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/
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Monday, May 19, 2014
Narendra Modi's speech on good governance, a very good speech
Narendra Modi - I have spent 5 hours this morning in understanding Mr. Modi. http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2014/05/narendra-modi-spent-4-hours-in.html
CAVEAT EMPTOR: Please read the note at the bottom
CAVEAT EMPTOR: Please read the note at the bottom
This morning I have listened
to two videos of Narendra Modi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK9vMM9bHWE
This is one of the best speeches on good governance and a developmental economic model. Some may say that someone else may have written it, that is fine, but he has owned it by delivering it so eloquently and I hope he means every word of it.
He says, “Good governance starts from good intention, and it survives on lasting institution and reaches across national boundaries and even beyond. Quality of life, business environment and economic growth depend on effective governance”... and the humorous part, “lack of good governance is like diabetes….”
I am looking to write about participative democracy and representative democracy, and he has addressed that well. We have a problem with number of contestants from a constituency and the representations - though Modi has a landslide victory, he has only 31% of the popular vote.
One of my write ups articulates his other interview with NDTV at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/indias-modi-on-his-best-behavior-can-we-trust-him_b_5280892.html#es_share_ended
Zee Media’s exclusive - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQP5qbnnsS8&t=23m29s
Modi has responded well, but has dodged many questions, and the interviewers did not press him either.
REGRETS
I have seen interviews by Karan Thapar, NY Times reporter and the Zee TV – all of them asked the same question – in fact they made it easy for him. “Do you regret what happened in 2002?” or, “Do you at least feel, you could have prevented it”… That is the most difficult part for any human to understand, why Mr. Modi is not facing it? Why does he run away from it? He has the guts, but that guts should make him humble not arrogant. It is the same question I have for George Bush – does he regret murdering nearly a million people with his deliberate decision? How do they live with that is beyond me, all I can see is they do not have guts to face it.
The Trusteeship he
talks about around the 7th minute, referencing Gandhi is also the Islamic
concept of governance - but how many Muslim majority governments are following
it? And again there is a good talk at the 32nd minute – about one’s
intention – that sounds word for word from a Friday Muslim sermon. There is a
gap between the talk and act that needs to be bridged. I hope Modi means
what he says and pray for his success, if he succeeds India succeeds.
Summary of my write ups in 2014 at:
http://mikeghouse.net/Articles/Narendra-Modi-India.asp
CAVEAT EMPTOR: I have been critical of Mr. Modi ever since Gujarat Massacre took place in 2002, and have been an activist and written extensively about the policies to govern. I have consistently sought justice for the victims of Gujarat and restoration of their livelihood and recommended on building desegregated societies for the ultimate good of India, but rarely have I sought the pound of flesh. In the last two weeks, however, I have written optimistic notes about Mr. Modi, based on his interviews and his speeches. In the coming 100 days, IF I see his actions match his good words, and he does some praischit as a part of the raj dharma, I will admire that human quality in him, and would believe that he has the potential to be become one of the visionaries of India like Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru who was instrumental in building a stable democracy, that his daughter could not undo. Because of my write ups, I continue to lose a few my friends and that is ok, I don't need friends like that. We have to learn to live with our differences, and my commitment remains building cohesive pluralistic societies and I like the new found inclusive language of Modi.
Mike Ghouse,
Center for Pluralism
www.Foundationforpluralism.com
www.MikeGhouse.net
Respecting the otherness of others.
Studies in Social, religious, cultural and political pluralism
Friday, May 16, 2014
U.S. policy on India, and Modi, needs to change
URL - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2014/05/us-policy-on-india-and-modi-needs-to.html
We are a Democracy and each one of us has the freedom to express our differences without fear, but yet we have to work together in nation building and the common good of every member of the society.
Whatever is needed to be done should have been done at the ballot, the majority, indeed, the overwhelming majority has chosen to trust the words of Mr. Modi and together, we have to go forward.
Justice should be the foundation of every society and no one should be above the law, and the law is clear: One is innocent until proven guilty. Mr. Modi in his interview with NDTV has challenged the civil society to hang him, if he is found guilty, until he is found guilty, we need to value our systems, justice is the only thing the society stands on.
I have been critical of Mr. Modi from the very beginning and that has not changed, but I was never for the pound of flesh, instead I was for restoring the lives of those who lost their homes, livelihood and the loved ones, and to build a cohesive India where no Indian had to live in fear of the other. In each one of the pieces I have written, the theme was consistent; Justice and inclusion. My last OpEd at Huffington post repeats the appeal - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/indias-modi-on-his-best-behavior-can-we-trust-him_b_5280892.html
I agree with Fareed Zakaria on many items he has listed, I do hope, President Obama puts his differences aside, and values the verdict of the people of India, it is not a simple majority, it is a huge majority. Let's give Modi a chance and trust our democracy and support him in his plans - as he has articulated it in his interview time and again.
