Way back, some 40 years ago, an Indian Judge was visiting Dallas, Texas. He shocked me with his views on death penalty. I can never forget that. He and I are made from the same “mitti” but yet, we are so far apart.
Now, if the Karnataka high court judges go against the constitution, and decide that individuals cannot have the liberty anymore, that they cannot have the freedom to eat, drink or wear in the pursuit of their happiness. Watch it, the ugly BJP will come after you and take your liberties, even if you are a Hindu.
What does it prove?
It proves that the Indians don’t understand liberty and freedom. Even the Indian Americans who have lived here for over Ten years are clueless. I’ve been a part of many Indian groups and it saddens me to see my fellow Indian Americans support the terrorist organizations like BJP, RSS and their oppressive ideology that matches ISIS and Taliban. They are hell bent on ridding Christians and Muslims from India, or reduce them to second class citizens.
Indian Courts and judges need to study the solid, sacred constitution of the United States that values human rights and religious freedom, and keep our motherland on pedestal.
I urge the Indian Americans to be truly Americans and learn about freedom.
Today is the world day of social justice, and I am pleased to share a message.
I am Mike Ghouse with the Center for Pluralism standing in front of the United States Supreme Court, the upholder of justice and the leader in a strong constitution that other nations can follow. We are about individual liberties, social justice, freedom, and the rule of law.
Here is our immortal Declaration of Independence.
“We hold truths that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Here is a short video:
Dr. Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker, author, community consultant, pluralist, activist, newsmaker, and interfaith wedding officiant. Mike is deeply committed to Pluralism in Religion, Politics, Societies, and the workplace. He is an activist for Human Rights and freedom. He has dedicated his life to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions to the media and the policymakers on issues of the day. Everything about him is at www.TheGhousediary.com
I am Mike Ghouse with the Center for Pluralism, we are committed to building cohesive societies, and we stand up for people’s religious freedom across the world.
My presentation is about the gross violation of individual liberties and religious freedoms in India, and the violators were not questioned or remanded. The rule of law is waning in India.
A few weeks ago, a college administrator in the City of Mandya barred a Muslim student from entering college to submit her papers. They shut the door on her because she was wearing a Hijab.
Hijab is a part of Indian culture where women cover their hair with the end of their saree or wear a dupatta (scarf). There is no Hindu, Sikh, or Muslim wedding where the woman does not wear pallu (part of the saree) over her head. Singling out Muslim women is prejudiced as the Hijab is not exclusive to Muslims in India.
Later on, several Muslim girls were prevented from entering the college campuses; the gates were closed – they were all wearing Hijab. This hateful act spread like wildfire, and throughout Karnataka State, the BJP extremists were preventing the girl students from going to school.
India is a signatory to the Human rights convention, and the Modi administration is not doing a thing about it. It is a gross violation of the right to education and religious freedom.
Everyone should have the liberty to eat, drink, wear and believe whatever the hell they want in the pursuit of their happiness.
A few days before this happened, a camera caught a man (BJP?) talking to the Hindu students and providing them with saffron towels/shawls to wear because the girls were wearing the Hijab. It was all orchestrated by Modi’s men to harass the Muslims and Christians and reduce them to 2nd class citizens.
They planned to get rid of the girls from the school; these are their words.
Back to the student who walked back from the school, the Modis party guys harassed her, screaming at her as though they would attack her. The brave girl stood her ground and yelled back at them.
Thanks to a few guys who surrounded her.
If anyone wants to see the videos of scheming and harassing, please share your email address on the chat, I will send it to you.
There is no consequence to the guys; they got away with it. The BJP party runs the Karnataka State government.
Now the case is in the High Court of the State of Karnataka in India, and debating the issue. It gives me hope. If it goes to the supreme court, Modi has a massive influence over the judges. Some of the judges do what Modi tells them to do.
Indian courts are the last hope to uphold the constitution.
