Valentine’s Day’s – Universal festivity

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Love has no bounds. Valentine’s day has moved from an exclusive rendezvous between two lovers to a universal meaningful expression of caring between any two people, and as a futurist, I see this morphing into a global affection day within a decade.

Throughout the history of language, words have taken on new and expanded meanings; Valentine’s Day is no exception.

It’s a relationship of caring between two people in love, husband and wife, mother and son, father and daughter, mother daughter, brother sister, brothers, sisters, friends, uncles, aunties, Grandpa and Gramma, friends, and anyone you care about.

Please feel free to say happy Valentine’s Day to your sister, mother, brother, daughter, dad, uncle or a friend. It is a much bigger word now than it started out to be. Take them out for dinner and send them flowers and let them know that you care if you are the only one for them at this point in life.

As Americans express it by presenting red roses to our loved ones, the Filipinos will break another record; the number of people kissing at the same time, Brazil will have another essential festival on her beaches celebrating love. You are welcome to share other such expressions. On the other side of the world, a few frustrated ones with life go to the other end. I am embarrassed to report, it is a day of harassment in India, the Romeo squads

If you miss the love in your life; you have an opportunity to fulfill it. There is plenty of love in you that you can give it to others by feeding the homeless, visiting lonely patients in the hospitals or nursing homes, disadvantaged women and children, our veterans… share whatever little you have with them including the time and just listening to them. When a homeless person asks, give whatever you can, that is the most affectionate thing to do, you will enrich yourselves far greater by sharing.

Whenever the word affection comes to mind, I picture my dad and recall the way he called out my Mother’s name Khairun, it was romantic and filled with tenderness, and I have always enjoyed the sound of it, it was soothing to hear.

On this day, besides enjoying each other’s company, I would suggest you know the loved ones. Learn about each other’s take on issues of life and learn to respect the difference. There is nothing more peaceful than knowing yourselves and knowing about your loved ones.  You don’t need to compare with anyone on the earth, and there is none like you, you are one in 7 billion; you have your unique thumbprint, eye print, DNA, taste bud, colors, foods, smells, sights… by God, you are your model!

Conflicts begin when you want the others to change for you, drop that idea. When you learn to respect the otherness of the other and accept the God given the uniqueness of each other, conflicts fade, and harmony emerges. When you recognize the uniqueness of each other, right love flourishes and brings eternal peace to you.

My expressions would be incomplete without honoring the poet of love, Mirza Ghalib, one of the greatest romantic poets of all time who composed his poetry in Urdu/Hindi and Farsi.

Ishk per zor Nahin, hai an o aatish Ghalib
Ke lagaye na lege, bujhaye no bujhe.

Affection is that flame O Ghalib,
you cannot light it up or extinguish it, it just happens.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

DON’T FORGET THE NEW BOOK:  American Muslim Agenda.
What is that Americans Muslims want? How close are they to what you want? What can they do about it? What are your issues with each other? If you are a conservative, grudgingly, you’ll see the value in it, and if you are a moderate, you’ll dance and sing along.

You can order the book by calling  1-888-795-4274 x 4528 or go to Amazon. The talking points are at www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com

Dr. Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America 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 Xlibris and Amazon. Mike is a public speaker, author, interfaith wedding officiant, and the executive director of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. More about him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/

Book Release – American Muslim Agenda

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THE BOOK – American Muslim Agenda
Muslims Together Building a Cohesive America

 What is the book about?  

You will be pleased to see your vision of America resonate in the book. Even though the title is ”American Muslim Agenda,” it is for all Americans.

One of the purposes in naming the book is for my fellow Americans who have misunderstood Muslims to pick up the book and read, and my fellow Muslims who have misunderstood Islam to take a look the at the pristine Islam that they long for, it is not lost, we have to revive it. Islam is not about ruling or dictating others; it is about living your life and letting others live theirs, one of the 12 strongest values of Islam is freewill that Muslims have forgotten.   I have cited the Quran extensively with reinforcing practices of the prophet.

There are occasional references of wisdom drawn from Atheism to Zoroastrianism and every faith in between. You will see Jesus in Muhammad, Torah in Quran or Bhagavad Gita’s reflections or Buddhas Middle path or Nanak’s service to humanity.

You may like this note that Dr. Frank Islam has highlighted.

“I am intrigued by the book, particularly the chapter on the Essence of Islam. The great Talmudic sage Rabbi Hillel in the first century BC said, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation of this—to study it!” Dr. Ghouse responds to Rabbi Hillel with a corollary on Islam, “God wants us to respect the otherness of the others and accept the uniqueness of each human. That is the whole Quran; the rest is the explanation of this—to study it!”

MUSLIMS TOGETHER BUILDING A COHESIVE AMERICA

This book, The American Muslim Agenda, is a primer, a blueprint, a road map for American Muslims to consider. 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. This book paves the way for us to own the mistakes we have made, remedy them, and become fully integrated Americans. 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 I have some good success stories to share on that front. When we start defending America and American values we are in! We become an integral part of American Fabric.

