What is Islam?

Islam is a beautiful system, like all other faiths devised to restore sanity and common sense in a given society through simple basics like building trust, being truthful, be a security to fellow beings, stand up for justice, practice non-judgementalism,  jettison arrogance and adopt humility, and kindness. 

These are the seven principles of building cohesive societies

where no human has to live in apprehension or fear of the other,  indeed that is the foundation of Islam and a few Muslim have forgotten it. We have to restore it now for building a cohesive world, where people live their lives and let others live theirs. 

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) laid that foundation, and those seven principles made him an Amin, an individual who lives his life per those principles.  Unfortunately, a few have made Islam to be a political system, which it is not. Indeed, sadly all religions have become political systems of you or me, rather than spiritual system of we are in this together.

Preparing a talk on the subject.

Mike Ghouse
www.MuslimSpeaker.com
www.InterfaithSpeaker.com

 

Moderate Muslim Speaker

email to: SpeakerMikeGhouse@gmail.com or text to (214) 325-1916

Fixing the Muslim Mistakes

On Diane Rehm Show this morning, three callers in a row attacked Islam and were building on each other.  Yesterday, a guy in Wisconsin drove his car right into two Somali kids killing one, he was threatening them that he would do so because they were Muslims.  Thanks to the Law enforcement, otherwise these incidents would have been more frequent.  

Islamophobia is growing and the more we “fight” the more it blazes and we cannot be silent either. There is a way out to reverse the trend if we work on it.  It is like the frustration game kids play - a head pops up from surface of the game board, you bang it down with a wood hammer, and another head pops up. This will continue unless we take steps to mitigate it.

The most effective antidote to Islamophobia is to become a part of the society and quit living in silos.  We need to seriously invest our time in building cohesive societies for the safety of all people, and that time comes from cutting our time at Mosques or other activities.  Hold your judgment and think about it, which is indeed the formula prescribed by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

We practice our religion upside down – we attempt to put the roof on the house even before laying the foundation or erecting the frame.

We wear our beards, Muslim garbs or Hijabs to loudly tell the world that we are Muslims. Did we lay the foundation first? Are we the Amins? 

That’s how prophet built Islam – a system to live in peace with oneself and with others. First, he laid the foundation necessary to build such system, he chose to become the Amin of the society; people trusted him, liked him for his fairness and caring and he was just towards all people. He knew everyone around him. He was friends with all, and was a mercy to mankind, was he not? Shouldn’t we be a mercy to fellow beings?  Isn’t that the second foundational Sunnah after being the Amin?

We need to ask ourselves if we have at least a friend or two in each faith, race or other cultures.  If not, why not? Do we participate in events of our friends who are not Muslims? Those few who attend find themselves to be the only Muslim in the entire group. How many times have you discovered that your mere presence has prevented the others from Islam bashing? How many times have you been asked, if other Muslims are like you?  Shouldn’t we be the Amin’s first before we flaunt our Muslimness through externalities? 

Ask those Amins among us, how they have practiced Islam by building a positive image of Muslims, and by being with others just with the first and second Sunnah and without the exhibitive Sunnah.  There are many good examples, and I hope you have your own examples to share.  Dr. Arjumad Hashmi has done that in Paris, Texas, and last night it was a joy to see Dr. Nabil Syed in a gathering of Indian Doctors.  We don’t drink and we had plenty of Vegetarian food, and we don’t have to make a big deal about being Muslims through Halal food and no alcohol.  You can give a lot more examples than me and let’s build on it.

We need to re-set our priorities given our situation.  We need to restart ourselves. Become the Amin first, and then wear all the garb, beard and Hijab we want– you will not stick out, because you have become a part of the society and your religion is not preventing you from being with other people.  God would not have said the best ones amongst you are the ones who learn about each other. 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.