Mike Ghouse
http://MikeGhouseforIndia.blogspot.com
www.MikeGhouse.net
Fareed Zakaria's piece at Washington Post
# # #
We are a Democracy and each one of us has the freedom to express our differences without fear, but yet we have to work together in nation building and the common good of every member of the society.
Whatever is needed to be done should have been done at the ballot, the majority, indeed, the overwhelming majority has chosen to trust the words of Mr. Modi and together, we have to go forward.
Justice should be the foundation of every society and no one should be above the law, and the law is clear: One is innocent until proven guilty. Mr. Modi in his interview with NDTV has challenged the civil society to hang him, if he is found guilty, until he is found guilty, we need to value our systems, justice is the only thing the society stands on.
I have been critical of Mr. Modi from the very beginning and that has not changed, but I was never for the pound of flesh, instead I was for restoring the lives of those who lost their homes, livelihood and the loved ones, and to build a cohesive India where no Indian had to live in fear of the other. In each one of the pieces I have written, the theme was consistent; Justice and inclusion. My last OpEd at Huffington post repeats the appeal - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/indias-modi-on-his-best-behavior-can-we-trust-him_b_5280892.html
I agree with Fareed Zakaria on many items he has listed, I do hope, President Obama puts his differences aside, and values the verdict of the people of India, it is not a simple majority, it is a huge majority. Let's give Modi a chance and trust our democracy and support him in his plans - as he has articulated it in his interview time and again.
Mike Ghouse
http://MikeGhouseforIndia.blogspot.com
www.MikeGhouse.net
Fareed Zakaria's piece at Washington Post
# # #
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
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
# # #
...............................................................................................................................
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.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
The Pakistani American Doctor's Organization Is a Model of Pluralism and Is Worthy of Emulating
EXEMPLARY PAKISTANI-AMERICAN ORGANIZATION
They had every reason to celebrate, what was a normal thing for them was an extraordinary thing to an outsider; the group demonstrated a working model of a cohesive organization that functions effectively with its given diversity.
They had every reason to celebrate, what was a normal thing for them was an extraordinary thing to an outsider; the group demonstrated a working model of a cohesive organization that functions effectively with its given diversity.
APPKI is a blessed organization with a blessed membership; it was great to see Dr. Vasdev Lohano as President of the organization, a Hindu, representing less than 2 percent of the membership, but yet, the Muslim majority elected him as its president. Indeed, when President Obama was elected as President on November 4, 2008, the whole world cried with joy, including me, to see an America where all of God's children (creation) are valued for who they are and what they can do.
Continued:
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Muslims have to take the responsibility to fix Boko Haram and other extremist groups
We cannot push or bush the extremists to dig in their heels and stick to their positions. Dialogue opens up opportunities with least damage and least cost. I have been thinking of taking a Muslim delegation to Nigeria. Mr. Abubakar Shekau of Boko Haram and his likes need to be included in a conversation and asked to explain the sources of his claims. Neither Quran nor Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) support his actions. He is holding innocent girls against their will.
URL - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2014/05/muslims-have-to-take-responsibility-to.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13,
2014 - DALLAS -- Finding the truth is our own responsibility, as
it brings relief to each one of us and removes fears and prejudices towards the
others. Indeed, that is the unwritten purpose of religion; to create societies
where no one had to live in fear of the other. Isn’t that the bottom line of
God’s will? As a society we have faltered in blaming the religion for the acts
of individuals.
A majority of people of faith shrink from the responsibility of speaking up, and instead flame the blame and mess up societal harmony even further. Here are two extreme examples of the brutes in a civilized society like ours and “developing societies like Nigeria” in this case.
In 2009, the words of Pastor Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church of Dallas generated fear, anxieties hate and ill-will, it was him and not the reflection of his Church, even if the congregation sheepishly clapped and gave a standing ovation in the Church when the pastor said, “Islam is an evil evil religion and Quraan is a book written by a false prophet” with full passion. The religious clergy of different faiths in Dallas did the right thing, they spoke up and together we held a conference on Quran led by Mike Mohamed Ghouse of the World Muslim Congress, the story in video and print is captured at www.QuraanConference.com in its entirety.