I wish the Biden government called India “the Country of Particular concern” for violating a significant population’s religious freedom and liberty. Biden can favor India by pulling our ally out of the ditches into the civilized world.
All Biden has to tell Modi is, “Look, Mr. Modi, India is our ally before you came into the picture, and we will continue to be allies. However, you need to correct the course and observe the religious freedoms of the People of India and their human rights. Mr. Modi, you need to allow our commissioners from USCIRF to visit India and give us a report. I am embarrassed; our commissioners are not allowed in India, our ally. India is becoming a fractured nation, and we doubt India will be a reliable ally. You need to correct the course.
Mike Ghouse is president of the Center for Pluralism and is committed to building cohesive societies and standing up for the religious freedom and human rights of people across the globe. More about him at https://theghousediary.com/
Mike GhouseComments Off on Ghamidi On First Amendment And Allahu Akbar in Karnataka
Personally, I’m delighted to hear him on the issue of the hijab in the state of Karnataka, India.
He is worth listening. He is speaking the language of Pluralism. Thanks
First, he is well versed in the first Amendment. It’s what Islam is, a religion that is in sync with human nature.
Second, human rights declaration is the ultimate expression found in all religions, if we have the proclivities to learn.
Third, everyone is born free and comes with certain inalienable rights, among them are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Fourth, Muslims should not make it a religious issue, it’s a personal liberty issue and pursued as such.
Fifth, Im glad my views have been expressed in a similar manner in the last several postings on this specific subject. Ghamidi Saheb and I have similar views on most issues.
Lastly, I reiterate the slogan adopted by our think tank, the World Muslim Congress, “If it is not common sense, then it is not Islam.”
Jai Shri Ram ‘was’ a slogan of victory of Ram over Ravan, victory of good over evil. Right now, to the world watching and hearing that slogan, it is a terrorist call to harass, threaten or rape women.
Are the good Hindus authorizing the Hindutva terrorists (not Hindu by any measure) to use that slogan? If not, it is time to condemn them, lest Hinduism, that seeks dignity of life gets a bad name.
All of us have to protect the sanctity of every religion, at the end, all of us would be safe.
I do hope the terrorists realize the mistake they are making, and I pray good Hindus speak up.
Mike Ghouse is a social scientist, bold speaker, author, and an interfaith wedding officiant. He is the founder and CEO of the Center for Pluralism. More about him at www.TheGhouseDiary.com
The article referenced below is a not to miss article about Indian Muslims. I am writing this commentary in the plane on the way to Denver, to officiate a Hindu-Muslim wedding. I’ll send this to telegraph to publish as a comment.
Every Indian should read and reflect on the consequence of exclusions, and the othering of Muslims.
Indian Muslims and Christians are the examples of non-violence. Despite the humiliation and daily threats to their livelihood and their existence, they have chosen not to entertain the thoughts of getting even or revenge. They must be admired, but there is a limit to such patience, even Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of non-violence declared one should rise against tyranny and use violence if necessary to restore peace and harmony.
If Christians and Muslims are further pushed, and if they take up violence to defend the lives of their families and livelihood, there will be a genocide.
Of course, in the ensuing blood bath, both Hindus and Muslims will be killed.
Most certainly to the blood thirsty Hindutva Terrorists, tacitly led by three evil sadistic men, three times more Muslims will be killed than Hindus, but innocent Indians of all stripes will be killed.
It’s in the interests of every Indian to condemn this, I don’t think the evil BJP men will do anything to stop, so it’s the responsibility of the civil society to speak up for the sake of peace, peace to each one of them. Who wants to live in fear?
I’m so glad the author included Sikh practices. Sikhs must be applauded for their guts to take a stand about wearing their turbans and carrying a sword, they will never take a no to practice their faith. Similarly the African Americans threat of violence led to civil rights act. Muslims have to stand and speak boldly, if the majority of good Hindus are shaken up, then things will change.
India was never a secular nation, it was always a pluralistic state, the word Pluralism did not exist then, so, secularism was inserted in the republic.
