This article was first Published on April 4, 2020 at – : https://centerforpluralism.com/pluralism-news-4-4-20/
At the Center for Pluralism, we are committed to opening people’s hearts and minds towards each other. We believe if we take the time to learn, we will find a lot of propaganda to be false. Indeed, if we can learn to respect the otherness of the others and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.
Our vision is to see a world where you, me, and everyone feels secure about our faith, race, ethnicity, culture, and the other uniqueness. If your vision is similar, please join in our work.
In this edition:
- Your Emergency Numbers
- Before Corona Gets you – Wil.
- Sikhs Petition to the President about ISIS
- Appeal to Indian-Americans
- Anti-Semitism
- Markaz Nizamuddin controversy
- Afraid of Muslims?
- Defending every faith
- Chinas’s responsibility to the world.
Your Emergency Numbers.
If you lose your cell phone or if the battery is dead, how do you call your loved ones and friends? Here is 1-minute video https://www.facebook.com/150223454997533/videos/390244995007634/
Before Corona Gets you
Should corona or an accident abruptly end your life, are you ready to go? What should one do with the things you are leaving behind, who is going to take care of your dependent loved ones? How do you want your burial, who should make critical decisions like cutting off the oxygen supply? The purpose of this essay is three-fold – bringing clarity to your wishes, taking away the anxieties, and restoring peace of mind to you and your loved ones.
Petition about Sikhs to the President to warn the ISIS
We urge the President of the United States of America to give an ultimatum to the ISIS, that they have thirty days to surrender and become good citizens or face the drones. We also urge the Government and the people of Afghanistan to conquer the hearts of the Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, and all other minorities, including Muslim minorities, by creating an environment of freedom and security and removing all the threats against them. Please sign the petition –
India
We need to take responsibility and not buy into the propaganda of the Government or the Godi Media. After all, we have to work, travel, school, hospitalize and shop together. We cannot live in a constant strain of distrust.
Anyone who causes you to hate, ridicule, belittle, and get angry at others is taking your energy out. The more we hate each other, the higher the misery – pushing us farther and farther from being free (Moksha).
We need to help those who are eager to blame and accuse others. We need to put facts in front of them, our fellow Indians, who are gullible to buy into the politicians’ tricks to divert attention from economic problems to blaming other groups. All politicians employ this trick.
You gain nothing by hating fellow humans other than sink in your misery.
The Politicians and the embedded Media (Godi Media) across the world pander to their ‘solid’ base, who are eager to hate someone or the other.
As we say in Hindi, “politicians Janta ko chootiya banate hain aur desi janta asani say chootiye ban jatay hain hain.” Politicians think the public is stupid, and feed them a lot of bull, and some gulp it down with devotion. It is time to think and question. Finding the truth is our own responsibility, as it relieved us from pain and anguish.
Anti-Semitism
The stupidity of some people is unbelievable. No matter what goes wrong, they are waiting to accuse the Jews and the Muslims, and will not hesitate to fabricate lies. All of us who wants to see a better world has to act and smash these falsities. Please see the Markaz Nizamuddin for Islamophobia
Conservative pastor says the spread of coronavirus in synagogues is a punishment from God – https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/conservative-pastor-says-spread-of-coronavirus-in-synagogues-is-punishment-from-god
It is time for everyone to accept the responsibility for what happens in their group and focus on solving the problem.
Markaz Nizamuddin – a case in point.
The Markaz Nizamuddin, a community center, holds its annual conference like all others. In India, people of all faiths celebrate their festivities in large crowds like the Kumbh Mela, Ramanavami, Janmashtami, Gurpurab, Ramazan, Holi, Diwali, Bakrid, Paryushan, Mahavir Jayanthi, Milad, Christmas, Easter, Baisakhi, Nowruz, and the annual gatherings at Tirupati Tirumalai, Ayyappa, Karaga, Rajasthan book Festival, and other events. Besides, each faith and language group holds yearly events.
