Book Talk: The American Muslim Agenda

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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

http://www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com and Mike’s extensive profile appended at  https://www.linkedin.com/inmikeghouse.

 Book Talk Version 3:0

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

  1. 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.
  1. The American Muslim Agenda paves the way for Muslims to own their mistakes, and remedy them. It corrects how fellow Americans perceive Muslims.
  1. 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.
  1. The essence and purpose of Islam are narrated from a humanity’s (Aalameen) perspective for the first time.
  1. 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.
  1. 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.
  1. 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.
  1. Can a Muslim become President of the United States? What does it take, there is a full chapter on the topic?
  1. 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.
  1. 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/

Book Talk: American Muslim Agenda

      Comments Off on Book Talk: American Muslim Agenda

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

http://www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com and Mike’s extensive profile appended at  https://www.linkedin.com/inmikeghouse.

 Book Talk Version 3:0

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

  1. 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.
  1. The American Muslim Agenda paves the way for Muslims to own their mistakes, and remedy them. It corrects how fellow Americans perceive Muslims.
  1. 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.
  1. The essence and purpose of Islam are narrated from a humanity’s (Aalameen) perspective for the first time.
  1. 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.
  1. 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.
  1. 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.
  1. Can a Muslim become President of the United States? What does it take, there is a full chapter on the topic?
  1. 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.
  1. 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/

Standing up for Uyghur Muslims

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THE PLIGHT OF UYGHURS
 
Shame on you, if you rejoice the harassment, lynching, and oppression of any people. It is time for all of us to stand up for each other if you don’t stand up for others, why should anyone stand up for you during your vulnerabilities? Are you invincible forever?
Nearly a million Uyghur Muslim have been targeted by China and forced them into camps. We the people of America are not silent about it, and we are doing everything we can. This cannot go on forever, and China has got to be told that this is unacceptable.
 
I regularly meet the representatives of Uyghur Muslims, as I do representatives of all faiths representing about 75 organizations at the weekly International Religious Freedom Roundtable. The story is the same – a small percent of misguided people from the majority are afraid of the minorities and resort to lynching and harassing them. Today, I heard about the plight of minorities in Cameroon, Vietnam, Crimea, Venezuela, China, Pakistan, India, and a dozen other nationalities.
 
When there is harmony, people focus on improving their living standards and live a higher quality of life. If there is no harmony, tensions make life miserable to both the givers and receivers of the tensions.
 

We are Americans, and God has blessed us to lead the world on the right path, the path of peace and cohesiveness.

 

 
Please join me at a rally in support of the Uyghurs, I will be speaking there.
 
Here is a speech from one of the largest immigration rallies in Dallas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrjU0KULv-Y
 
Uyghur Freedom Rally,
Saturday, April 6, 2019, at 1:00 PM
Freedom Plaza — 1455 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20004 —
I will add the link later.

Muslims Beware of Russians

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If you were involved in anti-Trump rallies organized in the name of Muslims, fake Muslims, please beware.

We need to dig in and find out if Trump’s hatred for Muslims is based on those rallies, which were set up by Russians. Trump is an extremely revengeful man, and if his revenge is based on false presentations, there is hope to mitigate some of it.

Putin is hell-bent on making a mockery of successful democracies and wants to upset the systems, create division and discord. He knew that one way to develop loyal supporters for Trump was projecting Muslims as Anti-Trump and place a successful wedge between Americans. The Wall Street Journal interviewed me and now the Tadashi Sugiyama, a journalist for one of Japan’s largest newspapers, Asahi Shimbun.

I was listed as a speaker in a rally across White House in September 2016, I did not go there as I disagreed with the Anti-American and Anti-Trump placards they were planning to walk around.  I made some placards to be effective, they rejected it, and I chose not to go to the rally.

India was such an exceptional pluralistic nation until Modi came along, and I wonder, the communal (religious) riots and the lynching’s were Russian efforts to weaken the vibrant Indian Democracy.

Trump’s first few lines on his inaugural address in 2017 were from the letter I had given to him, he included Jews, African Americans, and Indians but excluded Muslims in asking fellow Americans to treat all Americans respectfully.  He did it again in the state of the Union in 2019.

I was part of one rally, which I did not attend as it was Anti-American,

=====================

Here is the note from the Journalist

Mike,

It is written in Japanese but I quickly translated into English (not perfect, I am sorry).

Tadashi

https://digital.asahi.com/articles/DA3S13951489.html?iref=pc_ss_date

“Anti-Trump pretending approach” Contact from Russia/ activist says his experience

Special counsel, Mueller’s investigation of “Russia Gate” over the 2016 US presidential election ended without confirming the Trump camp conspiracy with Russia. However, aiming at the division of the United States on a theme that produces social discord, such as religion and immigration, Russia’s clever work benefitted President Trump became clear one after another. An activist who received contact from the Russian side explained one end of the trick.

“Fake placard” at the demonstration

“I want you to come and speak at the demonstration against Trump’s policy”. Activist Mike Ghouse (67), who lives in Washington, received a phone call from a stranger (Abdullah was his name) in the summer of 2016, when the presidential election reached its footpath. He had an accent in his English. I thought, “He was a fast speaking person. Like he didn’t want to give room to have a discussion”

The man said he was a member of the group named “United Muslims of America”. It was a demonstration in Washington against Trump’s “Muslim ban”.

Mr. Ghouse is a prominent activist who advocates pluralism as a Muslim. He was a frequent commentator on the conservative FOX TV.  Mr. Ghouse agrees with legitimate demonstrations. But the man’s claim was excessive. “Muslims will rule the United States one day.” Mr. Ghouse repulsed, “It will never happen. Don’t even talk about it. It will create problems.”

This group was a fictional one that Russia created to intervene in the presidential race. Mueller indicted 13 Russians including a business man close to Putin’s office last February for using social media to develop organized intelligence operations. The indictment stated that the strategic goal of them was to ” to sow discord in the U.S. political system” Themes that are easy to create divisions, such as immigration, race, religion, etc., were selected, and numerous posts were made online.