Going to the “lower end of the civility” (per bigots) in Nigeria , Abubakar Shekau the Chief of Boko Haram shamelessly said that, “God instructed me to sell them (the 276 girls), they are his properties and I will carry out his instructions.”
The Muslims around the world have avoided their responsibility in asking Mr. Shekau to have a conversation and acknowledge what God says in multiple verses in Quran including 4:19 (Asad translation)
Muslims rightfully claim that Prophet Muhammad was a mercy to the mankind, and he was the first law giver who liberated women from the clutches of men’s oppression, and declared that men and women are each other’s protectors, and a woman has a right to decide who she marries (1400 years ago, whereas she was considered a chattel in the west until a hundred years ago), and has the right to divorce and own her own property separately. Mr. Shekau is going against the prophet, and it needs to be called out.
The first word revealed to the Prophet was “Learn” and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had famously said, “Learn, even if you have to go to China to learn, do it, learning is important, “he further beefed it up by adding that a woman’s education is a must, as she must willingly sign the marriage or a business contract and that obviously required education. Mr. Shekau on the other hand believes education for girls is evil.
Pluralism is the way forward; that is respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God given uniqueness. Freedom of consciene and speech are the golden rules of civil societies, and Islam emphasizes that there is no compulsion in religion.
The more we push them, we essentially tell them to dig in. Dialogue opens up opportunities with least damage and least cost. On our part in the west, we have failed to communicate to the world that our education system is designed to deliver good for the society at large. It is necessary for us to learn and share about each other in a world of increasing conflicts to mitigate and to nurture goodwill. We had a successful event in Florida when Pastor Jones wanted to burn 3000 copies of Quran, full report at www.WorldMuslimCongress.com
Poor Religion has been an easy target of blame for the evils men do, as if it is a tangible being that can be beat up, butchered, buried and put to rest. Blaming religions does not do any good, its like barking at the wrong tree, but getting to the individuals and having a conversation with them increased the chances of building cohesive societies.
A majority of people of faith shrink from the responsibility of speaking up, and instead flame the blame and mess up societal harmony even further. Here are two extreme examples of the brutes in a civilized society like ours and “developing societies like Nigeria” in this case.
In 2009, the words of Pastor Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church of Dallas generated fear, anxieties hate and ill-will, it was him and not the reflection of his Church, even if the congregation sheepishly clapped and gave a standing ovation in the Church when the pastor said, “Islam is an evil evil religion and Quraan is a book written by a false prophet” with full passion. The religious clergy of different faiths in Dallas did the right thing, they spoke up and together we held a conference on Quran led by Mike Mohamed Ghouse of the World Muslim Congress, the story in video and print is captured at www.QuraanConference.com in its entirety.
Going to the “lower end of the civility” (per bigots) in Nigeria , Abubakar Shekau the Chief of Boko Haram shamelessly said that, “God instructed me to sell them (the 276 girls), they are his properties and I will carry out his instructions.”
The Muslims around the world have avoided their responsibility in asking Mr. Shekau to have a conversation and acknowledge what God says in multiple verses in Quran including 4:19 (Asad translation)
Muslims rightfully claim that Prophet Muhammad was a mercy to the mankind, and he was the first law giver who liberated women from the clutches of men’s oppression, and declared that men and women are each other’s protectors, and a woman has a right to decide who she marries (1400 years ago, whereas she was considered a chattel in the west until a hundred years ago), and has the right to divorce and own her own property separately. Mr. Shekau is going against the prophet, and it needs to be called out.
The first word revealed to the Prophet was “Learn” and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had famously said, “Learn, even if you have to go to China to learn, do it, learning is important, “he further beefed it up by adding that a woman’s education is a must, as she must willingly sign the marriage or a business contract and that obviously required education. Mr. Shekau on the other hand believes education for girls is evil.
Pluralism is the way forward; that is respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God given uniqueness. Freedom of consciene and speech are the golden rules of civil societies, and Islam emphasizes that there is no compulsion in religion.
The more we push them, we essentially tell them to dig in. Dialogue opens up opportunities with least damage and least cost. On our part in the west, we have failed to communicate to the world that our education system is designed to deliver good for the society at large. It is necessary for us to learn and share about each other in a world of increasing conflicts to mitigate and to nurture goodwill. We had a successful event in Florida when Pastor Jones wanted to burn 3000 copies of Quran, full report at www.WorldMuslimCongress.com
Poor Religion has been an easy target of blame for the evils men do, as if it is a tangible being that can be beat up, butchered, buried and put to rest. Blaming religions does not do any good, its like barking at the wrong tree, but getting to the individuals and having a conversation with them increased the chances of building cohesive societies.
