Is Qur'an a false book by a false prophet?

Pastor Robert Jeffress of Dallas said that in his church, "Quran is a false book written by a false prophet" You bet he was challenged. What followed was intense dialogue between me and him on Fox News, NBC News and of course Dallas Morning News.

I made an open offer to the Pastor – if you find three faults in Quran, I will give up Islam and become a Baptist right here in your Church, but if you cannot find….

CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGER VERSION

Many videos and articles culminated into a Quran conference – never done before in the History of Islam – 10 Faith Leaders from Baptist, Mormon, Catholic, Unitarian, Methodist, Sikh, Protestant, New Age, an elected Representative with 3 Muslim Imams joined in resulting in a thoughtful, productive and a meaningful conference.

Quran is a book of guidance and a document to build cohesive societies where the humanity can learn to live with each other in harmony. There are 60 Verses in Quran that have been mistranslated by both Muslims and Christians. Details at: http://quraanconference.blogspot.com/2012/12/pastor-robert-jeffress-ignites-quraan.html

In an interview with Dallas Morning News, Ghouse was quoted, “ 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.

It's all here - writings, videos, program et all at:
www.QuraanConference.com

PROFILE : http://mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp
WRITINGS: www.MuslimSpeaker.com
THINK TANK: www.WorldMuslimCongress.com

In defense of Islam, pursuing a civil dialogue
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/columnists/steve-blow/20100919-In-defense-of-Islam-pursuing-9397.ece

A Muslim Speaker, thinker, writer, futurist, organizer and an activist committed to building cohesive societies with a belief that what is good for Muslims has got to be good for the world and vice versa to sustain peace, harmony and prosperity.

Jazak Allah Khair
Mike Ghouse

A Jew calls for 850 Million Hindus to assert themselves

I am baffled by the audio tape link listed below. Normally, I ignore the guys who thrive on pitiching one Indian against the other. However,  since it came from an active Indian leader and has come many times in the last few days in the email.  I decided to listen and did not hear any facts to back up the rants of the speaker. 

Throughout our history, there have been men who have made their good by keeping other people in conflict. If you listen – he would want India to remain in a non-stop civil war. The man has nothing to lose but gain.

The right wing Hindus would love this kind of rhetoric, facts don't matter to the them, and the same goes with right wing Muslims who love similar rhetoric, and Christians and Jews are no different either.  

If we listen to this guy, the gullible among us would buy his hate pitch, and instantly start hating fellow Indians, and for some, their blood boils with a desire to kill every Muslim in India, particularly the Indians living in the United States. Please remember the extremists are no more than 1/10th of 1% of any group, be it Hindus or Muslims.

Imagine a scenario – where people would listen to this man, and go on a killing spree, but how many can you kill? Then Muslims will kill Hindus… is there an end to this Sunghursh (endless fight)? The Norway killer, the Wisconsin Killer had something in common, they cited reading Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer's hateful pieces about Muslims. Pamela's inciting posters may have been the reason for the death of a Hindu man in New York subway. I had warned about it onFox News twice. As Indians we have a responsibility to nail every one who instigates disturbance and disturbs the peace.

If you and I are willing to give up everything and go on the street with swords– and ready to kill each other, then we are something. Otherwise we are disgusting humans who want the ordinary Hindu cocks to fight with the ordinary Muslim cocks to bleed themselves to death. It is a game to some of us, other people's lives don’t mean a thing to us. But if this man expects you and me to fight, either he is delusional or we are stupid.

All of us have worked hard against anti-Semitism, racism, anti-GLBT, Islamophobia, anti-immigrations, women's rights, discrimination,  and we must continue to work hard against these individuals. 
This guy is a disgrace to Judaism, Israel and America. He is justifying in his own sick mind what the Israeli settlers are doing to the Palestinians; he thinks a majority should bulldoze the minorities. Does't this hypocrite expect the United States to treat him as an equal, and yet he advocates otherwise, it is this kind of ugly men that contribute to Antisemitism.  Are my fellow Indians dumb enough to believe that they as a Minority in the United States should be treated in the same fashion as they want the Muslim minority in India be treated? 

I appeal to the Jewish communities to denounce this man and keep their records clear,  that they do not approve of this. Why should  a Muslim man on the street not Hate Jews, if this Jew is inciting Hindus to hate Muslims? The guy is not an idiot, he just does not have morals or care for the future of Jews in the world, Mr. Madoff is for himself.  

I am sure some of the right wing Hindus are eager to write a big check to their savior, who laughs his ass off after collecting the monies. I urge you to spend your money in building relationships and causing lasting peace with your money, so all of us can live in peace. Please don't treat ordinary Hindus and Muslims as cocks who can kill each other. Let us not be his pawns.

As Indians we need to grow up, and not fall to those who want us to fight – they succeeded in splitting our nation, and keep us busy hating each other, they have done that in other parts of the world as well. Do we want to be screwed more?

Most of the Indian Hindus, Muslims, Sikh, Christians, Jain, Buddhs or others care less, but a few have made their business to spread hate. Don't brush this off, it is the build ups like these that explode into riots. 

Ask yourselves, what is your contribution towards making India, a better India to live? A better India is not seeing luxury cars on the roads, call centers or big homes, or industrial growth, a better India is where no Indian is afraid of the others, and if we have bad guys, we need to lock them up, with a clear understanding that their parents, siblings, kids, spouse or religion or not responsible for his actions.

I urge you to read Hyderabad blasts to appear in Huffington post this week at:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies where all of us can learn to live with each other without fear of the other.
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KARAYAM SADHAYAMI VA DEHAM PATYAMI Hindus  wake up and figght for your rights. This  is now or never. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JhJCHtyS60

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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 Americaand 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 onSean 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 atHuffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal sitewww.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.

