Wiki Leaks must surive, it is our responsibilty

WIKI LEAKS MUST SURVIVE

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/12/wiki-leaks-must-surive-it-is-our.html

We should protest and resist any attempt to squelch free speech.  Free speech must be respected even if it is against us, in the interests of the goodness of society at large.

Wiki leak has brought to light the nefarious things governments around the world do, unchecked they will become rascals. It is in your interest and my interests to protect free speech.

INCREASINGLY FOCUSED ON competitiveness and profits, the mainstream American media is under pressure for its own survival. Indeed, it is at a critical juncture of having to choose between fulfilling its societal responsibility or succumbing to the political compulsions of our times. As a society we need to evaluate the importance of the media in our American system of governance. Does it still play the crucial role the founding fathers of our nation had envisioned for it?

Thomas Jefferson made a strong statement about the role of the media in a democracy when he noted, “If it were left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”

Describing the role of the press, George A. Krimsky, the former head of news for the Associated Press’ World Services and co-author of Hold the Press, writes, “In the wake of America’s successful revolution, it was decided there should indeed be government, but only if it were accountable to the people. The people, in turn, could only hold the government accountable if they knew what it was doing and could intercede as necessary, using their ballot, for example.

This role of public ‘watchdog’ was thus assumed by a citizen press, and as a consequence, the government in the United States has been kept out of the news business.”Could one say that the government in the United States was kept out of the news business in the past, but not any more?

I wrote the above several years ago at:- http://interjunction.org/article/the-road-not-taken/

Avaz has taken the step, if you agree, please sign the petition

Mike Ghouse for freedom of speechwww.MikeGhouse.net

NOTE TO THE RIGHT WINGERS: I have stood of up for free speech against everything thing you the right wingers can imagine, Google it out before you can run your mouth.

AVAZ

The massive campaign of intimidation against WikiLeaks is sending a chill through free press advocates everywhere.

Legal experts say WikiLeaks has likely broken no laws. Yet top US politicians have called it a terrorist group and commentators have urged assassination of its staff. The organization has come under massive government and corporate attack, but WikiLeaks is only publishing information provided by a whistleblower. And it has partnered with the world's leading newspapers (NYT, Guardian, Spiegel etc) to carefully vet the information it publishes.

The massive extra-judicial intimidation of WikiLeaks is an attack on democracy. We urgently need a public outcry for freedom of the press and expression. Sign the petition to stop the crackdown and forward this email to everyone -- let's get to 1 million voices and take out full page ads in US newspapers this week! http://www.avaaz.org/en/wikileaks_petition/?vl

WikiLeaks isn't acting alone -- it's partnered with the top newspapers in the world (New York Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, etc) to carefully review 250,000 US diplomatic cables and remove any information that it is irresponsible to publish. Only 800 cables have been published so far. Past WikiLeaks publications have exposed government-backed torture, the murder of innocent civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan, and corporate corruption.

The US government is currently pursuing all legal avenues to stop WikiLeaks from publishing more cables, but the laws of democracies protect freedom of the press. The US and other governments may not like the laws that protect our freedom of expression, but that's exactly why it's so important that we have them, and why only a democratic process can change them.

Reasonable people can disagree on whether WikiLeaks and the leading newspapers it's partnered with are releasing more information than the public should see. Whether the releases undermine diplomatic confidentiality and whether that's a good thing. Whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has the personal character of a hero or a villain. But none of this justifies a vicious campaign of intimidation to silence a legal media outlet by governments and corporations. Click below to join the call to stop the crackdown: http://www.avaaz.org/en/wikileaks_petition/?vl

Ever wonder why the media so rarely gives the full story of what happens behind the scenes? This is why - because when they do, governments can be vicious in their response. And when that happens, it's up to the public to stand up for our democratic rights to a free press and freedom of expression. Never has there been a more vital time for us to do so.

With hope,
Ricken, Emma, Alex, Alice, Maria Paz and the rest of the Avaaz team.