So, the Markaz (Center) Nizamuddin got all the permissions from the local government to hold their three-day conference/ Mela. People from across India and the globe attended the event. Then in the middle of their three-day program, the lockdown was announced. They scrambled and asked for help to transport the people, and they did not get it. They obeyed the laws but stayed put in the place as they had nowhere to go.
Some of the people who traveled from other countries were not the only ones on the planes, and there were others – the Godi Media is accusing “Muslims” of bringing the virus. What about other passengers? What’s wrong with their brains?
Every group of Indians, and most certainly Muslims have condemned the bad behavior of a handful of men who spat on the medical staff, that was wrong.
The Home Ministry and the Godi Media saw the opportunity to insult fellow Indians who are Muslims, and made them the source of spreading the Coronavirus, what false propaganda? Any gathering has equal chances of spreading the virus.
Now, take a look at the violators who got a free pass. Should you blame Muslims and not other violators? It is your choice, you have to live with it, but take a look at the biggest violators of the lockdown – Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath and Yeddyurappa. As an Indian American, should you focus on Markaz Nizamuddin and ignore these? What does your prejudice allow you to do? Should these two men be made to pay or let go?
- Yogi Adityanath’s Temple Run Hours After PM’s Appeal To Avoid Gatherings https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ayodhya-yogi-adityanaths-temple-run-hours-after-pm-narendra-modis-appeal-to-avoid-gatherings-2200206
- Yogi Not listening to the Prime Minister https://theprint.in/politics/yogi-not-listening-to-pm-row-over-cm-attending-event-to-shift-ram-lalla-during-lockdown/388074/
- Yogi defies the orders of the Prime Minister – https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/lockdown-yogi-adityanath-coronavirus_in_5e7b017cc5b620022ab363be
- Yediyurappa ignores his own advice – attends a mass wedding https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/coronavirus-bs-yediyurappa-attends-wedding-with-2000-guests-1656041-2020-03-16
- Those who question the beloved Yogi will be locked down https://www.news18.com/news/india/journalist-booked-for-questioning-up-cm-yogi-adityanaths-visit-to-ram-janmabhoomi-amid-lockdown-2560803.html
Please donate
If your vision is similar to what we are doing, please donate to Americans Together/ Center for pluralism at https://centerforpluralism.com/donate/
Afraid of Muslims?
Watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qk82WFmh9A
Defending every faith.
At the Center for pluralism, we bring peace of mind to you and take the anxiety away by busting myths about every faith. We honor and respect the divinity of every religion; all religions are from God to live in harmony. No one is more privileged than the others.
Faith is like your mother, no matter what anyone says, your mother is dear to you. Likewise, your religion is precious to you as mine is to me. It is stupid to argue or belittle other’s traditions, and it does not get you anywhere. We offer free workshops on learning about the essence of each faith from Atheists to Zoroastrians and everyone in between, and we defend the rights of every human, including the LGBTQ community and Native Americans.
China’s Responsibility to the world
If China takes responsibility for its negligence, it will remain a part of the community of the nations, or else it will be isolated again stripping all its prosperity. Who will trust China again? How will they flourish if no one buys their products?
https://centerforpluralism.com/chinas-responsibility-for-the-global-pandemic/
American Muslim Agenda.
I will be happy to answer any questions you may have about Islam. It will be as bold as the book American Muslim Agenda. If you have the time, buy the book, the e-book is available on Kindle for $5.39 and actual book for $19.99 at Amazon. Before you buy, please visit the site www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com and look at the slides, contents, review and other information. The site is being upgraded as we speak.
Thank you,
Mike Ghouse
Office (202) 290-3560
Cell (214) 325-1916
Editor – Pluralism News
President – Center for Pluralism
Fellow – World Muslim Congress
Author – American Muslim Agenda
Profile – The Ghouse Diary
Wedding Officiant – Interfaith Marriages
Washington, DC.