On your part, you can do simple things and they are laid out in the following articles:

• 1. American Muslim Agenda - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/american-muslim-agenda-a-_b_5528706.html
  
  
• 2. Are Muslims a part of America?http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2014/07/july-4th-celebrations-muslims-and.html
  
  
• 3. American Muslim Agenda -3 -http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2014/07/july-4th-celebrations-muslims-and.html
  
• 4. Connecting with the Prophet http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/how-i-connect-with-prophet-muhammad_b_2547782.html
  
• 5. In defense of Islam http://www.dallasnews.com/news/columnists/steve-blow/20100919-In-defense-of-Islam-pursuing-9397.ece
  
• 6. Criticism of Islam and the Prophet -http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/11/criticism-of-islam-prophet-muhammad.html
  
• 7. Two Islams - Mangled up and Pristine -http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/two-islams-the-mangledup-_b_5748280.html
  
• 8. Establishing Muslim Attitudes -http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2014/04/reestablishing-right-muslim-attitudes.html
  
• 9. The power of engagement; Sean Hannity and Peter King – have made positive changes. http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2014/06/youre-dangerous-sparks-fly-between.html
  
• 10.  Our Mission at World Muslim Congress -http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/01/mission-of-world-muslim-congress.html

A Muslim Organization committed to promoting Civic Islam

Insha Allah, I will be heading to Washington DC and start working on Public Relations with a twofold objective to promote the foundational civic Islam and changing perceptions about Islam.  If it is not common sense, then it is not Islam. Would you support this?  All we need is office rent, a paid assistant and expenses to run it.

This will supplement the great work done by CAIR, ISNA, ICNA, MAS, MYNA, MPAC and other organizations.

Take a look at these events.

1. 16^th Annual thanksgiving Celebrations and Awards Nightwww.ThanksgivingCelebrations.org

2. 8^th Annual Holocaust and Genocides event is scheduled for 1/25 in Dallas and 1/27 in Washington DC – www.HolocaustandGenocides.com

3. 12^th Annual Unity Day USA is scheduled for 9/11/2015 – www.Unitydayusa.com

4. Quran Conference – www.Quraanconference.com

5. Several Intrafaith conferences, and a lot of work on Sharia is done, all atwww.WorldMuslimcognress.com

Thank you
mike
Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916 text/talk
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Mike Ghouse is a public speaker, thinker, writer and a commentator on Pluralism at work place, politics, religion, society, gender, race, culture, ethnicity, food and foreign policy. He is commentator on Fox News and syndicated Talk Radio shows and a writer at major news papers including Dallas Morning News and Huffington Post.  All about him is listed in several links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at www.TheGhousediary.com and 10 other blogs. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

Applauding Bohra Muslim Community

SPIRITUAL LEADER OF BOHRA MUSLIM COMMUNITY NO MORE
URL http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2014/01/appluading-bohra-muslim-community.html


I went to express my condolences to the Bohra Muslim Community for the loss of their spiritual leader. I had called in a group of Muslims from each denomination to join us; unfortunately the last minute call did not produce results. On this occasion, I must applaud the community for many things, but certainly the Amin aspect.

In the picture are Tayyab Kundawala, a prominent Indian community leader who walked toe to toe with me during the 9/11 crisis, he was the President of India Association at that time. He is currently involved with the Mahatma Gandhi statue placement in Dallas. The other person in picture is the imam (Aamil Saheb) in charge as the resident Aamil Saheb is in Mumbai to join in the funeral services of the Syedna Burhanuddin.

Bohra Muslims are one of the eight most known denominations of Islam; Sunni, Shia, Wahhabi, Ahmadiyya, Ismailia, WD Muhammad, Alawite and Bohra. Each group is headed by a spiritual leader except Sunni and Wahhabi (part of Sunni) denominations.

Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin was the spiritual leader of the Bohra Muslim community, and he passed away yesterday passing the responsibility to his son, a hereditary system of spiritual leadership.

THE AMIN


The Bohra Muslim community has done relatively well when it comes to being the Amins of the Society. It was the first model of Prophet Muhammad. Amin is being just, truthful and trust worthy.

Did Muslims call him the Amin? No, there were no Muslims at that time; it was the Pagans, Jews, Christians and others who called him Amin. We have to earn the trust among the people we live with, no matter who they are. Indeed that is the first and foundational Sunnah (practice) to build peaceful societies.

