………….. ………………………………..
HAPPY EASTER | A MUSLIM CELEBRATES EASTER
While 2,000 plus Easters have come and gone, has he really risen yet? Risen within us that is? I hope and pray that each of us will let Christ rise and shine through us, so we can allow him to use us to bring about a change that we are all yearning; a world where all of God’s children are respected and honored. Happy Easter!
Whether Jesus was buried and resurrected, or taken up by God, faith in him is shared by more than half of the world inclusive of Muslims and Christians. Whether you believe in Jesus or not, his message of loving thy enemy, love thy neighbor and forgive the other will set us free. Can we celebrate that message? I want to make a point here: Jesus and his message belong to the whole humanity, just as the message of all the spiritual masters including Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna, Zoroaster, Nanak, and others, who are a blessing to humanity.
Perhaps I may be the first Muslim to be baptized. It was an enriching experience to me in particular, feeling the symbolic transformation of the feeling of love towards all of God’s creation. Muslims feel the same upon the performance of the Hajj Pilgrimage; we become child-like with love for all of God’s creation; life and matter. The Hindus cherish an identical feeling when they take a dip at the Sangam in River Ganges, particularly during the Kumbh Mela.
Passover is the celebration of freedom. I hope this Passover brings freedom to humanity from the Corona. I will be participating in the Passover over Zoom with Andrea Barron I have bought traditional ingredients and am ready to participate. I have been a part of Passover on and off since 2005, started at Temple Shalom in Dallas, Texas.
Passover is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the story of the Exodus when Jews were freed from slavery in Egypt. It is celebrated for seven or eight days and one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays. The highlight is the Seder meal, held in each family’s home at the beginning of the festival, when the story of their deliverance is recounted, as narrated in the Haggadah (the Telling, or the Story). Matzah, (unleavened bread) is eaten throughout the festival, as are other foods that contain no leaven (yeast). There is a significant spring cleaning in the home shortly before the festival to ensure that no trace of leaven is left in the house during Pesach. Coconut pyramids and matza balls (which are put in soups) are foods that might be eaten at this time.
One of my Christian friends interrupted me by saying that these charities served only Muslims. I asked him if Catholic Charities was only for Catholics? He said no, then I said, so are Muslim Charities, they are out there whenever there is a disaster serving fellow humans regardless of their religion. Azim Premji is one of the biggest donors in India, maybe the biggest in India, and it goes to all Indians. Salman Khan donates 90% of his income to his Being Human foundation, which serves all Indians. During the Gujarat earthquake, I know several of my Muslim relatives gave their jewelry for the cause. Nizam of Hyderabad donated a planeload of Gold when PM Shastri called for help. He also donated large sums of money to the Banaras Hindu University. In the first week of April 2010 – two Hindus in different parts of India were given the last rites by Muslims, as the relatives did not want to go near the dead bodies of their loved ones. Frank Islam Foundation pays to promote good stories to build harmony among the people of India. The list is endless.
…………………………….. ………………………………..
VIDEO: CORONA’S SOCIAL IMPACT
A majority of us will survive Corona, some of us will not. How do we live on or how do we leave if we don’t? It’s a 9 minutes video, and I hope it is meaningful to you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Tsu2hqH6q0
We have a choice to reluctantly accept what comes our way, or choose to shape the future we want. Indeed, we plan our lives about our incomes, family, residence, and retirement and future of our kids and grandchildren. We also prepare our businesses to deal with the economic vagaries to sustain and grow.
One of the significant sources of conflict comes from our interactions with fellow countrymen, in our case, Americans. It is how we deal with each other and treat the otherness of the other with the ultimate objective of living a secure life with the least tensions.
Corona got dumped on us, and our culture of shaking hands, sitting next to each other in the meetings, and how we talk and eat has all changed. We have become more hygiene conscious, and that is good, reluctantly we are welcoming it.
