Showing posts with label Motivational Speaker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motivational Speaker. Show all posts

Thursday, 31 December 2015

Results for Muslims

Thursday, 31 December 2015 0 Comments
Results for America Together Foundation, World Muslim Congress and the Foundation for Pluralism. 

There are many outcomes we desire.  Here is what we have done and continue to do, and if this appeals to you, we ask your support.

Conflicts fade and solutions emerge when we learn about each other, and demystify the myths about others.  

What have we done? It�s a successful three fork strategic action plan; engage with TV, Print and Radio Media, engage with polarized minds and, be a catalyst in social integration.

All our work is about taking the relationships from detached estrangement to positive engagement with successful outcomes, almost all our activities are bridge building in nature. 

1. Positive engagement with Fox News, instead of running away from it. We chose to work with Sean Hannity and Stuart Varney, who finally promised not to use the phrase �Muslim Terrorist� or bash Quran.  I have been on Hannity for six years and have appeared on 110 TV shows and innumerable Syndicated Radio shows and about 5 times on Stuart Varney Show, and nearly 150 times on Fox News. Video-1, Video -2, 

2. Unity Day USA, turning a negative 9/11 day into a positive unifying day for over 12 years in a row now. www.Unitydayusa.com

3. Holocaust and Genocides � for 10 years now, we have been building bridges with people, and almost all communities who have endured these brutalities by coming together and seeing the humanness in each one of us and reflect on never again.  www.HolocaustandGenocides.com


4. Thanksgiving Celebrations and Awards Night � for 18 years, we have been sharing different cultural expressions with fellow Americans. www.thanksgivingcelebrations.org


5. Peacefully easing the Quran burning pastor Terry Jones into oblivion through non-violent positive engagement. If funds become available a documentary will be made for the Muslim world to understand free speech and for non-Muslims to clearly understand that violence is not Islamic but comes from the fringe among us.  http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2014/04/reestablishing-right-muslim-attitudes.html


6.  Successfully handled Quran bashing by Pastor Robert Jeffers into an educational event and creating a positive understanding about Quran among pastors, clergy, rabbis, and others. These ten pastors in Dallas will defend the sanctity of Quran with their church members, as they were a part of the solutions in the conference.  Umpteen TV and Newspaper write ups about it. www.QuraanConference.com


7. In Summary � over 3000 Articles on Islam, Pluralism and other matters are written. 175 TV appearances, over 150 syndicated Radio shows, and over 30 major events to bring people together.

Our mission at America Together Foundation is simply this; �To build a cohesive America where no American has to live in tension, apprehension or fear of the others.�  We need an America where Muslim, Jews, African Americans, Latinos and all others feel safe, and want their children�s life style to continue to be secure despite Trumps and other hiccups.

 www.Americatogetherfoundation.com,www.foundationforpluralism.com and www.WorldMuslimCongress.com ;

We can do a lot more to turn things around for Muslims and fellow Americans, please donate generously at: http://americatogetherfoundation.com/donate/

What did I write about Sean Hannity, Stuart Varney and Fox News today?
Let me know, and I will be happy to email you.


Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916
Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, newsmaker and a professional speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam,  politics, human rights,  Terrorism,
  and foreign policy.  Mike is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. Visit him - 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com 
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Wednesday, 28 October 2015

The voice of Moderate Muslims in America

Wednesday, 28 October 2015 0 Comments
The Voice of Moderate Islam in America - Mike Ghouse:  
 
Since 9/11, Americans across the political spectrum have been asking, �Who are the authentic moderates of Islam, and where are they?� And, �Who speaks for American Muslims?� Talk show hosts, journalists, lawmakers, interfaith authorities and thought leaders have asked: Where are moderate Muslims to join the debate on social, civic, religious and political issues, including racism and violent extremism?

Their spokesman is Dr. Mike Mohamed Ghouse, who recently has moved to Washington, D.C.

Dr. Ghouse is a proud, unapologetic Moderate Muslim and a passionate advocate of Pluralism in religion, society, politics, race, dining, clothing, dancing, sports and every aspect of life. He is a public speaker, thinker, writer and a commentator who is considered an authority on Pluralism and Interfaith relations in America, and he offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

Who is a Moderate Muslim? Some one who lives his life and let others live theirs, and some one who minds his own business. He or she will not look down upon other people's faiths, traditions and practices, but considers them to be as unique as his or her own, but never inferior.  In every group; religious, social, national, political or racial, there is always the right and extreme right who is intolerant and wants to impose his or her ideals on others. The left and extreme left on the other hand has no boundaries. Moderates are usually 90% of any group, but they do not engage in anything and mind their own business and take up when things  when they really get out of hand. The new breed of Moderates like Dr. Ghouse are full of passion to save the nation and the communities for the common good of all Americans. 