God informs in Quran (49:13) that he created humanity from a single couple into multitudes of tribes, communities, nations, and conflicts were bound to happen with the given differences. Then he advises, the conflicts persist because we don't know each other. He asserts that the best one among you is the one who takes the time to know the neighbor. When you know each other conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

A the foundation for pluralism have been conducting the Unity Day for the last ten years, and as a part of the program we start the program with American national Anthem, and we always wanted a Hijabi Muslim Girl to sing the Anthem - guess where she came from twice in ten years? The Bohra Muslim Community!  Thanks to the education and teaching imparted in their system to have produced someone to participate.

I can appreciate this much more after finding out that the Orlando Muslims could not produce a Muslims girl to sing the National Anthem at our Unity Day program in Mulberry. 

All I can say is keep this Amin component alive and active. This is how we build better societies, to be a part of it, rather than live within.


Dawoodi Bohra  spiritual leader Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin passed away.
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PRESS RELEASE
 

January 17, 2014. Dallas, Texas.  The World Muslim Congress shares the announcement of the sad demise of the Spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim  community Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin Saheb in Mumbai, India on the Morning of Friday the 17^th of January 2014 after cardiac arrest.  He was 102. Per the tradition, his eldest son Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin succeeds leading the community. 

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un (إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ)  "Surely we belong to Allah and to Him shall we return". The phrase is recited by Muslims when a person passes away.

At World Muslim Congress, we extend our condolences to the family, friends and the Dawoodi Bohra community in particular and Muslim Ummah in General.  Syedna provided progressive leadership to the community and he was here in Irving, Texas to for the Grand opening of their Masjid. Indeed, the community members are trained to be participants and contributors in each community they live. I was particularly proud of them for participating at the Unity Day events, and always have one of their girls ready to sing the national Anthem in full Hijab. They always participated in India based events and a lot of interfaith meetings. I hope and pray their contribution will continue to accelerate.

We thank Times of India for the full report and thank Taiyab Kundawala for sharing this sad news.

url- http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2014/01/dawoodi-bohra-spiritual-leader-dawoodi.html


Mike Ghouse
World Muslim Congress
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MUMBAI: The spiritual leader of Dawoodi Bohra community Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin passed away today after a cardiac arrest here. He was 102.

His 70-year old son Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin has succeeded him, it was announced here.

Syedna Burhanuddin died this morning at his residence in South Mumbai, a spokesperson for the community said.

"The 52nd Dai al-Mutlaq of the worldwide Dawoodi Bohra community, His Holiness Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin expired today at the age of 102 at his Mumbai residence at Saifee Mahal," he said.

"Born in Surat, he was the leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community after succeeding his father Syedna Taher Saifuddin in 1965. Under his leadership, the community has achieved remarkable social, economic and educational success across the world.

"Known as ambassador of peace and goodwill, he was highly respected by world leaders and governments for his endeavours in promoting international brotherhood and harmony," the spokesperson said.

He was honoured with highest civilian titles like the Star of Jordan and Order of the Nile by the respective governments of Jordan and Egypt. Syedna was conferred Honourary Doctorates for his efforts in social and educational development by renowned institutes like Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Aligarh Muslim University and University of Karachi.

In Mumbai, the one of its kind Raudat Tahera mausoleum which has the entire Quran inscribed in letters of gold and bejewelled with precious stones; the world class Saifee Hospital; and the on-going ambitious Saifee Burhani Upliftment project of the redevelopment of Bhendi Bazaar are some of the major initiatives of Syedna in the city.

In 2011, Syedna had proclaimed Nass (investiture) upon his second son Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin in London. The 70-year-old successor is the rector of the community's 200-year-old institution Jamea-tus-Saifiah, which has campuses in Surat, Karachi, Mumbai and Nairobi.

"He was closely associated with the late Syedna and has received much of his spiritual guidance under the tutelage of his revered father.

Highly respected among the community members, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin travelled widely with his father and met heads of states and other distinguished personalities across the world, he said.

Among the many projects that Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin has worked under Syedna's directions in the restoration of famous Fatemi Masjids in Egypt and other edifices in the Arab world, he said.

Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin will lead the Namaz-e-Janaza of the late Syedna at Saifee Masjid at Bhendi Bazaar. The late Syedna will be laid to rest at Raudat Tahera mausoleum in Mumbai.