Our Scientists and Doctors will find a cure to Corona, as they have discovered remedies for Plague, TB, Malaria, Polio, Sars, Ebola, Swine flu, Chicken flu, and other viruses.
When we face difficulties, we take our frustrations on each other and aggravate the situation further instead of finding solutions. We can do better than that, and we are Americans, free and brave people.
We have led the world in every aspect of human progress from economics to medicine, automation to information technology, and set the world on the course of the government of people by the people. Now we have to apply our ingenuity in building cohesive societies.
At the Center for Pluralism, we are dedicated 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 bring about the results.
Where ever we go, we witness people of different faiths, races, and ethnicities interacting, working, studying, intermingling, playing, and even marrying each other. Indeed, we see America’s diversity in every public space. American democracy works for the benefit of every American. These new interactions are bound to create conflicts and pit one group of Americans against the other.
We have to prepare ourselves to prevent such conflicts so that each American can live securely with his or her faith, culture, gender, race, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. New societal norms are emerging, and we have to deal with them.
We have witnessed the attitudes of the Americans who have been here for more than two generations towards new Americans. It is not a phobia, but a natural feeling of fear of losing one’s way of life and resources. The racial conflicts and the supremacist feeling among a few are the products of non-acceptance of the other. Then some of among us are inflicted with the diseases of Anti-Semitism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Islamophobia, Hinduphobia, Xenophobia, and other phobias. How long will we let these diseases consume us in hate and tensions, we need to extricate ourselves and be the free people again?
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 have no shame in poisoning our kids and screwing their lives. Through our actions, our kids imbibe our prejudices towards others in general, particularly against women, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Blacks, Conservatives, or Liberals. It must be painful for our children if they have to work with the very people whom they don’t trust. First, the organization loses productivity when employees don’t work cohesively with others. Secondly, they live in tensions at work and at home. They cannot give their 100% to work or their families and live a fuller life.
We have to break away from our biases toward fellow humans to live a more vibrant and happier life.
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 for each one of us.
If we can learn to respect the otherness of others and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge. We have the programs to facilitate people to open up to each other. Knowledge leads to understanding, and understanding to acceptance of each other.
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.
Nothing will change unless someone takes the initiative and makes a commitment to bring about the change. To quote Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Mahatma Gandhi beefed it up by saying, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
At the Center for Pluralism, we are committed to building a cohesive America, an America where each one of us feels secure about our ethnicity, faith, culture, race, political and sexual orientation, and other uniqueness.
If your vision for America reflects these ideals, we invite you to study our home page and let us know if you are interested in joining us.
Thank you.
Mike Ghouse is the founder and president of the Center for Pluralism. He is a speaker, thinker, author, pluralist, activist, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions to the media and the policymakers. www.TheGhousediary.com
Mike GhouseComments Off on Do Muslim charities get the credit they deserve?
Have Muslims failed in communicating the good work they do to serve fellow humans? Yes and No. They do the work, indeed, there are several Muslim charities that serve fellow humans regardless of religion, nationality or any other uniqueness, but the sad part is very few of them are known to the world.
Last week, I was talking with my friends (Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and a Sikh) about what is going on with Corona. Most of them made a point to sympathize with the plight of Muslims in India but added, they wished Muslims condemn extremism.
Yes, I wanted to scream at them for their ignorance but realized that we had not done a good job of letting others know about the worthy charity work Muslims do, like all others.
I quoted them a British report from a few years ago that Muslims ranked among the first in Charitable giving, then I mentioned about Aga Khan Foundation and the Islamic Relief. They were not listening but unloading it on ‘their’ friend. It seemed like they were obsessed with Muslim condemnation, all they had to do was google search, and they will find reams of press releases on the topic. I am glad they were open enough to share what they are obsessed with, which gives us clues to deal with the situation.
