Monday, April 21, 2014

For every Muslim ass there is a Hindu ass

URL - http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2014/04/for-every-muslim-ass-there-is-hindu-ass.html

Secularism will not die; it will be upgraded to Pluralism; India’s heritage.

Most Indians agree and support this statement, "let every Indian, pray, eat, sleep, drink, wear, think or believe whatever the hell he or she wants to do, but not impose his ideals onto others."

Indeed, a majority of Muslims, Hindus, and others mind their own business, taking care of the family, getting kids to school, having a job and thinking of comfortable retirement. 

It is time to scream at the rascal individuals be it in Congress or BJP  who talk divisiveness. Anyone who does not care about the others is not good for the society.

Indeed, for every Muslim ass, there is a Hindu ass, (or other assess). For every Azam, there is a Togadia, for every Bukhari there is an Amit Shah…  and many more popping by day.

The purpose of police, criminal justice and law is to protect Indians from these men who incite hatred.

Modi or Indira, they come and go, but India has been there and will always be there with its pluralistic ethos. If they do any damage or did not control the damage like the Sikh Genocides, Gujarat Massacre, Mistreatement of Dalits, Destruction of Babri Masjid, it will hurt for a long time, but will heal. India is too big for these temporals. I like that old song from Bombay to God - Na koi raha hai, no koi rahega, mere desh azad ho ke rahega.

We are deeply a pluralistic people and our heritage is loaded with pluralistic ethos. Men who are divisive are an insult to Hinduism and Islam’s pluralistic ethos. Remember men in all traditions have been violent, despite their religion teaching otherwise. It is not the religion; it is the selfishness and insecurity in men that drives them to be rotten pigs.

And, “Hinduism is the “Ellis Island of religions”. Pluralism and diversity are deeply ingrained in it, “the lines between different beliefs and practices are permeable membranes”

And, “India gave itself a secular, liberal constitution because a vast majority of all its people, in fact almost unanimously, determined that this was the finest formulation for nation-building in a land as diverse and complex as ours. The Constituent Assembly had participation from across the many ideological divides. The document it drafted has now acquired the status of scripture and nobody in mainstream politics dares to question it. The man credited with leading that process, Ambedkar, has been added to our pantheon of all-party gods.”

Now coming to deal with the extremism- a part of every society, every religion, every ethnicity and language.

The politicians want to label it religious, but in reality it is the arrogance of one over the other. Each group is deviating from the religious teachings of humility and chosing arrogance, ahankar etc.



I fully endorse the theme of the article " Secularism is dead" by Shekhar Gupta at Indian Express.

Secularism is Dead
This anti-Modi battle cry is lazy, illiberal and an affront to Muslims — and to Hindus.

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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism
, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and a book with the same title is coming up. Mike has a strong presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.  
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India Elections - a perfect interview with Maulan Madani

THE PERFECT INTERVIEW WITH MAULANA MADANI - INDIA'S FUTURE
http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2014/04/maulana-madani-on-india-elections.html

Maulana Madani deserves a big salute for this interview. He spoke the sentiments of a majority of Muslims, at least me and 90% of what I wanted to say and have said it over the last several years.  If someone wants to know the state of Muslims in India - this is the snapshot.

I don't want to write about it, it is worth listening again and again, there is confidence, humor, assertiveness and patriotism in his language.  He spoke the truth with politeness and firmness. One of the best interviews from an Indian Muslim. I would have probably given the same interview.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/video/maulana-mahmood-madani-narendra-modi-gujarat-riots-azam-khan/1/356735.html

Modi should not apologize for Gujarat 2002 riots, says Madani - the title is not what the interview is about. 

This is an exclusive interview by Rahul Kanwal with Muslim cleric Maulana Mahmood Madani said Narendra Modi is not secular and will have to treat everyone as equal if he becomes the prime minister. Rahul is a good interviewer as well.

I actually had a tear in my eye at 4:19 point of the interview. I love his confidence in India and India's pluralistic ethos. He and I have identical views and approach based on conflict mitigation and goodwill nurturence. He is a true follower of the Prophet.