Thousands of Dawoodi Bohras from all over India and from around 40 nations are converging to Mumbai to pay their last respects and homage to their beloved leader Syedna Moahmmed Burhanuddin, he said.

Dawoodi Bohra is a sect of the Shia Muslims spread all over the world.

One of the key principles of the sect is "patriotism as part of the faith." It encourages followers to make a positive contribution to the country they live in.

The word Bohra means trader and traditionally, most members of the sect have been entrepreneurs.

Last year, thousands of Dawoodi Bohras from across the world flocked to the city to celebrate Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin's 102nd birthday.

Times of India - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Dawoodi-Bohra-community-spiritual-leader-Syedna-passes-away/articleshow/28959032.cms
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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.

Muslims Condemn brutal attacks on Hindus and Hindu Temples by Muslims in Bangladesh

URL - http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/03/muslims-condemn-brutal-attacks-on.html

Friday, March 15, 2013 | PRESS RELEASE | 3 ACTION ITEMS

Muslims Condemn brutal attacks on Hindus and Hindu Temples by Muslims in Bangladesh; this goes against the very grain of Islam. The culprits must be punished to restore trust and justice to the Hindus of Bangladesh.

The following press release is an expression of Muslims to register their protest, repentance and desire to restore trust among the Hindus of Bangladesh who are harassed and under attacks. This is not acceptable in Islam. 

We condemn these disgusting acts of Muslims among us, who are hell bent on hurting fellow Bangladeshis, because they are Hindus. These acts go against the very essence of Quran to treat every human, animal and the environment with dignity. Quran could not be clearer than this, “killing one person is like killing the whole humanity, and saving one life is like saving the entire  mankind.”    

The insane attacks on Hindus are referenced in several reports below, please read different reports to get the full picture, a commission must be established to report the findings.

The majority of Muslims are peace loving, however a few among us are not, and it is our responsibility to not let those few tarnish the name of our religion. We need to do our Jihad, and our struggle to bring justice and trust in the society. 

In the interest of containing, cornering and mitigating the conflict, we urge the Bangladeshi Government to take all the precautions to single out the individuals responsible for the chaos.

We appeal to the authorities, not to arrest the miscreants as Muslims or members of any of the religious or political organizations but as Individuals. Per Quran and per any civil law, the individual alone is responsible for his acts, and not his family members, mayor of his town, Imam of his Mosque, Bangladesh or Islam in this case. If we follow this wisdom, we will contain the problem to individuals and prevent further aggravation by pitting one group against the other.

The success of a nation depends when her citizens feel secure; in this case, it is the duty of the state to ensure the safety of Hindus, Buddhist, Shia, Ahmadiyya, Christian and other minorities.

It is also the obligation of the Bangladeshi majority to continue to speak up against the brutal treatment of fellow Bangladeshis who are Hindu. Indeed, the safety of a community is the responsibility of the majority.  

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) established a government in Medina, where no Jew, Christian or others were to feel insecure. He further gave one of the strongest instructions to Muslims – If any one of you is unjust to the other, By God, on the Day of Judgment, I will stand up against you in support of the victims. As a Muslim, I ask Muslims to come together to take these individual actions: 

1. Call the embassies and ask them to urge their Government to protect the Hindus immediately:

Washington DC at (202) 244-0183 – Fax (202) 244-2771http://www.bdembassyusa.org/ 
Ottawa, Canada at (613)-236-0138-39 – Fax (613)-567-3213  http://www.bdhc.org/ 
and or Bangladeshi Embassy in the your country 

Home Ministry in Bangladesh at  http://www.mha.gov.bd/  Dr. Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, Minister, Phone Number 7169069 – email mkalamgir@yahoo.com   

2. Request the Government to restore the damaged homes of the Bangladeshi Hindus.

3. Request a commission of inquiry and a dialogue to rebuild cohesiveness in the Bangladeshi society, where no Bangladeshi has to live in fear of the other.

Donate whatever you can to re-build the demolished Hindu temples; we will have to find a reliable Organization in Bangladesh to ensure funds will be used strictly to rebuild the temples. The first $100.00 will come from the World Muslim Congress. We will set up a fund with trustees from Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Members and seek support from the Bangladeshi Organizations in Dallas.

