A personal note about my work in Washington

What am I doing in Washington

I am requesting your generous feedback.  Here is an effort to write the shortest possible note, and yet say most of it, please let me know if I did it.

Pursuing our dreams and realizing them in our life time is the biggest achievement in one’s life. The dream comes in two parts and most of us have achieved the first part; i.e., taking care of ourselves and our families to the best of our abilities.   America has been a great catalyst in achieving our dreams, thank you America!

The second part is what most of us are hunkering for, and at times it is not clear where we should place our priorities or what legacy we want to leave behind us. Bill Gates had the best advice – do it while you are alive and relish the good, instead of letting it happen on its own when we are gone abruptly.  We all struggle to make our life purposeful and that is good. You can join us in that direction.

My friend Ambassador Islam Siddiqui and I were walking from our office to the congressional building for a meeting. On our left were Supreme Court and the Library of Congress, and on the right was the Capitol Hill.  We were talking about the founding fathers and their vision that has carried this nation this far, what a vision they had, and how utterly unselfish were they!  We are all the beneficiaries of the systems and structures they left behind.  You and I wouldn’t be here had it not been for their immortal declaration of independence that all men are created equal.

That vision has been raining on me like blessings from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).  His wisdom could not be clearer; he said a good deed is something you do for others. God repeatedly asserts (Quran) that if you take care of his creation; i.e., your fellow beings, your rewards are with him.  Thanks to the prophet for elaborating on it, he explained, a good deed is like planting a tree knowing full well that the beneficiaries of the shade and fruit from the ( future) tree are not us.

Our own internal reward is the “worthy feeling” we will earn by making the world a better place for everyone. A sense of security and a sense of feeling home are the greatest values we can give to fellow humans, that is one of the most primal needs of humanity.  

On my part, as you may have witnessed over the last 20 years, I have dedicated myself to that purpose, and leave the results to the will of Allah. Now, several Muslims under the leadership of Ambassador Islam Siddiqui have come together to bring about a positive clearly defined and measurable changes.

I am tasked with the responsibility to change the perceptions about Muslims, right now a majority of Americans do not see Muslims favorably, and we hope to gradually turn that around.  We are determined to change perceptions about Muslims. In a few years Muslims will not be an open season to politicians to heap insults, those who resort to it will meet the same fate as they would if they hurl it on Jewish and African Americans. Our goal is simply to be treated equally in all aspect of life. Period.

Our goal is to build a cohesive America where none of us have to live with apprehension, tension, suspicion or fear of the other. It is the land of the free and the brave. We hope to earn our dignified social, political and religious space in the U.S and cherish it with fellow Americans.

A press release follows with the announcement of the organization and an invitation will be sent to you for the launch of the organization. 

 If you visit www.AmericanMuslimInstitution.com  and register your email address on the top right box, you will automatically get all the updates and invitation.  

If this makes sense to you, please join us in advancing the work.

My writings will continue at Huffington Post, Dallas Morning News and other Newspapers and will continue as a commentator on Fox and other TV networks - all of them will be at www.TheGhousediary.com.

Thank you.

Mike Ghouse
Executive Director,
American Muslim Institution
Washington, DC

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American Muslims launch an organization in Washington DC

Washington D.C., August 5, 2015 - "American Muslims of the Washington, DC area are pleased to announce the formation of a nonprofit organization to provide reliable information and advice to public and policy makers on Islam and Muslims. We need constructive solutions to current and emerging problems emanating from wrong perceptions and misinformation about Islam and Muslims in America." said Dr. Islam Siddiqui, President of the newly formed American Muslim Institution.

Our Mission is to work for a world of co-existence through inclusiveness and participation. As a member of diverse family of faiths, our efforts will be directed towards justice and equality to attain peace for Americans with a firm grounding in commonly held values.

We are committed to be a proactive voice for American Muslims and promote a positive image of Muslims through dialogue and understanding.

  

The sponsors of the organization are deeply committed to the peace, security and prosperity of the United States of America. The organization in its nascent stages has just begun the process of gathering some of the brightest minds from academia, public intellectuals, activists and futurists to find pluralistic and positive solutions to the problems facing the country and wrongly attributed to Islam. Indeed, this organization will be a reliable source of information and advice in dealing with the issues facing the homeland. 