The fictional organization that contacted Mr. Ghouse was also mentioned in the indictment. Apparently disguised from the support of Mrs. Clinton. However, It was in touch with Americans to put up the placards such as one that Mr. Clinton does not say, ”

I think Sharia Law will be a powerful new direction of freedom.” It was a method to superimpose Mr. Clinton on a claim which general Americans oppose, and induce to support Trump.

Mr. Ghouse also received some signs by email. Some of them were anti-American. Mr. Ghouse told him, “These signs are not acceptable. Should be more respecting other individuals.” and did not participate.

Mr. Trump, who repeats the remarks that divide the society, became the president.

Mr. Ghouse thinks Russia meddling was successful. “For democracy to survive, finding the truth is very important. Without check and balance, there is no democracy” Mr. Ghouse said the significance of the investigation of “Russia gate”.

Am I a Hindu, Muslim, Christian or a Jew?

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Am I a Hindu, Muslim, Christian or a Jew?

Ananthram Singh Rathore Jodhpur Ananth, religion is merely an identity, like race, ethnicity or nationality. The creator does not have a specific personality, he belongs to the entire universe. The ideal goal of religion is to make each one of us God-like, that is treating all his creation justly and equally with no privileges to one over the other, or make a deal with one group behind other’s back.

What each religion aims to accomplish is to make a responsible citizen out of an individual. If that person wears a blue, white, beige, yellow or purple shirt, the man/woman is still the man/woman. No color is superior to the other, and each one is different and unique.

Deva P Ramsaroop was president of the DFW Hindu Temple, and he was considering honoring me with a title of Honorary Hindu. Maybe because on my Radio show and in the Newspaper, there were more Hindu events and Hindu items than other faiths. Damini Singh joined me for nearly seven years on and off to talk about the essence of Hindu Festivals. Many a Muslims thought I was a Hindu to the point that the Imam Zia Kavakci was told not to perform the wedding for me with my late wife, Najma. Of course, he was on my show too, and he appreciated my conversation and did officiate the wedding. Najma was a gem, and she did not have any bias towards anyone either. We both volunteered in all places of worship including the Hindu Temple.

On my daily Radio show called Wisdom of religion, all the beautiful religions, the Buddhists and Bahai friends Kevin Rafaf won’t be able to make it to the show on occasion.  I ended up talking about both the faiths, and I am reasonably well versed in the essence of both religions. My late wife’s friends thought I was a Buddhist, and my Christian friends thought I was a Bahai, because of my inclusive language. Many of my Hindu friends thought I was a Malayalee Christian.

On the Mumbai attack, the India Association of Dallas asked me to bring my Jewish, Sikh and other friends for a prayer vigil. My Jewish friends told me to go ahead and say the Jewish prayers. When I was reciting the prayer – there was gossip going in the pews, “I told you, he is a Jew,  see for yourselves.”

One rare human called me a Sikh because I am a good friend with Dr. Harbans Lal,  I had organized a big event on the Sikh Massacre (we have covered all Genocides and Holocaust events in our annual program), and had them involved in many of our programs.

I attended an LGBT rally in Addison Airport hangar, all the men and women there thought I was gay. One Indian gay fellow was hiding behind others, so I don’t see him. I walked up to him and said, it is ok if you are gay, and I will not tell anyone about it. Moreover, I am not gay, and I am here to stand with the LGBTQ community.  I have also walked in many LGBT rallies in Dallas.

I hope someday; someone will call me a Zoroastrian, Dalit or Jain if they google Zoroastrian, Jain or Dalit with my name, they may think I am one of them. Dr. Poras Balsara, Nina Kalian, Dr. Pradeep Shah, Kirit Daftary were diligent on sharing about their faiths without fail.  Those are the only labels I have not earned yet. God will bestow that opportunity someday.

I consider myself a part of the Universe, as Islam calls it Aalameen. Islam has nurtured me to be a universal pluralist, that is a creature affiliated with the entire universe with no barriers. The Islam I know and have boldly written about it in the book American Muslim Agenda is inclusive, all-embracing. 90% of American Muslims would agree with the articulation in the book, and the book will become a reference and a teaching manual for Islam to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Someone pointed to me after I wrote the following sentence that Mahatma Gandhi had said this, “ A good Hindu is a good Muslim is a good Christian is a good Jew is a good Sikh.

If you are serious about finding out what percent of you are a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jew, Sikh, Jain, Atheist, Wicca, Shinto or the other, go to Beliefnet. net and take a quiz, you will answer about 100 questions there, and based on your answer, the results will pop out that – you may be x% Muslim, y% Hindu, z% Reformed Jew……  each one of us is at least 50% of the other.

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 different formats at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/

 

The Mueller Report

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THE MUELLER REPORt

The most important aspect to the report is no one is indicted, it is good for America, it restores trust in our system, that the president was legitimately elected.

Courtesy of NBC

The key points in the letter from Barr to the Congress, that I received, has these key points.

the special counsel “determined not to make a prosecutorial judgment,” “The special counsel does not conclude that the President committed a crime, is also does not exonerate him.”

The special counsel leaves it to the AG to determine whether the conduct described in the report constitutes a crime.

“Evidence developed during the special counsel’s investigation is not sufficient to establish that the president committed obstruction of justice offense.

No one is questioning Robert Mueller’s integrity, but he did not want to make a call as the president is immune to the prosecution, I guess he did not want to touch that and left it to the AG to make that call.

I am glad Nunes, Gowdy, and others went on non-stop with repeated investigations about our Ambassador, they wanted to dig out the truth, and am happy that Hillary was exonerated.

Now, Congress has the responsibility to dig in and find the truth for us. President’s word has to be verified before believing him.

As Americans, we need the full truth, let the Congress continue the investigation and give us the facts, and I will be happy if the president would be exonerated, it is good for America.

However, Trump will not go scot-free for his rash whimsical decisions that have ruined our relations with our allies and severely affected Americans.

Mike Ghouse

Muslim Wedding Officiant – Interfaith Marriages

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Can a Muslim Woman Marry a Non-Muslim Man?

