Maryam Siddiqui is the new inspiration of India.

Maryam Siddiqui the new inspiration for India | TheGhousediary.com
http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2015/06/maryam-siddiqui-is-new-inspiration-of.html

Reading this news welled up my eyes, what a beautiful news it is for this Monday. Maryam Siddiqui becomes a role model for generations of children to come not only in India, but across the world.  What an inspiration she is!

I have added three three YouTube videos – absolutely inspirational! She is the kind of role model we need for our kids.  The interviews were conducted in Hindi/Urdu language she and her parents talk about the inclusive language that I grew up with? Please note, I hope to spend time in understanding Maryam and work on getting it translated into English. She is worth spending the time!

She is blessed to have great parents! Indeed, she inspires me to know that more and more and more Muslims parents have raised their kids to be pluralistic. I cannot thank enough to my parents for giving me and my family similar education – to respect the otherness of others, all of us are God’s creation and respecting each one amounts to respecting God.  My Parents never ever said one negative thing about Hindus, Christians, Jains and others in our town.  Even during communal riots, my father said, it was between two idiotic individuals that flared up into communal thing, he never let us believe that religion is the problem, he said problems always start with individuals so do the solutions. He was clear for us not to be prejudiced towards any one.  

I thank my Mom and Dad for that education, and thank Maryam and her parents for assuring me that, that is how parents should raise their children. Now, I ask you, if  you were raised with similar values, that is no prejudice towards other people, please share it in one powerful short sentence to be included as your quote in the article I am compiling. We have to encourage what is good and multiply it. 

No doubt, there are parents, who poison their kids,  and mess up the lives of their children with ill-will and hatred for others. To those men and women who are biased towards the others, please wake up, and don’t pass that on to your children. Don’t mess with their future, and don’t make them unfits to live in a pluralistic society. Very soon, you will find people of different faiths, cultures, ethnicities, races, nationalities and social backgrounds working, eating, playing, marrying, and doing things together. Prepare them for it, rather than poison them and make their life difficult, you may have lived with fear and hate, but don't give them the same...


Bill Gates is the first known human being in the last 100 years to encourage other wealthy individuals to invest their monies in human development – education, eradication of diseases and skills to support themselves.  What was he going to do with his Billions? Then Warren Buffet and others followed the suit.  It is good to see the fruit of your contribution while you’re alive, than leaving it for others to decide what to be done with it. If you got the money, donate it to causes that bring people together for building safer and securer communities than divisive elements that create anxieties for all, and do it while you are alive. 

Malala is another first teen to set the example to consider the whole world as her family, a concept embedded in all religious teachings and now Maryam!  There are many more like them, if you know some one, put them on the pedestal, it is your responsibility to do that. 

This is what she said, "I, however, have the means to lead a reasonable life because the Almighty has been kind to my parents. But there are many children who are not as lucky as me. So, I have decided to return the cash award to the state government so that it can be used for the betterment of children in need," she said.

Here is the full story:

Maryam Siddiqui winner of Gita Champion League returns 11 lakh (1.1 Million) Indian Rupees award to U .P.  Government.

by kracktivist in Human Rights

Drawing inspiration from Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai for pursuing the cause of education for all, a 12-year-old Muslim girl Maryam Siddiqui who was on Saturday given Rs 11 lakh by UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for winning the Gita Champions League has returned the award.She wants the state gov ernment to use the money for the “betterment of children in need“. Maryam had won the Gita Champions League contest organised by International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) in January in which over 3,000 students had participated. Akhilesh felicitated her on Saturday at an official function in Lucknow, where he gave her the cash award and a plaque.

In a grand gesture unusual for a 12-year-old, Maryam also contributed two cheques of Rs 11,000 each to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and said she would like to see the funds being used for educating orphaned and needy children in the state.

