Sunday, February 24, 2013

First Muslim Intra-Faith Dialogue at Boniuk Center

MUSLIMS TOGETHER IN HOUSTON
Thursday, February 21, 2013. 
This was the first of its kind Intra-faith Dialogue between Ahmadiyya, Sunni, Shia and WD Muhammad Groups of Muslims.  This dialogue is not an effort to reconcile the differences, or finding convergence, it was merely to begin a process of sharing where we agree or disagree, and honestly acknowledging our differences without judgment. The panel made every effort not to appease any one, but to state their own position politely in a genuine dialogue without ever considering the other opinion to be anything less. It was not an effort to convert the other, but rather our struggle (jihad) to understand each other genuinely. Precedence to this effect was set up by the man himself; Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), some of which I shared last night.  

Ghouse. Dr. Shaikh, Al-Qazwini, Pardee, Ali, Haneef, Motley
CLICK ON PIC TO SEE A LARGER VERSION
I am pleased to express my gratitude to Dr. Milton and Laurie Boniuk, Chairperson, Executive Director Michael Pardee and coordinator BJ Smith of the Boniuk Center. Dr. David Leebron, President of Rice University, and Sabrina Motley, Director of Asia Society. 

Thank you for sponsoring the first of its kind dialogue among Muslims themselves, the outcome and the tone of the dialogue was very encouraging. I also thank Dr. Basheer and Dr. Saleha Khumwalla for hosting the intra-cultural dinner.

Dr. Boniuk, your center, Rice University and Asia Center have unleashed an initiative that will grow and give hopes for a better world, a world where a fellow Muslim or a human need not be  uncomfortable, apprehensive or afraid of the other. Indeed, it is small step for Muslims, but a giant leap for mankind. Your enthusiasm for Intra-faith Dialogue among Muslims is one the most critical efforts in centuries, and we appreciate it.

This program would not have been successful without Michael Pardee’s dedication; he relentlessly pursued this until the job was done executed perfectly. It was not an easy thing to bring diverse people together, congratulations Mike.

Of course, the success hinged on our guests who attended the event to a packed house, they participated with silence, applause and questions, and hopefully have walked away with a hope that there is a reason to believe that the efforts like this will bear fruit.  I cannot thank enough to our Panelists, Imam Azhar Haneef, Imam Wazir Ali, Imam Moustafa al-Qazwini and Imam Dr. Zia Shaikh for responding to some of the toughest questions with grace, precision, fullness and within the given time.

The only thing I wish different was time allotted for the program; I wish it was two hours. But, on the other hand, I am happy that due to time limitation, a good foundation is laid and a good tone is set up for Dialogue-II as a progression, and setting up a model for similar conversations elsewhere.


The Department of State has listed me as a stop to dialogue with visiting Scholars, Imams, Ministries and Religious men and women from North Africa, Middle East, Central Asia and China. Our interactive conversation on Pluralism and interfaith is usually set for 4 hours and over the last ten years, I must have exchanged or taught Pluralism to over 100 such men and women, and indeed the Saudi Interfaith Dialogue was seeded here in Dallas. I must report to you, that the programs have been as exciting as our program on the 21st, they are as much tuned into Pluralism as we are here, but yet, their message has not reached their masses, no media has given coverage to such great things. Where is the gap? And what are we missing? There is a disconnect somewhere and we need to work on it in Asia, particularly in Pakistan, Iraq, Bangladesh and India.

This dialogue by no means was an effort to reconcile the differences, or finding convergence, it was merely to share where we agree and honestly acknowledge our differences without judgment. The panel has made every effort not to appease any one, but to state their own position politely in a genuine dialogue without ever considering the other opinion to be anything less. It was not an effort to convert the other, but rather our inner struggle (jihad) to understand each other genuinely. Precedence to that effect was set up by the man himself; Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), some of which I shared last night. 


Indeed, we lived up to what a real dialogue ought to be per Rabbi Gordis, “Dialogue only has meaning if it respects the autonomy of the other; absent that respect we have monologue.”



Your input for Dialouge-II in the comment section below would be appreciated, we are all in this together. If you write a fine short statement, we will include it in one of the articles in the coming months.

THE PROGRAM

Sabrina Motley, Director of the Asia Society and Michael Pardee, Executive Director of the Boniuk Center shared the visions of their respective organizations.

The Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance at Rice “is dedicated to nurturing tolerance among people of all and no faiths, especially youth, and to studying the conditions in which tolerance and intolerance flourish.  Their mission is to understand the conditions that make peaceful coexistence possible and to promote these conditions locally, nationally and throughout the world.”

Asia Society has a similar mission, “Asia Society is the leading educational organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders and institutions of Asia and the United States in a global context. Across the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, the Society provides insight, generates ideas, and promotes collaboration to address present challenges and create a shared future.”

Together, the Boniuk Center and the Asia Society have facilitated meaningful inter-faith and intra-faith dialogue series to promote understanding from within the diverse family of faiths and with other faiths. Indeed, they have had meaningful dialogue within the Christian and Jewish traditions, and now they are extending the opportunity to the Islamic tradition. 

Please note, it was not easy to put this program together, as Michael Pardee mentioned earlier. 25 Imams were invited, and only four decided to address the issue and not pass the buck on to the next generation. Indeed, these are the denominations that have most of the conflicts, particularly between Sunni, Shia and Ahmadiyya. Although WD Muhammad tradition is Sunni, their presence is critical, as WD Muhammad is the first one in America to start the interfaith Dialogue and rightfully called America's Imam. They do not have the conflicts with any group as others have,  and their embrace is larger than others and we look up to them for guidance.  
Mike Ghouse, the moderator begins the program with greetings in a few religious traditions. May we be drenched and soaked in peace, and together, let’s hope to produce peaceful outcomes.

Greetings of Salaam, Shalom, Peace, Satsriakal, Namaste, Alla-abho, Hamazor Hama ashobed, Buddha Namo and wishes in every possible way known to mankind.(The meaning of greetings at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo3a8wX6SXQ)


Tonight’s program is Unique and first of its kind, there have been efforts, but not a serious conversation like the one we are holding tonight. We have about an hour of dialogue followed by Q & A. We will do our best to cover a few topics that will subtly serve as a foundation for this process of mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill.



We realize this is a pilot project, the first of its kind dialogue in the United States. We, the panelists and the moderator take the responsibility seriously to lay the best possible foundation for future dialogue, and Boniuk Center becomes the guiding light. Again thanks for Mike Pardee

My role as a moderator of the event is to set the tone of the dialogue and shape the outcome of the conversation.  The outcome will stand on respecting the otherness of the other and accepting the uniqueness of each tradition without judgment. The most important aspect of this process is to have the panelists respond to the questions asked precisely, fully and within two minutes.

We will address the issues with grace, and the civility that Prophet Muhammad had advocated.

Sura Fatiha Recitation by Hafiz-e-Qur’an Mr. Khamanwalla.

Islam is a universal faith that has embraced every race, ethnicity, language and culture. Indeed, the Quran opens with gratitude to the lord of the universe and ends addressing the whole humanity as well.

Yet, at this precise juncture in history, the Ahmadiyya Muslims are persecuted in Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh, and the Shia Muslims are harassed and killed in Pakistan daily, and oppressed in Bahrain, Iraq and other places. The Sunnis are facing severe challenges in Syria as well.  These developments are getting worse by the day and there is a need for a way out. I hope our dialogue will be a small step in that direction, a gift from the Asia Society.

Dialogue; indeed, this is a dialogue. I am pleased to Quote Rabbi Gordis, one of my mentors in the art of dialogue, he was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York, in 1964

“Dialogue only has meaning if it respects the autonomy of the other; absent that respect we have monologue. True conversation may uncover areas of convergence but is most important in helping to understand areas of divergence. The question for participants is: Is that divergence threatening or problematical or it can be a source of enlightenment and enrichment by broadening the perspectives and insights on the experience of being human that one gains from one’s own religious tradition.”

Dialogue requires active listening, and responding to the issue with the intention of mitigating conflict, we must continuously avoid going into different directions, if we need clarity to our positions.

Sura Kafirun in Qur’an is my guidance to conduct civil dialogue. In this Chapter (Sura) the Qur’an addresses the believers (in other systems) in the most dignified way, putting everyone on par without putting anyone down. It is an exceptional example of civil conduct for one to follow. Nowhere in this chapter has it claimed the faith of Muslims to be superior and other's to be inferior.

This chapter is about consciously nurturing civility in societies. It is not about overlooking the differences and focusing on commonalities, it is simply about accepting the otherness of other. You are who you are and I am who I am and let's figure out how we can co-exist with the least tensions.