Dallas American Muslim's commitment to Pluralism

Tracing the roots of my quest for Pluralism.

I am an Indian American, and take immense pride in the pluralistic ethos of India.  Indeed, I have made a commitment to nurturing those values, and share them with fellow Americans in my talks, articles and media appearances.   Let me be clear; everything is not hunky dory,  India has deep scars and wounds that need healing, these wounds** if not treated, will continue to be a drain on nation's spiritual health. At times, the frustrations can reach the tipping point leading into riots, massacres and Genocides, in the process hurting every one.

 
Collectively, as Indian Americans, we contribute to the richness of America in the fields of medicine, science, engineering, biology, politics, religion, information technology and smart corporate management. However, the time has come for us to give fullness to our participation by contributing in social sciences.

As a social scientist, my contribution would be sharing my motherland's pluralistic heritage with my homeland as a gift to America.  By the way, India was one of the first three nations on the earth to recognize American independence in 1776, it was Tippu Sultan, the head of the state of Mysore (Karnataka) then along with Morocco and France.

Two decades of research work on Pluralism

In the last twenty years, through Asian News Magazine (1993-2001), Asian News Radio (1996-2001), Desi TV (1996), Yahoogroups (2003 -now), and various blogs like Mike Ghouse for India, Sulekha (1999 - now) and several (30) sites for each topic, I have shared our pluralistic heritage.

The Asian News Magazine featured the essence of every religion, and the multi-cultural aspect of India and its inclusiveness, the Asian News Radio featured weekly hour dedicated to presenting the essence of religious festivals so we can learn about each other. We also produced more than 500 hours of talk show radio on religion, every beautiful religion, Pundits, Pastors, Imams, Rabbis, Shamans and Religious clergy from each faith joined me daily to share the wisdom of his or her religion, indeed, Atheism and pluralism had its own slot.

There is not a public forum where I have not been inclusive. A few years ago, one of the business radio stations (AM 1360) in Dallas was doing a show about ‘giving’ during Christmas season. They invited a Rabbi and a Pastor and wanted me to fill in for Islam, and I did with a condition that I am allowed to acknowledge and mention charity in every faith including Hinduism, Baha'i, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism and other traditions.

For two years we conducted two sets of workshops called Understanding Religion, all the beautiful religions (Atheism was part of the learning). We had a Rabbi, Pastor, Pundit, Imam, Shaman and respective religious ministers joined  in presenting a three hour workshop - on each faith. Funds permitting, I hope to recommence the workshops, and create a replicable model. The idea was to demystify the myths about each faith. Two of the most misunderstood faiths are Hinduism and Islam, and we cannot let people rot in mis-information, we have to do our share of the work in creating a bettter world. Of course, finding the truth is our own individual responsibility.

Each one of us is capable of standing up for others, when we do that; all of us would be safe. We cannot demand peace, when we are not peaceful within, we cannot ask others to be hateful, when we are full of it.

Media Presence

As President of the Foundation for Pluralism, I contribute an article a week to the Texas Faith column at Dallas Morning News for over two years, and just about every piece weaves through several religions. The articles appear regularly at Huffington Post, and occasionally at Washington post. Heck, when I wrote a tribute about my late wife, father and mother, I found them reflecting the values of most religions, if not all.

The TV, Radio, Print, Web and Social Media has been good to me, giving me a strong national and local presence including Sean Hannity’s Show on Fox News (over 50 appearances), and many nationally syndicated Radio shows.

Over 1500 articles on the topic of Pluralism, Interfaith, Politics, India, Israel, Middle East, Islam, Human rights and conflict mitigation have been published. Major news papers in the United States and across the world, including Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, European and other Asian Nations have carried them. I have not checked if Timbuktu news papers have carried them as well.

The international forums including the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne, Australia; the Middle East Peace Initiative in Jerusalem; and the International Leadership Conference in Hawaii, Chicago and Washington have also provided me the platform to speak about Pluralism.

It is a blessing to have served as a commissioner for the City of Carrollton and president of many a organizations including Home Owners Association, North Texas Cricket Association, and a board member of several non-profits such as the Dallas Peace Center.

No matter where I go, my identity is Indian.

Indian democracy

We are the original Pluralistic Democracy in the world, and can serve as a model to nations where they are experiencing co-emergence of multiple religious people in work place, schools, dining, playground and different aspects of living. They all can look up to India about moving forward despite the difficulties, India's diverse population has successfully co-existed for centuries in relative harmony. Thanks to the founding fathers for embracing that tradition and opting for a Secular democracy upon Indepedence in 1947. Where else on the earth, can you have personal conflicts resolved through your own religious guidance? Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, Buddhists, Jains and others have their personal laws to square with the personal and family issues as an option. America can benefit from such practices.

Unresolved Issues

I am glad; we are a pluralistic democracy rather than an autocratic, monarchic or dictatorial system where critical issues take time to resolve through consensus, rather than imposition.  Because of the nature of our governance, we have piled up unresolved conflicts that will take time to heal. Among them are; Sikh Massacre, Babri Masjid-Ram JanamBhoomi, Kashmiri Pundits, Gujarat Massacre, misogyny,  and discrimination against the minorities. There are other issues, but my focus is social issues.

We should not dump these issues onto the next generation, we are conquering the space, we can conquer our prejudices too, that is the greater Jihad (inner struggle) Lord Krishna and Prophet Muhammad had called for. The nation is moving forward despite the issues, and we need to take the initiative and bring closure to them in our life time. They will not go away by burying our heads in the sand.
Standing up for others

Standing up for others is the right thing to do, every human goes through a period of invincibility to vulnerability, if we don't stand up for those who are vulnerable, then who will stand up for us when we are vulnerable?

The idea of alms, charity, taking care of the elderly, weak, sick and the children is a common theme in every religious tradition. It is indeed the insurance for every one's well being. I cannot be at peace when others around me aren't, and hence it behooves me to take care of the ones who need assistance. 