We have a responsibility to ensure the safety of every Citizen. We (the Muslims) should be the Amins of the world, where Hindus, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Atheists and all others trust us to be just, fair and truthful. They should feel safe around us, for us to be the Amins in fulfilling the first foundational Sunnah of the prophet.

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REFERENCES:

• Standing up for Hindus http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/04/standing-with-hindus.html

• Wikipedia about Hindus in Bangladesh - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism_in_Bangladesh

• Bangladeshi Hindus under attack, temples destroyed - http://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asia/bangladeshi-hindus-under-attack-temples-destroyed_835239.html

• 'Temples, Hindu houses attacked in Bangladesh' http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/bangladesh/Bangladesh-Hindu-temples-homes-attacked/Article1-1025762.aspx

• Hindus under attack in Bangladesh, temples destroyed http://www.i4u.com/2013/03/bangladesh/under-attack-hindus-destroyed-temples-bangladesh
  

• Jamaat leader held for inciting anti-Hindus attacks in Bangladesh http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Jamaat-leader-held-for-inciting-anti-Hindus-attacks-in-Bangladesh/articleshow/18975225.cms
  

• Images of atrocities against Hindus

•  Bangladeshi Anti-Hindu Violence http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Bangladesh_Anti-Hindu_violence

Mike Ghouse, President
World Muslim Congress
Foundation for Pluralism
2665 Villa Creek Dr, Suite 206
Dallas, TX 75234
(214) 325-1916 – text/talk

......

YOU CAN ALSO FAX/ E MAIL / HERE IS A SAMPLE.   

Date:
Name:

Your Excellency,

I am concerned about the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh, and request you to ask your Government to protect the Hindus immediately. Please initiate a commission to find the facts and work on restoring damages temples and homes of the Hindu Bangladeshis. I also urge a national and local dialogue to begin in building a cohesive Bangladesh, where no Bangladeshi has to live in the fear of other.

Your Name:
Email:
Address/City/Zip

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and I

As a kid I learned things about him and did not relate with him at all, he was too divine and remote for me. All that changed when I read the book "Muhammad" by Karen Armstrong. She narrates his life from a non-religious point of view, as a civic leader of the society, a dimension that I appreciated it very much. Karen Armstrong's book is one of the five reasons I chose to become a Muslim after a lapse of nearly three decades. He was a man that I can relate with, making decisions that create trust, mutual respect and a sense of fairness among his people at that time. That was indeed the role of every prophet and peacemaker of the time. Mike Ghouse

How I Connect With Prophet Muhammad
Published by Huffington Post
On 01/25/2013 9:48 pm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/how-i-connect-with-prophet-muhammad_b_2547782.html
 
 

How do I relate with the prophet? I don't wear clothes like him, eat like him or live like him. But when it comes to respecting fellow beings, nurturing goodwill, mitigating conflicts, forgiving others and building cohesive societies, I can relate.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born on 12th day of Rabi' al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar, and the year was 571 A.D. The birth celebrations will continue through this week, and if you wish to greet a Muslim, you can say, Milaad (birth) Greetings, Happy Maulood-an-Nabi, Maulood-an-Nabi Mubarak, happy Eid Milaad and Milaad's blessings to you.

First thing first, he took the larger view of the society and became a model of what it takes to be an exemplary citizen. The first requirement of any civil society is to trust each other in living their daily life safely and without fear of the other. He earned the trust of the society for being truthful, honest in his dealings, trustworthy and just. The Jews, Christians, pagans and others called him Amin, the trust worthy. That was indeed the first foundational Sunnah (prophet's example).

Wherever he saw conflicts between people, he found a way to mitigate and nurture goodwill amongst them. Indeed, he was committed to building a cohesive society, where no one feared the other, and he continuously built upon creating balance and harmony in the society. Blessed are the peacemakers, said Jesus! Indeed, Prophet Muhammad is my mentor.

Muslims celebrate his birthday in a variety of ways, including cooking the simplest food as an expression of humility. They sing the likes of Christmas carols, called Milaad, Nasheed, even Milaad Carols and other names. I have found it peaceful to think about his work and reflect on how I could relate with him, the ultimate peacemaker.

