Apple experience in North Park, Dallas

I am writing this note to commend two of the exemplary employees of Apple Store in North Park Center; Tassjania Lozano and David Bowhall who restored my faith in Apple.

Tassajania Lozano

I bought the Apple’s new i-phone 5s at 2:00 PM yesterday and until 2:40 PM today, it was a nightmare.  I was told that I can transfer all the data to my i-phone 5s at i-tunes site where the data for my i-phone 4 was stored. 
Every effort we made failed in transferring the data, my friends Son Hamza did all he can, including deleting all the software from my Lap Top and re-installing and backing the i-phone 4, and attempting to transfer on the new phone.  He was unable to restore the text messages and was able to restore about a dozen of the 111 notes.

We went to the AT&T store by Galleria Mall; the person was interested in selling more products than fixing our problem. She said we cannot transfer the text messages.  At about 7:00 PM, I called AT&T and after 30 minutes I was transferred to Apple care.  I was on phone for 1 hour and 52 minutes. The person who answered the phone said that text messages were not transferrable to the new phone. I assured him that it was, as I had done from i-phone 2 or 3 to i-phone 4 without hassle. Then he said to go to the Apple store and that they will do it. I demanded the name and a firm answer that it can be done and that he is not just telling me, he got his supervisor on line with me. Towards the tail end of the conversation, I asked him, look I have come to you as a last resort and if you cannot answer me, who do I go to?  He was nice but was really not helpful but did comply with my request and even sent an email.

This morning I went to the Willow bend Mall store, no appointment was available till 4:30; however he set us up for 2:20 back at North Park. Adil my friend and I went there and waited till 2:50… we got some wishy-washy answers; two of the employees really did not know much but were shooting their mouths off. I was losing patience and faith in Apple, thinking to simply return the phone and go find something else and cut loose with Apple’s bad service.

At 2:50 a slot opened, she listened to my (now) gripe with patience and repeated back what needs to be done. What a relief! She at least knew what needs to be done and how to do it. She was not eager to say no, but rather, open to see the possibilities. She said exactly what she can do and started plugging the wires… with full confidence!  My whole attitude was changing, and started accepting the weakness of a few employees… I recall losing my big business some 15 years ago due to employee mistakes and appreciated this employee for Apple: Tassjania Lozano.

Tass was exceptional and efficient in getting the job done. She was amazing,  she said it will take 12 minutes for one operation, 40 for other… and asked me if she could serve other customer while the system was working…  and she was able to attend to both of us and took on another one – simul-serving all the three while most others were doing one on one.  The guy sitting across me was thrilled with the service just as I was.  I did ask for her supervisor (forgot her name), who came right up and listened to my sermon. 

I told her that is not common for people to appreciate the good service and I just wanted her to know how good an employee she had in Tass.  I suggested her that in her weekly meetings do the brainstorming with new employees and teach them how to respond to unusual and odd questions.  Never say no for convenience, but say, let me find out for you…. I was almost giving her Sales and motivational talk, but held back.

David Bowhall, Apple North Park

Then Tass turned me over to David Bowhall, he was just one hell of a great person to deal with. He knew what he was doing and was also sharing with me the ins and out of i-phone, i-pad, i-cloud and i-tunes.

Well, Tass, you have restored my faith in Apple. I started out with Apple II in 1982 and still have my first Mac, had published a news paper out of Mac and glad to remain with Apple through i-phone and i-pad although I have switched to PC for my business needs.  Thank you and Thank you David, please train your employees with your standards.

# # #
Mike Ghouse is a motivational speaker, thinker and a writer and presents pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. All his work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net.

TEXAS FAITH: Images of God and Mental Health

When all else fails, a strong belief in God brings solace to one’s mental health. Many polls affirm the Baylor survey on God and mental health. A strong belief in God assures the person that he or she has a place in the scheme of things. It may not make any sense but faith in God gives hopes and hope is a positive energy that restores one’s ability from tipping. One may be angry at God, may not understand or even wonder about God’s role in one’s life, but when they heal, or even see a slight improvement in their lives, there is someone to give credit to, and it is usually God. The relationship was always there unacknowledged.

Here is one of the 10 responses at Dallas Morning News, for all the responses to go;
http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/11/texas-faith-images-of-god-and.html

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas


When all else fails, a strong belief in God brings solace to one’s mental health. Many polls affirm the Baylor survey.