Anyway, when they were in a listening mode, I shared the reason why Muslims don’t flaunt their charities. I quoted the wisdom of the Prophet, “When you give, let your left hand not know what the right hand gives.” The understanding was for the receiver to be free from the burden of Ehsan- i.e., indebtedness, nor should one lose his/her freedom. There are a few people out there who publicly humiliate the persons they give, and make them take their side in public gatherings and even sing their songs.
Freedom is one of the most cherished values of Islam. Indeed, twelve such Islamic values contribute to the wellness of the entire world. They are listed and backed up with verses from the Quran in the book American Muslim Agenda.
Mian Meer’s charity was well known, and no one would go empty-handed from his door. However, he lowered his eyes (humility) when he gave. Tulsidas, his contemporary heard about it and asked him in a Doha (couplet), why do you lower your eyes when you donate? Mian Meer countered it with another Doha – What I gave was not mine to give; it was given by God, which I am merely passing it on. When they thought that I was the giver, I felt humiliated and hence lowered my Nain (eyes).
Thank God and thanks to Sean Hannity at Fox News, where my patience was tested time and again. I have learned to listen without interruption, to understand another point of view so I can see the full picture. You will be surprised; if you listen to others with patience, they will give their ear to you. Hannity did and did a few good things; one among them was he quit bashing the Quran. Patiently listening to those who held a different point of view allowed me to offer and act on pluralistic solutions.
Here are some of the Muslim Charities that serve humanity – all people without regard to religion or nationality.
Update: I have received a ton of names, and have asked the sender to make sure those charities serve all humanity without distinction to be included here, and as I receive, I will add them.
One of my Christian friends interrupted me by saying that these charities served only Muslims. I asked him if the Catholic Charities was only for Catholics? He said no, then I said, so are Muslim Charities, they are out there whenever there is a disaster serving fellow humans regardless of their religion. Azim Premji is one of the biggest donors in India, maybe the biggest in India, and it goes to all Indians. Salman Khan donates 90% of his income to his Being Human foundation, which serves all Indians. During the Gujarat earthquake, I know several of my Muslim relatives gave their jewelry for the cause. Nizam of Hyderabad donated a planeload of Gold when Prime Minister Shastri called for help as the Indian Government did not have the resource to meet the challenges. He also donated large sums of money to the Banaras Hindu University. In the first week of April 2010 – two Hindus in different parts of India were given the last rites by Muslims, as the relatives did not want to go near the dead bodies of their loved ones.
Frank Islam Foundation is promoting good stories to build harmony among the people of India. Thank you, Frank.
They said they never heard of them, and repeated that they don’t remember Muslims condemning terrorists or not serving others. They were still hung up on it, and double down on it, “I am not ignorant, if I don’t know it, then you guys have not communicated.” I realize the poor messaging on the part of Muslims. If they just google search it, they will find it. Muslims from across the world continue to condemn terrorists, just as Hindus condemn the lynchers and hate mongers among them.
There is a need for Muslim Charities to learn to message. They need to write press releases regularly, it’s an expense, but it will brand them in the same light as the respected Catholic Charities. Muslims are doing the right things, but doing it quietly. Collectively they contribute a lot towards the wellbeing of humanity, and the public can see the amount of work Muslims do and change their perception. They will be transferred from a sense of reservation to boldly standing up for the plight of Muslims in China, Burma, Kashmir, India, Sri Lanka, and elsewhere. Our responsibility does not end there, and we have to firmly condemn and criticize Muslim majority nations where they mistreat their minorities. Fortunately, we are doing it, but it does not make it to the mainstream media.
It is time we dedicate some time in promoting Muslim deeds in any fashion we can, as a catalyst in fostering goodwill among the community of nations and faiths.
The other part is our Muslim Doctors, Nurses, and medical professionals do so much pro-bono work through free Muslim clinics without recognition. I have shared the story about a talk I gave to a conservative group; some of them were going crazy in the Q&A session. Then one woman stood up and silenced everyone. “Don’t you talk about Muslims in that way, I am alive today because of the Muslim Doctors and their Muslim Clinics.” She was referring to the two Muslim clinics in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The full story is in the book American Muslim Agenda.