"We will continue to make concerted efforts to increase our participation in the civil society and earn our trusted social, political and religious space in the U.S."Mike Ghouse, the Executive Director of American Muslim Institution added.

Ambassador Islam Siddiqui is a former U.S. Under Secretary of Agriculture and Chief Agricultural Negotiator, and was the highest ranking American Muslim in the United States Government under the Clinton and Obama Administrations.

Mike Ghouse is a public speaker, thinker, writer and a TV-Radio commentator on Pluralism, Islam, and Politics and is a human rights activist committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

Both Dr. Siddiqui and Mr. Ghouse can be reached at the above mentioned numbers to discuss the vision and mission of the American Muslim Institution.

Details of the official launch will be announced in the next few weeks. 

Contacts:

• Islam Siddiqui (202) 725-7409 | Islam@AmericanMuslimInstitution.org
• Mike Ghouse (214) 325-1916 | Mike@AmericanMuslimInstitution.org

A tribute to Mani Rahman

A Tribute to Mani Rahman

I am taken back, completely shocked at the sad and untimely demise of Mani Rahman, a great soul and a great friend.  I have to write a tribute about him and here is the start and will add to it as I start thinking about all the good things he has done.

Mani called me up to see him before I left for Washington; and on July 7^th we sat in his office for several hours discussing politics and service to the community. He was going to join me in DC in the next four years…. We discussed about a business venture on a partnership basis, and he reminded me again on July 17^th, “Mike, let’s not forget about our business plan, it sounds good to me…”  It is so fresh on my mind.

We talked about “Life Insurance” and reluctance on part of Muslims, and I had given him a few suggestions that he liked. One of these days, I am going to write an article on the topic of Insurance and dedicate it to Mani Rahman. 

He was a very caring person, and cared for his children very much.  The guy remained single for one singular reason; his children! He did not want to marry and have the children go through step-mother tensions. I am sure there are many fathers out there who have regretted doing precisely that. But Mani remained single and I have always admired him for his reason to be single.

Mani and I have known for over  25 years, he was host of one of the segments on my Radio show in 1996-1999, the first commercial radio in Dallas, a precursor to Fun Asia Radio.

He was always there to help, and had pitched in $250 to $500 towards Thanksgiving, Unity Day, Holocaust and Genocides and other events.  Mani had also donated $250 towards making a video on Pluralism and coexistence, and oddly he would recite my statement each time I saw him,  “if we can learn to respect the otherness of others and accept the God given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.”  Here is the video – Thanks Mani for the sponsorship. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7Tyt7raIXM 

He was in Costa Rica a month ago, and texted me from there, he was having good time, I sent him my article on Ramadan and he liked it very much and sent a thumbs up from there.

I had asked Mani if he could donate for the Gandhi statute in Irving and he did.  Mani’s name will always be there.  He was a contributor to all the great causes out there regardless of the nationality, religion or race.  He was going to support my new organization in Washington as well once we had incorporated.

Politically Mani was independent, though Republican sounding, he was with both the Republicans and Democrats.

He was a supporter of Human Rights organization of Bangladesh,  I asked him and he supported it.  I thank Prodip Saha of Bangladesh Human Rights Org for this message, “A step backwards for the Human Rights community- Mani Rahman passed away day before yesterday. He has brain stroke while driving and it ended in minor accident as he was unconscious. Very sad news.  Just wanted to let you know in case you haven't heard. Regards- Prodip.

I have to find his pictures from the early 90’s. He and I along with Sante Chary, Mayor Ron Kirk, State Senator Alonzo and Gonzales were at Bill Clinton’s inauguration in DC. As I find the pictures, I will add here at www.TheGhousediary.com

I miss you my friend.

May your soul rest in peace.

Thank you,

Mike Ghouse

(214) 325-1916

Mike is a speaker, thinker, writer, pluralist and a human rights activist committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. A Tv and a radio commentator. Info in 63 links at MikeGhouse.net and writings at TheGhouseDiary.com 

President Kalam and Islam

Kalam and Islam | Foundation for Pluralism | The Ghouse Diary.com 

Najid Hussain;

Your article, “Kalam and Islam” is one of the finest articles I have read about religious and social pluralism, and it resonates with me, and a reflection of my own understanding of religion.

This article has changed my opinion about you, although I have always respected your take on many an issues, I had erroneously placed you in limited understanding of Islam category – now your article changes all that. I am so glad you wrote it. 