Religious Pluralism is respecting the otherness of the others. Each group was allowed to practice their faith, and every group had their own religious laws to abide. However, we have the same criminal and civil laws for all people. It’s the best form of governance. When we have a sane government, and BJP-mukt-!Bharat, we can add the word Pluralism with a thumping majority of Parliamentarian and Raj Sabha members.
God save India, and restore sanity and common sense to Hindutva terrorists. I don’t have a single thread of hope with the three evil men: Modi-Shah-Yogi, but I’ve faith in the Hindu majority to speak up, but Muslims must speak out boldly and wake them up.
Let’s begin, as Goethe said, there is genius and power in boldness. The Center for Pluralism will roll out a series of action plans for all the sane Indians to act.
Mike Ghouse is a social scientist, bold speaker, author, and an interfaith wedding officiant. He is the founder and CEO of the Center for Pluralism. More about him at www.TheGhouseDiary.com
Mike GhouseComments Off on Mera Desh Azaad ho ke Rahega
Today is India’s Republic Day, the day when the people of India adopted a constitution to govern by the people for the people of India. Thanks to Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar for framing the most humane, pluralistic, and democratic constitution, reasonably similar to the constitution of the United States, which is the most sacred document to uphold human freedoms and dignity.
“We hold truths that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It is our immortal Declaration of Independence of the United States of America.
Freedom is living without tensions, worries, conflicts, and hassles with fellow humans. There are a variety of freedoms, personal, spiritual, social, religious, political, and public. One is individually responsible for the first two freedoms. He can extricate himself from the constraints placed on him by the third and fourth. Still, the political and public freedoms are the responsibility of individuals he elects to govern him and his fellow humans.
We got our political and public freedom from the British and chose to form the Democratic Republic, where all the human rights were guaranteed to the people. Our founding fathers Mahatma Gandhi, Pundit Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad, Netaji Bose, and Bhimrao Ambedkar have said, “Hum laye hain toofan say kisthi nikal ke, es desh ko rakhna mere bachcho sambhal ke” We were a free people on August 15, 1947, and elected the people from among us to govern us by the laws enacted in our behalf.
We have elected great leaders through 1975 who steered the nation towards prosperity. From a country that could not feed itself in 1947, we became self-sufficient in food. Then we elected Indira Gandhi, who did not trust the system or the people, and declared an emergency; most of us who lived in that period hated the usurpation of our public and political freedoms. She was booted out.
Sikander bhi aaye khalandar bhi aaye Indira Bhi aaye Na Koi Raha hai, na koi rahega Mera Desh Azaad Ho Ke Rahega
Then we resumed the path of relative peace and harmony in public. We certainly endured communal riots, Sikh Genocide, Babri destruction, Gujarat Massacre, and struggle with injustice to the people, but came out of it. Dr. Manmohan Singh steered the Nation into unprecedented prosperity by opening the Indian economy. We also must thank our first education Minister Maulana Azad who was instrumental in building the educational institutions like IIT that have put India on the top in the employment of her students worldwide. We are the Nation that services the IT and AI components of most countries in the world now.
In a democracy, we make mistakes. Sometimes, we elect charlatans to govern us. One such error was electing Narendra Modi as our Prime Minister. Enough about him (https://theghousediary.com/modi-articles-by-mike-ghouse/) and valid comparisons made with Hitler.
Modi is the greatest danger to our freedoms that we attained after nearly 100 years of continuous struggle from (1857-to 1947). He has destroyed the economy, the social fabric, and the Nation’s political institutions. If we continue with him unchecked, the Nation will go through a blood bath where Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and every Indian will live in tensions and run for their lives. A major Genocide is likely to happen.
But there is a hope that India’s people will throw him out unceremoniously before a genocide in the proportions of the Holocaust occurs.
