American Muslims condemn the attacks targeting Christians by the Taliban�s on the auspicious day of Easter in Lahore, Pakistan.

PRESS RELEASE

American Muslim Institution
Contact:  Mike Ghouse (214) 325-1916
Mike@AmericanMuslimInstitution.org
www.AmericanMuslimInstitution.org

American Muslims condemn attack targeting Christians by the Taliban on the auspicious day of Easter in Lahore, Pakistan.  

Washington, DC, March 28, 2016 � Reuters News reports that at least 65 people were killed and 300 were wounded in a suicide bombing attack that targeted Christians on the auspicious day of Easter in the City of Lahore, Pakistan.  Taliban groups that once had ties with Daesh claimed responsibility.  

While we applaud the efforts of the Government of Pakistan to hunt down terrorists, we appeal to the Pakistanis religious leaders to reach out and counsel misguided individuals and groups.  We have an obligation to restore peace on earth in the name of the prophet, who is a mercy to fellow humans.  

We condemn all acts of terrorism unconditionally, and our hearts go out to the families of the victims and their loved ones.  We pray with our hearts, souls and minds, asking God to guide us all to restore peace and a sense of security, especially to minorities among us.

We people of different faiths, races, and ethnicities must come together and remain united against terrorists who seek to tear us apart.

American Muslim Institution is the proactive voice for Muslims in America and we are committed to contributing towards building pluralistic societies. 

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Being a Muslim by Amna Hashmi

Indeed, Amna represents many a Muslims, I wonder if it is not a majority of the Muslims. Ray Hanania, my Christian-Jewish Lebanese American friend calls himself a Cultural Muslim, as his life style revolves around Muslims, he acts like one and talks like one,  as I can call myself a cultural Hindu who talks like one and acts like one.

We can see ourselves as ritual Muslims, spiritual Muslims, Sufi Muslims, Atheist Muslims and a whole lot of other templates that comfortably fit one or the other in the universe of 1.5 Billion Muslims. 

Mike Ghouse
American Muslim Institution.
# # #

I�m Muslim because I say I am, and I�m right where I belong.

by AMNA H. HASHMI Feb 25, 2016 

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Earlier this month, President Obama officially visited a mosque for the first time during his tenure. Specifically, he visited my childhood mosque, the Islamic Society of Baltimore. Tucked away on a quiet, tree-lined street, the collection of buildings served as the site of my family's yearly prayer outing on Eid, the holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. On Eid, I�d don a garishly colorful yet elegant shalwar kameez, eat the traditional sweet noodles called seviyan for breakfast, and eagerly await the end of prayers so that I could ricochet from house to house, collecting presents along the way.

Upon arriving at the ISB, the men and women would shuffle to their separate entrances, guided by their gender. Knowing that I would forget the exact cubby I had placed my shoes, my mom would hide them in a discreet corner rather than leave them in the vast pile that had already formed. As we knelt down on white sheets, I would peek from underneath my headscarf, making sure that I had followed the motions correctly and hoping to survey the motley crew; I was fascinated by women wearing unfamiliar African dashikis. On the car ride home, my mom would inevitably lament what she considered the subpar physical placement of women in the mosque, decrying the arrangement as unequal.

These memories are hard to grasp. As I got older, praying at the mosque on Eid no longer seemed to justify missing a day of school. Last summer, a phone call with my parents sufficed as an Eid celebration as I ate dinner alone in a dorm, having returned from a day's work before my roommates.

I don't pray five times a day. I don't fast during Ramadan. I don't wear a hijab. I definitely don't follow all the "rules" associated with being Muslim. When asked why I don't eat pork, I respond that it's out of habit from growing up in a Muslim family, because I honestly cannot claim this dietary restriction on religious grounds, given the aforementioned "don'ts." In this way, being Muslim does not significantly impact my quotidian routine, and I display no signs of my Muslim background that would be visible to others.

Calling myself a Muslim has always been complicated by the knowledge that I would not be considered one by many who adhere more strictly to Islam, who might see my behaviors as heretic. Still, I�ve been privileged to have a family that emphasizes faith and spirituality over �rules,� and so I have never had to truly worry about my religiosity being deemed insufficient.

