Religion Formulaa - Engaging Dr. Kumar

(Please note, this is a conversation and not an article)

The following is a conversation between Dr. Kumar and Myself, it is a sequel to my piece Religion Formula. http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/04/religion-formula.html  

Thanks for sharing your thoughts; a dialogue facilitates exchange of information so all of us can update ourselves. The bottom line for all of us is to have a cohesive society where all of us can live without fear.

Dr. Kumar, I am with you when it comes to mistreatment of minorities in Muslim majority nations, a majority of Muslims condemn them all,  just Google it, there is plenty of information out there; as well including a small list that I have created at http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/04/standing-with-hindus.html

Unfortunately, we are comparing our democracies with the monarchies and dictatorships, those men are to be blamed and dethroned. The Muslims are still living in oppression under those “bad ass rulers” calling themselves Muslims.

We Indians had a taste of it during Indira Gandhi’s regime. The decisions she made did not represent the decisions of Indians, it is the same thing with Bush, – 72% of us were against the wars. Yet his policies destroyed our economy and the common man on the street, besides destroying Iraqis and Afghans. We, the average American are paying for it. I am a Republican, but will acknowledge that Obama did the right thing; he got the bad guy with least or no collateral damage.

Same goes with Egypt and other nations. It is not the will of the people.

Some of them hate us Americans not that they want to hate. But because we Americans funded Mubarak, protected the Bahraini Khalifas, and supported Shah…… and what did they do? Oppress their people with our monies. To the average Egyptian, Bahraini or Irani (pre-shah) America funded the dictators to oppress them. Do you see the flaws in our foreign policy? Thank God for Obama, he was rightly guided. If US had supported Mubarak, they would have hated us even more.  

We cannot compare our nations to the dictatorships and monarchies, we don’t need to copy them, they need to look up to us, India, USA and other democracies to model after us. And we need to uplift ourselves and remain on a higher moral plane.

Your quote, “99% of all suicide bombings in the world have been conducted by muslims, and there are muslim victims also, such as in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, etc. That leaves only 1% from the global non-muslim population.”

Yes, those guys are a part of the 1/10^th of 1% in the formula given below. They are dangerous to the society, let’s apply that formula to the the United States and India, the nations we belong to – 5 Million Muslim should have 5,000 Muslims who are extremists, and India should have 160,000 Muslims who subscribe to that ideology. That formula is too generous, even if it is 100^th of 1% - it will be 500 Muslims in the United States and 16,000 Muslims in India.

Please put some numbers together for Independent India and the USA, how many non-Muslims have been killed by Muslims, strictly in the Hindu-Muslim riots. How many in the United States. And also put the opposite numbers how many Muslims have been killed in strictly in the Hindu-Muslim riots. It is worth the research to help us free ourselves from stereotyping and bias.

In case of India and the United States, even 1000^th of 1% is a higher number, if you put the right numbers together. However, worldwide, a bigger number like 100^th of 1% is warranted. You will find the extremism executed in India by Muslims, Hindus, Christians and others match the percentages proportionately. Check the CIA site; they put the terrorist number around 40,000 around the world, including everyone from south America, Europe, Asia and the Middle east inclusive of all faiths.

In the US, our laws prevent the Robertsons, Falwells, Jeffress and their likes to drive Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Mormons out of the country. America and India are the models for the world, the land of the laws that keep bad guys from executing their badness. Our systems are good, we need to sustain them.

Kumar, indeed, “Tumhare moo may ghee shakkar” –meaning God has blessed your words, for you to suggest, “I support yours and all efforts to increase tolerance and pluralistic behavior in all societies around the world. Such efforts are needed in even greater measure in the Muslim countries to level the playing field around the world and to demonstrate the same understanding on pluralism as you do.”

Someone else wrote, go teach the Muslims. Indeed, my work is published in Arab papers, its published in Tehran Times, Arab News, Jakarta Post, Indian Muslim Observer, New age Islam and several Muslim and non-Muslim websites as well… and just about everywhere. My world includes 7 billion people, I believe in what Bhagvad Gita guides one towards Vasudaiva Kutumbukum, and Quraan, “God is God of all universes” and we are all one world and we have to understand each other and take care of each other.

We have to help the divisive minds to be un-divisive and become conflict mitigaters and good will nurturers. We need to dialogue with all, including those who are bent on maligning others instead of uplifting us all.

Kumar we are all in this together and it is your responsibility, and my responsibility to make the world a better place. India and America are not Islands, we are interconnected and interdependent.

Here is the wisdom from our cousin, “Chief Seattle, a Native American 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."

Kumar - take a look at this small list of things, that we all can do consistently.

Standing up with Jews, Christians, Hindus, Atheists, Muslims and others - link

Mike Ghouse is committed to a cohesive America, would you like to be a partner in the work?

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Mike,

Religion Formula- not so fast.

I greatly support your efforts to infuse pluralistic behavior. However, I believe what you are saying in terms of percentages is what you wish it were, but it is not factual. You can conduct a gallup poll of 5 million muslims in USA or Pakistan or Saudi Arabia or Iran and test your assumptions.

Please consider the following:

1. 99% of all suicide bombings in the world have been conducted by muslims, and there are muslim victims also, such as in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, etc. That leaves only 1% from the global non-muslim population.

2, 95% of all terroristic acts have been caused by Muslims in the last few years. That leaves only 5% from the global non-muslim
population.

All muslims enjoy constitutional protections- in- Law in non-muslim countries such as USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, India, and China. However, non-muslims don't have the same constitutional protections in muslim countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, etc. Even Egypt, Turkey and Malaysia are not free from this situation. In fact, buddhists can not acquire citizenship by constitution in Egypt.

Just count the number of new churches, synagogues, bahai temples, buddhists temples built in Saudi arabia, Iran, etc over the last 25 years vs number of new mosques built in the North America, Europe and India. So long that is going on, how can you say Islam is fundamentally pluralistic? Are you saying that the governments and the entire populations of these countries don't understand Quran, the same way as you do in relation to pluralism?

Even if we assume that your statistics are reasonable, then one would come to the conclusion that 3% of muslims have caused 10 times more killing of innocent lives than 3% of non-muslims (christians, jews, hindus, sikhs, bahai's, buddhists, jains,) around the world in the last 1400 years and it is also happening in the present time. There has also been a lot of killing of innocent muslims by muslims during that time, but it does not exonerate the behavior.

That said, I support yours and all efforts to increase tolerance and pluralistc behavior in all socities around the world. Such efforts are needed in even greater measure in the Muslim countries to level the playing field around the world and to demonstrate the same understanding on pluralism as you do.

AKumar

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

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MikeGhouse is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a professional speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, civic affairs, Islam, India, Israel, peace and justice. Mike is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he writes weekly at Dallas Morning News and regularly at Huffington post, and several other periodicals. His daily blog is www.TheGhousediary.com