Sikander bhi aaye khalandar bhi aaye Indira Bhi aaye. Modi bhi Aaya Na Koi Raha hai, na koi rahega Mera Desh Azaad Ho Ke Rahega
Alexander came, so did other ruthless men Indira Gandhi came, Narendra Modi has also come No one will be there forever, nor has anyone My nation will certainly be free again
We are Indians and nothing but Indians.
As a nation, we are Adivasis, Atheists, Bahais, Bos, Buddhists, Christians, Dalits, Hindus, Jains, Jewish, Muslim, Sikhs, Tribals, Zoroastrians, and every possible grouping. We are Brown, Black, White, Yellow, and green with envy, Magar Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani.
Our Motherland is represented by every race, nationality, ethnicity, language, culture, and religion. We see God as one, none and many, and in every form; male, female, genderless and non-existent, being and non-being, nameless and with innumerable names.
We are proud of our heritage – a multi-faith, multicultural, multi-regional, and multi-linguistic society. We have come to accept and respect every way people have lived their lives. For over 5000 years, India has been a beacon of pluralism – it has embraced Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Baha’i, and Zoroastrianism to include in the array of the indigenous religions; Hinduism, Tribal traditions, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism.
I hope we purge any bias towards the other; there is joy in being free from ill will. Try to be free from this day forward, free from anything that prevents you from being a part of the whole.
Our combined philosophies believe in one world; Hinduism describes the world as Vasudhaiva Kutumbukum, the whole world is one family. The idea of Ek Onkar(one) prevails in Sikhism. The Quran says that we are all created from the same couple, and Jesus embraced everyone as his children. Similar philosophies are grounded in all our religions like Jainism, Bahai, Judaism, Buddhism, and tribal traditions.
On this day, and every day, pledge yourself to talk about “I am an Indian” – and not Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Malayalee, or Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Isai. Don’t expect others to jump and say the same; give them the time, and if you are consistent for at least a year, you will see others emulating you.
I am proud of my Motherland, and my commitment continues to protect, defend and uphold the constitution of India as an Indian American.
Indira bhi aayee, Modi bhi Aaya Na Koi Rahega, na koi raha hai Mera desh azad ho ke rahega.
It is good to be free.
Jai Hind,
Dr. Mike Ghouse is an Indian American social scientist, public speaker, author, thinker, and Interfaith Wedding Officiant. He is the founder and CEO of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. More about him at www.TheGhouseDiary.com
Mike GhouseComments Off on Holocaust Event is a fulfillment of a lifelong quest for Mike Ghouse
Mike Ghouse on the purpose of the Holocaust Commemoration
Of all the people on the earth, my mother would be pleased to know I am doing what it takes to be a “good citizen” which equals to “good Muslim,” who respects, honors, and protects the sanctity of life.
Commemorating Holocaust and Genocides for seven years is a fulfillment of a lifelong desire.
Education is the purpose; we have to learn, acknowledge and reflect upon the terrible things that we humans have inflicted upon each other, and we have to understand that our safety hinges on the safety of all others around us.
As a Muslim committed to building cohesive societies, it was an honor to step up to the plate of God-consciousness, which simply means caring for all of God’s creation; life and matter. “God’s sun shines on the dirtiest puddle as well as the crystal clear mountains,” and that is love.
Here is how it happened.
When I was in my teens, I read just about every book my mother read. She was indeed a voracious reader on religion and social sciences; however, I was banned from reading certain books, and one of them was “Eishmann 60 lakh Yahudiyon ka Katil” in Urdu language. That is “Eichmann, the killer of 6 Million Jews.” My mother insisted that I was a kid and I should not read the book, she was protective of her child. However, I was able to sneak in and saw a few horrible pictures which had shut me down for the next 44 years of my life.
The picture continues to influence me to do something about it, it is a betrayal of fellow humans. A group of Jews were shoved in front of a ditch and then were shot into the pit. The looks of helplessness on their face, as if looking at me and saying, “are you not going to do anything about it?” They were not complaining, but with all humility enduring the betrayal from the entire world, it has been a difficult picture for me.