SOURCES:

Law experts say WikiLeaks in the clear (ABC)http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2010/s3086781.htm

WikiLeaks are a bunch of terrorists, says leading U.S. congressman (Mail Online)http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1333879/WikiLeaks-terrorists-says-leading-US-congressman-Peter-King.html

Cyber guerrillas can help US (Financial Times)http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d3dd7c40-ff15-11df-956b-00144feab49a.html#axzz17QvQ4Ht5

Amazon drops WikiLeaks under political pressure (Yahoo)http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101201/tc_afp/usdiplomacyinternetwikileakscongressamazon

"WikiLeaks avenged by hacktivists" (PC World):http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/212701/operation_payback_wikileaks_avenged_by_hacktivists.html

US Gov shows true control over Internet with WikiLeaks containment (Tippett.org) http://www.tippett.org/2010/12/us-gov-shows-true-control-over-internet-with-wikileaks-containment/

US embassy cables culprit should be executed, says Mike Huckabee (The Guardian)http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/01/us-embassy-cables-executed-mike-huckabee

WikiLeaks ditched by MasterCard, Visa. Who's next? (The Christian Science Monitor)http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2010/1207/WikiLeaks-ditched-by-MasterCard-Visa.-Who-s-next

Assange's Interpol Warrant Is for Having Sex Without a Condom (The Slatest)http://slatest.slate.com/id/2276690/


Support the Avaaz community! We're entirely funded by donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way -- donate here.