That evening, the tears on my cheeks surprised me as I watched a video of President Obama deliver his address. He said, "If you�re ever wondering whether you fit in here, let me say it as clearly as I can, as President of the United States: You fit in here, right here. You�re right where you belong. You�re part of America, too. You�re not Muslim or American. You�re Muslim and American."

How incongruous for someone like me, who did not think she was particularly conflicted about her identity, to blubber and weep solitarily in a Winthrop dorm room, viewing a speech through a screen a few weeks after the fact, simply because I was told that I belonged? That I fit in? That I have a home? While the feeling of wanting to belong might be universal, the complete gratitude that I felt simply for being recognized suggested that I had experienced a discord deeper than I had realized.

If Obama�s words struck such a chord with me, I can only imagine what they must have meant to those who have been targeted, victimized, dehumanized, or otherwise treated like second-class citizens for peacefully practicing their religion. Like all religions, Islam includes a spectrum of followers, and those who practice differently than I do don�t warrant the bigotry and intimidation cast their way. To worshippers in California whose mosque was intentionally set on fire, to the Somali restaurant owner in North Dakota, whose building was defaced with swastikas and the words �go home,� and to the doctor whose brother and sister-in-law were killed in an attack in North Carolina, this proclamation from the highest-elected American must have provided the ultimate validation of their identity. Obama�s words seemed to validate my identity, too.

The speech comes at a time when some presidential candidates seriously campaign on platforms banning all Muslim travel to this country, when many scapegoat Muslims for the perceived ills of America�blinkered rhetoric that equates the appalling, deplorable acts of terrorists with an entire religious group. Such rhetoric suggests fear more than it does anger. Unfortunately, though, a skilled demagogue can easily convert that fear into anger. When the vast majority of Americans cannot name a Muslim friend, fearing Muslims entails fearing the unknown.

My name carries an Islamic legacy, for Prophet Muhammad's mother was named Amna, and Hashmi comes from Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, the Prophet�s great-grandfather. I cannot disassociate from my Muslim background, nor do I want to. I�m grateful for the web of Pakistani, Muslim families whose common past engenders uncommon friendships in a newfound homeland. I�m grateful for my khalas, my parents� friends who are granted the title of aunts and uncles despite not having any blood relation to us. I�m grateful for the moment when all the Eid presents are gathered next to the fireplace, and an aunt calls up a child one at a time to collect her haul. This collection of moments centered on love, humility, generosity, and tradition define being Muslim to me, perhaps more so than when I finished reading the 30 books of the Quran in Arabic or circled the Kaaba in a pilgrimage to Mecca.

There are legitimate concerns over the growing radicalization of Islam, and I cannot pretend to know the solution either to extremism or to Islamophobia. But I�m Muslim because I say I am, and I�m right where I belong.

Holiday readings on Christmas day and Milad-un-Nabi

I am pleased to share a few notes for your joyful reading on this auspicious day, when more than half of the world population is praising two men who brought the message of peace to the world, and who wanted the world to live in harmony and balance between each other and their environment. 

1. Holiday Reading

2. Joan and Katherine made my day
3. What is Pluralism?

4. Invitation to a historic event

5. How can you help?

 

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The current world population is 7.3 Billion,  and the Christians and Muslims together add up to 3.9 Billion (2.2 Billion Christians and 1.7 billion Muslims ). God places a huge responsibility on our shoulders to keep the world intact, they way he created, with all elements of the creation functioning together cohesively. We have an obligation to create safe and secure societies for all of us, every human, where everyone minds his own unique life (be it social, cultural, spiritual or religious) but yet nurtures the connectivity of all beings. At American Muslim Institution, we take this responsibility seriously and will take the initiatives to forge the ideals of one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. We are committed to a cohesive and safe America for everyone. 

To understand a cohesive world, our bodies are an example. Each organ of our body system is interconnected, and the heart, brain, kidneys, lungs, liver, stomach and anus are all coded to work with each other, no organ is superior to the other and all are equally partners in our system.  If one element malfunctions, or loses its balance, it will affect the normal functioning of all. That is how God created a cohesive universe, and the cohesive planet earth, where life, matter and environment function together in balance.  If we lose any balance, we mess up our own safeness. 