 A 2008 Gallup poll found that 78 percent of respondents expressed a belief in God, the numbers have declined from a 2003 Gallup polls which found that over 95% of Americans profess belief in God and 62% believed that religion can answer all or most of today’s problems. Even though the numbers are changing, belief in God holds out to 90% in2010 Polls.  As a pluralist, I want to highlight another part of the same survey where 72% of Americans do not believe that their version of God is the only way – meaning all will achieve salvation regardless of their religion.  

The focus of most surveys is belief in God and not which version of God or frequency of prayers.  I am glad to read the Baylor findings, “Respondents who pray every day report statistically the same number of mental health issues as those who never pray or pray only on certain occasions.”


Murphy and Fitchett in their research paper Belief in a Caring God Improves Response to Medical Treatment for Depression write, "For people diagnosed with clinical depression, medication certainly plays an important role in reducing symptoms," Murphy said. "But when treating persons diagnosed with depression, clinicians need to be aware of the role of religion in their patients' lives. It is an important resource in planning their care."


Nancy Kehoe, a nun and a psychologist, writes in Wrestling With our Inner Angels that “respecting the spiritual and religious beliefs of those who suffer from mental illness actually opens the way to greater meaning, support, even healing.”


 Mental health, as defined by the Surgeon General's report "refers to the successful performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with other people, and the ability to adapt to change and cope with adversity."


Dr. Grace Tsai adds, “Imbalance or "disharmony" is the cause of illness and results from physical, psychological, nutritional, environmental or spiritual influences tipping that balance.”

In the Theistic Integrative Psychology approach, Richards & Bergin(2004) wrote,   The foundational assumptions of our theistic strategy are that “God exists, that human beings are the creations of God, and that there are unseen spiritual processes by which the link between God and humanity is maintained” (Bergin, 1980a, p. 99). We also assume that people who have faith in God’s power and draw on spiritual resources during treatment will have added strength to cope, heal, and grow.

A strong belief in God assures the person that he or she has a place in the scheme of things. It may not make any sense but faith in God gives hopes and hope is a positive energy that restores one’s ability from tipping.  One may be angry at God, may not understand or even wonder about God’s role in one’s life, but when they heal, or even see a slight improvement in their lives, there is someone to give credit to, and it is usually God. The relationship was always there unacknowledged.


Many religions including Islam and Hinduism assert that even a blade of grass does not move without the divine plan and add that one has the freedom to choose and influence one’s destiny within the divine plan. Fate plays a key role in one’s ability to cope with the destitution, the moment one accepts it as a part of the divine plan, it mitigates one’s suffering.


Religion can be defined as a mechanism that gives hopes and restores one’s balance and harmony with what surrounds one people and the environment affecting that balance.

When reason fails, faith takes over.  Indeed, God is the last resort to those who believe in him, her or it.


Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer offering pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity and Fox and a regular on nationally syndicated radio shows. His work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net

Good things are happening in India Pakistan Relations;

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/11/good-things-are-happening-in-india.html

If we want a positive change that the majority of us inherently want, we have to stoke the goodness in each one of us. I hope these acts of goodness start piling up one by one and build a momentum towards resolving our conflicts and figuring out prosperity to each one of our citizens.  

This highlights a major factor in nation(s) building - you take on step forward to nurture goodwill, the other is bound to take a similar step, please don’t stop the momentum if the others do not match... keep doing, some day others will come around.  National policies should not be based on pushing the other down, but lifting them and raising along with them with the lift.

The fodder for the politicians is hate and anti-India or anti-Pakistan propaganda, because there are a few immoral chamchas out there who clap for their false destructive heroism, the idiots want to do more damage. Please do not encourage the ones who gain nothing and don’t let others prosper either.

Next time one spills hate for India or Pakistan, be blunt and ask them - does this feed your family? Does this make your heart purer? If it is an older man, ask him, if he is ever going to flush out the sewer from his heart?  

Thank God, out of the 100,000 Indians and Pakistanis in Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, you can count on an insignificant number of about a dozen of them with sewage filled hearts.   I pray that they flush it out and start enjoying the life. It is never too late and I would clap for those who are committed to bring goodness.

