Good Parenting and Interfaith marriages

Good parenting and interfaith marriages | http://interfaithmarriages.blogspot.com 

Once your kids turn 18, you would know if you have failed or succeeded as a parent. I am pleased to share the two sides of the coin.

On Friday the 18^th day of March 2016, it was a joy to officiate an interfaith marriage between a Muslim bride and a Mormon groom.  What transpired there was a joyful union of not only of the man and the woman but of their families.  I am pleased to share a few good things after the ceremony. I hope some of you can relate to it, and some rejoice it knowing that there are so many great parents out there. 

Some of the most beautiful moments of the weddings that I cherish were; the statement made by bride’s father, "My daughter took complete charge of this ceremony; it's all her planning." He was very proud of the fact that his little daughter is so capable. The Mother of the Bride, on the other hand, was standing quietly and admiring her daughter’s freedom and independence.  I wish I had taken her picture, she was standing right in front me absorbed in her daughter’s happiness.  The Grooms parents acknowledged how they have raised their son to be open minded about fellow humans. Of course, I can relate with his faith, one of my best friends was a Mormon. Groom’s mother was serenely happy and the father felt proud of seeing his son making a great choice.

This is the ultimate achievement of good parenting that your kids are independent and are ready to live their lives on their own terms.

On the other hand, if your kids fear you, you are missing the beauty of the relationship, but don't lose hope, you can start the process of restoring the relationship now.

In one of the interfaith weddings I officiated a few years ago, a Christian man turned Atheist was marrying a Hindu girl, and his parents had disowned him and did not want to talk with him unless the girl is converted. (Conservatism is a part of every religion).  It took some counseling and the father agreed to attend the wedding ceremony if I call on Jesus as the witness, and groom agreed to live with it.  After all, that is the whole purpose of an interfaith marriage ceremony, to give a semblance of their faith in the sermon.  After the ceremony, the father who was standing aloof in the corner, walked up to me and gave a big hug and joined his kids in the celebrations. Thank God, the tenseness between the families evaporated in a hurry, it was meant to be.

You may consider watching the movie “2 States” with English subtitles; it is one of the finest Bollywood movies made about a tyrant father restoring his relationships with his son. However, the main plot of the movie was humor that comes with inter-ethnic marriages.
 

Good parenting involves a good relationship. If your kids are excited to share their story or talk with you without fear, you are a damn good parent, and you are blessed with the relationship to cherish it for a lifetime.

Discipline yes, the punishment no.

I never spanked or screamed at my kids, there was no need for it, but, I am glad their mother gave them the discipline they needed,  while freedom was my thing.

It tears me apart when a few men shout at their kids, let alone beat them up. What a shame it is, they are incapable of respecting their own offspring, what will they respect then?  If they were not respected, it does not mean they have to pass it on to their offspring, we have to make it better for each successive generation, and they have to take that step.

One of the greatest lessons I have learned from my ex-wife was to keep love to discipline ratio above 4: 1, that is, give them love and hug four times before a disciplinary command. It worked well for me even though I was a failed disciplinarian, I just couldn't be tough, particularly with my girl, when she responded with Yes Sirs, nor could I be tough with my boy, I could not stand humiliation on his face.  Now, as a Grandfather, I watch him deal with his little son, and what a joy it is to me that he treats his kid with patience, logic and reason, and the little sucker responds to him, just like he did with me. I am all smiles.

A few men have the arrogance to believe, that, unless you scream and frighten your kids, they don't learn, that is baloney!  Imagine working for a boss who screams at you, thank God that breed is disappearing now. I had one like that in India.

What is the need to control kids?  Instead, you ought to think about the following pledge to restore your relationship with your family members;

Take the pledge!

"Let them be who they are"
"Let me get out of their way"
"Let me shed my arrogance to teach them"
"Let them make mistakes and correct themselves"
"Let them be independent"
"Let them make their own decision”
“Let me be a good listener to my kids”
“Let me not interrupt them while they are talking”
“Let me believe them when they say even the most outrageous things”
“Let me be their friend”

It is never too late, both the parent and the kids desire, want, and seek this, take the first step and enjoy the relationship with your family members.

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.MikeGhouse.net and www.TheGhousediary.com for his exclusive writings. 