It’s been my life time honor to stand up for everyone from Atheists to Zoroastrians and every one in between (www.StandingupforOthers.com ). 

Inclusive attitudes are cultivated

Our sense of responsibility is akin to wearing the seat belt. If you live in America, and don't wear the seat belt in the car while you drive, not only you feel guilty, but certainly uncomfortable. It was not the case before the seat belt was made mandatory for the driver and the front seat passenger. It is indeed a consciously learned behavior. I feel the same sense of discomfort, when I get to the podium and not mention or include different religions in the speech. My only fear is excluding others in the public square even by mistake.  To allay that fear; I have learned to start my speeches with Pluralism greetings and prayers that are inclusive of every one including my Atheist friends (Pluralism Speaker).

Thanks to my father, mother, and grandfather who lived their lives as an example inculcating Islamic pluralism in my brothers and the sister, like millions of Muslim parents whom you may have not met.  In my talks, I share small examples and incidents where small things do matter. We learned the Islamic version of Vasudaiva Kutumbukum; the whole world is one family.  

Indeed, Pluralism flows in my veins, and that is respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each one of the 7 billion of us.

Boldly changing the course of history

My father was a Mayor of the town of Yelahanka in the fifties, and we always had construction work at our apartments or remodeling at our historic house, originally owned by the founder of Bangalore, Hon. Kempe Gowda in the 16th century. My father was a maverick, and dared challenging the abusive but prevalent norms of the society, he had the Dalits (shameful word: Untouchables) work at our place, my mother would make them tea or give them food in the plates and cups we used, it was a big no-no in the society at that time, you ‘kept them' away from your house, just as it was for the Blacks in America then. I am proud of my father, and my mother for supporting him in breaking the uncouth norms. He was constantly called on to quit, and at times threatened, but the dare devil held on to his ground firmly and the town loved him dearly and gradually followed his example.

I saw humiliation in the eyes of men, women and children, who came to collect water from the public tap on each corner of the street, the upper caste person would wash the tap three times before he or she collected the water. It was difficult for me, and I played out my share of the drama and mumbling in protest. Despite the significant progress made, we have a long way to go in the housing discrimination, indeed, even in America we have ways to go, but we are all going forward.

As I am writing this, I grudgingly acknowledge that I have learned nothing new; my father did everything that I am doing now, Gee, a drop of tear rolls down my cheek in reverence to Mahatma Gandhi for becoming a catalyst in uplifting the down trodden and restoring their God-given dignity to them. I just have to pray for the Mahatma for saving the Indian souls by getting rid of guilt from ours minds, by having us open our hearts and minds toward the fellow beings, just as MLK did in America. 

Early influences of Pluralism

Early on in my life, even though I had chosen to be an atheist, and I stayed the course for the next thirty years, but never looked down on any faith like a few of my fanatic Atheist friends do. I have had the opportunity to know and learn about different faiths and sub-cultures. I went to Mahabodhi (Buddhist) Society on Thursdays, Mosque (Muslim) on Fridays, and Bhajan Mandir (Hindu) on Saturday nights. The Interaction with my Jain neighbors and friends, and my mother’s Zoroastrian friend was productive.

The Saturday afternoon discourse between the Shia Scholar and my Sunni maternal Grandfather and my father laid the foundation of civil dialogue for me. Then, I enjoyed the interaction with Sikhs, Adivasis, Tribals, Khandaris and Banjarans at our mill where we grounded their grain in to flour. The Sikhs were in the Air force and the Tribals were breaking the nearby hills into crushed stone manually, I felt connected with all of them, and did not feel a barrier between me and them.

In the first few years of my childhood I spent Christmas evenings with our neighbors, and I was also dressed up as Krishna with the Makhan (butter) when I was a baby. In my college days, I had serious dialogue with my English Teacher Ramachandran, a Saibaba devotee and my weaver friend Mohamed Fakhru, an Islamic scholar in his own right.

The only religious group I did not interact in India was the Jewish community, but learned about Eishman, the killer of six million Jews, the book was in Urdu language, and my mother prevented me from reading, as she was concerned about her child’s well being, but it created a sense of incompleteness in me for not reading the forbidden book. The completeness to my life came when I organized the first Holocaust commemoration event in 2006 in Dallas. It was the first such event in history, by non-Jewish people. It is our moral duty to understand the atrocities we humans have inflicted upon each other and educate others to say no to such tragic events from even seeding.

I have spent a lot of time reading, I was always in the library and I enjoy going to the Libaray to this day. Some of my early influencers were Mahatma Gandhi, Jiddu Krishnamurthy, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Swami Vivekananda, Allama Iqbal, Buddha, Abraham Kavoor, Dale Carnegie and a German Scholar who wrote about comparative religions.

It is a blessing to have seen Mahatma Gandhi twice in my dreams in the early 70’s with Bangalore University’s Vice Chancellor Narsimaiah, and the next time in early part of 2000. In both instances, all he said was, son you have work to do and patted on my back, and that has been my inspiration all along to commit to pluralism. It was Gandhi for me.

Gender Pluralism
 
We grew up with Gender equality, the four brothers and the sister were equals in every aspect of life. My father never treated my mother any less, he always consulted her and regretted when he did not. I would have been a farmer or a politician in India, had my mother not insisted, and my father listened to her, here I am today. The images we grew up with were of gender equality, treating men and women the same. The four of us brothers and our sister have all agreed to share the proceeds of the sale of the property of our parents equally. We never questioned it and never thought there could be difference in inheritance laws.