We have to continue to do the good, there is hope in it and there is goodness in it for all. Let us become the Ambassadors of peace whether the other acts good or not.  We need to be free from ill-will, let the politicians feed of that...

Here are the three things this week:

1.       Pakistan Says, India played a big role in support for the UN Seat -http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2011/11/pak-says-india-played-big-role-in-its.html

2.      Historical Hindu temple reopens after 60 yrs in northwest Pak - http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2011/11/historical-hindu-temple-reopens-after.html

3.      Pakistan Ambassador Celebrates Diwali - http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2011/10/pakistan-ambassador-breaks-new-ground.html

4.      Moment of Humanity after 46 years http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/08/moment-of-humanity-after-46-years-of.html

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer and presents pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. All his work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net.

Pakistan ambassador breaks new ground celebrating Diwali with Indians in Beijing

May this trend continue everywhere.

This highlights a major factor in nation(s) building - you take on step forward to nurture goodwill, the other is bound to take a similar step, don't drop if the other does not match... keep doing, some day he or she will.

Honestly, all the Ambassadors can take that initiative and give birth to a new colossal energy. I happen to watch Sahar Show, a poor Pakistani show, unlike many a great shows that I have been watching recently with Yasmeen. I do not watch TV... except a few shows with her. Last evening he was singing Indian Songs as a part of the entertainment, it was very normal for the audience and him... no condescending attitudes but plain normal attitude. .. when you and I, the individuals drop the small barriers and act, merely act as people of goodwill and good faith and not let pettiness come in our way... we can change things.

The fodder for the politicians is hate and anti-India or anti-Pakistan propaganda, because there are a few chamchas who clap for their heroism, as if the idiots fill their belly with it. As the general population we need to be free from ill-will, let the politicians feed of that...

Some 10 years ago, I was in India consular office in Houston with my late wife's passport. Consular General Wangdi gave tremendous respect and had me and Najma sit in his office and got her passport stamped for multiple visits. The assistant who worked on the passport had stories to tell... great stories of how a Pakistani taxi driver took him in the middle of the night to a hospital with his sick daughter and did not charge him..these Ambassadors can count many great stories on both sides... It is time for them to take initiatives and change.. the upper layers will possibly see the goodness. The visionary Moraji Desai saw that and others can see it too.

For those petty fellow Indians, I have had a chance to marry a Mexican girl, an Algerian Girl and a Chinese girl after Najma... fortunately I met this Pakistani Girl whom I married and who is a blessing in my life. A handful of Indians in my town have a problem - may be 9 out of 80,000 Indians and there are six Pakistanis of the 20,000 some Pakistanis who are hateful towards India and me. Are they significant?

Next time one spills hate for India or Pakistan, be blunt and ask them - does this feed your family? Does this make your heart purer? If it is an older man, ask them, if he is ever going to flush out the sewer from his heart? Here is a real good story to read and watch this story. http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/08/moment-of-humanity-after-46-years-of.html

We have to continue to do the good, there is hope in it and there is goodness in it for all. Let us become the Ambassadors of peace whether the other also acts good or not.

Happy Diwali - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/10/happy-diwali-essence-of-diwali.html

Mike Ghouse

Committed to Cohesive Societies

www.MikeGhouse.net

Pakistan ambassador breaks new ground celebrating Diwali with Indians in Beijing

Saibal DasguptaSaibal Dasgupta, TNN | Oct 30, 2011, 05.54PM IST

BEIJING: India-Pakistan relations sparkled for a while as Pakistani ambassador Masood Khan and his wife, Zohra, took the rare step of participating in Diwali celebrations at the Indian embassy premises here Saturday evening. Khan also waved at artists performing on the stage and the assembled Indians as a gesture of bonhomie.

The move comes soon after Indian ambassador S Jaishankar visited the Pakistani embassy to pay his condolences over the recent demise of Begum Nusrat Bhutto, the wife and mother of two different prime ministers of Pakistan and the mother-in-law of Asif Ali Zardari, the present one.

The Khans stayed for close to two hours and joined Indian ambassador S.Jaishankar for dinner along with Sultan Ahmad Baheri, the ambassador of Afghanistan and Sun Weidong, deputy director general of the department of Asian affairs in the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs. The event took on a diplomatic hue as this is the first time in many years that a Pakistani ambassador has visited the Indian occasion on a festive occasion.