Prophet Muhammad’s example served the foundation for Pluralism; he taught how to respect the otherness of others without having to agree with the other.

Briefly the peace treaty between the Quraish of Mecca and the Muslims of Medina was ready for signature, the terms were all agreed upon. However, the representative of Quraish Mr. Suhayl Ibn Amr looks at the signature line and objects to the name of the other signatory written as Muhammad, the Prophet of God. He blunts, you are not the prophet of God…… you can imagine the scenario of Prophet’s associates feeling angered for such a blasphemous statement, but the Prophet did something amazing. He asked Hazrat Ali to redo the name as Muhammad son of Abdullah, Ali refused, and most would too, so the prophet erased the part “prophet of God” and had inscribed “son of Abdullah” the deal was signed. (A few Muslims who believe in blasphemy laws need to study this phenomenon)

The point is Prophet respected the otherness of the other, without compromising on the principles, he knew Suhayl ibn Amr did not believe him to be the prophet of God, but believed him to be truthful and trustworthy man, and knew him as Son of Abdullah. The key lesson is to learn to respect the otherness of the other in prophetic tradition. Prophet’s work was mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill.

(Not included in the talk but worth a serious dialogue  among Christians and Muslims about  the persona of Jesus, a source of original conflict between the two groups that began in AD 957 by a Syrian Pastor who declared, “Quran is a false book written by a false prophet” because Jesus is described as a prophet in Quran, and not the God incarnate as written in the Bible – this statement must have been repeated a million times and we held a full blown conference on the topic – The second issue that is the source of conflict between the Jews and Christians was the false, but a propagated notion that Jews were Christ Killers)  


The first interfaith dialogue in the US was established by America’s imam Warith Deen Muhammad, although Ahmadiyya Muslims have taken steps in the direction sine establishing their mission in1929.

This dialogue by no means was an effort to reconcile the differences, or finding convergence, it was merely to begin a process of sharing where we agree, and honestly acknowledging our differences without judgment. The panel has made every effort not to appease any one, but to state their own position politely in a genuine dialogue without ever considering the other opinion to be anything less. It was not an effort to convert the other, but rather our struggle (jihad) to understand each other genuinely. Precedence to this effect was set up by the man himself; Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), some of which I shared last night.
Our esteemed Imams will now establish how to deal with the issue and what makes one a Muslim and who sets the theological boundaries and its impact on generational differences? Is there a need for reform and what should be the focus in building cohesive Societies within and without?

By nature religions are conservative, and hold on to the values passed on for generations. By all means feel free to be yourselves! No need to appease or no need to denigrate the other.

 Please take a minute or less to sum up about your tradition,
Please recite the verse 2:148 and explain what is good work, and what does “God has the power to will anything” mean?

 (Asad) for, every community faces a direction of its own, of which He is the focal point. [123] Vie, therefore, with one another in doing good works. Wherever you may be, God will gather you all unto Himself: for, verily, God has the power to will anything.
What is good work?
What is the key issue that you hear about each one or anyone that makes you think they are less of a Muslim or no Muslim
Panelists can respond if the differences are worth mentioning.

Please explain verse 2:62, once again what does it mean to lead a righteous life?

[2:62] surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the converts; anyone who (1) believes in GOD, and (2) believes in the Last Day, and (3) leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.
What makes one a Muslim and who sets the theological boundaries?

Has living in America affected the outlook and separation of culture and religion? What does the next generation think about these differences?

Dr. Boniuk’s objective was to explore what Muslim organizations are out there that can bring these groups on a common platform. What does it take to heal and to come together and what does it take to create peaceful societies?
Asia Society is working on this objective and what can we do about Asia, where nearly 2/3rds of Muslim live, and nearly 75% of them live under the light of democracy. What are the solutions to what is happening in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Indonesia… about the intra-faith conflict, what needs to be done there?  The Ahmadiyya and Shias are persecuted, harassed and being killed, what does it take to stop it?  

What are you willing to do? What can you do? What each one of the Muslim can do, what are the simple step. (Due to time constraints I did not mention what we are doing – for the last three years during Ramadan, a few of us are visiting Mosque a day to break the fast (Iftaar) without skipping any denomination, and are make an effort to visit different mosques for Friday (Juma) sermons).

