America’s enduring value; freedom and Hijab.

America’s enduring value; freedom and Hijab | www.WorldMuslimCongress.com

One should have the freedom to wear, eat, drink or believe whatever the hell they want, as long as they are not taking anything away from you. 

The Taliban extremists force women to wear the full Burqa, where as the French extremists force the women not to wear.  These brutes do not represent civil society, as both of them want to tell a woman what she wears. Who the hell are they?

Wearing Hijab does not amount to oppression, forcing them not to wear amounts to oppression.  Hijab is a cultural expression,   a woman who is raised wearing full skirts will not be comfortable wearing mini-skirts; many a women are not comfortable showing cleavage, whereas others are comfortable with it. Neither is good or bad, it is what the individual is comfortable with.

Hijab is not a religious requirement, however modesty is. Modesty is not only religious and but the civilized thing to do. The men are first asked to lower their gaze and not look lustily at women, and then women are asked in equal terms to cover their bosoms.

On the other hand, Muslim men are not comfortable wearing shorts, or going shirtless even around their own kids and family members.  Men in other cultures have a range – but very few walk around naked in their homes.

I will stand with Muslim women who want to wear Hijab; it is their choice and will stand against men who force their women to wear the Hijab.

What is your problem? What is your loss? Why do you want to impose your ideas on others? The America I cherish is the America where people mind their own business, and not hell bent on imposing their ideas on others.

Everyone has a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  One of the enduring American values is freedom, freedom to choose what one wears, eats, drinks or believes.

One has a right to be a Taliban or French extremists, but being pro-choice respects the God given inalienable rights of individuals.

Related Articles:

Al-Azhar confirms Hijab is not a part of the religion
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/05/al-azhar-confirms-hijab-is-not-part-of.html

Hijab is Cultural and not Religious
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2014/07/hijab-is-cultural-and-not-religious_19.html

Burn the Burqa
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/01/burn-burqa.html

Burqa to no Burqa
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/07/burqa-to-no-burqa.html

Trump is right for once
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2015/11/trump-is-right-burqa-is-matter-of.html

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, news maker, and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, terrorism, human rights, India, Israel-Palestine and foreign policy. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. Visit him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net for his writings at TheGhousediary.com and several blogs listed there in. 

Trump is right; Burqa is matter of individual choice.

Donald Trump speaks the language of the street, and it has its own appeal. He argued in a New Hampshire rally (October 26, 2015) in defense of the wearing of the Burqa, the full-length robe for women covering all but the upper face.  “In fact, it is easier; you don’t have to put on make-up.” Indeed, that is one of the most common arguments in favor of the Burqa; women don’t have to spend hours doing their hair or spend time on makeup.

Born and raised in New York, Trump understands diversity. He probably has seen all the cultural expressions of New York’s inhabitants, and seems to have accepted diversity as a part of God’s creation.

The Burqa is a regional and a cultural wear and not a religious garment.  But over a period of time, culture and religion in certain parts of the Middle East and Central Asia have blended and become inseparable. Being cultural, it varies from country to country– not all Muslim women wear Burqa; A Muslim woman’s modesty garments vary from a simple scarf to wrap-around scarf to a shuttle-cock covering. Trump is right when he says Burqa “is a matter of individual choice.”

The purpose of Hijab (covering) is twofold; to ensure safety of women through modesty, and to prevent men from staring at the obvious. The Quran says to men; “Lower your gaze” and to women, “Cover your bosoms” and live freely without apprehensions. 


Those who are not personally familiar with Muslims may find it difficult to understand that the head covering in America is becoming more of a fashion statement than a religious one. A huge percent of girls wear the Hijab even though their mothers and grandmothers don’t. Minorities seem to have a need for identity. The Orthodox Jews, Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and all others find different expressions of their identities.

Indeed, attachment to culture is much deeper than religion; culture is a way of life that emulates the practices of families and friends. For example, the marriage rituals of Indian Muslims are heavily influenced by Hindu culture, and nowhere else on the earth, other than the Subcontinent , do Muslim marriages look like Hindu marriages.

American culture is unique; it permeates into every other culture and religion. When an American joins a buffet line for lunch, he or she takes his place in the line and rarely does he or she violates the rule. Whether one is weak or strong, man or a woman, in a hurry or not, the principle of equality prevails. America does it to everyone, thank God for that!