We are deeply a pluralistic people and our heritage is loaded with pluralistic ethos. Men who are divisive are an insult to Hinduism and Islam’s pluralistic ethos. Remember men in all traditions have been violent, despite their religion teaching otherwise. It is not the religion; it is the selfishness and insecurity in men that drives them to be rotten pigs.


I used a provocative title to make the point, "for every Muslim ass, there is a Hindu ass" at
URL - http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2014/04/for-every-muslim-ass-there-is-hindu-ass.html 


and "Modi's Nakshatra's are not in his favor" - http://www.opednews.com/articles/Narendra-Modi-s-Nakshatras-by-Mike-Ghouse-Anti-christian_Bharatiya-Janata-Party_Business_Congress-131227-999.html

and "India's future with Modi" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/indias-future-narendra-mo_b_4177079.html

I wrote in a note yesterday


It's not about Hindus or Muslims, but it is about;

1. Justice for every indian.
2. No indian needs to live in fear of the other,
3. No Indian needs to be treated less than the other. 


Is this too much to ask?
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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism
, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and a book with the same title is coming up. Mike has a strong presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Happy Passover

HAPPY PASSOVER

Passover is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the story of the Exodus, when Jews were freed from slavery in Egypt.  It is celebrated for seven or eight days and one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays.


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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, IslamIsraelIndiainterfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and a book with the same title is coming up. Mike has a strong presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest onSean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links. 

Happy Easter - a Muslim's easter


Good Friday is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Black Friday,or Easter Friday.

This is my third year of observing lent for nearly 40 days and would end on Easter. I hope to attend the Easter Mass somewhere in Dallas or where some of my friends attend. Why do I observe Lent?



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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, IslamIsraelIndiainterfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and a book with the same title is coming up. Mike has a strong presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest onSean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links. 

Monday, April 7, 2014

Shun Politics of Separatism

URL - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2014/04/shun-politics-of-separatism.html

Tufail Ahmed's article is worth reading to understand the Muslim dilemma; I am pleased to extract a few thoughtful sentences and phrases for us to ponder.

"Muslim leaders failed to comprehend a kind of politics that could help Muslims see their future in togetherness with the country's mainstream."

Indeed, this is the sentiment of many a Muslims who feel responsible for the plight of Muslims and want to do something about it. Dr. AbuSaleh Shariff emphasized a point about it in the annual meeting of US India Policy Institute in Houston.   He compared the Quota system and its superfluity - West Bengal has some 25% of Muslims but have less than 2% of jobs in the state, Kerala has a higher quota of some 17% for Muslims, but only 9% is utilized (Figures need to be checked).  He questioned the need for Quota.  Most likely the same Muslims would have gotten the same jobs without quota.

We don't need quota, what we need is proportionate representation that is fair and equitable with all other communities. It will remove the false rhetoric of Minority appeasement - hell, there is no appeasement then why have it? Indeed, we need to be a part of the main stream and don't need any special treatment, but a fair and just treatment on par with every Indian.

"After the 1857 war in which the two communities fought unitedly against the British, the Muslim leadership should have logically worked together with Hindus."

The three reasons Tufail Ahmed has proffered do make sense. It is just not the Muslim voters who have been taken for granted but others have experienced the same depravity; false promises!  The Ram Mandir issue is a clear vote bank issue to flame the fundamentalists among Hindu community, and promises made to them were not delivered either.  It's an equal opportunity cheating by politicians.

One of the many ways to change this behavior of politicians is demanding that they make a few promises that they can keep, and we need to ask how they would do it.

Fear needs to go! We are afraid to demand, or ask questions. We have got to remember, they are in the seat because of us, each one of us giving them the vote of confidence.

"As the Indian republic searches for maturity in its weaknesses, India's mainstream too longs for Muslims to stop treating themselves as minorities."

What is good for Muslims has got to be good for Hindus and all other Indians and vice versa, the good will not last if it benefits one and not the others.

I would not even use the word Main Stream - we all should be in the same stream, all of us have the same aspirations, issues, problems and dreams, and we need not create separate dreams, but have a common dream, and it will help us build that energy, together we can achieve that dream. 

