A short note
to my friends
I am requesting your generous feedback. Here is an effort to write the shortest possible note, and yet say most of it, please let me know if I did it.
Pursuing our dreams and realizing them in our life time is the biggest achievement in one’s life. The dream comes in two parts and most of us have achieved the first part; i.e., taking care of ourselves and our families to the best of our abilities. America has been a great catalyst in achieving our dreams, thank you America!
The second part is what most of us are hunkering for, and at times it is not clear where we should place our priorities or what legacy we want to leave behind us. Bill Gates had the best advice – do it while you are alive and relish the good, instead of letting it happen on its own when we are gone abruptly. We all struggle to make our life purposeful and that is good. You can join us in that direction.
My friend Ambassador Islam Siddiqui and I were walking from our office to the congressional building for a meeting. On our left were Supreme Court and the Library of Congress, and on the right was the Capitol Hill. We were talking about the founding fathers and their vision that has carried this nation this far, what a vision they had, and how utterly unselfish were they! We are all the beneficiaries of the systems and structures they left behind. You and I wouldn’t be here had it not been for their immortal declaration of independence that all men are created equal.
That vision has been raining on me like blessings from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). His wisdom could not be clearer; he said a good deed is something you do for others. God repeatedly asserts (Quran) that if you take care of his creation; i.e., your fellow beings, your rewards are with him. Thanks to the prophet for elaborating on it, he explained, a good deed is like planting a tree knowing full well that the beneficiaries of the shade and fruit from the ( future) tree are not us.
I am requesting your generous feedback. Here is an effort to write the shortest possible note, and yet say most of it, please let me know if I did it.
Pursuing our dreams and realizing them in our life time is the biggest achievement in one’s life. The dream comes in two parts and most of us have achieved the first part; i.e., taking care of ourselves and our families to the best of our abilities. America has been a great catalyst in achieving our dreams, thank you America!
The second part is what most of us are hunkering for, and at times it is not clear where we should place our priorities or what legacy we want to leave behind us. Bill Gates had the best advice – do it while you are alive and relish the good, instead of letting it happen on its own when we are gone abruptly. We all struggle to make our life purposeful and that is good. You can join us in that direction.
My friend Ambassador Islam Siddiqui and I were walking from our office to the congressional building for a meeting. On our left were Supreme Court and the Library of Congress, and on the right was the Capitol Hill. We were talking about the founding fathers and their vision that has carried this nation this far, what a vision they had, and how utterly unselfish were they! We are all the beneficiaries of the systems and structures they left behind. You and I wouldn’t be here had it not been for their immortal declaration of independence that all men are created equal.
That vision has been raining on me like blessings from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). His wisdom could not be clearer; he said a good deed is something you do for others. God repeatedly asserts (Quran) that if you take care of his creation; i.e., your fellow beings, your rewards are with him. Thanks to the prophet for elaborating on it, he explained, a good deed is like planting a tree knowing full well that the beneficiaries of the shade and fruit from the ( future) tree are not us.
Our
own internal reward is the “worthy feeling” we will earn by making the world a better
place for everyone. A sense of security and a sense of feeling home are
the greatest values we can give to fellow humans, that is one of the most
primal needs of humanity.
On my part, as
you may have witnessed over the last 20 years, I have dedicated myself to that
purpose, and leave the results to the will of Allah. Now, several Muslims under
the leadership of Ambassador Islam Siddiqui have come together to bring about a
positive clearly defined and measurable changes.
I am tasked
with the responsibility to change the perceptions about Muslims, right now a
majority of Americans do not see Muslims favorably, and we hope to gradually
turn that around. We are determined to
change perceptions about Muslims. In a few years Muslims will not be an open
season to politicians to heap insults, those who resort to it will meet the
same fate as they would if they hurl it on Jewish and African Americans. Our
goal is simply to be treated equally in all aspect of life. Period.
Our goal is to build a cohesive America where none of us have to live with apprehension, tension, suspicion or fear of the other. It is the land of the free and the brave. We hope to earn our dignified social, political and religious space in the U.S and cherish it with fellow Americans.
Our goal is to build a cohesive America where none of us have to live with apprehension, tension, suspicion or fear of the other. It is the land of the free and the brave. We hope to earn our dignified social, political and religious space in the U.S and cherish it with fellow Americans.
A press
release follows with the announcement of the organization and an invitation
will be sent to you for the launch of the organization. If you visit the following Blog and register your email address on the top right box, you will automatically
get the invitation. www.AmericanMuslimInstitution.com
If this makes
sense to you, please join us in advancing the work.
My writings will continue at Huffington Post, Dallas Morning News and other Newspapers and will continue as a commentator on Fox and other TV networks - all of them will be at www.TheGhousediary.com.
Thank you.
My writings will continue at Huffington Post, Dallas Morning News and other Newspapers and will continue as a commentator on Fox and other TV networks - all of them will be at www.TheGhousediary.com.
Thank you.
Mike Ghouse
Executive Director,
American Muslim Institution
110 Maryland Ave NE, Suite 508
Washington, DC. 20002
Executive Director,
American Muslim Institution
110 Maryland Ave NE, Suite 508
Washington, DC. 20002
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