For the responses, we will wait for the video and the transcripts, meanwhile, if you the reader have viable answers, please share in the comments section below.

This dialogue is a small step for the Muslim kind, but a giant leap for humanity. I hope it will encourage more dialogue and full day conferences with a single goal; mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill, the theme in every action of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
… The organizers, the Imams, much of the audience I talked with, and I have walked out with the satisfaction of producing a worthwhile dialogue for us to ponder and take the necessary steps to advance conflict mitigation and goodwill nurturence.

r-l: Dr. David Leebron, Laurie Boniuk and Dr. Milton Boniuk
Dr. Zia Shaikh, Moustafa Al-Qazwini, Azhar Haneef, Wazir Ali
Mike Ghouse in the background

Referenced links:

  1. This report - Muslim intrafaith Dialouge
    http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/02/muslims-talk-with-muslims-at-boniuk.html
  2. Houston Chronicle about Intra-faith Dialogue http://www.worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/02/muslim-intra-faith-dialogue-in-houston.html
  3. Rice Center's Report of the event
    http://news.rice.edu/2013/02/22/commonalities-in-focus-at-rare-intrafaith-dialogue-on-islam/ 
  4. Quran on how to conduct civil dialogue
     http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2008/07/sura-kafirun-un-believers.html
  5. Rabbi Gordis on Conducting a dialogue 
    http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/02/religious-dialogue-basics.html

  6. Saudis, Interfaith and Pluralism
    http://pluralismcenter.blogspot.com/2013/01/saudis-interfaith-and-pluralism.html

  7. Warith Deen Muhammad appreciation week in Dallas 
    http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/06/wd-muhammad-appreciation-week-in-dallas.html
  8. Criticism of Prophet, God and Quraan
    http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/11/criticism-of-islam-prophet-muhammad.html
  9. Pluralism Greetings in Chicagohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo3a8wX6SXQ 

  10. Mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill. 
    http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/01/mission-of-world-muslim-congress.html
  11. Standing up for Jews
  12. Ramadan Daily - visiting a Mosque a day for Iftaar
  13. Full blown conference on Qur’an by Non-Muslim Clergyhttp://quraanconference.blogspot.com/2012/12/pastor-robert-jeffress-ignites-quraan.html 
  14. Pluralism Speaker
    http://www.mikeghouse.net/InterfaithSpeaker_MikeGhouse.asp
  15. Muslim Speaker
    http://mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp

  16. My Curriculum Vitae
    http://mikeghouse.net/MikeGhouse-CV-09192012.pdf
      


....... Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, IslamIsraelIndiainterfaith, 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 all his work through many links.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Muslims speak with Muslims

Ken Chitwood of Houston Chronicle asked the following questions about the intra-faith dialogue in Houston and here are my responses to the questions;

INTRA-FAITH DIALOGUE BETWEEN
SUNNI, SHIA, AHMADIYYA AND WD MUHAMMAD DENOMINATIONS 

Describe the outline of the event at the Asia Society. Who will be involved? What is the schedule? What is the format? What is the expected outcome?


PROGRAM OUTLINE:


The Intrafaith Dialogue on Islam is a presentation of Boniuk Center's Bridge-Builder Series to be held at the Asia Society Texas Center,1370 Southmore Blvd, Houston, Texas 77004 on Thursday, Feb. 21st. There will be a reception @ 6:30 P.M. and the event will start at 7:00 P.M. Registration required due to limited seating at - InfoDeskASTC@AsiaSociety.org 


The event will be opened by Mike Pardee, the Executive Director of the Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance; he will introduce the officers of the Boniuk Center, Rice University and Asia Society.

The moderator Mike Ghouse, Religious and Cultural Pluralism Commentator, President of the Foundation for Pluralism and America Together Foundation will take the dialogue forward.  The event will be graced by a panel of four Imams representing four different traditions within Islam.

Imam Azhar Haneef, Vice President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of the US, Silver Spring, Maryland. Imam Wazir Ali, Masjid Warithud-Deen Mohammed and Masjid Al-Qur'an, Houston, Texas. Imam Moustafa al-Qazwini, Founding Director of the Islamic Education Center of Orange County, California, and Imam Dr. Zia Shaikh, Author and resident scholar of the Islamic Center of Irving, Texas.