For the next 44 years of my life, I was not able to see the WWII movies with scenes from holocaust on the screen. I would turn the TV off and go into silence for a while, just could not get over the idea how people can do that to other people. There was fear in me, fear to witness that betrayal. They never begged any one to save their life and just stared into the spaces even without complaining. I have held them in a very high esteem for the dignified death they faced.
Fast forward: Sunday, September 11, 2005.
The first Public commemoration of 9/11 was initiated by Muslims, and we called it Unity Day USA to boldly bring together Americans of different faiths, ethnicities and cultures together to rededicate our pledge to the safety and security of America.
About 600 People attended the event including 10 Mayors and several Police and fire chiefs, FBI Chief, and clergy from every faith and civil leaders were represented in the event.
While Mayor Joe Chow of Addison was speaking, the Fire Alarm went off creating a panic. Remember, it was a 9/11 commemoration! Most people were dashing out of the building including my Jewish friends who sat in the front row, what I distinctly remember was the fear in their eyes, and that bothered me to no end. They were my guests and that is no way to treat the guests, prominent among them were Muriel Pinkus and Bernie Mayoff.
No human should be afraid of the other.
It was a false alarm; Mayor Simpson of Frisco announced it within 3 minutes. I asked the FBI Chief Guadalupe Gonzalez to assure the people and ask them to come back, finally, everyone made it back and took the seats waiting for the Fire Marshall to come and turn the Alarm off. I love Mayor Joe Chow, while all of this was happening he continued with his speech.
That fear prompted me to do something about it, not sure what. But I do know what Goethe had said, “When you are committed, all sorts of things will happen to you, and providence moves in and God paves the way to fulfill your commitment.” In November, the United Nations made a proclamation to commemorate Holocaust on January 27, 2006. I said to myself, did God pave the way for me?
Sixty years after of the Holocaust, the United Nations finally established the Holocaust Remembrance Day on November 1, 2005. “At its sixtieth session, the General Assembly resolved that the United Nations would designate 27 January as an annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust; and requested the Secretary-General to establish a program of outreach on the subject of the “Holocaust and the United Nations”, and to report on the implementation of that program at the sixty-third session of the Assembly (resolution 60/7).
I called on my friends Bernie Mayoff and then Eliot Din, the late director of the Holocaust Museum in Dallas, Texas with the idea of commemorating the event, and thus began this journey. Education is the purpose; we have to learn, acknowledge and reflect upon the terrible things we humans have inflicted upon each other, and we have to understand that our safety hinges on the safety of all others around us. It is a comprehensive event where all human failings, massacres, genocides and Holocaust will be addressed in one fashion or the other.
Yom HaShoah has been commemorated in Synagogues since the 50’s, and for the first time in history, it was held outside the Synagogue and open to the general public, people of all faiths and no faith have participated in the interfaith pluralistic prayers. I just want to assure my Jewish friends that you are not alone; we are with you in the most somber moment of your life.
The first commemoration lifted a huge burden off me. I felt the relief. This was my calling – to build bridges. William and Rosa Lee Schiff, the holocaust survivors delivered a talk for over an hour – it was literally pin drop silence.
There are incredible stories associated with this journey. There was harassment, threats, bias, and prejudices from across the spectrum. Each group was about me, me, and my pain and not us and our collective pain.
We had many a tense moments, some were purely political, everyone was reluctantly ready to face them; it was the resistance to the inclusion of pain of others. Mind you, my Jewish and Muslim friends on the right were tense. Although I do not believe in divine intervention, a revelation came to me a few seconds before such an acknowledgment during the program and I said,
“Dear friends, it is painful to miss out the suffering of one people or the other, we do not want to live with the burden of consciously or subconsciously excluding the suffering of any, hence, to be fair to all, let’s silently pray for every atrocity that comes to our minds, and pray for the relief of the victims, and punishment or release to the perpetrators”
Sounds simple? But that offered a magical relief to the people who were tensed up for that moment. Thank God, every atrocity, genocide, and massacre along with Holocaust was silently included in one’s prayer or the other.
