Texas Faith: Taking offense in the name of faith

It is this hypocrisy that is offending the people of the world,  if you have a powerful lobby, rules don’t mean a thing, and freedom of press applies only to Muslims. Mike Ghouse
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Texas Faith: Taking offense in the name of faith
Rudolph Bush - Dallas Morning News Published: January 20, 2015 11:16 am

The murderers of 12 people in the office of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo justified their actions as revenge for offenses against their Islamic faith. The magazine’s cartoonists reveled in their role as secular provocateurs in the tradition of Voltaire. There is no question that their cartoons were offensive, and not only to Muslims but to devout Catholics and Jews as well.

Their murders cannot in any way be justified and their murderers’ justifications were condemned by people around the world, including many Muslims. Mustafa Riad of the Union mosque in Montpellier, France said this: “To a cartoon you reply with a cartoon, to a drawing with a drawing, to a newspaper article with a newspaper article… But you don’t reply with guns.”

But surely, when any of us sees our deeply held faith and beliefs held up for ridicule it offends. As Pope Francis said: “One cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people’s faith, one cannot make fun of faith. There is a limit. Every religion has its dignity … in freedom of expression there are limits.”

Is that so? Is there a limit to what we can express about one another? What is the moral responsibility of the offender? What is the responsibility of the offended? How do we defend our faith against provocation while respecting the freedom of another?

Our panelists consider these questions on the jump.

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism and speaker on interfaith matters, Dallas

Freedom of speech is the God given right of humans and must be guarded vigorously. Despite the warning, Adam and Eve chose the forbidden fruit. Was God upset with them? Did he slap them for making their free choice? That’s our genesis and that is in our DNA, and of course there is a price to be paid for having that freedom.

I have relentlessly defended the freedom of speech, and indeed making a full feature film call “Sacred” about the Quran burning incident in Mulberry, Florida. As Muslims we did not condemn Pastor Terry Jones actions nor did we curse; instead we heeded God’s advise in Quran, 41:34, “Good and evil deeds are not equal. Repel evil with what is better; then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend. We listened to Jesus and, “turned the other cheek”, meaning do not aggravate the conflict, same idea was followed by Prophet Muhammad’s non-violent conflict resolutions approach and “Prayed (both interfaith and intrafaith) for the goodwill of the miscreants” through his many examples including the Taif Story.

It saddens me that a few Muslims resorted to violence killing 12 people, claiming to defend the Prophet, as if he needs their protection. Quran expressly forbids taking another life, unless it is in self-defense. I have offered Muslim Solutions to the conflict.

Is there a limit to what we can express about one another? I am completely against the limits; it will be abused any way. I am for education about building cohesive societies. we all have to grow up to be tolerant on one hand, and learn to be respectful of what is dear to others, that includes learning to get the bad guys for their bad acts, and not aimlessly bark at a religion, an intangible.

In case of Charlie Hebdo, as a society, many of us were overjoyed and eager to malign Islam instead of focusing on the individual criminals. It is a dangerous thing to do, as it cause every one to blame the religion and let go of the bad guys.

The problem is not with freedom for speech, but with the element of discretion. When we have a choice to decide what is allowable or not, the freedom of speech becomes vulnerable to implementers' bias. The conflicts arise not from freedom of speech but from abuse of discretion.

The Sun Times from UK has published a cartoon where Prime Minister Netanyahu is building a wall with the Palestinian blood and body parts, a few concerned members of the Jewish community are calling it Anti-Semitic, and demanding apology and retrieval of that cartoon and there is almost a threat lurking in it. More than likely the Sun Times will apologize and withdraw. It is this hypocrisy that is offending the people of the world that if you have a powerful lobby, rules don’t mean a thing, and freedom of press applies only to Muslims.

What can we do to defend provocation against our faith? What is the responsibility of offended? Our religions offer good guidance and if responsible bodies like Government, civic, religious and non-profit take on to showing the benefits of building and preserving cohesive societies, we may be able to handle these better.
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AMY MARTIN, Director Emeritus of Earth Rhythms and Writer/editor Moonlady News Newsletter

My religion is kindness. Can you imagine how many times a day I am offended? I’d be happy if those that defiled my religion were just terrorists or satirists. Instead, offenses to my faith are staples on television and film and institutionalized in political parties, corporations and other religions that wage war on kindness every day in a multitude of ways.