Media Contact
Mike Mohamed Ghousea
(214) 325-1916
MikeGhouse@aol.com
Mike Mohamed Ghousea
(214) 325-1916
MikeGhouse@aol.com
...............................................................................................................................
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.
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.
Texas Faith: Boko Haram, false prophets and phony messiahs
The Muslims around the world have avoided their responsibility in asking
Mr. Shekau to have a conversation and acknowledge what God says in
multiple verses in Quran including 4:19 (Asad translation), “O YOU who
have attained to faith! It is not lawful for you to [try to] become
heirs to your wives [by holding onto them] against their will; and
neither shall you keep them under constraint with a view to taking away
anything of what you may have given them, unless it be that they have
become guilty, in an obvious man¬ner, of immoral conduct. …” These are
innocent girls this man is holding against their will.
URL - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2014/05/texas-faith-boko-haram-false-prophets.html
Mike Ghouse
Texas Faith: Boko Haram, false prophets and phony messiahs
By Rudolph Bush | rbush@dallasnews.com | 10:45 am on May 13, 2014 | Permalink
In Nigeria, a nation awaits the fate of 276 girls kidnapped by the terrorist group Boko Haram. Like so many groups before it, this one is led by a man who claims direct contact with God. History is filled with false prophets and phony messiahs. Faith is twisted to justify the most horrible acts. What can believers in all parts of the world do to resist and challenge such people? And in our own part of the world, how do we separate the subtler difference between those who use faith for their own ends and those who are truly trying to bring us closer to God?
Mike Ghouse, President, Foundation for Pluralism and speaker on interfaith matters, Dallas
Poor Religion has been an easy target of blame for the evils men do, as if it is a tangible being that can be beat up, butchered, buried and put to rest. Myths are manufactured about “other religions” without any substantiation; it is an old business of maligning others to have a variety of gains, but messing up the long term cohesiveness of the societies, thus each one of us.
Finding the truth is our own responsibility, as it brings relief to each one of us, and removes fears and prejudices towards the others. Indeed, that was the unwritten purpose of religion; to create societies where no one had to live in fear of the other. Isn’t that the bottom line of God’s will? As a society we have faltered in blaming the religion for the acts of individuals.
Does blaming a religion mitigate the conflicts or aggravate them? Do we separate the subtler difference between those who use faith for their own ends, and those who are trying to do the right thing?
A majority of people of faith shrink from the responsibility of speaking up, and instead flame the blame and mess up societal harmony even further. I will share two extreme examples of the brutes in a civilized society like ours and “developing societies like Nigeria” in this case.
In 2009, the words of Pastor Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church of Dallas generated fear, anxieties hate and ill-will, it was him and not the reflection of his Church, even if the congregation sheepishly clapped and gave a standing ovation in the Church when the pastor said, “Islam is an evil evil religion and Quraan is a book written by a false prophet” with full passion. The religious clergy of different faiths in Dallas did the right thing, they spoke up and together we held a conference on Quran led by this panelist of Dallas Morning News, the story in video and print is captured at www.QuraanConference.com in its entirety.
Going to the “lower end of the civility” (per bigots) in Nigeria , Abubakar Shekau the Chief of Boko Haram shamelessly said that, “God instructed me to sell them (the 276 girls), they are his properties and I will carry out his instructions.” Like Pastor Jeffress he has duped his congregation and the world to believe that it is his religion that made him do or say the the wrongs.
The Muslims around the world have avoided their responsibility in asking Mr. Shekau to have a conversation and acknowledge what God says in multiple verses in Quran including 4:19 (Asad translation), “O YOU who have attained to faith! It is not lawful for you to [try to] become heirs to your wives [by holding onto them] against their will; and neither shall you keep them under constraint with a view to taking away anything of what you may have given them, unless it be that they have become guilty, in an obvious man¬ner, of immoral conduct. …” These are innocent girls this man is holding against their will.
Muslims rightfully claim that Prophet Muhammad was a mercy to the mankind, and he was the first law giver who liberated women from the clutches of men’s oppression, and declared that men and women are each other’s protectors, and a woman has a right to decide who she marries (1400 years ago, whereas she was considered a chattel in the west until a hundred years ago), and has the right to divorce and own her own property separately. Mr. Shekau is going against the prophet, and it needs to be called out.
The first word revealed to the Prophet was “Learn” and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had famously said, “Learn, even if you have to go to China to learn, do it, learning is important, “he further beefed it up by adding that a woman’s education is a must, as she must willingly sign the marriage or a business contract and that obviously required education. Mr. Shekau on the other hand believes education for girls is evil.