What do the Scholars say about the book?

Bob Roberts, Renowned Evangelical Pastor & Founder of Global.net Author Bold as Love

I’m so grateful for the work of Mike Ghouse and his desire to build bridges.  You will love this book, it’s about how Muslims in America think, and how we should all be connected regardless of faith.  For too long, we’ve ignored the divide between Muslims and Christians and the result is we are prone to believe the worst about one another.  Thanks, Mike for this important book.

* * * * *

Bob Crane, first Muslim US Ambassador

Mike Ghouse’s path-breaking book, American Muslim Agenda, recommends a new agenda in the form of a paradigm shift from the negativism of attacking Islamophobia to the constructive support of America’s founding vision as a model of every world religion’s essence in compassionate justice. This is based on the interfaith search for transcendent truth from both scriptures and natural law in order to translate this wisdom into principles of both ethical value and jurisprudence.  These principles, in turn, are essential to guide the modern think-tanks that shape policy agendas, as well as to inform the voters and legislators who have the practical responsibility to translate the vision of compassionate justice into both societal and institutional reform.  This is what it has always meant to be an American.

Fi Aman Allah,

* * * * *

Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar, first Muslim woman scholar to translate the Quran sensitively! 
Endorsement for The American Muslim Agenda by Mike Ghouse The author presents a challenge to American Muslims to lose their egos and integrate themselves into being fully Muslim, fully American. They have a Muslim example to follow and it is that of spiritual chivalry (javanmardi, futuwwah).

Spiritual chivalry is that the spiritual warrior constantly strives for the sake of others. It is not seeing yourself as superior to others, to be an enemy of your own soul for the sake of your Lord, to act justly without demanding justice for yourself. Spiritual chivalry is to manifest a beautiful character.

The spiritual warrior (fata or the feminine, fatat) is a person who has a sense of honor, is called ‘he who breaks the idol.’ God Most High has said [in the Quran], ‘We heard a spiritual warrior named Abraham speak of them [the idols Abraham broke]’ [21:20]. And He said, ‘And he (Abraham, the spiritual warrior) made them [the idols] fragments’ [21:60]. The idol of every person is his own ego, so in reality, whoever opposes his own passions is a ‘spiritual warrior’.

* * * * *

 Dr. Tariq Cheema, Founder, World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists

“Bold and brilliant Mike Ghouse. He has not just drawn a roadmap for Muslim Americans to contribute to the society meaningfully but highlighted the unique value proposition of Muslims that mainstream America can bank upon to progress. In fragmented America today, the hope lies in the people of faith who believe in social justice and cohesion. This book is an open invitation and a call to action for all those men and women of conscience.”

* * * * *

 Rabbi Gerald Serotta, Executive Director, Interfaith Conference of Washington

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a warrior for conflict resolution and a partisan for non-partisan dialogue. He aims to bring all voices to the table of religious pluralism that he sets with the “agenda” in this book.  He and I have shared presentations on panels where the perspective centers on covenantal pluralism, the idea that a God who can treasure one faith community must have the will and power to treasure all moral communities of whatever faith or of no faith.  May his efforts in articulating the agenda for his beloved Muslim community inspire other faith leaders to delve self-critically and responsibly into the resources within their own religions to move beyond tolerance to a loving and robust mutual appreciation.  Our times need his voice and need others to speak out as well.

* * * * *

Dr. Harbans Lal, Emeritus Professor, and Chairman, 
Dept of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, UNT Health Science Center, Texas

It is only recently that many courageous scholars and public servants began to tell what the real Islam was. Guru Nanak wrote hundreds of hymns in the Sikh scripture on who is a good Muslim. I am glad to see the recent book by Mike Ghouse. Mike began nearly 15 years ago to set the stage right. He started with a radio show on the world’s religions. I remember my frequent participation there and answering Mike’s piercing questions. Then he contributed hundreds of columns in leading newspapers and magazines. Now, he came up with his book that elucidates the purpose of religion in general and the role of Islam in particular as a member of the community of faiths.  I recommend this book to the Muslim community and their neighbors who are the followers of other religions. In facts, the adherents of other religions might consider Mike’s approach in spreading the sacred words of the founders of their beliefs.

* * * * *

Dr. Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times International.

This beautiful, well-written book, is the next level thinking for the Muslims, many of whom still live in the medieval paradigm of ‘them’ versus ‘us.’ Mike Ghouse is the Messiah for pluralism to pull the Muslims out of a sectarian vision, to a genuine universal brotherhood and sisterhood, befitting our global village, for the 21st century.

It is a must read for every Muslim living in the West, who is desirous of genuine integration, to benefit from all the good that rational and democratic human societies have to offer.  By the same token, it is a must-read for every Westerner, who wants to grasp the genuine peaceful and inclusive vision of true Islam.

The book is a breath of fresh air, away from the political Islam of the Islamists or the Islamophobes, a futuristic vision of coexistence, where we not only tolerate our differences but celebrate them.

