Mike Ghouse reacts to Osama Bin Laden’s death

Mike Ghouse reacts to Osama Bin Laden’s death and urges President Bush to repent.

On Monday, May 9, 2016 we will be celebrating end of darkness, as it marks the 5th anniversary of the death of Osama Bin Laden, the most wanted terrorist in the world in our recent history. He was caught, shot and slipped into the open ocean so no one can trace him ever.

This has special significance to Mike Ghouse; a Muslim American committed to building cohesive societies and had made commitment on the day of 9/11/2001.   His reaction was captured by Fox News’ Melissa Cutler.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXBmmuGLxYY&feature=youtu.be

Five years ago, the most wanted terrorist in the world was brought to an end; he was shot and his body was let go in the wide open ocean.

This brought a major closure to the families of 2998 fellow Americans killed in the 9/11 terrorist act. They know now that the terrorist murderer is gone.

It brought closure for me personally as well.  The story began on 9/11/2001 on the day of 9/11, I was on the radio all day long trying to bring some coherence to public out of the chaos created with 9/11, got the local mayors, religious and civic leaders on the air.  By the end of the day, the public did what we suggested – Donate blood, Fund raisers for the men and women in the uniform, and interfaith prayers and the clarity that we have an individual who is responsible and we were going to get him.

Thanks to President Obama and his team for bringing closure to this anguish, and thanks to him for restoring the rule of law that was shamelessly violated. Osama Bin Laden was the fountain head of terrorism and he was taken out with no ‘collateral damage.’

The rule of law is;  you punish the criminal, and not his spouse, siblings, kids, family members, friends, religion, clergy, mayor of your town or the nation. We terrorized two nations and harassed innocent people around the world, we created unwanted anxiety in the hearts and minds of fellow Americans. We owe an apology to the people of Afghanistan and Iraq and bring a closure to our untapped guilt and at least find peace within.

I urge President Bush to be man enough to repent for the deliberate destruction and deaths of innocent people on his watch, thousands of them if not a million. The world will forgive him if the gathers up the courage and listens to Jesus and becomes a peace maker as repentance.

Salvation to each one of us comes through repentance, forgiveness and or punishment.

My personal story of 9/11 and its many variations is read over endlessly. http://www.theghousediary.com/2014/09/11/911-my-personal-journey-from-2001/

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, news maker, Interfaith Wedding officiant, and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, terrorism, human rights, India, Israel-Palestine, motivation, and foreign policy. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. Visit him (63 links) atwww.TheGhousediary.com

Obama's opportunity in Charm City

Doug Burton wrote this piece at the Philo's project. The writings in the blog are all mine, except when some one write about me, it will be included here.  I don't have to agree with Mr. Burton, but he has quoted me and I agree with some of the material.

Mike Ghouse
Courtesy of Philo's project. 

Obama's opportunity in Charm City 
Doug Burton

The president’s upcoming visit to the Islamic Society of Baltimore will give him the opportunity to tell us all to take a breath before sounding the alarm about new waves of non-vetted Muslim masses crashing our gates. Expect a legacy statement to showcase American religious freedom, tolerance, pluralism and inclusiveness to audiences overseas.

Hopefully this visit will be more than a photo-op guaranteed to underscore the politically correct myth that Islamism isn’t Islam and that the religion of Islam has no causal link to terrorism. Americans know this plank is a nonsequiter: the Obama Administration says that no terrorists are Muslims, whereas virtually all Jihadi terrorists say they are Muslims.

Perhaps conservatives can give Muslim believers a break here. True, many American imams will not acknowledge that the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda or any form of violent Jihadism is Islam. But anguish could be hear in one imam’s voice as he spoke up during an interview to say, “Let me stop you right there. ISIS has nothing to do with Islam, which is a religion of peace – only peace. That’s like saying the crusaders who raped, murdered or tortured Muslims for centuries were really Christians.” While his constraint on language is his hapless dilemma, it reminds us that in the hearts of the vast majority of devout practitioners, Islam is a divine encounter, leading to a higher plane of compassion, self-transformation, lawfulness and justice.

More importantly, on Feb. 3, President Barack Obama has an opportunity to educate Americans about the great potential of American Muslims in the war of ideas within the Islamic world. As many an analyst has pointed out, Islam as a civilization has had neither a renaissance nor enlightenment, and is due. Fundamentalist Islam rooted in the Arabian Peninsula is actually at war with modernity. We aren’t dealing with “a clash of civilizations” as much as a crisis within one civilization – Islam.

