Rockville, MD – Interfaith Meeting on how to deal with violent crimes

As a Muslim I don’t want sympathies, what I want is what everyone wants, a sense of security and letting me live my life as others live theirs. Throw me in a jail for the crimes I commit, but don’t blame me or my religion for the acts someone else commits. As fellow Americans this is what you can do for the other members of the family of faiths, and become a consistent voice to propagate the following narratives…. in the text below. Mike Ghouse

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May 12, 2016, Rockville, MD – The Faith Leaders response team of Montgomery County’s Faith community working group held their monthly interfaith meeting at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rockville.

The MCPD Asst. Chief Darryl McSwain and Asst. Chief Luther Reynolds, and MC Fire Chief, Scott Goldstein shared their perspectives in developing safe communities.  Both the departments offer facility orientation programs, that is,  training and preparing the members of worship places to ‘what if’ scenarios in case of a gunman walking in,  a fire breaks out or any other untowardly events.

Montgomery County Faith Leaders – Photo Courtesy: Chuck Lee

Rev. Dr. Carol Flett facilitated the meeting attended by nearly 30 individuals representing many faith communities.

A member from each table shared the general conversation of his or her given table.  From our table, we shared the needs of various communities. Imam Hadji Sall from Silver Springs Mosque talked about the space needs for his Mosque, he and I have agreed to have a discussion and present the possible solutions to the group. There was an acknowledgement needed for bullying that goes on with Hindu kids along with Muslim and Sikh kids, Richa from the Chinmaya Mission shared that information.

Rabbi Gerry Serotta, Executive director of interfaith council of Washington shared about the upcoming Interfaith Bridge Builders Awards on June 2, event as a head of the Interfaith council of Metropolitan Washington, one of the pastors shared that they pray for the both the victims and the offenders in case of crises.  Of course, Scott Goldstein shared what the Fire Department does in case of crises, he made it little humorous about catching the animals.

I found the following powerful quote from the signature line of Rev. Dr. Carol Flett worth sharing, as it resonated with the theme of the verse 49:13 from Quran that I have been elaborating on for over 15 years. It is a Martin Luther King Quote, “”…I am convinced that men hate each other because they fear each other. They fear each other because they don’t know each other, and they don’t know each other because they don’t communicate with each other, and they don’t communicate with each other because they are separated from each other.”

It was a joy to meet with Dr. Ajaib Singh Siddhu and his wife Hema, who are also friends with Dr. Harbans Lal since their college days. Hema said she and Harbans graduated from the same college same year one got the PhD and the other D. Lit.  Dr. Lal is a father figure to me, and I have always admired him and continue to seek his wisdom from time to time.

Great food, the families brought in so many varieties of vegetarian food that I have enjoyed at the Jain Temples in the past.

PROPOSAL TO THE GROUP

I am pleased to propose to the group, that in one of the upcoming meetings, we can facilitate a talk on the First Amendment; we will also hold a workshop on First Amendment at our facility at the United Methodist building soon. There is a continual need to understand the first amendment on a regular basis.  Please let me know the first time slot available to do this.

The discussion on how we are dealing with the recent violent incidents in Paris, Brussels, Lahore and our County, with members of our congregations. Let’s discuss practical ways we can reduce anxiety and xenophobia in our own communities, and continue to build a socially cohesive and compassionate county.

I am pleased to share my write up.

Dealing with violent incidents in Paris, Brussels, Lahore and here in the United States

The bottom line of every religion, government and the society is to create cohesive societies that function well, where rule of law is the norm, and where no one has to live in fear, or apprehension of the fellow beings.

It is our duty to keep law and order and faithfully guard the safety of every citizen. Hate is one of the many sources of disrupting peace in a society, and it is our responsibility to track down the source of such hate and work on mitigating it.  Ultimately, my safety hinges on safety of others around me.

