The Republican Party and Muslims

(Note: this is a draft to be fixed over the weekend, it is in response to a barrage of questions as to why I am a Republican,  and today's release of the video of Nezar Hamze on Jon Stewart Show caused me write this)

Congratulations to Nezar Hamze on Jon Stewart Show.

Video: Daily Show with Jon Stewart Exposes Florida GOP effort to bar Muslim from Party posts.  When you watch the video, you would understand why the Republican party is perceived as loaded with dumb and dumber people. It shows the stupidity of some of us Republicans who are in charge of the party;  here is a sparring between Nezar Hamze and Joe Kaufman. Would you say Kaufman is an embarrassment to the Republican party? I urge my fellow Republicans to go out and video tape these men who are ruining our party, go to New Hampshire and other places and watch Gingrich, Santorum and others make an ass of themselves.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iquWCgvg6ko     

Muslim Republican Experience

I am a Republican and a moderate one, and invariably someone or the other comments that the term "Moderate Republican" is Oxymoron.  We come in all colors, shapes and intensities. A majority of Republicans are indeed moderates, just like any majority in any group out there, religiously, ethnically, racially or otherwise. We want to get along and live our own life and wish well to others.

I must however admit that we are cowards; we have no guts to speak out when we see or hear reckless speeches by our party leadership. Ironically in the party of freedom, you find too many conformists; one actually told me that the Bible says we have to obey the President as he speaks for God (about Bush).  I have been in conservative parties, where everyone seems to be gutless, but when I start talking with them, they open up and express their displeasure with what is going on with the leadership.

But the moderates among us do exercise our right judiciously. The dumping of Sara Palin, Michelle Bachman and pretty soon Santorum and Gingrich is a proof of that. I am glad Cain knocked himself out. While the leadership and the right wing media are tooting the horn for Gingrich, Santorum and Bachman, the numbers are not there to support their claim.

So what makes me a Republican?

When I chose to become an American some two decades ago, I found myself in tune with the values of Republican Party; liberty, less government, fiscal responsibility, capitalism, security and peace through strength, a Reagan doctrine. Today, the Republican leadership does not reflect those values and I am disappointed, but not disbanding the party.  Shamelessly every one of the Republican presidential candidates invokes Reagan, particularly Gingrich. He ain’t Reagan.

A majority of Republicans, like a Majority of Muslims are honest-to-good caring and minding-your-own-business kind of people.  I am in tune with the party and in agreement with what it stands for and will stay firmly despite the temptations to run from the morons in leadership. Unfortunately, Republican Party is led by extremists now, as were Muslims a decade ago.  They build each other and go to the heights of sycophancy and proving who is dumb, dumber and the dumbest.

The 2008 elections tested me big time; none of the Republican candidates had any sanity in them.  McCain or any one of them talked about bombing, subduing and forcing others to "obey” us for our military might. The McCain’s, Gingrichs, Santorum’s and their likes don't realize that when you threaten others, you are not secure any more, as others would be equally committed to defend themselves and probably attack you in your most vulnerable moments. It is a bad approach.

I have written over 30 articles on Republican Party in addition to criticism of wars. In 2007 Dick Armey made a whole lot of sense with his appeal to the Republicans to behave, and oddly I had written an article similar to his views. Where is he now?  We need Republicans with balls to speak out against extremism among our leadership.

I voted Republican all the way except the President and Governor. Barack Obama was my choice and I held two rallies for him and wrote about him. I am losing him now as he does not have the audacity to take a stand and do the right thing. He made too many compromises to bring the nation to brink of economic disaster. He is screwed up with his priorities.

On my part, given my commitment to Pluralism and building a cohesive America, I have managed to moderate and organize the Carrollton Candidate's forum, shaping politics of the city. I was disappointed in the Tea party candidate who chose not to attend.  

Despite the opposition from the Tea party, I continued with Pluralism prayer invocations in Carrollton City Hall, six times in 2011http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mc9D9guPMY

This is the kind of America we need, to live and let live, and not the Taliban version dreamt up by the Tea Party.