* * * * *

 Dr. Frank Islam, Philanthropist, and a Scholar, Washington
I am intrigued by the book, particularly the chapter on the Essence of Islam.
The great Talmudic sage Rabbi Hillel in the first century BC said, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation of this—to study it!” Dr. Ghouse responds to Rabbi Hillel with a corollary on Islam, “God has created us into different races, religions, sizes, colors and other uniqueness’s, respecting the otherness of the other and accepting the God-given uniqueness is the whole Quran and the rest is the explanation of this – to study it.”

* * * * *

Dr. Safi Kaskas, Modern translator of Quran, his translations have been referenced in the book.

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a courageous American Muslim. At a time when Muslims are under attack, he courageously stood tall and walked into the enemy’s camp to talk to them and to explain Islam as he knows it.

His book, American Muslim Agenda, is the summary of his experiences and vision for his Muslim community and America his country. I think we Muslims will be wise to listen to what he is saying and take steps away from our antiquated stands of us and them toward a new Quranic vision of competing in doing what is good.

The future of Muslims in America is what Muslims decide to make of it. In order to be successful, we need to think and really understand the environment in which we live. We also need to understand Islam with fresh eyes on the future, taking in consideration the need to find new solutions to the new problems we are facing without compromising our basic beliefs. This requires courage and resilience. It requires leadership coming from within the Muslim community, with the ability to unite and lead.

 Talking points of the book

I have acknowledged the mistakes Muslims have made,  including an apology to Jews, Christians, and Hindus and have offered solutions to go forward.

Every question you have about “American Muslims” will be answered
in a book signing event, or a special meeting you may consider organizing.

1. Why I wrote the book?
2. Muslim Woman President of the United States in 2036
3. What does it take to run for public office?
4. What are the 12 Islamic Values to shape future societies?
5. Why is this book a reference Manual?
6. Are Muslims a part of the American story?
7. What does it take to be an Amin?
8. Spineless Muslim Leadership
9. Mistakes Muslims have made and fixing them
10. Rejecting public Sharia
11. Criticism of the Quran, Islam and the prophet
12. Dealing with conservatives
13. Pristine Islam
14. Extremism
15. More

Contact information:

Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916
Washington, DC
AmericanMuslimAgenda@gmail.com

Dr. Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His new book, the “American Muslim Agenda” guides Muslims and non-Muslims alike to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill. The book will be available at the end of January 2019 in all the bookstores. Mike is a public speaker, author, interfaith wedding officiant, and the executive director of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. More about him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/

Book Release: The American Muslim Agenda

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PRESS RELEASE
Book Release: The American Muslim Agenda

To order the book call 1-888-795-4274x 4528
To order online –https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=547287
Softcover $19.99 / Hardcover $29.99

Below you’ll find:
What is the book about
What do the scholars say?

American Muslim Agenda
MUSLIMS TOGETHER BUILDING A COHESIVE AMERICA
By Dr. Mike Ghouse
This book, The American Muslim Agenda, is a primer, a blueprint, a roadmap for American Muslims to consider. A Muslim is someone who is a conflict mitigator 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. This book paves the way for us to own the mistakes we have made, remedy them, and become fully integrated Americans. 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 I have some good success stories to share on that front. When we start defending America and American values we are in! We become an integral part of American Fabric.

Bob Roberts, Renowned Evangelical Pastor & Founder of Global.net

Author Bold as Love

I’m so grateful for the work of Mike Ghouse and his desire to build bridges.  You will love this book, it’s about how Muslims in America think, and how we should all be connected regardless of faith.  For too long, we’ve ignored the divide between Muslims and Christians and the result is we are prone to believe the worst about one another.  Thanks, Mike for this important book.

* * * * *

Bob Crane, first Muslim US Ambassador

Mike Ghouse’s path-breaking book, American Muslim Agenda, recommends a new agenda in the form of a paradigm shift from the negativism of attacking Islamophobia to the constructive support of America’s founding vision as a model of every world religion’s essence in compassionate justice. This is based on the interfaith search for transcendent truth from both scriptures and natural law in order to translate this wisdom into principles of both ethical value and jurisprudence.  These principles, in turn, are essential to guide the modern think-tanks that shape policy agendas, as well as to inform the voters and legislators who have the practical responsibility to translate the vision of compassionate justice into both societal and institutional reform.  This is what it has always meant to be an American.
Fi Aman Allah,

* * * * *

Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar, first Muslim woman scholar to translate the Quran sensitively!

Endorsement for The American Muslim Agenda by Mike Ghouse The author presents a challenge to American Muslims to lose their egos and integrate themselves into being fully Muslim, fully American. They have a Muslim example to follow and it is that of spiritual chivalry (javanmardi, futuwwah).

Spiritual chivalry is that the spiritual warrior constantly strives for the sake of others. It is not seeing yourself as superior to others, to be an enemy of your own soul for the sake of your Lord, to act justly without demanding justice for yourself. Spiritual chivalry is to manifest a beautiful character.