"There is another concern: if Muslims shun some parties instead of having them to moderate their conduct by joining them, they will alienate themselves significantly, more so if it's a party with countrywide presence. Muslims must embrace all parties, a relevant message conveyed through Akbar's political choice."

This is the idea we need to work on. I went on the hate list of a few Muslims, when I suggested the call of the then PM Vajpayee to join BJP. Of course I am on the hate list of a few Hindus as well for not praising Modi.  If we want a change that is good for all including us, we need to be part of the group and bring about solutions. We cannot alienate any party and let them deprive us of participation.

In the end I want to share the power of belonging.

In February 2013, Sean Hannity called me to join in a retreat at Fox News in New York. Perhaps, I was the only one who was not a right winger in that group. Congressman Peter King, Congressman Gohmert, Ambassador John Bolton, Pamela Geller… were among the 25.  It was my turn to be on the stage with Hannity, I am going to call Brother Hannity for a purpose. He said, " You are the only Muslim friend I have,  and I promise you this, I will not say Muslim Terrorists, but instead say, Terrorists among Muslims" I was literally in tears… this was the change I was looking for, I did put up with humility in the past and some abuse, but it was worth it. Ever since, I became a fan of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) I have believed in his approach to building better societies; his formula; conflict mitigation and goodwill nurturence. 

What happened after that? Within a few months the Boston Marathon bombings took place… and Congressman Peter King said to the media "96% of Muslims are fine, it is the 4% we need to watch" - that was a 180 degree turnaround from a year before when he called Muslims as Terrorists… Not only Peter King, but there was another one from the retreat who was influenced by Hannity's promise to me.  I was cursed by a few Muslims, and Cair's Ibrahim Hooper screamed at me and "told" me not to go on Hannity. How short sighted was he?  Without engagement we cannot change a thing. I am a Moderate Republican, and will remain one, despite not finding any company in the party, but walking away from it gives them carte Blanche.

I am glad to see Akbar join the BJP, who knows he may help the party tone down some extreme rhetoric.
I was also happy to hear from Latafat Hussain, a Muslim friend of Vajpayee in Houston who was able to see the soft side of Vajpayee. 

I hope we question our prejudices on issues and demand ourselves to see from another point of view.  If we can do that, then we can have the courage to ask others to do the same.

Thanks Tufail for this piece.


Shun Politics of Separatism

Published: 08th April 2014 06:00 AM


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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism
, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and a book with the same title is coming up. Mike has a strong presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Texas Faith - In faith and gender politics, what does submission mean — as in, submissive spouse?


FAITH AND GENDER POLITICS - WHAT DOES SUBMISSION MEAN?

Men are traditionally insecure beings when it comes to dealing with women, particularly the hardcore conservative men, be them be Arabs, Americans, Chinese or Africans.  Each one has adopted a blunt to subtle way of “keeping the woman in her place.” Look at our own conservatives denying equal pay, equal insurance rates, and equal say in health matters and on and on… Mike Ghouse. This is my Bi-monthly take on issues published in Dallas Morning News
on April 1, 2014.  

URL - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2014/04/texas-faith-in-faith-and-gender.html



Texas Faith - In faith and gender politics, what does submission mean — as in, submissive spouse?


By Wayne Slater
wslater@dallasnews.com
12:16 pm on April 1, 2014 | Permalink


When Sarah Palin ran for vice president, as Hillary Clinton considers a race for president and with Wendy Davis actively engaged in a bid for governor, one aspect of that culture war is what it means in religious terms to be submissive – most notably, a submissive wife. A recent USA Today article notes the subject is popping up these days, preached from the pulpit, pontificated about in a spate of new book releases and prominent on the agenda of next month’s Southern Baptist leadership summit. “All seek to answer the question of whether wives are 100 percent equal partners or whether ‘biblical womanhood’ means a God-given role of supporting their husbands — and, in turn, knowing their husbands are honor-bound to die for them, if necessary.”

