I was surprised to hear from Google today - the following article was written in July 2009 and now it hits the conservative Blog - http://www.theconservativespeaker.com/wordpress/?p=37971 - Original article at: http://interfaithmarriages.blogspot.com/2009/07/for-love-of-huma-jewish-muslim-story.html

 For the Love of Huma – Jewish-Muslim story

By Mike Ghouse

The Jews should be proud of this man Anthony Weiner and Muslims ought to be proud of Huma Abedin.

Personally I admire this couple for coming together for love which transcends all other created differences. It takes a lot of maturity to accept each other despite the differences and we need to salute that maturity in every couple.

Politically he is a staunch pro-Israeli, and ideologically Huma may to be pro-justice and would be fair to the Jews and Palestinians. Both have demonstrated their ability to discern the personal, political and religious difference and have based their relationship on love.

Despite the differences, they are setting an example of co-existence and we need to encourage them, we need more of them, through many such interfaith marriages, we can perhaps bring about peaceful coexistence to the people of Israel and Palestine. Isn’t that a dream of every Jew and a Muslim? If not, then I am wrong.

I am pleased to invite the couple to get married – Jewish, Islam and interfaith way here in Dallas on May 2nd, 2010. No system will negate the other, indeed, they reinforce the value of bonding between each other, every religious way.

The role of conservatives ought to be to hold on to the values of peace, justice and co-existence. However, in truth those who claim to be conservative are indeed extremists opposed to the very values that are conservative. God has communicated through Moses, Jesus, Mohammad, Krishna, Buddha and all the spiritual masters the values of co-existence, inculcated via values like the ones spelled out in the Ten Commandments in one form or the other. God wants all of us to get along and live in harmony; no faith preaches hate, chaos, ill-will, malice or chopping God into pieces for each faith to consume a piece of it.

The conservative Jews and Muslims, nay, the extremist Jews and Muslims will start issuing fatwas against these two beautiful human beings and attempt to stick their version of the religion on them, which has been dished out by the middle men, and not God.

“Observant Jews view intermarriage as religious treason” and oddly the “Observant Muslims” claim that it is religiously unlawful for a Muslim woman to marry a non Muslim man”. Why do they call themselves “observant” when they are not, they should call themselves stick in the muds.

To be religious is to be a peace maker, one who mitigates conflicts and nurtures goodwill. That is the purpose of all religions, to bring sense to mankind and live and let live.

The foundation for Pluralism and the World Muslim congress have embarked on creating events that builds bridges between the people, these are model events to mitigate conflicts and nurtutre goodwill. We are entering our XIII Annual Thanksgivign Celebrations this year, V Annual Unity day USA, III Annual Reflections on Holocaust and Genocides and the first event of Religious Weddings. All the links are listed on the left panel of this site.

This is precisely the program we are working on Religious Weddings in Dallas “The purpose of this event is to familiarize the public, civic and religious leaders the rituals and essence of wedding in each faith tradition. It is to highlight the relationship between two individuals regardless of the faith they don. Don; they will in the different costumes and ceremonies encompassing the following faiths as the time allows within three hours of duration.” http://religiousweddings.blogspot.com/

Mike Ghouse is a thinker, writer and speaker on pluralism, interfaith, co-existence, peace, Islam and India. He is a frequent guest at the TV, radio and print media offering pluralistic solutions to issues of the day. His websites and Blogs are listed on his website

http://www.emgonline.co.uk/news.php?news=6558
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For the Love of Huma – Jewish-Muslim story