American Muslims could make a big difference because they are different. The fact is, Islam has contextualized in North America’s democratic environment. Just as Christianity adapted to new cultures and ethical traditions as it moved from ancient Israel to Greece, to Rome to the heart of German Europe, and finally to North America, so has Islam.

The Muslims who murdered their colleagues in San Bernardino were in America, but notof it. American Muslims are inured to modernity: well educated and rooted in America. By one count, 5 percent of America’s doctors are Muslims, and many have served in the armed forces. Muslims are voters and public servants. At least two American Muslims serve in Congress. A week after the Paris attacks, the American Muslim Institution held an anti-ISIS protest on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. After the San Bernardino massacre, several Islamic societies held a candlelight vigil and memorial service at the Islamic Center of Silver Springs.

American Muslims who are passionate about Islam flourishing under the protection of a secular government have champions such as Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser M.D., the founder and president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy and the author of “A Battle for the Soul of Islam: An American Muslim Patriot’s Fight to Save His Faith.” Jasser currently serves as a commissioner on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

As Dr. Michael Ghouse, executive director of American Muslim Institution, said, “America is unquestionably the land of the free and the brave. The American Muslims love it, and once here, have unmoored Islam from its cultural chains. Yet American Muslims have retained the true spirit of Islam; a beautiful system devised to restore sanity and common sense in a given society through simple basics like being truthful, trustworthy, standing up for justice, humility and kindness as their life style.”

Dr. Walid Phares, an advisor to members of Congress and the author of “The War of Ideas,” said, “The problem in President Obama’s approach to diffuse the so-called Islamophobia is that his administration marginalizes the groups within the Muslim community that promote liberal views and anti-jihadi activities, while the more Islamist factions close to the Muslim Brotherhood have been elevated by the White House to the status of sole representatives of the community.

“Like any other community, the Muslim American community is not monolithic,” Phares argued. “American Muslims include the more fundamentalist and the more secular. To fight the ideology of the Jihadi terrorists, you need NGOs who would respond to the latter’s ideology not cover up for it.”

He went on to point out that, as seen in both Egypt and Tunisia, for example, the silent majority is strongly opposed to the Islamists. “But the advisors of the Obama Administration may have convinced the president of the opposite. Hence the repetitive failures of Washington in the campaign against the extremists. For the Islamists won’t challenge the jihadists – only secular Muslims will. Obama should have asked Zuhdi Jasser and his reformers to walk with him to that mosque. That would have created balance and neutralized Islamophobia among Americans.”

Muslim American patriots will be sitting in the pews Wednesday, yet it’s not clear yet if a president looking for opportunity will see America’s best assets looking back at him.

Baltimore 2015 - A society's survival is based on justice

www.TheGhouseDiary.com

Justness, fairness and balance are other names for stable sustainable societies. Justice keeps the individual together, family together, community together and nations together. God has created everything in balance. Any deficiency or absence of it creates imbalance and chaos. If we mess with it, we mess with ourselves and our own sense of security. Baltimore lost that balance, the sense of justice was lost, and the African American community was mistreated by the police.

I am glad President Barack Obama spoke sense and I hope he takes the corrective action. It is in our common interest to seek and strive to maintain justice. Mike Ghouse

Wikipedia Summary

On April 19, 2015, Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African American man who was a resident of the U.S. city ofBaltimore, Maryland, died in police custody a week after being arrested. Apparently in good health at the time of his arrest one week prior, Gray fell into a coma while in transport as the result of injuries to his neck and spine sustained while being transported in a police vehicle. On May 1, 2015, Gray's death was ruled to be ahomicide and legal charges were issued against the six officers involved in the incident, including that of second-degree murder.[13]

Peaceful protests were organized after Gray's death became public knowledge, and apparently spontaneous protests started after the funeral service, although several eventually included violent elements. Civil unrest continued and as of April 28, at least twenty police officers have been injured, at least 250 people have been arrested, thousands of police and Maryland Army National Guard troops have been deployed, and a state of emergency was declared in the city limits of Baltimore

Thank you
mike
Mike Ghouse, President
America Together Foundation
(Foundation for Pluralism)
Dallas | Washington
(214) 325-1916 text/talk
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Mike Ghouse is a public speaker, thinker, writer and a commentator on Pluralism, Islam,India, Israel-Palestine, Politics and other issues of the day. He is a human rights activist, and his book standing up for others will be out soon | He is producing a full feature film ”Sacred” to be released on 9/11 and a documentary “Americans together” for a July 4 release.  He is a frequent guest commentator on Fox News and syndicated Talk Radio shows and a writer at major news papers including Dallas Morning News and Huffington Post. All about him is listed in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at www.TheGhousediary.com – Mike is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

Obama's foreign policy talk to Indian Students.

