Pope Francis is my Imam, that is my spiritual Master

Pope Francis is my Imam | TheGhouseDiary.com

Pope Francis is also an Imam (religious guide) of this Muslim.  He is a true servant of God and a true follower of Jesus, and equally represents the ideals Prophet Muhammad stood for; Justice, equality and Kindness to fellow beings.

I have been looking for an individual who has genuinely understood the essence of religion and not hung up with rituals, though rituals are a part of everything we do. Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa are the other two beings around my life time, although I was born four years after Gandhi's death, he has appeared twice in my dreams and has said that I have work to do. That keeps me motivated.

This man is one of the most inclusive humans God has created in this century; he respects God by respecting and including every human in his embrace. He has demonstrated respecting the otherness of others and accepting God given uniqueness to each one of his creation.

I have connected with him spiritually since March 2013, the day he was appointed to be the Pope. The more I read about him, the more I bond with him, and amazingly, what I had believe and articulated about him, he has done it all and more. It includes repairing the  Muslim-Christian, Jewish-Christian, and Hindu-Abrahimic relations, respecting those who do not believe in God, Gays and Lesbians, ordination of women into clergy... no human has to be treated anything less, all are equal in the eyes of God, and his eyes.  

In the picture below, I am in tune with Rivkah, though she is an Orthodox Jew and I am a Moderate Muslim, we have the same attitude. We are all humans and are on par with each other.  I love this man Pope Francis for his humility, a symbol of true religious person. When Rivkah could not bow towards him for her own reasons, he turned around and bowed instead, to let Rivkah, me and the world to learn that the human being is more important than the religious symbols or the protocol of the Pope. Thank you for doing this Pope Francis.  

He is a symbol of humility, what a great man he is and that is why I accept him as my religious leader.   Showing respect does not have to be communicated through bowing, it is expressed by merely admiring the man as Rikvah did without bowing. I am sure some of you may feel the same while others may opt for the other expressions. All paths are valid.
 

His teachings are Christian, because he is, but in reality he teaches the essence of religion that is embedded in "all" religions.  I hear him out as if a great Muslim Imam is speaking to me in a different wrapper.  He embodies what a true Muslim, may be a Jew or a Hindu, Sikh, or a Baha’i ought to be.

I will listen to him and will follow him. Yet, he is a Christian and I am a Muslim. The essence of all religions is to make you a human who has no barrier between him and the other human. I am willing to say, if the religion does not remove hate, prejudice, ill-will and walls between you and the other, then you really did not get your own religion. You may go back to your religion until you find yourselves to be boundless.

Genuine spirituality is feeling like a cog in the wheel of the universe and an element in the millions of other elements.  I am merely a strand in the World Wide Web, as Chief Seattle would have said it.

Pope Francis will be here in the US in two weeks, I have seriously debated about seeing him in person, as it is my sincere heartfelt desire to meet him and feel blessed with his holy presence. I have never felt like this with any one in my life.  The other side of me resists seeing him, why does it have to be symbolic?

I feel buoyed to write about him, and have written over 20 articles, some of them are at: http://mikeghouse.net/PopeFrancis.asp

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

Shi’a Studies in Qom, Iran - My application

The following is customized resume specific to the program.

Name: Mike Mohamed Ghouse
Citizen: American
Address: 2665 Villa Creek Dr, Suite 206, Dallas, TX 75234
Phone (214) 325-1916
Email: MikeGhouse@aol.com
Web: www.MikeGhouse.net

My Mission is to work for a cohesive world where no human has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other. If we can learn to respect the otherness of others (that is our definition of Pluralism), and accept the God given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge. I am committed to the ideals and practice of Pluralism; a Quranic value embedded in the phrases like Rabbul Aalameen and Rahmatul guiding us to become Maklooqul Aalameen. 

My vision is to see Shia, Sunni and Ahmadiyya Muslims, and their sub-denominations to acknowledge each other’s differences respectfully and work together in creating a better world for the entire humanity.  My organization, the World Muslim Congress is a think tank committed to this vision and our mission statement drives our work.

My Purpose to do this course

1.  Is to learn more about Shia tradition for the purpose of building functional relationships within the fold of Islam and with other faiths. – i.e., respecting the otherness of others envisioned in the verses 49:13, 109:6 and a few others.

2.  To add a few clips from the Shia scholars to the movie we are making. It’s a film about managing conflicting issues such as upholding freedom of Speech and Quran Burning, criticizing Prophet Muhammad and Muslim reactions, radicalism and pluralism, Jihad and jihad, perceptions about Muslims and Islam, preserving sanctity of religions and freedom, and establishing a new model for building cohesive societies. This will be a small step in changing perceptions about Muslims and also Muslims finding solutions through non-violent means advocated by the Prophet.

Insha Allah, I am planning to visit Mecca, Al-Azhar, Deoband and Darul Uloom for the same purpose.