Demands for respect are quixotic attempts and the impossible task of controlling others’ thoughts. Offended by what someone says about your religion, leader, political party or whatever? Pay them no mind. To react is to give your power away and allow them to control you.

That said, poking a wounded bear with a stick is neither kind nor smart. Paris has large ghettos of unassimilated Middle Eastern and African immigrants that run 40% or more unemployment. They felt humiliated by Charlie Hebdo and the French intellectual elite. So it was less about religion and more about economic disparity and the residual effects of French colonialism. The satirists were aiming at the powerful Muslims, yet their immense oil wealth deflects all barbs.

Those of us on organized religion’s sidelines marvel at a God that is so insecure it needs people to intercede on its almighty behalf. Such a God is much too small. Indeed we live on a polytheistic planet. There is a God of the Christians, a God of the Muslims, a God of the Jews. Peace will come only when we accept there is but one God and it is for all of us.

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CYNTHIA L. RIGBY, W.C. Brown Professor of Theology
I don’t think there is any sure fire way to protect our faith from being maligned. Violent defenses, especially, will serve only to spur greater provocation. Supporting freedom means upholding the rights of others to say what they will, even when what they say is harmful and wrong.

I take, as my model for how to respond to being disparaged for what we believe, Jesus Christ himself. Jesus chastises Peter for cutting off the ear of one of the men who comes to arrest him, warning him that “those who take the sword will perish by the sword.” Jesus refuses, on the day of his trial and crucifixion, to respond to the sarcastic comments made about how he is “king of the Jews” and how he should “save himself.”

Those who want to stereotype and disparage will continue to do so even when people of faith offer good arguments for being more subtle and for making clearer distinctions. I notice this phenomenon in relation to the work of Richard Dawkins, who labels anyone who is a theist “delusional.” Dawkins is obviously intelligent enough to notice that, at very least, some theists are far less delusional than others. As Terry Eagleton points out in his excellent counter to Dawkins, many of the most influential shapers of western culture were theists (see his book “Reason, Faith, and Revolution: Reflections on the God Debate”). Making such observations clearly doesn’t fit with Dawkins’ marketing of the “New Atheism.”

The best thing people of faith can do, as Eagleton does, is represent what we believe as well as we can to anyone who wants to learn about it. Our representation should include naming, condemning, and grieving the ways in which our faith traditions have been used to justify or perpetuate harm. One of the more effective defenses against provocation is to be ourselves provocative about the shortcomings of our traditions, living out our faiths in ways that foster – and foster only – life abundant.

To read the views of the other panelists, please visit Dallas Morning news at - http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2015/01/texas-faith-taking-offense-in-the-name-of-faith.html/#more-49964

Thank you
mike
Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916 text/talk
............................................................................................................................... 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. He is a staunch defender of human rights and his book standing up for others will be out soon, and a movie "Americans together" is in the making.  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 atwww.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. 

Republic Day Message to Modi and Obama

As a Pluralist Indian American Muslim, I am a big follower of you two, the greatest orators of our times, and earnestly looking forward to hearing a powerful message of hope and inclusion on this Republic Day. 

My interest as a social scientist is cohesion and future of India’s pluralistic ethos, which are threatened by a few short-sighted, but powerful rabble rousers among us.

Mr. Modi, you surprised the nation with your inclusionary statements made on November 1, 2014.  As a Pluralist, I whole heartedly welcomed your statements and congratulated you for taking that step. You said, “The BJP should be like a bouquet so that every Indian felt there was a flower in it that he or she could identify with. “And, “A poor and illiterate person living in a slum should think, ‘Yes, there is a flower for me in this bouquet’. That is the only way he can make his voice heard.”

Mr. Prime Minister, I admire you for saying that, even though I am not your Chamcha (sycophant) blindly praising or even worshiping you, I am pleased to take a critical approach towards your policies with the intent of preventing you from falling from grace.  I will keep you on your toes.