By Mike Ghouse

If you are a Muslim woman considering marrying outside your faith, please read the well-researched chapter in 6000 Words – in the book American Muslim Agenda available at Amazon, Kindle and Barnes & Nobles.

The book is a Muslim effort in building a cohesive America where each one of the 323 million Americans feels secure about his/her faith, race, ethnicity and culture. It is bold writing that Muslims have not dared to speak in the past for fear of fatwas. This book will resonate with 90% of American Muslims who want to live their lives with freedom and get along with fellow Americans. I hope you find this book in tune with your vision of America.

………….. …

The discussion is about the marriage of single Muslim women in America in general and Muslim women in their fifties in particular. There are not enough Muslim men out there, and interfaith marriage is one of the few viable options to them. Most of the American Muslim Women rule out the idea of marrying someone from their home country as it does not work out culturally nor do they have the patience for arranged marriages. They want to get to know the guy before marrying, and that is not easy. Today, nearly 40% of Muslim women marry outside of their faith and most of them without conversion.

Researching the matrimonial sites, out of 1000 Muslim women, only 30% of them over the age of 50 have listed Islam as their religion, the rest have registered themselves as spiritual but not religious, and they invariably add, “religion is no bar.” Meaning, people of other faiths can approach.

There is nothing you can do, it is not your life, and you don’t have solutions either. You can tell them to marry a Muslim man, but it is their life, they have seen the growth, go through a divorce or have not married at all, and they know what they want. They want a man to marry and not religion.  A majority of Muslims quietly go along with these decisions, some have many questions, and some are ready to quote verses from the Quran and make declarations that they are out of the pale of Islam. Islam is a religion of Aalameen, the universe and its tent are too big not to accommodate differences.

By the way, this is not an exclusively Muslim problem; it is a problem in all faiths, again it is not the faith, but the whims of the guardians of the gospel.

If you are a binary robotic Muslim who parrots between two words Halal and Haram on autopilot, then this article is not for you. If you believe your religion is guidance to live a happy and harmonious life and God has given the intelligence to think and live such an experience, please read on!

Remember, Islam is a deen of Fitra, a natural reflection of one’s nature, so if it is not common sense, then it is not Islam. Islam is not about forcing and regulating others life but bringing harmony and peace to humankind.

This piece is for those Muslims who understand the essence of Islam which is to create cohesive societies. It is for those who follow God’s signs. He has created the earth and the heavens, planets and the systems and programmed them to function cohesively. To understand cohesion, let’s start with our bodies. We are composed of billions of different cells, but most certainly we can see that our bodies have several different organs, and all of them have to work together for us to live a normal life.  We are one planet, one earth and one system of creation and through one cause. That is one God.

If you are struggling with the idea of pursuing a relationship with a man, who is not a Muslim, but you like him and want to spend your life with him and are tempted to be Bibi Khadija, then it is your choice.  Finding the truth is your responsibility, and in Islam, no one is responsible for your actions but you, and no one bears the burden of others. It is your decision, and you have to live with it, so think through it.

Guarding the flock is a human trait, and no tradition wants to lose a member of their culture to the other, whether you are a Hindu, Christian, Sikh or a Jew, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or new, indeed, any tradition for that matter. Muslims are no exception, and there is no need to beat up on Islam for your comprehension deficiency.

Quran does not expressly forbid Muslim women marrying non-Muslim men, and neither prophet has explicitly prohibited it. If you read the verses particularly the oft-quoted verses 60:10 and 2:221, there is an advisement to marry with whom you are compatible, and with whom you can live in harmony. It is relational guidance that a believing bondsman is better than a non-believing man and vice-versa for men. The comparison is for one to understand that social status is not essential, but harmony is.

Marriage is all about harmony – God wants his creation to live in peace. You don’t want to live with someone with conflicts throughout the day.  If you find a spouse who can live with you in harmony despite religion, race or region, then that ‘advisement’ or the condition is not applicable anymore.  After all, God is the one who puts love between two souls and it the couple who has to live their lives.

In verse 60:10 disbelievers were those individuals who prevented the believers from practicing their faith; there was an element of hostility between them. However, today, most people of faith are believers in God in one fashion or the other. I have officiated weddings between an Atheist and a faithful, and it is about harmony and not the belief. If they can live in Harmony, God will not come in between their love, and it is him or his system that made each other want to come together.  It is about compatibility and harmony and not religion or another case.

The questions are endless, but the answer is a powerful one, and that is accountability.  In the traditional societies parents rightfully felt responsible for guarding the happiness of their offspring, whereas parents in North America are learning to believe that their kids are independent and know what they want in their lives, and will find their happiness.  Ultimately, they have to live their own lives.

There is one segment of single Muslim women that is reaching an enormous percent of all the single women.  These women are in their late 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. In my interviews, one of the ladies was 73 and was looking for a man younger than herself in the model of Bibi Khadija. Mind you, the divorced or widowed women and certainly not looking for a provider, nor do they entertain having children. They are merely looking to have a friend and a companion in their marriages and live their own lives. God wants nothing more for his creation than harmony and happiness.

No woman should be denied her right to life, liberty, and happiness. No one can push an American Muslim woman to marry anyone other than whom she wants. By marrying someone she can be happy with, her faith remains strong, if not she would a Muslim in the name.

Some of us may not want to acknowledge it, but the 2nd and 3rd generation American Muslims will have their own Islam that differs from others in other lands. However, the American practice of Islam would be closer to the one Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) practiced; a religion committed to building cohesive societies and caring for fellow humans and environment, in essence, Islam tells you to mind your own business as you do on the Day of Judgment.

Indeed, we all have the same Islam, and there is no doubt about it. However, our cultures are different, the culture of Nahadatul Ulema,  Deobandis, Naqshbandis, Sufis, Sunnis, Shias, Ahmadiyya, Ismailis, WD Deen Muhammad, Bohri’s, Nation of Islam, Alawites, Wahhabis, and others vary in practices from region to region. Even our rules are divided into six different schools of thought. Islam practiced by Baghdadi is not the same as the one practiced by any American Muslim.  All of them are Muslims in their own right, and none of us have the power or permission from God to belittle or denigrate the other.