The more we push them, we essentially tell them to dig in. Dialogue opens up opportunities with least damage and least cost. On our part in the west, we have failed to communicate to the world that our education system is designed to deliver good for the society at large. It is necessary for us to learn and share about each other in a world of increasing conflicts to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill. Pluralism is the way forward; that is respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God given uniqueness.
To read the other panelists point of view, please go to Dallas Morning News at: http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/05/texas-faith-boko-haram-false-prophets-and-phony-messiahs.html/#more-39000
...............................................................................................................................
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.
URL - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2014/05/texas-faith-boko-haram-false-prophets.html
Mike Ghouse
Texas Faith: Boko Haram, false prophets and phony messiahs
By Rudolph Bush | rbush@dallasnews.com | 10:45 am on May 13, 2014 | Permalink
Girls abducted from the northeastern town of Chibok, Nigeria (AP Photo)
In Nigeria, a nation awaits the fate of 276 girls kidnapped by the terrorist group Boko Haram. Like so many groups before it, this one is led by a man who claims direct contact with God. History is filled with false prophets and phony messiahs. Faith is twisted to justify the most horrible acts. What can believers in all parts of the world do to resist and challenge such people? And in our own part of the world, how do we separate the subtler difference between those who use faith for their own ends and those who are truly trying to bring us closer to God?
Mike Ghouse, President, Foundation for Pluralism and speaker on interfaith matters, Dallas
Poor Religion has been an easy target of blame for the evils men do, as if it is a tangible being that can be beat up, butchered, buried and put to rest. Myths are manufactured about “other religions” without any substantiation; it is an old business of maligning others to have a variety of gains, but messing up the long term cohesiveness of the societies, thus each one of us.
Finding the truth is our own responsibility, as it brings relief to each one of us, and removes fears and prejudices towards the others. Indeed, that was the unwritten purpose of religion; to create societies where no one had to live in fear of the other. Isn’t that the bottom line of God’s will? As a society we have faltered in blaming the religion for the acts of individuals.
Does blaming a religion mitigate the conflicts or aggravate them? Do we separate the subtler difference between those who use faith for their own ends, and those who are trying to do the right thing?
A majority of people of faith shrink from the responsibility of speaking up, and instead flame the blame and mess up societal harmony even further. I will share two extreme examples of the brutes in a civilized society like ours and “developing societies like Nigeria” in this case.
In 2009, the words of Pastor Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church of Dallas generated fear, anxieties hate and ill-will, it was him and not the reflection of his Church, even if the congregation sheepishly clapped and gave a standing ovation in the Church when the pastor said, “Islam is an evil evil religion and Quraan is a book written by a false prophet” with full passion. The religious clergy of different faiths in Dallas did the right thing, they spoke up and together we held a conference on Quran led by this panelist of Dallas Morning News, the story in video and print is captured at www.QuraanConference.com in its entirety.
Going to the “lower end of the civility” (per bigots) in Nigeria , Abubakar Shekau the Chief of Boko Haram shamelessly said that, “God instructed me to sell them (the 276 girls), they are his properties and I will carry out his instructions.” Like Pastor Jeffress he has duped his congregation and the world to believe that it is his religion that made him do or say the the wrongs.
The Muslims around the world have avoided their responsibility in asking Mr. Shekau to have a conversation and acknowledge what God says in multiple verses in Quran including 4:19 (Asad translation), “O YOU who have attained to faith! It is not lawful for you to [try to] become heirs to your wives [by holding onto them] against their will; and neither shall you keep them under constraint with a view to taking away anything of what you may have given them, unless it be that they have become guilty, in an obvious man¬ner, of immoral conduct. …” These are innocent girls this man is holding against their will.
Muslims rightfully claim that Prophet Muhammad was a mercy to the mankind, and he was the first law giver who liberated women from the clutches of men’s oppression, and declared that men and women are each other’s protectors, and a woman has a right to decide who she marries (1400 years ago, whereas she was considered a chattel in the west until a hundred years ago), and has the right to divorce and own her own property separately. Mr. Shekau is going against the prophet, and it needs to be called out.
The first word revealed to the Prophet was “Learn” and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had famously said, “Learn, even if you have to go to China to learn, do it, learning is important, “he further beefed it up by adding that a woman’s education is a must, as she must willingly sign the marriage or a business contract and that obviously required education. Mr. Shekau on the other hand believes education for girls is evil.