Do I forgive often? Do I stand up for the rights of others? Am I a blessing to fellow humans? Do others feel secure and safe around me? Today, I have concluded my day with a short prayer and a commitment and get on the road. God willing, I will follow him to the best of my ability.

As a kid I learned things about him and did not relate with him at all, he was too divine and remote for me. All that changed when I read the book "Muhammad" by Karen Armstrong. She narrates his life from a non-religious point of view, as a civic leader of the society, a dimension that I appreciated it very much. Karen Armstrong's book is one of the five reasons I chose to become a Muslim after a lapse of nearly three decades. He was a man that I can relate with, making decisions that create trust, mutual respect and a sense of fairness among his people at that time. That was indeed the role of every prophet and peacemaker of the time.

When someone hurts me, I think of the prophet, he advised against score keeping and piling revenge and aggravating each other, and I love the freedom it gives me, freedom from brooding and obsession to get even with the other.

When someone dialogues with me, prophet's words jump at me, to respect the otherness of other, without having to agree but respectfully differ and move on. Indeed, it is a big lesson in conducting civil dialogue.

When I am frustrated, I think of prophet's narration, God told him to do his work, and not worry if people don't get his message, give them the room to make up their own minds, and let me guide them, and you respect everyone's free will.

Every day, I think about the Prophet, how he would have found a solution to a given conflict, and all I see is the application of the principles of fairness and justice to every human, with goodness and inclusiveness.

My spiritual mentors are Muhammad (pbuh) and Jesus (pbuh), and my civic mentors are Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barack Obama.

When I think of getting even with someone who maligns me, I think of the advice of Prophet Muhammad and Jesus: The best thing we can do is to forgive the other; it brings relief and frees us from being possessed.

When I see injustice done to others, the prophets words ring again, the least you can do is to speak out against injustice. Injustice to one is injustice to the whole humanity.

When I see inequality in our society, our immortal declaration of independence kicks in for me, that all men are created equal. I think of prophet's last sermon, where he said no man is superior to the other and that all are equal.

Whenever I think of the liberation of women, I think of the prophet, he was perhaps the first women's libber; and he officially liberated women from the shackles of the bondages. He was a radical of his time, as Jesus was, and said women are free to marry or divorce, own their own business and property, separate from their husbands, and he introduced the idea of consent and free will in marriage. Let's not judge America by the Newtown, Aurora and Oak Creek murderers, and let's not judge Muslims by the misogynistic men among them either.

Whenever I feel judgmental toward others, the prophet's voice pulls me back, only God knows everything about the other, not me, then let me not judge anyone without the full knowledge.

When I think of standing up for others, I think of Gandhi and MLK, if we don't stand up for others, why should anyone stand up for us.

Whenever the idea of being better than others crosses my mind, I think of the prophet, who said, I am a human like you, and don't make a God out of me or paint my pictures and put me on the pedestal. He even said to his daughter, you earn your paradise through your good deeds, the good you do to the fellow beings and not because you are the Prophet's daughter.

Whenever arrogance attempts to creep in me, I hear the words of the prophet, "Treat all prophets the same, no human is above the other" -- instead of saying I am the greatest prophet and listen to me. Feeling and practicing equality is the way for creating peaceful societies.

I will be writing a full chapter on the prophet in my upcoming book, as to how I relate with him in my daily life, and I have learned to give a 20 minutes motivations talk on "Prophet the Peacemaker" and that is rejoicing.

Further reading:

• The Peacemaker
• Criticism of Islam

Milaad Mubarak!

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

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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 and standing up for others as an activist. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. 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 everything you want to know about him. 

Last minutes notes for Muslims about Elections

The abstracts of a few items for your perusal and reflections.

THE FIRST SUNNAH

As Muslims we need to participate and contribute to the well being of our nation, we will earn back our respect by simply serving the nation. What was the first Sunnah of the Prophet? It was to be the Amin, truthful, trustworthy and just, someone around whom people felt safe, secure and at peace. If we follow the first Sunnah, and become Amins to the Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and others like the Prophet did, then we have become a part of the society in building a nation that is good for every American including the ones who may not like us - that was the third Sunnah of the prophet.

ARE MUSLIM A PART OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY?