Calling herself an ambassador of peace, Maryam told TOI she is now on a mission to promote the cause of education for the poor.“Education is the only route to change their destiny ,“ she said. “I’m grateful to the UP government for conferring this honour on me. I, however, have the means to lead a reasonable life because the Almighty has been kind to my parents. But there are many children who are not as lucky as me. So, I have decided to return the cash award to the state government so that it can be used for the betterment of children in need,“ she said.

Maryam’s father Asif Siddiqui confirmed that they had submitted an official letter to the Uttar Pradesh government requesting them to use her cash award for educating children, instead.

http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31804&articlexml=Girl-returns-Rs-11L-reward-to-UP-govt-08062015012092

More about Maryam: Good interviews – Pluralism is in their hearts.

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sryEq92aII4
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAsBLusQ7cc
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFfiJ-p_Qs8

Now, I ask you, if  you were raised with similar values, that is no prejudice towards other people, please share it in one powerful short sentence to be included as your quote in the article I am compiling. We have to encourage what is good and multiply it. Send to MikeGhouse@gmail.com 

Thank you

mike
Mike Ghouse, Speaker
(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.   

Happy Janmashtami | Lord Krishna’s birth celebrations.

Hindus around the world are celebrating the appearance of Lord Krishna on this day in 3102 BCE.  In the west Krishna became a known figure with the Hare Krishna movement in the 60’s. Happy Janmashtami, ya'll.

Every human goes thru three major phases of life; birth, life and death.  It is also defined as creation, sustenance/preservation and destruction, and is acknowledged and honored in the Hindu tradition. They see God in each aspect of life as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Brahma reflects the creator form of God, and Vishnu represents the preserver aspect of creation that inspires one to be righteous, and Shiva brings a finite ending to life. It is a part of the life cycle: every human is born, lives on and finally disintegrates. Much of Hindu philosophy revolves around the preservation aspect of life; two of the most common and well known reflections are in the persona of Lord Krishna and Lord Rama, both incarnations of Vishnu.  It is not multiplicity of God, but multiplicity of his (her or it) role in relation to our lives.

As a Muslim, I see Krishna as an exemplary human, a representation of finite wisdom, a man who I admire, and am inspired by his teachings encapsulated in Bhagvad Gita as a dialogue between him and Arjuna on the battle field of Kurukshetra. It is one’s jihad, the internal struggle to be righteous against the temptations to take revenge, do wrong, and or holding on to one’s angry reactions. At the end do the right thing for the common and universal good, as we all are a part of the large family. In Islamic terms, we were all from the same couple created into different nations, communities and groups and asked to know each other to create harmony and peace.
I am sharing the picture of a Muslim woman with her kids dressed up as Bala (Youth)  Krishna in the City of Varanasi which just celebrated its pluralistic heritage, and I regret not attending the event. (http://foundationforpluralism.blogspot.com/2014/08/varanasi-spreading-inclusive-and_12.html ). This picture has gone viral.

Click on pictures to get larger versions

 

A true Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jew or other don’t see each other’s religions as a barrier but a different experience to be in tune with the spirit of the creation. Most people get that right, and a few in each group don’t get it, and sulk in the arrogance of being superior without realizing that arrogance ends with one’s last breath, and no one is superior from that point forward.

This appeals to me a lot when people of different faiths admire each other’s traditions and become a part of it, without being religious. Religion is a personal belief in how an individual relates with his or her creator, the social structure brings people together.  Apparently I was dressed up as Baby Krishna when I was a toddler, and have been blessed to visit his birth place in Mathura.

If you are blessed to have an open heart and mind to stand up for every one of his creation. You will enjoy the life to the maximum. It was my pleasure to take up  an issue against Russians who wanted to ban Bhagvad Gita (http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/12/bigotry-against-hinduism-in-russia.html) and wrote to the Mayor of Moscow to give back the Krishna Temple land they had usurped and restoration of Krishna Temple in Lahore (http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/01/krishna-temple-lahore.html) and there is a whole lot more we all can do collectively.

Open your heart and minds, and cherish the celebration s of fellow humans.  Happy Janamashtami!