What is Pluralism? It is simply, he says, �respecting the otherness of others, and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each one of the 7 billion of us. When we do that, conflicts fade and solutions emerge.�

He is respected by his peers as a patriotic American and firmly stands for the American values such as the freedoms established by the First Amendment. In fact, Dr. Ghouse considers the U.S. Constitution a sacred document that respects and honors every human being.  He exalts America�s immortal Declaration of Independence.  While living in Dallas for more than three decades, he became a fixture at Veteran�s-Day ceremonies and July 4th parades.  He has spoken at innumerable luncheons for homeless veterans and visits with veterans at VA hospitals.  Dr. Ghouse drives around the Veterans� cemeteries on Memorial Day and offers prayers for all those who have defended our freedom.  He will fight and defend the freedom of America any time and all the times.

Dr. Ghouse also served as a Commissioner at City of Carrollton, Texas for two terms.

He has contributed significantly to the richness of America, and his gift to America would be the gift of Pluralism, an old attitude emerging as a new discipline that he intends to teach and promote through workshops. Dr. Ghouse hopes to train America�s candidates for higher office regarding what the founding fathers meant when they declared that �all humans are equal.� 

Dr. Ghouse believes in building a cohesive America, where no American has to live in apprehension or fear of the other and which will be achieved through personal interaction.   To that end, he has organized 17 Thanksgiving celebrations; 12 Unity Days USA; and 10 ceremonies to honor victims of Holocaust and Genocides.

Dedicated Both to Islam and to �the Other�

Dr. Ghouse defines �moderate Muslim� as someone who respects the otherness of others and accepts the God-given uniqueness of each person in God�s creation.  He has published more than 1000 articles on diverse aspects of Islam and maintains a blog on Quran, Sharia, Blasphemy, Apostasy, Hijab, Reforms, Ramadan, Women�s issues and community relations.  He is driven by the pluralistic wisdom in Quran, and his mission is authenticated by many a verse from Quran, including 49:13, which generally means because each one of us is created to be an unique individual, we are bound to have conflicts between family members, nations, religions and communities, and it is because we don�t know each other and when we start to genuinely learn about the other, myths disappear into thin air and peace dawns on us.�  There is a full video of his talk on Pluralism in Islam.  


Print Media: Dr. Ghouse has published more than 3000 articles on a variety of topics, of these, there more than 1000 on Pluralism, including 225 pieces on Pluralism in the �Texas Faith� column in the Dallas Morning News and 130 articles at Huffington Post.  He also has published articles on politics, foreign policy, movies, sports, culture and motivation.

TV and Radio: Dr. Ghouse has appeared in more than 150 TV shows, including 102 with Sean Hannity alone. He has served as subject expert hundreds of times on nationally syndicated radio. Many listeners have heard his informed opinions at the time of the Quran Burning issue in Mulberry, Florida, and the period of Quran Bashing in Dallas Texas.  He notably defended the 9/11 Mosque in Lower Manhattan, and he has blogged on the Peter King investigations and other issues. He is in the forefront of dealing with issues and offering pluralistic solutions.

On the day of 9/11, he was on Radio all day, taking calls from Mayors, religious and community leaders across the City to bring coherence to the chaos created on that day, and ever since, he has dedicated that day every year to serve and unite Americans for a strong America.

Politics:  A political independent, Dr. Ghouse says that he votes for the candidates who put America first, whether he or she is a Republican or Democrat. He refuses to compromise his loyalty to America with loyalty to a political party.  He maintains a blog on Politics and has written more than 300 columns on politics in America.  He has written about Presidents Bush and Obama, and presidential candidates Clinton, McCain, Romney, Gingrich, Cain, Perry, Christie, Bush, Trump and Carson.

Foreign policy:  Dr. Ghouse has always taken a moderate approach toward foreign policy issues and offered pluralistic solutions on issues of the day, including but not limited to Israel, Palestine, Iran, Afghanistan, India, Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia and other nations. 

Human rights:  Dr Ghouse has stood up for the rights of every human regardless of his or her affiliation and has been writing a forthcoming book titled, Standing Up for Others, Standing up for the rights of all; from Atheists to Zoroastrians and every one in between including Native Americans, and the LGBT community.   This book will be dedicated to Sean Hannity, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, and Harbans Lal (his first boss) with a special note.

Quran:  It is one of the most misunderstood books on the earth, even by Muslims.  He sees it as a pluralistic document to build cohesive societies, where God is not an exclusive property of anyone but a universal energy that belongs to all, loves us all, and cares for our well being.  Dr. Ghouse is producing a short book addressing the myths and facts about Quran, and this book will be dedicated to Pastor Bob Roberts of Texas, the big name among Evangelical Pastors and Imam Zia Shaikh from Irving, Texas, both of them have understood the full meaning of pluralism, i.e., respecting the otherness of others.