Muslims Condemn Varnasi Terror

MUSLIMS CONDEMN VARNASI TERROR Dallas, Texas, December 08, 2010 http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2010/12/muslims-condemen-varnasi-terror.html The CNN-IBN in India reports, “The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad on Wednesday detained three people in connection with Tuesday's blast in Varanasi which killed a one-year-old child and injured at least 20 people, a media report said. According to CNN-IBN, the ATS has identified Mohammad Shahnawaz, (27), a doctor and Asadullah Akhtar alias Asadullah Khan, (25), a pharmacist, as key suspects behind the blast.” The Muslims of the World unequivocally condemn this disgusting act of terrorizing and killing the innocent in Varanasi. Thank God, the Indian Police has identified those criminals, and the court system must go in full gear and punish these criminals to the hilt per the civil laws. Their parents, friends or their religion should not to be used to dilute the case, they did it and they must be punished. I urge the Muslims to take the lead and tie these rascals or their effigies to a pole by the court house and take turns in spitting on them (a very shameful act in Indian culture). Every one has to tell them that there is no hoori for them waiting in Paradise, nor there is anything like that in Quraan. They have been duped about it, and those who told them so will also meet the same fate.   We also hope the Muslim will take the extreme position of banning them from burial in their cemeteries. They need to learn, “forget the hoories, I wont’ even get a decent burial”. Isn’t punishment a deterrent?    The religious leaders are urged to condemn these acts and repeatedly communicate to those duped ones that killing any one including themselves will not earn them a heaven, but the wrath of God for killing another being.   As Muslims we have to stand up for what is right and stand against what is wrong. Mike Ghouse runs the Foundation for Pluralism championing the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other and has dedicated to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress. He is a regular commentator on the TV, Radio and Print media offering pluralistic solutions to the issues of the day. He is a speaker, thinker, writer and a peace activist. Mike's work is reflected at three websites & twenty two Blogs listed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/ http://www.hindustantimes.com/3-detained-over-Varanasi-blast/H1-Article1-635948.aspx 3 detained over Varanasi blast New Delhi, December 08, 2010First Published: 15:50 IST(8/12/2010) The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad on Wednesday detained three people in connection with Tuesday's blast in Varanasi which killed a one-year-old child and injured at least 20 people, a media report said. According to CNN-IBN, the ATS has identified Mohammad Shahnawaz, (27), a doctor and Asadullah Akhtar alias Asadullah Khan, (25), a pharmacist, as key suspects behind the blast. Both are allegedly linked to the 2008 Delhi blasts and the Batla House encounter in Delhi. Indian Mujahideen (IM) claimed responsibility for the blast in an e-mail traced to Malad in Mumbai. Earlier a father-son duo were picked up for questioning in Mumbai in connection with the e-mail sent by IM. http://www.hindustantimes.com/one-killed-many-injured-in-varanasi-bomb-blast/article1-635578.aspx One killed, many injured in Varanasi bomb blast HT Correspondent, Agencies Varanasi, December 07, 2010First Published: 18:56 IST(7/12/2010)  A two-year-old girl named Swastika Sharma was killed and about 30-40 people, including four foreigners, were injured in a bomb blast at the Dashashwamedh Ghat on the banks of Ganga river in Varanasi at around 6.30 pm on Tuesday. Additional Director General of Police (ADG)-- Law and Order, Brijlal said: "The state has been put on high alert. And anti-terrorist sqauds and a bomb disposal squad have been rushed to the site." Though it has been reported that the bomb was possibly kept in a milk container. Quoting IG Varansai the ADG said that the bomb was placed in some cavity. All top Varanasi district and police officers are on the spot. ADG said that there was no laxity as the state was already on alert due to Babri Masjid demolition anniversary. The blast took place when thousands of devotees and the foreign tourists had assembled at the ghat for having darshan of the Ganga Arti, police sources said. All injured were rushed to the nearby Marwari Hindu Hospital, where doctors, including Dr AK Singh told HT that nearly 40 injured were brought to the hospital, out of which over ten have been referred in critical state to the BHU and Varanasi Divisional Hospital.  Dr Singh confirmed the death of a one year old girl Swastika Sharma, a native of Assi locality of Varanasi, who was brought dead to the Marwari Hospital.  Singh further said the injured, included at least five foreign nationals, among them Italian and Japanese nationals. Two more foreigners reached on their  own to the district hospitals with injuries. They were two young women from UK. They after self-medication returned to their hotel near the blast spot.  Injured have suffered splinter injuries, severe fractures, head injuries and other injuries in the incident, Singh maintained. "It was a powerful blast which shuddered buildings up to 500 metres and even blew away banners on the Shitla Temple. We ourselves saw dismembered limbs and many foreign tourists writhing in pain,” said Kishori Raman Dubey ‘Babu Maharaj’ who organised daily evening at the Ghat under banner of Gangotri Sewa Samiti.  A local cloth trader Kuldip Beri present at the spot when the blast took place told HT 10 to 15 people, including two foreigners were badly injured and were carried by us into the Ambulance. One of the foreigners had lost his limb.  One of the foreigners Alessandro (50), an Italian national has been rushed to the Heritage Hospital in critical state with profusedly bleeding multiple injuries. Blood remained sputtered all round the Ghat and the blast destroyed the railings and stone stairs of the ghat.  As per initial reports, the injured included Phool Rani (50) a native of Damoh (MP), Jitendra Bidhua (35) a native of Madhya Pradesh, Barkha Sahni (12) native of Dashwashamedh Ghat in Varanasi, Om Prakash (40) native of Bhelupur in Varanasi, Suresh prasad (65) a native of Karnataka, Shubham Sahni (10), Daswashamedh Varanasi, Ram Shankar (45) of Dashwashamedh Varanasi.  Injured are presently being treated at BHU, Varanasi Divisional , Heritage and Marawari Hospitals. Some people have been injured due to the blast and some others due to the consequent stampede which occured due to the collapse of the railing. IG Varanasi Police Range RP Singh confirmed the death of the one-year-old little girl and 20 others injured, two of them critically. Just a few days ago only at a high-level security meeting in New Delhi, the UP Govt and Police had been alerted highly about terrorist misadventure towards the anniversary of the Ayodhya demolition. Alert had also been sounded about banned SIMI operating via sleeper modules in various East UP districts under disguised names.   While the stairs leading to the New Dashwashamedh Ghat have door framed metal detectors, there was no such provision on stairs leading to the Old Dashwashamedh Ghat (Shitla Ghat). As per Kuldip Beri, a native of Mir Ghat locality present at the spot, no security provisions or cops were present at the spot when the blast took place and there was total chaos for at least 15 to 20 minutes before the cops arrived. Old and New Dashwashamedh Ghats are most crowded ghats particularly during the evening Ganga Arti, but still there is hardly any security on the Old Ghat also known as Shitla Ghat. It was Tuesday on March 7, 2006 when terrorists struck Sankatmochan temple and Varanasi Cant railway station and today was also a Tuesday. (With PTI inputs)