In the early sixties, we had our first woman mayor in my town Yelahanka, and nearly twenty years later when I visited San Francisco, celebrations were on for electing the first woman mayor in America; Diane Feinstein! I said wow! 
Communal riots

My father is my hero and opened the doors of wisdom to us. Pluralism indeed runs in my family. He taught us one of the biggest lessons of my life in social cohesiveness and dealing with extremism that I continue to reflect in my talks, acts and write ups.

During the communal riots in Jabalpur (India) in the early sixties, both Muslims and Hindus were killed in the mayhem, as it happens every time. I wish every father in India, America and elsewhere teaches this lesson to his kids. He was crystal clear on his take; He told us the "individuals" are responsible for the bloodshed and not the religions. If we get the guy who started the conflict and punish him for disturbing peace, rather than calling it a religious issue for the communities to jump in and aggravate it further, we would have saved many lives. He would emphasize that you cannot blame the intangible religion and expect justice, we must blame the individuals who caused it and punish them accordingly for disturbing the peace and thus bring a resolution to the conflict by serving justice. He said you cannot annihilate, kill, hang or beat the religion, then why bark at it?

What is pluralism?

Simply put, it is respecting the otherness of the other and accepting the uniqueness of each one of us. In cultural terms, it is recognizing your culture as a beautiful expression of life to you, as my own is to me. When it comes to food, it is appreciating the Rice you enjoy over the Naan I delight, or vice-versa. For Americans, it is medium rare stake versus the well done. In religious terms, it is learning to honor the way your worship or bow to the creator in gratitude, is as divine as my own.

Our future is Pluralism.

By the end of 2020, there will not be a major work place America or India and other places, where you will not find people of different faiths, cultures, ethnicities, races, nationalities and social backgrounds working, eating, playing, marrying, and doing things together.

We need to prepare ourselves for those eventualities to prevent possible conflicts and lay a good foundation for nurturing goodwill and effective functioning of the societies.  Exclusive communities will become a thing of the past. (Foundation for Pluralism, Pluralism Center)

Being a Muslim, I am deeply committed to nurturing the pluralistic values embedded in Islam (World Muslim congress). The role of a Muslim is to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill, most people get that, a few don’t, just as with any other religious group.

Pluralism is our future, and as a futurist, based on the trends, I foresee, that two generations from now, we would be comfortable in saying, my religion, culture or life style is one of the many choices, and further down the road, a significant number will proclaim that my way of life is not superior or inferior to any.

They will consider ‘claiming superiority’ would be sheer arrogance and religion (a major part of life to many) is believed to imbue humility that builds societies, communities and nations in creating that elusive kingdom of heaven where all of us can live  without apprehension or fear of the other.

We are one nation

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. Indeed, we must preserve the pluralistic heritage of America.

About India
We are Adivasis, Atheists, Baha’is, Bos, Buddhists, Christians, Dalits, Hindus, Jains, Jewish, Muslim, Sikhs, Tribals, Zoroastrians and every possible grouping. We are Brown, Black, White, Yellow and green with envy and phir bhi dil hai Hindustani (My heart is Indian).

Our Motherland is 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.

We are proud of our heritage - a multi-faith, multi-cultural, multi-regional and multi-linguistic society, where we have come to accept and respect every which way people have lived their lives. For over 5000 years, India has been a beacon of pluralism - it has embraced Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Baha'i and Zoroastrianism to include in the array of the indigenous religions; Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. 

What we need to do

We may want to consciously start thinking and acting as one people, one people within a nation and a community and one people globally. It's like home when we are conflict free.  I do hope each one of us purges any bias towards the other, there is joy in being free from ill-will. Try to be free from it this day forward… free from anything that prevents you from being a part of the parts or the whole. 

Our combined philosophies believe in one world ; Hinduism describes the world as Vasudaiva Kutumbukum, the whole world is one family, the idea of Ek Onkar(one) in Sikhism, you are all created from the same couple as Quraan puts it and Jesus embraced every one regardless of who any one is... similar philosophies are grounded in all our religions. 

The book and the Movie

Insha Allah, my book, The American Pluralist will be released shortly, it is a chronicle of how things work in bringing the communities together, it is dedicated to India’s pluralistic heritage; India’s gift to America.  

The movie is about building a cohesive America, where no American has to live with anxiety, apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other. One must be free to live his or her life to the fullest in pursuit of happiness.

I believe the civility of a nation is determined by how it treats its weak, economically backward, the men and women in ditches, the voiceless, its women and the minorities.


A few links referred to in the writing are:

1. The Ghouse diary . www.TheGhouseDiary.com
2. My profile -  http://www.mikeghouse.net/Profile.asp
3. Mike Ghouse for India - http://MikeGhouseforIndia.blogspot.com
4. My Real name - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-name-is-mike-ghouse.html
5. Pluralism Speaker - http://www.mikeghouse.net/InterfaithSpeaker_MikeGhouse.asp
6. Muslim Speaker - http://mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp
7. Curriculum Vitae - http://www.mikeghouse.net/MikeGhouse-CV-09192012.pdf
8. Linked in profile -  http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=3451402&trk=tab_pro
9. Foundation for Pluralism - www.FoundationforPluralism.com
10. World Muslim Congress - www.WorldMuslimCongress.com
11. Quraan Conference - www.QuraanConference.com
12. America together Foundation - www.AmericaTogetherFoundation.com
13. Standing up for others - www.Standingupforothers.com
14. Reflections Annual Holocaust and Genocides - www.HolocaustandGenocides.com
15. Unity Day USA - www.UnitydayUSA.com 
16. 30 Blogs - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/11/mike-ghouse-list-of-sites-and-blogs.html
17. Video- Trailer Americans Together - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMXsTo4VYh8
18. Video- My story, Part I -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLiQeOo9oEs
19. Video- My story, Part II - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLiQeOo9oEs
20. Video - My latest talk at Gurdwara - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNxrf8fFU0I
21. Video-  July4th Tippu Sultan - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXNS365UEw4
22. Video - Quraan Translation/Bhagvad Gita - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZOFLQSAOhA
23. Video - Immigration Rally - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrjU0KULv-Y
24. Video- Pluralism Prayers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mc9D9guPMY
25. Video- Pluralism greetings, Chicago - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo3a8wX6SXQ
26. Video - There are over 200 links on the YouTube.

