Confronting Violent Jihad: “Lessons Learned” with Cong. Pete Hoekstra

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McLean, VA, November 4, 2015

Former Congressman Pete Hoekstra has just released his
book “Confronting Violent Jihad, Lessons
Learned,” and I was invited to a talk at the Westminster Institute by the
Congressman.

About 40 people attended the event, and many identified themselves as having
worked for the intelligence community and or State Department.

Although a Republican and in a long leadership position, he clearly
articulated that going to Iraq and Afghanistan was a mistake. One of the
audience members in the Q&A said the disasters in the Middle East have come
about by our messy foreign policy. Hoekstra listened to the man when he
continued crediting birth of Al-Qaeda to U.S. Military presence in Saudi Arabia,
and origins of ISIS to our lies about WMD.

Hoekstra reminded the
audience that as chair of house Intelligence committee, he had  met with Libyan
leader Muammar Gaddafi and was instrumental in getting Gaddafi to give up the
nuclear programs, thus, transitioning him into a useful, obedient dictator.  He
insinuated that Obama’s regime-change policy was wrong; I wanted to remind him
that it was Republican Senators in particular McCain and Graham who were eager
to bomb Libya, and not Obama. Indeed the President was opposed to putting the
boots on the ground.

Hoekstra also opposed to Obama’s asking Mubarak to
step down. In fact, Obama did the right thing by siding with the Egyptians and
asking Mubarak to step down. Had that not happened, the Egyptian people would
have won anyway, and we would have become supporters of their oppressor.  That
is precisely what happened with Iran in 1979. Had President Carter told the Shah
to step down, Iran would not have become our enemy. This is one of Obama’s
biggest foreign policy triumphs; he prevented another siege of a U.S. Embassy in
Cairo. He is one of the few presidents who understood that diplomatic
relationships are between peoples of two nations and not between the heads of
the states, and he did the right thing. 

Since the 50’s our foreign
policy is put together by thoughtless men and women, who believed resolutions to
conflicts is achieved thru bullying and telling other nations what to do.
Obviously our intelligence is tailored to fit that objective and I have argued
with Sean Hannity few of the 102 TV shows I have been with him till today, all
the major foreign policy disasters have occurred with wrong information. We
cannot rely on our information, we need to factor in what others say. We
sacrifice long term stability to short-term visible achievements, and this has
got to go. President Obama has made that choice and hope the next president sees
the wisdom in it and follows it.

The congressman emphasized that the
consistent policy of governments in the past, both Republican and Democrats
towards dealing with extremism was broken by Obama, and it should not have been.
His contention was that having consistent policy would have made it easy for
Middle Eastern governments to figure out a strategy to deal with us.  The
Congressman is wrong about that; essentially what he said was, we got it wronged
before and must continue practicing the error to make it easy for foreign
governments to develop a strategy.

He argued that the United States is
not looked upon with respect overseas. I wanted to express that, Obama has
indeed earned the respect from the community of nations as a nation to respect.
Give him the credit for taking us from being a unilateral bully nation of George
W. Bush to a consensus seeking nation of Barak Obama.
 

Imagine a powerful nation giving equal respect to the little ones? We earn
their adoration and not resentment.  He got the six biggest powerful nations to
become watch dogs over Iran. Should there be a crisis, we don’t have to lose our
men and women, as others will be partners in the response. The world is with us
today, more than ever.

Hoekstra said that some proceeds of his book will
go to fund Steve Emerson’s Investigative Project on Terrorism. Surprisingly even
as chair of the Intel committee he has failed to see what Emerson is all about;
indeed he had apologized more than three times for passing out false information
about terrorism activity after the damage was done.

I have always
welcomed dialogue. It is always good to place everything on the table and to
figure out how to deal with the issues, with a goal to build cohesive societies
where no one has to live in fear of the others, or threaten the other.  Perhaps,
I will make tall claims on this issue; on my Radio shows, discussion forums,
symposiums and conversations; I have cherished and encouraged opposing views. It
has allowed me to see the full picture rather than have a partial biased view.

The Westminster Institute has a good library and the shelves were loaded
with books on Islam, reforming Islam, Sharia and other issues. I hope to read at
least a few books to see if they are represented correctly.
I represented myself as the executive director of the American Muslim
Institution and have offered former Rep. Hoekstra, a Shillman Senior Fellow with
Investigative project on Terrorism, and Bob Reilly of Westminster Institute to
work on issues concerning Islam. I am sure they want a Muslim view on the issues
they talk about, and I will speak and present papers on Sharia, apostasy, Quran,
Terrorism, Reform and a sane foreign policy, and offer pluralistic solutions on
issues of the day.

All of us Americans, regardless of our religions
have at least one goal; the safety of Americans.  We have made mistakes by
making unverified assumptions about each other. It is time to come together to
build a safe America which will pave the way for sustainable prosperity. The
American Muslim Institution is committed to be a significant contributor towards
the security, prosperity and well being of Americans.

We have work to do
and it is a good start.

Please note, I am an independent moderate, and
neither a Republican nor a Democrat.