More about it in my article at Huffington Post:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/sri-krishna-birthday-celebration-janmashtami_b_1762997.html


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Mike Ghouse is a public speaker, thinker, writer and a commentator on Pluralism at work place, politics, religion, society, gender, race, culture, ethnicity, food and foreign policy. All about him is listed in several links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at www.TheGhousediary.com and 10 other blogs. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

Bigotry against Hinduism in Russia

Incredible attack on the Holy Bhagvad Gita
http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/12/bigotry-against-hinduism-in-russia.html

You and I have allowed blatant bigotry to be preached on our land unquestioned and unchecked.   The damned thing is contagious and spreading to Russia and other nations.  Bigotry exists not because of bigots, but because we have not spoken out against it.

Six years ago in December of 2006, the Archbishop of Russia called Krishna a Satan, and five years ago, the city of Moscow made serious attempts to usurp the land belonging to Krishna Temple.  Of course, a few of us wrote about it and now per the news reports, the “Bhagvad Gita, one of the holiest Hindu scriptures, is facing a legal ban and the prospect of being branded as "an extremist" literature across Russia. A court in Siberia's Tomsk city is set to deliver its final verdict Monday in a case filed by state prosecutors.”


I would have never thought this day would come, when Bhagvad Gita would be attacked, the sacred text of Hinduism, it is rather a dialogue on reflections of one's conscience. It is one of the best self help books to find answers to the eternal questions about righteousness and one's duty to the self and the world.  Hinduism is not a proselyting religion and Bhagvad Gita  should not threaten any one of those weak men of religion. 

The Holy Qur'aan has been deliberately mistranslated by medieval European Kings to paint Islam in bad light so they can frighten their subjects and buy their loyalty, and of course a Muslim Hilali Khan matched those kings and injected words into the translations that were not in Quraan, he wanted to build up ill-will against Jews and Christians for his presumed gain to restore the Caliphate. He has mistranslated nearly  60 Verses of Quraan. Fortunately there are still 20+ translations that are good,  and thank God for that, the Arabic text has remained intact, although a group of proselytizing Christians have made attempts to mis-write Arabic version of Quraan in late eighties and distribute it in Kuwait. The best available translation is by Muhammad Asad, even this needs updating, but a good guide.

The attacks on Quraan and Bhagvad Gita are not based on knowledge but based on selling hate and collecting cash from the gullible congregants who trust the fox that guards the hen, all in the name of the man who taught to tell the truth and love thy enemy.


The good news is this bigotry is controllable, it has afflicted less than a percent of the population,  and all of us together have to work on keeping those cancer cells from multiplying and harming our civilization and our civility.

I urge Non-Hindus to pick up the phone and call the Russian Embassy, if you cannot stand up for others, why should anyone stand up for you? The least you can do is fax a few words to their embassy “This is not a good thing” or write your comments at www.facebook.com/speakermikeghouse or in the comment section of www.Theghousediary.com

Russian Embassy
2650 Wisconsin Ave, NW
Washington, CD 2007
Tel: 202-298-5700
Fax: 202-298-5735

Please remain polite and ask their government to take responsible action and not let a few among them dictate a national policy.  We are a small world, interdependent, interconnected and one fragile unit. Let’s preserve it.

When Robert Jeffress, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, John Hagee, Herman Cain, Tom Tancredo, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and a bunch of talk show hosts spewed hate against fellow Americans, very few of us have spoken out against them in public medium, and they take that as an encouragement and spill out more. You and I are further responsible for remaining silent, when they make shameless comments against Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Wicca, GLBT, Hindus and other. This is not the America we want, nor is this world we like to see. We have to enter into a positive dialogue with a singular goal of building cohesive societies where none of us have to live in apprehension of the other.  


We hope to resume the workshops on Religion, every religion to remove the myths about each religion. http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/04/understanding-hinduism-workshops-by.html

Mike Ghouse is committed to do his share of building a cohesive world and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net and his current articles can be found at www.Theghousediary.com