** There are many such issues, that no one has dared to bring a resolution, for example; the atrocities committed by some of the kings from the Mughal era have deeply wounded the psyche of our Population, Hindus among us are hurt and are subconsciously enslaved to the idea of getting even with Muslims, who have nothing to do with what those kings did, and Muslims on the other hand have not washed their hands completely off the Moghuls, as if they were our relatives. The Sikh Genocide of 1984, the Gujarat Genocide of Muslims, the abusive treatment of Dalits (the misclassified lower rung of the society), and the unchecked reservations system has boomeranged discriminating the well qualified because they are not classified in the lower rung. These will not go away, the simmer inside and act out in denying simple opportunties of life to another Indian. Shame on all of us, that we have not let a fellow Indian feel secure in the pursuit of his or her happiness.We should not let economic problems

Mike Ghouse
In Summary;
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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 and standing up for others as an activist. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. 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 everything you want to know about him.

Genocides, Sikhs, Jews, Hindus, Muslims and their attitudes

There is a shameless cruelty in our societies when it comes to acknowledging other people's suffering. Either we shy away or refuse to acknowledge the sufferings of others, worrying that it will devalue our own and/or it amounts to infidelity to our own cause.
 

   One of the immortal dialogue clips from a 1958 Bollywood movie "Yahudi" is included in the article, where the Jew challenges the roman emperor,  "Tumhara khoon, khoon, aur mera Khoon pani?"

    A Muslim shouts, "Why are you commemorating Holocaust of Jews?
    A Jewish speaker did not want to hear about Gaza massacre
    A Muslim initiative was asked to be removed from the publicity material
    A Hindu friend jumps for not including the Kashmiri pundit while it was
    A Pakistani says Bangladesh genocide talk equals defaming Pakistan
    A Sikh Genocide talk, amounts to shaming the mother land

I submit to you, that the human atrocities are pent up frustrations and unresolved issues that reach a boiling point and explode into massacres and genocides. As civilized societies, we need to bring a closure to the issues through forgiveness, apology and restoration of justice. The least we can do in the process of healing is to know and acknowledge every one's pain. 

Full article at Huffington post:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/holocaust-remembrance-and-recognizing-all-genocides_b_2547164.html

.................Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place and standing up for others as an activist. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. 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 everything you want to know about him. 

Texas Faith: What is America’s common creed and how do we forge it together?

President Obama is one of the best communicators that there is. I am writing a full blown article on how I felt through the inauguration and I am sure some of you can relate with it. However, in this piece at Dallas Morning News, it is about his masterful skills in building bridges between the entrepreneurial individualism of Republicans and Communalism of Democrats. This is our moment in history, and we have to leave a legacy of peace, prosperity and harmony to the next generation.

Published at Dallas Morning News, Monday, January 21, 2013.
Continued at: http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/01/texas-faith-what-is-americas-common.html

Texas Faith is a weekly column at Dallas Morning News moderated by Bill McKenzie and Wayne Slater. At least ten panelists contribute each week including Mike Ghouse.

Throughout his inaugural address today, President Barack Obama emphasized our common creed, we the people and taking action together. In short, his speech was heavy on the communal aspects of our work as Americans. His address contrasts with the individualism you often hear from Republicans. They regularly emphasize enterprenurialism, personal initiative and the power of local communities. So, here is the question I would like you to consider: What is America’s common creed and how do we forge it together?


MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

President Obama is one of the greatest communicators in our modern history. Perhaps he is the first president to have articulated America’s common creed profoundly, clearly and comprehensively as envisioned in the immortal declaration by our Founding Fathers: “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.”

The success of an individual hinges on the success of others around him or her. You cannot build a successful business without the support system and consumers for your goods and services. The president said, “We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class.”

Indeed, the entrepreneurialism of Republicans will bear fruit and multiply when there is an environment for it. It is not a charity, welfare or a noble thing. Instead, it is a genuine investment in human capital that pulls up men and women from the ditches onto a level playing field. That effort allows more people to compete in the marketplace for resources and become “synergists” to each others’ success.

He also articulated the need to be free and to be regulated: “Together we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play.”

The president turned the light on a bridge between individualism and the communal aspect of our life. The bridge was always there but had remained in the dark due to the chasm developed through arrogance of bigger majority in the house by each party in the last eight years. Instead of serving the purpose they were elected for their purpose became defeating the other for some.

The message of the president was for all Americans. I hope the elected ones will heed his wisdom and continue to be a catalyst in the pursuit of our happiness.

And here comes the ultimate wisdom from the president: We have always understood that when times change, so must we, that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges, that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.”..... ..

Eleven panelists contributed to this forum, to read the contributions from all the panelists, please visit - http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/2013/01/texas-faith-what-is-americas-common-creed-and-how-do-we-forge-it-together.html/

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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place and standing up for others as an activist. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. 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 everything you want to know about him.

Condemning the silence of Muslim Majority in Pakistan

Condemning the silence of Muslim Majority in Pakistan

.......... On the other hand, if you ever feel that the “other minority” community deserves to be persecuted, or “they asked for it” then you have a problem! You need help, please ask God to drain the solid waste from your system, it is dangerous for you, and you are your own enemy with that load of crap in you. Continued: http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/01/condemning-silence-of-muslims-in.html

The majoritarian attitudes are the root cause of much of the evil in the world; Pakistan is no exception, indeed, the problem is exemplified with the silence by the government of Pakistan, I cannot believe a Government cannot reign in on extremists and bring law and order to the nation.