Since you made that statement, a few rogue elements  are hell bent on throwing your bouquet into gutter; your legacy is on the line.  You can go down as the greatest Prime Minister of India or finish your term as a another promiser and talker, the choice is clearly yours, indeed, you alone are the driver of your legacy.

We hope you have not given the explicit permission to anyone to destroy India’s social fabric that includes but not limited to pushing, accusing, and maligning India’s fellow Citizens who are not Hindu. But your silence is really bothering us all, yes all of us Indians. We need clarification today, did you permit anyone to do what they are doing on your watch? 

SAB KA SAATH

Let’s begin with sab ka saath.  We have to have the following actions in building a cohesive India, where no Indian has to live in apprehension or fear of the other, and feel included in the vikas. 

Indeed, your dream of sab ka saath and sab ka vikas can be achieved in your first term with the following steps;

1.  Today, on this Republic Day, let India’s flag be hoisted together with fellow Indians who are Adivasis, Atheists, Bahá’ís, Bos, Buddhists, Christians, Dalits, Hindus, Jains, Jewish, Muslim, Sikhs, Tribals, Zoroastrians and every Indian representation.  Reach out and bring them together to the Red Fort,  and let them together proudly  hoist our Tiranga, then go ahead and give them a hug, it will speak million words of your good intentions. It will generate the spirit of sab ka saath on a social basis.

2. Declare that India is God’s own country, and is represented by every race, nationality, ethnicity, language, culture and religion. We see God as one, none and many; and in every form; male, female, genderless and non-existent, being and non-being, nameless and with innumerable names, and as Indians, we should not be biased towards any one. Aspire for an India that the world can emulate; a pluralistic democracy where every one can eat, drink, wear or believe whatever he or she wants to in her pursuit of happiness. 

3. Announce that from this day forward, every Indian will have equal access to education, employment, housing, business loans, entrepreneurial opportunities and if anyone is denied that opportunity, you will step up and stand up against the violators.

4.  Every Indian wants justice and demands a fair treatment of every one of the 1.31 billion Indians; rich or poor, connected or not, we must come to grips with the social and community life to create an exemplary India that will become a model nation in the world. Create an Equal Opportunity Commission based on US Model. 

PLEDGE TO ONE INDIA 

You can institute a pledge, that every public office holder from the Peon to the President of India and everyone in between must take  and live by it. Violation should disqualify him or her from holding the public office. Let it be monitored publicly.

• I pledge allegiance to India, one nation that stands for liberty and justice for all.
• I pledge that I honor and treat every Indian with "full" dignity.
• I pledge that all individuals would be treated on par.
• I pledge that I will treat all religions with equal respect, equal access and equal treatment.
• I pledge that I will oppose any act that treats any Indian less than me.
•  I Pledge that I will work for an India, where every individual can live with security and aspire for prosperity.
• I pledge that I will protect, preserve and value every inch of India and every human soul in India

This would be the first step towards ensuring a Just, peaceful and prosperous India, that can sustain its progress and peace.

MODELS OF CHANGE

As a powerful Prime Minister, if you just speak up, it will make a big difference. Take a look at the other world leaders who spoke and have made the difference as examples;

President Obama made a bold statement about accepting the same sex marriage - that one single courageous act changed the nation. The antagonists suddenly found themselves going along with it, and state by state the same sex marriage is becoming the law of the nation. We still got ways to go, but it was his singular stance that eliminated the apprehensions and fears of fellow Americans who are Gays, Lesbians Transgender and bisexual men and women.

For the first time in the history of mankind, a religious leader took the bold step of including Hindus, Pagans, Atheists, Gays, Lesbians, Jews and Muslims as God's children. In one single stroke he fell many barriers between the people.

Every human wants to be included, and when that Jesus's embrace wraps every one, the nations will become stronger, secure and will function effectively.German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday, ‘Islam belongs to Germany," in a clear repudiation of anti-immigration protesters gathering in Dresden and other cities. Merkel said her government was doing everything it could to ensure migrants were being successfully integrated into German society regardless of their religion.

I salute Merkel for taking the wisdom road in building a cohesive Germany, where no German has to live in apprehension or fear of the other, and instead focus on prosperity, peace and security for every German. Not only is this good for Germany but will become a model for other nations to emulate. Indeed, “Islam belongs to Germany”.