Army Chaplains and their religious convictions

Texas Faith Weekly – Dallas Morning News poses a question to the faith community in Dallas on issues facing the nation, and about a dozen of us respond. Here was this week’s question by Bill McKenzie, “How should army chaplains handle a situation that contradicts their religious convictions, whether it’s about gays in the military or some other issue? They, after all, are called to minister to people of all faiths.

Here is my response followed by fellow Texans
Let us resist the temptations to become the moral police of our nation. We have led the world in innovation, science, technology, medicine and just about every aspect of life and it is time we consider moving from restrictive religious convictions to universalizing our God who loves his creation. It’s a new paradigm in broadening our moral compass.

Some of the restrictive moral convictions are a product of insular religious or cultural traditions; indeed they were practices with narrower applications. Let’s follow the path of Jesus by embracing the whole humanity and lead the world in respecting the otherness of other and setting the model of co-existence for nations like Ghana, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan to emulate us and not vice-versa.  

Once upon a time white man made nearly all of our military brass but that is not the case today; our military is served by both men and women and people of different races, faiths, ethnicities and nationalities.

We have come a long way since the declaration of our independence to believe and live up to the full meaning of the words “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal”. It took us nearly 150 years for our men to feel secure enough to treat women as equals to vote; it took us fifty years to honor our World War II hero Jesse Brown, a black man. Three years ago, we finally came to grips with our smallness in denying a Wiccan symbol in the Arlington Cemetery. We still have a long ways to go in fully accepting that all men (and women) are created equal.  Together as Americans we have to be inclusive in serving and be served equally.

When an individual opts to serve our country to defend our freedom, we must honor that individual to the highest degree and treat him or her with dignity. We should never forget that they are defending every American and not just an exclusive club. Those of us who serve them ought not to forget to reciprocate them with equal enthusiasm and unrestrictive honor.

The Army Chaplains are employees of the nation to serve the men and women who defend our nation, and they ought to serve every defender of our nation regardless of their sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, faith, language or appearance.  

Other takes - http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/12/texas-faith-how-should-chaplai.html
Mike Ghouse runs the Foundation for Pluralism championing the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other and has dedicated to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress. He is a regular commentator on the TV, Radio and Print media offering pluralistic solutions to the issues of the day. He is a speaker, thinker, writer and a peace activist. Mike's work is reflected at three websites & twenty two Blogs listed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/

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Shariah at the Kumback Café, Perry, OK

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/12/shariah-at-kumback-cafe.html

I am thankful to Suze Melton, one of the attendees of the Quraan Conference on Sunday for forwarding the following article. The followin story is about Perry, Oklahoma and how the residents view things, one resident shares this, “I got on the computer, punched in Koran, and there it is in black and white: They are out to rule the world and if you don’t convert, they kill you.” We dealt with that verse yesteday, it is not what it sounds.

As an American I understand the fears and want to assure them that the American Muslims do not want the kind of Sharia Law they see on the Television confined to Iran, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia.  That is not the Sharia law; here is a simple lay person’s version of understanding what Sharia is all about – Sharia Laws Not in America.

No American has to live in anxieties, discomfort or fear of the other. The purpose of this conference is to understand the issues and find ways to remove such fears in an open forum and restore the cohesiveness of our society and work towards building a safe and secure America. 

God willing, I will go to Perry, Oklahoma and do a Sharia and Quraan conference with the folks out there to assure them that Islam and Muslims are not about what they have come to know, but about building societies for peace for all.  It is a shame the radicals, a few handful of them, make such statesments. Just as Newt, Palin and others frighten them to get the votes.