Now, it is time for us to uplift our Doctors about Corona Crisis. Innumerable Muslim Doctors are serving people affected by Corona quietly. I would urge you to make a list of such Doctors and let your local TV station know about their expertise.
Let’s live a purposeful life and let’s multiply the goodness in the world. Amen!
*** Shahrukh Khan’s Meer Foundation is just added after listening to Saba Naqvi’s video above. My late wife Najma would be happy to know this. When Shahrukh’s team was in Dallas, she managed their stay – and we had the opportunity to talk to him about doing a charity show for raising funds for a domestic shelter for disadvantaged women. Of course, he declined thinking that it would be for Muslims only. We failed to communicate to him that it was for women from all walks of life, that is what we do. It is rare that we do things for one community exclusively. We have volunteered for almost every religious group through the Center for Pluralism.
Dr. Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker, author, business consultant, community organizer, news-maker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. He is deeply committed to Religious Freedom, Human Rights, and Pluralism in Religion, Politics, Societies, and the workplace. He is dedicated to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and civic, religious and political leaders. His profile is at www.TheGhouseDiary.com
Mike GhouseComments Off on Markaz Nizamuddin and India
India & Markaz Nizamuddin
We need to take responsibility and not buy into the propaganda of the Government or the Godi Media. After all, we have to work, travel, school, hospitalize and shop together. We cannot live in a constant strain of distrust.
Anyone who causes you to hate, ridicule, belittle, and get angry at others is taking your energy out. The more we hate each other, the higher the misery – pushing us farther and farther from being free (Moksha).
We need to help those who are eager to blame and accuse others. We need to put facts in front of them, our fellow Indians, who are gullible to buy into the politicians’ tricks to divert attention from economic problems to blaming other groups. All politicians employ this trick.
You gain nothing by hating fellow humans other than sink in your misery.
The Politicians and the embedded Media (Godi Media) across the world pander to their ‘solid’ base, who are eager to hate someone or the other.
As we say in Hindi, “politicians Janta ko chootiya banate hain aur desi janta asani say chootiye ban jatay hain hain.” Politicians think the public is stupid, and feed them a lot of bull, and some gulp it down with devotion. It is time to think and question. Finding the truth is our own responsibility, as it relieved us from pain and anguish.
Markaz Nizamuddin – a case in point.
The Markaz Nizamuddin, a community center, holds its annual conference like all others. In India, people of all faiths celebrate their festivities in large crowds like the Kumbh Mela, Ramanavami, Janmashtami, Gurpurab, Ramazan, Holi, Diwali, Bakrid, Paryushan, Mahavir Jayanthi, Milad, Christmas, Easter, Baisakhi, Nowruz, and the annual gatherings at Tirupati Tirumalai, Ayyappa, Karaga, Rajasthan book Festival, and other events. Besides, each faith and language group holds yearly events.
So, the Markaz (Center) Nizamuddin got all the permissions from the local government to hold their three-day conference/ Mela. People from across India and the globe attended the event. Then in the middle of their three-day program, the lockdown was announced. They scrambled and asked for help to transport the people, and they did not get it. They obeyed the laws but stayed put in the place as they had nowhere to go.
Some of the people who traveled from other countries were not the only ones on the planes, and there were others – the Godi Media is accusing “Muslims” of bringing the virus. What about other passengers? What’s wrong with their brains?
Every group of Indians, and most certainly Muslims have condemned the bad behavior of a handful of men who spat on the medical staff, that was wrong.
The Home Ministry and the Godi Media saw the opportunity to insult fellow Indians who are Muslims, and made them the source of spreading the Coronavirus, what false propaganda? Any gathering has equal chances of spreading the virus.