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

Both Jesus and Muhammad created a vision of such a cohesive world in the form of heaven, where every soul would live in eternal bliss, a conflict free zone, living their own bliss and letting others live theirs.  This vision is expressed in the form of Pluralism, an attitude of respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God given uniqueness of each one of us, and when we reach that level of integrity in our attitudes,  conflicts fade and solutions emerge,  and that was their vision.  

I call Jesus, the first pluralist in the world and Muhammad the second one sequentially. Indeed, both the men were (are) a mercy to mankind.  Neither of them was needed, if the world was created to be 100% perfect, the world is indeed built-in with 1/10^th of 1% of extremity or anomaly, that is capable of messing the balance of the entire 99 - 9/10^th of the world. One embraced the diversity of God�s creation and the other prayed for the ignorance embedded within others.  Together they offered solutions to restore the world through forgiveness, humility, kindness, justness and acceptance of the otherness of others.

The other half of the population is guided by great men like Zarathustra,  Moses,  Krishna, Rama, Buddha, Confucius, Mahavir, Nanak, Bahaullah and a host of others from the native and earth based traditions including those who do not believe in a defined God, but advocate creating balance in the society.  All of spiritual masters taught us to be kind and gentle to the fringe among us.  Each one of them taught to respect the sanctity of life.  A majority of us get that right and the fringe among us don�t, and it is our duty to include them kindly and gently to be a part of the norm as Jesus did.    

Joan and Katherine made my day!

While driving to Staples this morning to pick up the banner for the event on Saturday, I got a call from a Katherine, she seemed so happy about the joint birth celebration of Jesus and Muhammad (pbuh)  that I had to pull over to listen to her sentiments and what a joy it was to hear her out.  She said, she sees hope, when the people of two of the largest religions come together to create harmony in the world. She was full of praise for Rizwan Jaka, the chairman of the board of trustees for ADAMS center.  It was indeed a joy to know the work of Rizwan and his entire team at ADAMS center in creating such a cohesive environment. 

I reached Staples, and had to wait, while waiting, I opened the email, the first one was from Joan Greenbaum, and it read, �And thank you for the invitation and honor to be a part of the Season of Peace celebration.  My hope is that the celebrations of the births of these two men, who were instrumental in teaching all of us about peace and humanity, will remind those who have lost sight of our shared heritage, that we are all children of God.  And remind them that we want a civil society that values all.�

Both of them made my day! They were good positive voices and notes. I was excited and had to call in my friends, as many as I can, including  Ambassador Islam Siddiqui and Dr. Aquilur Rahman, President and Chairman of AMI respectively, and who inspire me to do more, but then I did not call other friends as I got tied up on the phone. Thanks to my board of Directors at AMI who encourage me and are committed to a beautiful America.

There is more! The Muslim community in Washington, DC has done a great job in building relationship with members of the families of faiths. As we have done in Dallas with so many events from the Foundation for Pluralism, America Together Foundation, Irving Mosque, The Islamic Center of Richardson and others. Louisville Kentucky has also set a great example, and the Phoenix people have set a record in turning hostility into friendliness with the armed protesters. 

Indeed, we are doing the right things; we need to continue doing them as the work is not a match for the gravity of the negativity out there.  That negativity can be minimized by doing more interfaith understanding. 

I appeal to those few Muslims among us to seriously look at the larger picture and examples of the prophet and his work.  He was the first man in the universe to conduct interfaith dialogue, right in his Mosque; this is a great Sunnah we need to follow.  He was Amin (a great citizen who is trust worthy, truthful, just, and kind with no barriers between him and God�s creation) first, and that is what we have to work on, to be the Amins, the great citizens of this nation,  and all else will fall in its place.  

Thank God, over the last 22 years, I am blessed to have written over 3000 articles, and ahve given innumerable talks. Of them, 1000 were on every aspect of Islam, a thousand on politics, foreign policy, sports, movies, personalities etc and a 1000 about Pluralism.  I am also blessed to have many friends from every faith (including Atheists) cultural, social and racial and ethnic traditions.  

What is Pluralism? 

We have crystallized the definition of pluralism to, �respecting the otherness of the others and accepting the uniqueness of each one of us�. Pluralism is nothing but an attitude of live and let live, and it is applicable in every aspect of life including culture, society, religion, politics, gender, food, ethnicity, race and other uniqueness�s.