Mike Ghouse runs the Foundation for Pluralism championing the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other and has dedicated to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress. He is a regular commentator on the TV, Radio and Print media offering pluralistic solutions to the issues of the day. He is a speaker, thinker, writer and a peace activist. Mike's work is reflected at three websites & twenty two Blogs listed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/
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Shariah at the Kumback Café

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/opinion/07iht-edcohen.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

Damon Winter/The New York Times

Roger Cohen

PERRY, OKLAHOMA — They call Oklahoma the buckle of the Bible Belt. It’s the state where all 77 counties voted Republican when Barack Obama was elected and where 70.8 percent of the electorate last month approved a “Save Our State Amendment” banning Islamic, or Shariah, law.

So I decided to check the pulse of a resurgent conservative America at the Kumback Café. The Kumback, established 1926, is a cozy, memorabilia-filled joint that sits opposite the courthouse in downtown Perry, population 5,230.

Things work like this at the Kumback: The guys, average age about 80, arrive around 8 a.m. and get talking on “the whole gamut of life”; the girls, average age too indelicate to print, gather later at a horse-shoe shaped table toward the back. Ken Sherman, 86 and spry, explained: “We’ve got to come here every day to find out what’s going on. And by the time we leave we forget.”

I asked Paul Morrow, a whippersnapper at 71, how things were going. “There’s just too much Muslim influence, all this Shariah law,” he said. “We’re conservative here, old and cantankerous.”

You might not expect Shariah, a broad term encompassing Islamic religious precepts, to be a priority topic at the Kumback given that there’s not a Muslim in Perry and perhaps 30,000, or less than one percent of the population, in all Oklahoma. And you’d be wrong.

Shariah is the new hot-button wedge issue, as radicalizing as abortion or gay marriage, seized on by Republicans to mobilize conservative Americans against the supposed “stealth jihad” of Muslims in the United States and against a Democratic president portrayed as oblivious to — or complicit with — the threat. Not since 9/11 has Islamophobia been at such a pitch in the United States.

The neoconservative Center for Security Policy in Washington recently described Shariah as “the pre-eminent totalitarian threat of our time.” Many Republicans, with Newt Gingrich leading, have signed up. Their strategy is clear: Conflate Obama with creeping Shariah and achieve the political double-whammy of feeding rampant rumors that he’s a closet Muslim and fanning the fears that propel a conservative lurch.

It’s not pretty, in fact it’s pretty odious, but to judge by the Republican surge last month, it’s effective in an anxiety-filled America.

Galvanized by State Question 755, barring “courts from considering or using Shariah Law,” Republicans swept to the Oklahoma governorship and veto-proof majorities in the Legislature for the first time.

Question 755 was “a pre-emptive strike,” in the words of its most active proponent, Republican State Representative Rex Duncan, whose portrait hangs in the Kumback. The question arises, given the quiet on the prairies, against whom? A prominent Oklahoma pastor, Paul Blair, told me it was aimed at those “whose plan is not to coexist but bring the whole world under Islam.”

A preliminary federal injunction, granted after a prominent local Muslim, Muneer Awad, challenged the constitutionality of the amendment in the nation where “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” has blocked its certification for now. The very curious case of Shariah and Oklahoma may be headed to the Supreme Court.

Marilee Macias, the bubbly owner of the Kumback, swung by. “Duncan’s ahead of the game,” she said. “He’s a military guy, been around the world. I don’t know what these Muslims are preparing but I know that stoning women, we don’t want that here.”

Bud Johnson, 84, who worked in Washington and is gently mocked at the Kumback for his East Coast liberalism, shook his head. “It’s going to cost the state a lot of money to try to defend a stupid law,” he said. “There should be a reason for a law, not just hatred and emotions. But my view went down here like the Titanic. The fear element has got us.”

To understand U.S. politics today, try “It’s the fear element, stupid.”

I asked Frank Lawson, 83, about Obama. “I think the young man’s a Muslim,” he said. Case closed. He continued: “I got on the computer, punched in Koran, and there it is in black and white: They are out to rule the world and if you don’t convert, they kill you.” Cherry-picked inflammatory phrases, attributed to the Koran but more often lifted from interpretations of it, course through Oklahoman churches and spread via Internet chatter.