Now, take a look at the violators who got a free pass. Should you blame Muslims and not other violators? It is your choice, you have to live with it, but take a look at the biggest violators of the lockdown – Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath and Yeddyurappa. As an Indian American, should you focus on Markaz Nizamuddin and ignore these? What does your prejudice allow you to do? Should these two men be made to pay or let go?
Mike GhouseComments Off on Pluralism News, April 4, 2020
In this edition:
Your Emergency Numbers
Before Corona Gets you – Wil.
Sikhs Petition to the President about ISIS
Appeal to Indian-Americans
Anti-Semitism
Markaz Nizamuddin controversy
Afraid of Muslims?
Defending every faith
At the Center for Pluralism, we are committed to opening people’s hearts and minds towards each other. We believe if we take the time to learn, we will find a lot of propaganda to be false. Indeed, if we can learn to respect the otherness of the others and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.
Our vision is to see a world where you, me, and everyone feels secure about our faith, race, ethnicity, culture, and the other uniqueness. If your vision is similar, please join in our work.
Should corona or an accident abruptly end your life, are you ready to go? What should one do with the things you are leaving behind, who is going to take care of your dependent loved ones? How do you want your burial, who should make critical decisions like cutting off the oxygen supply? The purpose of this essay is three-fold – bringing clarity to your wishes, taking away the anxieties, and restoring peace of mind to you and your loved ones.
Petition about Sikhs to the President to warn the ISIS
We urge the President of the United States of America to give an ultimatum to the ISIS, that they have thirty days to surrender and become good citizens or face the drones. We also urge the Government and the people of Afghanistan to conquer the hearts of the Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, and all other minorities, including Muslim minorities, by creating an environment of freedom and security and removing all the threats against them. Please sign the petition –
We need to take responsibility and not buy into the propaganda of the Government or the Godi Media. After all, we have to work, travel, school, hospitalize and shop together. We cannot live in a constant strain of distrust.
Anyone who causes you to hate, ridicule, belittle, and get angry at others is taking your energy out. The more we hate each other, the higher the misery – pushing us farther and farther from being free (Moksha).
We need to help those who are eager to blame and accuse others. We need to put facts in front of them, our fellow Indians, who are gullible to buy into the politicians’ tricks to divert attention from economic problems to blaming other groups. All politicians employ this trick.
You gain nothing by hating fellow humans other than sink in your misery.
The Politicians and the embedded Media (Godi Media) across the world pander to their ‘solid’ base, who are eager to hate someone or the other.
As we say in Hindi, “politicians Janta ko chootiya banate hain aur desi janta asani say chootiye ban jatay hain hain.” Politicians think the public is stupid, and feed them a lot of bull, and some gulp it down with devotion. It is time to think and question. Finding the truth is our own responsibility, as it relieved us from pain and anguish.
Anti-Semitism
The stupidity of some people is unbelievable. No matter what goes wrong, they are waiting to accuse the Jews and the Muslims, and will not hesitate to fabricate lies. All of us who wants to see a better world has to act and smash these falsities. Please see the Markaz Nizamuddin for Islamophobia
It is time for everyone to accept the responsibility for what happens in their group and focus on solving the problem.
Markaz Nizamuddin – a case in point.
The Markaz Nizamuddin, a community center, holds its annual conference like all others. In India, people of all faiths celebrate their festivities in large crowds like the Kumbh Mela, Ramanavami, Janmashtami, Gurpurab, Ramazan, Holi, Diwali, Bakrid, Paryushan, Mahavir Jayanthi, Milad, Christmas, Easter, Baisakhi, Nowruz, and the annual gatherings at Tirupati Tirumalai, Ayyappa, Karaga, Rajasthan book Festival, and other events. Besides, each faith and language group holds yearly events.
So, the Markaz (Center) Nizamuddin got all the permissions from the local government to hold their three-day conference/ Mela. People from across India and the globe attended the event. Then in the middle of their three-day program, the lockdown was announced. They scrambled and asked for help to transport the people, and they did not get it. They obeyed the laws but stayed put in the place as they had nowhere to go.
