Muslim Response to All India Muslim Personal Law Board's appeal

While applauding the position taken by the All India Muslims Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), we hereby acknowledge a few key points about the politics of International Yoga Day and pleased to make a few suggestions. It is a delicate issue, and I pray that Muslims will follow the principles set in motion by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and commit to mitigating the conflicts and nurturing goodwill for the common good of the society.

The AIMPLB  sent a letter to these bodies and individuals, Maulana Wali Rehmani, working general secretary of the AIMPLB, has asked for constant vigil against attacks on Islam’s teachings. AIMPLB has also targeted the central government for propagating yoga, surya namaskar and vande matram, “which are part of Brahmin Dharma” and “are against the ideology of Muslims”.

Muslims, Rehmani has said in the letter, must be aware of their ideology, and must research extensively before agreeing to accept any suggestions on changing their beliefs. The government, he has alleged, has been pushing activities like yoga only to hide its failures on poll promises such as controlling prices and retrieving black money stashed abroad.

Acknowledgements;

1. Muslims are not concerned about Yoga, it's been around as long as they know,  but  they are concerned about the agenda of Hinduizing Muslims that is birthing in series of actions. It is a legitimate jungle after the Ghar Wapsi Drama.

2. While Mr. Modi wants to uplift the nation, his bhakts in his name are messing up the cohesive fabric of the nation. Making statements like, “those who are opposed to should jump in to the sea – Yogi Adityanath.” Who is he to tell me that? If I were to face him, I will tell him to take the lead and go jump in chillu bhar pani (fistful of water).  

3. The Opportunist French man François Gautier writes, "By opposing yoga in schools they (Muslims) are showing that they are Muslims first and Indians second." Gautier is hell bent on placing wedges between Hindus and Muslims; we have seen the likes of him in Cornwallis and Wellesley who succeeded in the past, do we want men like him to continue to dupe and divide us?

4. A few extremists among Hindus look to it as a stepping stone for fulfillment of their dream of pushing India to become a 100% Hindu Nation, completely ignoring the teachings of Hinduism and the idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbukum and our pluralistic heritage of live and let live.  Can we call them legitimate Hindus? Their acts are certainly not Hindu. 

Suggestions;  

1. Congratulate Mr. Modi for creating a successful day of Yoga, we are proud of the Hindu heritage and its benefits to humanity.

 2. Thank the opposition and the GOI for withdrawing the compulsory clause demanding participation from every Indian.

3. The role of leaders, Muslim or otherwise is to advise, but not to mandate it; we leave it up to the individuals to exercise their choice of participating or not in the exercise of Yoga.

4. We are proud of India, and want to preserve its character of free pluralistic democratic nation, where we respect the otherness of others and not impose our ideals on others.  We do not want India to emulate Saudi Arabia or Pakistan where the minorities are pushed into observing Ramadan. We want others to copy the Indian model where every human has a right to eat, drink, wear and believe whatever he or she wants to believe.

5. Let them tear India down; we will put it back together. 

6. We are proud of our heritage – a pluralistic democracy where each individual follows his own conscience in being a productive citizen of the collective nation.

Yoga Day, a wrong approach by Government of India
Yoga is the best thing that has happened to humans. It is good for human body as it  increases the cohesive functioning of mind, body and the soul. What messes our body is what we consume; food, water and air, and its regulator in the form of exercise. 
https://www.saddahaq.com/politics/yogaday/yoga-day-a-wrong-approach-by-government-of-india

Modi's bubble and the Chamcha CulturePrime Minister Modi is making all the classic mistakes of a man sitting inside the bubble, oblivious of the chaos outside the thin veil of the bubble. The men who keep him in euphoric status are called “Chumchas” – the “Yes men” of India who will ultimately let their bosses fall from grace. Full article at: http://www.countercurrents.org/ghouse050615.htm