Submission in matters of faith and gender politics (Artwork/Todd Slater)

Biblical references to husbands leading their households have long invited interpretations that sound to many people a lot like inferiority. Where’s the equality in submission?  And yet Cynthia Rigby of the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and a member of the Texas Faith panel noted in the USA Today story, the Scriptures came out a world where women couldn’t own property and could be divorced by their husbands saying the word three times. In that world, holding wives up as “holy and without blemish” was a radical idea, she said. In her upcoming book, “Shaping Our Faith: A Christian Feminist Theology,” Rigby explores the idea biblical submission and its implications in the wider public debate.

With gender politics is so much part of our public debate, how do we interpret the idea of submission? What does submission in a religious, political and modern cultural sense really mean?


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


The idea of submission was born to address our insecurities. The sense of loss we experience when we do not have control over our surroundings propels us to create a God in our own image, who in turn demanded submission or conformity to certain rules to assure individual and collective safety. Submission is both voluntary and compulsory.

Ganging up against a thought or an action that questions the established system or fighting tooth and nail against deviation from traditions has become a norm of compulsory submission.  New ideas are rejected by conservatives, the holders of the given values of a society with loud shrill voices, sheer pressure or outright denunciation as a fringe or a liberal idea. It tears the cohesiveness of the society and creates chaos.

The irony of submission is most of the liberal ideas become acceptable over a period of time, and get established as the new norm, and will be guarded as a conservative value against a newer idea.

Voluntary submission on the other hand is subscribing to a new idea, practice or an action (gaining acceptance of same sex marriage) to keep the societal cohesion intact.  The conservatives demand submission to the establishment, where as liberals want the establishment to be submissive to the inclusion – both have the same goal to keep the society intact and in balance with least conflicts.


Submission and Gender Politics

Men are traditionally insecure beings when it comes to dealing with women, particularly the hardcore conservative men, be them be Arabs, Americans, Chinese or Africans.  Each one has adopted a blunt to subtle way of “keeping the woman in her place.” Look at our own conservatives denying equal pay, equal insurance rates, and equal say in health matters and on and on…

The drivers among conservative men “assume” that God gave them superiority over women and expect women to submit to them to keep peace in the family or society, period. They still have not woken up to the fact that we do not live in caves anymore, and men and women are equal partners in all aspects of life.

Over the years we have built up a good and just God who cannot tell us to discriminate any of his creation, but the drivers among conservative men have figured it out to make God sing in their tunes through the Bible, Quran, Torah and other holy books about women.

Thanks to Geraldine Ferraro, vice presidential candidate with Walter Mondale, the woman who paved the way for the highest office on the land, and then came Sarah Palin with John McCain, and both of them have established a new bar for women. Now Hilary Clinton and Wendy Davis are going for the highest national and state offices and both of them have fully earned  it to be one the best Presidents of the United States and Governors of Texas respectively.

The cave men cannot handle it, and have gone berserk and will resort to ganging up on the Hilary and Wendy. Instead of debating on the issues, they will attack them personally, and make every attempt to push them to the extreme to give up. At the end of the race, they will learn that these women are tough and will cause the establishment to submit to a new norm, a liberal value that will eventually become conservative, reaching new heights of balance and social cohesion.
 Additional comments I have added after the publication:

1. Almost all the conservative ideas of today were liberal ideas of yesterday.

2. Cynthia Rigby' statement about Christian dogma amazed me "the Scriptures came out a world where women couldn’t own property and could be divorced by their husbands saying the word three times." Indeed Prophet Muhammad challenged that and said, " women could divorce their husbands equally, and she can refuse to obey if it is against her faith and tradition". But People still don't follow it.

3. No religious group needs to gloat, every one of the scriptures have been misinterpreted. Religions meant good for the society, and of course clergy have made it good for their ego. We simply cannot accept any misogynistic representation of scriptures. God is not a misogynistic thing, he, she or it created all of the universe with equal attention and equal rights to one's space, sustenance and nurturence.


To read the opinions of other panelists, visit Dallas Morning News at http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/04/in-faith-and-gender-politics-what-does-submission-mean-as-in-submissive-spouse.html/#more-37026


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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism
, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and a book with the same title is coming up. Mike has a strong presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.