What Merkel has done will pave the way for positive acceptance of Muslims in Germany. paving the way for forging sab ka saath, resulting in sab ka vikas. Removing tensions and letting people feel welcome and become contributions towards nation building.

SPEAK UP

Of course, it is not your mistake for excluding Muslims or Christians from your language, address or embrace; unfortunately, that is how you were trained.  Each one of us is a slave to or our nurturing, but as a Prime Minister of the nation, you may consider looking at the “exclusive” Madrasas of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak and the training an average pracharak gets.

You have an opportunity to mend, what Swami Vivekananda had missed; to give hope to the nation and explain and practice the full meaning of Vasudhaiva Kutumbukum.  We hope you would pave the way for an inclusive India, where we don’t make any distinction between one Indian and the other.

Mr. Modi, the Battle is not between Hindus and Muslims, it is between Good and the bad, good is represented by those who mind their own faith as Quran advocates or Bhagvad Gita suggests – it’s your own Karma that will determine your outcomes; there is no compulsion in faith, whereas the evil is represented by hurting and discriminating others for differences in belief.  Let every Indian be free to breathe, drink, eat, wear or believe whatever he or she wants to. I hope your party supports your stand.

YOUR STATEMENT ON THIS REPUBLIC DAY

“My dear fellow Indians, you are, yes, everyone of you is an Indian and that is all it matters to me, as your Prime Minster, I am here to make sure, you have equal access to justice, employment, schooling, loans, housing, health care, food, places of worship and retirement.” You can count on me, and together let's build an India where every one of you is comfortable with the other regardless of what you speak, believe, eat or wear. "


PLURALISM

What is Pluralism? We have crystallized the definition of pluralism to, “respecting the otherness of the others and accepting the uniqueness of each one of us”. Pluralism is nothing but an attitude of live and let live, and it is applicable in every aspect of life including culture, society, religion, politics, gender, food, ethnicity, race and other uniqueness’s. 

There is not a major City in India, where you will not find people of different faiths, cultures, ethnicities, races, nationalities and social backgrounds working, eating, playing, marrying, and doing things together. 

We need to prepare ourselves for those eventualities to prevent possible conflicts, and lay a good foundation for nurturing goodwill and effective functioning of the societies. Exclusive communities will become a thing of the past.  If you live amidst others, you must also respect the otherness of others, as you expect them to do the same for you.

You are who you are, and I am who I am. As long as we don't mess with each other’s space, sustenance and nurturance, and mind our own business, we all will do well.  If we can learn to respect the otherness of other and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of the 1.27 billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

Pluralism is not a set of rules, it is simply the attitude of live and let live religiously, politically, culturally and socially.  We are committed to building cohesive societies, where no human has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of a fellow being.

ME?

I am indebted to my motherland for making me who I am, and want to find joy by returning her favor. The song from Pukaar, pukaars me.   “Jis dharti ne mujh ko janam diya, my usi ka pyar paa raha hoon, Jitna bhi mujh se hosakay, my us maa ka udhar chuka raha hoon.” My interest is seeing a cohesive India, where no Indian has to live in apprehension or fear of the other. That is the free India I dream of, and am committed to do my personal share of the work towards that goal through my writings, speeches and actions.

Jai Hind!



Mike Ghouse
...............................................................................................................................
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. He is frequent guest on Fox News and syndicated Talk Radio shows and a writer at major newspapers including Dallas Morning News and Huffington Post.  All about him is listed in several links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are atwww.TheGhousediary.com and 10 other blogs. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

President Obama and Mike Ghouse on integration of Muslims in Europe to mitigate conflicts

Ever since I knew Obama through his speech in 2006 at the Chicago Senate, I knew he would be my mentor in Pluralism. I have written over 65 pieces about him.

He and I have got similar attitudes towards conflict mitigation and social inclusion. Throughout this time I have asserted, including his state of the Union's in the last 5 years, that I could be his best speech writer. Like always, I have written things before he speaks - and the essence of both of our talk is similar if not identical.  I am glad Huffington Published my article on 1/15/15 and Obama's piece is published on 1/16/15.