Indeed, I chose to become a Muslim in the late 90's, and Bhagvad Gita is one of the three reasons to lead me there, I was irreligious for the previous 30 years of my life (several videos and write ups are available on the net).

Islam and Quran are not for Muslims alone, they are guidance for whole humanity – God is God of Universe, (Rabbul Aalameen), Prophet Muhammad’s message is message for whole humanity (Rahmatul Aalameen) and we have to become Muklooqul Aalameen (beings that embrace whole humanity)  to complete the equation. I have written extensively on the topic, some day, I will exchange that with you if you have the time. As I find the freedom in you to see the philosophical dimension of Islam as opposed to remaining entrenched in the ritual aspect of it.

It may be difficult for a few people to swallow that Religion, every religion is a beautiful gift of God to humanity and serve the same purpose – creating societies that function cohesively. God wants his creation to remain coherent.

The only thing that caused me to pause about your article is the use of the word "Only", “it is only Hindu faith that truly understands….” and “it is only Hindu philosophy….”   Five years ago, I was sitting in the Baptist Church in Dallas – Pastor Robert Jeffers claimed, “ Its only Christianity that teaches the purpose and meaning of life”… and I made extensive notes during his sermon that Hinduism, Islam, Baha’I, Budhism, Judaism, Sikhism and all other faiths that teach the purpose and meaning of life. (The whole story is at www.QuraanConference.com).

As beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, faith is in the heart of the believer. No mother is inferior to her offspring, and no faith is inferior to its believer. If we can learn to respect the otherness of others and accept the God given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

Najid, I am glad you wrote this piece and God willing, I will share this on my Pluralism, Islam and other sites. It is a good article. Congratulations.

Article is at Outlook Magazine - http://www.outlookindia.com/article/kalam-and-islam/216493

 Mike is a speaker, thinker, writer, pluralist,  TV-Radio commentator and a human rights activist committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His info in 63 links at MikeGhouse.net and writings at TheGhouseDiary.com 

Capital Punishment - Why Yakub Memon's hanging should have been telecast live

THE GHOUSE DIARY.COM 

I am pleased to share my thoughts about Capital punishment and the deliberate killing of the criminal Yakub Memon, as this has become the most talked about death penalty in the nation. 

I have been opposed to Capital punishment from the early 80’s, however, I have slipped twice since then; first when I heard about a guy who raped my friends’ daughter, and a Houston woman who killed 7 of her children for claiming insurance. All other times, I have stood firmly with the idea that the society cannot act like outrageous beasts and we cannot deliberately kill an individual no matter what caused him to be a killer.

In a democracy, civility goes hand in hand. If everything is just in a society all goes well, but when injustice occurs directly, indirectly or remotely, bad things multiply in the society, and it will take time to restore dharma – the righteousness. Justice and Fairness are the pillars of any society; a good system ensures trust, prosperity and peace for all.

Who do you blame when some punk shoots the cashier at a 7/11 for a few bucks? His parents, his community or his situation? What if that man or woman was raised where you and I were raised? Is society responsible for creating such a monster? Should we punish that monster? Will that end more monsters?

Of course the state shamelessly kills its criminals either through a lethal injection as in Texas or chopping the head off in public as in Saudi Arabia. Both acts are disgusting and barbaric. In the early 80’s I was appalled with an Indian judge who was visiting,  his unflinching take on death penalty was just plain shocking, I thought being a judge, he would have debated, hesitated or would have reservations… NONE Whatsoever!

I have written quite a lot on the topic, but the following paragraph expressed my sentiments very well. “Today, the Indian state has shown itself to be no better than Tiger Memon. Tiger planned the bombings in retaliation to the terrible violence against Muslims that followed in the wake of Babri Masjid demolition. We have terminated his brother's life to extract vengeance for the blasts.

Tiger's act was a reaction of a hotheaded criminal; we sent his brother to the gallows after keeping him in jail for 22 years - what could be more cynical and cold-hearted than that. What ends of justice does that serve now? Are we safer from his judicial elimination? How have we shown ourselves to be different from those we condemn? “

I am citing a beautiful example, which you will find them in all societies. This by no way exonerates any society; criminals are in every group of people.  Hazrat Umar once commuted an order to cut the hands of a thief as a punishment. He discovered that the man stole the food to feed his children. Umar took the blame on the society for creating such a desperate situation for individuals to resort to such a thing.  I hope we all start thinking what is just instead of blindly applying the laws. We the Americans are no exception to that.