This particular paragraph is to record my response to the encouragement and discouragement I have received in the last few days. I was told, “What is the point of learning – they will not change and you will not change” – I emphasized, the idea is not to change, but to understand each other’s point of views, if we can learn to respect the otherness of others then conflicts fade and solutions emerge. It is best to follow the guidance from Quran and let you believe what works for you, and I believe what works for me, as long as we do not mess with each other's space, sustenance and nurturence.   

My Intrafaith work

My first intrafaith (within Islam) influence came from my grandfather Sheikh Hussain (Sunni) and his friend Hussain Ali (Shia) when I was about 12 years old. They carried religious conversations for many years in the most civil manner while I listened to them.

Professional presentations “Muslims talk with Muslims.”

v Intrafaith Dialogue by Boniuk Center at Rice University, I was the organizer and moderator of the dialogue, well attended by Shia, Sunni, WD Muhammad and Ahmadiyya Muslims. Several links within this report - http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/02/muslims-talk-with-muslims-at-boniuk.html

v Intrafaith Dialogue in Dallashttp://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/02/muslim-intra-faith-dialogue-in-houston.html

v Intrafaith Mushaera and Naatshttp://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-successful-intrafaith-interfaith.html

v Intrafaith Dialogue at Harvard University is in the works on the same pattern as the one at Rice University.

v Conducted an Unusual Quran Conference panel of 10 clergy from different religions with the presence of  Shia, Sunni, Ahmadiyya and WD Muhammad  Imams.  www.QuraanConference.com

v Intrafaith Dialogue in Dallas is planned for next year.

v As a Sunni Muslim, I go to Juma prayers in Shia Mosques, attend the Majalis during Muharram, Iftaars during Ramadan – and write succinct notes about my visit – so others can learn a bit about Shia and all other traditions.  Since I talk about understanding, I have to do it and am pleased to do it.

My Articles:

Thanks to Allah for blessing me with the inclusive language to reflect the Islamic ideals of “Rabbul Aalameen and Rahmatul Aalameen” and I consider myself a Mukhlooqul Aalameen

In addition to my articles,  I write comments and speak on Islam and Pluralism.

Ø  Muharram, a catalyst for Change
http://thearabdailynews.com/2014/11/01/muharram-2014-catalyst-change-muslims/

Ø  Muharram and India’s communal relationships
 https://www.saddahaq.com/humaninterest/Muharram/muharram-yomeashura-and-indias-communal-relationships#

Ø  Will Shia Sunni Islam Reconcile? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/will-shiite-and-sunni-islam-ever-reconcile_b_2898461.html

Ø  Centrality of Imam Hussain
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/muharram-2011-centrality-imam-hussain_b_1117929.html

Ø  Yom-e- Ashura
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/11/today-is-yom-e-ashura-commemoration-of.html

Ø  Yom-e-Ghadir
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2014/10/eid-mubarak-eid-e-ghadir-mubarak.html

Ø  Will Shia Sunni Islam Reconcile? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/will-shiite-and-sunni-islam-ever-reconcile_b_2898461.html

Ø  One Islam for Shia, Sunni and others
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2010/04/there-is-only-one-islam.html

Ø  Sunni Muslims to be at Shia and Ahmadiyya Mosques
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/03/sunni-muslims-at-shia-and-ahmadiyya.html

Ø  Sunni Shia difference over Prophet’s last sermon
 http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/03/shia-sunni-difference-over-prophets.html

Ø  Shia Sunni Solidarity  on Fridays
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/03/shia-sunni-solidarity-on-fridays.html

Ø  Ramadan at Momin Center (Shia)
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/08/ramadan-day-17-shia-momin-center.html

Ø  Ramadan at Barga-e-Hujjat
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/07/ramadan-day-8-imam-barga-e-hujjat-shia.html

Ø  Best Sunnah for Sunni, Shia and others to follow
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/07/best-sunnah-for-sunni-shia-ahmadiyya.html

Ø  Muslims condemn Zardari Government for not protecting Shia Muslims
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/02/muslims-condemn-zardari-government-for.html

Ø  Saudi clerics – Shia Infidels
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2008/01/saudi-cleric-shia-infidels.html

Ø  Massacres of Shia and Yazidi must stop now
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2014/08/massacres-of-christians-yazidis-
and.html

Ø  Shia Genocides and Massacres list
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/06/shia-genocide-database-killings-in.html

My Resume relating with the application:

o   http://mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp

o   http://mikeghouse.net/MikeGhouse-CV-03.12.14.pdf

o   http://mikeghouse.net/Profile.asp

o   If you type “Muslim Speaker” Pluralism Speaker or interfaith speaker in Google browser, I am listed in the first two pages consistently.  

o   Type – “Muslim Speaker Mike Ghouse” –10,000 + entries appear

o   Google profile is visited by 7.3 Million people - https://plus.google.com/108969690090944956820/about

o   My personal site is visited by 12 Million people

o   WorldMuslimCongress.com is read by 2200 people/day

o   25000 readers per day of all my blogs

o   Commentator on Fox News for the last five years

o   Commentator on Nationally Syndicated radio (250 Stations) shows

o   200+ Articles on Pluralism at Dallas Morning News, always highlighting Islam

o   125 Articles at Huffington Post

o   2500 Articles in all. 