Happy Valentine's Day - it will morph into a universal affection day

Valentine's Day | www.InterfaithSpeaker.com 

Love has no bounds; it is between two people in love, husband and wife, mother and son, father daughter, brother sister, brothers, sisters, friends, uncles, aunties, Grand Pa and Grand Ma and any one you care about. From an exclusive meaningful rendezvous between two lovers, the Valentine's Day will morph into an all inclusive romantic day. It will become a universal affection day within a decade.  

Throughout the history of language, words have taken on new and expanded meanings; Valentine's Day is no exception.

From an exclusive meaningful rendezvous between two lovers, the Valentine's Day will morph into an all inclusive romantic day. It will become a universal affection day within a decade.

Valentines Day is a universal expression of affection between two individuals. Love has no bounds; it is between two people in love, husband and wife, mother and son, father daughter, brother sister, brothers, sisters, friends, uncles, aunties, Grandpa and Grandma and any one you care about.

Please feel free to say happy valentine to your sister, mother, brother, daughter, dad, uncle or a friend. It is a much bigger word now than it started out to be. Take them out for dinner and send them flowers to let them know that you care if you are the only one for them at this point in life.

Sadly, some of you are going to feel lonely, if you miss the love in your life; you have an opportunity to fulfill it. There is plenty in you that you can give by feeding the homeless, visiting lonely patients in the hospitals or nursing homes, disadvantaged women and children, and our veterans... share whatever little you have with them including the time and just listening to them. When a homeless person asks, give whatever you can, that is the most affectionate thing to do, you will enrich yourselves far greater by sharing.

Whenever the word affection comes to mind, I picture my dad and recall the way he called out my Mother's name Khairun, it was romantic and filled with affection and I have always enjoyed the sound of it, it was simply soothing to hear.

Well, I am wishing a Happy Valentine's Day to my loved ones and friends and the same to your loved ones and friends. 

Mike Ghouse
Text or Talk at (214) 325-1916

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, news maker, and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, terrorism, human rights, India, Israel-Palestine and foreign policy. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. Visit him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net for his writings at TheGhousediary.com and several blogs listed there in. 

Mike Ghouse on Capitol forum TV by Frank Islam in Washington

February 12, 2016 – Washington, D.C.,  The Capitol Forum TV show in Washington has released a video of my interview.

YouTube VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swl2_zYCoi8

Frank Islam asks questions about my passion, work and what will I  be doing in Washington D.C. What is interfaith movement, Who are my mentors and what is Pluralism and what is that I want to achieve for the Muslim community?

Frank is a philanthropists in Washington DC and has generously contributed $2 Million to his Alma Mater AMU setting an example of contributing back to the place that made him who he is today.

Your feedback is requested.

Mike Ghouse
Text or Talk at (214) 325-1916

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, news maker, and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics,terrorism, human rights, India, Israel-Palestine and foreign policy. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. Visit him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net for his writings at TheGhousediary.com and several blogs listed there in. 

Congressman John Lewis from Georgia's 5th District

Congressman John Lewis | www.TheGhouseDiary.com

Monday, January 4, 2015 - Washington, DC -- I walked into my favorite Chinese Restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue, and spotted Congressman John Lewis, and walked up to him, he was gracious and we carried a conversation. What a joy it was to have this accidental Dinner meeting. 

He is a good listener indeed, and listened to my narrative about speaking from the steps of Lincoln Memorial, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his " I have a dream" speech which gave birth to the civil rights acts fulfilling the founding fathers vision that we are all created equal. 

We chose the same steps to deliver our speech, and our vision where Muslims will be accepted as equals and reach a new milestone of integration. 

He was happy to hear that as Muslims and Christians came together to celebrate once in our life time auspicious birth event of Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad on Saturday, December 26th on the very steps where MLK spoke his dream.  The idea of the event was to come together to create a better America for every American. 

He said, he was in Atlanta during that time, and would have loved to join the event. We have many more events coming up this year and we will make sure to invite him.

More about John Lewis - https://johnlewis.house.gov/john-lewis/biography

Mike Ghouse | (214) 325-1916 

 

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, newsmaker and a professional speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam,  politics, human rights, Terrorism,  and foreign policy.  Mike is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com 

American Muslim Institution condemns Paris Terror attacks.

PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916
Mike@AmericanMuslimInstitution.org
www.AmericanMuslimInstitution.org 

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American Muslim Institution condemns Paris Terror attacks.

Washington, DC, November 13, 2015 - It has been a difficult evening for the entire humanity to watch terrorists barge in places and shoot people randomly. Over a hundred people have become the victims of terror and another hundred are wounded.

While the French authorities have not formally ascribed responsibility for this act of terror to any particular group - it appears to have been committed by Islamist extremists. Regardless of the religious affiliation the perpetrators may claim, we strongly condemn this heinous terrorist crime.

We applaud the French Police for doing their best to cut down on the loss of innocent lives and finally removing the immediate threat to lives. We stand with the people and Government of France as they deal with this tragic event and bring the people behind this terrorist act to account.

Our thoughts and prayers go out for the victims and their surviving relatives. May God give them immense patience to cope with this tragedy. 

As Muslims, we are deeply offended and condemn this act of terrorism against innocent people; they have violated every societal norm as well as the rules laid by the very faith they claim to belong. This is not the act of a Muslim, but of rogues who claim to follow the faith. Quran 5:32 say, "If anyone slays a person, it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people."

We have to tackle this issue head on, and cut the roots of extremism, while we are doing that, prayers and a candle vigil gives us some coherence. The children need to be with us to reassure them that God is a higher power and it gives hope and relief to all of us.

Lighting a candle is telling ourselves that we have taken the first smallest step that we can actually take, and hope and pray to find larger solutions.

Please light a candle wherever you  are to show our support to the people of France.

# # # 

Living a purposeful life

LIVING A PURPOSEFUL LIFE | TheGhouseDiary.com
http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2015/09/living-purposeful-life.html

Have you found a purpose in your life? If you have, congratulations to you!  If you have not, I have created a blueprint for you below. All you have to do is take 'an hour' away from everything and every one, and reflect on your life.

You give time to so many things, so many causes, and spend time on things that you regret, but it is time to spend it on yourselves. There is nothing more peaceful than knowing yourselves.

This is for you, a blueprint for a successful life

Life becomes so much more meaningful when we choose to make it purposeful, despite the problems we encounter.  

I have found my purpose, and that is to work towards creating a cohesive world, where no human has to live in anxieties, tensions or fear of the others. Remember, nothing in life is noble, superior or lofty,  it is just what you want and get it.

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Published at Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/2014-a-blueprint-for-a-pu_b_4517662.html

You can make your life purposeful, meaningful and enjoyable, and can choose to be the driver of your life or be driven by others. The choice, as well as the excuse, is yours. I pray that we retain the ability to choose what we want in our lives.

Success is not necessarily driving a Mercedes, having a luxury home, yacht, or making a six-figure income. It is not about doing better than your friends, classmates, siblings or parents either.

Success is rather living the life you want to live with or without things.

Nothing in life is more important than knowing yourselves, who you are, what is that you want, and how do you get it. Remember, no one knows you better than you.

I am pleased to share my experience with you, hoping that you can relate with it.

Once upon a time, I was an ambitious guy and was driven to conquer the world, and simply did not have the patience with people who lacked ambition. A divorce and the death of my mother had humbled me down, as other things have humbled others. I started understanding the varying ambition levels in people and decided that there was no need to drive oneself nuts. I have learned to respect the otherness of others and have accepted the God-given uniqueness of each one of us. This has brought peace, tranquility and happiness to me.

Another year is about to go away. Some of my friends will read this note next year, but those who read it now, I urge you to consider spending an hour with yourselves creating a purposeful blueprint for 2014.

Where to Begin?

The most important thing is to commit yourselves to actually sit down and write out what you want in 2014. I am serious. If you make that simple commitment, you will find yourselves a life that you can enjoy. If you are afraid of making that commitment, then it is time to challenge yourselves. You got nothing to lose, but gain.

Goethe wrote, "Until one is committed, there is hesitancy... Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred.... Whatever you can do or dream that you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."

Here As a Step-By -Step Outline.

Grab a writeable napkin, email yourselves, open the note pad on your cell phone or simply write on a 3x5 card -- Hell with these, write it on your palm -- the following seven things in any order you want.

1. Family

2. Friends

3. Financial

4. Professional

5. Spirituality

6. Volunteerism

7. Health

It should not have taken you more than five minutes to write this down. Now you can get back to your work, driving, eating or whatever you were doing.