First they came for Ahmadiyya,
I remained silent because I am not an Ahmadi;

then they came after Hindu women,
it did not matter to me, I am neither a Hindu nor a woman;

They did not spare the Christians,
they lied and framed the blasphemy charges,

they turned towards the Shia,
singling out and murdering them in the public;

the evil men are coming after me, a mini-Sunni*
where the hell are my fellow Muslims?

The only way things will change is if all of us, each one of us, speaks up against injustice and killing of fellow beings, no matter who it is.


The least you can do is condemn all such acts in your daily conversations, nothing more. Where ever you get a chance express yourselves, there is an energy that builds from there….

On the other hand, if you feel that the “other” community deserves to be persecuted, or “they asked for it” then you have a problem! You need help, please ask God to drain the sewer from your heart, it is dangerous for you, and you are your own enemy with that load of crap in you.


As a Sunni Muslim, I am embarrassed at these evil men, not only for harming fellow beings but also for maligning a religion that we consider to be a Rahmat (mercy) to mankind, these men are making liars out of us. I condemn the silence of the Majority in Pakistan. I hope every one of you feels the energy to condemn this in your daily conversations and pray for peace and sanity, in the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Thank you.

Muslims Together dreaming of building a cohesive world.

Mike Ghouse
www.WorldMuslimCongress.com

* Mini-Sunni to denote the factions within Sunni who declare each other in less than kind words. Shame on all of them!

Ramadan day 1 - Carrollton Mosque

DAY 1 - CARROLLTON MOSQUE, FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012
URL: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2012/07/ramadan-day-1-carrollton-mosque.html

Experiencing Ramadan

This is an effort to document and record the Iftaar experience with every Muslim denomination, it is a journal of how each tradition within Islam, and a sub sect within each practices Ramadan. The biggest idea that jumps out is seeing the differences and understanding that they are cultural and not religious.

Much is written in this blog, but the focus will be today’s experience. Over the years, I have been visiting different Mosques for Friday prayers, and today, it was the Frisco Mosque (picture below), a temporary Mosque in down town Frisco, as the construction for the new Mosque is about to start.

First Iftaar of Ramadan at Carrollton Mosque

Carrollton Islamic Center, 1901 Kelly Blvd, Carrollton, TX 75006

Nearly 150 people attended the Iftaar, possibly because of the invitation to witness the ground breaking ceremony to expand the Mosque. www.carrolltonmasjid.org

Click the picture to enlarge

There is one thing that I have been missing in the mosques; fellowship.

However, it was a beautiful experience tonight at the Carrollton Mosque. The weather was remarkably pleasant and the fellowship was perfect. Usually people dash in and out, but this evening all of us had an opportunity to sit down and socialize and wait for the sunset.

The Christian Church has a formal structure to encourage fellowship. Almost every Church I speak at, has a follow up gathering in the fellowship hall for visiting with each other. I had always longed for that environment in a Mosque, it is not common, nor is it conducive for Muslims now, as they have to go back to work after the Friday congregational prayers. However, the original Mosques were community centers for people to come together. My references is strictly the United States, and India, where I am from. I have no idea how they do in Muslim majority nations where Friday is a holiday for them. I hope someone shares that.

I really enjoyed the Iftaar, everyone got to sit down and chat up with each other, and one Sheikh was asked to give a short talk, he was good, and did give a short talk in the few minutes left to do the Iftaar. Apparently he is from Morocco.

So when the sun’s last ray disappeared, the Amir (by the way his name is Aamir, but pronounced differently) announced that it was time to break the fast. Traditionally it starts with a bite of the Dates * and in some traditions it is the water. Can you imagine the consumption of nearly 5 billion dates tonight across the world to break the fast?

Each mosque has a little different tradition, for instance, in Madinah Masjid (Carrollton) the Imam recites the Iftaar prayer, and the group repeats after him before they break the fast, however, it is little different in Shia tradition, and Ahmadiyya tradition is identical with the Sunni tradition. Insha Allah, I will document the differences to understand and respect them as cultural practices rather than religious ones.

19 Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157630675003498/show/

Iftaar was followed by the Maghrib (dusk) prayers, there is very little difference in traditions, but there is some. Thank God, arrogance has no place in my heart to say which one is standard, it is what is in one's heart that matters.

The next thing was the ground breaking ceremony, each one in the leadership got a shovel and a hard hat, and started filling the hole with the dugged out dirt. It should have been the other way around. They even got a silver shovel for the Amir - the leader: Dr. Amir Shakil. Glad to see the women taking their turn and even the kids got to throw up some dirt with excitement.

Dinner was healthy and good, the Arabic puffed up bread was fantastic, one of my favorites. I just wanted to say to my wife that I ate only half the bread watching my cholesterol. The beans were excellent! Good choice of food!

It was a pleasure to meet some of the friends after a long time. I remembered 20+ names but there were several more I could not. I just cannot get the names out, so I will not list any. I don’t want to hurt the feelings of those few whose name is blocked in my mind. About ten years ago, I could call on every name in most gatherings, I just cannot do it it now, the mind blanks out. Dear God, help me out the names!

It was a beautiful Iftaar and the evening.

Ramadan day 2 - Richardson MosqueSchedule: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-iftaar-schedule.html

Mosque in Frisco, one of the fastest growing cities in America.

Something to think about

Two years ago, I was intrigued by a tafseer/ exegesis that I read in this Mosque, the book was printed in Madinah, about what idolatry meant. It was a beautiful writing and I wanted to read that again and perhaps copy (iphone pic), but have not found the book again. It had the broadest meaning and would have been perfect to talk about in the interfaith gatherings. Indeed, I had a similar conversation with Michael Wolfe prior to release of his film "The message". I will have to go back and check again where this wonderful book is.