The following column is a compelling article to read.

Mike is a speaker, thinker, writer, pluralist,  TV-Radio commentator and a human rights activist committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His info in 63 links at MikeGhouse.net and writings at TheGhouseDiary.com

# # #

Why Yakub Memon's hanging should have been telecast live
Courtesy of Catch News. com

America the Beautiful - My new job cleaning McDonald's Toilets

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL | MY NEW JOB: CLEANING TOILETS

Yesterday, I drove from Washington DC to Louisville – it should have taken about 10 hours, but instead it took me 15 hours – Two reasons: 1) The country is so beautiful and 2) had to stop 8 times at the restrooms.

First the beauty of the region… I just could not get over the beautiful mountains all the way from West Maryland thru W. Virginia and Kentucky – start singing my own song America, America, America… you are so beautiful – represented by everything God has created from different races to religions to regions, seasons, nature and people.  If there is already a song, I would like to listen, if not I will take classed in writing poetry and write the song and sing it too… If you have not driven the different landscapes of America, you have not seen anything.


There is a Punjabi saying – the one who has not seen Lahore, was not born at all.

Second thing about 8 stops! I picked up boiled eggs, veggie, fruit trays and Rotisserie chicken to eat along the way… I don’t know if it was the egg or veggies, I started having diarrhea. and stopped at every McDonald – usually cleaners bathrooms, but this time, they were filthy and I did not have a choice to go to other place – I cleaned them and cleaned back when I left. I don’t know if I will ever understand why people leave sinks and toilets dirty – they have no shame at all. So, I cleaned 8 McDonald Toilets.

What I have seen in life, is when people don’t take keep their places clean, the decline begins. McDonald guys, pay attention to this.

Finally the 2^nd Pepto must have worked to stop the diarrhea; things were under control when I reached Louisville around 1:00 AM

 

Thank you,

Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916

Mike is a speaker, thinker, writer, pluralist,  TV-Radio commentator and a human rights activist committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His info in 63 links at MikeGhouse.net and writings at TheGhouseDiary.com 

What am I doing in Washington

A short note to my friends

I am requesting your generous feedback.  Here is an effort to write the shortest possible note, and yet say most of it, please let me know if I did it.

Pursuing our dreams and realizing them in our life time is the biggest achievement in one’s life. The dream comes in two parts and most of us have achieved the first part; i.e., taking care of ourselves and our families to the best of our abilities.   America has been a great catalyst in achieving our dreams, thank you America!

The second part is what most of us are hunkering for, and at times it is not clear where we should place our priorities or what legacy we want to leave behind us. Bill Gates had the best advice – do it while you are alive and relish the good, instead of letting it happen on its own when we are gone abruptly.  We all struggle to make our life purposeful and that is good. You can join us in that direction.

My friend Ambassador Islam Siddiqui and I were walking from our office to the congressional building for a meeting. On our left were Supreme Court and the Library of Congress, and on the right was the Capitol Hill.  We were talking about the founding fathers and their vision that has carried this nation this far, what a vision they had, and how utterly unselfish were they!  We are all the beneficiaries of the systems and structures they left behind.  You and I wouldn’t be here had it not been for their immortal declaration of independence that all men are created equal.

That vision has been raining on me like blessings from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).  His wisdom could not be clearer; he said a good deed is something you do for others. God repeatedly asserts (Quran) that if you take care of his creation; i.e., your fellow beings, your rewards are with him.  Thanks to the prophet for elaborating on it, he explained, a good deed is like planting a tree knowing full well that the beneficiaries of the shade and fruit from the ( future) tree are not us.

Our own internal reward is the “worthy feeling” we will earn by making the world a better place for everyone. A sense of security and a sense of feeling home are the greatest values we can give to fellow humans, that is one of the most primal needs of humanity.  

On my part, as you may have witnessed over the last 20 years, I have dedicated myself to that purpose, and leave the results to the will of Allah. Now, several Muslims under the leadership of Ambassador Islam Siddiqui have come together to bring about a positive clearly defined and measurable changes.