It was a joy to hear him out, he and I speak the same language, to be inclusive and not to push people to dig in their heels. Indeed, it is in India's interest to have a safe, secure and stable Pakistan. A nation or individual's peace hinges on the peace around him or it.  

I hope our kids will not be poisoned by some of us with hatred for others. It is no good.

If you threaten others, I will guarantee you, you are not going to sleep in peace, and both sides will live in apprehensions. These stinky attitudes were part of the humanoids when they were hunters and gatherers, we don't need them. 

I hope Mr. Modi understands this along with those children, he has a chance to prove to be better than Nehru and he should strive for it. I hope and pray that he will demonstrate his abilities by pulling a peace agreement between the two nations. If we do that, our world would become bigger - we can seek the UN Security council seat.  

http://www.zemtv.com/2014/12/07/indian-student-questions-obama-why-doesnt-america-consider-pakistan-a-terrorist-state-watch-obamas-excellent-reply/

Bolo Barack Obama ki - Jai!

Mike Ghouse

Gaza Crisis ; Do we fault religion or the individuals like Netanyahu, Mashaal and Obama

Do we fault Religion or the individual for the Gaza Crisis? We need to be demanding an apology from Benjamin Netanyahu, Barak Obama and Khaled Mashaal.

The Arab Daily News
http://thearabdailynews.com/2014/08/06/fault-religion-individual-gaza-crisis/

By Mike Ghouse

English: Khaled Meshaal in a meeting with spanish journalists (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some of the powerful leaders in Christianity tend to be sadistic men, and their tailor-made-God loves killing people, and they remorselessly justify and cherish massacres of Palestinians, because God will come soon to the earth if that happens. Does Jesus want blood on his hands to come back?
The Powerful Jews and Muslims are no better either; they have got their scriptures completely wrong. One’s bigoted God has promised them the land robbing from others, and the other’s bigoted God tells them not to make friends with Christians and Jews. The interpretations for the following verses need to be corrected now; Exodus 23:31-32, Deuteronomy 1:8, Genesis 15:18-2 and Quran, 5:51 to prevent abusers from justifying injustices and outright hate. God is not a bigot; it is our insecurity that makes us make him a bigot.

Continued at Arab News - http://thearabdailynews.com/2014/08/06/fault-religion-individual-gaza-crisis/

U.S. policy on India, and Modi, needs to change

URL -  http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2014/05/us-policy-on-india-and-modi-needs-to.html

We are a Democracy and each one of us has the freedom to express our differences without fear,  but yet we have to work together in nation building and the common good of every member of the society.

Whatever is needed to be done should have been done at the ballot, the majority, indeed, the overwhelming majority has chosen to trust the words of Mr. Modi and together, we have to go forward. 

Justice should be the foundation of every society and no one should be above the law, and the law is clear: One is innocent until proven guilty.  Mr. Modi in his interview with NDTV has challenged the civil society to hang him, if he is found guilty, until he is found guilty, we need to value our systems, justice is the only thing the society stands on.

I have been critical of Mr. Modi from the very beginning and that has not changed, but I was never for the pound of flesh, instead I was for restoring the lives of those who lost their homes, livelihood and the loved ones, and to build a cohesive India where no Indian had to live in fear of the other. In each one of the pieces I have written, the theme was consistent; Justice and inclusion. My last OpEd at Huffington post repeats the appeal - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/indias-modi-on-his-best-behavior-can-we-trust-him_b_5280892.html 

I  agree with Fareed Zakaria on many items he has listed, I do hope, President Obama puts his differences aside, and values the verdict of the people of India, it is not a simple majority, it is a huge majority. Let's give Modi a chance and trust our democracy and support him in his plans - as he has articulated it in his interview time and again. 


Mike Ghouse
http://MikeGhouseforIndia.blogspot.com
www.MikeGhouse.net

Fareed Zakaria's piece at Washington Post
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Ghouse Speaks at Homeless Veterans Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon.