I was early, so I read Sura Baqra- the second chapter in Urdu, the translation was done by Dr. Tahir-ul Qadiri. The flow was much better than some of the other translations. I did not get to read the whole chapter, but a few verses made me stop and think .

2:212, (Qadiri translation) starts with, "life for the Kafirs was set up for the worldly pleasures." The word Kafir was used as though there is a community of people out there, who are called Kafirs. Kafir is a generic word for those who hide the truth, deny the truth or pretend the truth to be different, and it is an individual attribute rather than a group label. I will have to study and read Asad’s translation. Although it has the simplest meaning, it has acquired a derogatory status to ridicule other people.

2:222 (Qadiri Translation) - talks about avoiding intimacy with wife until she is pure or clean again. I have severe difficulty with that translation. It gives the impression that a woman is unclean or impure. Instead, if the translation had said, “avoid intimacy with wife until she is through with the menstruation,” it would have meant a natural process. Dr. Qadiris’s translation falls in the same pit as the other ones before. I will have to check Dr. Laila Bakhtiar’s or Edip Yuskel's translation on that.


Even the translation of 2:223 does not meet the civility prophet Muhammad taught. Please remember, Quraan is divine and God's word, and it is always about justice, fairness and for goodness of the humanity. The issues we are having are with translations, even the Arabic writers have mis-intepreted it. The burden of finding the truth falls squarely on us, after all, no one but us is responsible for our actions on the Day of Judgment.

An individual asked me if will be back tomorrow, and I said probably two weeks from now. As a reason, I explained to him that I visit a mosque a day of different denominations during Ramadan. He jumped the gun and asked if I went to the Shia Mosque, which is an yes. He was too eager to say they were wrong. He told me that the Prophet in his last sermon was clear; he was leaving his Sunna and the book to the people, but they add his family to it. I said, that is correct, those are the two different versions, he said, but they are wrong - I said, they are wrong to you, but not to them. He was silently staring at me to understand that, which I appreciated.

I continued, "they think the Sunnis are wrong." He held back, and I am glad he did. The best thing is to accept the different interpretations, but not agree as a matter of principle. He countered it is the same Hadith, how can they say otherwise. It took me a while to keep his innocence intact, yet make the point. I said I have no problem with what they believe; I don’t believe what they believe, and they don’t believe what I believe… I am not superior to them, nor they are superior to me. I am right in my way, as they are right in their ways....I asked him if he can guess where my analogy comes from? He guessed it right and I hope you do too.

Mike Ghouse is committed to doing his individual share of building cohesive societies and invites you to the 8th Annual Unity Day USA on Tuesday, September 11, 2012. Details at www.UnitydayUSA.com, its an event that builds bridges and uplifts every American.

Ramadan day 2 Richardson Mosque

Experiencing Ramadan

Please note that the Ramadan diary is written for our Muslim and non-Muslims friends alike, hence the language is un-typical. We will do our best to weave through references that our Christian, Hindu, Jewish and other friends can relate with. By the way, we have been talking (Radio) and writing about the essence of major festivities of all religions so we can understand each other. It is a call from God to learn about each other and know each other, when we do that, myths about others disappear, we open up to friendships without reserve or fear.

SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2012
Dallas Central Mosque, 840 Abrams Road,
Richardson, TX 75081
Website: www.Iant.com

• URL for this column: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2012/07/ramadan-day-2-richardson-mosque.html

• This Blog: http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/
• 25 Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157630689409990/show/
• 2012 Ramadan Iftaar Schedule
  http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-iftaar-schedule.html

Tonight is the 2^nd day of Ramadan, and I went to the Richardson Mosque, my home Mosque (below) and the standard bearer for North Texas Mosques. A majority of the Mosques (Sunni tradition) more or less follow the traditions followed here. This is the first “major” Mosque in North Texas and almost every Muslim who has been in Dallas prior to turn of the century has been a part of this Mosque. Of course we have over 35 Mosques and several Musallas (Mini-Mosques) in North Texas; we have enough people to have one for every denomination.

The euphoria of Ramadan lends to the fellowship (Ramadan day 1) that we all desire and look forward to. It generates the same good feeling of kindness and piety that Christians feel during Christmas and Hindus during Navaratri, Jews during Rosh Hashanah and others during their festivals.

The best way to enjoy Ramadan is to go early to the Mosque, and I went way too early which lend me to talk with key people and of course, take pictures of the sanctuary for my friends. For my Muslim friends, I highlight the uniqueness of each denomination, much of which is cultural.

Click to enlarge 25 pics in the link

My first visit was with our Imam, Dr. Yusuf Zia Kavakci (more about him in the links below) who and I have worked together on different occasions for almost 20 years from the Asian News days; he has been on my Radio show several times in the Mid-Nineties. Our conversation is usually about intra-faith and interfaith issues. In some of the most critical moments of my public life, he and Imam Zia Shaikh of Irving have been great guides. There was a situation in 1996 and again in 2005 at the Unity Day where we handled it fairly well. From time to time, he has appreciated my approach that is free from the back-home-baggage.

Richardson Mosque has been a home Mosque to me, although I do not go there frequently, it feels home. For those living outside the United States, you may find this as a news item that almost every Muslim (both male and female) drives to the mosque; there are no separate residential areas where people of any religion live exclusively. Even though there is a trend for developing smaller neighborhoods around the Mosques, it will not become the life style. In the long haul integration (not assimilation) is essential for the overall good of individual communities and nation as a whole.

Click to enlarge 25 pics in the link

As I was walking out of Imam Kavakci’s office, I ran into my friend Brother Muhammad Suleman, he was the past president of the Islamic Center and president during the 9/11 crisis, he was also featured in High Profile in Dallas Morning News, a great honor for our community. He and I have worked on many projects together including two years on my Radio show, wisdom of religion (all the religions), where he and I spent two years on Radio talking about Islam on every Friday morning for an hour. Please say your get well prayers for Mrs. Suleman who is in hospital today.