I am tasked with the responsibility to change the perceptions about Muslims, right now a majority of Americans do not see Muslims favorably, and we hope to gradually turn that around.  We are determined to change perceptions about Muslims. In a few years Muslims will not be an open season to politicians to heap insults, those who resort to it will meet the same fate as they would if they hurl it on Jewish and African Americans. Our goal is simply to be treated equally in all aspect of life. Period.

Our goal is to build a cohesive America where none of us have to live with apprehension, tension, suspicion or fear of the other. It is the land of the free and the brave. We hope to earn our dignified social, political and religious space in the U.S and cherish it with fellow Americans.

A press release follows with the announcement of the organization and an invitation will be sent to you for the launch of the organization.  If you visit the following Blog and register your email address on the top right box, you will automatically get the invitation. www.AmericanMuslimInstitution.com  

If this makes sense to you, please join us in advancing the work.

My writings will continue at Huffington Post, Dallas Morning News and other Newspapers and will continue as a commentator on Fox and other TV networks - all of them will be at www.TheGhousediary.com.



Thank you.

Mike Ghouse
Executive Director,
American Muslim Institution
110 Maryland Ave NE, Suite 508
Washington, DC. 20002

Siri is a breath of fresh air on Road directions

Siri is a breath of fresh air | The Ghouse Diary.com

 When you turn on the phone for directions, it is Siri who gives you directions to your destination.  In the last four days, I have taken too many wrong turns and have gone on in circles and have surprised myself how I ended up where I started… and the destination also starts getting farther.  I was driving to Bethesda, MD, and it was 18 miles and from the Capitol and I ended up driving 33 Miles.

Washington Roads are like the Politicians who flip, take sharp turns, and abruptly end into one way…  I don’t know if the roads are designed to reflect the politicians or politicians caused the roads to be testy.

That is why, Siri*** is breath of fresh air. She was exceptionally good throughout the day, when she tells me to take the left turn, and I miss it… she does not even comment or scream at me,  instead she pleasantly tells me to take the next left turn at the next intersection!  

How delightful!  If it were a typical husband, wife, father, daughter or mother… they will shout – “You missed it” “how many times do I have to tell you to pay attention” “did it again” “get me out of here” and guess what, the more drama, the more mistakes you make. Thank God for your patience, you successfully resisted screaming back to shut the up.   

Once my daughter, whom I taught driving, screamed at me, “Dad, stop, the light is Red” what do I do? I give the gas and almost had a head on collision.  My good friend did the same too once. I will not say a word about the wife.

We all can learn a lesson from Siri.  She trusts you are still driving and does not say a word and simply moves on. When the driver makes the mistake, don’t make a big deal, just shut up and let the driver drive. The man or woman is already panicky, and don’t add insult to it by your criticism.

On my part, when I am the passenger, I will not panic, nor do I say a word or attempt to put imaginary breaks.  It is called “trusting” - the most difficult thing to do. How many of you trust your loved ones?

Yes, you should not trust each other, if you are screaming at each other. 

Mike is a speaker, thinker, writer, pluralist, TV-Radio commentator and a human rights activist committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His info in 63 links at MikeGhouse.net and writings at TheGhouseDiary.com 
  

Historical Week for Mike Ghouse, daughter Mina marries Chris

This week has been one of the most eventful weeks for me. Since Friday, I have been attending to non-stop happenings.  I am behind on many things and hope to catch up this coming week.

1. Saturday - My daughter Jasmina Ghouse married Chris Bishop, her love of the life. She has never been this happy before since she has been with Chris. It was one of the most beautiful weddings; I will be posting the video in a few days.  Our entire family is happy with this marriage and we pray for their happiness and a blissful life.

2. Sunday - Was on Fox and Friends about Chattanooga Shootings

3. Monday – Drove from Atlanta to Washington DC

4. Tuesday - Attended Dinner Reception at Department of State and met several people that I have been wanting to.  I will be working with Dr. Islam Siddiqui at our new organization. 

5. Wednesday – Thanks to 10 Million friends who have viewed my profile at Google.  https://plus.google.com/108969690090944956820/about 

6. Thursday – Dinner at Frank Islam’s incredible palace, it was a fund raising dinner for Hillary Clinton.  Debbie and Frank Islam were incredible hosts - beautiful palace, good people and great food.

7. Thursday – Evangelicals and Muslims held a Joint press conference about standing up for each other –Bob Roberts and Imam Magid led the conference and was attended by media and leaders from several Muslim organizations including Adams Center, Isna, MPAC, Shoulder to Shoulder and others. It was held in the Cannon Congressional building. 