It has not been an easy story. A few have dropped me from their lists; a few did not want to see me ever again. People who taught tolerance were intolerant; a few people in the pulpit did not tell the truth to their congregants. Maria Arita of Fox News and I had a heart to heart on a few items. Maybe, I will write a chapter urging people and organizations to guard themselves from a few who can prevent good things from happening. Thank God, we have made through it all.
If you are not committed, it is easy to give up. I remained loyal to my commitment and thank God, the journey began and has continued for 17 years now.
Hate is one of the many sources of disrupting peaceful functioning of a society and it is our duty, both individually and severally to track down the source of such hate and work on mitigating it. Indeed, each one of us needs to do our share of work. It is also our moral responsibility to keep law and order and faithfully guard the safety of every citizen.
The spark of hatred will not disappear through law and order, it would be temporary off the screen, but will reappear at every little conflagration. As civil societies, this has to be worked out for the long term good.
The injustice done in the past will not fall off the earth, it lingers and eats away peace between individuals and nations, and we are responsible to bring closure to the loose ends of many a conflict, so we all can trust each other and feel safe, and focus on the collective prosperity of all.
The program will address preventing such occurrences, and most importantly, how to bring closure to these sparks and work on building cohesive societies, where no human has to live in apprehension or fear of the other.
There is a shameless cruelty in us, either we shy away or refuse to acknowledge the sufferings of others, worrying that it will devalue our own or somehow it amounts to infidelity to our own cause. Shame on us that we justifying massacres by believing and propagating that the victims deserved it or asked for it.
We sincerely hope the attendees will walk out with the following understanding:
Other people’s suffering is as legitimate as mine;
It is easy to see ourselves as Victims, but we must also see the perpetrator in us;
When we strip the politics out of a conflict, we see hope;
We can value others suffering without lessening our own;
The overriding desire to highlight our own blinds us from other’s suffering.
A sense of responsibility for creating a better world is awakened
Ultimately co-existence and every one’s safety and peace should be the driving thought.
Dr. Mike Ghouse is a social scientist, public speaker, author, thinker, and Interfaith Wedding Officiant. He is the founder and CEO of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. More about him at www.TheGhouseDiary.com
BOLD TALK ON INDIA and HOLOCAUST Persecution of Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, and Others.
Event: 17th Annual Holocaust and Genocides
Speakers: Ambassador David Saperstein, Dr. Gregory Stanton, Gurvinder Singh, Dr. Mary Ann Thompson-Frenk, and Dr. Mike Ghouse
Awardees: The Pluralist Award* was bestowed upon Walter Ruby, Ajit Sahi, Dr. Maqsood Chaudhary, and Greg Mitchell.
*The Pluralist Award is for individuals for their outstanding contributions in making the world a better place by standing up for the religious freedom and human rights of fellow humans of any faith – and with a bias towards none. Pluralist simply means an individual who respects the otherness of the others accepts their uniqueness and focuses on creating a cohesive society.
Mike GhouseComments Off on Remove Mark Arsten’s Admin Rights on Wikipedia. Mark Arsten Deletes All Pages That Glorify Islam And Muslims And Any Facts Written Against Zionism
Mark Arsten, an Admin of Wikipedia, deletes all pages that glorify Islam and muslims and any facts written against Zionism. We need to reach out to Wikipedia Owners to cancel his admin rights.
The readers need objectivity in the media whereby all facts are made available to the readers to make a just and fair inference of events, people and surrounding.
Therefore, we need to cancel the Wikipedia Admin Rights of Mark Arsten. Some of the pages deleted by him: Deletion of the page related to Mike Ghouse, a speaker, thinker, writer, optimist and an activist of Pluralism, Justice, Islam, India and Civil Rights Deleted the list of Jewish Criminals. If we can have a list of American Muslims and Christians, where in the crime section we list criminals, why can’t the same be done for Jewish Criminals?