The spiritual warrior (fata or the feminine, fatat) is a person who has a sense of honor, is called ‘he who breaks the idol.’ God Most High has said [in the Quran], ‘We heard a spiritual warrior named Abraham speak of them [the idols Abraham broke]’ [21:20]. And He said, ‘And he (Abraham, the spiritual warrior) made them [the idols] fragments’ [21:60]. The idol of every person is his own ego, so in reality, whoever opposes his own passions is a ‘spiritual warrior’.

* * * * *
Dr. Tariq Cheema, Founder, World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists

“Bold and brilliant Mike Ghouse. He has not just drawn a roadmap for Muslim Americans to contribute to the society meaningfully but highlighted the unique value proposition of Muslims that mainstream America can bank upon to progress. In fragmented America today, the hope lies in the people of faith who believe in social justice and cohesion. This book is an open invitation and a call to action for all those men and women of conscience.”
* * * * *

Rabbi Gerald Serotta, Executive Director, Interfaith Conference of Washington

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a warrior for conflict resolution and a partisan for non-partisan dialogue. He aims to bring all voices to the table of religious pluralism that he sets with the “agenda” in this book.  He and I have shared presentations on panels where the perspective centers on covenantal pluralism, the idea that a God who can treasure one faith community must have the will and power to treasure all moral communities of whatever faith or of no faith.  May his efforts in articulating the agenda for his beloved Muslim community inspire other faith leaders to delve self-critically and responsibly into the resources within their own religions to move beyond tolerance to a loving and robust mutual appreciation.  Our times need his voice and need others to speak out as well.

* * * * *

Dr. Harbans Lal, Emeritus Professor, and Chairman,
Dept of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, UNT Health Science Center,

It is only recently that many courageous scholars and public servants began to tell what the real Islam was. Guru Nanak wrote hundreds of hymns in the Sikh scripture on who is a good Muslim. I am glad to see the recent book by Mike Ghouse. Mike began nearly 15 years ago to set the stage right. He started with a radio show on the world’s religions. I remember my frequent participation there and answering Mike’s piercing questions. Then he contributed hundreds of columns in leading newspapers and magazines. Now, he came up with his book that elucidates the purpose of religion in general and the role of Islam in particular as a member of the community of faiths.  I recommend this book to the Muslim community and their neighbors who are the followers of other religions. In facts, the adherents of other religions might consider Mike’s approach in spreading the sacred words of the founders of their beliefs.

* * * * *
Dr. Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times International.

This beautiful, well-written book, is the next level thinking for the Muslims, many of whom still live in the medieval paradigm of ‘them’ versus ‘us.’ Mike Ghouse is the Messiah for pluralism to pull the Muslims out of a sectarian vision, to a genuine universal brotherhood and sisterhood, befitting our global village, for the 21st century.

It is a must read for every Muslim living in the West, who is desirous of genuine integration, to benefit from all the good that rational and democratic human societies have to offer.  By the same token, it is a must-read for every Westerner, who wants to grasp the genuine peaceful and inclusive vision of true Islam.

The book is a breath of fresh air, away from the political Islam of the Islamists or the Islamophobes, a futuristic vision of coexistence, where we not only tolerate our differences but celebrate them.
* * * * *

Dr. Frank Islam, Philanthropist, and a Scholar, Washington

I am intrigued by the book, particularly the chapter on the Essence of Islam.
The great Talmudic sage Rabbi Hillel in the first century BC said, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation of this—to study it!” Dr. Ghouse responds to Rabbi Hillel with a corollary on Islam, “God has created us into different races, religions, sizes, colors and other uniqueness’s, respecting the otherness of the other and accepting the God-given uniqueness is the whole Quran and the rest is the explanation of this – to study it.”

* * * * *
Dr. Safi Kasas, the modern translation of the Quran, some of the translations are referred to in the book

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a courageous American Muslim. At a time when Muslims are under attack, he courageously stood tall and walked into the enemy’s camp to talk to them and to explain Islam as he knows it.

His book, American Muslim Agenda, is the summary of his experiences and vision for his Muslim community and America his country. I think we Muslims will be wise to listen to what he is saying and take steps away from our antiquated stands of us and them toward a new Qur’anic vision of competing in doing what is good.

The future of Muslims in America is what Muslims decide to make of it. In order to be successful, we need to think and really understand the environment in which we live. We also need to understand Islam with fresh eyes on the future, taking in consideration the need to find new solutions to the new problems we are facing without compromising our basic beliefs. This requires courage and resilience. It requires leadership coming from within the Muslim community, with the ability to unite and lead.

Contact information:

Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916
Washington, DC
AmericanMuslimAgenda@gmail.com 

 

Congratulations to Judge Dhanidina, a Muslim Judge.

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Congratulations to Judge Dhanidina, a Muslim Judge.