Surya Namaskar and Muslim Response

The Surya Namaskar is a Hindu religious tradition, a beautiful act of bowing to the Sun and welcoming the first rays of dawn as an expression of gratitude to the energy it breathes in to life and everything about life.http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/01/surya-namaskar-and-muslim-response.html

To be a Muslim is to be a peace maker, one who seeks to mitigate conflicts and nurtures goodwill for peaceful co-existence of humanity. Mike is a Muslim 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

A letter to my Prime Minister Shri Modi by Janab Ali Khan

A letter to my Prime Minister Shri Modi by Janab Ali Khan
URL - http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-letter-to-my-prime-minister-shri-modi.html

Kudos to Mr. Ali Khan for writing a thoughtful letter to the next  Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi. As usual one of our right wingers,  a Kiran Mehta see faults in it. Sadly,   the hardcore right and left are incapable of seeing another point of view but tearing up others – and of course their freedom must be valued without having to agree. In a democracy, the best thing to do is respond with a better answer. 

So, here is my response to Kiran Mehta’s five questions (at the very bottom of this entire note);

1.      He said, very few people – that is Muslims of India, have the honor and privilege of choosing their home land – compared to the 80% Hindu majority who did not have that option of choosing.

  2.      He said, the new government will allow me to express my feelings of patriotism in my own language – that is Jai Hind, as opposed to Modi’s language he contrasted Bharat Mata ki Jai.

  3.      Muslims, Dalits, Christians and other do not want any appeasements, handouts or favors, all they want is to have equal opportunities, access and equal say. Thank God India is a democracy that allows every one the freedom to speak  of which you and I are beneficiaries.

  4.      He addressed the specifics – to be treated like an Indian as guaranteed in the constitution, but the right wing elements of India cannot see an India together, like the goon Giriraj, who does not treat other Indians as equals. Ali did the right thing by asking questions, that is the right of every citizen.

  5.      Yes, Indian electorate has chosen development, and Muslims, Christians and Dalits have also chosen Modi in the same percentages as the Hindus.  Modi has the best answer for your question, he said, “whether you voted for me or not, I represent you, and I am your prime Minister’.

  All Ali Khan letter must be admired, and I do hope that Mr. Modi invites him to the inauguration and gives him a hug and assures him that every Indian is his Bhai or Behan as he has repeatedly said.

What Ali Khan did was fulfill the duty of a responsible citizen to point out the flaws, so India can be flawless, that is Patriotism and we need to reward this guy for writing such a letter. Indeed, a true patriotic Indian is the one who takes the responsibility to tear down the government policies, if they are wrong, no matter who they are, God, Gandhi, Pundit Nehru or Narendra Modi.
  
More about Narendra Modi at my website site MikeGhouse.net.  I am getting convinced Modi is the right man to shape India’s rejuvenated destiny, when I read the letters like this.

Mike Ghouse
Dallas, Texas

A letter to my Prime Minister
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/counterflows/a-letter-to-my-prime-minister/

The bigger News of Modi win - Congratulations to Mr. Modi

THE BIGGER NEWS OF MODI WIN
http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-bigger-news-of-modi-win.html

The bigger news is that “India has won” as Modi has put it. An ordinary person has made it to the top, that is the sign of a true democracy, and it’s a positive motivation to the common Indian man – A chai wallah can make it so I one can make it too, if I have the dedication and commitment to do it.

Congratulations to Mr. Modi - he worked hard for it and earned it.
It reminds me of Obama – an ordinary son of an immigrant made it, and the world cried with him. http://www.mikeghouse.net/Articles/Obama-brings-tears-of-Joy.asp

As a Pluralist, I applaud Modi for the following statement in the interview. When asked specifically whether he would make an effort to reach out to every citizen, including Muslims, Mr. Modi replied:

I will never go by this terminology of yours. Even if you drag me, I will not. I will meet my countrymen. I understand only one language that they are my countrymen, they are my brothers. You may see with whatever colour you want, Modi will not go into that colour.

Good for him! Again, I hope he means it.