The more we push them, we essentially tell them to dig in. Dialogue opens up opportunities with least damage and least cost. On our part in the west, we have failed to communicate to the world that our education system is designed to deliver good for the society at large. It is necessary for us to learn and share about each other in a world of increasing conflicts to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill. Pluralism is the way forward; that is respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God given uniqueness.
To read the other panelists point of view, please go to Dallas Morning News at: http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/05/texas-faith-boko-haram-false-prophets-and-phony-messiahs.html/#more-39000
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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.
Now, Narendra Modi dons statesman’s cap
This is a great statement from Modi, and once again, I will have to see if
his actions will match his words. I pray things go well for every Indian
without regard to ones faith, regionality or language. My last article before
the closure of elections at Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/indias-modi-on-his-best-behavior-can-we-trust-him_b_5280892.html#es_share_ended
These are good words, almost sound like I wrote them. If he is true and mean it, I am looking forward to a true progress.
These are good words, almost sound like I wrote them. If he is true and mean it, I am looking forward to a true progress.
"This is the right time to look
ahead. It is a time to connect with each other. Lets place people over politics,
hope over despair, healing over hurting, inclusion over exclusion and
development over divisiveness. It is natural for the spirit of bipartisanship to
get temporarily lost in the midst of an election campaign but now is the time to
resurrect it," Modi said on his blog.
Mike Ghouse
Now, Narendra Modi dons statesman’s cap
NEW DELHI: With the Lok Sabha elections coming to an end and
exit polls pointing to a BJP victory, Narendra Modi on Monday said it was time
to resurrect the spirit of bipartisanship in Indian politics which was
temporarily lost in the poll campaign.
"This is the right time to look ahead. It is a time to connect with each other. Lets place people over politics, hope over despair, healing over hurting, inclusion over exclusion and development over divisiveness. It is natural for the spirit of bipartisanship to get temporarily lost in the midst of an election campaign but now is the time to resurrect it," Modi said on his blog.
Admitting that this was a hard-fought election which witnessed both joyous and heated moments, Modi said, "Now is the time to put the heat and dust of the campaign behind and look ahead. Irrespective of who wins on the 16th, the dreams of a billion Indians should not suffer."
He said though political parties and candidates have differing ideologies, "but our goal is one — to work for India and to fulfill the aspirations of our youth".
Modi, however, took a swipe at Congress saying the ruling party, which sets the poll agenda, had neither been proactive nor responsive, but reactive and lauded the NDA for being firmly focused on its agenda of development and good governance, even while calling for peace.
"There were attempts to digress from these issues but we remained firm," he said, apparently referring to the political discourse on his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Modi said the 2014 elections will stand out for the increased turnout and gave credit to people for being "undisputed winners" .
He also expressed gratitude to the Election Commission for conducting the mammoth exercise. He had attacked the EC and accused it of being "partisan" during the campaigning. "I congratulate the EC and the entire election and security staff for their continuous efforts during the entire election," he said.
He also lauded the role of social media and said due to it, "lies and false promises" of several leaders could not go beyond the podiums of their rallies and called for more power to social media.
"It has caused the downfall of manufactured lies and half-truths at a very nascent stage ... In this age of information and social media, the lies that come out of their microphones cannot even get past the podium of their speech venues, forget reaching others. More power to social media in the days ahead," he said.
"This is the right time to look ahead. It is a time to connect with each other. Lets place people over politics, hope over despair, healing over hurting, inclusion over exclusion and development over divisiveness. It is natural for the spirit of bipartisanship to get temporarily lost in the midst of an election campaign but now is the time to resurrect it," Modi said on his blog.
Admitting that this was a hard-fought election which witnessed both joyous and heated moments, Modi said, "Now is the time to put the heat and dust of the campaign behind and look ahead. Irrespective of who wins on the 16th, the dreams of a billion Indians should not suffer."
He said though political parties and candidates have differing ideologies, "but our goal is one — to work for India and to fulfill the aspirations of our youth".
Modi, however, took a swipe at Congress saying the ruling party, which sets the poll agenda, had neither been proactive nor responsive, but reactive and lauded the NDA for being firmly focused on its agenda of development and good governance, even while calling for peace.
"There were attempts to digress from these issues but we remained firm," he said, apparently referring to the political discourse on his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Modi said the 2014 elections will stand out for the increased turnout and gave credit to people for being "undisputed winners" .
He also expressed gratitude to the Election Commission for conducting the mammoth exercise. He had attacked the EC and accused it of being "partisan" during the campaigning. "I congratulate the EC and the entire election and security staff for their continuous efforts during the entire election," he said.
He also lauded the role of social media and said due to it, "lies and false promises" of several leaders could not go beyond the podiums of their rallies and called for more power to social media.