As an American Muslim, I am proud of this appointment, and indeed, this was the dream of our founding fathers; a perfect union where every American has a right to serve the nation in any capacity he or she chooses. Inclusion encourages one to stake his or her claim in the nation-building and ensures security and prosperity of our country.  It is a patriotic thing to serve as a Judge.  We are proud of you Judge Dhanidina!

Here is the information, “Justice Halim Dhanidina was recently elevated to California’s Courts of Appeal, making him the state’s most senior judge of the Muslim faith. “Halim Dhanidina is a justice of the California Court of Appeal for the Second District. Appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court bench by Governor Jerry Brown in 2012, he is the first Muslim ever to be appointed judge in California. He is an Ismaili Shiite of Gujarati Indian heritage.” Wiki.

News Hour Weekend Special Correspondent David Tereshchuk talks with Dhanidina about engaging with supporters and critics alike, and setting an example for what it looks like to be a “Muslim judge” in the United States.” Here is the info about Judge Dhanidina – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27m2iEdfYv0&feature=youtu.be

Over a decade ago, when Hon. Sada Cumber, a Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim was appointed as an Ambassador to the OIC, it was a joy for me.  Ambassador Cumber had told me that I was one of the few Muslims who had congratulated him, and he appreciated for publishing the note in the Austin Statesman (Newspaper).

Here is a quote from the upcoming book, “They refused to share their teaching material because they thought I was an Ismaili Muslim; how ridiculous can one get and I am glad they did that, we have produced great teaching material on Islamic values, and it has never been done before in this format.” So what if I were an Ismaili Muslim? Indeed, our work will become a reference material to teachers of Islam, interfaith leaders, politicians and clergy of all faiths, it shows verses from Quran how they contribute towards creating peaceful orderly societies for the common good of humanity.   We have a choice to condemn bigotry or say nothing, and if we say nothing, we become an accessory to perpetuating wrongdoing.  We still have to deal with prejudice from within.

It is a shame that the immigrant Muslims not only carry the ill-will towards each other’s denominations, but they also poison their children with their biases. I am so glad that the kids born in America reject their parent’s bigotry, and embrace the Quranic value of respecting the otherness of the other. There are two significant chapters on Islamic values and Pluralism in the upcoming book, American Muslim Agenda, and the information is at www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com

Muslims lag in understanding Pluralism, a Quranic value.  Currently, Aga Khans’ Pluralism Center and Diane Eck’s pluralism project have produced an inordinate amount of literature on Religious pluralism.  The Center for Pluralism has produced a tremendous amount of material on Pluralism in religion, politics, culture, and workplace. CFP’s work is listed at http://centerforpluralism.com/mission-accomplished-at-the-center-for-pluralism/

Thank God for the encouragement of several Muslim leaders, of particular mention are Dr. Basheer Ahmed, Dr. Nauman Anwar, and Dr. Frank Islam from the Sunni Muslim community.  Mr. Farooq Wazir Ali from the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim Community, and Dr. Zia H. Shah from the Ahmadiyya Muslim community to name a few. More and more Muslims have started seeing the roots of Pluralism in Islam. With the release of the upcoming book, I hope to speak about Pluralism at different public gatherings around the country.

I hope my fellow Muslims of all denominations congratulate Judge Halim Dhanidina.  As Muslims, we have to take pride in our collective contributions to America and the world. We are all Muslims whether we are Ahmadiyya, Alawite, Bohra, Ismaili, Sunni, Shia or any of the many sub-denominations.

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a public speaker, author, pluralist, a Muslim and the executive director of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.  More at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/

A Christmas Message from a Muslim

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One of the most frequently used words during the Christmas season is peace. Indeed, it is a reflection of the innermost desire within each one of us, whether we are Christians or not. Christmas is an annual milestone that intensifies the desire to have peace for oneself and for the world.

Christmas evokes kindness, empathy, and goodness toward fellow beings; it’s a euphoric feeling of renewal that Jesus taught to the world, it is a sense of completion one feels when he or she finds in tune with humanity. Jesus showed the way by embracing the whole humanity regardless of who they were. He is my hero, he is my mentor, and he is the first known pluralist on the earth. Christmas is a celebration of that refreshed feeling.

No matter what faith you belong, the Interfaith Christmas can offer everything you had always wanted and more: to live in peace with fellow beings without feeling apprehension, discomfort or the fear of the other.

Christmas is about celebrating the birth of a man who taught us how to build a cohesive society, which he called the kingdom of heaven. Whether we are Christians, or not, believe in God or not, it simply means building a society that is free from arrogance, hate, malice, prejudice, and insecurities, firmly built with love and forgiveness, the panacea to the conflicts we face today.

I have written an article on festivals of almost all religions, and am pleased to two on Christmas
Here are two of the many on Christmas’

A Muslim’s Christmas – https://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/a-muslims-christmas_b_1167258.html

Interfaith Christmas –  https://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/interfaith-christmas-making-god-boundless_b_2347856.html

Shaping the future of our nation; America
If you have the time, please let me know your opinion about what we have done
http://centerforpluralism.com/mission-accomplished-at-the-center-for-pluralism/ 
There are several videos representing the diversity of our work are included

Merry Christmas
Mike Ghouse
Center for Pluralism

Is the Mosque leadership ready to welcome the Muslim Congresswomen?