Dr. Mike Ghouse is an Executive Director of American Muslim
Institution, he is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer
and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, human
rights, foreign policy and building cohesive societies. Mike offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More
about him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com
# # #

The Refugee Crisis in Europe and the United Nations

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A
few among us, and everywhere in the world would say, they are not our problem,
close the border and don’t let them in, and some will shoot them for disobeying
the orders.
What
do you do when you are about to be killed; it is human and even animal instinct
to save oneself and the loved ones, you will do it and I will do it. Thousands
of Refugees from Syria are walking to wherever they can walk and survive.
What
are the solutions? No government, no racists and no bigots should have the right
to uproot any one from their land, and if they do, the world community should
insist on the right to return to their own homes when things square. If we
accommodate others, which we should do as a temporary measure, we would be
legitimizing bad governments to throw the people they don’t like. As human race,
we have to diffuse crises when they emerge, if we fail to do, it will create
refugees.
Since
the world nations came together in 1948 to deal with the world wide issue of
refugees there was hope for humanity, long term security for the rich and
Justice for the weak.
We
have to strengthen the international body; the United Nations for the common
good. The bad leaders including a few American presidents have violated the
common good and have destroyed and weakened the United Nations, correction
should begin with us, Russia and China, who shamefully resort to vetoing what
98% of the nations pass. Aren’t we all created equal?
The
best thing the world can do right now is to create a safe place for refugees, no
matter where they are and who they are, and take care of them until their
homeland is restored to sanity.
The
other ugly choice the society has offered to the oppressed is the ancient Masada
example, where the trapped Jewish people committed mass suicide rather than
subject themselves to humiliation of occupiers. The other extreme is to let the
Palestinian way prevail, kill and get killed rather than be humiliated. Shame on
us the world body for creating situations, and or not finding solutions to the
situations, or not seeing the consequences of doing nothing or making wrong
decisions. We have to offer choices to the oppressed around the world. No human
has to live in humiliation.
The
Rohingya people are left with no choices, what should they do? Go the Masada way
or the Palestinian way? Have we offered them a third choice? It is in our
interest to quickly find solution to crises, if not it will become our problem
in the end.
Here
is a quote from a Native American that sums up the situation.
Chief
Seattle, said this perfectly, “All things are connected. Whatever befalls the
earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is
merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the webs, he does it to himself.”

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer
and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, human rights, foreign policy and
building cohesive societies.
Mike offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63
links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com 

Modi on Track to Cripple India

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This article has appeared in over 25 newspapers with a few different cartoons to go with it. Modi-and-his-Chamchas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This article has appeared in over 25 newspapers with a few different cartoons to go with it.

If Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India does not speak up on the issues that are tearing the nation apart, and if he fails to restore freedom to speak, eat, drink, wear and believe what India’s constitution guarantees, and if he fails to warn the extremists in his party from destroying the social fabric of India, he will cripple the nation, making it a Langda India as we call it in Hindi.
For India to succeed as a nation, it has to stand on its own two firm feet; prosperity and social cohesion. The two are dependent on each other; one will not happen without the other. Indeed, prosperity will be short-lived if the social structure crumbles.

Bringing prosperity comes through raising income levels of all the sons and daughters of India;  pulling the ones in ditches onto a level playing field to build a larger middle class and to expand the consumer base, whose consumption will create jobs, builds up the economy,  and raise the standards of living. The more people do well, the better the nation does.  Modi is talking big about it, and we can give him two full years to produce results.

Social cohesion on the other hand is like the cohesion in the human body, where the heart, brain, kidneys, liver, lungs, digestive track and all parts of the body need to function cohesively to live a normal life.

Failure of one organ can cause dysfunction in others.   If you think the discharge part of the body is less important, wait till it stops, it will give headaches and will affect how we function. Likewise, all people in a society have to function cohesively, and it is in the interest of the body that it makes up for deficiencies in our part through a system of integration. As humans, and as Indians we have to meet those deficiencies in fellow Indians for the common good, and our own security and well being.

Remember, I cannot be safe if people around me are not, and if I threaten others, I am equally frightened at my vulnerable moments. No one will be safe, including Hindus who may not think much of the situation in India now, but eventually they will get hit too.

Those of you who are blinded by the love for Mr. Modi, I appeal to you to look for greater love for the nation. Modis will come and go, but the Nation will continue. I am challenging your patriotism;  none of us want India to go down, so let our loyalty be to India and not Modi, until he proves that he can keep these two functions in shape, I will hold my praise for him, will you?

We have to be truthful and brutally honest.  For the sake of the long term security of each one of us, we have to learn to openly express and listen to it with civility. We need to criticize the inept government and cut them down to pieces. Indeed, that is our patriotic duty to prevent our nation from falling apart.

I can never forget Indira Gandhi’s emergency rule. Her goons got away with sordid acts of blackmailing, harassment and vandalizing.  Now, I see a replication of the same under Modi. He lives in a bubble surrounded by Chamchas (sycophants) who say everything is alright… but everything is not alright.

I cannot thank Ramnath Goenka of Indian Express and others who went to jail instead of pandering to Indira.  I cannot thank enough Mahatma Gandhi and the freedom fighters that took the beatings and went to jail for disobeying and criticizing the British colonial governments. God bless them!  Because of them we have that freedom, and I thank all those men and women who are protesting and standing up against the goons.
Nehrus, Indiras and Modis will come and go, but India will continue and we have an obligation to save India.  Indeed, by doing so, we are protecting the future of every Indian.

Do you remember the song?

Sikander bhi aaye, khalandar bhi aaye,
No koi raha hai, na koi rahega;
Mera desh azaad hoke rahega,

Mera desh azaad hoke rahega.

Those of you cheering for Modi now, will come to regret it, unless Modi gets his act together.  All that prosperity will go down the tube if no one feels secure. When injustice waxes to the extreme, it will tear the nation apart; the rich will run out of the country for safety, and ugly communism may run in under the banner of redistribution of wealth and equalizing inequality.

It is time to wake up!  Remember: Modi had given terrorists three days to finish their slaughter during the Gujarat Riots, and now he has probably given three years to finish freedom in India. Possibly the process has begun.
Thank God for the conscience of Indians!  They are speaking up against bad governance. Modi better not mess with Narayan Murthy, Raghuram Rajan and Siddaramaiah, – if he does, or does not stop inciting his goons, the whole nation could revolt. 

