Embarassing Presidential debate on 11.12.11

EMBARASSING PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE TONITE

Rather than who has plans to bring lasting peace and prosperity to the World, Security to Israel and
Justice to the Palestinians, the candidates will be vying for kissing Israel; who does the most. Who is
bent on destruction and bombing others? Ultimately it amounts to screwing both Israelis and Americans. How long can they dupe the Israeli and Americans?

Has this policy been good to any one so far?

Please join me at facebook as a friend at http://ww.facebook.com/speakermikeghouse when the page opens just click the word "LIKE" next to the words "Speaker Mike Ghouse" and we become friends. This page is created to make friendships with new friends as my curent page has reached the limit of 5000 friends. Thank you.

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A FEW NOTES MADE RIGHT AFTER THE DEBATE

Romney is the tortoise in the equation
Hunstsman is viable, may be the best candidate
Perry will survive for another bout
Perry dared Israel, AIPAC will get him

Paul was sidelined, shame on them
Santorum was good on Iran and that was about it
Bachman should not be there and use up the time
Cain had too generic a conversation that any one can do
Perry resorted to rhetoric.. unti I die words

I am a republican and do not relate with Bachman, Santorum, Perry, Cain, and I forgot, Gingrich too. They beleive in torture, bombing and bullying and seem to be sadistic. That is not a Republican value, but a right wing phenomenon.  

Israel needs genuine security and not the duplicity of these candidates. Their policies have not brought security, and if followed, it will push Israel further deep into isolation and insecurities. to be friends is to find the path and not appeasement that is a pediment. 

I am at this time leaning towards Romney, but would like to see Huntsman there.

Mike Ghouse
Committed to a cohesive America

www.MikeGhouse.net

Sikhs and Muslims need to put behind an old wound on Gurpurab

Courtesy of Huffington Post:Sikhs and Muslims Can Come Together for Guru Nanak's Birthday

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/sikhs-and-muslims-on-542n_b_1087327.html

It’s the 542^nd birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev, founder of Sikhism. Let’s pray this Gurpurab nurture goodwill and remove ill-will between Muslims and Sikhs.

Guru Nanakji’s birthday has a special significance to me, indeed, the religion we called Sikhism, started out as an interfaith movement, where he primarily brought people from different religions together and taught common sense goodness; serving humanity and caring for the neighbors.

I selected this picture, as my Mother's great uncle looked just like him with the same Turban and we called him Sikh Nana. On this auspicious day of Guru Nanak Devji's birthday, on behalf of World Muslim Congress and the foundation for Pluralism, we wish peace and blessing to the world.

Guru Nanak Jayanthi is the birth celebration of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak, and one of the most sacred festivals in Sikhism.

The festivities in the Sikh religion revolve around the anniversaries of the 10 Sikh Gurus. These Gurus were responsible for shaping the beliefs of the Sikhs. Their birthdays, known as Gurpurabs, are occasions for celebration and prayer among the Sikhs.

The Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs is a stories and guidance in poetry composed by Hindu and Muslim spiritual teachers. Indeed, the land for the Golden Temple was a grant by King Akbar and the first brick for the Golden Temple was laid out by a Muslim fakir.

Happy Gurpurab to all the Sikhs and to everyone who is a well-wisher of the ideals of Sikhism….

I hope on this auspicious occasion of Gurpurab, the Muslims and Sikhs make a genuine effort to pay tribute to the spirit of Guru Nanak Devji and remove the misunderstandings that erupted from a wrong translation of Quraan that happened 350 years ago and has rightfully etched in the psyche of Sikhs.

In an article in Huffington post about Kentucky Senator David William’s bigotry I wrote, “No one has a right to belittle other's faiths. If Senator Williams has a problem let it be his problem and one should malign Christianity for his bigotry.” Likewise, King Aurangzeb’s bigotry should not be slapped on Muslims. I have nothing to do with it, nor does any Muslim anything to do with him.

Sadly there was a lot of bloodshed during the partition of India that has deepened the ill-will among a few Muslims and a few Sikhs. It is time to forgive for our own sake, as it will release the tension and apprehension within us and free us to deal with each other as free individuals.

May the Noor (divine light) of Guru Nanankji brighten the world. Amen! Sikhism was one of the first formal religions that began as a reconciliatory goodwill nurturing faith and let’s give the full value to it.

MUSLIMS AND SIKHS NEED TO WORK ON RECONCILING THE ILL-WILL.

I just want to share a great misunderstanding that occurred in the 17^th century and has lasted till this day. I was a speaker on “reading the scriptures” at the Parliament of world’s religions in Melbourne, Australia.

During the conference, one of the Sikh scholars was presenting a verse from Quraan that has been difficult for Sikhs for over three hundred fifty years. When Dr. Avtar Dhaliwal started his presentation with the obviously wrong translation of a verse from Quraan, a fellow Muslim was outraged and walked out and was looking at me for a response. Later, I invited him back into the hall and responded to the mistranslation during my presentation and not during Dr. Dhaliwal’s presentation. That is a whole another story but for now, I will share the email that followed the conversation.