If God had said no to a Muslim woman marrying a non-Muslim man, it would have been told in the Quran, and there is not even an inference. God does not make mistakes; instead, he empowers us to figure out our equilibrium.

The decision to marry rests in the hearts and minds of the individuals marrying. It is their life, and it is God who puts love in their hearts for each other.

God bless the Interfaith and Interracial Couples! Despite their religious, racial or cultural differences, they are setting the new standards of civility by showing the world how-to live-in harmony. Isn’t that what God wants? We have to cherish and honor the couples who embrace genuine humanity by accepting each other’s uniquenesses.

When people are showing extreme intolerance towards each other, the interfaith and interracial couples are showing the way to live in harmony and are contributing to the idea of one nation. They are indeed exemplary patriotic Americans.

If we can learn to respect the otherness of other and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of the seven billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

The sole intent of this essay is to understand the struggle of “Single American Muslim women” and keeping them from living with frustrations of culture and their wants and needs. We have expanded our fold to be reflective of God’s boundlessness and extending Prophet Muhammad’s mercy to the entire universe. After all, God says, he created all of us from one single couple; thus, we are all one family and should not have any barriers between us.

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/

Ilhan Omar: on Free speech

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Ilhan Omar on Free speech.
Thanks to Walter Ruby, I have removed the word Hero from the article.

BEFORE YOU READ THE ARTICLE, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING NOTE:

Before you judge, I request you to read the whole thing and the links therein, that is if you want to share your opinion. If you don’t care, you don’t have to read. I am committed to building cohesive societies where no humans have to live in apprehension. It takes a lot of effort to be specific, so does it take to build cohesive communities. We don’t write off the whole person if he or she has cancer, we treat the specifics cells and work on curing them. Years ago, my boss hated Muslims, even though I was not a Muslim at that time, my name was. He taught me the biggest lesson of the life – his hate for Muslims did not prevent him from giving me the highest performance ratings and pay rise in one of the world’s largest engineering firms: Fluor Corporation way back in 1978.

Without any reserve, I condemn Ilhan’s anti-Semitic tropes like the Benjamin’s and other ugly things she has said, but we must appreciate her for seeking to learn about AntiSemitism from her Jewish friends/ colleagues.

I have a stellar record of working for reconciliation and understanding. I firmly believe in free speech; however ugly it may be, it is our value, and we must defend it, I support free speech while condemning through unintentional tropes. We cannot screw up on one of the most enduring values of America; Free speech. We have to deal with Antisemitism through education; if we push and punish people for free speech, anti-Semitism will not disappear, it will brew. I have taken the lead on educating on Holocaust to non-Jews for the last thirteen years and will continue with that education. I have stood up against similar Muslim request to push against Islamophobia, no pushing, no laws, but educating has a better chance of uprooting Antisemitism, and I will do my share of the work. Forcing people makes Antitemism brew and blow up someday like the shooting in the Synagogue recently or defiling the cemeteries two years ago.

Let’s separate free speech from Antisemitism and also define what Antisemitism is, much of the AntiSemitism is resentment towards Likud Governments policies and violations of international consensus. Make no mistake about it, 94% of the nations are resentful against Israel for violating the United Nations resolutions since 1948, it will not go away until Justice is met for the Palestinians, which in turn will result in enduring security for Jews, Judaism, and Israel. Please place your wisdom to work and not the emotion of insecurity, as a Muslim, I align with your sentiment and the feelings of all persecuted minorities.

My mission 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.

I hope you are ready to read this piece. It is a sensitive issue, so I urge you to ask me questions before you choose to judge me.

Thank you.
Mike

Ilham Omar is standing up for free speech. The hypocrites on both the parties are attacking her instead of praising her for preserving the most cherished American value; Free speech.
What an embarrassment that our leaders on both sides of the isle bark at free speech. What happened to them? Are they free to criticize?  America is all about free speech! It is the free speech that has made us one of the most successful and stable nations on the earth. Those who are trying to pass the resolutions to curb free speech are hell-bent on destroying the character of our nation. I will not stand for this bullshit, neither should you.

Most women and children understand free speech/ oppression;  the misogynistic men usually get away with their threats, violence, and abuse. The women and children grind their teeth, and if ever they have a chance, they will get even. As a civilized society, should we support the oppressive men and ask the women and children to shut up?

Free speech is the hallmark of civil societies, and it allows people to express their frustrations instead of turning them into resentment, a stepping stone towards freedom.

If you are stereotyping Jews or Judaism and are biased towards them, then it is Antisemitism, and I condemn it unconditionally. Antisemitism is a disease and a mental sickness like homophobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia, Hindu phobia, Idoltaryphobia, misogyny, and other phobias.

Criticizing Israel is not Antisemitism, criticizing the Holocaust is not Antisemitism either. Nothing should be beyond criticism. There will always be a few who are motivated by hate; the response should be to teach about the dangers of Holocaust and Genocides and how it wraps all of us in flames.

Rabbi Rosen, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, had invited me to be a part of a Jewish enclave where they debated about how long Israel would be a binding factor for Jews, they agreed social justice should be the binding factor for Jews.

At the Center for Pluralism, we chose the route to educate people. For the first time in history, we decided to undertake the education of the Holocaust and Genocides to the general public. We have been organizing the event since 2006, and people from Atheism to Zoroastrianism have participated in learning about the Holocaust, and we will continue to do that.

As a Muslim, I have welcomed criticism of Allah, Muhammad, Islam, and the Quran. There is a full chapter about it in the book American Muslim Agenda available at Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Nobles and other book stores. No one and nothing should be free from criticism.

I have a sterling record in standing up for free speech, I have defended Pamela Geller’s right to speak in London, even though it was a hate speech. I had fought off vigorously against Hannity on Fox News when he wanted to ban Dr. Ghannouchi from speaking at Yale University, and I have gone against the Arab league’s proposal to ban hate speech against Prophet Muhammad at the United Nations. Furthermore, we resolved the Quran burning issue with Pastor Jones by respecting his right to free speech and not condemning it. There should not be any compromise on free speech; if we do that, America will not be America anymore. Free speech is a God-given right, and no one has a right to take that away.

