Mike Ghouse to Speak at Parliament of Worlds Religions

DALLAS – (November 28, 2009) – Mike Ghouse, board member of The Memnosyne Foundation, has been invited to speak at the Council for a Parliament of the World Religions in Melbourne, Australia. Co-Founder and President of The Memnosyne Foundation, Mary Ann Thompson-Frenk, made the announcement recently.

Continued - http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2009/11/mike-ghouse-to-speak-at-parliament-of.html

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Eid Mubarak - happy eid-al-adha

Friday, November 27, 2009

I wish a very Happy Eid-al-Adha, also known as Bakhra-Eid
A Muslim festival; it is about the spiritual values, sacrifices and sharing one must make to make the world a better place.

Eid Mubarak

Yasmeen & Mike Ghouse
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Thanksgiving, an expression of gratitude.

The essence of Thanksgiving
Mike Ghouse

It is one of my favorite holidays; it is a day to express gratitude to all those who have helped shaped our lives. It is also a day to express friendship and kindness to those who are struggling with the difficulties of life, thanksgiving is a day of sharing. Thank you for reading this note and forwarding it to your friends.

Why should we do that?

Details at:
http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2009/11/thanksgiving-expression-of-gratitude.html
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Fort Hood – Allahu Akbar

Fort Hood – Allahu Akbar

Major Nidal Hasan uttered the phrase “Allahu Akbar” before opening the fire.
http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2009/11/fort-hood-allahu-akbar.html

Those who have the desire to find the truth will understand that this phrase is simply a cue for readiness to start a good thing and acknowledging the greatness of God, inversely it is an expression of humility. Although, in religious conflicts, Christian, Hindus, Muslims and others have made God’s name a battle cry, it should not be used to shoot some one or slit someone's throat. It is uttered when some one sees something great happening like the man landing on the moon, or seeing pictures of the planet earth or when some one is doing well. Allahu Akbar is meant to be used to show one’s humility by admiring the creator, apparently Nidal Hasan, the psycho did not know the difference.
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The Dangerous Idea of Protecting Religions

The Dangerous Idea of Protecting Religions

A good debate is warranted on the issue. Reference is made to the stand taken by USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom) listed below.
http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2009/11/dangerous-idea-of-protecting-religions.html

Reflections; a day with Maya and Toltec people
The members of the Memnosyne Foundation and a few friends of the foundation took a trip to the Mayan cultural center in the Yucatan Peninsula Mexico between Nov 7th and 12th led by Mary Ann Thompson-Frenk.
http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2009/11/reflection-day-with-maya-and-toltec.html

Psychology today on Fort Hood - Why Did He Do It?
We are jumping to conclusions. At this point, of course, we know very little, but that doesn't prevent many commentators from speculating, and some from jumping to conclusions.
http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2009/11/blaming-nidals-religion-is-dumb.html

Blaming Nidal's religion is dumb.
In the very same town Killeen a decade ago, some Looney like Major Nidal walked into Wyatt’s cafeteria and randomly killed 32 people dining in peace, an idiot opened the fire in the Holocaust Museum in DC... and there are umpteen incidences like that... why do they have to pick Islam in this case? http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2009/11/blaming-nidals-religion-is-dumb.html

Towards a kind and just society
God wills for humanity to strive for a balance; social, spiritual, biological, physical, moral and environmental. When this elusive equilibrium is achieved, where no one is afraid of the other, oppression becomes a story, exploitation fades away, and goodwill becomes the norm of the society. Religion has achieved its goal; indeed, God is all about peace and equilibrium
http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2009/10/towards-kind-and-just-society.html
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Vande Mataram Conflict

Vande Mataram is one of the many National songs of India, whereas,
Jana Gana Mana Adhi Nayaka Jaya hai is India's National Anthem.

Thank God for our Democracy, no one should be compelled to sing anything or coerced to do anything. This keeps erupting every few years, and purely motivated by the politics and nothing to do with patriotism of motherland. I have written quite extensively on this and some of the comments are nice too.

The divisive forces in India demand that Vande Mataram be made compulsory, this goes against the very essence of democracy; which is freedom to agree and freedom to dissent. Fascism on the other hand is forcing conformity.

These forces need to respect our democracy which has given them the freedom to speak. Had Indira Gandhi succeeded in her emergency rule, they all would have been shut out. They should be grateful that our democracy is a vibrant one and take pride in the values of freedom enshrined in our constitution

Vande Mataram includes the following lines;
Listed at: http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2009/11/vande-matram-controversy.html

Mike Ghouse

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Fort Hood Tragedy

Fort Hood Tragedy

Every Muslim is saddened by this incident. No one has a right to take another persons life.Every religion condemns and discourages killing. A soldier by the name of Nidal Hassan went on a killing spree and killed 12 soldiers and wounder 31 fellow soldiers. Muslims from every corner of the United States have expressed their disgust over this looney.