Whether you go to a Jain Temple, Hindu Temple, Gurdwara or a Mosque – men and women sit separately; it is cultural and not a religious thing.  When devotional songs or prayers begin, all the women cover their heads with aanchal (an extended garment to cover hair) – very few of them don’t. Indeed, Catholic women also cover their heads and Jewish women do it in their own way, in fact at one time they wore wigs.

Except for a few women from major metropolitan cities, most Indian women from all faiths will not wear mini-skirts when they are here in America; you cannot get them to wear it either and that is their comfort zone.

Muslim women have been wearing different forms of head coverings for centuries. A woman who covers her full face will not take the scarf off when that is her comfort zone.

I took my kids to every place of worship so they could grow up to be accepting of others,  and when I went to the Baptist Church I wore casual clothes, and my jeans had a hole on the back pocket, I was comfortable with that,  but my wife was not, so the next day my favorite pants disappeared. Culture means conformity with others in a given situation.

Every woman has her own comfort zone and so does every man.  Most men from South Asia will not walk around naked in their homes, even if a few may do, and that is their comfort zone. Most Muslim men will not take their shirts off in the presence of female members of the family, nor will they wear shorts in their homes, and that is their comfort zone. 

Personally, I am not in favor of the Burqa, but several years ago, my late wife gave me a panic attack. One day, she announced that she will start wearing the Burqa. She had never worn any kind of Hijab other than covering her head during the prayers, which most women do. For a few minutes I was dumbed down; I acted like a snake had bitten me.  I had to arrest myself before speaking, as the thoughts raced. “Am I a brute to tell her not to wear? Can I tell her not to wear? Will I go out shopping with her in that Burqa?” It was quite a mental exercise for me, and I am glad I was put to the test and finally said, “Najma, that is your choice”. She was probably testing to see if the man who believes in equality would live up to his words.

Women should not be a game for men – they should have the freedom to wear what gives them comfort. No man should tell her to wear or not to wear the Burqa. It should be her choice. 

When we understand true freedom, we will learn to respect the otherness of others and accept the uniqueness of each individual. We all need to grow up and shed our biases towards any one and any culture.

We ought to take the steps to prevent anyone from forcing their values onto others. Remember, most men are civil, and only a few are bad. It has nothing to do with religion, culture, income level and it has all to do with how they were raised or how they were influenced by friends around them.

 It is utterly wrong to conclude that Muslim, Sikh, Hindu or Christian men treat their women badly. No, that is not the truth. You will find a similar percentage of men in all groups treating women badly. It has got to go. 

What is it to you if a woman wears Burqa or not? What is your gain or loss? Let it be her choice. 

==============

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, human rights, foreign policy and building cohesive societies. Mike offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com  

Ben Carson: Founding Fathers wouldn’t have trusted a Muslim president

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/ben-carson-founding-fathers-wouldnt-have-trusted-muslim-president

Ben Carson: Founding Fathers wouldn’t have trusted a Muslim president

By Benjy Sarlin

Ben Carson offered up a new explanation for why he’s opposed to a Muslim American becoming president, citing fears of “different loyalties” that he believes the Founding Fathers articulated by barring immigrants from becoming chief executive.

As has been the case in the past, the implication was that outwardly patriotic Muslims could not be fully trusted as loyal Americans given their faith. He has previously cited theories popular on the far right warning that seemingly assimilated Muslim Americans may be using religious edicts to conceal an extremist plot.

The latest comments came at an appearance at the National Press Club on Friday, when an audience member asked why he felt a Muslim citizen couldn’t be loyal to the Constitution as president given that there were already Muslim military officers, policemen, and judges – all positions that require fidelity to the law.

RELATED: Ben Carson’s Holocaust theory prompts outcry from Jewish groups

“A good understanding of the Constitution answers that question for you,” Carson said. “Because when you look at the Article II, and we’re talking about requirements for the president, they have to be a ‘natural born citizen.’ Now why is that the case?”

The clause Carson refers to bars naturalized immigrants from the position of president. There are numerous Muslims born in America, of course, and a hypothetical Muslim president would by definition have to be a natural born citizen.

The Constitution prohibits any “religious test” for public office, but Carson argued on Friday that the audience should read between the lines to divine the Founder’s intent. 

“I’m sure if you had gone to the Founders and said, ‘but what about this person? They may not be a natural born citizen but you know they’ve been in America for most of their lives, and they’re a fine upstanding citizen, they served in the military, they came back they were on the police force, can’t they be the president?’… they would have said no,” Carson said. “They said ‘We don’t even want to take the slight chance that we would put someone in that position who had different loyalties.’ That’s the answer to your question.”