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Now that Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib are elected to the US House of Representatives, they will be invited to speak in different forums, Churches, Synagogues, Temples, and Mosques. American Muslims will be tested in how they treat the newly elected legislators.

Both the Congresswomen would be delighted to speak from the pulpits, and most of the Mosques will welcome them as well, except a few.

Picture courtesy- CNN

The purpose of this article is twofold – to bring awareness to fellow Muslims to guard themselves against potential mishaps, and fellow Americans that what they may witness is not Islamic but the acts of a few who follow the rules of their private clubs under the banner of Islam.

There are two Islams, the public and private Islam.  Public Islam is open to all and follows on the universal teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) with least restrictions. It is not controlled by anyone and accommodates a range of practitioners from observers of rituals to non-practitioners. One can call himself or herself a Muslim with or without practicing the rituals.  Private Islam, on the other hand, is run like a private club with narrowly defined rules of membership, and controlled by donors or the loud voices with restrictions on what the followers can do.

The misogynistic men in every faith and social group believe that a woman’s place is home and not in public.

Muslim women are rarely given the spot on the Islamic pulpit to address the congregations. The leadership of the mosques needs to be conscious of the fact that if they had allowed a non-Muslim woman politician to address the gathering from the pulpit, these two Muslim Congresswomen must be accorded the same spot.

Every group has a right to practice their faith as they deem it fit, as long as discrimination is not practiced against an individual because of her religion, race or sexual orientation.

The Muslim Americans born in America are like all other Americans; open-minded and respectful of the otherness of the other.

The ultra-conservatives among religious Muslims reluctantly accept a woman’s leadership amidst them. Dr. Hind Jarrah was honored by the Dallas Peace Center for her work in establishing the Texas Women’s Foundation for disadvantaged women. When she went to receive the trophy on the stage, almost every one of the male members on her table walked out of the hall. It was embarrassing, and I had to move to her table to congratulate and give her company.

 

My late wife was recommended to be on the board of an Islamic center; she was sidelined by communicating to her that the board members will be ready in a few years to have a woman on the board. That is when we decided for her to run for the City council of Carrollton, of course, she lost by 81 votes, but perhaps, it made the men think about inclusion.

In the last ten years, several Islamic Centers have chosen women to lead their centers including the Muslim Community Centers in Silver Spring, Maryland and Long Island, New York, and a few in California and I hope this trend catches on.  Muslim women have always led the civic and other organizations but not religious organizations.

The religious policing in the mosques is down considerably. Men used to order around women to cover their hair or tell them where they can or cannot go or how to pray. They did not even spare the second American Muslim Ambassador Sada Cumber. When he went to pray in a mosque in Austin, Texas, the Imam told him that his way of praying, that is dropping the hands on the sides instead of placing them folded on the stomach was not acceptable.

Congresswomen Rashida and Ilhan have paved the way for the new generation of Muslim women to find their way in the civil society. The Islamic community needs to encourage Muslim women to lead; if not, they will miss out on a talented pool of Muslims women, who will abandon their desire to serve the Islamic communities and join the civil society to help, where they will be given full value for their service.

Mike Ghouse is a speaker and the Executive Director of the Center for Pluralism. He is the author of the upcoming book, American Muslim Agenda. He believes that if it is not common sense, then it is not Islam. The talking points and the information about the book are at www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com

India’s prosperity hinges on Religious Freedom

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The Indian-Americans have a moral duty to prevent India from being labeled as a “Country of Particular Concern” by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

If India were to be ascribed with such a label, it would hinder the flow of foreign direct investments and subsequent reversal of economic prosperity achieved in the last twenty years. This label may not affect the poor Indians, but it will severely impact all those Indians working in information technology related jobs and businesses involved in software development and services.

South Africa once was an apartheid nation, and its prosperity came to a grinding halt when the foreign corporations realized that they are supporting a regime that discriminates her citizens. The harassment, lynching, and killing of Dalits, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and others in India needs to stop; if not, it will hurt all Indians as the investors will start pulling out of the country. Who wants to invest in a place where their investment is not secure?

The success of the American economy is based on the rule of law, the law is enforced equally, and no criminal will get away with the power of his or he monies. If someone violates the rules, the individual or the company will pay the penalty, and this builds confidence and trust in the society and frees them from tensions. Every Indian should feel secure about his or her faith, ethnicity, language and culture.

The First Amendment of America’s constitution serves as a model of success for any government. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Ambassador Sam Brownback had once said that the prosperity of a nation hinges on religious freedom. Indeed, the success of a country is directly proportional to religious liberty. It frees people from the daily tensions of what to eat, drink, wear and believe. It allows them to become a productive employee to the company, and a fully participating member of the family by giving the family the full attention it deserves instead of worrying about a fellow employee at the place of work.