We should not mess with our heritage of free speech for short term demands.  Free speech is the cornerstone of our culture. It must be defended at any cost. Shamefully, the free speech, a conservative value is anathema to some Republicans. They want to control others, and now some Democrats have joined them in placing restrictions on free speech.  I urge the politicians to wake up and re-embrace the traditional values they have abandoned over a decade. I am not a Republican or a Democrat, but an independent who defends America and the American Values.

We need to quit applying the “Anti-Semitism” mantra to everything and devalue it. It is a disease we need to guard people against, and we should educate the Anti-Semitism shouters, it is not Anti-Semitism, look up the article referenced below, “Anti-Semitism is augmented by Netanyahu” at Huffington Post.

Many states have passed laws against BDS, and I was short on energy to fight that out, it is anti-American. You can bury your head in the sand and think BDK has disappeared, but it is not, it is simmering. Any curb on free speech breeds resentment towards Israel. Let people have the freedom to criticize, don’t take that away, instead educate them, and it is durable and sustainable.

At the Center for Pluralism, we chose the route to educate people. For the first time in history, we decided to undertake the education of the Holocaust and Genocides to the general public. We have been organizing the event since 2006, and people from Atheism to Zoroastrianism have participated in learning about the Holocaust, and we will continue to do that.

If you are a friend of Israel, please “think about it.” Israel’s long-term security hinges on justice to the Palestinians. If you want the Jews around the world to feels secure, that is,  when they can drop their guards and roam about freely anywhere on the earth without apprehension, do the right thing – seek Justice for Palestinians and security for Israel, and one will not happen without the other.  We need a Martin Luther King or another Moses in Israel to liberate the Jews from the gnawing feeling they have about the injustice and mistreatment of the Palestinians. The ultimate freedom and security of the Jewish people lay in being who they are; a just people.

1. Haaretz, March 7, 2019 –  Keep it up, Ilhan
2. Huffington Post,  December 8, 2019 – Anti-Semitism is augmented by Netanyahu
3. Huffington Post, January 23, 2014 – Holocaust and the Muslim Guy
4. Website – Holocaust and Genocides
5. Newsweek opinion – I am Jewish and hypocrisy of GOP is deplorable
6. Israeli General on Anti-Israel is not Anti-Semitism

What an embarrassment that our leaders on both sides of the isle bark at free speech, not at the powerful ones like our President, but the vulnerable ones like Ilham Omar.  What happened to their freedom? Are they free to criticize anyone or only those who are vulnerable and cannot fight back?  I am a great fan of President Obama and have written about 75 pieces admiring his acts, but I am glad Ilhan Omar criticized him on his bad policy of drones.  Hail to Ilhan Omar!

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/

Please note: This is sent for publication, once that is done, we will publish it on our websites www.CenterforPluralism.com | www.WorldMuslimcongress.com | www.TheGhouseDiary.com

About the book: American Muslim Agenda

The essence of Islam was never explained to Muslims or the non-Muslims before, and the emphasis has always been adherence to rituals. Rituals are a part of Islam or any system, but that is not whole Islam. Islam is not about ruling others, and it is not about imposing oppressive laws or considering others to be second class citizens under their rule. Islam is about free will; in fact, Islam was built on free will. Islam is a religion of universe, a religion of human nature, and it is about living your life in harmony within yourselves (rituals) and with others (essence). It is about living your life and letting others live in dignity and freedom.  If it is not common sense, then it is not Islam. Period!

The book will become a reference manual to teach Islamic values; each chapter is beefed up with verses from the Quran and an occasional Hadith. This book is about Public Islam and the Quran supports it all, for private Islam one may need the support of Hadiths.

The bottom line of Islam’s teachings is to create better citizens (also known as Muslims). This book is about building cohesive societies through 12 Islamic values, never written before in the pages of Islamic history but it was always there. This book highlights the universal principles of Islam that anyone one adopts to build a better world. Being Muslim is not a requirement of Allah, the entire universe is Allah’s creation and the best ones among us are those who care about his creation to include the whole world and 7.5 billion humans and trillions of other life forms. A few talking points at www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com, You can get the book from Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Nobles and other book stores if you want an author signed copy PayPal the funds to Mike Ghouse + $4.50 for shipping through ups.

If you are interested in hosting Q&A session, please let me know.

What have we accomplished at the Center for Pluralism? 
http://centerforpluralism.com/mission-accomplished-at-the-center-for-pluralism/

Your donation produces bold results. 
http://centerforpluralism.com/donate/

# # #

Thank you.

Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916
Center for Pluralism, Washington, DC
Pluralism Studies in Religion, Politics, Society, Culture, and business.
email:Mike@CenterforPluralism.com
Website: www.CenterforPluralism.com

Mike Mohamed Ghouse: A Pluralist, and an Outstanding Interfaith and Peace Activist

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Thanks to World Muslim Pedia for Publishing information about Mike: https://medium.com/worldmuslimpedia/mike-mohamed-ghouse-a-pluralist-and-an-outstanding-interfaith-and-peace-activist-5db250a38f06

Cohesive mankind, cohesive Ummah and cohesive America are what Mike Ghouse stands for. Irrespective of what people think about him, he is marching ahead on his peace mission with messages of love and respect for all individuals, all races and all communities irrespective of their identities — personal, religious, social, cultural or national.

His fame has taken him to all the corners of the earth. He is a regular fighter against Islamophobia in America and is especially active in building relationships in various religious groups, especially Muslims and Christians of America. His work assumed huge significance in the wake of 9/11, which witnessed massive pluralization in American society. He has been at the forefront of leading the confrontation against hate-mongers and mischief makers.

He is often criticized by Islamic scholars for taking a rather liberal view of Islamic teachings and for trying to conform Islam to the demands of Western societies, but unfazed by the opposition, he has kept his mission going with increasing support from all groups. Those who know him well understand his strategy, which is primarily aimed at generating goodwill and initiating a dialogue for the purpose of mutual understanding and tolerance. He has been a vocal critic of America’s war in Iraq and also played a prominent role in the campaign against those who were against the building of a mosque in Manhattan.