Continued at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/sikhs-and-muslims-on-542n_b_1087327.html

Mike Ghouse is committed to build a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net

Interfaith film in the making and Carrollton interfaith meeting

Wednesday, November 09, 2011.
Monthly Interfaith meeting Sponsored by Horizon Unitarian Universalist Church, Carrollton
Hosted by Rev. Dennis Hamilton & Mike Ghouse

The Cities of Carrollton, Farmers Branch and Coppell have an interfaith group that meets on 2^nd Wednesday of the month, and each month one of the organizations hosts the luncheon and shares about their place of worship and what they do.  I am blessed to a part of this esteemed group for nearly five years.

Rev. Hamilton talked about diversity in language from Genesis and it was amazing how diversity is built into that chapter and indeed, in all holy books.

Interfaith gatherings are viewed with suspicion by less than 1% of people from any group, they rumor that it is for conversion and for some gain. There may be a case or two here and there, but they are  very rare, I am humbled to say that, I am blessed to have been a part of most interfaith gatherings than most people. Like everything else in life, about 1% of of any group tends to be suspicious, arrogant and gripped in phobias, you will find them in every religious denomination, religion, race, ethnicity and other groupings.   Interfaith is no exception, a few have commented on my forums and blogs that interfaith is a scheme to convert people or find out what is going on with the other ; a fodder for gossip.  I don’t know where it is true, but certainly not in the interfaith gatherings in Dallas/ Fort Worth area. The Carrollton group is very sensitive and have developed a great system and humorously we add, no conversion and no one has done that inthe last five years, I have been a part of it.

I have also been a part of a number of groups around the world,  including the Rev. Moon's Unificationist Church, I have never been asked to convert, instead they ask each religious group to express their own belief, as they believe and respectfully listen to the otherness of other. I have spoken in a number of their conventions and world wide gatherings, but never have I had the inkling of conversion.

Richardson has a Faith group that meets on first Sunday of every month; they do have a clear policy; listen to others and share yours. We had two gentlemen that came in and wanted to prove to others that their belief was right, which was ok with ever one, but when they say others are wrong, it messes with the cohesion of the group. In the matters of faith, no one is wrong if the belief works for them let it.  Fortunately, they did not come back, they need more time to cushion and understand that there is another point of view.

On my turn,  I talked about the essence of teaching of all the great teachers; to bring society to functioning again, where people can trust each other and go on about their ways. Religion brings a balance in a society where every one learns to respect other’s space, nourishment and nurturance.  Jesus, Moses, Krishna, Muhammad, Buddha, Nanak and all others were reformers who restored the trust and righteousness for the society to function well with the given differences.

Americans together is a documentary about Americans working towards building that cohesive society. Indeed, it is the vision of all the great teachers including Jesus, Muhammad, Krishna, Moses and others. Our Mission is to build a cohesive America, where no American has to live in anxieties, discomfort or fear of the other. Our founding fathers laid the ground work for such a society, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Martin Luther King Jr. expressed that in his speech, “I have a dream that our little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Chief Seattle, a Native American said this perfectly, “All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the webs, he does it to himself."

The questions we face are;

1. What are you and I doing to preserve that web?
2. What are our initiatives?
3. What are the divisive issues?
4. How would we allay the prevalent phobias and fears?
5. What is your vision for America?

John F Kennedy, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country". We hope to capture your responses in a moving story about America. The occupy movement is a reflection of doing something about it. We need to channel that.

I salute the gentleman from the group, who was kind enough to mention that he did not agree with the idea, most probably about placing all religions on the same footing. I love that spirit. If all of us can disagree with civility and express it, instead of repressing it or agressing it out, life becomes so much better. This is what I mean by accepting the otherness of other, without having to agree and respecting the God given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.  

I shared the incident I had with Pastor Robert Jeffress who probably read the wrong translation of Quraan and said the things he said.  I thought he had backed off, but he repeated the denigration when he introduced Presidential Candidate Rick Perry. 

Here is an abstract from Dallas Morning News
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/columnists/steve-blow/20100919-In-defense-of-Islam-pursuing-9397.ece

Ghouse said he can understand fear and criticism of Islam because he went through a time of similar feelings. As a teen, he was troubled by passages of the Quran. He called himself an atheist for a while.

But he said deeper study led him to realize the Quran had been purposely mistranslated down through history. In the middle Ages, European leaders commissioned a hostile Quran translation to foster warfare against Muslim invaders. Later, Muslim leaders produced another translation to inflame Muslims against Christians and Jews.

"It was all for politics," he said. Ghouse said he hopes to present Jeffress with a modern, faithful translation and challenge him to find evil verses.

"If he can, I will convert. I will join his church," Ghouse said. "If he can't, I will call on him to retract his statements and become a peacemaker."