For the Love of Huma – Jewish-Muslim story

By Mike Ghouse The Jews should be proud of this man Anthony Weiner and Muslims ought to be proud of Huma Abedin. Personally I admire this couple for coming together for love which transcends all other created differences. It takes a lot of maturity to accept each other despite the differences and we need to salute that maturity in every couple. Politically he is a staunch pro-Israeli, and ideologically Huma may to be pro-justice and would be fair to the Jews and Palestinians. Both have demonstrated their ability to discern the personal, political and religious difference and have based their relationship on love. Despite the differences, they are setting an example of co-existence and we need to encourage them, we need more of them, through many such interfaith marriages, we can perhaps bring about peaceful coexistence to the people of Israel and Palestine. Isn’t that a dream of every Jew and a Muslim? If not, then I am wrong. I am pleased to invite the couple to get married – Jewish, Islam and interfaith way here in Dallas on May 2nd, 2010. No system will negate the other, indeed, they reinforce the value of bonding between each other, every religious way. The role of conservatives ought to be to hold on to the values of peace, justice and co-existence. However, in truth those who claim to be conservative are indeed extremists opposed to the very values that are conservative. God has communicated through Moses, Jesus, Mohammad, Krishna, Buddha and all the spiritual masters the values of co-existence, inculcated via values like the ones spelled out in the Ten Commandments in one form or the other. God wants all of us to get along and live in harmony; no faith preaches hate, chaos, ill-will, malice or chopping God into pieces for each faith to consume a piece of it. The conservative Jews and Muslims, nay, the extremist Jews and Muslims will start issuing fatwas against these two beautiful human beings and attempt to stick their version of the religion on them, which has been dished out by the middle men, and not God. “Observant Jews view intermarriage as religious treason” and oddly the “Observant Muslims” claim that it is religiously unlawful for a Muslim woman to marry a non Muslim man”. Why do they call themselves “observant” when they are not, they should call themselves stick in the muds. To be religious is to be a peace maker, one who mitigates conflicts and nurtures goodwill. That is the purpose of all religions, to bring sense to mankind and live and let live. The foundation for Pluralism and the World Muslim congress have embarked on creating events that builds bridges between the people, these are model events to mitigate conflicts and nurtutre goodwill. We are entering our XIII Annual Thanksgivign Celebrations this year, V Annual Unity day USA, III Annual Reflections on Holocaust and Genocides and the first event of Religious Weddings. All the links are listed on the left panel of this site. This is precisely the program we are working on Religious Weddings in Dallas “The purpose of this event is to familiarize the public, civic and religious leaders the rituals and essence of wedding in each faith tradition. It is to highlight the relationship between two individuals regardless of the faith they don. Don; they will in the different costumes and ceremonies encompassing the following faiths as the time allows within three hours of duration.” http://religiousweddings.blogspot.com/ Mike Ghouse is a thinker, writer and speaker on pluralism, interfaith, co-existence, peace, Islam and India. He is a frequent guest at the TV, radio and print media offering pluralistic solutions to issues of the day. His websites and Blogs are listed on his website http://www.emgonline.co.uk/news.php?news=6558

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- See more at: http://www.theconservativespeaker.com/wordpress/?p=37971#sthash.fFXVAHyt.dpuf

TEXAS FAITH: Anthony Weiner and Internet ethics

By now, we all know more about Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner’s online habits than we probably care to know. But his distribution of a lewd photo and online sex-talk with women other than his wife does raise ethical issues that the Internet if fast forcing upon us. And that is, to what degree is a sin a sin?

Jesus certainly said that to look at a woman with lust was like committing adultery. So, to some extent, that ethic applies to today’s wired world. Applying that standard, what happens online “counts” as much as what happens physically between two people.

But here’s the question for this week from William McKenzie/ Editorial Columnist, Dallas Morning News; "In what ways does the Internet force us to rethink ethical standards?"

Here is the take from Mike Ghouse, one of the 7 seven panelists for all the response go to: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/06/texas-faith-anthony-weiner-and.html

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

We keep going back to the basics whenever there is a flaunting violation of ethics in the public square. This is like going home where it is safe and comfortable. Ethical standards are indeed dynamic and are moving away from public domain to individual concerns in linear progression. However, they remain the anchor of a culturally stable society.

Before the emergence of earliest formal religions like Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Hinduism and the native traditions, adultery was handled like the bulls or the rams, it was not even considered an ethical issue. Whoever was mightier took the girl as though she was a prized chattel.

We have come a long way in moving the civilization to maturation. The statement, "to look at a woman with lust is like committing adultery" is not as comfortable as it was a hundred years ago. Today we are consciously accommodating, "to look at the other person with lust is like betraying the trust of the spouse or a partner."

Oddly the word "sin" is alarmingly absent in the public discourse on Weiner's issue. Indeed, the word is reduced to a personal betrayal rather than a public violation that demanded flogging once. Even the evangelicals were looking at Gingrich, Spitzer, Hart, Craig, Edwards and Clinton as violators rather than sinners, all the while Clinton made attempts to redefine sin in the Lewinsky hearings. According to a new CNN poll, "56 percent of voters in Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner's district do not think the scandal-plagued congressman should resign."

Welcome to the world of new emerging ethics. Thanks to the Internet for forcing us to factor in a variety of individual opinions to change the public discourse on sin, ethics and morality. Without the Internet, the only opinions that mattered were that of the clergy and the polls reaching out to a few.

But today, citizen journalism, blogging and social networks are dramatically altering the black and white issues into colorful ones that give an ever-widening range. The opinions are not the domain of a few any more, but of everyone who freely expresses his or her opinion on a given topic. On my facebook, I have received over 70 comments on the issue and the conversation about open marriages and accommodating the whims in a relationship has earned a space.

As a futurist, I see the word "sin" to remain on books but gradually lose its old meaning and acquire a new value in the public square. The violations would be individual in nature resulting in betrayal and cheating, rather than sinful activities. A new ethics is in the making.

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, writer, thinker and an activist committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day – all of his work is indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/