Sherman asked me what “that huge Muslim movement that took over Europe,” was called. I couldn’t help. “Begins with ‘O”’ he said. “The Ottoman Empire?” I ventured. Yep. Case closed again.
Things were quiet on Perry’s main square. So quiet the “Muslim threat” was hard to imagine. It was even harder to imagine that, right here, Timothy McVeigh, the homegrown terrorist who killed 168 people in a 1995 Oklahoma attack, was held after being stopped by a state trooper outside Perry for having no license plate.

Nobody initially suspected McVeigh. Suspicion fell on men “of Middle Eastern appearance,” including Imad Enchassi, now the imam of a large Oklahoma mosque, who told me, “Things are much worse now, I’m looking over my shoulder for the first time.”

Ayodhya on 18th Anniversary

Ayodhya on 18th Anniversary

The Babri Masjid controversy has been around since Mid Nineteenth century and after disputes, the right wing political parties demolished the 15th Centutry structure in Ayodhya on December 6th, 1992.

We need to research if this divisive issue was a ploy by the then British Government to keep the Indians divided so they can keep control of the colony.  Now that we are free, we  need to work on finding solutions and not pass the buck to next generation.   

In a Radio talk show in August of 2003, I shared two particular incidences where the Viceroy of India writes to the King of England in 1854 that the Muslims and Hindus have gotten back together and have built the Ram Chabootra (stone bench) symbolizing their unity, if they work together the end of British Empire will come to an end. The Sepoy revolt in 1857 proved another difficulty for the Empire when the Hindus and Muslims demonstrated unity once again despite the attempts to divide them.     

They hit us again in 1871 with the first census of India with the evil intent of showing to Hindus and Muslims about their demographics and frightening each of the other.

Who is wronger, the British for their divisive policies, or the Indians for buying into their ideas of division?

I am happy that finally Indians are waking up to divisive policies, the Indian public rejected the divisiveness of the right wing political parties in the last elections and told them that don’t use religion to your advantage, provide jobs, education, potable water and Sanitation. I hope they continue to do so.

The Allahabad court verdict was received calmly without violence by the right wingers on both sides of the issue. On the 18^th Anniversary of the demolition of the 15th Century Babri Mosque in Ayodhya,  today, relative peaceful protest took place, demonstrating once again the maturity of the Indians in absorbing democracy in their veins.

Jai Hind

Mike

 Mike Ghouse runs the Foundation for Pluralism championing the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other and has dedicated to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress. He is a regular commentator on the TV, Radio and Print media offering pluralistic solutions to the issues of the day. He is a speaker, thinker, writer and a peace activist. Mike's work is reflected at three websites & twenty two Blogs listed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/

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Peaceful protests mark Babri anniversary

HYDERABAD: Protesting against the Allahabad High Court's recent judgment on Babri Masjid, the Old City and other Muslim-majority areas remained completely shut on Monday that marked the 18th anniversary of the demolition of the mosque. Shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed in many areas and most of the residents decided to stay indoors. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Peaceful-protests-mark-Babri-anniversary/articleshow/7056092.cms

# # #Dec 6 passes peacefully in Ayodhya

Police arrested 20 followers of the Hindu Mahasabha on Monday when they were proceeding towards the Ram Janambhoomi site to commemorate the 18th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992. This apart, the day passed peacefully in Ayodhya. However, there was apprehension that there could be

trouble because this anniversary was the first after the September 30 Allahabad High Court verdict, trifurcating the plot where the mosque stood.  http://www.hindustantimes.com/Dec-6-passes-peacefully-in-Ayodhya/Article1-635164.aspx

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Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati on Babri Masjid