There is wisdom in the saying, “Sin is the problem and not the sinner” when we focus on the sin, there is a chance to redeem the individual from the sin, where as if we attack the sinner, we will kill the chances of redemption. The idea is to single out the cause for the situation and work on finding solutions.

Similarly, we single out the criminal responsible for the crime,  and not  blame his or her spouse, parents, siblings, kids, family members, rabbi, imam, pastor, Pundit or religious leader, mayor of the town, governor of the state, president of the country or the religion.

If a rapist is running around in our neighborhood, everyone gets apprehensive and makes sure the doors are locked, alarm is set and family members are guarded. The moment that creep is caught, everyone sighs and takes a deep breath of relief.

What’s happened here is,  the “trust” is restored in the community; people feel safe and start living their normal life again.  There is nothing like feeling secure.  Indeed, Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) work was to build secure societies and he likened the sense of security to mother’s lap where the child feels secure. No matter what is happening to him/her, the child knows he or she is safe in her mother’s lap, the child knows mother will take care of him/her.  Mother is one’s security and trust is the key.

The Prophet vision of a civilized society was when a single woman loaded with Jewelry and fine clothing could go from the City of Madinah to the City of Damascus and return without being harassed, chased or robbed of her dignity. That was the kind of civility he had envisaged.   A majority of Muslims got that message right and have become the source of such civility; however a few did not get it and we have to work with them.

Those who did not get their religion right, no matter what religion, region or race they belong to cause death and destruction. The list is endless; Brussels, Paris, Grand Bassam, Ankara, Gaza, Mumbai, Bali, Abu Ghraib, Afghanistan, Iraq and several more across the globe including the latest rampages of ISIS.   Here at home we have San Bernardino along 354 Mass murders in 2015.   Individuals wear suicide vests and hurt others, while nations wrap mega ton bombs to their fighter jets and destroy nations and cities.  All of us should reflect on the ugliness embedded in a few men from each one of our faiths.

There is not a religion out there that preaches discrimination or hatred for others.  Isn’t that the case with Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism or any faith?  Religion doesn’t teach, but the Guardians make a villain out of God towards others. God is not a villain, he/she/ it is about justness, fairness, equity and kindness to the entire creation.

What can we do to cut down the fear mongering and pitting every one against Muslims?

As a Muslim I don’t want sympathies, what I want is what everyone wants, a sense of security and letting me live my life as others live theirs. Throw me in a jail for the crimes I commit, but don’t blame me or my religion for the acts someone else commits.

As fellow Americans this is what you can do for members of the family of faiths, and become  a consistent voice to propagate the following narratives;

1. Individuals or cult leaders are responsible for their crimes and not anyone else.  Let’s not even blame their parents, pastors, mayors, or their religion or their nation.
2. We bring justice by punishing the criminals and restore trust in the society, no one but the criminal is responsible for his or her acts.
3. Religion is like the Nuclear power, in the right hands it is beneficial to the mankind, but in the wrong hands, it brings death and destruction.   Neither religion is bad nor the nuclear power; it is the users and abusers who are good or bad.
4. We absolve religion from any blame, as religion is an intangible entity which you cannot kill, kick, murder, slaughter, hang, shoot or bury. Trust cannot be restored in the society by barking aimlessly in the dark.
5. War on terror is a dumb idea; it should be war on ignorance through education and knowledge.

References:

Ten Reasons you should not fear Muslims – http://centerforpluralism.com/10-reasons-you-should-not-fear-muslims/

A Pakistani Turned Texans breaks down misconceptions about Muslims – http://centerforpluralism.com/a-pakistani-turned-texan-breaks-down-6-misconceptions-americans-have-about-muslims/

What Is Islam? http://muslimspeakers.blogspot.com/2016/05/what-is-islam.html

Who is a Muslim? https://www.facebook.com/Dieu.laPatrie.leRoi/videos/10200648568453423/

Islam is Pluralism – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7Tyt7raIXM

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) at www.TheGhousediary.com

Purpose of Interfaith Dialogue

PURPOSE OF INTERFAITH DIALOGUE
URL - http://pluralismcenter.blogspot.com/2013/10/purpose-of-interfaith-dialogue.html

The purpose of interfaith dialogue is to learn about each other, and to separate the myths from the realities.  To learn about each other as we believe and practice, and not what others say about us or vice-versa.