Mike Ghouse is mostly known as a believer and a proponent of Pluralism, i.e., respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God given the uniqueness of each one of us. He offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day on TV, Radio, Print, and Internet.

Content

1 Introduction

2 About Mike

2.1 Education

2.2 Business

2.3 Expertise

2.4 Manages the following

2.4.1 AMERICA TOGETHER FOUNDATION

2.4.2 FOUNDATION FOR PLURALISM

2.4.3 WORLD MUSLIM CONGRESS

2.4.4 STANDING UP FOR OTHERS (BLOG)

3 Experience in Interfaith

4 Major interventions in Pluralism

1. Introduction

An American of Indian origin, Mike is a man of action. The action emanates from his dream, “a dream that one day in our lifetime; we all will wake up to a cohesive world, where no human lives in tension, apprehension or fear of the other. Indeed, that was the dream of all the spiritual masters of the world, and that is what the creator wants; all pieces of his creation to function coherently.”

Explaining his position as an activist, he says:

“Nothing in the universe will happen by itself, all of us have to do our share of the work to restore the harmony within our self, with our bodies and with people around us. Don’t you think God knows this? Yet through every religion, we are told to ask for it.

Our founding fathers believed, “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.” And that dream was refreshed by Martin Luther King, Jr.”

Mike is always on the move. He is always available to speak to all groups, conduct workshops on building cohesive workplaces and living a meaningful life and move towards living in harmony. A powerful speaker, his fame has shot with his appearances on Fox News, Syndicated Radio shows, Dallas Morning News, Huffington Post, and a variety of News Papers in America and abroad for giving him. This has given him a strong National and local presence. Mike has appeared in over 100 shows on Fox News and over 50 times on nationally syndicated radio shows.

He has written nearly 3000 articles, and the bulk of them are published in Dallas Morning News, Huffington Post, New Age Islam, Op-ed News, Arab Daily News, Arab News, Saudi Gazette, and several other Newspapers and periodicals around the world. Of 2800, 1000+ were on Islam, 1000+ on Pluralism and the rest were on politics, India, Pakistan, Israel-Palestine, Motivational and other topics.

Currently, Mike is working on making a film based on a compelling true story of building a cohesive America, and writing a book on human rights — “Standing up for others”- standing up from Atheists to Zoroastrians and everyone in between.

God has blessed him with an aptitude for mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill in everything he does, that thinks, talk and act, and he has been a lifetime volunteer, and it is a joy to maintain a healthy balance between earning a living and serving the public.

He has spoken at international forums including the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions, in Melbourne, Australia, Middle East Peace Initiative, in Jerusalem, the International Leadership conference, in Hawaii, and in Washington, Many Universities including SMU, Rice and others, World’s Philanthropy organization’s annual conference in Washington and elsewhere.

He is a member of the Texas Faith panel at Dallas Morning News and writes on issues facing the nation every week and offers pluralistic solutions. He writes regularly at Huffington post, Op-ed News, Arab Daily News, and several other papers worldwide.

Mike was a commissioner at City of Carrollton, and president of many organizations including North Texas Cricket Association, Indian Creek Homeowners Association, and Dallas Fashions for Charity etc. A founding member of the board at Memnosyne Foundation, and board of director at Dallas Peace Center, Dallas Home Builders Association and several other organizations.

God has made him an instrument in establishing several annual public events to bring Americans of different religions, ethnicities and races together on common grounds of building a safe, secure and a cohesive America, among them are Unity Day USA, Holocaust, and Genocides, Thanksgiving Celebrations. We have and plan to hold workshops and conferences on issues like religion, racism, Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, LGBT, gender pluralism and other issues.

Concerned by the political, civil, religious, racial, sexual orientation and economic divisiveness, Mike has initiated and formed the America Together Foundation (ATF), a non-profit entity committed to building a cohesive America, where no American has to live with anxiety, apprehension, or fear of the other. The focus of the foundation is that ‘one must be free to live his or her life to the fullest’.

He firmly believes in our immortal 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. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

He believes in Conflict mitigation and goodwill nurturance that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) chose in dealing with issues of the day, and he has successfully employed that ideal in dealing with Pastor Robert Jeffress of Dallas who denigrated Quran, which led to a Quran conference in creating goodwill among non-Muslim clergy. The conference details are at www.QuraanConference.com

When Pastor Terry Jones announced burning 3000 copies of Quran, Mike was out there in Florida and gathered up the civil, political and religious leaders to peacefully offer prayer as an alternative instead of burning Qurans to avenge the 9/11 Victims. A message was sent to the world that freedom of speech is an important American value and respecting what is sacred to others is an important value as well. A movie is being considered that will change the perceptions about Muslims and change within Muslims in dealing with the conflicts. The full story is at Worldmuslimcongress

Mike was further involved with the conflicts at the Ground Zero Mosque, Peter King Hearings, and other conflicts, and had offered pluralistic solutions. There is a blog for each one of these conflicts.

As much work as he has done with interfaith communities, he has a strong presence in the intra-faith dialogue as well. Having moderated two major intra-faith conferences at Rice University and in Dallas, and two Sharia conferences were held to allay the Sharia Phobia. He has prayed in all mosques,and wrote a blog on Ramadan sharing the practices in each tradition. There is a blog for it — www.RamadanExclusive.com

Mike started the Radio for Desi community in Dallas in 1996 with three hours on Saturdays, and passed it on to others, and now we have three 24/7 Radio Stations in Dallas. It was always loaded with interfaith programs. Mike ran a program called wthe isdom of religion, all religions for two years — where 520 Hours of Radio talk was done

  • 100 hours + for Islam, Hinduism and Christianity each, and 50 hours each for Baha’i, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Atheism, interfaith and other traditions. The idea was to education and to learn about others, as God has willed in Quran 49:13 and other verses. Similarly ,26 workshops were also conducted.

Mike is a human rights activist, and his book standing up for others will be out soon. He is also producing a feature film “Sacred” to be released and a documentary “Americans together” to be released in the next few years.