I don’t want my India to be a Langda India, do you? If we all wake up and criticize Mr. Modi, guess what will happen? He will be compelled to do the right thing. Don’t you want that?
WHAT DO WE WANT?

Mr. Modi to speak up! That is it.

He can address the nation this way; “I am the Prime Minister of all Indians. I will get blamed for the bad things that happen in India, and I am not going to put up with that.  From this moment, everyone who messes with their fellow Indians will be punished severely, and if they have staged acts like the one in Dadri, everyone involved will be punished severely.  This is my last warning and action will follow.”

“Furthermore, I declare that no one will compel or tell other Indians what to read, write, eat, drink, wear or believe.”

This is all we want.

Arise! Awake! and stop not till the goal is reached.
Swami Vivekananda must have meant this for Indians in 2015.
Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, human rights, foreign policy and building cohesive societies. Mike offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com, and all about India athttp://MikeGhouseforIndia.Blogspot.com

I cannot thank Ramnath Goenka of Indian Express and others who went to jail instead of pandering to Indira.  I cannot thank enough Mahatma Gandhi and the freedom fighters that took the beatings and went to jail for disobeying and criticizing the British colonial governments. God bless them!  Because of them we have that freedom, and I thank all those men and women who are protesting and standing up against the goons. Nehrus, Indiras and Modis will come and go, but India will continue and we have an obligation to save India.  Indeed, by doing so, we are protecting
the future of every Indian. Do you remember the song?

Sikander bhi aaye, khalandar bhi aaye,
No koi raha hai, na koi rahega;
Mera desh azaad hoke rahega,
Mera desh azaad hoke rahega.

Those of you cheering for Modi now, will come to regret it, unless Modi gets his act together.  All that prosperity will go down the tube if no one feels secure. When injustice waxes to the extreme, it will tear the nation apart; the rich will run out of the country for safety, and ugly communism may run in under the banner of redistribution of wealth and equalizing inequality. It is time to wake up!

Remember: Modi had given terrorists three days to finish their slaughter during the Gujarat Riots, and now he has probably given three years to finish freedom in India. Possibly the process has begun.

Thank God for the conscience of Indians!

They are speaking up against bad governance. Modi better not mess with Narayan Murthy, Raghuram Rajan and Siddaramaiah, – if he does, or does not stop inciting his goons, the whole nation could revolt. I don’t want my India to be a Langda India, do you? If we all wake up and criticize Mr. Modi, guess what will happen? He will be compelled to do the right thing. Don’t you want that?

WHAT DO WE WANT? Mr. Modi to speak up! That is it.

He can address the nation this way; “I am the Prime Minister of all Indians. I will get blamed for the bad things that happen in India, and I am not going to put up with that.  From this moment, everyone who messes with their fellow Indians will be punished severely, and if they have staged acts like the one in Dadri, everyone involved will be punished severely.  This is my last warning and action will follow.”

“Furthermore, I declare that no one will compel or tell other Indians what to read, write, eat, drink, wear or believe.”

This is all we want.

Arise! Awake! and stop not till the goal is reached.
Swami Vivekananda must have meant this for Indians in 2015.
It is also published at Sanjiv Bhatt’s facebook – https://www.facebook.com/sanjivbhattips/posts/10207972138322487

India Burning – A new avatar of ISIS is taking birth in Hinduism

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I urge Moderate Hindus around the world to condemn the new avatar of ISIS in India. Hindu religion is a peaceful religion and its name is being tarnished. They need to speak up, as the radical Hindus are hijacking their religion, they are openly dictating what one eats, wear or believe. Yesterday, a Chief Minister of a state was threatened to be beheaded if he ate beef. Writers were murdered in day light, men and women are being lynched for their beliefs…

What is Prime Minister Modi doing? Is he backing this extreme version of Hinduism? God only knows, he has remained silent over all these incidents. Not a word of condemnation?

Moderate Hindus have to speak up to save the good name of Hinduism.  
   
Indians are consumed by the developments.

A few clips from my responses on facebook:

Yogi, yes, the moderate India is peace loving; moderate Hindus are peace loving; moderate Muslims are peace loving and moderate Christians are peace loving
Right now the radicals among Hindus are bent on destroying that beautiful tradition, and I am urging Moderate Hindus to stop the radicals from branding Hinduism negatively. 
Another clip:

If you cannot present a logical explanations, you tend to resort to, “ blatant lies about India , Indians and specially Hindus.”  You don’t make any sense. 
We have to save India from being run over by the ISIS like radicals, if we don’t, India’s future will be severely affected. Moody’s has already made the call and it is possible that investors may pull out of India, it will create a massive chaos and unemployment. Do you want that to happen? 
Are you telling me the threat to behead Siddaramiah should be ignored?

Are you telling me raping a dead woman is Hinduism?
Are you telling me burning Dalits is Hinduism?

Are you telling me lynching a guy in Dadri is Hinduism?

Are you telling me hacking Kulbargi to death is Hinduism?

Are you telling me messing with the face of Kulkarni is Hinduism?
If you think yes, then you have not understood Hinduism, a religion that teaches non-violence.

What does it take for you to understand that Hindutva and Hinduism are two different things, one is a political radical ideology and other is peaceful religion? Just as Islam and Islamism, Islam and ISIS and other combinations with other faiths. 


 When we see bad things happen, we have to speak up. It is not about Hindus, it is about India which is a collective pride of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Dalits and all other Indians.