ALLAHABAD: The name Babri Masjid in itself is wrong in the backdrop of the fact that historical records mention that neither he nor his son Humayun ever visited Ayodhya. This is because emperor Akbar's courtier Abul Fazal Faizi after visiting Ayodhya mentioned the presence of a temple and never spoke about the presence of a mosque also, said Shankaracharya of Badrikashram, Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati while speaking to newspersons here on Saturday.  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/allahabad/Swami-Swaroopanand-Saraswati-on-Babri-Masjid/articleshow/7044742.cms


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Read more: Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati on Babri Masjid - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/allahabad/Swami-Swaroopanand-Saraswati-on-Babri-Masjid/articleshow/7044742.cms#ixzz17N5eogg2

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Ayodhya verdict: ‘destructive’ of constitutional values

New Delhi: Eminent scholar of History Prof. K.M. Shrimali termed the Babri Masjid verdict as “destructive” of constitutional values as it vindicated and legalized the destruction of Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992.

“The mosque was destroyed on December 6, 1992, the spirit of law was demolished on September 30, 2010,” Prof. Shrimali said.

He was speaking at a seminar held on “Save the Constitution: Role of Civil Society”, organized by the Institute of Objective Studies (IOS) on Saturday, 4 December. http://twocircles.net/2010dec07/ayodhya_verdict_%E2%80%98destructive%E2%80%99_constitutional_values.html

Digvijay’s latest: Advani helped RSS infiltrate government, media

Accusing the RSS of frequently launching “media propaganda”, Singh said recent reports of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi being on terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyeba’s hitlist — attributed to Wikileaks revelations — “need to be verified if this is indeed true”.  “RSS has people everywhere. Advani had even planted RSS men in the media when he was information and broadcasting minister,” Singh said

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Digvijay-s-latest-Advani-helped-RSS-infiltrate-government-media/H1-Article1-635231.aspx

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Babri anniversary: over 80 activists arrested

More than 80 Hindu Munnani workers were arrested in Chennai when they attempted to hold a demonstration in Chennai without permission, police said. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/babri-anniversary-over-80-activists-arrested/136628-3.html?from=tn

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Quraan Conference Program Sequence

Quraan Conference Program Sequence
Full Video of the program and report will be posted soon.

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The purpose of this conference is to understand the issues and find ways to remove such fears in an open forum and restore the cohesiveness of our society and work towards building a safe and secure America. 

PROGRAM SEQUENCE

         National Anthem

         Pledge of Allegiance

         Acknowledgements

         How it got started – Jonathan Halsey

         Purpose – to build a cohesive America

         Misrepresented verses in circulation

         Narrow it down to 10 Verses 

         A short prayer

         Methodology of reading the verses

         Non-Muslim Panelists will read & explain a verse each

         Conclusion – 1 minute comment from each  panelist

         Recognition of Recent Awardees

         Refreshments.

IN CO-OPERATION WITH:

     American Clergy Leadership Conference

     Dallas Peace Center – www.DallasPeaceCenter.org

     Unity Church of Dallas - http://www.unitydallas.org/

     Universal Peace Federation – www.upf.org
     Fun Asia, banquet halls, theaters, catering www.Funasia.net

PANELISTS

Pastor George Mason - Wilshire Baptist Church

Rev. Petra Weldes – Center for Spiritual Living
Rev. Michael Jenkins – American Clergy Leadership

Dr. Harbans Lal – Guru Granth Sahib Studies

Pastor Eric Folkerth - United Methodist Church

Hon. Lon Burnam – Texas State Representative

Dr. John Norris – Professor of Theology, UD

Rev. Bill Matthews, Chair, Interfaith Council

Rev. Tony Brigmon, Mormon Church

            Dr. Karen Hollie, Protestant

MUSLIM PANELISTS

Imam Zia Shaikh, Irving Community Center 

Imam Shakoor, Warith Deen Muhammad Masjid

Hamid Sheikh, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community 

Dr. Basheer Ahmed, Muslim Community Center

QURAAN COPIES

CAIR – Council on Islamic Relations

ISNA – Islamic Society of North America 

KEY VOLUNTEERS

Rita Clarke and her team, Dallas Peace Center

Dr. Karen Hollie and her team, Life way Church
Esther Vasquez and her Team, Unification Church
Adil Khan, General Assistance

SERVICES

Aftab Chagani and his Staff – Audio & Video
Kevin Foresman, Video Technician
Syed Rafi, Banners and Signs

GRATITUDE TO:

            Laura Sutherland, Unity Church of Dallas

The program was organized by World Muslim Congress and the Foundation for Pluralism working towards building cohesive societies with dignity and respect to every human on earth.  