I was delighted to know that some of our members wanted to know the good translation of Quraan. By far the best available translation is by Muhammad Asad, even in this translation, there are two items that needs to be updated. The one you don't want to see is the one by Hilali Khan fraught with deliberate insertions in the translations to create ill-will between the people, most of the non-Muslims Islamic scholars based their knowledge on that false foundation.  Hilali Khan was a right wing Muslim like the right wingers in all Religions.    

I am looking for ideas and stories where people have done all they can to make America a beautiful nation, the heaven on the earth where no American is apprehensive of the other. We are one nation under God with liberty and justice for all.

 Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net
# # #

TEXAS FAITH: Should Herman Cain's accusers step forward?

Herman Cain and Sharon Bialek

Even though we are a culturally advanced society, we are still not there in feeling, acting and believing that women and men are equal. Women still have to prove that their word is as good as the man's word and the fallacy that they are supposed to endure the harassment rather than mess up things - Mike Ghouse

As you know, Herman Cain faces allegations that he sexually harassed female employees during his time at the National Restaurant Association. The Republican fervently denies the charges, although there are reports that settlements have been made in these cases. Cain's story about those settlements continues to evolve.

As this story unfolds, I would like to hear you talk about the obligation of the women in this episode. It is natural that they would want to avoid a media firestorm. But don't they have a moral obligation to step forward and tell their side of the story, like former NRA employee Sharon Bialek did on Monday?

Twelve of us wrote about it in Dallas Morning News, mine is here under,  for all the twelve takes, please visit: http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/11/as-you-know-herman-cain.html  and share your comment at the link.

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

The women who were alleged to be harassed by presidential candidate Herman Cain do have the moral obligation to tell their side of the story, just as the candidate tells his version. By not telling the story they would be perpetuating the very thing they loathe; sexual harassment.

What does it take for the other women to fulfill their moral obligation? First, a conducive social environment is needed. Second,  a lot of guts on the part of a woman to withstand brutal scrutiny.

Even though we are a culturally advanced society, we are still not there in feeling, acting and believing that women and men are equal. Women still have to prove that their word is as good as the man's word and the fallacy that they are supposed to endure the harassment rather than mess up things.

Here is some of the real elevator conversation on Monday evening in reference to the questions Sharon Bialek was thrown at the press conference. Was she on welfare? Is she trying to make money out of it? Is she looking for a book contract? One of them said that she will give an exclusive interview to one of those competitive (bad words) media outlets; another one declared that she is a gold digger.

As an activist I spoke up, "Ok, how does that wash away the character of Candidate Cain? Except me, all the men were Caucasians and one of them looked at me condescendingly and said, "You don't understand, she is white trash and so was her attorney."

I retorted back, "do you want a president who may be lying to you and me today? No one talked and the elevator opened and we silently walked out."

Sharon Bialek must be admired for gathering the guts to speak up; it takes an inordinate amount of courage given the still primitive social environment we live in. We must hail her for sharing her version of the story. Bialek was clear, "I was not paid to come forward, nor was I promised any employment." Attorney Gloria Allred indeed paved the way for a positive change by labeling sexual harassment of a potential job giver as stimulus package.

As a society, we have come a long way. Sharon Bialek and her attorney have given a boost to women's emancipation. Despite the motivations and accusations, Bialek fulfilled her moral obligation to tell her version of the story. The media was indeed crude. I hope they would remain brutal to the candidates as well to find the truth for us, the people.

We should expect the presidential candidates to be as truthful and honest as one can be, so we can expect that he or she will stick to the same principles and carry on the business of governance with integrity. However, we have had presidents as well as candidates who were not entirely truthful.

The right to elect a candidate comes with the responsibility to scrutinize the candidate. This is where our media plays a crucial role in preserving our system of checks and balances for us, the people.

The responsibility of a society evolves out of necessity to create an environment where the victims don't get further victimized for telling the truth. We still have ways to go to give full meaning to the words, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a write committed to a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. All his work is indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net

Senator Williams' Remarks Offended Hindus

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/senator-williams-offend-hindus_b_1075392.html

It is not only a Hindu issue, it is indeed an American issue. The speaking out shouldn't be just from Hindus, but Christians, Jews, Muslims, Atheists, Pagans, Wiccans, Zoroastrians and others as well. Why should anyone stand up for you, if you are not willing to do the same for others?

As people of faith, we condemn the statement made by Kentucky State Senator David Williams, "Williams charged that the actions of Beshear were tantamount to "idolatry." He stated that as a Christian, he would not participate in Jewish, Muslim or Hindu prayers, and hoped Hindus would open their eyes and "receive Jesus Christ as their personal saviour." Williams made this comment about the ground breaking ceremony of a manufacturing plant in Elizabeth Town in Kentucky that Governor Steve Beshear attended.

As a moderate Republican I am embarrassed that almost all of the bigotry in our nation is flowing out of fellow Republicans. It is time for the good Republicans to speak up and stop this flow and at least lose gracefully in 2012. If the economy turns around a little bit even a useless Democrat will win against a Republican. It is time to wake up and speak out against the bigotry of Williams and all others including the Presidential candidates.