Most Indians are capable of discussions but a few are not, tend to be belligerent.  I urge them to stick to a topic and not jump from subject to subject without completing one. If you want to wrap up and get an understanding of the item, you have stick to the central theme of the discussion.  I further request my friends to respond with reason and fact, rather than resorting to calling the other a liar. Please develop the skills to distinguish between Hinduism and Hindutva, Islam and Islamism, Christianity and Neocons – one is a beautiful religion and other is a political ideology bent on subjugating the other.  We are all in this together to create a society where all of us can live in harmony and with least amount of conflicts. Let’s live our life and others live theirs.

More at http://MikeGhouseforIndia.blogspot.com 

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, human rights, India,  foreign policy and building cohesive societies. Mike offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com   

India: Prime Minister Modi letting India down

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If Prime Minister Modi does not speak up on the issue and stop the extremists of his party members to run over him, he will make India, a Langda India; that is a limping India.

A solid India stands on two firm legs; 1) Prosperity and 2) Social Cohesion.

Prosperity is creating jobs, raising income levels, pulling the ones in ditches onto a level playing field to build a larger Middle class and create an expanded consumer base, whose consumption will create jobs and the economy will multiply and the standards of living will go up. The more people do well, the better the nation does.  Modi is talking big about it and we can give him two years to produce results.

Social Cohesion on the other hand is like human body cohesion – heart, brain, kidneys, liver, vision, nose, tongue, touch, hearing, and the flow of blood, breathing and all parts of the body need to function cohesively to be normal. One failure can cause the whole thing to fail or make the body ineffective. If you think the discharge part of the body is less important, wait till it stops, it will cause the whole or part of the body to malfunction.  Like wise, all people have to function well, and it is in the interest of the body that it makes up the deficiencies, so we as humans, as Indians have to meet those deficiencies in fellow Indians.

Those of you who are blinded by the love for Mr. Modi, I appeal to you to look for greater love for the nation. Modis will come and go, but the Nation will continue. I am challenging your patriotism, none of us want India to go down, so let our loyalty be to India and not Modi, until he proves that he can keep these two functions in shape, I will hold my praise for him, will you?

I don’t want my India to be a Langda India, neither do you? If we all wake up and criticize Mr. Modi, guess what will happen? He will be compelled to do the right thing. Don’t you want that? 

Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached. Swami Vivekananda must have meant this for us in 2015 and 2016.

NOTE: Those of you who have an interest in Indian affairs, please visit my blog for articles and my notes on India 

http://MikeGhouseforIndia.Blogspot.com

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer and
a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, human rights, foreign policy and
building cohesive societies.
Mike offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63
links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com  

Beyond Tolerance, a call to Religious freedom and hopeful action.

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Beyond Tolerance, a call to Religious freedom and hopeful action.

Washington, DC – October 22, 2015 —  Evangelical Ministers, Imams and community leaders gathered up in Washington, DC to figure out how to co-exist. 
It was a powerful event loaded with unpleasant statistics but paved the way for taking the next step; action.  We the Muslims need to seriously focus on positive engagement.  Over 100 people attended the event – and per the independent research, the Evangelical pastors have a much lower opinion of Islam and Muslims than the general American public. A heart to heart conversation took place followed by a pledge to improve the situation. 
The survey provided the tools and gave us a starting point; engagement. I have taken pictures of the slides, but will get their power point and put together an action plan for consideration.    
The event was headed by Pastor Bob Roberts of Texas ( a great friend) and Imam Maged of Adams Center, it was held at the First Baptist Church in Glenarden outside the beltway on North East side of Washington, DC. 

I have absorbed these facts with a determination to improve the perceptions about us. 
The next day, on Friday, the group met at the National Cathedral, several friends of Muslims and Evangelicals along with people from the Department of State and other groups joined in. It was a pledge to work on freedom of religion followed by a press conference. Ambassadors Saperstein, Rasool, Rashad Ahmed, Arsalan Suleman, Prince Faisal Turki, Rick Love, Bob Roberts, Imam Zia Sheikh and several others attended the event.

The Evangelicals emphasized on an honest dialogue, indeed, our faith tells us to tell the truth even if it goes against us and we can build on one of the most important characteristics.

The following note was sent to Bob Roberts and Rick Love.

Dear Rick and Bob,

Congratulations! it was indeed a successful event, you have
done your part, and now it is our duty to take the word with concrete actions to four
corners of the world.

Bob, is one of my favorite evangelical pastors; he was recognized with the Pluralist Award in 2009 from  America Together Foundation. Bob truly represents the teachings of Jesus, just as Pope Francis does.

Rick’s work is well known and it was a joy to connect with him. He and I were in Louisville about the incident there… they are good folks there. .

On September 16, 2015, a few miscreants painted hate symbols on the River Road
mosque in Louisville. When the local community at large found out about this,
nearly 1000 people from main stream and disparate ethnic communities came to the
mosque to show their solidarity with Muslims, and they joined in the community
cleanup and re-painting the mosque.  This act of support was not just out
of a sense of justice, compassion or help for the underdog, but clearly out of
enduring friendship, which is the most reliable relationship, not bound by time
or situation.  We congratulate Dr. Babar Cheema
and the Louisville Muslim leadership, which has nurtured a relationship of
friendship and trust with the local community over many years.
Let’s fight the bias within us against the Evangelicals. 

First thing first, we (Muslims) need to work on our own bias towards Evangelical pastors, our language ought to reflect that. On November 30, 2009,  a piece was written urging people not to be biased against Baptist/ Evangelicans. It was the sixth or seventh piece urging people not to
stereotype people. Three more notes about Bob are included after this note.

