Friday, February 27, 2009

Dallas Muslim Issues


To be a Muslim is to be a peacemaker, one who seeks to mitigate conflicts and nurtures goodwill for peaceful co-existence. God wants us to live in peace and harmony with his creation; that is indeed the purpose of religion, any religion. Our Mission statement; http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/WorldMuslimCongress/Articles/Mission-Statement.asp

Friday, February 27, 2009

AA,

I have received the following email with usual concerns. Insha Allah, we can sit down with these guys and allay their fears. This is a part of the propaganda of a few who want to get rich by spreading fears or perhaps are really scared of us. Indeed, without a doubt we need mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill. If the North Texas Muslim Council is taking the initiative, let’s us get a few more Muslims involved in it, who are not part of the council.

Mike Ghouse
# # #

Memo: Keep an Eye on Those Muslims

By Forrest Wilder on Civil Liberties

A bizarre, conspiracy-laden memo [.doc] sent to law enforcement personnel
last week warns of threats to Texas from Muslim organizations and anti-war
groups. It calls on “law enforcement officers to report these type of
activities to identify potential underlying trends emerging in the North
Central region.”

We’re trying to learn more about which law enforcement agencies received
the bulletin - and how seriously they take it.

The bulletin - stamped “For Official Use Only” but leaked to this Web site
yesterday - was apparently issued last Thursday by the North Central Texas
Fusion System, one of a number of post-9/11 centers designed to consolidate
and share intelligence with law enforcement agencies.

The Fusion Center has an email address for “report[ing] suspicious North
Central Texas incidents or observations to the Fusion System Analyst.”
Civil liberties groups and Muslim organizations have worried that the Fusion
Centers are operating with little oversight and may be drifting into
counter-terrorism initiatives that they’re not qualified for.

The ACLU is calling the memo the “latest example of inappropriate police
intelligence operations targeting political, religious and social activists
for investigation.”

Here’s a choice passage from the bulletin:

Middle Eastern Terrorist groups and their supporting organizations have
been successful in gaining support for Islamic goals in the United States
and providing an environment for terrorist organizations to flourish. A
number of organizations in the U.S. have been lobbying Islamic-based issues
for many years. These lobbying efforts have turned public and political
support towards radical goals such as Shariah law and support of terrorist
military action against Western nations. Add to this the Hezbollah training
of Mexican Drug Cartel members on bomb making techniques; the threats to
Texas are significant.

The bulletin singles out certain organizations: the Council on American
Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim advocacy group; the International Action
Center, a left-wing organization founded by former U.S. Attorney General
Ramsey Clark; and the anti-war group ANSWER.

The bulletin is riddled with John Birch Society-ish statements. “Tolerance
is growing in more formal areas,” it warns at one point. As an example, the
memo cites an “Islamic Finance 101″ conference held by the Department of
Treasury. The document cites one Christopher Holton of the right-wing Center
for Security Policy, founded by Frank Gaffney, as calling Islamic finance a
“modern-day Trojan horse.” The document goes on to say, “A Houston bank
now offers Islamic Financing for home loans.”

Scary. But not as scary as the reports of “Islamic radicalization.”

Islamic radicalization of have been [sic] reported by such groups as
Hizb-ut-Tahir who have a goal of overthrowing governments and replacing them
with a caliph. They take advantage of growing tolerance in the U.S. Some of
their marketing schemes have included hip hop fashion boutiques, hip hop
bands, use of online social networks, use of video sharing networks, chat
forums and blogs. They have been especially active in California, New York,
Wisconsin, and Chicago. They target universities for recruitment.

If it seems like this “Prevention Awareness Bulletin” was culled from
conspiracy-prone right-wing Internet Web sites that’s because, apparently,
it was. A source list includes HumanEvents.com, FamilySecurityMatters.org,
FrontPagemag.com and the Christian Broadcasting Network, as well as more
mainstream sources such as the Anti-Defamation League and (using
“mainstream” loosely) the Washington Times.

The meta-data of the Word document lists one “James R. Johnson” as the
author of the document. Johnson is the son of Congressman Sam Johnson,
Republican from Plano. James (Bob) Johnson owns, with his wife Anita Miller,
ADB Consulting LLC, which received a contract from Collin County to design
the Fusion System. A cached copy of Johnson’s personal Web site says he has
“worked in National Intelligence for over 20 years.” Both Miller and
Johnson’s email addresses are listed on the contact section of the Fusion
Center’s Web site.

Calls to Kelley Stone, the Director of Homeland Security for Collin County,
were not returned today. Emails to Miller and Johnson have not been
returned. We will update this post if and when we hear back from them.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Saudi Arabia; a change is in the making

Saudi Arabia; a change is in the making

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was perhaps the first head of a government, who was secure enough to initiate the Madinah pact, one of the first Pluralist documents in the history of mankind that respected and accepted God's intentional diversity to remain intact.I sincerely hope, that the Saudi King will pave the way to make the land of the prophet to once again become a beacon of pluralism, that Islam was and I pray that God help the King achieve it. Amen.