Here are both:

Angela Merkel Can Prevent Another Charlie Hebdo

Posted: 01/15/2015 3:15 pm EST Updated: 01/15/2015 3:59 pm EST
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/angela-merkel-can-prevent_b_6470140.html

In a divisive world where the leaders are sacrificing the long term safety of a nation for the short term political gains, and putting the nation on a destructive path of exclusion of those who differ, Merkel has done the right thing; choosing inclusion.

Reuter's reports that German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday, 'Islam belongs to Germany," in a clear repudiation of anti-immigration protesters gathering in Dresden and other cities. Merkel said her government was doing everything it could to ensure migrants were being successfully integrated into German society regardless of their religion.

I salute Merkel for taking the wisdom road in building a cohesive Germany, where no German has to live in apprehension or fear of the other, and instead focus on prosperity, peace and security for every German. Not only is this good for Germany but will become a model for other nations to emulate. Indeed, "Islam belongs to Germany".

It is tempting to fall prey to the vociferous bunch who claps endlessly when a short-sighted leader talks about pushing "the other'" to the corner, and or forcing "them" in to obedience. They assume that the world is with them, but they fail to see an eternal battle of rights in the making.

Out of the chaotic conservatives, she emerges like the morning star, demonstrating what a genuine conservative patriotic leadership is all about; a nation builder.

Let me share recent parallels that shaped major events.

President Obama made a bold statement about accepting the same sex marriage - that one single courageous act changed the nation. The antagonists suddenly found themselves going along with it, and state by state the same sex marriage is becoming the law of the nation. We still got ways to go, but it was his singular stance that eliminated the apprehensions and fears of fellow Americans who are Gays, Lesbians Transgender and bisexual men and women.

For the first time in the history of mankind, a religious leader took the bold step of including Gays, Lesbians, Lesbians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Atheists as God's children. In one single stroke he fell many barriers between the people.

Every human wants to be included, and when that Jesus's embrace wraps every one, the nations will become stronger, secure and will function effectively.

What Merkel has done will pave the way for positive acceptance of Muslims in Germany. Removing tensions and letting people feel welcome and become contributors towards nation building.

Here is a lesson for Netanyahu, Modi, Sharif, and other leaders who fall prey to the claps and sacrifice the long term goodness of the nation for the short term pleasures of praises. May God guide everyone to see the goodness in inclusion, aka Pluralism! Pluralism is simply an attitude of learning to respect the otherness of others and accepting the God given uniqueness of each one of us, and when we do that conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

Follow Mike Ghouse on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MikeGhouse

MORE:

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Obama says Europe should integrate Muslims to curb terrorism
http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-obama-muslims-20150116-story.html

Jan 16, 2015 - 2:13 PM

President Obama warned Europeans "not to simply respond with a hammer" in working against radicalization among its Muslim populations, and argued that the United States had an advantage on this front because American Muslims are better integrated into society.

“Our Muslim populations, they feel themselves to be Americans. There is, you know, this incredible process of immigration and assimilation that is part of our tradition that is probably our greatest strength,” Obama said Friday, as he stood next to British Prime Minister David Cameron at a news conference. “There are parts of Europe in which that's not the case, and that's probably the greatest danger that Europe faces.”

The comments were an unusually public bit of cultural analysis and counsel at a forum typically reserved for demonstrations of support and solidarity. In this case, Cameron politely disagreed with the American president's assessment of immigrant communities in the United Kingdom. 
Obama went on to urge caution as European law enforcement authorities conduct broad counterterrorism sweeps in Belgium, France and Germany, a response to the recent terrorist attacks in France. The president suggested the crackdowns, along with economic disadvantages, would add to a sense of alienation among Muslim communities and feed their recruitment by jihadist groups.

“It's important for Europe not to simply respond with a hammer and law enforcement and military approaches to these problems, but there also has to be a recognition that the stronger the ties of a North African -- or a Frenchman of North African descent -- to French values, French republic, a sense of opportunity, that's going to be as important, if not more important, in, over time, solving this problem,” he said.