When you get the next coffee break or have to go to the rest room, think of other items that are important to you. Register it in your mind and let go of it, and don't worry about remembering it. I guarantee you, it will come back to you because you have made the commitment.

Number One Friends

On your way home, work, gym or grocery store, think about your item number one and don't let anything crowd you, not even item number two. Let's say your item number one is Friends. You then will spend the next few minutes reviewing about your friends, and what you need to do. Think about a friend who can listen to you, encourage you, and uplift you.

Do you have a friend that you really like, but resent his or her criticism of everything you say or do? It is time to be straight forward. Good friends will not go away if you gather up the courage to say, "Joni, I need your help. When I say something or do something, please hold on to your temptation to critique me, and kindly listen to me and encourage me with positive thoughts. I am having difficulty in coping with criticism at this time."

If they don't like it and want to break the relationship, let them. If you fear a loss of a relationship, then you really did not have the relationship to lose it. You don't lose good friends, no matter what happens, unless you steal their spouse.

Consider reducing your close friendships to a few who can take and give crap without affecting the relationship. Good friends can tune in to your moods or listen and be gentle to you when you want them to be, or brutal when you need them to be, but always be truthful.

Please remember, no one knows what is going on in your mind and you don't need to be afraid of seeing all the possibilities from useless to useful and everything in between.

Number One Family

If you were to select Family as your number one item -- please understand that many people are hurt. Some of the relationships are good, bad and ugly, and unfortunately that is a fact of life. You still have a life to live and how you want to steer it forward is your choice. Let that be your choice and don't let anyone to run over you, as it may have happened through this date.

Start with each relative. Give at least a minute to each one of them, but don't hesitate to dwell on them as much as you want. Whether you believe in God or not, those are incomplete transactions of life that will bite incessantly until they are closed.

Closure comes with death. There is nothing you or they can do, and the ugly transactions do close upon death. Do we want to live in agony till then? We owe it to ourselves to have freedom from that bondage now. Forgiving is the most powerful tool available to humanity -- there is nothing like it. It brings freedom.

If you are religiously inclined, and are Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Wicca, Pagan, Zoroastrian or from a native tradition, your tradition has a lot to offer on the subject. God's love is not denied to anyone who seeks it. Every religion is beautiful -- it is our understanding that is flawed.

Number Seven Health

Now that you have thought about each one of the seven major items, it's time for you to take an hour out -- the best hour of your life that you can spend on New Years Eve or New Years day. 

In that hour, you get to finalize your plan for 2014. You sum up your thoughts in bullets or paragraphs -- it is entirely up to you.

You Are Done Now.

It is a great feeling to know oneself -- it is liberating. The mere exercise will put a blue print in your hands. Now you are ready for 2014. You have a good idea where you are heading and once you see the pathway, you just have to walk on it. If you get in the car, you need to know where and how to go. Your blue print can be simple or more detailed.

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. It is good to be free.

My example:

As an example, I am pleased to share about my life. Of course, this is the generic information and not specifics, which will remain private. By the way, there is not much that is private about me. Here is the Ghouse formula for happier living -- Happiness and secretiveness are inversely proportional (i.e., greater the happiness, lower the secretiveness and vice-versa).

1. Family wise there is improvement and more time will be spent with family in 2014.

2. Relationships with friends have been steady. I have not added any new friends in 2013. However, 2014 will have at least one new friend. I will work on mutual growth of at least three friendships to grow into my venture of teaching pluralism. 

3. Financially, I have not improved a bit over the last year and I plan to restore the financial status I had several years ago.

4. Professional goals:

- Publishing 313 articles per year was my goal and I accomplished it with 317.

- Over 300 newspapers have published my work worldwide this year.

- The release of my book, Standing Up for Others, is delayed to January.

- Failed to open a session at Capitol Hill with pluralism greetings and prayers.

- Will be on Jon Stewart, Rachel Maddow, and Piers Morgan shows in 2014.

- Workshops on pluralism at Capitol Hill and Senate will be conducted.

- College campus tours to talk about building a cohesive America.

- The Pluralism Journal and Pluralism Institute is planned, patrons invited.

- You can count on learning about every major festival this year.