8. Friday  - First day with a break – a lot of walking – parking is difficult to get, so parked for two hours at a time about half a mile away, and had to go back twice to move the car to another location.  I hope to search for a place to live. Presently I am living with my friend’s house.

After living in Dallas for nearly 35 years, finally I moved to Washington DC. Dallas remains my home town.

Ramadan Mubarak - the essence of Ramadan may be traceable in your faith

This article tracks the general purpose of religion and how each religion can appeal to people of different faiths.  Religions and festivities came into being to bring people together and not divide them. Here we explore Ramadan, two of the major festivals of Muslims.

 

Whether you are an Atheist, Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Native American, Pagan, Shinto, Sikh, Wicca, and Zoroastrian or from any other tradition, you may feel a sense of connection with the spirit of Ramadan.

 God is a word for the cause that creates, sustains and recycles this universe, and belongs to all that exists and is not the exclusive dominion of anyone.  No matter how and what name you call upon him – he (she or it) cannot be a different causer for each one of us.  

The physical aspect of human journey from the sperm and an egg stage through the death is programmed precisely. The formula is same for all of humanity;    and there is no such thing as a Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or other gene.

Regardless of what is being said about origins in terms of evolution, creation or the big bang, the undeniable fact is our existence, and we have to figure out how to live with each other.

When the universe came into being, two main products of the process were Matter and Life.

While the matter is programmed to be in self-balance and functions precisely for which it is designed, like the Sun, Jupiter, Earth or the Moon playing its part, the (human) life on the other hand was not programmed; we were given complete freedom, guidance and intelligence to create our own balance for survival.

A balanced society is where every one of us functions cohesively in small parcels of this big World Wide Web.  It is sustained by respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God given uniqueness of each one of us. If we mess with the web, we mess with ourselves ultimately.  If we mess with the environmental balance we will pay for it, just as we bear the loss of health if we mess with what we eat, drink and smoke. There is a consequence for imbalance.

Birth of Religion

We lose the balance if we don’t trust and lie to each other, rob the other, and not keep the promises we make to fellow beings.   This is when religion appears; it is the love of the creator for his creation, just as a mother loves her children –someone among us will rise and restore that balance.  Didn’t Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad and other masters restore the righteousness and balance in the society?  I hope you can relate with this thought in your own scriptures and legends.

An identical spiritual wisdom emerges in different parts of the world simultaneously; the greatest example would be how a mother figures out what to do with her crying baby in the jungles of Amazon or the high society in London.

Indeed, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and as a corollary I would say, faith is in the heart of the believer, and every religion is dear to its believer.  

Religion is about love for fellow beings, a majority of us in every religion get that right but for a few, who keep messing up the cohesiveness of the society. Those few are not an identifiable group, but the infraction in each one of us when we become biased towards the others.  Religion is never the problem; it is the individuals who don’t get their religion right are the problem.

Ramadan and you.

From the moment we are born to the last rites of our life, and every moment in between is laden with rituals, even though some of us may deny it. Whether we go to the gym, eat, sleep, wear clothes, drive or talk on the phone, we follow rituals.

Rituals signify the milestones of our daily life. Every significant moment of the day is a ritual. It is an unwritten way of measuring our progression, a memory pattern to bring discipline to our actions.

Discipline is necessary to do things on time, manage personal relationships, drive to a destination or keep within budget. The result of disciplined behavior is worthwhile for most people. When we are joyous, whether we are a theist or not, we have to express that sentiment, otherwise a sense of incompleteness lingers in our hearts.

The spiritual masters have captured the human gravity towards rituals and have molded it with the art and science of self-discipline in their respective religions. The noble purpose of each one of them was to bring a balance in our lives and a balance with our environment.

Every faith is composed of a set of unique rituals to bring discipline and peace to human life. Fasting is one of the five key rituals that Muslims around the world observe.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is generally observed with a ritual precision; it is an annual training or a refresher. It requires one to abstain from food, drink, intimacy, ill-will, ill-talk, ill-actions and other temptations from dawn to dusk, every day for a month. One has to rise above his or her baser desires. Islam gifts this month to its followers to inculcate discipline to bring moderation to their daily lives. Twenty five hundred years ago, Buddha, the enlightened one taught that human suffering is caused by unrestrained desire to possess and had recommended a middle path, and the same recommendation was made by Prophet Muhammad fourteen hundred years ago.