This is an extraordinary event in the United States, if not the first, it certainly is a rare event of intra-faith dialogue among Muslims. Islam is a universal faith that has embraced every race, ethnicity, language, tradition and culture. Indeed, the Quran opens with gratitude to the lord of the universe and ends addressing the whole humanity as well in the last chapter. Our esteemed Imams will share about how they deal among themselves and with others. What makes one a Muslim and who sets the theological boundaries and its impact on generational differences? Is there a need for reform and what should be the focus in building cohesive Societies within and without?

We will touch upon the dynamics of Muslim societies here in the United States, as it resembles with the interactions within Asian societies. According to the latest Pew Survey 61.7 % of all Muslims reside in Asia and it behooves for the Asia Society to have a model dialogue to understand the dynamics.  Conflict within religious tradition is no news to the Jewish and Christian traditions, but how they accept each other is news.

We hope to close the event by 8:30 including a few questions and answers followed by refreshments for the attendees. Arrangement for nightly prayers called Isha is also made for Muslims who wish to join the prayers.  


WHO WILL BE INVOLVED?

The Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance at Rice “is dedicated to nurturing tolerance among people of all and no faiths, especially youth, and to studying the conditions in which tolerance and intolerance flourish.  Their mission is to understand the conditions that make peaceful coexistence possible and to promote these conditions locally, nationally and throughout the world.”

Asia Society has a similar mission, “?Asia Society is the leading educational organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders and institutions of Asia and the United States in a global context. Across the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, the Society provides insight, generates ideas, and promotes collaboration to address present challenges and create a shared future.”

Together, the Boniuk Center and the Asia Society have facilitated meaningful inter-faith and intra-faith dialogue series to promote understanding from within the diverse family of faiths and with other faiths. Indeed, they have had meaningful dialogue within the Christian and Jewish traditions, and now they are extending the opportunity to the Islamic tradition.  

 OUTCOME

This is a pilot project, first of its kind in the United States. The panelists and the moderator take this responsibility seriously,  and will lay the best possible foundation for future dialogue.

We hope to have consensus on a few issues, and acceptance of difreferences as well. The dialogue will be carried in
 the examples set by Prophet Muhammad, we will learn to respect the otherness of other and accept the uniqueness of each tradition with due respect.


You are a self-described "pluralist." Explain that position in your own words…

A pluralist is someone who respects the otherness of others. Indeed, if we can learn to respect the otherness of others and accepts the God given uniqueness of each one of the seven billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge. In religious terms, pluralism is respecting every which way one appreciates or worships the creator.

Religion is about humility and not arrogance, humility builds bridges to create a better world, whereas arrogance is destructive and generates conflicts and resentment. After all God has not signed a deal with any one behind others back to claim superiority of one belief over the other. The purpose of religion is to bring peace to an individual and live in balance with what surrounds him or her; people and the environment.

My role as a moderator of the event is to facilitate the panelists to respond to the questions asked, and address some of the toughest issues with grace. We need to understand how cultural and generational nuances manifest themselves in various communities; the role of grace, fellowship, and forgiveness in their traditions; the effects of theological differences within family of faiths and if there is a need for reform, and what should be the focus?

 I will be invoking the practices of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in how he dealt with the conflict and refer to the ideals embedded in Chapter 109 of Qur'an that I teach in conducting a civil dialogue. 

Why are you hosting this event?

This event is critical to setting the tone of dialogue among Muslims, and as a pluralist activist Muslim, who regularly interacts, speaks, writes and visits Mosques of every denomination with no prejudice, this is a God-given opportunity for me to moderate this event and I thank Michael Pardee for this opportunity.

I hope to educate, and motivate people in creating a cohesive environment to work, socialize and function effectively, and offer pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

The  deep commitment I have in building cohesive societies, where no human has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the fellow human is matched by my extensive work in inter and Intrafaith.   I have been teaching and conducting workshops on every religion including Atheism, have done 520 hours of radio talk show on every religion, and write weekly at Dallas Morning News and each one of the article weaves through at least three religions in a given article, I write regularly at Huffington post, and many periodical around the world. Additionally I have a strong presence on National and Local TV and Radio media.

My dream is to initiate a course and teach pluralism and co-existence, and a book is in the making as a text. 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.

By the end of 2020, there will not be a major work place in America or 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.
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 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.

 

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.netindexes all his work through many links. 

 
What do you think Asian Muslims have to add to the general conversation regarding Islam in the U.S.? Texas? Globally?