Cameron, who was at the White House for a brief visit, pushed back gently on the notion that the problem of radicalization could be blamed on immigration woes. The United Kingdom is "a multiracial, multi-ethnic society of huge opportunity," he said.
“You can have, tragically, people who have had all the advantages of integration, who've had all the economic opportunities that our countries can offer, who still get seduced by this poisonous, radical, death cult of a narrative," Cameron said.

For more news from the White House follow @khennessey on Twitter.

Muslim solutions to Terrorism in Paris

Published at http://thearabdailynews.com/2015/01/11/muslim-solutions-terrorism-paris/
Jan 11, 2015

Outrage, condemnation, candle light vigils and revenge talk is all good, but the need is practical solutions beyond condemnations. Obviously the burden squarely falls on Muslims; we have to grudgingly admit that almost all acts of terror are committed by men claiming to be Muslims in the pretext of defending Islam, Quran and the Prophet. It is our duty to build a better world for all of us to live in peace, and that is all God wants, here is the first step.

 

By Mike Ghouse

 

A bunch of terrorists rampaged into an office in Paris and killed 12 persons including four journalists; Charlie Hebdo magazine’s editor and cartoonists, Stéphane Charbonnier, Cabu, Georges Wolinski and Bernard Verlhac. Similarly a bunch of terrorists walked in to a school in Peshawar and massacred 131 innocent children and 17 adults.

What follows is outrage and condemnation of these acts of terror along with candle light vigils and revenge talks. What is grossly missing is solution beyond condemnations. Obviously the burden squarely falls on Muslims; we have to grudgingly admit that almost all of the acts of terror are committed by men claiming to be Muslims in the pretext of defending Islam, Quran and the Prophet.

 

If you believe Charlie Hebdo should not have published the cartoons of the prophet, you have a point, and that is how civilized people behave; respectful of other’s sensibilities. However, that does not give a license to the terrorists to kill another human being, in a civil society that we all cohabit, they have a right to disagree and protest it in a civilized manner to bring about respecting the otherness of others, but no one has a right to kill other.

It is the duty of governments to keep law and order and faithfully guard the safety of every citizen. Hate is one of the many sources of disrupting the peace in a society and it is our responsibility to track down the source of such hate and work on mitigating it. We have an obligation to maintain a balance in the society. Those who violate the rights of others deserve all the punishment prescribed in a civil society in a humane manner.

Freedom of expression is the God-given right of every human, and is the foundation of civil societies. Indeed, it is the freedom of speech that has allowed Islam to grow in Europe and America. We should honor and respect that freedom with all our heart, mind and spirit. We cannot betray the very ideals that gave us the freedom to be who we are, and we cannot allow anyone to violate others freedom.
In behalf of World Muslim Congress, I condemn these acts of terrorism and urge the French police to spare no resources to get them, including those who knew about the plan, but did not report to the police, that is outright treason. These guys are dangerous to society at large and Muslims in particular.

What is our responsibility as Muslims?

Islam stands for freedom of expression, there is no compulsion in the matters of faith, and you simply cannot force anyone to believe against his or her will. God insists the plurality of religion many times in Quran – he says, weather you are a Jew, Christian or other, you need not worry, I will take care of you, as long as you take care of my creation; your fellow beings and environment. I gave you a well-balanced world for you to live enjoy and manage, and if you subscribe to that, I will call you a subscriber, follower, surrenderer and submitter to my will in preserving the well balanced peaceful world. Don’t mess with me and my creation, and you are a tiny insignificant speck in the scheme of things, and I am the most powerful, say God is great (Allahu Akbar). Indeed, Allahu Akbar is a call for humility and not killing.

Where did we go wrong?

Many things, but let’s start with Blasphemy Laws. Yes, these laws go against what God want – freedom of expression! The laws also blunt God’s warning – that he does not like the oppressors. Ironically the word “Blasphemy Isn’t Even Mentioned In The Quran” as Fareed Zakaria has pointed out in his article with the same title.

Shamefully, there are books out there, (not the Quran), which proclaim “Gustakh-e-Rasool” – (one who pokes fun at the prophet) deserves to be killed “Wajib Qatal.” A Muslim in India has offered bounty to those who kill blasphemers, and embarrassingly not all, but a significant number of Muslims in Pakistan, Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia have been brain washed to believe in it. They put these secondary books on par with Quran. Indeed, these men over a period of time have unknowingly made some of the Muslim scholars equal to God, a grave sin in Islam.