The event attended by Indians living in Beijing included a Bharat Natyam performance by Chinese dancer Jin Shanshan and display of fire crackers, which is usually not allowed outside the embassy premises in Beijing.

Timesofindia.com

Happy Diwali - the essence of Diwali

Diwali is the Indian festival of lights and light symbolizes hope and positive energy, it indicates the victory of good over evil; a new beginning; seeing the light at the end of tunnel and light is also a symbol of knowledge as it is an internationally used.

People decorate their homes with lights and Rangoli (explained below). Their surroundings filled with colorful light to enliven the day, to mark the dawn of a new era in one's life.

Although Diwali is a Hindu tradition, people of all faiths in India participate in celebrations - Hindus, Jains, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists and others.

My childhood is filled with good memories of Diwali; the sparklers, the food and everything joyous you can imagine.

Happy Diwali to you my friends, may this Diwali bring happiness, serenity and peace to you. Amen!

RANGOLI THEMES (Adapted from various sites)

Those who are experts in art, they can do Rangoli designs on the floor with free hand. Some draw the pattern in a paper and fill it with colors. There are some who draw the outline with chalk and fill it with papers. There are different Rangoli themes with symbols like Swastika, Om, Mangal kalash, Chakra, a lighted Deepak Images Flowers Trees Creepers Birds, Elephants, Dancing figures, Geometric patterns such as circles, semi-circles, triangles, squares and rectangles etc.  

Ingredients used in Rangoli traditionally are rice powder and the colors derived from natural dyes from barks of trees, leaves, indigo, etc. were used. Today however, synthetic dyes are used in a range of different colors. Rangoli being mainly a floor art, varied ingredients are used like as follows: Powdered colors, finely grounded rice flour Turmeric Glitters Natural flowers etc. Rangoli can be given a three-dimensional art effect by applying cereals, pulses either in their natural coloring or tinted with natural dyes.  

They are beautiful, wonderful creations of art indeed. You can take ideas from these designs and make a beautiful Rangoli this Diwali.

30 Pictures of Rangoli :
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=331967&id=851280248&l=56e2895228  

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and the public. He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Islam, interfaith, India and Peace. He is available to speak at your place of worship, work, school, college, seminars and conferences. . Mike's work is reflected in 4 website's and 27 Blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/ and you can find this article at www.TheGhousediary.com

TEXAS FAITH: Should the word sin be part of our political vocabulary?

Two generations from now, the word sin would simply mean anything that man does to mess with the cohesiveness of the society. Any conflict that does not mess with the three critical elements like one's space, nourishment and nurtarance will not be considered a sin by a majority of the people regardless of their religious affiliation.

Here is one of the 10 responses at Dallas Morning News;
 http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/10/texas-faith-should-the-word-si.html

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

The word Sin should not be a part of our political vocabulary as understood in its historical context; it is divisive and becomes a tool to pit one against the other. Indeed, it is a medium to shut the other out when frightened with a loss of power and control.

Let the word sin remain confined to the domain of religion and not creep into the political parlance, other wise men like Pastor Jeffress, Pastor Robertson, Imam Al-Awlaki,  Rabbi Shapiro and others will have no qualms in declaring others who disagree with them as sinners who deserve to be stripped off the basic human rights.

God has endowed humanity with the ability to communicate and find solutions to the conflicts as opposed to resorting to condemnations and judgments in the garb of sin.

Broadly, conflicts are caused by messing with three critical elements; one’s space, nourishment and nurturance. The civil societies determine the punishment for such violations to sustain trust and maintain equilibrium in a given society.

As far as one’s faith is concerned, it is between the believer and the creator. Whether one believes in Jesus, Muhammad, Krishna, Moses or Confucius is God’s business and no man should have the right to declare it as a sin.

Future of sin

The future definition of sin will cut a lot of fat out of the traditional understanding of sin, which is anything that goes against the norms established by religious men as God’s words.  

Yoffie’s statement gives good grounding in defining sin, “Absent sin, we are not responsible. Absent sin, there is no moral precision. Absent sin, there is no moral judgment. Absent sin, there can be no forgiveness.” 