By the end of 2020, there will not be a major city in America, and perhaps in the world, 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.  If you live amidst others, you must also respect the otherness of others, as you expect them to do the same for you.
You are who you are, and I am who I am. As long as we don't mess with each other�s space, sustenance and nurturence, and mind our own business, we all will do well.  If we can learn to respect the otherness of other and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of the seven billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge. 

You are responsible for other�s actions but your own. Internally it will burn you inside; externally you�ll be punished by the society. No one but you should be blamed for your actions. If you murder someone, it�s you, who needs to be hauled off, not your parents, spouse, siblings, or your children. If you are a rapist, it is you who needs to be punished and not your teacher, mayor, congressman, senator, imam, pastor, pundit, rabbi, shaman, clergy, Quran, Bible, Torah, Avesta, Bhagvad Gita, Guru Granth Saheb, Kitab al Muqaddas and other holy books of any religion for that matter.

Pluralism is not a set of rules, it is simply an attitude of live and let live religiously, politically, culturally and socially.  We are committed to building cohesive societies, where no human has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of a fellow being.

Invitation

"To a historic event"

It is for the first time in history of Christianity and Islam, that Muslims and Christians are celebrating the birth of Jesus and Prophet Muhammad on the yet another historic place; the steps of Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.  

Saturday, December 26, 2015 at 1:00 PM

Enjoy the Christmas Carols & Milad Nasheeds
Bring your own chair and an umbrella

Parking - Road side public parking subject to availability.

Rail and Bus - The nearest metro stations are Foggy Bottom (23rd St. & I St. NW) and Smithsonian (12th St. &Independence Ave. SW). The Circulator Bus also runs to the Lincoln Memorial along Independence directly from the Union Station.

EVENT IS FREE, BUT PLEASE REGISTER AT:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/merry-christmas-milad-mubarak-tickets-20040393356

Its an interfaith event supported by many organizations.
Details at: http://americanmusliminstitution.blogspot.com/2015/12/season-of-peace-joint-celebration-of.html

Latest Press Release: http://americanmusliminstitution.blogspot.com/2015/12/press-release-first-time-in-history.html

How can you help? 

1. First attend the event on Saturday and invite your friends to join.
2. Write a heart felt note, why is it necessary to know each other**
3. Depending on the time, I may record your 1 Minute speech as a feed back of the event.

4. Donate if you can.

We have a lot more work to do to build a cohesive America where no American has to live in apprehension or fear of the other. To do this work, takes money, and we invite you to seriously your tax deductible donations to American Muslim Institution, 110 Maryland Av, NE, Suite 508, Washington, DC 2002.

Link to this note, if you would like to share.  http://americanmusliminstitution.blogspot.com/2015/12/holiday-readings-on-christmas-day-and.html

God bless you and God bless America. 

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If you wish to read more about these two guys:

• Celebrating Prophet Muhammad's birthday
  http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2015/12/celebrating-prophet-muhammads-birthday.html

• How I Connect With Prophet Muhammad -  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/how-i-connect-with-prophet-muhammad_b_2547782.html

• Interfaith Christmas �Making God boundless  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/interfaith-christmas-making-god-boundless_b_2347856.html

• The 1444th Birth Celebration of Prophet Muhammad -http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/festivals-of-the-world-mi_b_4579452.html 

• A Muslim's Christmas -http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2015/12/texas-faith-when-baby-jesus-meets-neiman-marcus.html/ 

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, news maker, and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, human rights, India, Israel-Palestine Terrorism and foreign policy. Over 3000 Articles have been published on the subjects. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and bulk of his writings are at TheGhousediary.com

** send the note to MikeGhouse@aol.com 

Mike Ghouse on Bryan Blue's Radio Show about Trump's Muslim Ban

TRUMPS� MUSLIM BAN

Trump's proposed ban on Muslims, Keeping America safe from radical Muslims, Is Islam a violent religion? 

I will be on Bryan Blue�s Syndicated Radio Show on Friday 10 PM and will be repeated on Monday at 7 AM. I have been on several Radio stations and Tv Stations on Trump's bigotry.