Some of the people who traveled from other countries were not the only ones on the planes, and there were others – the Godi Media is accusing “Muslims” of bringing the virus. What about other passengers? What’s wrong with their brains?
Every group of Indians, and most certainly Muslims have condemned the bad behavior of a handful of men who spat on the medical staff, that was wrong.
The Home Ministry and the Godi Media saw the opportunity to insult fellow Indians who are Muslims, and made them the source of spreading the Coronavirus, what false propaganda? Any gathering has equal chances of spreading the virus.
Now, take a look at the violators who got a free pass. Should you blame Muslims and not other violators? It is your choice, you have to live with it, but take a look at the biggest violators of the lockdown – Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath and Yeddyurappa. As an Indian American, should you focus on Markaz Nizamuddin and ignore these? What does your prejudice allow you to do? Should these two men be made to pay or let go?
At the Center for pluralism, we bring peace of mind to you and take the anxiety away by busting myths about every faith. We honor and respect the divinity of every religion; all religions are from God to live in harmony. No one is more privileged than the others.
Faith is like your mother, no matter what anyone says, your mother is dear to you. Likewise, your religion is precious to you as mine is to me. It is stupid to argue or belittle other’s traditions, and it does not get you anywhere. We offer free workshops on learning about the essence of each faith from Atheists to Zoroastrians and everyone in between, and we defend the rights of every human, including the LGBTQ community and Native Americans.
American Muslim Agenda.
I will be happy to answer any questions you may have about Islam. It will be as bold as the book American Muslim Agenda. If you have the time, buy the book, the e-book is available on Kindle for $5.39 and actual book for $19.99 at Amazon. Before you buy, please visit the site www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com and look at the slides, contents, review and other information. The site is being upgraded as we speak.
Dr. Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker, author, business consultant, community organizer, news-maker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. He is deeply committed to Religious Freedom, Human Rights, and Pluralism in Religion, Politics, Societies, and the workplace. He is dedicated to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and civic, religious and political leaders.
Mike GhouseComments Off on Goodness under Corona Watch.
The Indians at large are caring, kind, and good-hearted human beings; a number of good stories are coming to light, of people caring for each other. India’s pluralistic culture* has a solid grounding and the efforts of the current political dispensation in India to sow the seeds of discord – to divide and rule Indians will eventually fail, it is not our heritage.
In an effort to mitigate ill-will towards Hindus, who are a great people, I have taken it as my mission to separate the tiny segment among Hindus to be identified as Hindutvadis** and not Hindus. It is like separating Nazis, KKK, and other gangs from Christianity, ISIS, and Al-Qaeda from Islam and the settlers from Judaism.
The next step is to have a continuing dialogue with the Hindutvadis, to understand them. I firmly believe that conflicts occur due to misunderstandings and myths propagated. If we take the time to know each other, not superficial, but really deep knowledge, it will lead to understanding each other, and understanding will lead to acceptance of each other.
When we talk about Mukti, Moksha, salvation, and Nijaat; what we are talking about is living a tension-free, conflict-free life. Humans aspire to live without conflicts, and we will do our best to walk the talk with malice towards none.
All of us need to shelve the hatred and ill-will towards each other. We need to be inclusive if we want others to be inclusive. Towards that effort, I am meeting the Hindutvadis, and I believe if we “know” each other, most of the biases will start fading.
India will be a great nation again if the current political leaders realize that Indian culture cannot be changed. They will drop the idea of pitching hatred towards Muslims and Christians if we learn about each other. Together, we have to restore India to its glory days of caring for each other regardless of religion. Prosperity is a strange animal, and you cannot prosper by yourselves without success to others who surround you.
The following pieces of good news give high hopes for humanity in India, and the resilience of the pluralistic Indian culture.