Once upon a time secular behavior was considered a sin, interacting with people of other faiths was a sin, validating science was a sin, dating was considered illicit; marriage outside your faith was a sin and so many others things have now fallen out of the purview of sin.

Chief Seattle (1854), a Native American said this perfectly, “All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the webs, he does it to himself."

Two generations from now, the word sin would simply mean anything that man does to mess with that web and cohesiveness of the society. Any conflict that does not mess with the three critical elements mentioned above will not be considered a sin by a majority of the people regardless of their religious affiliation.

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and the public. He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Islam, interfaith, India and Peace. He is available to speak at your place of worship, work, school, college, seminars and conferences. . Mike's work is reflected in 4 website's and 27 Blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/ and you can find this article at www.TheGhousediary.com

TEXAS FAITH: What does the Occupy movement say about American society?

Indeed, the Occupy movement reflects the civility of our society. Frustration craves for expression and we ought to feel good that we have expressed that in the most civil manner.

Here is one of the 11 responses at Dallas Morning News;
 http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/10/texas-faith-what-does-the-occu.html

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

The Occupy movement is a new phenomenon in American society and is a healthy way of expressing societal frustrations. It is not in our psyche to protest over system failures as we have always found ways to fix them, most of them were specific to an industry or a group like the auto or other unions. Even the protests against Vietnam and Iraq were specific. However, the Occupy movement expresses general frustrations over failures of the system, corporate greed and economic inequality.

Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violence model of protest was relegated to a corner assuming it will not succeed again; however, the Arab spring refreshed the method and gave a new life to it skillfully channeling the frustrations of the masses into powerful results.

The world was glued to the television to watch the next moment of the movement, they were curios and they were rooting for the Egyptians and Libyans. The effectiveness of the protests assured them that peaceful demonstrations can topple the powerful ones and bring the change they want as Gandhi had proved it. The Indians are doing it again with the anti-corruption movement by Anna Hazare and the world is seeing amazing success of the ordinary. Indeed we are anxious to test the newly infused empowerment through the social media.

We Americans have never lost our civility in dealing with difficult issues facing our nation. Indeed, we have witnessed the looting in London and the riots in LA with disdain, while admiring the Japanese for the way they handled the Tsunami, stories of returning bundles of monies back to the agencies to find the people who had lost the money restored our faith in humanity.

The Time Magazine survey results on October 13 found that 54 percent of Americans have a favorable impression of the protests, while 23 percent have a negative impression. An NBC/Wall Street Journal survey found that 37 percent of respondents "tend to support" the movement, while 18 percent "tend to oppose" it.

Indeed, the Occupy movement reflects the civility of our society. Frustration craves for expression and we ought to feel good that we have expressed that in the most civil manner.

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and the public. He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Islam, interfaith, India and Peace. He is available to speak at your place of worship, work, school, college, seminars and conferences. . Mike's work is reflected in 4 website's and 27 Blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/ and you can find this article at www.TheGhousediary.com

Pamela Geller, Sean Hannity and the Qur’aan

Sean Hannity and Pamela Geller were presented a copy of the Qur’aan translated by Muhammad Asad on the Hannity Show on Friday, October 21, 2011. I am glad she had the time to read some pages from Qur’aan and write a blog about it, which I intend to respond.

It's a business for Pamela to misrepresent Islam. Her Blog has caused a few to read the Qur'an as well and a few have questioned her integrity and I appreciate them for writing to me about it.  Thanks Pamela for the mis-statements.

On this particular blog “The Ghouse diary” only my writings are posted, however, I am including the write up of Pamela Geller as it has do with me. Pamela seems to have fallen in the same trap that a few on the right do; not read the verses before and after and who it is addressed to.  God willing, I plan to respond to her write up and hope she can publish in her blog in the interests of discovering the truth.

There are sixty some verses that are deliberately mistranslated. Steve Blow in Dallas Morning News quotes, “But he said deeper study led him to realize the Quran had been purposely mistranslated down through history. In the Middle Ages, European leaders commissioned a hostile Quran translation to foster warfare against Muslim invaders. Later, Muslim leaders produced another translation to inflame Muslims against Christians and Jews.”