"It has caused the downfall of manufactured lies and half-truths at a very nascent stage ... In this age of information and social media, the lies that come out of their microphones cannot even get past the podium of their speech venues, forget reaching others. More power to social media in the days ahead," he said.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Tipu Sultan's ring to be auctioned off at Christies
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA SHOULD BUY THIS HISTORIC RING
AND TAKE PRIDE IN INDIAN RULER'S SECULAR CREDENTIALS
URL - http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2014/05/tipu-sultans-ring-to-be-auctioned-off.html
This is indeed one of the best news I have read about Tippu Sultan, reaffirming his credentials as a secular ruler.
Dr. Range Gowda has done through research and has unearthed the documents found in the Sringeri Mutt in Mangalore - where the Jagadguru of the Mutt has praised Tippu Sultan for saving the temple from the Maratha onslaught and restoring the temple. Tippu also rebuilt the Ranganatha Swamy temple in Sri Rangapatna.
When I was around 8-10 years old, my Dad corrected the tour guide at the temple for his divisive language when we went on a tour of Mysore. It's amazing, it's almost like hereditary, I do the same, and I have corrected the tour guides in Israel, India, Australia and elsewhere.
He is one of the first three rulers in the world who had recognized American independence and had sent his greetings; the letter is in a French Library per Dr. Gowda.
He is falsely accused of forcing conversions of Christians and Hindus, he was not aware of it, his overzealous fanatic generals did that, just as Amit Shah could muddle things with his thoughtless idiotic words do in the name of Modi and Modi will get the bad rap for it.
This is one of the few brass busts made on biennial century of Tippu's death in 1999; one of them was given to me as a gift, which I cherish. More at http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/05/tippu-sultan-indias-brave-king-against.html
I
sincerely hope the Government of India buys it and displays it in its
Museum and take pride in our heritage of secular pluralistic leaders.
Mike Ghouse
http://MikeGhouseforIndia.blogspot.com
www.MikeGhouse.net
# # # # #
Story Courtesy of The Hindu
AND TAKE PRIDE IN INDIAN RULER'S SECULAR CREDENTIALS
URL - http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2014/05/tipu-sultans-ring-to-be-auctioned-off.html
 |
| "RAM" IS INSCRIBED ON THE RING IN HINDI |
This is indeed one of the best news I have read about Tippu Sultan, reaffirming his credentials as a secular ruler.
Dr. Range Gowda has done through research and has unearthed the documents found in the Sringeri Mutt in Mangalore - where the Jagadguru of the Mutt has praised Tippu Sultan for saving the temple from the Maratha onslaught and restoring the temple. Tippu also rebuilt the Ranganatha Swamy temple in Sri Rangapatna.
When I was around 8-10 years old, my Dad corrected the tour guide at the temple for his divisive language when we went on a tour of Mysore. It's amazing, it's almost like hereditary, I do the same, and I have corrected the tour guides in Israel, India, Australia and elsewhere.
He is one of the first three rulers in the world who had recognized American independence and had sent his greetings; the letter is in a French Library per Dr. Gowda.
He is falsely accused of forcing conversions of Christians and Hindus, he was not aware of it, his overzealous fanatic generals did that, just as Amit Shah could muddle things with his thoughtless idiotic words do in the name of Modi and Modi will get the bad rap for it.
This is one of the few brass busts made on biennial century of Tippu's death in 1999; one of them was given to me as a gift, which I cherish. More at http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/05/tippu-sultan-indias-brave-king-against.html
Mike Ghouse
http://MikeGhouseforIndia.blogspot.com
www.MikeGhouse.net
# # # # #
Story Courtesy of The Hindu
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Happy Mother's day
URL - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2014/05/happy-mothers-day.html
Mother is the ultimate definition of selflessness! No matter what happens to the world or even her, she is there for you in your need; she recognizes your need much before you know it. Of course, every day is Mother’s day, and each one of us honors her in a variety of ways. From simple caring to doing things for her that makes her most happy. Mothers don't need a whole lot, they just need attention. Remember you were showered by her attention when you needed it?
America
is an amazing land, I love our culture and the way we do things. Even
though, every day is a Mothers day for some, this particular day, the
2nd Sunday of May is dedicated to her. She becomes the center of
attention, and she is indeed the queen Mother.
This
is one way of honoring her – that is spending time to think, and
appreciate her. Those who have lost their mother, take the time to
reflect upon all the little things she did for you, and possible write
something about her, so your kids can appreciate you.