Frank Islam Foundation for peace and prosperity
First of all, a video clip made by the Frank Islam Foundation, a philanthropist who has been at the forefront of promoting positive journalism in India.
Sikh Father and Son who saved Muslims during the Delhi Riots in March’20.
A Sikh father and son have been hailed as heroes after saving many Muslims during the deadly religious riots which swept through parts of the Indian capital Delhi last week.
Mohinder and Inderjeet Singh hid people in their homes before whisking them to safety during the violence, sparked by anger over a controversial new law.
Delhi riots witnessed gut-wrenching violence which left over 40 people dead and over 200 injured. But it also highlighted the spirit of love and harmony between different religious communities, which puts India above hate.
Full story – https://www.indiatoday.in/programme/news-today/video/india-above-hate-how-hindus-helped-muslims-muslims-helped-hindus-during-delhi-violence-1651001-2020-02-28
Obviously, there are more stories of Hindus caring for others, and we will add them here.
Muslims take the body of their Hindu neighbor for cremation, while his relatives shied away.
MEERUT: A crowd of mourners, most of them wearing white and brown skull caps, baffled onlookers as they carried a body to the cremation ground in UP’s Bulandshahr amid chants of “Ram Naam Satya Hai”.
Ravi Shankar, in his late 40s, had died on Saturday afternoon after a prolonged battle with cancer at his home in Bulandshahr’s Anand Vihar area, leaving behind his wife and four children. With relatives stuck due to the lockdown, Shankar’s distraught wife didn’t know whom to turn to.
Religious zeal shattered Delhi’s lives and dreams. Religious zeal is now picking up the pieces, too
There’s only so much we can do…We don’t care if they are Hindu or Muslim. We Sikhs have been taught that our duty is to help those who are being oppressed, so we’re here just to serve,” 26-year-old Raj Singh said, pouring dal on to plates.
* I cannot in my good conscience praise my motherland wholeheartedly, without serious reflection of how the Dalits have been treated for thousands of years. They are treated less than human as untouchables and are continually oppressed and mistreated. Thanks to Mahatma Gandhi, who made good efforts to change the word Untouchable to God’s People. Thanks to Dr. Ambedkar for writing India’s constitution to correct that evil practice.
Dr. Ghouse is a community consultant, thinker, author, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. He is a speaker on religious freedom, Pluralism in religion, politics, society and the workplace, and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More at www.TheGhouseDiary.com
Mike GhouseComments Off on India’s Corona Violators
All the good and bad things in societies are caused by individuals. As responsible citizens, it is our duty to demand accountability and separate the facts from myths. Indeed, wars and conflicts also begin with individuals. The real trouble makers are the sycophants (Chamchas) who praise such individuals lavishly and keep them in bubbles, either for favors or fears.
There are two items we need to pay attention to; blaming the religion and sparing the violators.
Should you make fun of any religion for the acts of a few believers. Statistically, the illogical believers are a few, very few, less than 1/100th of 1%. It would be wrong to believe that the problem is religion. No, it is not, it is the individuals and cults.
The great men of all religions have said stuff like, “Trust in God but verify, Trust in God, but tie your Camel, and God will not change your status unless you change it.” God has created this world in balance and expects us (the “intelligent” species) to preserve and maintain it for our good.
If we screw it up, regardless of who starts or how it got going – the fact is we bear it collectively. The Hindu religion says the entire world is one family – Islam, Christianity, and Judaism say that we are all one family, kids of Adam and Eve. I am sure, all religions have similar teachings. Indeed, if we screw it up, we have to fix it. God will not do a thing.
Chief Seattle, a Native American, said this correctly, “All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. The man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the webs, he does it to himself.”
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of Uttar Pradesh – the wrath of India is full of hate and venom for Indian Muslims and Christians. He claims to be Hindu, he cannot be a Hindu, Hinduism does not teach hate.
