Fred Phelps, one of the most hated men in America is dead, an eviction notice is in order.

URL - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2014/03/fred-phelps-one-of-most-hated-men-in.html

Reflexively most of us say good riddance!  Someone on the facebook wrote that he wants to know where Fred Phelps will be buried, so he can go spit on his grave!  Death of these rascals is a reminder. What did they gain from their hatred for fellow humans? What did he take with him? Nothing! Instead, he left behind ugliness as his legacy.  Should our hate for him make us mirror him? 

 All pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157624336357507/

Years ago, I approached a restaurant owner friend for concessions on dinner plates for a non-profit event; savings were to benefit a charity. They guy barked at me endlessly and screamed, “I have worked hard for my money, and so should others, I am not going to pay a penny for the damned charity let them pay.”  Finally, I had to ask him to shut up and just say no, and be done with.  Three months later, the guy was in a car accident, and the stop sign pole ran through his face to the back of his head killing him instantly.  My first response was shameful, but then I recovered quickly and mumbled to myself, “I wish you had given that concession, now that you are gone,  I will forgive you, but will not forget to tell the story to others."   

Forgetting is not an option; we simply cannot forget men like Pastor Fred Phelps. Indeed, we need to remind others like him that they will be remembered in a similar way; disdain.  I am not sure people like him would say – why did you not tell me about this before,  had known this, I would not have been an ass. Don’t we encounter these men and women every day? Do we say anything to them?

Forgiveness is central to all faiths.

Justice can be viewed as the ultimate harmony and balance between the subject and the elements that surround it, be it matter or life. Disturb that balance; everything goes haywire, until a new balance is attained or restored.

There are two sides to every equation – the receiving and giving. On the receiving end of the equation, the hurt is emotional or physical. When one is hurt physically, it has to be healed through medicine or physical therapy to restore the balance, but when it is emotional or spiritual; several options are available to be free including revenge, forgiveness or sulking forever.

Revenge appears to bring justice, but really not. It negatively bonds you to the hated, instead of mitigating your tensions, it aggravates your balance and causes you to brood, sulk, and seethe with anger towards the giver of such hurt.

Here is how it works; when my late wife was about to go under hospice, I started working with her in tying the loose ends of her life so she can be free from apprehensions.  One of examples was about an individual who had cheated her in a business transaction, she was angry at him and rightfully so, and said a lot of things to him on the phone despite my suggestions to move on. For years, she was seething with anger whenever she saw him, indeed if we entered a social gathering, either he sneaked out or we walked out. I called him up, reluctantly he came, and the two sought forgiveness and cried, what a relief it was for me to see my spouse become free again. It was not merely uttering the words but acknowledgment of the wrong doing on one side and letting it go on the other without consequence ( If you wish to read the full story, I will send you the link).  The Spiritual freedom is indeed the greatest achievement in one’s life and it permanently clings to you till eternity. Those of us, who can free ourselves from tension, pain, anxiety, apprehension, hostility, malice, pressure, tension, stress, strain and conflicts, are showered with blessings of peace and joy.

The humble option is Forgiveness. It will release us from bonding with the hated one, and helps us move on with life.  Let me assure you - forgiveness releases us.  It was central to Jesus’ teaching; Jesus loved us and wanted us to be free, and the teaching is same in every religious tradition.  In Quran, God says that the dearest person to him is the one who forgives, and adds, I am willing to forgive you, and you need to forgive others, it is for your own good.

 

Eviction Notice to Fred Phelps

When you give an eviction notice to a squatter (an unwanted occupant), not only he gets evicted, but will also be not forgotten, it will go on his or her record. I urge my fellow Americans, particularly Jewish, Gays and Lesbians and Hispanic immigrants to evict him from your hearts, but not forget him. ( Standing up for Jews, Gays and Immigrants - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/standing-up-for-jews-gays_b_650167.html ) Let him not cause your blood to boil, you should not give him that power. Evict him from your hearts and be free.

Sincere forgiveness benefits you the most, not him.  