If Mr. Modi fulfills the terms of "rajdharma" (good governance) and takes care of the items listed above, he will earn the trust of the people.

Every Indian, with no exception, wants a leader who is just, fair, humble and righteous. It's a fallacy and roguish to believe that Dalits, Muslims, Christians and others want handouts. On the contrary, all they want is fairness, justice, equal access and equal opportunity.

If we can learn to respect the otherness of others and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of the 1.25 billion of us, then conflicts will fade and solutions will emerge.

Democracy and pluralism (i.e., respecting the otherness of others) runs in our veins, so let's have faith in our system. If Mr. Modi fails us, we can dump him through ballot or a no-confidence vote, as we did with Indira Gandhi and Vajpayee. To attain greatness and a place in the annals of history, Mr. Modi has a lot more to prove than we can demand.

I wrote this on 4/23 and shared it with Dr. Bharat Barai to include his quote, and the article was published on 5/09

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/indias-modi-on-his-best-behavior-can-we-trust-him_b_5280892.html

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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.

Miss Nada Al-Ahdal - a new Malala in the Arab world

Thank God for the display of courage by Nada Al-Ahdal, an eleven year old girl who refused to get married or sold off to some old fart against her will. Thanks to the CNN and western media for bringing Nada Al-Ahdal story to the fore. This is my reactionary note, and I hope the Muslim world wakes up and restores the liberation Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) brought to women to be free, to be educated and to determine their own future and be herself. Full CNN video and my op-ed at: http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/07/here-is-another-malala-in-yemen-nada-al.html

Video: http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/07/31/dnt-jamjoom-nada-story-yemen.cnn.html

I sincerely hope the conservatives among us will speak up against this non-sense of child marriage, and getting one's daughter married instead of sending her to the school.

The good news is the child protective agency took a stand and I hope they continue to do the good work. It was good to see the little girl signing the settlement agreement. 

Big stories came out of Hyderabad India, where the rich old men from Middle East and Africa went there, and bought the girls from the parents, and a month later, abandoned her and fly back.  Indeed for a long time Vietnamese, Filipino, Czech, Russian and other women were in a similar situation.

This is a reactionary note, and I hope the Muslim world wakes up and restores the liberation Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) brought to women.

 When Malala spoke up for the rights of girls education, the conservatives among us made every effort to destroy the good by cooking up stories that she was an agent of CIA or she was an agent of the west. Where the heck were the conservatives when she was prevented from going to school and shot in the head? Malala is not alone, a lot many girls are being harassed, but the conservative big mouths remain silent and no one would have known about it, had it not for the western media. They are God sent to bring the issues to fore, so the moderate Muslims can start speaking up.

Let me be clear selling daughters is not a Muslim thing; it is practiced in most communities including Hindu, Sikh and others in Asia and Africa. In India in the state of Haryana and Gujarat there is a severe shortage of women due to the ugly practice of killing the girl babies,  and the boys end up sharing one woman by his friends or even brothers for money. Google it out and learn yourselves first hand.

As a Moderate Muslim, I condemn this practice and urge the useless 57 member Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) to take steps to bring in legal changes in each one of the member nations, which will lead to social changes over a period of time. It takes guts to drive any thing in life, they need to get rid of their executive director and get someone who can get things done. I will be happy to do that. 

We need to restore the work of Prophet Muhammad. 1400 years ago he liberated women from the traditional slavery to men – she was free to marry, divorce, own the property and business, and she was not a chattel any more. Not only that she did not have to obey her husband if he was a hurdle in practice of her beliefs.


Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer committed to building cohesive societies, and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More details at www.MikeGhouse.net

Symposium on Sir Allama Iqbal's discourse on democracy

URL - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/05/sympoium-on-sir-allama-iqbals-discourse.html

Dr. Allama Iqbal is one of the greatest philosopher poets of India; he and Swami Vivekananda continue to be the most quoted in awakening the masses with their wisdom. Their words were magical, thoughtful and evoked practical attitudes towards life.