Alas, we the humanity understand the individual crises, and work with individuals going through a trauma of their own lives and help them into become productive Citizens.

We have to remember that it is the individuals who do good things and it is the individuals who do bad things, we have to hold the individuals responsible for their acts not their parents, kids, sibling or others.

May God bless the souls of the victims and, May God give patience to their family members.

I am pleased to invite you to a conversation on the subject on Saturday 9:00 AM at La Madeliene on Mokingbird at Central Expressway in Dallas.

http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2009/11/fort-hood-tragedy.html

Mike Ghouse
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Kashmir and Sanity

I am pleased to see sanity return when it is appealed to.

Face book has been a good source to watch humans and return to sanity. Even the posts on Ramadan at Washington post in September, and the post at Dallas Morning News about Irving Mosque's interfaith meeting.... looks like reason and demand for sanity puts a break on the right wingers. I will continue to experiment this as I have always believed that except the hard core right wingers, most people are open to reason and logic.

"No Nation Should be Divided In the Name of Race and Religion" Written by Kamlesh Chauhan copyright@1990 - http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=169785539140&id=1532101233&ref=mf

Gargi posted a whole lot of stuff, and glad she saw that reason to be with the reason. Among the same crowd, they all get excited, and if a few Muslims who are a mirror match to them get in, they get chewed out by the hawks. I walk in the same group and stay with what is right and just... it seems that people are made to be just, we just have to open the door for them.

Gargis's post Kashmir Exclusive - at http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=169785539140&id=1532101233&ref=mf#/note.php?note_id=171881882459&ref=mf
has come to a grinding halt, when I asked people to focus on solutions. This link also refers to a previous post.

Mike Ghouse
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Fort Hood Massacre

I am saddened by the shootings in Fort Hood, Texas.
One looney takes out the lives of twelve fellow men.
It is some thing we all need to ponder...
does lonliness lends to loonliness?
If people are socially engaged, would they do this?

This man's name was Hassan, and hope we will learn
what transpired in him to do what he did.

I am glad to see every Muslim organization condemning it,
Every human should condemn this disgusting act and I do.

# # #

Ean and Jan Sullivan

Thursday, Nov 5, 2009

Just got a call from Ean Sullivan wanting me to speak at the Rotary club in Plano, apparently some one spoke today at the club and frightened the crap out of every one.

The Sullivans had attended at least 8 of the 11 workshops I have presented on Atheism, Bahai, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islam, Jain, Jewish, Sikh, Zoroastrian and one general. I was pleased to know he was thinking about me and wants me to re-start the workshops.

He spoke about Islamic Jihad going to take over America, and that they want to impose Sharia Laws.... he was getting people to wake up.

Amazing how much these guys dupe the Americans, they are a band of a handful of them, it's there among all right wing radicals.

I asked him to check out: http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2009/05/5000-reward.html

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Sir Syed Day

Saturday, Oct 31, 2009
Sir Syed Day

It was a fabulous dinner Mushaira event at Eldorado country club organized by Khalid, Taiyab Kundawala, Akram Syed, and Naved Sayed.

NASIM Foundation
North American Society of Indian Muslims)
(A 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization)
with compliments of DFW Aligarh Alumni and Friends

Saturday, October 31, 2009
Proceeds to support "NASIM Foundation" for Education Venue:

1) Janab Waseem Barelvi (Bareli, India).
2) Janab Meraj Faizabadi (Lucknow, India).
3) Janab Abbas Tabish, (Lahore, Pakistan).
4) Janab Tahir Faraz (Rampur, India).
5) Other North American Shora

Zohra Chisti read the Aligarh's Tarana
and Nadir Durrani was the Muntazim of the Mushaira.
Several Dallas Poets participated as well.

Great Mushaera - Tahir Faraz's poem on mother called "mayee" brought tears in every one's eyes. Tahir's poetry flows like my essays, reflecting wisdom of different faiths in his case, he compared the devotion of Sita and Lakshman and Ram's banwas.

# # #

Tuesday Nov 3rd.
Nadir Durrani invited the same shora (poets) at his home and we had one of the best mehfils of Urdu Poetry.

Mike Ghouse

Freedom should be free

Freedom should be free

I was reading one of the posts on the Face book about Kashmir conflict, as usual a majority of the comments sought solutions, a few, spewed hatred. I have pondered over the discussions on conflicts like Gaza and the tragedy of her people. In both the cases, it is appalling to read the degree of degeneration of humanity between the few Pakistanis, Indians, Kashmiris on one hand, and Palestinians, Israelis and the Jews on the other hand.

The good news is only a fraction of the each population is ugly; the majority of them are good people, to which I might add, good for nothing. Evil persists because good people do nothing about it.

From the draft it became an article and is poste at: This column is available at: http://hatesermons.blogspot.com/2009/11/freedom-should-be-free.html

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