Several Muslim activists briefly approached Carson at a reception before the event, hoping to convince him that citizens like themselves were as American as anyone else.

“One is innocent until proven guilty, but he’s called Muslims guilty even before verifying them,” Mike Ghouse, executive director of the American Muslim Institution, told msnbc after offering himself to Carson as a resource for information about Islam. ” I think it comes out of ignorance. He needs some guidance.”

 

Meeting Dr. Ben Carson - Mike Ghouse

Meeting Dr. Ben Carson | www.TheGhouseDiary.com 

Mother Teresa had said, “If you want to make peace with your enemies, go talk with them, talking among friends won’t change a thing.”  Of course Ben Carson is not our enemy, he is just misinformed and making an attempt to wiggle out of it. We need to recognize and appreciate the desire to correct himself, or distance himself from what was said earlier is a good step forwards.

Dr. Ben Carson and Mike Ghouse in Washington, DC

His security guard brought him to the special VIP (don’t know why they called it VIP) reception to the Bloomberg lounge at the National press club. He stood outside the door, and I rushed to him and shook hands and said, I am a moderate Muslim, one of the 6 million of American Moderate Muslims and am with American Muslim Institution. Dr. Carson, I understand what you said about Muslims, you probably had read or heard and simply passed it on.  I was hoping you would say the right thing, and if you need to say it flawlessly, anything about Islam or Muslims, we will be a resource for you. Let me know what I can do for you.  He appreciated it and took my card.

Then at the reception, I repeated my question, and he said, he's got my card. I said, as a presidential candidate I would like to see you say the right things and earn the respect of American Muslims. I'll be happy to coach you on Islam.  However, I must add, finding the truth is your own responsibility.

Rabia Ahmed from MPAC was there, we agreed that I'll video tape her, and she would reciprocate it. I did my part, and will find out if she has done hers.

I thought I had an opportunity to go for the third interaction, but they chose to have the question written on the Card. I wrote in big bold letters, THE MUSLIM THING” , “Do you verify the information before you speak up? Obviously, the information about Muslims missed your verification, and if you don’t have any one, I will be happy to be your coach, Mike Ghouse, American Muslim Institution.”

But there were too many questions and mine was not answered, however, he addressed it differently on another question, “He said something to the effect, and asked, "what is wrong in not supporting a candidate whose loyalty is to other laws.” He bungled up again; first of all, no candidate will go beyond the filing stage if his loyalty is not to America or American Laws, why would he assume that a candidate will reach that far? He is not aware of the process of the nomination.

If I had a chance, I would have made this statement, “As American Muslims we uphold, protect, defend and celebrate the values enshrined in our constitution. Our faith reinforces the idea of one nation with liberty and justice for all.” 

Two reporters caught up with me right after my 2^nd interaction,  and I had an extensive conversation with them, not sure if they will report.  I offered them the same thing that I offered Dr. Carson.

Don't push people in to a ditch that they cannot get out of it. If we brand someone as a hate monger, we are essentially committing them to that position and that would be wrong. We need to believe in the wisdom of Jesus, when he said, “ Condemn the sin and not the Sinner” by doing that we can redeem the person.

His speech was excellent, thank God for a verse from Quran that has been my guidance, which tells not let your bias make you unjust towards others. I was in tune with him most of the time with an open mind. He does speak of a pluralistic America, but I could not square his prejudice against Muslims. I do hope, if he starts believing in verifying information before blurting out, and particularly about Muslims and about other things in general, an aptitude he has to develop, he has a potential to be a good presidential material. 

Republicans hear me out! Those of you who want him to be nominated, you can shape him, and I will be happy to be his coach about Islam and Muslims, it does not mean I would support him, but it simply means, I care what a presidential candidate says about his or her fellow citizens.   As a pluralist, my expertise is in sensitivity training about all traditions including but not limited to Atheism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism and paganism. We are all Americans and each one must be respected, and at the end no one should feel alienated or apprehensive of the fellow Americans, particularly a presidential candidate.

This was partially covered by MSNBC and repeated in several news papers - http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/ben-carson-founding-fathers-wouldnt-have-trusted-muslim-president

The other article: http://thearabdailynews.com/2015/09/21/dr-ben-carson-trumps-trump-discriminatory-attitude/


Dr. Mike Ghouse is a social scientist, thinker, writer and a speaker on Islam, Pluralism, Interfaith, politics, human rights, foreign policy and building cohesive societies. Mike offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com  

# # #

 

Have Faith in America, Carson and Trump are losers

HAVE FAITH IN AMERICA 

DO WORRY ABOUT CARSON AND TRUMP

BUT DON'T LOSE SLEEP OVER IT

 

Relax and be assured, we have never elected extremist presidential candidates ever, Carson and Trump will fall by the wayside, if Trump makes it in the primaries, he will lose it in general election. The Math does not support these two.