Of the 25 some available translations, two are deliberately mistranslated, for example “ Unlike Jews and Christians 1:7, Slay the Idolaters 9:5,  Jews who turned into apes 2:65, ,  Pluralism in Quraan and several others. Insha Allah, I hope to respond to the misunderstandings of Pamela Geller with the help of Imam Zia Shaikh, who co-authored the response on Dutch Parliamentarian Geert Wilders false claims. The links are references below Pamela’s article.  

Mike Ghouse

Committed to a cohesive America
www.MikeGhouse.net

# # #

Reading the Real Qur’an
Pamela Geller
http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/10/reading_the_real_quran.html

Last Friday I was on the Sean Hannity Show, debating Muslim activist Michael Ghouse on the future of Libya. 

Debating Michael Ghouse is like shooting kuffar in a barrel. But Friday night, Ghouse presented me with an enormous Qur'an, courtesy of the Muslim Brotherhood-tied Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR): The Message of the Qur'an, Translated and Explained by Muhammad Asad. Giving out these giant door-stoppers is further proof of Hamas-linked CAIR's limitless resources.

Inside, Ghouse had written this inscription: "Quran has 25 translations. 2 are bad -- One by Christian Kings other by Muslims -- both to generate hate for the other. Quran is a book of Justice." On the show, Ghouse gave Hannity a copy of the same edition, repeating his claim about the two "wrong translations" and saying, "This is the right translation."

So this must be the book of peace from the religion of peace. Because Ghouse is all about peace. At his website, he says: "Welcome to my world, the world of Pluralism. If we can learn to accept the otherness of other and respect the God given uniqueness of each one of the seven billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge."

The only problem that Ghouse fails to address is there is no respect or acceptance of "the other" in Islam. "The others" are despised, denigrated, and dawah-ed to death. Under the sharia, nonbelievers are forced live under dhimmitude, a subjugated class status denied basic human rights. 

According to Ghouse, it would seem that the things in the "bad" translations that are designed to "generate hate" must not be in this Qur'an. The one he gifted to Hannity and me promotes "the world of Pluralism." So I started reading. The first thing I noticed was that this translation uses "God" for Allah throughout, even as it shows on every page that the Allah of the Qur'an is not the G-d of the Jews or of the Christians. Hmmmm.

I found plenty of pluralism. I found Allah saying to the Jews, who "profaned the Sabbath," "Be as apes despicable!" (2:65). And saying to the Muslims that they should "fight in God's cause against those who wage war against you, and do not commit aggression, for, verily, God does not love aggressors. And slay them wherever you find them" (2:190-191). Don't commit aggression, but slay them wherever you find them. Right.


I kept reading. "And as for those women whose ill-will you have reason to fear, admonish them [first]; then leave them alone in bed; then beat them" (4:34; the bracketed word is in the book in this and all other quotes). I sure am glad I am finally reading the right translation.

The pluralism and peace don't end there. I learned that God has "disowned" the "hypocrites" -- that is, people who pretend to be Muslim but aren't really, or who were once Muslim but leave the religion. It says that if they "revert to [open] enmity," the Muslims should "seize them and slay them wherever you may find them" (4:89). So now Muslims are supposed to beat "women whose ill-will" they "have reason to fear," and kill those who wage war against them, and hypocrites who are in open enmity against them, wherever they find them. And we're only on page 139 (out of 1,164 pages). They're not told to try to talk things out, or turn the other cheek, or work to make peace even while defending themselves. Muslims are supposed to fight against those who have "denied the truth" until "there is no more oppression and all worship is devoted to God alone" (8:39). So now Muslims have to fight unbelievers until everyone worships only Allah.

But still I kept on reading, looking for that pluralism. And I found out that "the Jews say, 'God's hand is shackled!' It is their own hands that are shackled; and rejected [by God] are they because of this their assertion" (5:64). I also learned that "the Jews say, 'Ezra is God's son,'" which will come as news to us Jews, and then Allah says, "May God destroy them!" (9:30) Isn't the one speaking in the Qur'an supposed to be Allah alone, and Allah is supposed to be the only G-d? So whom is he asking to destroy the Jews?


Anyway, not only does this "right translation" ask G-d to destroy the Jews, but also tells Muslims to do it themselves: "fight against those who -- despite having been vouchsafed revelation [aforetime] -- do not [truly] believe either in God or the Last Day, and do not consider forbidden that which God and His Apostle have forbidden, and do not follow the religion of truth [which God has enjoined upon them], till they [agree to] pay the exemption tax with a willing hand, after having been humbled [in war]" (9:29).