All about him is listed in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at www.TheGhousediary.com — Mike is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

2. About Mike

2.1 Education

MBA University of Dallas, Texas — Marketing and Operations Management. (1984)

  • Master’s Degree in Tax and management accounting from Bangalore University (1974)
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Banking from Bangalore University (1971)

2.2 Business

Mike has a comprehensive experience in business management, turning ailing operations around, home building, remodeling, real estate mortgages and investments.

He was the deputy finance controller for Fluor Corporation in Saudi Arabia (1977–1981). Fluor was the largest Petro Chemical Engineering firms in the world then.

He was vice president of Lewis Fire Equipment, one of the largest fire protection companies in Texas.

He was successful in turning around the company to profitability (1981–1983).

Since 1984, Mike has been in hthe ome building and management consulting business. He was recognized for his outstanding contributions from some of the best in home building business.

  • Gemcraft Homes (1984)
  • Ryland Homes (#1 Manager-1985),
  • Grand Homes (#3 -1988),
  • Drees Custom Homes (#1–1999),
  • Bluff view Builders (2006) and
  • First City Homes (Since 2006) | Self employed

2.3 Expertise

  1. Public Speaker
  2. Pluralism Speaker
  3. Speaker on Islam
  4. Conflict Mitigation
  5. Community outreach
  6. Interfaith Relations
  7. Religion Workshops
  8. Blogger
  9. TV/Radio Production
  10. News Paper Publishing
  11. Author/Writer
  12. Events Management
  13. Sports Management
  14. Operations Mgmt
  15. Financial expertise
  16. Business Systems
  17. Budget Mgmt
  18. Leadership Dev.
  19. Organizer

2.4 Manages the following

2.4.1 America Together Foundation

Americans together are committed to building a cohesive America, where no American has to live with anxieties, discomfort of fear of the other. We have the systems and programs in place to work towards building cohesive societies.www.AmericaTogetherFoundation.com

Key programs to bring Americans together and build bridges

  1. Unity Day USA — 11 Years of Annual Event & Awards– www.UnitydayUSA.com
  2. Reflections on Holocaust and Genocides — 8th year — www.HolocaustandGenocides.com
  3. Thanksgiving Celebrations — discontinued after 14 years due to timing.
  4. Conferences on Racism, Anti-Semitism, misogyny, Islamophobia,

2.4.2 Foundation for Pluralism

Our mission is to encourage individuals to develop an open mind and an open heart towards fellow beings. If we can learn to respect the otherness of others and accept the uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge. It’s 20 years of work on religious, social, cultural and political pluralism involving 26 workshops in understanding religion, every beautiful religion; 520 hours of radio talk shows learning about the wisdom of every faith; writing and sharing the essence of the festivals of the world and nearly 750 Articles on Pluralism, and over 150 of them published at Dallas Morning News and nearly 100 at Huffington post and several TV and Radio appearances.

www.FoundationforPluralism.com | www.PluralismCenter.com | www.wisdomofReligion.com

2.4.3 World Muslim Congress

We are committed to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam. To be a Muslim is to be a peace maker, one who consistently seeks to mitigate conflicts and nurtures goodwill for pthe eaceful coexistence of humanity. God wants us to live in harmony with his creation; Life and Matter

WorldMuslimcongress.com | Quraantoday.com | ShariaLaws.com | Quraanconference.com

2.4.4 STANDING UP FOR OTHERS (BLOG)

Standing up for others, Mike lives what he preaches. In the blog standing up for others, he has set an example of standing up for almost every representation of Americans. Standing up for others is the right thing to do, every human goes through a period of invincibility to vulnerability, if we don’t stand up for those who are susceptible, then who will stand up for us when we are unguarded?

www.Standingupforothers.com

3. Experience in Interfaith

Texas Faith Panel, Dallas Morning News. Mr. Ghouse is a member of the Panel and writes about interfaith issues facing the nation every week. He has written close to 150 pieces over the last four years and almost every column he writes, weaves through the essence of many religions.

  • The Huffington Post; Mike has written nearly 100 articles in the last two years. Occasionally his articles have been published at Washington Post and several national and international periodicals including Arab News, Tehran Times, Jakarta post, Times of India, Daily Times and several others.
  • TV/Radio — Mike is a frequent guest on Fox News, “The Hannity Show”, and on nationally syndicated radio shows including Dallas TV, print and radio networks. He also had his own Half hour show in 1996 on TV52.
  • Google: Mike has consistently remained on the first page when you search for Pluralism Speaker, Interfaith speaker and Muslim Speaker, whether it is the search or the images.
  • Blogs: Mike has written an average of 175 articles a year over a dozen years. Most of the columns were on interfaith/pluralism, in a given set of 10 articles, almost every religion would have been mentioned including Atheism, paganism and Native traditions.
  • Interfaith workshops: 26 live workshops were conducted between 2005 and 2007; Understanding Atheism to Zoroastrianism and every religion in between
  • Radio shows: Mike hosted 520 Hours of radio talk shows on “Understanding the essence of religions, each beautiful religion” with a representative of the respective faith 5 days a week on AM Radio 1150 in Dallas between 2003 and 2005.
  • Festivals of the World — The essence of major festivals of all religions were written up since 1993 in Asian American Journal, followed by Asian News Radio and the blogs, websites and the newspapers.
  • Pluralism flows in Mike’s veins. Even the tribute he wrote about his late wife, father, and mother were soaked with the essence of many religions.
  • The book “Americans together, building a cohesive America” will be out this years, and the next book, Muslims in America is poised to make it this year as well.
  • A documentary “Americans Together” is in the making; and it will present the full spectrum of American diversity, laden with programs and ideas on building a cohesive America, where no American has to live in discomfort, apprehension or fear of the other. It is expected to be out in 2016 prior to the General Elections.
  • Blogger: Mike passionately writes on topics including but not limited to; Pluralism, Holocaust and Genocides, International conflicts, Israel-Palestine, India, Sharia Laws, Quraan, Blasphemy, Apostasy, Hijab, Ground Zero Mosque, Peter King Hearings, Quraan, Terrorism , Ramadan, Islam, Media, local affairs etc.
  • International speaker: Mike has spoken at international forums including the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne, Australia; the Middle East Peace Initiative in Jerusalem; and the International Leadership Conference in Hawaii, Chicago and Washington.