900, yes, Nine Hundred people were in the community hall waiting for the Adhan (prayer call) to signify the time to break the fast. In Jerusalem, they fire a gun into air to signify end of Suhoor (pre dawn meal) as well as Iftaar. I was held at the check point for Masjid Al-Aqsa by an Israeli guard, that is another story. In smaller mosques, people gather around as a groups and there will a personal announcement (refer to day 1) to break the fast.

Take a look at the plates on the tables, a piece of Banana, three dates, a piece of water melon, a glass of milk and water. The plates were all set up for people to pick one and take their seat at the tables. Once again, that is 5 billion dates consumption across the world, today! Why dates? That is another story, I have written two years ago, but will re-incorporate when I see dates are flooded in some mosque this month. Each Mosque has evolved into its own practice.

After breaking the fast, the next call you hear is Aqama, fairly similar to the Adhan right before the congregational prayers. Anyone can lead the prayer, even though Dr. Yusuf Zia Kavakci is the imam (pastor, pundit, rabbi, shaman, clergy, minister), he designates one of his students from his academy to lead the prayers, and he has 60 Huffaz (plural for Hafiz, the one who memorizes the whole Quraan) in Dallas, and one of them is the world renowned one: Rashad Hussain the US Ambassador to OIC.

Click to enlarge 25 pics in the link

We were back to the community hall for dinner, a large open building that accommodates nearly 1000 seated in theater style. The hall is used for basket ball and other community activities including interfaith dinners. Nearly five years ago, my late wife Najma’s funeral prayers were held here, the Fire Marshall did not allow more than 2200 people, the capacity for the standing room, that’s how Muslim funeral prayers are conducted; in standing posture. She left in peace and thanks to our friends from every faith for participating in the prayers.

Click to enlarge 25 pics in the link

Serving dinner for 900 people is not easy! Mr. Waqar Qazi runs the Silver Spoon restaurant and has become quite adept in handling catering to large gatherings. There are a few pictures of the kitchen where the volunteers formed an assembly line that beats Henry Ford’s assembly line; they placed the food on the plate consisting of Salad, Rice, lentil-veggies, and Chicken curry in healthy portions. About 6 plates were placed on a tray and put on the counter... the volunteers grabbed the tray and walked to each table, and delivered the food…. All in 20 minutes! Yes 20 Minutes! That is amazing accuracy!

Click to enlarge 25 pics in the link

There was a senior citizen, who did not want to be pictured or named, but the people in Richardson know him, he is probably in his seventies, but has the energy of a young man and was managing the food serving and delivery very effectively. He was literally running all over the place to ensure everything ran smoothly. Thanks to this unknown soldier.
The other lead volunteer (forgive me if there was another one) was Amir Omar, the Richardson City Councilman (pictured with a tray in his hand, clean shaven head). He is one of the four or five who made the trips from the counter to the tables delivering all that food in 20 minutes.

Click to enlarge pic -25 pics in link

Today, he is one of the most popular council men in North Texas, because he is there with every community volunteering his time generously. He is an example of how to be a fully participating and contributing member of the society. He is a true representative of Richardsonians. He is on facebook as well, tag him and show you support.

Yunus Anthony, announced a gathering of new converts, and I regret not making it to that corner, but did talk to him, who was also at the Carrollton Mosque yesterday. I hope he and his group will serve as volunteers for the Unity Day event on Tuesday, September 11, 2012. God willing, I will be visiting Churches, Temples, Synagogues and other places of worship to find volunteer to represent every race, ethnicity and faith to be present at the Unity Day. www.UnitydayUSA.com

By the way years ago, Richardson Mosque started a Medical clinic to serve the people who do not have insurance, it is for everyone, and people from all faiths and traditions visit this clinic for care. I am proud of this clinic, where Muslims are contributing to the well being of the overall society. Of course, there are other initiatives and other clinics, and that will be expressed in a different context.

Indeed, Richardson Mosque is an example of being a part of the society, serving the society. I believe that is the purpose of a Mosque, a community center. More about the Mosque at www.Iant.com

Coming up; the Islamic village http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7bjh56GU-0&feature=player_embedded#!

Here are a few pieces I have written about Dr. Kavakci and others issues, I need to put together the work we did through MRRT, the Muslim Rapid Response Team in 2003 in responding to baseless allegations that the local media levied on the Imam and this Mosque. Thanks to Dallas Morning News for publishing it.

v Honoring Imam Dr. Yusuf Zia Kavakci today
http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/04/honoring-imam-dr-yusuf-zia-kavakci.html

v There is only one Islamhttp://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2010/04/there-is-only-one-islam.html

v Are Muslims a part of the American society? http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/10/are-muslims-part-of-american-story.html

v A call from God to know each other
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/01/mission-of-world-muslim-congress.html

v Dallas Interfaith Imamshttp://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/07/dallas-interfaith-imams-and-ramadan.html

v Ramadan day 1, 2011http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/08/day-1-of-ramadan-2011.html

v A challenge to Muslims, are we fit to be Americanshttp://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-challenge-to-muslims-are-we-fit-to.html

v Sharia Issueshttp://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/07/sharia-issues-in-2012-and-solutions.html

v Facebook - You are welcome to visit my my facebook page: www.facebook.com/SpeakerMikeGhouse the others has reached the maximum of 5000 friends - -

Mike Ghouse is committed to doing his individual share of building cohesive societies and invites you to the 8th Annual Unity Day USA on Tuesday, September 11, 2012. Details at www.UnitydayUSA.com, it’s an event that builds bridges and uplifts every American. Watch the trailer of the upcoming film - Americans Together, building a cohesive America at www.AmericaTogetherFoundation.com