Pastor Robert Jeffress (2009 – Dallas, TX) attacks Mormons, Muslims, Catholics, Jews,
Buddhists and Hindus, he calls them all cults. Please note that I
am not highlighting his affiliation with the Dallas Baptist Church, there is no
way, the Church approves hate or ill-will towards other humans, it goes against
the very teachings of Jesus Christ.

As a society we have faltered in
blaming the group or the religion for the acts of individuals. The words of
Pastor Jeffress generates fear, anxieties hate and ill-will, it is him and not
the reflection of his Church, even if the congregation sheepishly claps and
gives a standing ovation when the pastor calls out, “Islam is an evil evil
religion and Quran is a book written by a false prophet” with full
passion.


Please remove any bias you may have against Baptist Church because you’ll
find bigotry in every denomination and every religion and no one can cast the
first stone. In a short span of 7 years, in my own town Dallas, just one Baptist
Pastor’s ignorance is overwhelmed by many Baptist pastors, just to name a few
who reflect the inclusive teachings of Jesus with substantial backing are Late
Pastor Roy Harrell of Thanksgiving Square, who led the Christian Coalition
prayers representing several denominations at the Unity day USA program in
1985.

Pastor George Mason of the Wilshire Baptist Church who was the
first one to agree to be on the panel demystifying the myths about Quran in
the Quran conference and Pastor Bob Roberts who has led many expeditions in
exploring common grounds among faiths, including a joint commemoration of 9/11
by Muslims and Baptist. By the way, both the gentlemen were recipients of the
“Pluralist Award” in 2009 for their work in living with no bias towards
others.

This event changed perceptions about Muslims in a major way. The full piece is at: http://quraanconference.blogspot.com/2012/12/pastor-robert-jeffress-ignites-quraan.html

Dedicated to Bob Roberts  

Bob Roberts language is Quranic, when he talks, his language reflects the essence of Sura Kafiurn, one of the best chapters on conducting civil dialogue. The following understanding of Sura Kafirun was written on July 5, 2008,
almost five years ago and now, on this day February 09, 2013, it is being dedicated to Pastor Bob
Roberts for his bold take on respecting the
otherness of others,  URL- The link
http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2008/07/sura-kafirun-un-believers.html 


Another
one for Bob Roberts

……..Quran is one of the most misunderstood books on the earth, even by Muslims.  He
sees it as a pluralistic document to build cohesive societies, where God is not
the exclusive property of anyone but a universal energy that belongs to all,
loves us all, and cares for our well being.  Dr. Ghouse is producing a short
book addressing the myths and facts about Quran, and this book will be dedicated
to Pastor Bob Roberts of Texas, the big name among Evangelical Pastors and Imam
Zia Shaikh from Irving, Texas have understood the full meaning of
pluralism, i.e., respecting the otherness of others.

Standing
up for Christians

Here is a chapter from my upcoming book, “Standing up for others” – the link to Standing up for Christians is included here. http://nabsites.net/demo/standing-with-christians/ 

Clicking on the pictures will give a larger image
Presenting independent research survey
Muslims and Evangelicals sharing their perceptions
At National Cathedral
Formal signing of the pledge to religious freedom
Imam Maged and Rick Love begin signing the pledge
Ambassador for religious freedom, Rabbi David Saperstein
Rick Love, Mike Ghouse, Imam Zia Sheikh
Girl Scouts doing the flag ceremony and the pledge

I am so proud of humanity and the goodness that resides in every heart, the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign is blessing to American Muslims, thanks to ISNA for being a partner with them, and we at American Muslim Institution are friends with Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign.   

Here is a great speech by Catherine Osrborn, the director of the Campaign. 

“My name is Catherine Orsborn, and I direct the Shoulder to
Shoulder Campaign.
Shoulder to Shoulder was formed in 2010, when nearly 30
religious denominations and organizations came together to take a stand against
the anti-Muslim bigotry that was infecting our public rhetoric here in the
US.  We worked in partnership with the
National Cathedral and a number of other groups and individuals to bring
together this diverse collection of religious leaders today, to recommit
ourselves to one another and to call on our public officials to stand up against
bigotry and discrimination based on religious identity. 
We have considered together today the critical intersections
of religious freedom globally- and to say that as Americans, we have a duty in
our own context, in our own realm of influence, to protect and uphold the
freedom and flourishing of religious communities, and particularly of religious
minority communities, here at home.  It’s
been a difficult year for many minority communities in the US. Hate rhetoric
and prejudice has societal consequences, sometimes violent consequences. 
Our commitment to a pluralistic religious freedom here in
the US requires tending.  A number of
faith leaders and communities have come together to say that we reject the
demonization of the other and we stand together in our quest to build our
multi-religious society in a way that goes beyond tolerance. 
But we can’t do this alone- we need our public officials to
stand up as well, showing us that they, too, value religious freedom for
all.  We need public officials across
this nation to refrain from bigoted rhetoric, singling out and denigrating any
religious community that calls this country home.  Those participating in this initiative hold
different views on many aspects of belief and politics, but the best version of
America can recognize, respect, and value difference as part of what makes us
the nation that we are.  
It’s an American problem when certain communities are made
to feel as if they don’t have a full seat at the American table.  When one religious community is attacked,
it’s on all of us to stand against it, not only because we value freedom and
inclusion for our own communities, but because we are neighbors and fellow
citizens who must care for one another and work together in order to make our communities
and our world a better place.
Thank you for being here today, and to all who put time and
energy into this initiative- I find much hope in the
commitment reflected here today. “
—————————–

What does it take to change the perceptions about Muslims? We have had success in most things we have done. I will have a solid program put together for our organization American Muslim Institution,  and upon approval, we would take the step forward.