Hosted by:  Bryan Blue and Jamie Kinser-Knight

Guests: Danny Coulson FBI and Mike Ghouse with AMI (American Muslim Institution)

KFTW Fort Worth, TX 97.5 Mondays @ 7am & Fridays @ 10pm

KNNK Amarillo, TX 100.5FM Sundays @ 12pm Noon

KDAV Lubbock, TX 1590 AM Saturdays @ 12pm Noon

KVOP Plainview, TX 1090 AM Saturdays @ 12pm Noon

WUKB Lexington, KY 103.5FM and 1480AM Saturdays & Sundays @ 3PM

KOTO Telluride, CO 91.7FM Varies

WDNG Anniston, AL 1450AM Saturdays @ 10am

---------------------- Here are some of my talking points; ... so they are not constructed as an essay.

Let�s keep America great forever!

It is disappointing to hear the uncouth rhetoric from the presidential candidate, Donald Trump.

The role of the President is to keep America safe from outside forces and internal conflicts, and to help Americans achieve in their pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.

Mr. Trump has trampled on the very fundamental values of our immortal declaration,   �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 very first amendment guarantees its citizens the freedom of religion and states, �Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof� there is absolutely no religious test to be given to anyone, but Mr. Trump wants to give religious tests to those who want to enter the United States, is he going against what America stands for?

Is Mr. Trump a traitor for violating our constitution?

No, he is not; the beauty of our land is, we allow freedom of speech to everyone, and that is the inalienable right of Americans.  If that freedom allows one to yell fire in a theater and cause mishaps and deaths, the utterer is responsible for such losses.

There is an old saying �evil exists in the world, because good people do nothing about it.� Indeed, it is shocking to see the support Trump is receiving from the cesspool of a small percent of Republicans. The same goes to the other bigot Carson, who is what he is today because of the equal rights and civil rights act and he wants to violate them as well.

Mr. Trump is an ungrateful man; he forgets that many of men and women who have served him or his management and staff are Muslims among Indians, who are Doctors, Engineers, Architects and Managers in managing and sustaining his empire.  Mr. Trump forgets that the cell phone he uses was the invention of the son of a Muslim immigrant, the extensive business he has set up in Dubai is with Muslims, the ones he does not want to enter America.

The brunt of his rhetoric and subsequent actions will be borne by average middle class Americans, not him, absolutely not him or his ilk but the Americans. What if Russians see this opportunity and offer all the Muslim nations to supply arms, grains, and technology? Nearly fourth of our employment in the US is based on dealings with the Muslim majority nations. God forbid if Trump were to be the president, Americans are screwed.


I have full faith in American constitution, and trust the majority of my fellow Americans to have the moral integrity to do what is right, and that is to speak out against disruptive, divisive rhetoric.  I am proud of America, my fellow Americans who are Republicans, are finally coming to the point to say, we had enough of this bull and start condemning evil. I appreciate the leadership of Senator Lindsey Graham, not only did he tell Trump to �go to hell,� he also articulated the need to be morally right and not worry about the consequences in politics.

Just look at our record, we have never nominated an extremist as a presidential candidate who was hell bent on pitting one Americans against the other and messing with the character of our nation. Never!

Trump will be dumped or the Republicans stand to lose.  Look at the election mathematics � Obama won over Romney 51-49% of the votes. In November 2000, Bush received 50, 456, 002 votes against Gore�s 50,999, 897 Votes but won the election by 5 electoral votes 271 V 266.

In a 2012 people survey by Pew research, 35% of registered voters identify with Democratic Party, 28% with Republicans and 33% as independents.  The current number may be different, but the point is the importance of independent voters, who can tilt the results either way.  Almost the entire conservative and supremacist vote goes to the Republicans, that leave the tilting votes in the hands of immigrants who are Hispanic, Muslims, and others, add to that Jewish vote for Democrats.

As an American Muslim, who revere�s America�s constitution on par with all the holy books including Quran, which places the greatest value on human rights, dignity, individualism, and accountability of individual�s actions towards building a cohesive society, I cherish the checks and balances built in our constitution.