Indeed, we are not connected enough with the mainstream society for a vast majority of Americans to stand up for us, empathize with us, or even understand the truth about us that we are no different than them in our endeavors and aspirations of life. We need to take the initiatives. Full piece at:http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/10/are-muslims-part-of-american-story.html

IS IT HARAM TO PARTICIPATE IN ELECTIONS?

Nonsense is the right sentiment, but uttering the word will not change the mindset of a few on the edge. A few (just a few) Muslims are programmed with Haram and Halal mind-set, selectively that is all they see in life. Iqra; to read, to think and to understand is not part of their system. What do we need to do? Call them Ignorant? So they can call us names? No, that will not cut it, instead, we need to sit together where each member is given full value for his or her opinion for a genuine dialogue to take place. I have experimented with the right wing Republicans with more success than failures, and a Yemeni Muslim Judge has proved that it works.  Muhammad Yunus and I have delved it from a social and Quranic point of view for you consideration at:http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/11/are-muslims-duty-bound-to-participate.html

MY FELLOW MUSLIMS FROM RAFIQ LODHIA

“My Fellow Muslims” a general awakening with a “SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY” is the need of the day. We the American Muslims have neglected “Facts” and have run away from assuming the responsibilities to help better the Islamic societies utilizing our position to seek access to the U.S. Mainstream Media. Fareed Zakaria, Dr. Zuhdi Jasser and Mike Ghouse are three American Muslims who can make a convincing case to whoever gets elected on the Election Day. This is no time for a “Blame Game.” November 6th is a defining moment for the future of America and also for the future of the Middle East. Full article at:http://myfellowmuslims.org/?p=1958

MESSAGE FROM MUHAMMAD YUNUS 

The message is very simple: a choice between a medieval form of Islam in which case the Muslims are the 'others' of the society - civilization inferiors, outcasts and misfits - who walk with their heads bowed down and suffering a complex of being tracked and talked about by neighbors - a problem even highly educated Muslims living in predominantly white areas face. OR denounce openly the medieval form of Islam that is reduced to the pillars of faith, and stripped of its universal, pluralistic, humanistic and altruistic paradigms. If they chose the second option they can feel proud as American citizens, walk with their heads high and caste aside the veil of suspicion they unwittingly wear by their isolationist attitude.

PLEASE VOTE 

Regardless of whom you vote, you must be congratulated for exercising your right. Let's respect our decisions motivated by our beliefs. On my Part, I have voted for Obama and some of my friends have voted for Romney. Please protect yourselves from letting the politics make it difficult between you and your friends.

If you are still undecided, please take a look at a few pieces in support of Obama, I have written 60 pieces about him, and 40 about Romney. You know Romney was my choice, until he started flip flopping and I lost him. Not sure what he stands for.

Huffington post; Choice between Chaotic Romney and Stable Obama

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/chaotic-romney-and-stable-obama_b_1998900.html

Dallas Morning News: Do we thirst for political leaders
http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/10/texas-faith-do-we-thirst-too-much-for.html

Romney Obama Song
http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/11/romney-obama-song.html

60 Pieces on Barack Obama
http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/08/president-obama-articles-since-2008.html

40 Pieces on Mitt Romney
http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/10/mitt-romney-by-mike-ghouse.html

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peacemaking, foreign policy, Islam, interfaith, and cohesion at work place or social settings. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. Mike has a strong presence on national local TV, Radio and Print Media, and 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 everything you want to know about him.

Feeback on police on Eid in Louisville

Here is the feedback on the article

Eid Mubarak, Eid-al-Adha2012 - the festival of sacrifices
URL- http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/10/eid-mubarak-eid-al-adha2012-festival-of.html


While entering the prayer hall for Eid at the Louisville convention center, two police officers were at the entrance, I walked up to them and appreciated their presence in safeguarding the well being of the congregants, and said my tradition calls for appreciating all those who put their lives at risk for the sake of others.... He was moved by it, who does not want to be appreciated? How often do we thank those who care for our safety?

I showed him the piece on my iPad, always ready to share and speak, and emailed him to his cell phone while talking, he loved that picture with police, fire and army men saluting… and then he turned around and emailed to his friends in appreciation. When I came out of the hall, both the men had smiles on their faces... among some thousand they spotted me… they had shared it with many more...