Furthermore, the quality of life is directly proportional to freedom from religious and cultural tensions.

The sense of security is diminishing rapidly. A Christian is apprehensive of going to the Church on a Sunday, and a Muslim is afraid of storing meat in his refrigerator should the vigilantes descend on him. The women including little girls are not safe either. The murderers and rapists got felicitated with Garlands from among the current leaders instead of sending them to prison.  The man who lynched and brutally killed a Muslim man was videotaped and shared on WhatsApp, and the lyncher was rewarded with a party ticket to contest elections.   This is shamefully a weekly occurrence.

Ambassador Brownback had once said referring to mob violence around the world. If the leaders respond immediately to such incidents and tell the nation that the lynching and harassment of fellow citizens will not be acceptable, then the violence will cease or at least mitigate. Unfortunately, the current Indian leadership has remained silent when vigilantes kill and maim the people, causing every Indian to live in fear – both the minorities and the ones who frighten.

Please note that Hindutva ideology propagated by RSS and its family of parties is not Hinduism. Hindutva is to Hinduism; what Islam is to Islamists. Hindutva and Islamist are anti-Hinduism and anti-Islam respectively.   It may take a few generations for Hindutvadis and Islamists to see the value of respecting the otherness of the other and accepting the God-given uniqueness of the other. When we get there, conflicts will fade, and solutions emerge. Ultimately, every Indian wants to live in peace and feel secure about his faith and focus on contributing to the common good of the nation.

The Indian Americans have equal access to all the opportunities in the market without discrimination, and I hope the Indian Americans would want India to treat her minorities as America does hers. It is an embarrassment to note that a few Indian Americans don’t want Muslims, Christians, and Dalits to have equal rights in India.  On top of it, they are poisoning their children with ill-will towards each other.

The good news is that most of the American Indian youth are rejecting the ugliness of their parents and choose to respect the otherness of the other. After all, they have to work with people of different faiths and races, and it would be a pain for them to work with others if their parents have dumped their biases on their children.  Should parents poison their children?

We appeal to all the India oriented American organizations including the Hindu America Foundation, the Indian American Muslim Council, Federation of Indian American Christian Organization of North American to support our petition.

The petition will be addressed to the Government of India to issue Visa’s to the Commissioners of USCRIF.  They can do the investigations about the plight of Kashmiri Pandits, Sikh Genocides, Gujarat Massacre, Lynching and harassment of Dalits, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and others.

If India gets a “Clean Chit” it will ensure continued prosperity and investor confidence in India’s democracy.  However, if the Indian government is found guilty of the violations of religious freedoms, then two choices left to deal with are; risk losing the confidence of the investors in the stability of India, or fix the problems and earn a clean chit.  Every Indian American must ensure the sustainability of India’s democracy and prosperity.

In Washington DC, there are three Indians who regularly attend the meetings about religious freedom issues from among about seventy-five individuals to talk about the concerns in different nations. Jay Kansara has been representing the Hindu America Foundation, John Prabhudoss represents Federation of Indian American Christians of North America, and Mike Ghouse serves the Center for Pluralism, standing up for the rights of people from all faiths.  Now, Ajit Sahi of Indian American Muslim Council has joined the group to address Religious freedom issues of Indian minorities. The Dalits and Sikhs have been represented on an off by different visitors.

Swami Agnivesh was in Washington DC and spoke to a group of defenders of religious freedom across the world.  The Ambassador of religious liberty Hon. Sam Brownback presided the meeting. He was eloquent and precise, and it was an honor to meet the man whom I have come to admire for his stand on eradicating bonded labor, and fighting for religious freedom of all Indians.

Here is a short speech of Swami Agnivesh – https://youtu.be/eIwPXyQQi7g

Full speech of Swami Agnivesh.

Dear Ambassador Brownback and my fellow campaigners for human rights and religious freedom. I am grateful to you for this opportunity to speak here. Since the time allotted for me to speak is limited, I will get to the point immediately.

There is a grave threat today to civil liberties in general and religious freedom in particular in India. Indeed, the levels of violence we see in today’s India against the social and religious minorities are in many ways unprecedented in recent decades. The victims of such vicious violence are some of India’s poorest and most disadvantaged communities. They include Muslims, Christians, the Dalits, who are the former untouchables of the Hindu caste society, and the Adivasis, or the indigenous tribal people whose very existence is under threat.

Moreover, the perpetrators of this violence are directly linked with the RSS, which is the mother organization of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP party. Especially since Mr. Modi became India’s prime minister in 2014, the attacks on the religious minorities have sharply increased. Armed mobs owing allegiance to the RSS and other Hindu groups have been lynching to death Muslims at will, accusing them of eating beef or slaughtering a cow. Such Hindu mobs also disrupt mixed-religion weddings in which the groom is Muslim, and the bride is Hindu because they don’t want Hindu girls to marry Muslim boys. There have been instances in which such Muslim grooms have been killed, too.