Williams also criticized the Governor for sitting cross-legged with a "dot on his forehead," and described the ceremony as "polytheistic."

I have condemned and talked about similar pronouncements from Pat Robertson, Robert Jeffress and a few Muslims and Jewish clerics for their take on idolatry with a primitive understanding. Idols or icons are representations of God for the Hindus, just as the holy books are God's words for the Jews, Christians, Muslims and others.

No one has a right to belittle other's faiths. If Senator Williams has a problem let it be his problem and one should not malign Christianity for his bigotry. Each faith is dear to the believer and no faith is superior to the other. Faith is about humility and not arrogance. All faiths are designed to bring solace to its followers. Religion is a mechanism that gives hopes and restores one's balance with what surrounds one; people and the environment,.

Indeed, we are one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. We are represented by every race, nationality, ethnicity, language, culture and religion. We see God as one, none and many and in every form; male, female, genderless and non-existent, being and non-being, nameless and with innumerable names. Americans together are committed to preserve this pluralistic heritage of America.

No one should have a problem with other's belief, but it should become our problem when someone denigrates it. We must stand up for each one of the 312 Million Americans.

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer committed to build a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His work is fully indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net

Americans Together, a documentary

What the majority of Americans want is a just society where everyone feels safe, secure and without the fear of other. What exactly do we want? How will we make the change?  How do we convince those cashing in on hate and fear mongering? Can we find a way to make peace lucrative and redirect energy towards creating a cohesive America? 

Our Founding Fathers laid the ground work for such a society, “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Martin Luther King Jr. expressed that in his speech, “ I have a dream that my four little  children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

Chief Seattle, a Native American said this perfectly, “All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the webs, he does it to himself."

The questions we face are;

1. What are we doing to preserve that delicate web?
2. What are our initiatives?
3. What are the issues that divide us?
4. How would we allay the prevalent phobias and fears?
5. What is your vision for America?

John F Kennedy, "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what yourcountry can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." We hope to capture your responses in a moving story about America. The "Occupy Movement" is a reflection of doing something. We need to channel that energy and passion in building a cohesive America.

Americans Together is a documentary about Americans working toward building that cohesive society. Our Mission is to build a cohesive America, where no American has to live with anxiety, discomfort or fear. We will highlight the role of the Muslims in this documentary.

It is time we bring fruition to the change we want, here is the first step in working towards building a cohesive America that is good for every one of the 312 Million Americans. Our focus will be overall prosperity rather than pitting one against the other.

Every American must feel a sense of security, safety and freedom. If we can learn to accept the otherness of others and respect the God given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

"...We are one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all." We are represented by every race, nationality, ethnicity, language, culture and religion. We see God as one, none and many and in every form; male, female, genderless and non-existent, being and non-being, nameless and with innumerable names. America Together Foundation is committed to preserve this pluralistic heritage of America.

Indeed, we are not connected enough with each other for a vast majority of Americans to stand up for each other,  empathize with each other, or even understand the truth about each other that we are no different in our endeavors and aspirations in life.

The Prophets, Messengers of God, Spiritual masters, Wise Men and Women and the Peace Makers believed in peaceful co-existence of humanity and consistently solved differences and encouraging kindness among us all. Their effort was to bring about a positive change and create a cohesive society where no one was to be apprehensive of the other. 

Prophet Muhammad, the peace maker, believed in peaceful co-existence and consistently mitigated conflicts and nurtured goodwill amongst various groups. He wanted to bring about a change and create a cohesive society where no one lived in fear.

We have begun on our plan to interview and present different perspectives representing the full spectrum of America from extreme right to the extreme left and most certainly the moderate majority. We started with the heads of major Muslim organizations and will be reaching out to every representation of America. It’s my commitment to work towards building a unified America.

We hope to document the efforts that go towards building a just America that every one desires and is doing something about it. This documentary, Americans Together,  will be released this year at a conference to be attended by political candidates, elected representatives, religious, civil, business and community leaders.

We are looking for stories;

• where people have stood up for each other, did everything they can towards creating a better America. 
• compelling story to tell,
•  has got to make people think, ponder and want to take an action. 

We are  looking for partners:

• to fund and participate in our conference and documentary,
• find and research stories
• to write script

If you know someone who has a story or who wants to help us, please let us know.

The purpose of “Americans Together” is to remove myths in open discussion forum. In that we will restore the cohesiveness of our society, working towards building a safe and secure America for every one of the 312 Million of us.

We have come a long way to embrace and accept our differences. 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 with  anxiety or discomfort.

Some have been misused and abused in the name of religion. As Americans, are we going to let that happen? No, we can pull ourselves together and not fall for the temptation to divide us.

Goodness will come to our rescue, if we make an effort. 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 each other and purge ourselves from ill-will towards fellow Americans."