I will not forget Fred Phelps, but will forgive him. I want to be free, free to do good things for fellow beings.  I had countered him at the Dallas Holocaust Museum, Texas Jewish post, Akiba Academy and a synagogue and few other places.  Pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157624336357507/

In behalf of Muslims, I gathered many of the Holocaust survivors together in the Museum, and did a short Pluralism prayer asking God to give him sense. As I walked out of the Museum, there was a Jewish Kid holding an equally hateful placard – I asked him not to display, thank God the kid obliged while the elders looked on nodding an approval. We also prayed the Pluralism Prayer in front the Akiba Academy.  I have to find the videos and more pictures and my write up. I will be writing a full article on this to be submitted to Huffington Post.

May God help us to be civil and help us forgive him, and not become like him, Amen!

Please note: My book, “Standing up for others” will be released in April on Fox News. There is nothing like freedom!

If you wish to write a review, please send me an email at SpeakerMikeGhouse@gmail.com

...............................................................................................................................
Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and an author 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 a book with the same title is coming up. Mike has a strong 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.

Holocaust, Native American Genocides and the Muslim Guy

Holocaust and the Muslim Guy

Frequently, I am introduced in the following manner, "He is the first Muslim guy to commemorate Holocaust, and perhaps the first non-Jewish person to commemorate the Holocaust as well."  Of all the people on the earth, my mother would be pleased to know that I am doing what it takes to be a "good Muslim," to respect, honor and protect the sanctity of life.
 

As a Muslim committed to building cohesive societies, it was an honor to step up to the plate. Quran 3:133, "And vie with one another to attain to your Sustainer's forgiveness and to a paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth, which has been readied for the God-conscious." I am not driven by paradise, nor do I seek rewards. But it does mean building a cohesive world where no one has to live in apprehension or fear of the other. God-conscious simply means being caring and sensitive to all of God's creation; life and matter.

Of all the people on the earth, my mother would be pleased to know I am doing what it takes to be a "good Muslim," to respect, honor and protect the sanctity of life. 

I have always believed, and I read the assessments of some of the best brains that if we can resolve the Jewish-Palestinian conflict, i.e., security to Jews and justice to the Palestinians, most of the world issues will collapse and a period of peace on earth will begin. 

Commemorating Holocaust and Genocides for seven years is a fulfillment of a lifelong desire. 

Continued at Huffington post - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/holocaust-and-the-muslim-_b_4629509.html#es_share_ended

 # # #
 

A tribute to Eliott Dlin

A TRIBUTE TO ELIOTT DLIN, DALLAS HOLOCAUST MUSEUM
Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 6:36pm | Edit Note | Delete

I am saddened to hear the loss of our own; Dr. Eliott Dlin from the Jewish community of Dallas. I am stressed up, I cannot believe this. We had a dinner last week on February 23rd with our group after the Holocaust event at SMU. http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2010/03/tribute-to-elliott-dlin.html

(Notes Added: The Holocaust Museum has just sent the release on Dr. Dlin, it follows my tribute)

On Wednesday 24th, he shoots me an email to go for lunch to talk about the conference on Holocaust and Genocides I have scheduled, I could not meet with him then, I get another email to meet at Bishop McGriff's funeral on Friday 26th. Alas, we had connected.

I have known Elly since 2006, we have worked together at two of the three Holocaust and Genocides events here in Dallas. He is (was) one of the best educators about Holocaust and gave me a personal tour of the Dallas Holocaust Museum with my other friend Bernie Mayoff.

I had invited him to a meeting at the Memnosyne Foundation in 2008, and from there he became friends with us at Memnoysne as well and he was part of the interfaith service network advisory. We planned a interfaith work to clean and paint the holocaust museum, where people from different faith joined in for the project.

Eliott was the Directors of Dallas Holocaust Museum and through his encouragement I became a member of the Museuem.