I believe we need to seriously consider placing our loyalty to America over loyalty to the party. We need to develop a system where we can shape the majority in the Senate and Congress to each party and not the same party, and work on giving them simple majority. It will allow serious debates on the issues and prevent slam dunking the bills.  Indeed, most of the bad things that have happened in America can be attributed to big majorities for the same party in both the houses. It has to be on our minds.

�Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.� and we have to exercise that consent now.

I am confident; Americans at large will dump this man.

Let�s keep America great forever! 

# # #

Role of Muslims in America.

It is the responsibility of all Americans to help law enforcement officials in maintaining law and order and to assure the safety of every citizen. It is the duty of all of us to fight against radicalization through education and community engagement and work on promoting peace and harmony.

Muslims have consistently stood up against extremism and radicalism.

Some of the steps we have taken to counter terrorism:

1.  A small step for Muslims, but a giant leap for America.http://americanmusliminstitution.blogspot.com/2015/11/a-small-step-for-muslims-but-giant-leap.html

2.  Evil exists because good people do nothing about it, as Good Muslims we are condemning the ISIS and Terrorist. This is the first time; Muslims have demonstrated against Terrorism 20 seconds video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I-cjFMth-E

3.  This item has captured the essence of demonstrations on the steps of Lincoln Memorialhttp://www.viewsnews.net/2015/11/21/american-muslims-condemn-isis-terrorism/

4.  This press release is about the San Bernardino Mass shooting
http://americanmusliminstitution.blogspot.com/2015/12/loss-of-life-in-san-bernardino-is.html

5. Meeting with Ben Carson http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2015/10/meeting-dr-ben-carson-mike-ghouse.html

 As American Muslims we have a greater responsibility in countering radicalization and violent extremism.   

We are countering one of the most difficult times in the last thirty plus years.  The San Bernardino mass shooting coupled with presidential candidate Donald Trump�s rhetoric has ratcheted the apprehensions, and there are some who are adding fuel to the fire.

Muslims across the nations are going through serious soul searching and meeting every place and in every city.  The situation is severe.

We have a responsibility to bring comfort to the frightened ones, and seriously participate in shaping a secure and safe America for every American. 

We have bad apples, but they are proportionate to our population.  We need to take concrete steps to bring positive changes but not excessive reactions.  

About me:Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, news maker, and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, human rights, India, Israel-PalestineTerrorism and foreign policy. Over 3000 Articles have been published on the subjects. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and bulk of his writings are at TheGhousediary.com

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

Muslim Speaker - http://mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp

Pluralism Speaker - http://www.mikeghouse.net/InterfaithSpeaker_MikeGhouse.asp

Voice of a Moderate Muslim http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-voice-of-moderate-islam-in-america.html  (Many links are in this piece)

My 9/11 Story - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2014/09/911-my-personal-journey-from-2001.html

Google Profile � Nearly 12 Million viewshttps://plus.google.com/108969690090944956820/about

My name is Mike Ghouse: http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-name-is-mike-ghouse.html 

FBI's Run, Hide and Fight training program at Adams Center

Sterling, VA, Friday, December 11, 2015 -- America continues to be the greatest nation on the earth, safety of her citizens is institutionalized and is taken seriously. It was a saddening as well as joyous to sit in the class of teachers listening to the orientation from FBI Agent Peter, along with Craig and Sara.

I am saddened because of the preparation we have to go through to be safe, particularly safety of our children. I was joyous that our system of governance has ingrained safety in our hearts and minds and has built an enduring system to take care of our citizens. 

Despite what a few politicians on the fringe say, the majority of America cares for their fellow citizens.

I wanted to make two comments during the orientation, but chose not to, as the class was not meant for me, it was for women teachers,   and I was the only guy in the class of some 40 women, besides two guy instructors and the Safety officer of the Mosque.

It was a joy to see the positive interaction between the agents and the class room, as teachers they were ready to learn what it takes to protect the children in their class rooms.

The program is called Run, Hide and or Fight.

Per the FBI studies, there were a total of 160 shootings between 2000 and 2013 of which 15% of shootings were at K thru 12, and 10% at colleges.  All but two were lone gun men, and the whole nightmare lasted for 5 minutes and 50% of time the shooter was neutralized.

It was an excellent program and needs to be replicated across the nation.  I just heard the Louisville Mosques are doing this, and will check in other Cities, or please update me.