The bottom line is how do we build a society that all of us can learn to respect the otherness of others, and no one has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other. Interfaith efforts are directed towards that goal. 

Prophet Muhammad is the first man to have conducted an interfaith dialogue.  Zarathustra, Moses, Krishna, and even Jesus did not have that opportunity. Prophet Muhammad was dealing with Judaism, Christianity, Pagans and other monotheistic traditions prevalent at that time. It was followed by the Muslims in Spain, and King Akbar in India.

Now we have many groups engaged in interfaith dialogue - there are about three or four of us who teach pluralism ; Aga Khan, Eboo Patel, myself and a few other Muslims. We have zero prejudice towards any faith, and we build Islam while building other faiths as well. Our Islam grows bigger as others faiths also shine.. our Islam does not hinge on diminishing or giving lesser value to other faiths.

Sadly, most of the fellow Americans have a singular perception of Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus…. and others, and those perceptions were built up by media.  Even those who have been a part of the interfaith dialogue still are set in what is dished out to them for years.

Interfaith dialogue, removes those myths – hear me out, this is what Judaism is and not what you imagine, this is Islam, and not what you see on Fox…. INTERFAITH dialogue helps put together the real image of the group as opposed to what is out on television.  The input is coming from the respective religious representatives and not defined by someone else. 

How do we do that? http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/09/special-report-on-quran-burning-that.html

Indeed, in Quran 49:13 God says, I have created you into many tribes, communities…. And the best one among you is the one who knows each other.  God knows there will be conflicts with diversity, and then he tells us the best ones among us are those who learn about each other. Knowledge leads to understanding and understanding to acceptance of each other.

That is the ultimate goal of interfaith – to respect the otherness of others as Pluralism is defined by us.  That is you are who you are, and I am who I am. I will accept you the way you believe, dress, smile and I expect the same from you. In true interfaith meetings, there are no compromises, what is the need? After all it is a belief, and as long as it does not mess with my food, water, space and my loved ones, you are welcome to be who you are, as I will be who I am.

Of course, we will always have a few Muslim spies, Jewish spies, Hindus spies… and a few Muslims, Baha’i and Christians come to convert others, it’s a sport to them to see how many they can hunt.  They are a danger to building cohesive societies where no one has to live in apprehension of the other.

I am part of many groups and including my own – the rule is no one will even hint about conversion, or claim superiority of their faith over others. They can extol their faith, but never put down the other.

I have written quite extensively on the topic… Let me share the negative side of it which are few and far between:  http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/04/interfaith-disappointements.html

Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916 text/talk
Foundation for Pluralism
Studies in Religious Pluralism and societal pluralism
. . . . .

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.

Intra-faith panel discusses peaceful Islamic futures

(This site www.TheGhousediary.com lists all of Mike's writings, however, when his work is cited by Newpapers, periodicals or TV and Radio Networks, it gets listed here with different authorships)

Thursday, February 28, 2013
by Ken Chitwood, Houston Chronicle

http://blog.chron.com/sacredduty/2013/02/intra-faith-panel-discusses-peaceful-islamic-futures/ 

Mike Ghouse, moderator, and panelists from the Ahmadiyya, Sunni, Shia and 

WD Mohammed traditions of Islam stand together at the Boniuk Center's

 Intra-faith panel on Islam 

In the decade since 9/11 there has been increased discussion of the importance of “interfaith cooperation.” The likes of Eboo Patel and others are calling for expanded dialogue between people of differing faiths – Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, Christians, the non-religious and more. But what of “intra-faith” dialogue, a conversation between various denominations, or sects, of one faith?