These men ignore God’s guidance to keep the cohesiveness of the society – including “suicides” “Killing another human” “no compulsion” and “God alone is the master of the day of judgment”.
Criticism of Islam and Cartoons of Prophet

Criticism of Islam, Cartoons of the prophet or cursing at the Quran will not make them disappear. Islam is not going anywhere and neither the prophet. They are here for good and nothing will happen to them, and they are not weaklings that seek the protection from ordinary humans. They are beyond all that. Indeed, the acts of these terrorists, who falsely claim to defend the name of the prophet, actually make God and the Prophet Look bad to the affected individuals. 

These men need to know, that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was criticized, attempts were made to kill him, and he was even harassed including getting pelted with rocks that hurt him. What did he do in return? Retaliate? Hurt them? None of it, instead he prayed for their well being. If you are a follower of the Prophet, you need to be a mercy to fellow humans and not a terrorist.

How do we restore Islam to its pristine place?

And how do Muslims become builders of cohesive societies where no human has to live in fear of the other?

We have to start back with “no compulsion” – if we force, oppress or kill these believers, the battle will never end. It has to begin with cooperation, conferences and education – with long term results on mind, and not quick turnarounds. If things are to be sustained it has to come through free will. Please note that I have not placed the blame on any one; I don’t intend to, that is escaping from the responsibility. We have done the wrong and we have to fix it.

Where do we start?

I would start with a Quran conference the likes of which is at www.QuraanConference.com – We have to develop a theme with specific goals – such as starting with “Understanding Blasphemy” and inviting people with two opposite views. That would be the first step.

God willing, I intend to write a series of articles and hope to organize conferences to make an effort to restore Islam to its pristine purpose; peace and harmony among people and what surrounds them.
It is our duty to build a better world for all of us to live in peace.

To reprint or reproduce the article, please feel free to do so, but kindly credit the publisher and the author. The next article will be about Fixing Sharia Laws.

(Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a Muslim pluralist)

 

Thank you
mike
Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916 text/talk
...............................................................................................................................
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. He is a staunch defender of human rights and his book standing up for others will be out soon, and a movie "Americans together" is in the making.  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 and 10 other blogs. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

Is Hinduism a violent Religion?

The extremists among Hindus have hijacked the religion of peace and non-violence, just as the extremists among Buddhists, Jews and Muslims have done it with their religions. It is time for the moderate Hindus to speak up; if not, the new narrative would be Hinduism is a religion of violence, fascism and forcible conversions.

I urge you to read the whole article before drawing conclusions.

Hinduism is indeed blessed not to be slapped with 9/11-like terrorism label on it, despite the massacres of 3000 Sikhs in New Delhi by the violent Hindu mobs in just three days, for a total of 8,000 Sikhs within a week. Nearly a thousand Muslims were butchered by the fanatic Hindus in Gujarat within two weeks in 2002. Christian nuns were raped, their churches pillaged and some of the missionaries were burnt alive including Rev. Graham Staines. What is done to the Dalits, formerly known as untouchable, is unforgivable. The historic 500-year-ld Babri Mosque was destroyed in 1992 by extremists Hindu mobs.

No good Hindu should be offended by the above; they did no wrong. They would be wrong if they don't speak out against it.

Continued at: http://www.opednews.com/articles/Is-Hinduism-a-violent-reli-by-Mike-Ghouse-Bharatiya-Janata-Party_CONVERSION_Fascist_Hinduism-150115-386.html

Mike Ghouse in Washington DC for a purpose

I am in Washington DC between Saturday January 10 through Sunday, January 18 and again on January 26 and 27^th for three specific purposes;

1. To share information about the upcoming film “Sacred” – what Muslims ought to be in a given society and hoping to change perceptions about Muslims around the world (appended below).

2. To invite participation in the 8^th Annual Holocaust and Genocides commemoration, a bridge builder event set for Tuesday, January 27, 2014 (listed below).