Similarly, these vigilante groups owing allegiance to the RSS have been attacking Christian Churches, priests, and congregants all over India. Once again, they blame the victims for the violence, accusing the Christians of converting Hindus to Christianity.

For thousands of years, the Dalits have suffered the worst violence and indignities at the hands of upper caste Hindus. However, now, that indignity is doubled because laws have been created to deny positive quota benefits to Dalits who convert out of Hinduism to Christianity and Islam. Converted Dalits face even greater violence and assault.

As for the Adivasis, the indigenous people, the RSS-BJP have for decades been forcing Hinduism on them even though millions of these Adivasis clearly state that they are not Hindus and they have their indigenous faiths. I have myself been a victim of their violence over the years. Twice in the last six months only I have been attacked by these violent mobs. Of course, it is futile to expect any police action against such violent perpetrators.

If I being a prominent human rights defender in India cannot expect the police to act against my attackers, you can imagine what would be the story of these social and religious minorities I have spoken about, the Dalits, the Adivasis, the Christians and the Muslims, who are being targeted in their hundreds of thousands across India.

Even more worrying is that some organizations in the United States that claim to represent the interest of the Hindus defend the highly divisive and violent activities of the RSS-BJP and instead blame the religious minorities. They try to create a false equivalence between the highly organized and structural violence of the RSS-BJP, who are in power in the federal government in India as well as more than a dozen and a half of India’s 29 states, and random acts of violence against Hindus that may occur.

The truth is that the biggest perpetrator of anti-minority violence in India is the RSS-BJP, which is now in power across India and is therefore grossly abusing its control of government machinery to provide impunity to its henchmen carrying out such violence. It would be a pity if the international community did not open its eyes and take notice of this worsening situation in the India of Mahatma Gandhi.

(Swami Agnivesh also added that he was coming from giving the keynote address at the Parliament for World’s Religions in Toronto, Canada and that the Hindu rightwing forces tried to prevent him from speaking there. He also said he had been a campaigner for justice for 50 years and had faced numerous attacks on his life, the most recent in Jharkhand in July, when hundreds of goons attacked him, and then again in Delhi in August. Swami Ji also spoke of his work with bonded laborers and said his organization had secured freedom and rehabilitation for more than 170,000 bonded laborers in India in the last thirty plus years.)

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a public speaker and the Executive Director of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.  More about him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/

Punishing the Republicans Tomorrow

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America will become a third world country if it was not for the press. Who will call out on Trump’s lies? Who will stop him from pulling stunts on a daily basis? Without the Media, Americans will be kept in the dark and screwed badly. For the sake of our country, I hope enough people will vote for the Democrats and punish the arrogant Republicans.

 

 

 

 

 

I was a Republican once and may join the party someday when they flush out every one of the conformist Senator and Congressmen. Right now, the GOP is a cesspool of conformist, gutless, chicken shit arrogant men and women. They are *****ing our nation by their silent approval of a whimsical man who operates from the seat of his pants. In the end, everyone will regret, yes,  even his diehard supporters will regret when he is done with them with his wrecking ball. He is for himself!

The economy is doing well, because of the efforts of Obama, Trump did not have anything to do with this. He only got started in December. The Democrats should be embarrassed for their betrayal of Obama’s work that they chose not to highlight. It is embarrassing that Obama had to make that call.

I am glad they don’t, but I wish that the Democrats start lying and stand toe to toe with the bully. The Democrats are not designed to lie and that is their saving grace. The only saving grace for GOP is Nikki Haley, she spoke out that the President (she did not name him) should not call the opposite party members and the media as the enemies of the people.

On November 5, 2014, I wrote this at Huffington Post, “You have two stark choices in front of you; one makes the decisions from the seat of his pants. He does not listen to anyone, does not have the support of a single former President nor does he have the advisement of the sane voices. He can bankrupt the nation and walk away with no consequences, but you may be the one who gets stiffed. Your job and your life is an experiment to him, and the safety of our nation will be subjected to his whims. If you are a woman and do not measure up to his sense of beauty, you can forget about playing a role in his administration, even if you are a Republican. If you have a disabled family member, he sure will be mocked and the White House may become a locker room where raw language will become the norm.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillarys-last-ditch-effort-the-final-speech_us_581f90f8e4b0102262411963 

I do hope the Democrats get the house and Senate and this is what they need to do for saving the Republic and what it stands for;  life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Senate

Make a requirement to have 2/3rd of votes to approve the Supreme Court Judge, that way, there is plenty of consensus from both parties. It is evil to give a pass to Kavanaugh with 49 votes while 48 were against it, this is not how we build “One Nation.”. It means, they have to give up their liberal appointees, but Americans would love them for it.

Congress

Show the Republican the right way to do Public business. Do not pass any bill without the support of at least 1/3rd of Republican Congressmen. We have to develop a culture of inclusiveness.
Vote for Democrats to punish Republicans and to save Democracy

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a public speaker committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/