My
father passed away in 1977 and I was the sole income earner for the
family for many years after that. However, on my visits to her, she
demanded private time with me apart from the other siblings, and for
whatever stupid reason, I resisted it and did not do it. One day, a
great man told me "all mothers want is attention and nothing more."
Then, when I went to see her, I decided to sit next to her for at least
two hours, not argue and not disagree, but just shut up and listen to
her. OMG, she would beam endlessly and I loved it, and kicked myself
for not doing it earlier, all she wanted was to know was that, she has
not lost her son, and he still cares about her. Indeed, now when I go
home, I do the same with my sister, park myself next to her for a few
hours, and the happiness I see on her face is just worth everything.
Mother is the ultimate definition of selflessness! No matter what happens to the world or even her, she is there for you in your need; she recognizes your need much before you know it. Of course, every day is Mother’s day, and each one of us honors her in a variety of ways. From simple caring to doing things for her that makes her most happy. Mothers don't need a whole lot, they just need attention. Remember you were showered by her attention when you needed it?
Its
time to express gratitude to her, it restores the spiritual balance in
each one of us. Life is about transactions, each time we received a
"good" we become indebted to the giver, but when we give back to the
giver or find alternate ways of giving back, then we regain our
spiritual balance, bringing us nirvana, salvation, mukti and freedom.
I also appeal to each divorced father with kids to muster up the courage to tell his ex-wife that you appreciate her for raising your kids responsibly well. You have to learn to give credit where it belongs, she may appreciate it, but certainly your kids will reluctantly appreciate it.
I also appeal to each divorced father with kids to muster up the courage to tell his ex-wife that you appreciate her for raising your kids responsibly well. You have to learn to give credit where it belongs, she may appreciate it, but certainly your kids will reluctantly appreciate it.
A
majority of us are fortunate to have the love and affection of the
mother to bless our lives. However, there are some mothers who have not
been good to their kids and I feel your anguish if you are the one, but
assure you that, you are a blessed one to have made it in life without
mothers love.
Let me share how I have learned to express my gratitude to my mother, may be it will kick in some of your own memories.
Those
of us who do not have a mother, they can still please her for our own
spiritual balance, by spending our mental time with her. In my case, I
do the prayer of gratitude and write about her and spend at least three
to four hours mulling about her.
Those
of us who did not have a mother from the word go, and those who did not
have a good relationship, I admire you for making it in the life
without her love and affection, I am sorry this happened to you. If it
makes you feel any good to talk, please feel free to do that, my number
is in the about section. Those mothers who do not have any one, happy
mothers day to you. There are many people wishing you, including myself.
I am pleased to copy some of my writings from a last few years.
The
Baha’i faith, “For mothers are the first educators, the first mentors;
and truly it is the mothers who determine the happiness, the future
greatness, the courteous ways and learning and judgment,the
understanding and the faith of their little ones.”
In
the Hindu tradition Mother is worshiped and she is represented by Ma
Saraswati (source of knowledge), Ma Lakshmi (source of income) and the
likes... Mother’s face is equated with God’s face, a song celebrates
Mother by saying, if I have seen your face mother, I have seen God.
Prophet Muhammad
was asked by his associates as to who is the most important person in
one's life - he says,"Mother", they ask again, the answer was "Mother
again" and same response was given for the third time, such is the
importance given to mother. He said, your heaven, your paradise and your
peace of mind comes to you by serving your mother.
In
Jewish tradition, your heritage is determined by your Mother, you are a
Jew because of your mother. Many Christians consider Mother Mary, as
Mother of God, and for many others she is the spiritual mother.
In the native traditions, be it American, European,African, or Asian, Mother is creator in the form of mother Earth.
Despite
your tradition and religious teaching to do great things, there are
bad guys and bad girls out there. Growing up in a very small town
(then), I distinctly remember three bothers killing their mother and
throwing her in the town's lake for her wealth, and a son pushing his
mother into a deep well so he can have her jewelry. Religions don't
matter to the bad guys, and those guys belonged to two different
religions. But for every bad guy out there, there are a 1000 good ones
and I know hundreds of such good stories.
You
will find mother is placed at the highest spiritual level in all
religions, traditions and life forms. Those who have a mother to see,
you are the blessed one, those who don't, you have her blessings.
Those who have tensions with your mother, ask her blessings, you will find the best happiness of life in that asking.
I lost my mother twelve years ago and here is a dedication to my mother I wrote http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/05/mother-my-story-happy-mothers-day.html
Happy Mother’s day.
URL for this article - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/05/happy-motherss-day-there-is-non-one.html
URL for this article - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/05/happy-motherss-day-there-is-non-one.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.
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