3. To establish America Together foundation with a mission to build a cohesive America where no American has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other. Islam would be a major beneficiary of the work and we will have a strong presence in the media. 

A. SACRED, THE FILM 
What is Sacred, Flag, Holy Books, Mother, Freedom of Speech?

Sacred Film is about a successful real life event set in Mulberry, Florida coupled with a compelling romantic story built around the Quran burning incident. It is filled with human aspirations, fears, suspense and actions of a typical Hollywood Film.

The film skillfully manages conflicting issues of freedom of speech v what is sacred; safety of Americans v violent reactions; and radicalism v. pluralism. It is an embodiment of conflict mitigation and goodwill nurturance based on teachings of Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad. It is a model for building cohesive societies.  Indeed, the concept is encouraged by major institutions.

Through “Sacred”, the world will witness positive changes taking shape; it encourages what Muslims ought to be – the Amins, and how they will be perceived by the society at large. What is good for Muslims has got to be good for the world and vice-versa to restore sustainable harmony.

Sacred is an exemplary story of ordinary Muslim Americans working with fellow Americans of different faiths in forging a new paradigm; a cohesive America where no American has to live in tension, apprehension or fear of the other.

Shooting will begin in March for a September 11 release.  I will be happy to give a presentation to your group.

B. HOLOCAUST AND GENOCIDES COMMEMORATION 

8^TH Annual public event to be held in Dallas on Sunday 1/25 and Washington DC on Tuesday 1/27 – It is a community bridge builder.
 

The purpose of this event is education, information and activism. We hope to learn and acknowledge our failings and make a personal commitment to do our individual share of expressing, “Never again”.
Our mission is to create awareness of the inhumanity within each one of us and hope to find the solutions.

The civic leaders, and leaders from the Atheist, Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islam, Jain, Jewish, Native Americans, Pagan, Sikh, Wicca, Zoroastrian and other traditions will come together and share their wisdom and their internal commitment to building a cohesive America, where no American has to live in apprehension or fear of the other. We have to do our share of creating the kingdom of heaven right here on the earth.

The Holocaust event has been commemorated by the Jewish community since 1953 for the loss of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust, known as Yom HaShoah in Synagogues around the world.  Now, we have been sharing that information along with the various Genocides and Massacres around the world with public at large.

We at America Together Foundation are committed to spreading the knowledge of Holocaust and Genocides through interfaith and public events for the last seven years.

Please visit www.HolocaustandGenocides.com

C. AMERICA TOGETHER FOUNDATION

Our mission is to build a cohesive America, where no American has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other.  We have a few clear cut goals and a few of them are as follows;

1.  Initiate a Leadership program in political Pluralism. We hope to establish the program to orient leaders with the concept of inclusiveness. We want no bigots in our politics and for that we have to start working on it – with a 10 year plan.

2. Establish the Center for Pluralism, an institute to study and teach cultural, family, social, political, and religious pluralism. The shortest definition for Pluralism would be-respecting the otherness of others and when we do that, conflicts fade and solutions will emerge.

3. Push the Interfaith dialogue to its limits, so we can face tough issues head-on, and get it over with it.  I hope we learn to live with our differences, rather than pretending to be nice and live with a load of ill-will within. Such attitudes are explosive and generate phrases like they asked for it, or they deserved it when the other group is in difficult situation. 

4. A film “Americans Together, building a cohesive America” is being conceived for a 2016 Release inclusive of the presidential primaries. We are looking to have our presence in the debates as a moderator to hone on the idea of Americans Together.   Hopefully, this would be a first film where almost every representation of America can be seen. It is again a movie to reflect the book Standing up for others and building cohesive societies. The gist of the film can be seen on the home page ofwww.AmericaTogetherFoundation.com

D. WORKSHOP - PLANNING ON A PRODUCTIVE 2015
I can do a two hour workshop if you can gather up 1o people. 

E. DONATIONS 

Please donate your tax deductible dollars to America Together Foundation, a non-profit 501 (3) (c) Organization. http://americatogetherfoundation.com/donate/

Thank you

Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916 text/talk
............................................................................................................................... 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. He is a staunch defender of human rights and his book standing up for others will be out soon, and a movie "Americans together" is in the making.  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 atwww.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