URL -http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/11/ghouse-speaks-at-homeless-veterans.html

Veterans Resource Center, Dallas – November 21, 2013. As an Immigrant American, I strongly feel a bondage with the Veteran issues, particularly these men and women who have risked their lives to defend the freedom we cherish, and they have no home to live, that is sad and makes me feel helpless. Thanks to Obama and Biden for getting the first and 2nd lady to focus on doing everything they can to give them the dignity they deserve when they return from their active duty. I do my share to participate in the Veterans day events.

The good news is, this year similar luncheons (they call it dinner) held in Fort Worth and elsewhere had half the attendance they had last year including the one in Dallas.  May be signs of good times!

The event started with color guard ceremony, followed by the pledge and National Anthem. Peter Dancey welcomed the veterans followed by a short prayer to begin the food service.

Reverend Lannie Lake, the Rabbi and I were debating who who should go first, I suggested that the Rabbi should go first as Judaism is older of the three, followed by Christian and Islamic faiths. The Rabbi decided that the handsome one goes first and I did not have the choice but to go (LOL). Continued below

More pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157637920447103/

Pluralistic prayers

I may have said more words than the following outline.

Thank you for your service. We appreciate you all the times, indeed, when we celebrate the two major Muslim festivals, I have always made a point to appreciate you’ll, the men and women in the Uniform who put your lives to defend our freedom. Thank you.

Now, let’s pray.

Dear creator. Please accept our gratitude in every name we call upon you; Mahio, manito, Yahweh, Elohim, Ishwar, Buddha, Wahe Guru, Ahura Mazda, Mother Earth, Allah and Jesus Christ.

Dear causer of the universe, we thank you for enriching our nation with different races, nationalities, ethnicities, orientations, languages, cultures, ideals and religions. Indeed, we are represented by everything you have created on this planet.  

Dear causer of the Universe, in your name we want to create a cohesive and peaceful America with care, kindness and dignity to every one of the 312 million of us as well as 7 billion of us in the world.

Dear God, guide us to talk, act and believe that we are one humanity and one nation with the diversity you have endowed us with.

Dear God, as we undertake the mission of building cohesive societies, where no one has to live in apprehension of the other, we are painfully aware of the ignorance, fear, mistrust and ill-will that divides us, help us open our hearts and minds towards receiving each other.

In your precious name we bow

Say Amen!

I recited the first Chapter of Quran, Sura Fateh, the most universal prayer one can get.

 Al-Fatiha (The Opening) translated by Asad

1:1 In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace: [1]

1:2 All praise is due to God alone, the Sustainer of all the worlds, [2]

1:3 The Most Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace,

1:4 Lord of the Day of Judgment!

1:5 Thee alone do we worship; and unto Thee alone do we turn for aid.

1:6 Guide us the straight way(on the right path).

1:7 The way of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings, not of those who have been condemned, nor of those who go astray!

Other notes that I will expand with a title - Jewish Muslim Relations

The Hand symbol in the gold necklace was worn by our Jewish friends. I mentioned to her that the symbol reminds me of many things – my father’s election symbol when he ran for the City Council, it’s the symbol of Jainism and Muslims (Shia) also use the hand symbol. It’s a protection symbol of Jewish friends. The lady pointed out to me that this symbol has two thumbs unlike the Muslim one with one thumb!  Then I got to see a few more beautiful symbols.

A senior gentleman in his eighties wore a beautiful wedding band with Hebrew inscription, he said, it reads, “You are my love and I am your love” – he was proud that he has been married to the same women since a decade, she is 70.

We, meaning Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus and others have a lot of work to do, and I am glad, rather pleased, people feel comfortable with me to spit out their ignorance .  I am glad they do, it puts pressure on me to find a way to remove the myths from facts, and I really feel sad, that people don’t take the time to find the truth and live in apprehensions and fears of others, while the fear mongering industry continues to run their cash machines.

A lady joined me and the pastor for the lunch - and we had some interesting conversation.  I will be posting a separate article on Jewish-Muslim relations.  However, I am confident that the blame virus is confined to the right wing Jews and right wing Muslims. Thank God the moderates are immunized to hate and fear.

I will be posting a full article on Jewish Muslim conflict, and the amount of work we have to do to bring about a change.  www.TheGhousediary.com
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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.

Pope Francis: This is my Pope, and I am a Muslim

This is my Pope, and I am a Muslim.

URL-http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/11/pope-francis-this-is-my-pope-and-i-am.html

There was a paucity of moral leadership in the world, a leader who can confidently bring about a balance and not let the equilibrium of the society be run down. Thank God for this angel; Pope Francis.