Americans Together is an educational and pragmatic initiative to weed out myths from reality, which is hurting the social cohesiveness of America. The myths are vigorously propagated by a few to disrupt the delicate balance in our society by pitting one American against the other for their own perceived gains.

Ever since we declared our independence, 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. Let’s take that first step in bringing a positive change through dialogue.

As a society, it is our individual and collective responsibility to keep law and order and faithfully guard the safety of every citizen. Hate, prejudice and stereotyping are some of the many root causes of disrupting peace in a society. It is our duty to track down the source of such ill-will and work on mitigating it.

Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day, to the media and the public. He is a speaker, thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, politics, Islam, interfaith, India and peace. Over a thousand articles have been published on these topics and two of his books on Pluralism and Islam are poised to be released.

Mike's work is reflected in 4 website's and 27 Blogs indexed atwww.mikeghouse.net,  and you can find all of his current articles atwww.TheGhousediary.com

Let us build a better world together, says Mike Ghouse. Here’s how

It is a delight to read my article reformated by my  friend Susan McKenzie,  making the article more meaningful and powerful. Thanks  you Susan - Mike Ghouse

The website is Abe Today
Link: http://abetoday.com/2011/11/06/let-us-build-a-better-world-together-says-mike-ghouse-here%e2%80%99s-how/

November 6, 2011

by Susan McKenzie

WHAT DOES LIVE AND LET LIVE MEAN?
We need to think about this as our neighbours may be of a different religion and culture. In America, Australia, Asia and Europe – your neighbours could be Hindus, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Atheists, Pagans, Wiccans, Zoroastrians and all manner of others as well.

LET A THOUSAND FLOWERS BLOOM
Why should anyone stand up for you, if you are not willing to do the same for others?

THE PLURALISTIC FACTS OF LIFE
Other people follow different beats in their hearts and even if we find it difficult to understand why they don’t embrace our faith we should respect their way of life.

LEVELS OF ACCEPTANCE
We may not want to take part in the prayers and ceremonies of Jewish, Muslim or Hindu religions if we are Christian, but we should have enough respect in our hearts to realize that devout Jews, Muslims and Hindus could never be expected to become Christians, or embrace all aspects of secular culture.

EXTENDING RESPECT
We should also respect Christians and others who are prepared to attend the prayer sessions of other religions because they believe in pluralism, harmony and as a way of showing respect to others.

ACTION FOR GOOD AND GODLINESS
In fact, these actions confirm our beliefs in the overall goodness of religion. Embracing our fellow man and partaking in his religious ceremonies actually gets us closer to God. Think about it – what would you be doing if you were not doing that? You might be at a ball game (nothing wrong with that) or watching television (nothing wrong with that either), but if you are in a Temple of God, a Mosque of God or a Church of God then you are drawing nearer to God.

DRAW NEARER TO GOD AND GOODNESS
Jesus (PBUH) was a Jew and worshipped in synagogues – if what is good enough for Jesus, it must also be good enough for us. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also worshipped God with non-Muslims. Hinduism may not be about one God but nevertheless we could look upon this religion as encompassing all aspects of God from different perspectives. At the very least it is about holiness and respect and that can only be good.

WHY WE SHOULD BUILD UP OTHER’S FAITHS
Look at your world – do we have enough Godliness in it? The world would be so much better if everyone had a religion and practised it as best they could. We should make it our life purpose to build up Godliness in all and that includes respecting and supporting all religion.

WHAT EACH FAITH IS
Mike Ghouse: Each faith is dear to the believer and no faith is superior to the other either. Faith is about humility. All faiths are designed to bring solace to its followers. Religion is a mechanism that gives hopes and restores one’s balance with what surrounds one; people and the environment.

LET US BUILD A BETTER WORLD BLESSING
B: Building up should be our aim in life. Build up the Godliness within us and then we can help others.
L: Live and let live, because living in a respectful way leads on to building better communities and societies.
E: Embrace Godliness by showing respect to all good and wholesome religions. Every major religion (Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hinduism, Buddhism and more) have good and wholesome values at their core.
S: Show respect and make this a better world.
S: Showing respect will increase the amount of respect in this world, including respect for your beliefs and religion.

Y: You are an ambassador of your religion if you say you have a religion, so do remember to be the best ambassador that you can be.
O: Our world will be so much nicer if we put respect at the forefront of our understanding of the practices by people with other religions. Other people follow different beats in their hearts and even if we can’t understand why they don’t embrace our faith we should respect their way of life. Our heart should be a heart of respect.
U: Understand the interplay of religion and culture and seek to increase the understanding in the world by being the personification of the good aspects of your religion.

BEST BLESSING: Building respect leads on to building understanding and with understanding we may have more respect. Respect and understanding leads to a more harmonious society – a more peaceful society where more people can operate together and flourish. Will you help in this grand scheme of building up society in this way? Encourage everyone to practice their religion by really respecting the practice of religion generally. Godliness and being godly and goodly in our natures is what makes the world a better place.