The foundation for Pluralism honored him with aplaque recognizing his work in the community at the 2nd Annual Holocaust and Genocides commemoration -
http://picasaweb.google.com/HolocaustandGenocides/IIAnnualReflectionOnHolocaustAndGenocideslectionOnHolocaustAndGenocides#

I will be updating information about him on the face book as well as at: http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2010/03/tribute-to-elliott-dlin.html

I mourn the loss of a friend, from God we come and to God we go.
May your soul be blessed and rest in peace. Amen

Mike Ghouse, Chair
Reflections on Holocaust and Genocides
www.HolocaustandGenocides.com
Dallas, Texas

_______________________________________________

LINK TO THIS TRIBUTE:
http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2010/03/tribute-to-elliott-dlin.html

________________________________________________

Shared by the Dallas Holocauts Museum at 4:00 PM March 4, 2010

Elliott Dlin: The Ultimate Upstander

Dear Friends,

On Wednesday, March 3rd, we lost a friend and Holocaust scholar. Elly Dlin brought as much passion and knowledge as anyone could to our mission to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and to teach the moral and ethical response to prejudice, hatred and indifference, for the benefit of all humanity.

Elly's enthusiasm for teaching about the Holocaust and genocide made it impossible for his audiences to be indifferent; he had the power to transform bystanders into Upstanders. His contributions to the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance were many, but his most remarkable and impressive was the exhibit he set up at our current Record Street location, which now serves as the foundation for all that we do. To say he will be missed is an understatement.

Elly fulfilled many roles, but just last Sunday, he performed a comedy routine at the DHM/CET Purim Party in his Edmonton Oilers hockey jersey. A man of many talents and many friends. And, many have expressed an interest in making contributions to the DHM/CET in Elly's memory. Your sincere support is very much appreciated. We will be working to create a lasting and appropriate memorial to Elly, what he stood for, and his many contributions to the DHM/CET. Your input would be most welcome as we proceed in a thoughtful discussion on how to best honor Elly's legacy.

Sincerely,

"A different world cannot be built by indifferent people"

Elliott Dlin, an internationally-regarded expert on the Holocaust and Museum Director of the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance, devoted his life to fighting indifference.

Dlin believed that indifference is not a neutral position. The Holocaust, he said, would not have been possible without the inaction of so many who stood by from 1933-1945. In dozens of lectures to teachers, school students and community groups, Dlin championed the term "Upstander"--someone who stands up to racism, prejudice and indifference.

"The Holocaust is the turning point in modern history that transformed the unimaginable into the replicable," he said recently. "It demands involvement and vigilance, and its lessons must be taught anew to each generation."

Dlin, 57, died Wednesday, following a heart attack. Services will be 2 p.m. Sunday in Edmonton, Canada, where he was born. A memorial service in Dallas is pending.

"Elly brought as much passion and knowledge as any one could to our mission to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and to teach the moral and ethical response to prejudice, hatred and indifference, for the benefit of all humanity," said Thomas S. Halsey, Chairman of the Board of the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance. "His enthusiasm for teaching about the Holocaust and genocide made it impossible for his audiences to be indifferent; he could transform bystanders into Upstanders."

Rabbis William Gershon, David Glickman and Joseph Menashe of Congregation Shearith Israel said, "Elly was not only a wonderful Holocaust Scholar, but an excellent communicator who deeply touched so many lives. Our hearts go out to the Dlin Family, his colleagues at the Holocaust Museum, as well as to the entire Jewish community. His passing is a true loss for all of us."

Dlin joined the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance as its Executive Director in January 2002, when the Museum was located at the Jewish Community Center of Dallas. In 2005, the Museum relocated to 211 N. Record St. in Dallas' West End Historic District. Dlin personally developed the Museum's current exhibition, which examines one day in the Holocaust-April 19, 1943-from three different perspectives. The Museum hosts more than 50,000 visitors annually.

"Elly's contributions to the DHM/CET were many, but his most remarkable and impressive was the exhibit he set up at our Record Street location, which now serves as the foundation for all that we do," said Halsey. "To say he will be missed is an understatement."

Last December, at the request of the Museum board, Dlin assumed the new title of Museum Director, focusing on educational, archival and other content-related programs. The Museum has purchased land for a new facility at Houston Street and Pacific Avenue, adjacent to the Sixth Floor Museum, and a fundraising campaign is being planned.

Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Elliott Dlin emigrated to Israel in 1977 after completing an MA in Modern European History from The University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

Initially, he taught high school in Jerusalem, then spent 22 years in senior positions for Yad Vashem, Israel's national museum and memorial to the Holocaust in Jerusalem. Dlin worked in the education department where he focused on developing and writing curriculum as well as training teachers to teach about the Holocaust. He helped establish the "International Seminars for Teaching Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust," a multi-language, multi-dimensional program that continues today. From 1993 to 1999, he served as director of the Valley of Communities, a 2.5-acre commemorative site in Yad Vashem where he lectured and curated more than a dozen exhibitions.

In Dallas, Dlin was a passionate speaker and captivating educator. His lectures and presentations wove together historical fact and moral perspective, often leaving spell-bound audience members wanting to hear more. He specialized in bringing a comprehensive worldview to the approach of teaching about the Holocaust, believing memory is both personal and communal.

In January, Dlin was Guest Scholar at Temple Emanu-El for a three-part lecture series entitled, Understanding the Holocaust: Changing Reflections in Film, Media and Beyond. On February 23, he was a presenter and panelist for a program at Southern Methodist University exploring the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission, established by the Texas Legislature and signed by Gov. Rick Perry last June.

At the time of his death, Dlin was nearing completion of a Ph.D. dissertation in Museum Education at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, the subject of which is a comparative study of Holocaust Museums in North America.

Dlin is survived by his wife, Carol Bachman-Dlin; four sons, Yeshai, Oren, Ronen and Raviv; his mother, Helen Dlin; his brother, Dr. Arnold Dlin; a sister, Bonnie Cassios; and many nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made in Dlin's name to the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance, the American Heart Association or to Yad Vahsem.

Elly at a Feb. 23 panel
Elly was a presenter and panelist at the Museum's Feb. 23 event at SMU, exploring the Texas Commission on Holocaust and Genocide, co-sponsored by the Memnosyne Foundation and the SMU Human Rights Program

Elly at the Feb. 28 Purim Party
Elly was an avid fan of his hometown National Hockey League team, the Edmonton Oilers.

Elly at a Yom Hashoah Event
Since his arrival to the Museum in 2002, Elly has overseen planning of the annual Yom Hashoah Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at which we recognize and honor our cherished Holocaust Survivors.

The Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust, and to teaching the moral and ethical response to prejudice, hatred and indifference, for the benefit of all humanity.

For more information, visit dallasholocaustmuseum.org.
And, please visit us at 211 N. Record Street, Suite 100, Dallas, 75202.

Holocaust Museum

Dallas Holocaust Museum
My note and article in Dallas News

Congratulation goes to Alice and hope she can get the different communities involved in the Museum. You have to earnestly make the effort, and you will find support. I am happy to see Elliott Dlin focus on teaching respect for other traditions.

The Dallas Muslims are pleased not only to visit the Museum, but the first ones in the world to commemorate the Holocaust for the third year now. We all have to learn to share the grief and joys of humanity, we have to fall the old political lines and come to gether on a greater purpose of looking to each other as God's creation.

The Muslim initiative will bring the 3rd Annual reflections on Holocaust and Genocides on Sunday, January 24, 2010. You are invited to participate www.HolocaustandGenocides.com on 24th, followed by the event on 26th and the Holocaust Museum. I say to Jews, you are not alone my friends, we are with you.

Mike Ghouse

Dallas News: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/120909dnmetholocaust.337b113ee.html

Dallas Holocaust Museum chooses downtown real estate executive as CEO
01:40 PM CST on Wednesday, December 9, 2009
By BRUCE TOMASO / The Dallas Morning News
btomaso@dallasnews.com

The Dallas Holocaust Museum has selected Alice Murray, a longtime downtown real estate executive, as its chief executive officer.

Murray, who has served as president and CEO of DowntownDallas and the Downtown Improvement District, assumes the newly created post at the museum effective immediately, said Jim Hogue, president of the museum's board of directors.