I was particularly interested in his work on Pluralism, as we are getting ready to do a poetry session in Urdu-Hindi on Pluralism, as I was familiar with some of his works, like “ Mazhab nahin sikhata aapas me bair rakhna”  meaning religion does not teach one to hold grudges against people of other faiths.  Boy, was I happy to hear the response from the audience? Apparently there is a lot more poetry to explore. There was group of ladies on the table next to mine, and they were happy to express their familiarity with his work on pluralism, and I have requested them to write a poem about pluralism.   

MikeGhouse-Dr.Nyla Khan-Dr.Anwar

Dr.MonaKazimShah-Mrs and Dr. Masood Raja-Dr.Anwar

The South Asia Democracy watch organized the event, and had invited great speakers to talk about his work. Dr. Jaffar Mahallati, former UN Ambassador got everyone floored when he talked about Dr. Iqbal’s influence on the Iranian intellectuals and continues to be part of the study and speeches even to this day. Dr. Nyla Ali Khan, the granddaughter of Sheikh Abdullah, Chief Minister of Kashmir and a Professor in Oklahoma delivered one of the greatest speeches on democracy and the impeccable value of US Constitution and Iqbal’s preference for democracy, where leadership with morality was to be valued, but religion and state were to be separate entities. My admiration for Iqbal continues to grow.

Dr. Talmeez Fatima, Dr. Masood Raja and Dr. Qaisar Abbas delivered the messages that I have been craving to hear all my life – about his views on democracy and pluralism. I hope to read Dr. Abbas’s article in Urdu to fully grasp the thoughts he has written, and Dr. Fatima talked about timeliness of Iqbal’s message. Dr. Basheer Ahmed did a fabulous job as the master of the ceremonies. 

One of the rigors of intellectualism is to question everything, and questioning they did. Particularly Masood Raja; no one should be given a free pass.  In the  story of my quest for pluralism, I have quoted my sister’s innocent throw back question at me some 40 years ago – “do you know more than Allama Iqbal” and my response remains the same to this day, no, but I will not take any one’s words for granted.”

My camera died on me at the all day event “many faces one peace” from there I rushed to this program and did not get a chance to charge up my camera or the cell phone. I am writing a separate note about the program, where I spoke how to build a cohesive America, where no American has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other, and book and the move is in the making on the Americans Together.

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/02/indian-americans-committment-to.html




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 has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a 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 his work through many links.

Are Muslims duty bound to participate in elections?

Are Muslims duty bound to participate in elections?by Muhammad Yunus and Mike Ghouse

Bad things happen because good people do nothing about it. Indeed, this old adage makes more sense today than ever before.

Today, our nation is facing a tough choice in the presidential elections. Neither the incumbent President, nor the challenger is a perfect fit for the needs of the nation at this juncture of high unemployment, and hopelessness that has gripped America.

Our criterion for electing our president should have been “who can move the country forward”, rather than redacted choice of finding who can do the least damage.

Romney has made blatant switches in his positions, and left us wondering who he would be, if he were to be elected. Will his base continue to support him even though they feel betrayed, is he for stricter regulations of the banking industry, or is he a quarter guy who will sacrifice long term gains for this quarter? What about women’s right to choose in case of abortion? Is Obama’s debate performance an indication of what is yet to come?

In a conference call recently with Christian conservatives, Gov. Rick Perry dismissed the separation of church and state as an idea advanced to drive “people of faith from the public arena.” The governor went on to say Satan is using it to keep Christians from actively engaging in public policy.

In my weekly take at Dallas Morning News, I wrote, “The separation of church and state has been a catalyst in guaranteeing freedom to every religious group. Indeed, it is an incentive to participate in the political process to ensure that one’s rights are protected, and prevent domination by any group from dictating its terms to others.”