SOURCE OF THIS POSTING
http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2011/11/bigotry-against-hinduism-in-kentucky.html
Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer committed to build a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His work is fully indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net

Susan McKenzie is an English teacher with over 20 years teaching experience. Susan has worked in the British Council and Linguaphone, well-known language teaching organizations. Susan is a London-trained lawyer, and has also been an editor in an international book publishing house and a national magazine. In her teens, Susan was a Sunday School teacher and in 2006 was appointed as an Ambassador of Peace by the Universal Peace Federation and Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace. Susan is also a co-author of two law books: English Legal System and Company Law, published by Blackstone, Oxford University Press. For enquiries about the IELTS, practical English and pronunciation courses Susan teaches, email susanmckenzie2003@yahoo.co.uk. FOR DAILY BLESSINGS: www.abetoday.com

Commitment is at the core of Eid. Commitment is the bedrock of life

It is a delight to read my article reformated by my friend Susan McKenzie, making the article more meaningful and powerful. Thanks you Susan - Mike Ghouse 

November 6, 2011

by Susan McKenzie

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MAN OF ALL VIRTUES
The Qur’an describes Abraham as “a man who combined within himself all virtues, devoutly obeying God’s will” (An-Nahl (The Bee) 16:120)

SACRED FAITH, LOVE AND DEVOTION
God wanted to test Abraham’s faith, love and devotion and asked of him what everyone in love asks; “If you love me, you would…”

SACRED COMMITMENT
No one wants the beloved to give up his or her life, but wants a simple assurance and commitment in the relationship.

SACRED LOVE
It was Abraham’s main trial to face the command of God to sacrifice his only son. Upon hearing this command, he prepared to submit to God’s will. When he was all prepared to do it, God revealed to him that his “sacrifice” had already been fulfilled. He had shown that his love for his Lord superseded all others that he would lay down his own life or the lives of those dear to him in order to submit to God.

SACRED SACRIFICE
Thus the tradition of symbolic sacrifice began. During the celebration of Eid-al-Adha, Muslims commemorate and remember Abraham’s trials by sacrificing an animal such as a sheep, camel, or a goat.

SIGN UP TO RESPECT
Mike Ghouse says that submitting to God simply means subscribing to the idea of a cohesive environment where each human being is respected for his or her place, nourishment and nurturance.

WE ARE ALL CONNECTED
Mike Ghouse wants to emphasize that we are all connected. He quotes a Native American, Chief Seattle who said: “All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does it to himself.”

ONE WORLD, ONE WEB
The idea of one web encompasses the idea of the world as one family and the oneness that we really are as humanity.

WHAT EID REALLY IS
Mike Ghouse: God does not need one to sacrifice; it has nothing to do with atoning sins or using the blood to wash ourselves from sin.

WILLING TO SHARE
The act symbolizes our willingness to give up some of our own bounties in order to strengthen and preserve the web and help those who are in need. We recognize that all blessings come from God, and we should open our hearts and share with others. The meat from the sacrifice of Eid-al-Adha is given away in three ways; self, relatives and the poor. It is a symbolic act of sharing with people who are malnourished and don’t get to eat the meat as we do.

SHARING SHINE
The attitude – a willingness to make sacrifices in our lives in order to stay on the right path (subscribing to the oneness of humanity and oneness of creator the God). The creator would be pleased when his creation is nurtured, cared for and sustained. Indeed, to be religious is to be a peacemaker, one who seeks to mitigate conflicts and nurtures goodwill for peaceful co-existence.

BLESSINGS TO YOU – HAPPY EID
Happy Eid
Eid Mubarak
Eid-al-Adha Mubarak

ONENESS BLESSING
B: Blessings to you on this Eid.
L: Love and commitment are at the heart of Eid. Let love reign in your heart and show it in your commitment to God and man.
E: Eid is about the deepest of devoted love, sharing, caring and helping fellow humans. Every moment of our lives we have the opportunity to express love, care and concern.
S: Show your love and commitment through sharing with others, family, friends, and those in need, which is the true essence of Eid and of religion.
S: Sacred and holy is simple love, simple sharing and caring.
S: Sign up to respect: respect for God and for fellow man. Sign up and subscribe to the idea of a cohesive environment where each human being is respected, nourished and nurtured.

Y: You are connected to me and I am connected to you because there is a web of life at work, so don’t rock the boat, keep an even keel as much as you can.
O: One world, One family, One God, One web, so let us be One as much as possible and respect the other.
U: Use what you have to benefit the world and a miracle of good will unfold.

BEST BLESSING: May we all live in such a way that we strengthen and preserve the web of life, the interconnected web that we all inhabit. Blessings come ultimately from God and we should open our hearts and share what we have with others.