Alice Murray
At the request of the board, Elliott Dlin, the current executive officer of the museum, will assume the new title of museum director, focusing on educational, archival and other content-related programs.

The museum -- formally known as the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance -- is currently housed at 211 N. Record Street in downtown Dallas. It has purchased land for new quarters at Houston Street and Pacific Avenue, adjacent to the Sixth Floor Museum. Planning for a fund-raising campaign to make that move possible is under way, according to the museum.

Dlin will concentrate in part on preparing for the move, Hogue said.

"When the new museum is built, we want it to be recognized as the finest teaching museum in the region, if not the country," he said.

Murray said of her new job, "I am thrilled, honored and excited to have the opportunity to work with the museum board and staff to take the museum to its next level, especially the construction of a new museum.

"The museum's mission -- to teach the moral and ethical response to prejudice, hatred and indifference -- is unduplicated in its importance for all residents of our city and region."
As a real estate developer, Murray was responsible for the remodeling of the historic Kirby Building on Main Street, which is now residences. She also worked on finishing out the W Dallas Victory Hotel and Residences.

In addition to her volunteer work with DowntownDallas, she has served on the executive committees of the State Fair of Texas and the Trinity Commons Foundation. She was a member of the Mayor's Task Force on Homelessness from 2004 to 2006.

Founded 25 years ago in the basement of the Dallas Jewish Community Center in North Dallas, the museum moved downtown in 2005. More than 55,000 people, including about 40,000 schoolchildren and their teachers, visit every year.

~~~~

History of Holocaust

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Learned the outline of History of Holocaust from Eliott Dlin, director of Holocaust Museum, who gave a lecture on the history of Holocaust, tracing from 1948 through now. Actually his voice was not helping him so Kathy, his assistant read the speech.

Full lecture will be posted at http://www.holocaustandgenocides.com/ blog along with a few pictures I took at the Dallas Holocaust Museum today.

A few key points that jump at me are;

- Aba Eban, once the Foriegn Minister of Israel and a staff member of David Ben Gurion shared the story about the King of Thailand congratulating the birth of a new nation and wanted to present two Elephants - apparently Ben Gurion was not happy and told Eban what he was going to do with the Elephant and told him reject the offer, so Aba Eban diplomatically wrote to the Thai King that we do not accept any animal that eats a lot. Elly was connecting that story with the West Bank, which he did not want to keep as it was an Elephant to them.

- The 1973 War was a turning point in the history of the left and right of Israel, they came together after the Yom Kippur war and realized the need to teach about Holocaust. Germany learned about the word Holocaust for the first time in late 70's.

- The teaching of Holocauast in Israel began in the early 70's

- Jimmy Carter initiated or created a commision to build the Holocaust Museum on the Mall at DC at the 30th Anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz in 1978.

- the 1967 war changed the psyche of Jews for the first time in History, they were no longer a passive people, but the one with muscle with the victory of the six day war.

- 1952 Ben Gurion apparently said, if he had a choice of human rights and security of Israel, he would take the security over human rights. This is quite interesting, I have written extensively about Israel's security needs at http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/ but was reinforced today about the security being the driving reason for their existence. Elly did touch on the human rights issue from the left and the security obsession of the right.

- Israel claimed to be the sole heir for the Jews who dies in Holocaust and Germany repatriated funds close to $25 Billion, that amounted to nearly 87% of Israels GNP in 1956.

- Poland was Po-lein for Jewish people, meaning live here. The Jews were invited to Poland to be the middle class in the 11th century, to manage businessess and be a conduit with the peasants.

- 3 Millions Jews were killed in Poland alone, where the majority of Jews lived.

- I spoke about the Muslim initiative to build bridges between communities, to be with Jews in their suffering and to share their grief. We are all in it together and Jews should not be alone. I hope in the next few years, people learn about Holocaust, Genocides and Massacres and take steps to prevent it from happening.

More later, it's 3:16 AM,
Could not sleep.

Mike Ghouse
-