Muslims like all humans are designed to be free; a majority of Muslims live in Asia and nearly 2/3rds of them live in democratic environments. They deeply believe in freedom of speech and pluralistic values taught in Qur'an and the prophet. They grew up in an environment where they interacted, went to school, worked with and inter-married Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and others. Respecting the otherness of others comes naturally to them.

Most Muslims feel Americans live a more Muslim life than Muslims in the Muslim majority nations. The biggest value is the sense of equality and humility imparted in every ritual aspect of Islam, which they see it practiced in America every day, even the president stands in the line to take his (hope her some day) food when he is with our soldiers. Justice is the other most important value to them and they love the American Justice system. 

Muslims have much to contribute to the well being of the United States through the Islam they practice and of course, Texas has one of the largest Muslim populations in the United States.  The Asian Muslims have a great potential to affect the outcomes of the world in shaping pluralism and co-existence. The late Gus Dar of Indonesia, where the largest number of Muslims live, has done remarkable work in Pluralism, and his highness Aga Khan of the Ismaili Muslim community (predominantly Asian) has dedicated a center for pluralism in Canada. In the United States, Dr. Eboo Patel, and I, Mike Ghouse (both Asians) are relentlessly pursuing and nurturing pluralism and its value in building effective societies where no human has to live in apprehension or fear of the other.

 Why is such a conversation as this panel will be having timely?

At this precise juncture in history, the Ahmadiyya Muslims are persecuted in Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh, and the Shia Muslims are harassed and killed in Pakistan daily, and oppressed in Bahrain, Iraq and other places. The Saudis and Iranians are at odds and refer to each other as Shia and Sunni, Ahmedinejad was cautiously received in Egypt, and he was treated as an outsider. These developments are getting worse by the day and there is a need for a way out.


I am glad the Asia Society is living up to its mission, “generates ideas, and promotes collaboration to address present challenges and create a shared future.” Indeed Boniuk center is nurturing tolerance through these dialogues. I thank them for facilitating this. I am deeply committed to pluralism and have been working on it for the last twenty some years and it’s a joy for me to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill. Indeed that is how I have defined the role of Muslims at my other organization; world Muslim Congress.

This dialogue is a small step for the Muslim kind, but a giant leap for humanity. I hope it will encourage more dialogue and full day conferences with a single goal; mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill, the theme in every action of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

I hope this conversation becomes a catalyst for positive changes that the two organizations and the foundation for pluralism and world Muslim congress aspire to achieve.  

......................................

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Valentine Day's interfaith message


VALENTINE DAY'S UNIVERSAL MESSAGE
FOR MY SINGLECOUPLED AND MARRIED FRIENDS

Love has no bounds. Indeed, its a relationship of caring between husband and wife, mother and son, father and daughter, mother daughter, brother sister, brothers, sisters, friends, uncles, aunties, Granpa and Gramma, friends, and any one you care about. Valentine's day has moved from an exclusive rendezvous between two lovers to an universal meaningful expression of caring between any two people, and as a futurist, I see this morphing into a universal affection day within a decade.
Throughout the history of language, words have taken on new and expanded meanings; Valentine's Day is no exception, and eventually, it will become an all inclusive romantic day. 

Please feel free to say happy valentine's day to your sister, mother, brother, daughter, dad, uncle or a friend. It is a much bigger word now than it started out to be. Take them out for dinner and send them flowers to let them know that you care if you are the only one for them at this point in life.

While we Americans express it by presenting red roses to our loved ones, the Filipinos will break another record; the number of people kissing at the same time, Brazil will have another major festival on her beaches celebrating love. You are welcome to share other such expressions.

On the other side of the world, a few frustrated ones will go to the other extreme. A handful of Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshi Hindus and Muslims will go on bashing and harassing the people who want to spend their time in peace. They ransack shops that sell the cards, and have a record of beating up couples in restaurants. If I were a peacemaker, pundit or an Imam, I would actively seek these men to respect the otherness of others, and ask them to join for tea and laddus (dessert) at the
 Temples, Mosques or other places of worship and have them fall in love with God,  and sing songs praising the lord, instead of bullying others on the street. We need to pave the way for people to respect the "otherness" of others.