Continued: http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/WorldMuslimCongress/Articles/Saudi-Arabia-change-is-in-the-making.asp

Mike Ghouse is a Speaker, Thinker and a Writer on Pluralism, interfaith, peace, Islam and India. He is a frequent guest on talk radio and local television networks discussing these and the civic issues. His comments, news analysis and columns can be found on the Websites and Blogs listed at his personal website www.MikeGhouse.net. Mike is a Dallasite for nearly three decades and Carrollton is his home town. He can be reached at GhouseMike@gmail.com

Does Qur'aan incite Violence - II

Does Qur'aan incite Violence -II

Qur’aan does not incite violence; those who are violence prone believe that it is, as their mind set is based on fear and violence. It is the propaganda of Neocons; those who are insecure about their extremist values, worry about similar people in other groups. Neocons are extremist literalists like the Muslims, Christians, Jews and Hindus. They are all mirror images of each other.

Religion, yes, and every religion allays fears of the unknown, mitigates the apprehensions, gives hopes and brings a balance to an individual and what surrounds him; people and the environment.

Mike Ghouse is a Speaker, Thinker and a Writer on Pluralism, interfaith, terrorism, peace, Islam, Multiculturism and India. He is a frequent guest on talk radio and local television networks discussing these and the civic issues. His comments, news analysis and columns can be found on the Websites and Blogs listed at his personal website www.MikeGhouse.net. Mike is a Dallasite for nearly three decades and Carrollton is his home town. He can be reached at MikeGhouse@gmail.com

Continued: http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/Articles/Does-Qur'aan-incite-Violence-II.asp

Is Qur'aan perfect?

Is Qur'aan Perfect?

It is the true and final word of God for the Muslims who believe in it, it is not for the Christians, Hindus, Jews or others who are not familiar with it. However, if one sincerely understands the Qur'aan, he or she will find the essence of Justice, fairness; truth and peace resonate in Qur'aan as they may find it in their own scriptures.

Mike Ghouse is a Speaker, Thinker and a Writer on Pluralism, interfaith, terrorism, peace, Islam, Multiculturism and India. He is a frequent guest on talk radio and local television networks discussing these and the civic issues. His comments, news analysis and columns can be found on the Websites and Blogs listed at his personal website www.MikeGhouse.net. Mike is a Dallasite for nearly three decades and Carrollton is his home town. He can be reached at MikeGhouse@gmail.com

Continued: http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/WorldMuslimCongress/Articles/Is-Quraan-Perfect.asp

Monday, February 9, 2009

Evolutionary Creation - 2009 Evolution Week

Evolutionary Creation - 2009 Evolution Week

Several Abrahimic Religious leaders 'assume' that evolution is in conflict with creationism. It frightens them about the unknown; which is human. They have an unquestionable need to believe that what they know is the final word of God; a different point of view is anathema to them. The non-Abrahimic faith followers need not gloat; a new idea is usually an abomination to someone or the other including some of them. Whether you are a believer in a God, or several or no God, you would still find a new idea bring insecurity, like some one has pulled the rug from under you and you are out of your comfort zone.

Continued: http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/Articles/Evolutionary-Creation.asp

Friday, February 6, 2009

Muslim Cemetery - Fund Raiser in Richardson

Muslim Cemetery, Inc. – Denton, TX
In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful
“Kullu nafsin zaaikhathul mauth”

(Every living soul must taste death – Sureh Al-Imran, Quran)

Dear Brothers and Sisters

As-salaamu alaikum!
Muslim Cemetery Inc. is a non-profit organization managed by Islamic Center of Denton. We have been serving Muslim Community for their burial needs since 1989. The land was generously donated by a muslim brother to ensure community has their own cemetery with full burial rites in accordance with Quran and Sunnah.

The organization’s primary focus is to keep the burial cost at a minimal of $500 which includes monthly maintenance cost of the cemetery. At several occasions per cemetery policy burial cost was waived for families who did not have enough resources to incur the burial cost for their loved ones.

In the recent years, community in the metroplex have grown manifold thereby prompting Muslim Cemetery to facilitate and accommodate this growth by providing better facilities and infrastructure. At this time cemetery is in dire need of a prayer hall, a wuzoo area, a rest room, and a storage room. The estimated cost for this project is $100,000. Since the incorporation of the Muslim Cemetery, this is our first fund raising event.

This cannot happen without your generous help and support.

Please join us to help raise the funds for a noble cause Insha’Allah on

Friday, February 6, 2009 @ 7:30 PM Sharp
At Fun Asia, 1210 East Beltline Rd. Richardson, TX 75081
Tel: 972-513-5701

Tickets are available for $30 per person and can be obtained from
Junaid Najamuddin @ 214-207-8535 or
Faiza Iqbal @ 214-674-6693

If you are unable to attend, kindly mail in your generous tax deductible donations in
the enclosed envelope provided for your convenience.

Sincerely,
Irfan Ali - Treasurer, Muslim Cemetery Inc.
Muslim Cemetery Inc. P.O. Box 2629, Denton, Texas. 76202
Tel: 940.565.1723