Although Ramadan is popularly known in the west for its culinary delicacies and fancy iftars (ceremonial breaking of fast at sun down), the spirit and intent of Ramadan lies in a human transformation in a month-long inner spiritual journey of finding oneself in tune with spirituality.

Hindus can see that transformation in nine days of fasting during Navaratri, the Jains in 8-10 days of fasting during Paryushana, Christians during 40 days of lent, Jews for 7 days around Yom Kippur….likewise you find fasting is a way of life in most traditions.

God has no need for the hunger or thirst of someone who hurts others, violates their dignity or usurps their rights, said Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The fasting of the stomach must be matched by the fasting of the limbs. The eyes, ears, tongue, hands and feet all have their respective fasts to undergo. The tongue's temptations, for example -- lies, backbiting, slander, vulgarity and senseless argumentation -- must be challenged and curbed to maintain the integrity of the fast.

Consciousness of behavior and vigilance over action are the most profound dimensions of fasting: the fasting of the heart focuses on the attachment to the divine. That is when Ramadan really becomes a source of peace and solace, just as Christmas or Dussera goes beyond the rituals to bring forth kindness, charity and caring.

True fasting is self-purification; and from this comes a rich inner life that bring about values such as justice, generosity, patience, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and empathy -- values that are indispensable for the success of the community.

Knowing about hunger is different from knowing hunger. Empathy is not an intellectual equation; it is a human experience. Our hardness of heart often springs from our distance from the human condition of others. The poor, sick, disenfranchised, oppressed -- we rarely walk a mile in their shoes, not even a few steps. "Rest assured," cautioned one teacher, "if you do not taste what it feels like to be hungry, you will not care for those who are."

Ramadan will come and go with such stealth that we cannot but be reminded of our mortality. What is it that we value and why? Habits, customs, even obsessive behavior like smoking can be curtailed with relative ease in the face of a higher calling.

For fasting to be truly universal, its benefits must extend beyond the fraternal ties of Muslims and must extend to forging a common humanity with others. Fasting is meant to impart a sense of what it means to be truly human, and its universality is reflected by its observance in Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Sikh, Zoroastrian and other faiths. More about Ramadan at www.Ramadanexclusive.com

What can you do?

Unless we connect with fellow humans, and unless they can relate with us,  our faith, philosophy and traditions, we will remain disconnected with the society. 

This article is about understanding and developing a sense of shared destiny of humanity to create cohesive societies where no human has to feel alienated from others. It is based on Quran's wisdom in 49:13.

You may disagree with a few premises, and I invite you to counter them, so together we can develop better understanding to live and let others live. 

I hope you'd would like this, and if you do,  please share it with your Non-Muslim and Muslim friends. We at America Together Foundation are committed to finding solutions through patience, kindness and education. Our goal is to learn about each other and work on mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill. 

I hope you want the good message to reach out to a maximum number of people, particularly non-Muslims, that's who we focus on. 

The article is published in several news papers:

1. Op-Ed News - Ramadan for Christians, Jews, Hindus and others http://www.opednews.com/articles/Ramadan-for-Christians-Je-by-Mike-Ghouse-ATHEIST_Bahai_Buddhist_Christian-Universalism-150716-714.html
2. Counter Currents - Interfaith Ramadan,  The Essence...  http://www.countercurrents.org/ghouse160715.htm
3. Saddahaq - Interfaith science of Ramadan traceable in your faith  https://www.saddahaq.com/interfaith-science-of-ramadan-the-essence-may-be-traceable-in-your-faith

God willing, it will be published in Huffington Post, Arab Daily News and several other sites across the world.  Alhamdu Lillah, the media has been good to us and we will continue to populate the article on the internet.

We need to continue this work and need your support.  We need to raise $60k thru December, all supporters will be listed on the website www. AmericansTogether.org

Please donate generously for this non-profit 501 (c) Organization: 
http://americatogetherfoundation.com/donate/ 

Let the spirit of Ramadan develop an understanding and respect for each one of God’s creation – that is all of us. Ramadan Mubarak!

Mike is a speaker, thinker, writer, pluralist and a human rights activist committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.   Info in 63 links at MikeGhouse.net and writings atTheGhouseDiary.com