Those who have been "vouchsafed revelation aforetime" are the Jews and Christians. The "Apostle" is Muhammad." So Muslims must fight Jews and Christians until they have been "humbled" and pay a special tax.


By that point I was so overwhelmed with all the pluralism and peace that I had to put Mike Ghouse's generous gift aside. But not to worry -- no longer do I struggle with keeping that heavy basement door open. Problem solved.


Pamela Geller is the publisher of AtlasShrugs.com and the author of the WND Books title Stop the Islamization of America: A Practical Guide to the Resistance."

REFERENCES:

Dallas Morning News - http://www.dallasnews.com/news/columnists/steve-blow/20100919-In-defense-of-Islam-pursuing-9397.ece

Unlike Jews and Christians 1:7 - http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2008/01/unlike-jews-or-christians-17.html

Slay the idolaters 9:5 - http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2007/12/slay-idolaters-95.html

Jews turned into apes 2:65 - http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2008/01/jews-turned-into-apes.html

Dutch Parliamentarian Geert Wilders false claims - http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2008/01/muslim-response-to-wilders.html

Pluralism in Quraan - http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2009/08/quraan-and-pluralism.html

Sixty difficult verses - http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2010/12/list-of-difficult-passages-in-quraan.html

Americans together on the road again

AMERICANS TOGETHER, BUILDING A COHESIVE AMERICA

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/10/americans-together-on-road-again.html

Americans together is a documentary about Americans working towards building a cohesive society, where no American would be apprehensive of the other and lives with a sense of safety, security and freedom.  It is a continuous dialogue to remove myths from the realities and bring about the positive change that we all want.

Our founding fathers laid the ground work for such a society, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, 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."

   

Martin Luther King Jr. expressed that in his speech, “ I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Chief Seattle (1854), a Native American said this perfectly, “All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the webs, he does it to himself." 

 

1. What are you doing to preserve that web?
2. What are your initiatives?
3. What are the divisive issues?

4. How would you allay the prevalent phobias and fears?
5. What is your vision for America?

All the Prophets, Messengers of God, Spiritual masters, Wise Men and Women and the Peace Makers believed in peaceful co-existence of humanity and consistently mitigated conflicts and nurtured goodwill amongst various groups. Their effort was to bring about a positive change and create a cohesive society where no one was to be apprehensive of the other.  

We have begun on our plan to interview and present different perspectives representing full spectrum of America. I have started out with the heads of major Muslim organizations and will be reaching out to every representation of America. It’s my commitment to work towards building a cohesive America.

 

 
We hope to document the efforts that go towards building an America that every one desires and is doing something about it. God willing this documentary will be released by next year at the Sharia Conference to be attended by political candidates, elected representatives, religious, civil, business and community leaders.

I am looking for stories where people have stood up for each other, did everything they can towards creating a better America. If you know someone who has a compelling story to tell, let me know. It has got to make people think, ponder and want to take an action. I am looking for partners to write script, find stories, fund and participate.

The purpose of “Americans Together” is to remove myths about each other in open discussion forums and provide a platform to build cohesiveness in our society and build a safe and secure America for every one of the 312 Million Americans.

Americans Together is an educational and pragmatic initiative to wean out myths from reality, which is hurting the social cohesiveness of America. The myths are vigorously propagated by a few insecure souls from among us to disrupt the delicate balance in our society by pitching one American against the other for their perceived gains.

Ever since we declared our independence, we have been tested time and again by various political, economic and religious forces to divide us, however, at the end we have come out strong as one nation.  Let’s take that first step in bringing a positive change through dialogue.

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UPDATES

GROUND ZERO

10/21:- I prayed for the well being of those who lost their lives and those who survived; those who are angry and those who are at peace; those who are hurt and those who are callous and those who want to bring goodness. I am deeply committed to the Unity Day USA and have been organizing the public event for the last 7 years, bringing Americans together.

FOX NEWS

10/21:- Sean Hannity andPamela Geller. Gave a copy of Quraan translation by Muhammad Asad to both of them and a copy of the book Peace by Josef Avesar. Off the show we talked about Sharia conference and my documentary Americans together.