CREDIT: This article was first published by Mike Ghouse at http://www.worldmuslimcongress.com/n.php?nid=5168&fb_source=message

About the author
Susan McKenzie is an English teacher with over 20 years teaching experience. Susan has worked in the British Council and Linguaphone, well-known language teaching organizations. Susan is a London-trained lawyer, and has also been an editor in an international book publishing house and a national magazine. In her teens, Susan was a Sunday School teacher and in 2006 was appointed as an Ambassador of Peace by the Universal Peace Federation and Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace. Susan is also a co-author of two law books: English Legal System and Company Law, published by Blackstone, Oxford University Press. For enquiries about the IELTS, practical English and pronunciation courses Susan teaches, email susanmckenzie2003@yahoo.co.uk. FOR DAILY BLESSINGS: www.abetoday.com

Muslim Cleric Declares All Christians 'Infidels' -

Grand Mufti of Al-Azhar University, Ali Gomaa

It is quite possible, the Grand Mufti of Al-Azhar university Ali Gomaa did not say anything like the alleged words listed below. These guys at Middle East Forum may have cooked it up. They have done it before and that is their business. I recall two blatant mis-translations they chose not to correct. Their audience is the rich guys who write big checks and facts don't matter to them.

****** I have received clarification from the Mufti, his words were twisted by MEMRI to suit their fund raising needs by falsifying the truth.. I will add the response asap - Mike Ghouse

Here is another point of view to explore.
On the other hand, if Mufti Gomaa is calling the Christians (or any one) infidels he is wrong. Indeed, the word Kafir is not the problems as long as it means denier of my version of truth; otherwise it is used as a denigrative word. There is a great example set by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) when the other side did not accept his signature as Muhammad, the messenger of God on the peace treaty, as they did not believe he was a prophet. What did the Prophet do? He understood their point of view and changed the name to Muhammad son of Abdullah for the sake of peace and for the sake of creating a model, where we learn to accept the otherness of other.

Quraan reccomends one to tell the truth, but it does not permit one to condemn other faiths. It amounts to inviting others to denigrate you. It is clear in Sura Kafirun, to you is your faith and to me is my faith without putting each others faith down. Each one of the six verses teaches one to treat the other with respect. (http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2008/07/sura-kafirun-un-believers.html)

The word Islam is derived from the word peace which is beautifully explained in the parenthesis of 5:16 below by Asad. As Muslims, we claim Islam means peace… obviously it is not to Sheikh Gomaa bent on making declarations that have unintended consequences to destroy peace between the communities.

2:62 (Asad) VERILY, those who have attained to faith [in this divine writ], as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians, and the Sabians [49] -all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds-shall have their reward with their Sustainer; and no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve. [50]

5:69 (Asad) for, verily, those who have attained to faith [in this divine writ], as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Sabians, [86] and the Christians - all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds - no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve.

There are bad dudes in every religion. Falwell, Robertson, Jeffress and others in Christianity make other Christians cringe; a few Rabbis do the same and the Right wingers among Hindus are no saner. The sad part is they all have a following.

Most things from Middle East Forum and David Horowitz are driven by money; they have to paint Islam as a villain to earn their bucks. They have deliberately misrepresented the translation or perhaps used one of the two wrong translations to make their buck. The translation in the article for 5:16 is blatantly anti-Christian, whereas, it is not the case in actual Quraan translation I have quoted below.

5:16 (Asad) through which God shows unto all that seek His goodly acceptance the paths leading to salvation ^[29] and, by His grace, brings them out of the depths of darkness into the light and guides them onto a straight way. [(The word salaam, here rendered as' "salvation", has no proper equivalent in the English language. It denotes inner peace, soundness and security from evil of any kind, both physical and spiritual, and the achievement of what, in Christian terminology, is described as "salvation": with the difference, however, that the Christian concept of salvation presupposes the existence of an a-priori state of sinfulness, which is justified in Christianity by the doctrine of "original sin", but is not justified in Islam, which does not subscribe to this doctrine. Consequently, the term "salvation" - which I am using here for want of a better word- does not adequately convey the full meaning of salaam. Its nearest equivalents in Western languages would be the German Heil or the French salut, both of which express the idea of spiritual peace and fulfillment without being necessarily (i.e., linguistically) connected with the Christian doctrine of salvation.(Quran Ref: 5:16 )]

5:17 (Asad) Indeed, the truth deny they who say, "Behold, God is the Christ, son of Mary." Say: "And who could have prevailed with God in any way had it been His will to destroy the Christ, son of Mary, and his mother, and everyone who is on earth-all of them? For, God's is the dominion over the heavens and the earth and all that is between them; He creates what He wills: and God has the power to will anything!"