Muslims have their share of ultra conservatives who think like Governor Perry, and it keeps them from engaging in the electoral process which is catered around the American constitution that does not expressly acknowledge the sovereignty of God, and is a product of man’s intellectual enterprise. But this disregards the following key aspects of the Qur’anic message. 

The role of the Muslims as witnesses to all humanity, the way, Muhammad, their Prophet was a witness to his audience (2:143); and 2, the Qur’anic exhortation to the diverse faith communities, including the Muslims, to get to know each other and vie with each other in good deeds and lawful pursuits (49:13).

Here are some rare but preposterous statements one hears now and then.

“Muslims should not participate in elections; it is Haraam (unlawful).”

“If the president you elected goes to war and kills Muslims, what will you tell Allah?”
“ We cannot put an infidel in governance”

Nonsense is the right sentiment, but uttering the word will not change the mind set of a few on the edge.

What does God want? He is the creator and simply wants his creation to live in harmony with themselves and with what surrounds them; people and the environment. He has not deprived his love to his “banday” (created) and has sent guidance to every tribe, every community and every nation, and declares the best one among you are the ones who make an effort to know each other to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill.

Prophet Muhammad initiated and signed a treaty of peace and joint defence with the major tribes and families of Medina, including Muslims, Jews, Christians and pagans” [2]. This Prophetic example gives American Muslims a religious basis for participating in a secular democratic process. Besides, active involvement with electoral process gives them an excellent opportunity of getting to know, and competing with each other in a lawful arena of immense significance. Furthermore, the Qur’an admits of mutual consultation on community matters without having to endorse what is fundamentally wrong (42:37/38) and asks the believers to collaborate even with erstwhile enemies in “good things (birre) and in establishing what is morally upright (taqwa)” (5:2). On the strength of these clear Qur’anic enunciations and principles, the American Muslims must participate in the forthcoming Presidential election as part of their religious obligation.

The Arabic Qur’an in its immensely rich and intertwined vocabulary encapsulates a set of universal juristic notions, notably, logical analysis (fiqha) by engaging reason (aql), cogitation and reflection (fikr); independent intellectual inquiry (ijtihad), analogical deduction (qiyas) consensus of the scholar/ community (jama‘ah), custom and practice of the community (‘urf ), community good (islah), the jurists’ best judgment (istihsan).

Practically all these notions are consistent with and even identical to those employed by the American jurists and doctors of law in jurisprudence and constitutional process, except for terminological differences. Hence, regardless of whether the American doctors of law believe in the Qur’an or not, the laws they developed are rooted in the Qur’anic universal notions as has veritably been the case with the classical Sharia law of Islam. Besides, the American Constitution with its supreme emphasis on equity, justice, liberty, empowerment of women and a host of social and egalitarian provisions is far more compatible with the Qur’anic paradigms than the Classical Sharia law of Islam.

Thus the American Muslims should actively and religiously participate in their national electoral process as a mandatory religious obligation, to enjoin what is good and forbid evil. Elections are not about winning or losing, it is about supporting the most right choice or the least worst choice. Lack of participation could amount at encouraging that which is evil.

It is our duty to continuously share the knowledge of Quraan and wisdom of the Prophet with the Muslim Neocons, hoping they would replace the myths with the values of the religion they claim to follow.

When the first four rightly guided Caliphs (heads of state) were chosen (accepted) by the people to run their civic affairs (governance), they represented every one regardless of receiving support from their constituents or not. The choices were not good or bad, but who can lead the community in the best possible manner given the death of the Prophet and each subsequent Caliph. The American Muslims must apply the same principle and chose a candidate they think is most suited to the social and economic issues facing the nation.

Additional Note by Mike Ghouse:

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 Mike Ghouse have voted for Obama and some of my friends have voted for Romney. 

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

This article is co-authored by Mike Ghouse, a speaker thinker and a writer committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on the issues of the day, and Muhammad Yunus whose exegetical work on Quran has been endorsed by Al-Azhar University. He writes on the universal values enshrined in Quran.