Sadly, some of you are going to feel lonely, if you miss the love in your life; you have an opportunity to fulfill it. There is plenty in you that you can give by feeding the homeless, visiting lonely patients in the hospitals or nursing homes, disadvantaged women and children, our veterans... share whatever little you have with them including the time and just listening to them. When a homeless person asks, give whatever you can, that is the most affectionate thing to do, you will enrich yourselves far greater by sharing.

The best thing you can do for yourselves it to take an hour away from every one, and reflect on your life without blaming any one and figure out how to change it. Your love does not have to be expressed in the romantic sense, channel it out with family members, or a good old friend, or just by yourselves by caring for them, and doing things un-asked, and without any expectations of reciprocation.

There is nothing more peaceful than knowing yourselves, consider appreciating what ever you have, and accepting the way you are without wishing to be something and someone else. You don't need to compare with any one on the earth, there is none like you, you are one in 7 billion; you have your own unique thumb print, eye print, dna, taste bud, colors, foods, smells, sights... by God, you are your own model! When you accept that you are unique with your problems and joy, you will find peace and love.
When you love yourselves, i.e., you do not wish you had things others have but be content with what you have, you do not wish to look like someone else and be happy that you can at least breathe, you do not wish to wear like someone else, you do not want to talk like some one else, and do not want to live like some one else, then you have accepted your uniqueness that God gave you (ok, the genetic, if you don't believe in God), when you do that, you are in love with yourselves.

Don't forget, if your love makes you humble, you become the honey and attract good friendships, on the other hand if you become arrogant that others are inferior to you, you stink, and repel like hell and no one would want to be friends with you.
Make the commitment and just do it, if you like it recommend it to your friends.

If you are not single and have a spouse, listen to these songs and see if they express you.

I dedicate these three songs to Yasmeen, my dear wife.

Kenny Roger's, you decorated my life: I particularly like the line which says, there is no rhyme or reason that is what love is all about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJkPFSt326c

Ronnie Milsap's, what a difference you made in my life,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ni1WPGEZtg&feature=fvst

Muhammad Rafi's ai Husn Zara Jaag in Urdu/ Hindi,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_qGtHjM6Oc

and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's, aap say mil kay in Urdu/Hindi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixRn65ImoRQ

My expressions would be incomplete without honoring the poet of love, Mirza Ghalib, one of the greatest romantic poets of all times who composed his poetry in Urdu/Hindi and Farsi.

Ishk per zor nahin, hai a o aatish ghalib
Ke lagaye na lege, bujhaye no bujhe.

Affection is that flame O Ghalib,
you cannot lit or extinguish it deliberately,  it just happens.


There is a beautiful Hindi/ Urdu song for the people who are platonic friends, it is one of my top ten favorites! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9oufp_mc30

I have seen the twinkle in those eyes,
let love remain love, and not give a name to it,
leave it alone and don't label a relationship to it,



Happy Valentine's Day.


....... 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 all his work through many links.  

Friday, February 8, 2013

Ghouse knocks down Pamela Geller on Hannity Show

Indeed, it was a knock down drag out with dissembler Pamela Geller. Sean Hannity asked me to cut down on expletives, an unusual for me.
I just read Pamela Geller’s note on her blog, “I will be on the Sean Hannity radio show at the top of the hour (4pm) for a knock down drag out with dissembler Michael Ghouse. http://www.wsbradio.com/s/inside/seanhannity/  and http://www.hannity.com/show/2013/02/07


We argued over the word Jihad. The word was used for the first time when Prophet Muhammad’s army came home from a victorious war.  The associates asked him, what next? The prophet said, the greater Jihad begins now. The "greater jihad" is the inner struggle to hold on to the temptations to take revenge, or oppress the captured. Instead, he taught one to be humble, and be charitable and kind to them. However the meaning of the Jihad was screwed up around the 10th century to mean war on non-Muslims.

Pamela was belligerent and going on and on, that’s when I got to her. I guess this must be a first time on Hannity show. I told her “Pamela, first, you did not listen to what I said - that is the screwed up meaning of Jihad, that was an add on, and not Qur’anic or Islamic, you did not hear me, that it was in the middle ages that it was added, and unfortunately it is believed by many Muslims.”

Secondly, we are having a dialogue here, you tell a point and cut it out and I will do the same, you got this non-sense memorized and rolling it on, breath in between your sentences, let it be a dialogue… there was a dead moment, and I realized, that was the right thing for me to do. Thanks Hannity for letting it pass, I am glad he did, otherwise neither will make the points.