It is time for the moderate Republicans to speak up and wrestle out party leadership from the right wingers or straighten them for survival of the party. We are going to lose out in 2012 to Democrats if we don't wake up and come out of senselessness.  May be we need a disastrous result to start afresh in 2013 with a clean slate and start representing Americans, the common day to day Americans again.

As Americans, our loyalty ought to be for America and to our system of checks and balances. Let each house is run by a Republican and Democratic majority respectively. Most mistakes by our government have occurred when all the three branches of government were run by the same party. Monopoly in governance leads parties to resort to divisive politics and fascist tendencies. Both parties are guilty of passing reckless bills when they “controlled” all the three branches of government.

I am yet to find a Republican from the leadership who can talk peace? I am yet to see a leading Republican’s presence in interfaith and peace groups? There was not one Republican leader who spoke peacemaking during the elections; they all have the arrogance that bombing and annihilating others will make the problems go away, that is what the primates were set to believe.

I don't run from things when they get rougher, I rather stick around and scream, holler and make sense in a senseless time period of the GOP.

Islam was portrayed negatively on the Television screens in the early 2000 for the acts of a handful of radicals, while the majority of Muslims did not subscribe to extremism.  I have faced things as a Muslim and will face things as a Republican. I am no quitter.

Most Republicans are moderates.  The pundits did not catch this; the good Iowans dumped the extremists Gingrich and Bachman and mistakenly gave their support to Santorum, another extremist. But the good majority of Republicans will dump him in national elections. 

I hope to go with Ron Paul or even Romney, unless they goof up. Romney needs to get his act together, he needs to remember that if he were President, he has to respect and honor every citizen, although he is not as belligerent as others, he still has prejudice towards fellow Americans who are Muslims, of all the idiots out there, he needs to understand that he and his faith is not respected by a few evangelicals either.  I would expect him to stand up for what is right for America and don’t let anyone look down upon fellow Americans. I rather see him lose with dignity than pander to the short sighted ones. I am not an idiot to stick with the bigots because they are fellow Republicans, I would rather do what is good for my country over my party that is indeed my first obligation. 

I do not connect with any of the leaders in Republican Party and I have debated becoming independent or going democrat... but I chose to stay Republican and fix things when I can. I believe, if some of us can appeal to the moderates and give them a little courage, they will speak up as Dick Armey had reminded in 2007 and no one listened to him and we lost big time, including my friends in local elections in Dallas.

Let me share a few links to my struggle of remaining a Republican, and yes a moderate one. I am lot closer to Ron Paul who is genuine flag bearer for the Republican Party. Less Government, less Regulations and do what is good for America.


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, he is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and several nationally syndicated radio talk shows. Over a thousand articles have been published on the topics and two of his books are poised to be released on Pluralism and Islam in America. Mike's work is reflected in several websites and blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/.Mike's most current articles are at www.Theghousediary.com


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I have written many articles, here are a few links;

Which way, republican or democratic? http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2007/12/republican-or-democratic.html

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Are you Oppressive or Conservative?

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/08/are-you-oppressive-or-conservative.html


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Tony Powerz and Mike Ghouse on Fox Radio, South Carolina

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/12/tony-powerz-and-mike-ghouse-on-fox.html

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Bigotry of Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain and Right wing Republicans

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/06/bigotry-of-newt-gingrich-herman-cain.html

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Dumb Republicans

http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2009/06/dumb-republicans.html

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SAVING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
http://www.mikeghouse.net/Articles/Savingthe-Republican-Party.asp

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Republicans, please put America first
http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2008/10/republicans-please-put-america-first.html

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If the world were to vote in US elections
http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2008/09/if-world-were-to-vote-in-us-elections.html

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Are you still a Republican?
http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2008/08/are-you-still-republican_27.html

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Republicans are finally waking up.http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2007/06/republicans-are-waking-up.html

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Republicans are screwedhttp://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2007/05/republicans-are-screwed.html

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Republicans paid a price
http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2007/03/republicans-paid-price-for-neglect.html

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Moderate Republicans need to speak up

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/08/moderate-republicans-need-to-speak-up.html

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