5:18 (Asad) And [both] the Jews and the Christians say, "We are God's children, ^[30] and His beloved ones." Say: "Why, then, does He cause you to suffer for your sins? Nay, you are but human beings of His creating. He forgives whom He wills, and He causes to suffer whom He wills: for God's is the dominion over the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, and with Him is all journeys' end." [Cf. Exodus iv, 22-23 ("Israel is My son"), Jeremiah xxxi, 9 ("I am a father to Israel"), and the many parallel expressions in the Gospels.(Quran Ref: 5:18 )]

As a Muslim I condemn the efforts of Mr. Gomaa in creating chaos and conflicts, principally wrong approach to building societies where peace prevails

Mike Ghouse
Committed to cohesive societies
www.MikeGhouse.net
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Top Muslim Declares All Christians 'Infidels'

by Raymond Ibrahim
http://www.meforum.org/3085/muslim-declares-christians-infidels

To what extent was Egypt's Maspero massacre, wherein the military literally mowed down Christian Copts protesting the ongoing destruction of their churches, a product of anti-Christian sentiment?

A video of Egypt's Grand Mufti, Sheikh Ali Gomaa (or Gom'a), which began circulating weeks before the massacre, helps elucidate. While holding that Muslims may coexist with Christians (who, as dhimmis, have rights), Gomaa categorized Christians as kuffar — "infidels" — a word that connotes "enemies," "evil-doers," and every bad thing to Muslim ears.

After quoting Quran 5:17, "Infidels are those who declare God is the Christ, [Jesus] son of Mary," he expounded by saying any association between a human and God (in Arabic, shirk) is the greatest sin: "Whoever thinks the Christ is God, or the Son of God, not symbolically — for we are all sons of God — but attributively, has rejected the faith which God requires for salvation," thereby becoming an infidel.

Gomaa then offered a hypothetical dialogue between Christians and Muslims to illustrate Islam's proper position:

Christians: You have the wrong idea about us; we don't worship the Christ.

Muslims: Okay, fine; we were under the wrong impression — but, by the way: "Infidels are those who declare God is the Christ, son of Mary."

Christians: But these are philosophical matters that we are unable to explain.

Muslims: Okay, fine; God is one—but, by the way: "Infidels are those who declare God is the Christ, son of Mary."

As a graduate of and long-time professor at Al Azhar university and Grand Mufti of Egypt (a position second in authority only to Sheikh Al Azhar), Ali Gomaa represents mainstream Islam's — not "radical Islam's" or "Islamism's" — position concerning the "other," in this case, Christians. Regardless, many in the West hail him as a "moderate" — such as this U.S. News article titled "Finding the Voices of Moderate Islam"; Lawrence Wright describes him as "a highly promoted champion of moderate Islam":

He is the kind of cleric the West longs for, because of his assurances that there is no conflict with democratic rule and no need for theocracy. Gomaa has also become an advocate for Muslim women, who he says should have equal standing with men.

How does one reconcile such sunny characterizations with reality? The fact is, whenever top Muslim authorities like Gomaa say something that can be made to conform to Western ideals, Westerners jump on it (while of course ignoring their more "extreme" positions). It is the same with Gomaa's alma mater, Al Azhar, the "chief center of Islamic and Arabic learning in the world."

MEMRI, for instance, recently published a report titled "The Sheikh of Al Azhar in an Exceptionally Tolerant Article: Christianity, Judaism Share Basic Tenets of Islam." Of course, the day after this report appeared, this same sheikh — Islam's most authoritative figure — insisted that the American ambassador wear a hijab when meeting him: just as Muslim "radicals" compel Christian girls to wear the hijab, "moderate" Al Azhar compels U.S. diplomats.

In short, yes, many religions "share basic tenets," but they are secondary to the differences, which are more final and define the relationship. Or, to put it in Ali Gomaa's paradigm: Fine, Christianity and Islam have commonalities — but, by the way: "Infidels are those who declare God is the Christ, son of Mary."

The fact is, this Quranic verse is as much a cornerstone of Islam's view of Christianity as the unity of God and Christ is a cornerstone of Christianity, articulated some 1700 years ago in the Nicene Creed. The issue is clear cut for all involved.

Accordingly, how can one fault Gomaa? As Grand Mufti, he is simply being true to Islam's teachings. Indeed, his consistency is more commendable than the equivocations of Western ecumencalists who, by falling over themselves to assure Muslims that they all essentially believe in the same things, demonstrate, especially to Muslims, that they believe in nothing.

Incidentally, if Gomaa upholds the plain teachings of the Quran concerning who is an infidel, is it not fair to assume he also upholds the Quran's teachings on how to confront them, as commanded in Quran 9: 29: "Fight … the People of the Book [Jews and Christians] until they pay the Jizya [tribute] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued." Of course, prudent Muslims, undoubtedly like Gomaa himself, know that now is not the time to talk openly about such things.

Either way, here is another reminder of how Quranic verses and terms that Western people brush aside as arcane or irrelevant have a tremendous impact on current events — such as Egypt's Maspero massacre: For the same word Gomaa, the nation's Grand Mufti, used to describe Christians is the same word Muslim soldiers used when they opened fire on and ran over Christian Copts; the same word twenty Muslim soldiers used as they tortured a protesting Christian; and the same word Muslims hurled at Christians during the funeral procession for their loved ones slain at Maspero: Infidel.

Raymond Ibrahim, author of The Al Qaeda Reader, is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

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