Democracies in general and two party systems in particular have the voters divided into approximately 45/45 each party with about 10% independents or a variation there of. Then there is thing called Reagan Democrats or Obama Republicans, those who choose the sensible candidate regardless of their party affiliation. 

In the general election, the silent but moderate Republicans will not vote for Trump or Carson and most of the Democrats will puke at them. Even the African American votes will not go to Carson for the negative comments he has made about the African Americans. The right wing Republicans who hate Obama, will support Carson just enough to delude themselves that they are not prejudiced.  

Even the Republicans on the right have condemned Carson for his remarks, Senator Lindsey Graham has made the strongest case against Carson's opportunist rhetoric. Even Ted Cruz has not spared Carson. Bernie Sanders gave it to him.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He6NKZaHXLM

Carson will fall off the radar, when it gets down to serious business. 

Trump will not make it in the general Election.

Each one of them is exceptionally good in their field of specialty,  what they can do as Surgeons or businessmen, they cannot do as politicians, they are not well rounded. 

I was on Fox News today the 23rd of September with Stuart Varney and made these points:

Dr. BEN CARSON  has made 5 mistakes

When I get chance, I will expand on these bullets, and will also post the video interview. 

1. Did not have faith in constitution. "That all humans are created equal."

2. Did not respect Americans. They will not elect anyone who holds extreme views about fellow Americans. Just because some one runs.

3. Does not believe that one is innocent until proven guilty - he assumes all Muslims are guilty.

4. Rev Martin Luther King, Jr would rebuke him for judging people for their character based on faith

5. Opportunist - when he saw trump gaining a few points by his uncouth rhetoric, he jumped in too to get his piece. 

God Save us all, and God bless America!

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

Mike Ghouse will be on Hannity Radio at 5:00 with Hannity, Jasser and Gabrielle today

HANNITY RADIO WITH GHOUSE , JASSER AND GABRIELLE AT 5:00 PM

Dr. Ghouse will be on Hannity radio at 5:00 with Gabriel and Jasser about Carson, Trump and Ahmed log on to www.AmericanMuslimInstitution.org for details. 

The show will be broadcasted in over 250 stations across America, to find your local station go to http://www.hannity.com/pages/find-a-station/

1. Dr. Ben Carson out- trumps Trump in Discriminatory Attitude. http://americanmusliminstitution.blogspot.com/2015/09/dr-ben-carson-out-trumps-trump-in.html
2. Donald Trump - Muslims have become the latest Punching Bag in the Republican Party Presidential Campaign for 2015 http://americanmusliminstitution.blogspot.com/2015/09/donald-trump-muslims-have-become-latest.html
3. Ahmed Mohamed - Islamophobia Strikes a 14 year old in Texas http://americanmusliminstitution.blogspot.com/2015/09/islamophobia-strikes-14-year-old-ahmed.html   

Hannity Radio http://www.hannity.com/articles/shows-472046/radio-show-recap-sep-21-13962453

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I4jdf71JKc

5:00 P.M. EST - Brigitte Gabriel, President of ACT for America, Mike Ghouse, President of the America Together Foundation, and Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy and author of "A Battle for the Soul of Islam: An American Muslim Patriot's Fight to Save His Faith." The three guests will be discussing the controversy surrounding the GOP candidates and Islam as well as the latest on Ahmed and his “clock” and the European refugee crisis. 

Over the weekend, Dr. Ben Carson said he wouldn’t support a Muslim for president of the United States because Islam is at odds with American values and our constitution 

Last week, Donald Trump came under fire for not rebuking an audience member who claimed Obama was a Muslim and was not born in this country 

The story of 14-year-old Ahmed and his “clock” captivated much of the country last week and had Muslim groups crying “Islamophobia,” but it turns out there was a lot more to his story… 

Over a thousand Arab immigrants a day are seeking asylum in Sweden, with the promises of free housing and blonde women 

Muslim migrants chanting “Allahu Akbar” attack Slovenian police 

Read more: http://www.hannity.com/articles/shows-472046/radio-show-recap-sep-21-13962453#ixzz3mUf6FYF2

Sean Hannity with Mike Ghouse, Zuhdi Jasser and Brigitte Gabriel at 5:00 PM 

# # #