Mike Ghouse runs the Foundation for Pluralism championing the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other and has dedicated his life to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress. He is a regular commentator on the TV, Radio and Print media offering pluralistic solutions to the issues of the day. He is a speaker, thinker, writer and a peace activist. Mike's work is reflected at three websites & twenty two Blogs listed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/

Dallas Conference on building an inclusive America

No American has to live in anxieties, discomfort or fear of the other. The purpose of this conference is to understand the issues and find ways to remove such fears in an open forum and restore the cohesiveness of our society and work towards building a safe and secure America.

 

When: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM on Sunday, December 5, 2010
Where: Unity Church, 6525 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX. 75230

PRESS RELEASE | INVITATION

Contact: MikeGhouse@aol.com

You are invited, details below

No American has to live in anxieties, discomfort or fear of the other. The purpose of this conference is to remove such myths in an open forum and restore the cohesiveness of our society and work towards building a safe and secure America. 
Since our independence in 1776, we have been tested time and again by various political, economic and religious forces to divide us, however, at the end we have come out strong as one nation. The Civil War, the Great Depression, the World War, Pearl Harbor, Women’s rights, Abortion, the Vietnam War, Civil Rights, Budget Deficits, Unemployment, 9/11, the Iraq and Afghanistan War have all been difficult, but we will make it through and sanity will prevail.

The controversy over the Muslim Community Center in New York has unraveled the difficulties Catholics, Jews, Mormons, Wicca and others have endured.

We have come a long way to embrace and accept the otherness of other. However, this year has given rise to yet another temptation; to blame Islam, calling it an evil, evil religion and calling its prophet a false prophet. No American has to live in fear of the other, nor live in anxieties or discomfort.

Religion has been “abused” and “misused” to someone’s advantage, as Americans, are we going to let that happen? No, we can pull ourselves together and not fall for the temptations to divide ourselves.

If we make an effort, goodness will come to our rescue.   Mike Ghouse adds, “As members of diverse family of faiths, we seek to demystify the myths, malice and falsification of our respective faiths. It is time for all of us to gather and understand the Qur’aan, the holy book of Muslims, which has been the subject of attack by a few among us. Indeed, a conference is a positive response to negative sermons delivered from a few pulpits of America this year.”

The Conference puts the Quraan in the hands of panelists made up of Pastors, Rabbis, Pundits, Shamans, Clergy, lay persons, elected officers and the public. The uniqueness of the event is highlighted by facing the “terrifying passages” of Quraan.  For the first time in history, the actual verses  from Quraan will be read directly and explained by panelists made up of Pastors, Rabbis, Pundits, Shamans, Clergy, lay persons and elected officials who have a deep interest in bringing Americans together on common grounds.  The Muslim scholars either affirm their reading or share the additional information right from the very Quraan for further understanding.

It is time now to replace the ill-will with goodwill; no American has to live in anxieties, discomfort or fear of the other. The purpose of this conference is to remove such myths in an open forum in the public and restore the cohesiveness of our society and work towards building a safe and secure America. 

When: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM on Sunday, December 5, 2010
Where: Unity Church,

6525 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX

. 75230

Event: Qur’aan Conference in Dallas
Purpose: To demystify the myths about Quraan and Islam
Website: http://www.quraanconference.com/
Inquiries: quraanconference@gmail.com
RSVP: Confirmattendance@gmail.com
Call: Mike Ghouse (214) 325-1916

THE EVENT IS FREE

Thank you.
Mike Ghouse for
A COHESIVE AMERICA,
AMERICANS TOGETHERhttp://www.quraanconference.com/ 

Documentary – listed at www.QuraanConference.com