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

# # #
Dr. Mike Ghouse is social scientist, thinker, writer and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith,
Islam, politics, human rights, foreign policy and
building cohesive
societies. He offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day and more
about him is in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com

A Successful Parliament of World’s Religions in Salt Lake City, Congratulations to the Chair, Trustees, Board Members, volunteers, presenters and the attendees.

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A Successful Parliament of World’s Religions Event | TheGhousediary.com http://nabsites.net/demo/a-successful-parliament-of-worlds/

Congratulations to the Chairman, Trustees, Board members, staff, presenters and the volunteers of the Parliament of World’s Religion for organizing one of the most successful interfaith conferences ever, it is a pinnacle of interfaith movement.

The event was held in Salt Lake City, in the state of Utah from October 15 thru October 19, 2015. Each day started with Meditation or prayers (of all faiths) at 7 AM and ended at about 11:30 PM each night. Every minute was packed in the five days of learning and sharing.

Euphoric is the best word to describe the feeling one had during this conference. Where else can you learn so much about a religion, particularly other’s religion? Indeed, it was a myth busting event. 

Nearly 10,000 people representing over 200 faith traditions attended the event.  Our special thanks to the Sikh Community for the Langar (serving Lunch) to the attendees for five days in a row.  I met and talked with the people who drove the 18 wheeler from California loaded with food supplies and a big team of people descended in the town and prepared the food along with the volunteers of the Salt Lake Gurdwara ( Sikh Temple). It will be one of the 12 reports I would be writing about the Parliament with pictures and videos.

What a joy it was to see the God given human balance restored at the event. Over 50% of the participants were women, and nearly 30% of attendees were youth and 60% of the MC’s were women again. Finally, the right thing has happened! Now, the humanity can hope for a better world with women’s merciful and kind hearts overlooking the affairs of religion.

We must congratulate the leadership of Salt Lake City for hosting the event, and most certainly the Mormon Tabernacle for laying the foundation for pluralistic societies – 125 plus children participated together from different faiths and races to share one dream; we are the one.

The 5,200 plus members who attended the packed Tabernacle went home knowing that happiness is in being one, and being with every one without bias. Many faith traditions were represented through a prayer, music and or a song, what a beautiful thing it was to witness! Praise the lord every which way you can! Hallelujah!

Personally, it was a realization of my own dream, Indeed, we have been doing the same for the last 17 years on a smaller scale in Dallas at the Annual Thanksgiving Celebrations and Awards Night and at the Unity Day USA event.

Imagine the kind of beautiful harmonious future those kids will have – knowing and respecting each other, and growing up together and becoming politicians or professionals. Together, they would have learned to work, eat, play, travel and marry each other with least conflicts.

This event gave a lot of hope to the people who are concerned about the ongoing political, religious and social conflicts, every one, I believe walked out with the hope, knowing full well that the ones (10,000 of them) who attended will carry the good word to all corners of the world.   

Thanks to the organizers for placing their hearts, minds and souls into it. They have done their share of work, and now as attendees, friends of the Parliament and goodness spreaders,  we have to do our share of the work. We have to multiply the work of understanding each other, mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill to create a cohesive world where no human has to feel alienated or apprehensive of the other. 

God willing, I will do my share of work in letting the world know that the great accomplishments of the Parliament of World’s Religions for all of us; the entire world.

As a Muslim and a Pluralist, I believe,  if we can learn to respect the otherness of others and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of the 7 billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge. 

About 12 pieces on the subject will be written in the next two months. They will be published in different News papers and most certainly at www.TheGhouseDiary.com and www.Foundationforpluralism.com.  

So what is that we need to do?

First thing first, nearly 2000 of us committed to Chairman Imam Mujahid to become members, if we believe in it, we have to support it. All you have to do is go to: http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/ and become one.

Second thing is to reiterate your own commitment to do good, including but not limited to speaking up against injustice, and to appropriately interrupt spreading of misunderstandings about any one.

Third, gather up the courage to say, “My faith is beautiful to me as yours is beautiful to you, and I will not claim that my faith is superior to any, because it amounts to arrogance, which goes against the very teachings of my (everyone’s) faith to be humble. Arrogance destroys relationships and humility builds bridges and harmony among people.” Peace and harmony is the ultimate goal of all religions. 

Are you with me? 

Wherever you go, be the peace maker.  Ask yourselves, are my words mitigating the conflicts and nurturing goodwill? 

By the way, the action of “mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill” can be found in all religious traditions, and most certainly we attribute the actions of prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to be embedded with conflict mitigation and goodwill nurturence. 

Remember, my peace and security hinges on the peace and security of others around me, if they are not secure, I won’t be either. It is in my interest to work for peace within me, my family, friends and the world around me.  

The future of societies rests on our attitudes of pluralism, i.e., “respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each one of us.” If we can learn to do that, conflicts will fade and solutions will emerge. 

Thank you,

Mike Ghouse,
(214) 325-1916

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam,politics, human rights, foreign policy and building cohesive societies. He offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day and more about him is in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com 

Hillary Clinton V Bernie Sanders tonight

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Hillary Clinton V Bernie Sanders tonight
Why America is a strong nation? One of the reasons is its openness. Though most Americans who are born and raised here take our system for granted, the immigrant Americans, no matter where they are from, do appreciate this openness. There is nothing like this.
I will be watching these debates
from National press club and tweeting regularly.
These debates bring out the best and
worst out of these candidates, particularly if they are a few of them like
Hillary and Bernie among Democrats. The Republicans did not make a wise
decision in putting 10 candidates on the stage – not enough time to see the
good, bad and ugly of the candidates to show up. They could have set a higher
bench mark and kept fewer candidates to ask tough questions. 