Websites

www.WorldMuslimCongress.com
www.facebook.com/TexasMuslims
www.QuraanConference.com
www.Quraantoday.com
www.ShariaLaws.com
www.Ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com

Forums
WorldMuslimCongress@yahoogroups.com  (1800 Members)

I pray that learning about Shia in Qom will help me understand better. 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.

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 atwww.TheGhousediary.com and 10 other blogs. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

Aga Khan's 78th birthday celebrations; Khushali Mubarak

He was born on December 13, and today he is 78! Happy birthday ! Khushali is a week long birth celebration of HH Aga Khan, he is the Imam (spiritual leader like the Pope for Catholics) of Ismaili Shia Imami Muslims, a branch of Shia Islam. 

Ismaili Muslim community meets in the Jamaat Khana (community center) for the whole week, extolling his work and his service to humanity. 

Indeed, His Highness Aga Khan has pleased God of all people (Aalameen) with his work. His work is not limited to one community, but the whole humanity as God wanted and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had reiterated.

His Highness Aga Khan is one Muslim figure that is respected around the world for his work in uplifting fellow beings; the very foundational duty of a Muslim. Quran is inundated with verses that always emphasize on taking care of fellow beings over everything else. In simple words, a mother or a father would be happier if their kids get along, and they would be even happier if the one doing well were to lift up the other siblings who were not doing well. Similarly God will be most pleased if we take care our fellow beings;his creation.

INCREDIBLE:  To write a new piece today, I placed “khushali greetings”  and “Khushali Mubarak” in Google search,  what pops up is pages and pages of my writings.  People have copied and reposted it over the years. I wrote about 25 articles on HH, but hundreds have been populated from that. That made  me happy.  The www.WorldMuslimCongress.com is an inclusive and a pluralistic site for all Muslims, you’ll find article s on every Muslim denomination.

Just place “Aga Khan” and or “Khushali” in the search box atwww.WorldMuslimCongress.com or  www.TheGhousediary.com and you will find plenty of articles.

On his birthday last year:http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/12/khushali-greetings-to-hh-aga-khan-and.html  

On the last Imamat Day at Huffington Post - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/happy-khushali-a-ramadan_b_5577420.html 

His highness is one of my mentors in defining, speaking, writing, thinking and giving it a action on Pluralism. www.Foundationforpluralism.com 

............................................................................................................................... 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 a staunch defender of human rights and his book standing up for others will be out soon, and a movie "Americans together" is in the making.  He is a frequent guest 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 63 links atwww.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. 

Gee Dad, God can be worshiped in so many ways!.

GEE DAD, GOD CAN BE WORSHIPED IN SO MANY WAYS. LESSONS IN PLURALISM

I am pleased to share the wisdom of a seven year old girl, my daughter. Who wants to raise their child as a bigot? Some of us recklessly do.

When we hear hate spout out of the mouths of men and women in politics or religion against Jews, Muslims, Christians, Atheists, Hindus, Blacks, Mormons, Gays and Lesbians, Hispanics or Immigrants, we just shake our heads with disbelief, that is of course, if we are not bigots ourselves.

I must give credit to face book, a great equalizer for humanity. Even though the hate mongers and bigots don't survive on the face book, they still continue to rant with a few or no friends liking their hate material. They still don't get the message - hate is not natural. .

When she was visiting the Baptist Church, as a father, I just advised her, if the Pastor by any chance denigrates other faiths, he is not being truthful and you don't need to listen to him. She was around 9 then, and argued with me, a part of our routine to argue as equals, "Dad, if he does not say bad things about other religions, why would people to go his Church when they can go somewhere else? I know it, don't worry Dad, I won't hate anyone".

I took my kids to every place of worship, so they were raised with familiarity of fellow humans with no bigotry towards others. At each place of worship, I would summarize to her what they were saying…over the years, I learned that, all she wanted to hear, a six year old, was a simplified version of the talk. I had gotten it down well - a standard reply - "Sweetie, they are telling that we must thank God, that God gives us life, ability to breath and live…" Mind you, I was an atheist then, but not anti-religious.

One day, we were in DFW Hindu Temple joining the group singing Bhajans (Chanting) in the sanctuary. In the middle of a Bhajan, she leans over me, and asks the standard question, "Dad, what are they singing"… out came my standard reply. To that, oblivious to the crowd, she gets up, and throws her hands up in the air, and cheerfully announces "Gee Dad, God can be worshiped in so many ways" to the amazement of the devotees!

That, my friends is pluralism. "Respecting the otherness of others." Thank God she ain't a bigot today. She is a rationalist and would question any one's ill-will or hate towards the other. If nothing else in my life, I have feel good about raising my kids with no bigotry. Like me, she would defend any faith, we won't let any one put down a faith, any faith - individuals yes, but not their faith.

I am writing a fuller article with Religion News with a few more anecdotes with my daughter. Meanwhile, enjoy this.
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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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