4. Major interventions in Pluralism

Mike has initiated, organized and established the following events. In each one of the events, we the people ofthe United States of America of every faith, race, ethnicity, culture and background come together to express our commitment to co-existence, unity, safety and well being of our nation.

Annual Unity Day USA is a main stream event commemorating 9/11 for ten years. The UNITY DAY USA has become a symbol of unity among Americans. It is an initiative to come together to stand up for the safety, security and cohesiveness of America. Every year we recognize five individuals who have made a difference in their communities, the trophy calls them pluralists in their field.

Website: www.UnityDayUSA.com

  • 9/11 — Mike was on Radio from 10:00 AM till 4:30 on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 ,trying to make sense out of the chaos, he reached out to Mayors and community leaders to forge a common voice. Mike was a catalyst in commencing interfaith prayers, fund raising and blood donations that day. He pledged to serve the nation every year on that day, and Unity Day USA is the product of that commitment. http://911unitydayusa.blogspot.com/2011/09/911-story-interfaithmoments.html
  • Annual Holocaust and Genocides event has continued for the last seven years. Education is the purpose, we have learn to acknowledge and reflect upon the terrible things we have inflicted upon each other and have committed ourselves to resist the temptations to be prejudiced and stereotype others. We cannot demand peace unless we are peaceful ourselves. Our safety hinges on the safety of others around us, and it behooves us to work for the safety and security of others on this little planet. We have to be continuously aware of the Holocaust and Genocides and prepare to say never again. Website:www.HolocaustandGenocides.com
  • Annual Thanksgiving Celebrations & Awards night was carried out for over ten years and due to overlapping of Unity Day, it is done on a small scale now. The purpose of celebrating this event is to thank God for helping us learn to accept, respect and appreciate each other’s cultural uniqueness. Website: www.Thanksgivingcelebrations.org
  • Qur’an Conference was held on December 5, 2010 ,in Dallas to demystify the myths about “troubled passages” from Qur’an with 10 Non-Muslim clergy panelists and 5 Muslim Imams. It was one of the most powerful educational programs to read Quraan first hand and share that understanding with the audience. Website: www.Quraanconference.com
  • Quran Burning event on 9/11/2013. When Pastor Jones announced burning 2998 copies of Qur’an on Wednesday, September 11, 2013, one for each American life lost on September 11, 2001, we decided to bring a closure to the sacrifice of our men and women in the most honored way and not by burning the Qurans. We wanted to assert to Muslims around the world, that our God given right to freedom of speech is a value we treasure and hold it dear to us, ultimately it is the freedom that uplifts the whole humanity. On the other hand, offered an alternate Muslim behavior model to become the standard, indeed we can call it a genuine Islamic response based on Quran and examples of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

India Pakistan, Flying together, not frying together

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The bile of revenge among “some Indians” but not “all Indians” was raging when the terrorist killed 44 of the army personnel in Pulwama. Now the same revenge bile is raging among “some Pakistanis” but not all.

India claimed that it destroyed the training camp of Jaishe Muhammad, (Muhammad’s Sena is like the Yuva Sena, Shiv Sena and many Senas like their counterparts Lashkars in Pakistan) a terrorist camp with 300 dead in 19 minutes, and Pakistan claims it was a resort and no one is dead. Of course, the truth will come out of BBC, as both India and Pakistan are known to manufacture the facts for political purposes during their conflict.

Jayshree Shukla, my Facebook friend, described her wish very well, which is the wish of the ordinary people of both nations. No one wants to be a terrorist individual or their nation to terrorize the other.

“Those who are smarting that Pakistan denies any causalities in the airstrike, it is in everyone’s interest they do so. Even ours. Can you imagine the repercussions if they were to state that they suffered casualties, that say a 100 people died? The pressure to retaliate would mount. I am not interested in the veracity of either claim. I do not want war or anyone dead. However, if Pakistan admits to casualties, they will be forced to inflict more casualties on India. I hope it is true that no one got hurt. Moreover, either which way, it is the only way to de-escalate. So good if no one got hurt. Now can we put away the weapons and get back to talking? Praying for sanity to return.”

Nature has created two forms of life; humans and animals. Animals evolved (or created) to have a defense mechanism built into them to resolve their conflicts; they have fangs, jaws, and paws to kill or chase the other out. Humans, on the other hand, were given the intelligence to survive, or they evolved with the ability to dialogue instead of killing each other. I urge the people on both sides of the divide to be humans and not let their animal get to them. (adapted from the book).

Revenge by either side causes more deaths of the very soldiers we are mourning. The ones who want revenge should go on the front-line telling bye to their wives, daughters, sisters, mothers and their male relatives. If an Indian or a Pakistani clamor for revenge, we all should say – come to your senses man, you go to the border and get killed but don’t talk about creating widows of our soldiers.

What we need to do is call for a conference and put this behind once for all. Wars don’t bring food to your belly, do not put new clothes on you or get you a job, then why do all this? Would you hold a mini-conference in your town? It will be a success if you invite people opposing your point of view, let all opinions be heard however painful they are, peace is difficult, but once we have it, we will be glad we did it.

We urge the government of India to hold a conference and invite the extremists from all groups and have a dialogue. The government needs to guarantee the safety of the participants. Let everyone put all their grievances on the table and let’s find solutions. Can the Civil society do it?

As a civilized society, our goal is to bring the uncivilized among us into civility, and it requires us to shed the attitudes that aggravate the conflicts. I urge all people who want harmony and peaceful societies to take the first step and drop their ill-will and hatred towards each other. If you hate them, then their hate towards you is justified.

I am glad the Muslim voices are focused on conflict mitigation and goodwill nurturance, a practice of Prophet Muhammad (full information in the book American Muslim Agenda available at Amazon).

Dr. Mike Ghouse is an India American and 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/

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