A challenge to Muslims, are we fit to be Americans?

The answer is obvious most of us are,  and those who are not need to catch up, it is your home, your nation and your permanent address, most likely you will be buried here, you can be rest assured that you grave will remain untouched for centuries.

We need to protect and defend the very culture that allowed us to be who we are and who we want to be. Other than democracies only the privileged achieve their dreams. America has welcomed us, embraced us and we need to do our part; to be active participants and contributors towards the peace, security and prosperity of our nation.

A decade ago, I had challenged the 'excuse producers' among us that the Jews control the media. I said baloney to that and took upon the challenge to prove it otherwise. Thank God a bunch of us formed MRRP Muslim Rapid Response Team in February 2005 and fired off letters to the media and received the coverage, and at least the public got to hear a different point of view when accusations were leveled against the Mosque in Richardson including Imam Zia Kavakci.

I was told that an Indian Muslim can never be the Prime Minister of India, I said baloney to that and experimented forming Dallas Indians group with 1700 Members in it, literally every  “who is who” among Indians is a part of the group,  with about 25 Muslims in the group.  As long as we are fair and represent all Indians, any Indian can be the Prime Minister of India; the blood of democracy runs through our veins and we are inherently democractic by nature., ofcourse, I am talking about a majority of the Indians of all hues.

We assume that we will not be given a space in the conservative media, I said baloney to that and wrote articles in conservative magazines including the front page, where in I have called Spencer “misinformed” and he has published it under the title “One Islam”. Been on Sean Hannity, a tough battlefield where we will not be given the space. Over a period of one year and 20 appearance on his show and 16 on his nationally syndicated radio show, I have moved from being slaughtered (a few Muslims actually liked it) to being assertive to get my words as the last words.  I have told Hannity that he was wrong and have been aggressive with Brigitte Gabrielle, Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller and have called on them to tell the truth to the American People. Hannity and I seldom agree but we value our right to have that opinion. 

Why am I writing this?

It is to encourage a few among us to spend the time in getting in to the media and changing the false perceptions about Islam and Muslims. We can do it, if we quit wasting time on things that don’t matter in the discussion groups. We spend too much time on debating the rituals.

I am writing this particularly to those who aggressively call this note “self glorification”. I am challenging your capabilities to get out and do something, what holds you?  I know you can do it better than most of us, but you have to quit back biting and focus on producing something substantial. 

Thank God, I have authored over 1000  published articles on Islam and Pluralism in papers such as Tehran Times, Arab News, Jakarta post and even a paper in Somalia… and of course several ones in the United States including Washington post, Huffington and few other including my home town paper, Dallas Morning News.  It has been translated into Arabic and now some in Indonesian.

I have introduced a few aspects of Islam in most of the generic pieces I write; the articles are not about Islam, but about the society in general and have added the Islamic take on issues. I was told that non-Muslims have come to appreciate the little knowledge here and little there about Islam and aborbing the positive values of Islam one at at time, while a few Muslims have appreciated learning about the wisdom of other religions.  We are all part of the large familiy of religions and we must know each other (Q 49:13).

Here is a list of 25 ( of the 33) articles I have written along with others in Dallas Morning news in the last six months, please log in and respond to the notes, have your presence in every aspect of the society.   

1. TEXAS FAITH: Did the King James Version of the Bible change the world?

http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/03/texas-faith-did-the-king-james.html

2. Texas Faith: Should women be required to have a sonogram before undergoing an abortion?

http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/03/texas-faith-do-you-approve-of.html

3. TEXAS FAITH: What to make of Rep. Peter King's hearings into Muslim American radicalization?

http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/03/texas-faith-what-to-make-of-re.html

4. TEXAS FAITH: How do we keep the debt from limiting the future of younger Americans?

http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/03/post-94.html

5. TEXAS FAITH: Will Facebook kill the church?

http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/03/texas-faith-will-facebook-kill.html

6. TEXAS FAITH: The Blessings and Burdens of Life Online
   http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/02/post-93.html

7. TEXAS FAITH: Religious institutions and assimilating immigrants
   http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/02/texas-faith-religious-institut.html

8. TEXAS FAITH: How would you advise President Obama on dealing with leaders like Hosni Mubarak?

http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/02/texas-faith-how-would-you-advi.html

9. TEXAS FAITH: What's the role of religious faith when there are no good choices?
   http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/02/texas-faith-whats-the-role-of-2.html

10. TEXAS FAITH: What can religious groups do to help along the Mexican border?
     http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/01/texas-faith-what-can-religious.html

11. TEXAS FAITH: Why do some religious affiliations produce more political leaders?
    http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/01/texas-faith-why-do-some-religi.html

12. TEXAS FAITH: What do you do when you see someone showing signs of mental deterioration?
    http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/01/texas-faith-what-do-you-do-whe.html

13. TEXAS FAITH: Which religion stories merited more and better coverage?
    http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/01/texas-faith-which-religion-sto.html

14. Texas Faith: Why not worry about your theology?
    http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/12/texas-faith-why-not-worry-abou.html

15. TEXAS FAITH: How should chaplains deal with Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal?
    http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/12/texas-faith-how-should-chaplai.html

16. TEXAS FAITH: Was Oklahoma out of line with Sharia amendment?
    http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/11/texas-faith-was-oklahoma-out-o.html

17. TEXAS FAITH: How do you view God?
    http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/11/texas-faith-how-do-you-view-go.html

18. TEXAS FAITH: Why does fear sell on the campaign trail?
    http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/11/texas-faith-why-does-fear-sell.html

19. TEXAS FAITH: Does firing Juan Williams improve our understanding of religious diversity?
    http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/10/does-the-firing-of-juan-willia.html

20. TEXAS FAITH: Should Christians (and other non-Hindus) beware of yoga?
    http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/10/texas-faith-should-non-hindus.html

21. TEXAS FAITH: Why do our faiths shape some political views, but not others?
    http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/10/texas-faith-why-do-our-faiths.html

22. TEXAS FAITH: Why is there such a lack of religious knowledge?
    http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/10/texas-faith-pew-forum-study-on.html

23. TEXAS FAITH: Why do we pray for Christopher Hitchens?
    http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/09/texas-faith-why-do-we-pray-for.html

24. TEXAS FAITH: Should faithful focus on charity or justice?
    http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/09/texas-faith-should-faithful-fo.html

25. Texas Faith: What religion stories should the media focus on?
    http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/09/texas-faith-the-media-and-reli.html

Mike Ghouse, President of America Together foundation is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day, and is available to speak at your place of worship, work or in seminars and conferences.

Through the Foundation for Pluralism, Mike champions the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other, and is committed to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress.  He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Islam, interfaith, India and Peace. His work is reflected in 4 website's and 27 Blogs at http://www.mikeghouse.net/