at Dr. Mona Kazim Shah’s home.
With what is going on in Pakistan with minorities, Mona invited several of her friends to join her for an open conversation, about 30 gathered and each one shared his or her thoughts about it. One overwhelming theme was the agony of being misunderstood, and what each one is doing to change that. It was a motivating gathering of activists, who are doing something or the other to bring about a change.
Most of the problems in the society stem from not knowing each other, when we do, things will change. Otherwise, we keep building myths about each other without ever making an attempt to fall them. We cannot expect change if we do nothing about it.
What does it take to change the perceptions about Muslims? Not fight, but be an example and connect and get to know”? Knowledge leads to understanding and understanding to acceptance (not agreement) and appreciation with a different point of view.
JULY 4TH.
Such an opportunity exists, and it is here – July 4th; inviting your non-Muslims friends to celebrate July 4th, it is the most patriotic thing to do, and it will bind us with fellow Americans. Make an effort to invite people from different faiths, races, ethnicities and orientations – to rid of your own biases against others. You’ll be pleased you did it. An article about it will be released next week with details. It will be atwww.AmericansTogether.org
RAMADAN
It is a blessed month, and we need to feel its blessings in our guts by being honest and sincere with ourselves. The most important question we have to ask ourselves is – Is Prophet Muhammad really a mercy to the mankind? If he was, as a follower, am I? Am I kind to everyone? All Humanity? or just some? Am I loaded with hate for fellow Muslims? How can I be a better Muslim like the Prophet without prejudice towards fellow humans? Are we capable of meeting someone from Sunni, Shia, Ahmadiyya or the sub groups within, and say peace to them? Do we really mean it when we say Prophet was a mercy to "mankind" or do we reduce him to the ownership of Muslims? Can we show it by your actions? If you cannot, then please don't say anything shallow. Take a look at this http://
Ramadan is to purify us, it’s here for you. Go do the Iftaar in a Masjid a day, every Masjid of Shia, Sunni and Ahmadiyya and within each denomination there are several – you have 29 or 30 days to practice removing your prejudice, go do it and be free from the conditioning, being free from prejudices is such a joy, it's like walking out of home to work with no worries. A list of Mosques in Dallas is at www.DallasMuslimCenter.org
How each Mosque follows their own unique tradition is chronicled here with the pictures of Mosques since 2010-http://
POWER OF ENGAGEMENT.
I shared my experience with Sean Hannity, which I have called the power of engagement – change comes by engaging with people without which there is no chance. It’s like the lottery ticket, you cannot complain for not winning it, if you have not purchased it. Engagement increased the chances to a change, disengagement guarantees status-quo.
Full story in the video at my talk at Aligarh Muslim University -https://www.youtube.com/
With what is going on in Pakistan with minorities, Mona invited several of her friends to join her for an open conversation, about 30 gathered and each one shared his or her thoughts about it. One overwhelming theme was the agony of being misunderstood, and what each one is doing to change that. It was a motivating gathering of activists, who are doing something or the other to bring about a change.
Most of the problems in the society stem from not knowing each other, when we do, things will change. Otherwise, we keep building myths about each other without ever making an attempt to fall them. We cannot expect change if we do nothing about it.
What does it take to change the perceptions about Muslims? Not fight, but be an example and connect and get to know”? Knowledge leads to understanding and understanding to acceptance (not agreement) and appreciation with a different point of view.
JULY 4TH.
Such an opportunity exists, and it is here – July 4th; inviting your non-Muslims friends to celebrate July 4th, it is the most patriotic thing to do, and it will bind us with fellow Americans. Make an effort to invite people from different faiths, races, ethnicities and orientations – to rid of your own biases against others. You’ll be pleased you did it. An article about it will be released next week with details. It will be atwww.AmericansTogether.org
RAMADAN
It is a blessed month, and we need to feel its blessings in our guts by being honest and sincere with ourselves. The most important question we have to ask ourselves is – Is Prophet Muhammad really a mercy to the mankind? If he was, as a follower, am I? Am I kind to everyone? All Humanity? or just some? Am I loaded with hate for fellow Muslims? How can I be a better Muslim like the Prophet without prejudice towards fellow humans? Are we capable of meeting someone from Sunni, Shia, Ahmadiyya or the sub groups within, and say peace to them? Do we really mean it when we say Prophet was a mercy to "mankind" or do we reduce him to the ownership of Muslims? Can we show it by your actions? If you cannot, then please don't say anything shallow. Take a look at this http://
Ramadan is to purify us, it’s here for you. Go do the Iftaar in a Masjid a day, every Masjid of Shia, Sunni and Ahmadiyya and within each denomination there are several – you have 29 or 30 days to practice removing your prejudice, go do it and be free from the conditioning, being free from prejudices is such a joy, it's like walking out of home to work with no worries. A list of Mosques in Dallas is at www.DallasMuslimCenter.org
How each Mosque follows their own unique tradition is chronicled here with the pictures of Mosques since 2010-http://
POWER OF ENGAGEMENT.
I shared my experience with Sean Hannity, which I have called the power of engagement – change comes by engaging with people without which there is no chance. It’s like the lottery ticket, you cannot complain for not winning it, if you have not purchased it. Engagement increased the chances to a change, disengagement guarantees status-quo.
Full story in the video at my talk at Aligarh Muslim University -https://www.youtube.com/
www.FoundationforPluralism
Pluralism in Islam – www.worldMuslimCongress.co
Building a cohesive America at www.AmericansTogether.org
Thanks
Mike Ghouse – all about me is at www.MikeGhouse.net in 63 Links
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