Then I laid it on her that she is robbing the American public by not telling the whole truth. In Islam, there is no offensive war, per Islam no Muslim can wage a war, unless in self-defense, all else about Jihad is non-sense.

An another point, although I do not like Ahmedinejad’s loose mouth, he did not say to wipe out Israel, he said to wipe out Zionism and not Israel… of course; it was over loud conversation between Pamela and I.

I am against supplying F-16 fighter planes to Egypt.  What is it for? The only possible enemy Egypt has is Israel, and Masri has said he will continue to honor the peace accord. This is the dumbest thing we are doing to supply them with arms.

Hagel should be confirmed for Secretary of Defense, for a change we need someone who is not a damn war monger.

John Brennan - He needs to clarify about the operations of drone, we are creating more ill-will through our indiscriminate killing of the innocents.


Reference points

http://www.hannity.com/show/2013/02/07

http://frontpagemag.com/2013/joseph-klein/the-emerging-egyptian-iranian-strategic-alliance/

Ahmadinejad warned, “The Iranian people are ready to march on Israel to destroy it if it launches an attack adventure against Iran.”

and feeling encircled by hostile governments in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other Gulf states, the Iranian regime is looking for a new dance partner.

Moreover, Egypt has to walk a tightrope in its relationship with the United States if it wants to receive billions of dollars in financial aid and advanced weapons such as F-16s to build up its military. On the other hand, Morsi sees some leverage in hedging his bets and keeping the U.S. on edge as to just how far Egypt is willing to go in pursuing deeper ties with Iran.

Second, while Egypt may not formally break diplomatic relations with Israel and withdraw from the Camp David peace treaty in the foreseeable future, it can revert to a cold peace and allow Iranian arms to transit the Sinai on the way to Hamas in Gaza.

Ayotallah Khameini

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/08/world/middleeast/irans-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khameini-rejects-direct-talks-with-us.html?_r=0

The ayatollah’s objection is an edict to which other Iranian officials, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, must adhere,

“The Iranian nation will not negotiate under pressure,” he said. Noting the international sanctions against Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “The U.S. is pointing a gun at Iran and wants us to talk to them. The Iranian nation will not be intimidated by these actions.”

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/fischer-a-no-on-hagel-he-fell-short-87310.html

Sen. Deb Fischer will not support her fellow Nebraskan, former Sen. Chuck Hagel, for Defense Secretary, she wrote in an op-ed published Thursday.

“Sen. Hagel had a chance to clear the record and address bipartisan, well-intentioned concerns,” Fischer (R-Neb.) wrote for the Omaha World-Herald, referencing the former Republican senator’s performance in confirmation hearings last week. “He fell short, consequently failing to reach the heightened standard to which nominees to this position are held. I cannot support his nomination.”

John Brennan

 Brennan, 57, was expected to be examined closely about U.S. spy activities from waterboarding to the use of drones at the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, scheduled for 2:30 p.m. EST/1930 GMT.

Even so, there has been no groundswell of objection to Brennan's nomination, and he was expected to win confirmation from both the panel and, later by the full U.S. Senate.

Brennan is Obama's counterterrorism adviser and was a top CIA official under former President George W. Bush.

The biggest concerns about the nominee have come from liberal Democrats, not the conservative Republicans whose reservations about Obama's nominee to head the Pentagon, Chuck Hagel, prompted a delay in the vote to confirm the former Republican senator.

Senator Ron Wyden, a Democratic member of the intelligence committee who has pledged to press Brennan on drones, said in television interviews on Thursday he was encouraged by Obama's to provide classified documents, but that more action is needed.


Senate Committee Postpones Vote on Hagel Nomination

The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) decided to postpone its tentatively planned markup of Chuck Hagel's nomination to be Secretary of Defense.

SASC was planning to vote on the nomination today, but committee chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) decided to delay action saying that the committee's review was not complete.

Although he did not reference it, several media sources report that more than two dozen Republicans wrote Levin calling for more time to review Hagel's financial records, which they argue are incomplete.  Politico quotes a passage from the letter where questions are raised by the Republicans about whether Hagel was paid "directly or indirectly, from foreign sources" in relation to speeches or consulting work.  Hagel reportedly had been asked about this previously and replied that the financial information requested "regarding private corporate and non-profit entities ... is not mine to provide. ...I do not believe I have any of the information requested," according to Politico.

....

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.