On Thursday February 21, 2013 at Rice University’s Boniuk Center, an event sponsored by the Asia Society of Texas took place that invited various facets of the Islamic tradition together for an interchange across sectarian lines. Participating in the event were representatives from the Ahmadiyya, Sunni, Shia and WD Muhammed Islamic groups. It was the first event of its kind.

The Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance, “is dedicated to nurturing tolerance among people of all and no faiths.” Supporters of, and scholars at, the center seek, “to understand the conditions that make peaceful coexistence possible and to promote these conditions locally, nationally and throughout the world.” Similarly, the Asia Society is, “dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders and institutions of Asia and the United States in a global context.”

According to Mike Ghouse, active pluralist, Muslim and moderator for the event, “this dialogue was not an effort to reconcile the differences, or find convergence.” He said, “it was merely to begin a process of sharing where Muslims agree or disagree, and honestly acknowledging our differences without judgment.”

Interfaith cooperation and dialogue does not insist that all religions are the same at the core, and so, “intra-faith” discussions such as this also acknowledge that differences in faith and practice among Muslims cannot be watered down. There are real disagreements and exclusive truth claims that come into conflict with one another. However, in interfaith, as well as “intra-faith,” dialogue, all parties seek to discuss common values and avenues for shared cooperation.

Ghouse said, “The panel made every effort not to appease any one, but to state their own position politely without ever considering the other opinion to be anything less.” “It was not an effort to convert the other, but rather our struggle (jihad) to understand each other genuinely,” he said. As an example, the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) was raised up for the participants to emulate.

The program consisted of greetings from representatives of the Asia Society and the Boniuk Center before Mr. Ghouse took the podium to offer introductory remarks and invite participants and attendees into a process of what he called, “genuine dialogue.”

Preceding his questions, Ghouse noted that, “Islam is a universal faith that has embraced every race, ethnicity, language and culture” and yet, “at this precise juncture in history,” scores of Muslims from Sunni, Shia, Ahmadiyya, and other traditions are persecuted the world over. He noted that this dialogue is a pilot attempt at dialogue to defeat such hostility.

The participants – Imam Azhar Haneef, Imam Wazir Ali, Imam Moustafa al-Qazwini and Imam Dr. Zia Shaikh – responded to questions such as, “Has living in America affected the outlook and separation of culture and religion; what does the next generation think about these differences; and what does it mean to lead a righteous life?

Shahed Ahmed, a representative of, and advocate for, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, was happy to have his group participate and be represented by Imam Azhar Haneef, vice president of the community in the U.S. Ahmadiyya Islam was founded 120 years ago by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who modern followers believe to be a reformer and Messiah, foretold by the Prophet Mohammed, who came to end religious wars, condemn bloodshed and reinstitute morality, justice and peace. They are persecuted in places such as Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh for what some Muslims of other traditions consider heretical beliefs.

“As an ostracized denomination in Islam, it’s important that we engage other Muslims in a more meaningful and powerful way,” said Ahmed. He said, “We need platforms like this to build bridges in order to allow pluralism to thrive and serve as a model for countries that otherwise close their doors on religious freedom.”

Ghouse agreed with Ahmed and said, “This event is critical to setting the tone of dialogue among Muslims.” He also said the event was a “God-given opportunity” for education and motivation among the Muslim community.

Still, he tempered his optimism, and that of others, and said the panel, and surrounding events such as a shared dinner, was just the beginning.

“By the end of 2020, there will not be a major workplace in America or India or elsewhere where you will not find people of different faiths, cultures, ethnicities, races, nationalities or social backgrounds working, eating, playing, marrying and doing things together,” said Ghouse.

To that end he said, “we need to prepare ourselves for those eventualities to prevent possible conflicts and lay a good foundation for nurturing goodwill.” He hopes that such an event, constituted among Muslims of varying ilk, was a step in such a direction.

*Follow Ken Chitwood (@kchitwood) for more on religion & culture

Categories: Houston Religion, Interfaith Dialogue, Islam, Religion and Culture,Religion and the Public Sphere