Chief Minister of Karanataka is the second biggest violator of lockdown in India
So much for social distancing. After placing restrictions on events involving large gatherings, Yedyurappa attends the wedding. What a hypocrite. Rules are for others and not for him?
Don’t laugh, someone in your group is guilty of such violations.
Dr. Ghouse is a community consultant, thinker, author, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. He is a speaker on religious freedom, Pluralism in religion, politics, society and the workplace, and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More at www.TheGhouseDiary.com
Mike GhouseComments Off on Corona and fear of death.
This message is not about taking precautions about Corona, but about dealing with our fears.
You can laugh it off at me. I have a strange fear; those of you who are single can understand it. If I were to die, I don’t want my family members and friends to come to a dirty house. So, I keep my place clean, clean sink, clean bathroom, and clean-living room, the bed is made, and things are in place, even though no one will be visiting me.
I have written down all my passwords, my insurance papers, and other papers, and have put them all in one single password and given to my kids. I want to make it easy for my family and friends. I hope you do the same.
In the case of mass deaths, don’t worry about burying me. If the county/ city has to bury us all in mass graves or other avenues, let them. I recall the stories from my grandmother how much of my family was wiped in the Spanish flu in 1918, as they bury one and come home, they had to take another one. But then, there were no bans on gatherings.
This reminds me of the communication shut down in Kashmir. I hope you feel empathy towards the Kashmiri People – all Kashmiri people, pundits and Muslims are both victims of brutality. I hope you feel their anguish and I pray empathy restored to Mr. Modi.
I also feel for millions of workers who live on daily wages and those who live in large numbers in small 10×10 huts with no sanitation and food. They are stranded. Thanks to the Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, Christians and others who have taken it upon themselves to help fellow Indians of all hues. It was a joy to see a Hindu man was given his last rites by Muslims when the man’s relatives did not want to touch the dead, a Sikh man saved over 40 Muslims to safety, and Hindus protecting Muslims during these hard times. That is my India.
People are always good, they care. I hope the governments reflect the will of good kind-hearted people. I also hope the financial aid the Modi government has announced will go to every Indian equally to sustain through this pandemic. No one should be more privileged than the other.
I have donated all my usable body parts to medical research upon my death. If death were to come to me now, I would not resist but go in peace. I have lived my life and happy to go and blessed to live. There is an Indian song, its first two lines are the best description of living a life.
Jiyo to aise jiyo jaise sub tumhara hai
Maro to aise jaise tumhara kuch bhi nahi
Live your life as if everything belongs to you,
and when you die, go as if nothing belongs to you.
Each one of you must have experienced the sudden death of a loved one, and it was as if the end of the world. But you know, all wounds heal over a period of time. Of course, I have a list of things I want to do but will not sweat if I don’t. I know we have examples set by great men and women like Krishna, Zarathustra, Buddha, Mahavir, Moses, Confucius, Jesus, Muhammad, Nanak, Bahaullah, Joseph Smith, Mirza Ghulam Ahmed, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, MLK, and a whole lot of others. They did not complete their missions to bring the entire world on one platform. God has created the world into many nations, tribes, races, ethnicities and he/she/it like it that way.
Make peace with yourselves – if you are afraid of death, clean your slate, forgive and seek forgiveness, and accept the reality and go in peace. Tie the loose ends, if you were to go, go as if you have finished your business and have nothing else to do. Go in peace my friends, Have a smile on your face, it will make it easy for the survivors. Life goes on, but make it easy for your loved ones.
May all 8 billion of us live without apprehensions and tension. Those who leave us, may them leave in peace, those who survive, may live in peace.
I feel the pain for the entire world, even though I have expressed it in terms of my surroundings.
God bless all of us,
Dr. Ghouse is a community consultant, thinker, author, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. He is a speaker on religious freedom, Pluralism in religion, politics, society and the workplace, and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More at www.TheGhouseDiary.com