PARK 51 MOSQUE

10/21:- My friend Adil Khan and I prayed Juma congregational prayers at Park 51 Mosque. Insha Allah, the muslim community center will be built there. Met with Sharif El-Gamal and have a breaking news, he wants to Deed over the property to a Muslim Trust. Imam Feisal has stepped out of the project now.

MLK INAUGURATION

10/15:- Awesome speech by President Obama at the unveiling of MLK statue across Jefferson Memorial. I was desperately looking for muslim presence to capture for the film, why were we not there?

OCCUPY WALL STREET

10/20:- I wrote a piece on Occupy movement In Dallas Morning News, however I missed going there and was happy to hear a conversation about Muslim participation and Friday prayers. The man was talking with Sharif El Gamal and as I was introduced the stranger recognized my name with Pluralism, it was a big surprise.

Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and the public. He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Politics, Islam, interfaith, India and Peace. Over a thousand articles have been published on the topics and two of his books are poised to be released on Pluralism and Islam. Mike's work is reflected in 4 website's and 27 Blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/ and you can find all of his current articles at www.TheGhousediary.com

TEXAS FAITH: Why does a strong belief in heaven and hell motivate people?

Versions of Heaven and Hell

"The majority of people who absolutely believe in Heaven and Hell are always or often motivated by their faith to pursue excellence, which certainly would please most organization owners. This relationship is strongest among those who absolutely believe in Hell." 

Here is one of the 15 responses at Dallas Morning News;
http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/10/texas-faith-why-does-strong-belief-in.html

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

A strong belief in heaven and hell is clearly a motivating factor in one's life. The strength stems from clarity and doubtlessness which powers the individual's mind or heart to take the bold steps with least hesitancy, boosting one's self confidence and productivity in whatever he or she chooses to do.

It is another thing whether the hell and heaven are real tangible things. To many the descriptions in the Bible, Quraan, Torah, Bhagvad Gita, Avesta, Guru Granth Saheb and other holy books are real. For many others it signifies the essence of justice and balance, the idea of heaven and hell are behavior modifiers to some causing one to be a good human to fellow beings.

Yet, to some heaven and hell are what we go through in our solitude as a consequence of our behavior; actions, words and thoughts. Every one ultimately wants freedom, nirvana, Mukti, Moksha, Nijaat and salvation from misery and pain and falls on one of the pathways.

Indeed, the leap of faith is both productive and destructive. It is dangerous when a few in the Middle East teach their children to believe that there is a greater reward for them with God for establishing their version of righteousness causing the 9/11 and other killings. It is dangerous when a few among the right-wingers in the West use the pulpit to teach their congregants that the Mormons, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Hindus and Buddhist are cults and false religions.

Both these extreme groups believe that others have to be wrong for them to be right resulting in crusades, the Holocaust, genocides, massacres and other atrocities. What an irony of belief.

On the other hand, a majority of goodness we see in the world is because of the same strength of belief in hell and heaven that motivates people to do the right thing. They serve and care for fellow beings without distinction.

I believe (non-empirically) that the destructive men are less than 1/10th of 1% of any group of people, be it religious, ethnic, racial or other uniqueness. They are the insecure folks, and it is the duty of society at large to bring them into the fold of co-existence; a living heaven for humanity. These folks need assurance that no one is bent on destroying them.

Most of us are reluctant deciders, and more often than not, we find relief when someone else makes the call. Whether it is a decision about a family member where doctors have given up and make suggestions to go the hospice route, stop feeding or a painful decision to divorce, we are eager to hear a confident assuring voice that the decision is the best given the situation, lifting a huge burden off us.

This is precisely the function of religion that I admire. When we know there is injustice, and lost hope in humanity, a faith in God restores one's ability to hold us together and free us from anxieties and apprehensions.

Fifteen Texas Faith Panelists respond here at Dallas Morning News:

 http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/10/texas-faith-why-does-a-strong.html

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Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and the public. He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Politics, Islam, interfaith, India and Peace. Over a thousand articles have been published on the topics and two of his books are poised to be released on Pluralism and Islam. Mike's work is reflected in 4 website's and 27 Blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/ and you can find all of his current articles at www.TheGhousediary.com