5. Spirituality has become boundary-less for me.

6. Volunteerism will continue at a slower pace than the past years.

7. My future is what I make with the blessings of the spirit around me, and from my friends 
and well wishers.

We will never go to any place if we don't have a place to go and we will never have the joy of knowing ourselves, if we don't make an effort.

Please share your goals with your close friends or public to hold you accountable, and to keep you on the tract.

If you have the time, please visit my Google profile at:
https://plus.google.com/108969690090944956820/about

--

Mike Ghouse is a motivational 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. His book, "Standing up for others," is due to be released in January.

Mike Ghouse honored, he is Dr. Mike Ghouse now

Mike Ghouse honored | TheGhousediary.com 

The Grace International Seminary awarded the Doctor of Divinity to Mike Ghouse – an honorary Doctorate for his work on Pluralism. Thanks to Dr. Karen Hollie-Thibodeuax the Chancellor the Seminary, and Bishop Thibodeuax and Mark Hernandez for facilitating this happening.

Mike is considered an authority on Pluralism. Pluralism is a brand new discipline in the academic world and is yet to be taught as a subject. The course material would be unique, as it will focus on its effect on different aspects of life in building cohesive societies, societies where no one has to live in apprehension or fear of the other. Mike defines pluralism as simply an attitude respecting the otherness of others, and accepting the God given uniqueness of each one of his creation. 

Mike has a dream, a dream that one day in our life time; we all will wake up to a cohesive world, where no human has to live in tension, apprehension or fear of the other, nor should one feel alienated. Indeed, that was the dream of all the spiritual masters of the world, and that is what the creator wants; all pieces of his creation to function coherently. 

Our founding fathers believed, “That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” And that dream was refreshed by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mike is a Pluralist to the core, and believes that if we can respect the otherness of others and accept the God given uniqueness of each one of  the 7 billion humans on the planet earth.  Most of the problems in the world exists because what we learn about others is negative and build myths about the other.

Mike believes the solutions likes in a simple “knowing each other”, knowledge leads to understanding and understanding to acceptance and appreciation of a different point of view. Mike has a national presence on TV, Radio,Print and the Internet Media. Mike has appeared in over 100 shows with Sean Hannity on Fox News and over 50 times on nationally syndicated radio shows.  Fox News, Syndicated Radio shows, Dallas Morning News, Huffington Post, and a variety of News Papers here and abroad for giving him a strong National and local presence. 

He has  written nearly 3000 articles, and bulk of them are published in Dallas Morning News, Huffington Post, New Age Islam, Op-ed News , Arab Daily News, Arab News, Saudi Gazette, and several other News papers and periodicals around the world. Of the 2800, 1000+ were on Islam, 1000+ on Pluralism and the rest were on politics, India, Pakistan, Israel-Palestine, Motivational and other topics.

Currently Mike is working on  making a film based on a compelling true story of building a cohesive America, and writing a book on human rights - "Standing up for others"- standing up from Atheists to Zoroastrians and every one in between.

Please watch the 10 Minutes trailer of the documentary in making https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMXsTo4VYh8

Mike is appreciated around the world; indeed, he has over 10 Million views of his profile at Google and 15 Million on his website.  https://plus.google.com/108969690090944956820/about

God has blessed him with an aptitude for mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill in everything he does,  that is think, talk and act, and he has been a life time volunteer, and it is a joy to maintain a healthy balance between earning a living and serving the public.

As they say, Pluralism runs in his veins.  The Grace International Seminary awarded the Doctor of Divinity – an honorary Doctorate for my work on Pluralism. Thanks to Dr. Karen Hollie-Thibodeuax the Chancellor the Seminary, and Bishop Thibodeuax and Mark Hernandez my buddy for facilitating this happening.

You can Google - Pluralism Speaker
The old profile - http://www.mikeghouse.net/InterfaithSpeaker_MikeGhouse.asp

These pictures were taken from  cell phone, professional pictures will be added later on.

 

Happy birthday to Pakistan | Happy Independence day

Happy Independence day to all the Pakistanis | TheGhousediary.com
67 Years ago today, Pakistan was born. Indeed it was created out of the British India on August 14, 1947 and then on the next day, August 15, 1947, India celebrated her independence.   