I sent the email to Mayor Greg Fischer with whom I met in Eid al fitr (Ramadan) and police and fire chiefs ... it took me an hour to get their emails...tracking down the right people. To me my eid would be complete if I contributed towards building relationships, while a few rascals among us are hung up with people of other faiths, we must continue to do the goodwill work and build relationships.

I had the emails of Police Chiefs and Fire Marshals in Dallas area as they participated in our annual Unity Day USA event,  but did not have the ones for in Louisville, Kentucky, where I spend the Eid with my wife. Unlike in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran or Saudi Arabia where people do not associate with police, we do it here, they are a part of our (American) community, and their #1 goal is the safety of the public and many have died in doing their job in keeping us humanly safe.

It reinforced the role of Muslims to me; to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill, fulfilling the first and foremost of the Sunnahs (sayings and practices of Prophet Muhammad -pbuh). His first model was to be Amin (truthful and trustworthywith whom one felt safe) among fellow beings. Remember, it was not MUSLIMS whom the prophet earned that title from,they were Pagans, Jews, Christians and others...and that is the first Sunnah we need to follow before any other Sunnah. It is the foundation upon which Islam stands.  

May be I should go around and deliver Jumma Khutba tour to talk about being the Amin, I know Muslims are craving to hear about connecting with the society and creating a better environment for all of us, it is time we pay more attention to the first Sunnah.

I have a full article on the topic pending with Huffington post and there is a quote from Muhammad Yunus and Dr. Tariq Cheema in it as well. I will continue to ask every one of the Muslim leaders as well as all the Muslims in my groups to please take a minute to write a sentence to be quoted for publication in Major mainstream papers as well as Muslim publications. My friend Dr. Pervaz Rahman in Dallas is well connected with the people of all faiths without barriers, and he said, he shared it with his friends and hope we get to share the feed back as well,  and I know Dr. Basheer Ahmed and several of my friends on facebook and other groups share this.... an overwhelming majority of Muslims are Pluralists like the Prophet, peace be upon him,  who respected every one and set some extraordinary citizenship models to follow. Every Muslim can recite those examples.

Salam us per ke jis nay bekason ki dastagiri ki
Peace be upon him, who helped the helpless

A Muslim should evoke peace and safety in every one around us. No one should feel unsafe if we sit next to someone in the plane, bus or the train or in a movie theater or a dining room even with our beards (last of the Sunnah to follow) or our cultural clothing or full Hijab. They should feel safe enough to rather sit with us in public places, and I hope a day will come when a single woman, a senior or a woman with children would rather sit near a Muslim to have that sense of safety by being with an Amin, the trust worthy and the truthful.  And for that we have to work, in our daily lives. Our Imams need to focus on making us Amins first before we don the externalities on us to show that we are Muslims.

All we have to do is follow the Sunnah in the order in which prophet delivered to us, should not go to the 2^nd Sunnah until we have passed the first one, where Christians, Hindus, Jews, Buddhists, Sikhs and others believe that Muslims speak truth and nothing but truth, they have no barriers for others, they will stand up for every one for the sake of justice… then we go to the 2^nd Sunnah…Islam ought to be taught in that fashion.

The first thing to go out of our minds is religious barriers. We should shed arrogance in us that God shines his lights on us exclusively, no, God shines his light on all of his creation, the best among us are those who respect his creation by knowing each other, and accepting the God given uniqueness of each one of them.

All  of us are God’s creation (Rabbul Aalameen's Mukhlookh),  and the Model Amins like Moses, Jesus, Krishna, Rama, Mahavira, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, Nanak, Bahaullah, and several others who dawned on in every community to restore Dharma. We have to restore the meaning of Amin and every one of us must be an Amin.  Ameen!

You are welcome to join WorldMuslimCongress@yahoogroups.com by sending an email to worldmuslimcongress-subscribe@yahoogroups.com  and visit the site www.worldMuslimCongress.com and related site on it for Islam and for Pluralism and civil societiey you will find the links at www.MikeGhouse.net

Mike Ghouse is committed to being an Amin, and offers daily pluralistic solutions at www.TheGhousediary.com