Let’s watch these debates
CNN has put together some
good stuff. 
Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer and
a speaker on Islam, Pluralism, Interfaith, politics, human rights, foreign policy and
building cohesive societies.
Mike offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63
links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com  

The Voice of Moderate Islam in America – Mike Ghouse

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The Voice of Moderate Islam in America – Mike Ghouse: http://nabsites.net/demo/the-voice-of-moderate-islam-in-america/
 
Since 9/11, Americans across the political spectrum have been asking, “Who are the authentic moderates of Islam, and where are they?” And, “Who speaks for American Muslims?” Talk show hosts, journalists, lawmakers, interfaith authorities and thought leaders have asked: Where are moderate Muslims to join the debate on social, civic, religious and political issues, including racism and violent extremism?

Their spokesman is Dr. Mike Mohamed Ghouse, who recently has moved to Washington, D.C.

Dr. Ghouse is a proud, unapologetic Moderate Muslim and a passionate advocate of Pluralism in religion, society, politics, race, dining, clothing, dancing, sports and every aspect of life. He is a public speaker, thinker, writer and a commentator who is considered an authority on Pluralism and Interfaith relations in America, and he offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

Who is a Moderate Muslim? Some one who lives his life and let others live theirs, and some one who minds his own business. He or she will not look down upon other people’s faiths, traditions and practices, but considers them to be as unique as his or her own, but never inferior.  In every group; religious, social, national, political or racial, there is always the right and extreme right who is intolerant and wants to impose his or her ideals on others. The left and extreme left on the other hand has no boundaries. Moderates are usually 90% of any group, but they do not engage in anything and mind their own business and take up when things  when they really get out of hand. The new breed of Moderates like Dr. Ghouse are full of passion to save the nation and the communities for the common good of all Americans. 

What is Pluralism? It is simply, he says, “respecting the otherness of others, and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each one of the 7 billion of us. When we do that, conflicts fade and solutions emerge.”
He is respected by his peers as a patriotic American and firmly stands for the American values such as the freedoms established by the First Amendment. In fact, Dr. Ghouse considers the U.S. Constitution a sacred document that respects and honors every human being.  He exalts America’s immortal Declaration of Independence.  While living in Dallas for more than three decades, he became a fixture at Veteran’s-Day ceremonies and July 4th parades.  He has spoken at innumerable luncheons for homeless veterans and visits with veterans at VA hospitals.  Dr. Ghouse drives around the Veterans’ cemeteries on Memorial Day and offers prayers for all those who have defended our freedom.  He will fight and defend the freedom of America any time and all the times.

Dr. Ghouse also served as a Commissioner at City of Carrollton, Texas for two terms.

He has contributed significantly to the richness of America, and his gift to America would be the gift of Pluralism, an old attitude emerging as a new discipline that he intends to teach and promote through workshops. Dr. Ghouse hopes to train America’s candidates for higher office regarding what the founding fathers meant when they declared that “all humans are equal.” 

Dr. Ghouse believes in building a cohesive America, where no American has to live in apprehension or fear of the other and which will be achieved through personal interaction.   To that end, he has organized 17 Thanksgiving celebrations; 12 Unity Days USA; and 10 ceremonies to honor victims of Holocaust and Genocides.

Dedicated Both to Islam and to ‘the Other’

Dr. Ghouse defines “moderate Muslim” as someone who respects the otherness of others and accepts the God-given uniqueness of each person in God’s creation.  He has published more than 1000 articles on diverse aspects of Islam and maintains a blog on Quran, Sharia, Blasphemy, Apostasy, Hijab, Reforms, Ramadan, Women’s issues and community relations.  He is driven by the pluralistic wisdom in Quran, and his mission is authenticated by many a verse from Quran, including 49:13, which generally means because each one of us is created to be an unique individual, we are bound to have conflicts between family members, nations, religions and communities, and it is because we don’t know each other and when we start to genuinely learn about the other, myths disappear into thin air and peace dawns on us.”  There is a full video of his talk on Pluralism in Islam.  

Print Media: Dr. Ghouse has published more than 3000 articles on a variety of topics, of these, there more than 1000 on Pluralism, including 225 pieces on Pluralism in the “Texas Faith” column in the Dallas Morning News and 130 articles at Huffington Post.  He also has published articles on politics, foreign policy, movies, sports, culture and motivation.

TV and Radio: Dr. Ghouse has appeared in more than 150 TV shows, including 102 with Sean Hannity alone. He has served as subject expert hundreds of times on nationally syndicated radio. Many listeners have heard his informed opinions at the time of the Quran Burning issue in Mulberry, Florida, and the period of Quran Bashing in Dallas Texas.  He notably defended the 9/11 Mosque in Lower Manhattan, and he has blogged on the Peter King investigations and other issues. He is in the forefront of dealing with issues and offering pluralistic solutions.

On the day of 9/11, he was on Radio all day, taking calls from Mayors, religious and community leaders across the City to bring coherence to the chaos created on that day, and ever since, he has dedicated that day every year to serve and unite Americans for a strong America.

Politics:  A political independent, Dr. Ghouse says that he votes for the candidates who put America first, whether he or she is a Republican or Democrat. He refuses to compromise his loyalty to America with loyalty to a political party.  He maintains a blog on Politics and has written more than 300 columns on politics in America.  He has written about Presidents Bush and Obama, and presidential candidates Clinton, McCain, Romney, Gingrich, Cain, Perry, Christie, Bush, Trump and Carson.

Foreign policy:  Dr. Ghouse has always taken a moderate approach toward foreign policy issues and offered pluralistic solutions on issues of the day, including but not limited to Israel, Palestine, Iran, Afghanistan, India, Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia and other nations. 