I have studied him for over six months, and have written articles including two in Dallas Morning News. Now, I have chosen him to be my moral guide. I have come to believe that he has what it takes to lead the world and build that elusive kingdom of heaven where no human has to live in fear of the other.  That is the end goal of all religions.

As a Muslim, I significantly differ with the Christian theology and rituals, but I would like to believe that the Pope and I understand that they are merely means to achieving spirituality, piety or Taqwa as it is called in Islam. Taqwa becomes your moral compass in doing things ethically. It is becoming God-conscious, or becoming Brahma as Hinduism calls it. It is a state of mind where you become a fully integrated part of what God is all about; just, kind, loving and caring with zero discrimination towards any.

When you achieve piety, you will not look down on any individual, they become an equal part of God, as you are, then arrogance fades, insecurities start disappearing and humility sets in connecting you with the universe. You and the Universe would be in union, or yoga and that is the state of mind that Buddha, Lao Tzu, Confucius, Mahavira, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, Nanak, the Bab, and several spiritual masters in the native traditions had achieved. You feel the universe and you are one and the same with no apprehension that is indeed the true freedom.

My other living mentors include HH Aga Khan, Barack Obama, Javed Ahmed Ghamidi and Bishop Tutu and few others in the making. I am learning about others, but these men and women (soon) respect the God given life and the life hereafter as a guide to living a moral, but fuller life.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had once said that he wished his people had a book of guidance like Jews and Christians, and today, I wish that we the Muslims have a guide like Pope Francis, that the Catholics have. These words came to me after reading this statement from the pope. This is exactly what Muslims need, and I am pleased to take him as my moral guide.

To paraphrase Pope Francis, as a Muslim I would say, ““We have to find a new balance; otherwise even the moral edifice of the Islam is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Quran.  The Muslim Clergy have locked themselves up in small things, in small-minded rules.  The most important thing is the core value of Quran "Mercy" followed by Justice, equality, humility and truthfulness.  And the Imams must be Imams of mercy above all.”

This is what Pope Francis said, “We have to find a new balance; otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel.  The church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules.  The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you.  And the ministers of the church must be ministers of mercy above all.”

I am proud to have written 8 articles about the pope from the minute he was ordained to now. Insha Allah, I will make a pilgrimage to visit him to pay my respects and offer to be his ambassador. As a Muslim and a Pluralist, I will make myself available to jump at his call for creating peace in the world, where no human has to live in fear of the others, let the world be the new kingdom of heaven where we all feel safe and secure with each other. Amen!
  
I wrote the following pieces:

• Mar 14, 2013 - Muslims welcome Pope Francis, Thursday, March 14, 2013 http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/03/muslims-welcome-pope-francis.html
• Mar 19, 2013 - Texas Faith: What piece of advice would you give the new pope? Dallas Morning News -  http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/03/texas-faith-what-piece-of-advice-would.html

• Mar 28, 2013 - Christian Muslim Conflict mitigation,  http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/03/christian-muslim-conflict-mitigation.html

• Mar 31, 2013 - What made me go to the Catholic Church today for Easter?  http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/03/what-made-me-go-to-catholic-church.html

• Apr 09, 2013 - Why Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu Leaders Have High Hopes for Pope Francis, http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/04/why-jewish-muslim-and-hindu-leaders.html

• Aug 02, 2013 - Pope Francis the merciful http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/08/pope-francis-merciful.html

• Aug 02, 2013 - Pope Francis wishes Ramadan Mubarak to Muslims http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/08/pope-francis-wishes-ramadan-mubarak.html
  

• Aug 07, 2013 - Texas faith: What relevance does Pope Francis have beyond the Catholic Church?  Dallas Morning News - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/08/texas-faith-what-relevance-does-pope.html

• Aug 22, 2013 - A video Message to pastor Jones with comments on the Pope http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsQq-tbJ89k&feature=youtu.be
  

• Sep 24, 2013 - Texas Faith: Pope Francis criticizes narrow focus on abortion, gay rights and conception. Dallas Morning News - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/09/texas-faith-pope-francis-criticizes.html
• Nov 06, 2013 - Michami Dukadam - Starting life over with a clear slate,  Mere Mention http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/11/michami-dukadam-starting-life-over-with.html 

• Nov 14, 2013 - Pope Francis - This is my Pope, and I am a Muslim. http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/11/pope-francis-this-is-my-pope-and-i-am.html

 

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.