First of all, a majority of them seemed immigrant Americans while there were born Americans as well. We come from nations, where it is a no-no to even talk with the police and intelligence community, only those who have a problem are in touch with them, that is not the case here. The Law enforcement agencies are community friendly, they are here to protect and safeguard the interests of fellow citizens.  This message needs to be given repeatedly, as a few among us still do not trust the police and law enforcement people. This has to change. 

Secondly, I am writing this note as a Muslim and staff of the American Muslim Institution to share it with others. If you can share about the availability of the program, it would be appreciated.

What can be improved?

At 3:35 PM, while the training was on, someone walked in and announced to the agent to give a break for 5 minutes for prayers.  I am sure the intellectual Imams like Imam Magid will talk about this. If you have a program that involves non-Muslims, plan it around the prayers or do the prayer earlier or later as Islam allows necessary accommodation.  I was with a professor two days ago, he was telling me a story from Chicago, where they were working with a very tight time, and the Muslims just walked out of the meeting to pray. I have written a full story about it happening during the Unity Day in 2005 and how it was misunderstood until; it was clarified and put it to rest. This is an issue we need to address.

Thank you,

Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916
Executive Director
www.AmericanMuslimInstitution.org 
A proactive voice for American Muslims
110 Maryland Av, NE, Suite 508
Washington, DC 20002-5606


Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, news maker, and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics,human rights, India, Israel-Palestine and foreign policy. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and bulk of his writings are at TheGhousediary.com   

American Muslims stand with the U.S. President on Countering radicalization of Muslims

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916 � text or talk
Mike@AmericanMuslimInstitution.org
www.AmericanMuslimInstitution.org 

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American Muslims stand with the U.S. President on Countering radicalization of Muslims

Washington, D.C., December 7, 2015 � The San Bernardino mass shooting and the horrific loss of life and injuries last week have prompted serious soul searching among Muslims across the nation about the causes of home grown radicalization and how to counter it.

We stand with the President and his plans to eliminate the vicious ideology of Daesh, also known as ISIS.  �We agree with President Obama that ISIS does not speak for Islam, and American Muslims unequivocally reject ISIS� hateful and misguided ideology� stated Ambassador Islam A. Siddiqui, President of American Muslim Institution.

While we mourn the deaths of fellow Americans in the 355 mass shootings this year, we particularly mourn the loss of life and resulting injuries in the San Bernardino mass shooting,  because a Muslim and his wife were responsible for the mass murder.   

It is the responsibility of all Americans to help law enforcement officials in maintaining law and order and to assure the safety of every citizen. It is the duty of all of us to fight against radicalization through education and community engagement and work on promoting peace and harmony.  As American Muslims we have a greater responsibility in countering radicalization and violent extremism.  

# # # https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/12/05/president-obama-addresses-nation-keeping-american-people-safe

Loss of life in San Bernardino is unequivocally condemned by Muslims.

PRESS RELEASE 

American Muslim Institution
Contact:  Mike Ghouse (214) 325-1916Mike@AmericanMuslimInstitution.org www.AmericanMuslimInstitution.org

Loss of life in San Bernardino is unequivocally condemned by Muslims.

Washington, DC, December 3, 2015 � Our hearts go out to the families of the victims and their loved ones, 14 people have lost their lives to senseless violence and another 17 are seriously injured. We pray with our hearts, souls and minds, asking God to guide us all to restore peace and sanity.

American Muslims condemns this violent crime and urge the law enforcement agencies to track down all possible links to these violent acts, if any.

It is time for the law enforcement officials to investigate the backgrounds of the suspected individuals to understand the sources and causes for their violent and criminal behavior, as it is a serious breach of security and to take corrective measures.

As fellow Americans and fellow Muslims, it is our duty and collective responsibility to keep law and order and faithfully guard the safety of every citizen. Hate is one of the many sources of disrupting the peace in a society and it is the duty of all of us to track down the source of such hate and work on mitigating it.  

It is a heinous crime perpetrated by a couple of individuals and must be fully investigated.  Blaming religion will not do any good to anyone but create chaos, distrust and apprehension.  Restoring peace, harmony and sanity should be our goal as Americans of all creeds and ethnic backgrounds.