Human rights:  Dr Ghouse has stood up for the rights of every human regardless of his or her affiliation and has been writing a forthcoming book titled, Standing Up for Others, Standing up for the rights of all; from Atheists to Zoroastrians and every one in between including Native Americans, and the LGBT community.   This book will be dedicated to Sean Hannity, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, and Harbans Lal (his first boss) with a special note.
Quran:  It is one of the most misunderstood books on the earth, even by Muslims.  He sees it as a pluralistic document to build cohesive societies, where God is not an exclusive property of anyone but a universal energy that belongs to all, loves us all, and cares for our well being.  Dr. Ghouse is producing a short book addressing the myths and facts about Quran, and this book will be dedicated to Pastor Bob Roberts of Texas, the big name among Evangelical Pastors and Imam Zia Shaikh from Irving, Texas, both of them have understood the full meaning of pluralism, i.e., respecting the otherness of others.

Film:  Sacred is a full feature film, and it is about changing perceptions about Muslims and Muslims adopting the non-violent principles enshrined in the teachings of Jesus Christ, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Mahatma Gandhi.

Documentary: Dr. Ghouse’s documentary film in progress is premised on America’s promise that all humans are created equal. He believes that we have seen a tremendous progress since independence, but we have a lot more to do.  A rough draft of the film is in a video clip at  www.AmericaTogetherFoundation.com

Pope Francis:  He is a blessing to mankind, and is one of the greatest human beings of this century.  Dr. Ghouse has written more than 25 articles on Pope Francis with lots of love and admiration for the man.

Dallas Morning News:  “Over and over you hear it said: If Muslims oppose terrorism, why don’t they stand up and say it? If that has been you, Mike Ghouse ought to be your hero.”


Phyllis Curott:  Vice Chair, Parliament of Worlds Religions,” Mike Ghouse has the courage of his convictions – he carries a spark of inspiration that can only be called Divine. It illuminates the world around him, enabling him to see clearly the beauty and grace that resides in every sacred path and in each person who walks that path.” 

Religion News Service: ” (RNS) A Florida pastor plans to burn a pile of Qurans on the 9/11 anniversary, and interfaith activist Mike Ghouse says, “It is not what (the pastor) will do, it is what we do as Americans and American Muslims that matters.”

Phillip M Ramsaroop: “I
first met Dr. Ghouse in the mid-nineties as Past President and a member of the Board of the Dallas
Fort Worth Hindu Temple and as a member of the Chapel Committee of Thanksgiving
Square in Dallas, Texas.   I was
pleasantly surprised, though a Muslim, he participated and volunteered his time
and resources on the Hindu Temple’s projects and activities.  I later discovered that he did the same for
other religious and cultural communities”

Mulberry Ledger : “The book burner (Terry Jones) came to Mulberry in hate and the Muslims (Mike Ghouse) came to Mulberry in peace to counter the hate. The Muslims summed it up best when they prayed for the fallen heroes who died on 9/11.”
 
Saudi Gazette: “Thank you for your commitment towards a peaceful solution, Mike. It is the media who should thank you for your commendable cause.”
Bill Matthews:  “Mike Ghouse’ exemplary work for pluralism exudes acceptance to bridge beyond imagined differences to express the exemplary conviction that humanity lives and thrives on working together towards common goals, to overcome fear, suspicion and prejudice.”


Links to the writings of Dr. Mike Mohamed Ghouse


  

Ben Carson: Founding Fathers wouldn’t have trusted a Muslim president

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http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/ben-carson-founding-fathers-wouldnt-have-trusted-muslim-president

Ben Carson: Founding Fathers wouldn’t have trusted a Muslim president

By Benjy Sarlin
Ben Carson offered up a new explanation for why he’s opposed to a Muslim American becoming president, citing fears of “different loyalties” that he believes the Founding Fathers articulated by barring immigrants from becoming chief executive.
As has been the case in the past, the implication was that outwardly patriotic Muslims could not be fully trusted as loyal Americans given their faith. He has previously cited theories popular on the far right warning that seemingly assimilated Muslim Americans may be using religious edicts to conceal an extremist plot.
The latest comments came at an appearance at the National Press Club on Friday, when an audience member asked why he felt a Muslim citizen couldn’t be loyal to the Constitution as president given that there were already Muslim military officers, policemen, and judges – all positions that require fidelity to the law.
“A good understanding of the Constitution answers that question for you,” Carson said. “Because when you look at the Article II, and we’re talking about requirements for the president, they have to be a ‘natural born citizen.’ Now why is that the case?”
The clause Carson refers to bars naturalized immigrants from the position of president. There are numerous Muslims born in America, of course, and a hypothetical Muslim president would by definition have to be a natural born citizen.
The Constitution prohibits any “religious test” for public office, but Carson argued on Friday that the audience should read between the lines to divine the Founder’s intent. 

“I’m sure if you had gone to the Founders and said, ‘but what about this person? They may not be a natural born citizen but you know they’ve been in America for most of their lives, and they’re a fine upstanding citizen, they served in the military, they came back they were on the police force, can’t they be the president?’… they would have said no,” Carson said. “They said ‘We don’t even want to take the slight chance that we would put someone in that position who had different loyalties.’ That’s the answer to your question.”
Several Muslim activists briefly approached Carson at a reception before the event, hoping to convince him that citizens like themselves were as American as anyone else.
“One is innocent until proven guilty, but he’s called Muslims guilty even before verifying them,” Mike Ghouse, executive director of the American Muslim Institution, told msnbc after offering himself to Carson as a resource for information about Islam. ” I think it comes out of ignorance. He needs some guidance.”