As a Muslim Pluralist, I have always worked on the concept that we all belong to the same family born from Adam and Eve, and that God has chosen for each one of us to be born in a different communities, nations, religions and races.   

Back in 1993 (to 2000), I started a Newspaper called Asian News, with a page dedicated to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

In 1996, I started Asian News Radio, the first commercial radio in Dallas which continues today as Fun Asia Radio.  After 2000, I did different programs, and one of them was during the month of August, every morning 7-8 AM from the 1^st through the 15th of the month.    

Each day my team shared a different aspect of the subcontinent from the cultural, geographic, ethnic, cuisine, clothing, cultural, singing to politics to national heroes of all the three nations, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh with identical history. I had a great team to do the full hour of program with Sandhya doing shehar ka chakkar, Tamim doing one thing, Gayathri focusing on literature and Najma playing the songs.

What remains nostalgic to me was August 14^th and 15^th – on those two days, I took live calls asking Indians to sing the Pakistani national songs on Pakistan Day, and it was amazing so many Indians had learned the songs, and vice versa happened on the 15^th, our Pakistani friends sang Indian national songs. What a joy it was to hear the goodwill sprouting from the lips of fellow Subcontinentians. 

The Partition was difficult and intense - with people moving from one land to the other and vice versa, perhaps it was the greatest human migration in a single month ever. Of course it came with massive suffering - people killing and butchering each other on both sides. Unless we both learn to acknowledge that the suffering and infliction of misery was mutual, we will continue to harbor ill-will and die with it.

I urge my fellow Subcontinentians, whether they are Pakistani-Americans, Indian Americans, or Bangladeshi Americans to acknowledge the suffering but never reduce or discount other's suffering, and please do not inject ill-will in the hearts of your children towards the other. Some of our kids may buy our baggage and continue to hold ill-will even here in America, but most kids reject our hatred for the other. I had to work hard with my Son when was mistreated by the Pakistan kids in the mall, I am glad he does not hold any bias towards Pakistani people despite the treatment he got. Some people will live with hate and ill-will until they die and never receive the true freedom.  Its time we do the right thing. 

On my part, I am blessed to have so many friends in all spheres of life including Pakistanis, I am a life member of the Pakistani Society of North Texas, and almost joined the Pakistan American Association of Texas before I moved to Washington. I also run the Dallas Pakistanis yahoogroups for the last 14 years, with nearly 1000 members, it has been the only reliable source of information for the community. Now, there are other groups and glad to see them all thrive.  

Thank God for blessing with a firm belief that we are all from Adam and Eve, and that I have no barrier between me and another human. No barrier at all. Indeed, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) asserted that no human is superior to the other in his last sermon, and I believe in it whole heartedly. 

The most important thing is listening - I have listened to the tragic stories from several of my Pakistani friends the torture and butchery they withstood during the partition, and have heard first hand from many of my Indian friends how their sisters and mothers were raped in front of them... The story is same on both sides, man becomes animal in distress, religions does not matter to the beast in those moments of insecurity. 

On this independence day, may I ask you to acknowledge the atrocities Indians have committed on you, and forgive them. You will find Mukti, Nijaat, Nirvana and salvation in it. When our hearts are filled with goodwill, everything is possible.

May I also ask you to stand up for every Pakistani, no matter what faith, race or class he or she belongs to.  If you have friends from Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Parsee, Jewish, Shia, Ahmadi, Ismaili, Bohra and other communities, call them and wish them Azaadi Mubarak, and let them know that you care about them, as well as willing to defend their God given right to be who they are. Don't worry if others don't do it, its your own conscience you have to honor. Just do it and if you have the time, please write to me the goodness you felt in you.

Please see the movie "Bajrang Bhaijan" -it is a beautiful movie about a Pakistan girl lost in India and how she was brought back to Pakistan by an Indian who had nothing to do with Muslims. Here is my review http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2015/08/bajrangi-bhaijan-oscar-contending-movie.html 

I wish a very happy independence day to both the Pakistani and Indian friends. As an Indian, I will write and if possible speak some where about India. 

Jinnah's speech on August 14, 1947:http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/legislation/constituent_address_11aug1947.html

Pakistan Paindabad !

Please check about what I am doing in Washington now.  - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-personal-note-about-my-work-in.html

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 atwww.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at www.TheGhousediary.comand 10 other blogs. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.