Film:  Sacred is a full feature film, and it is about changing perceptions about Muslims and Muslims adopting the non-violent principles enshrined in the teachings of Jesus Christ, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Mahatma Gandhi.

Documentary: Dr. Ghouse�s documentary film in progress is premised on America�s promise that all humans are created equal. He believes that we have seen a tremendous progress since independence, but we have a lot more to do.  A rough draft of the film is in a video clip at  www.AmericaTogetherFoundation.com

Pope Francis:  He is a blessing to mankind, and is one of the greatest human beings of this century.  Dr. Ghouse has written more than 25 articles on Pope Francis with lots of love and admiration for the man.

Dallas Morning News:  "Over and over you hear it said: If Muslims oppose terrorism, why don't they stand up and say it? If that has been you, Mike Ghouse ought to be your hero."

Phyllis Curott:  Vice Chair, Parliament of Worlds Religions," Mike Ghouse has the courage of his convictions - he carries a spark of inspiration that can only be called Divine. It illuminates the world around him, enabling him to see clearly the beauty and grace that resides in every sacred path and in each person who walks that path.� 

Religion News Service: " (RNS) A Florida pastor plans to burn a pile of Qurans on the 9/11 anniversary, and interfaith activist Mike Ghouse says, �It is not what (the pastor) will do, it is what we do as Americans and American Muslims that matters.�

Phillip M Ramsaroop: "I first met Dr. Ghouse in the mid-nineties as Past President and a member of the Board of the Dallas Fort Worth Hindu Temple and as a member of the Chapel Committee of Thanksgiving Square in Dallas, Texas.   I was pleasantly surprised, though a Muslim, he participated and volunteered his time and resources on the Hindu Temple�s projects and activities.  I later discovered that he did the same for other religious and cultural communities"

Mulberry Ledger : "The book burner (Terry Jones) came to Mulberry in hate and the Muslims (Mike Ghouse) came to Mulberry in peace to counter the hate. The Muslims summed it up best when they prayed for the fallen heroes who died on 9/11.�
 
Saudi Gazette: "Thank you for your commitment towards a peaceful solution, Mike. It is the media who should thank you for your commendable cause."

Bill Matthews:  "Mike Ghouse� exemplary work for pluralism exudes acceptance to bridge beyond imagined differences to express the exemplary conviction that humanity lives and thrives on working together towards common goals, to overcome fear, suspicion and prejudice."


Links to the writings of Dr. Mike Mohamed Ghouse


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Saturday, 5 September 2015

The Fantasy Islam of Mike Ghouse by Front Page Magazine

Saturday, 5 September 2015 0 Comments
Fantasy Islam is an imaginative construct of Dr. Steve Kirby, and he is no stranger to me.   I was there in the same boat 15 years ago.


I don�t claim to be a scholar, nor do I claim to be an authority on Islam, but I do claim that I have investigated Islam thoroughly, invited criticism, discussed with many, and have found answers. I did not have to choose to be a Muslim, there was no need for me to be one, however, I decided to choose a religion for me and Islam suited me the best for two reasons � I knew and had re-learned a lot about it, and it is an inclusive and pluralistic faith.

I will be responding to the following article by Dr. Kirby, as I have responded before to many such misunderstandings at the site www.Quraantoday.com.

Meanwhile, review this video Pluralism in Islam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7Tyt7raIXM


Mike Ghouse is a motivational speaker committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net
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THE FANTASY ISLAM OF MIKE MOHAMED GHOUSE

http://www.frontpagemag.com/author/dr-stephen-m-kirby
A moderate Muslim's personal version of Islam -- and its curious non-relationship with Islamic doctrine.

September 3, 2015
  
Dr. Stephen M. Kirby
Fantasy Islam: A game in which an audience of non-Muslims wish with all their hearts that Islam was a �Religion of Peace,� and a Muslim strives to fulfill that wish by presenting a personal version of Islam that has little foundation in Islamic doctrine.
As I pointed out in an earlier article, "Fantasy Islam" is a popular game among many non-Muslims and so-called �moderate� or �reformist� Muslims.  Mike Mohamed Ghouse appears to be such a Muslim.
Ghouse was born Mohamed Ghouse in India (He adopted the name "Mike" later).  He was raised as a Muslim until he became an atheist in the late 1960s; he returned to Islam in the late 1990s and lives in the United States. Ghouse is a frequent guest commentator on Fox News and syndicated talk radio programs, and he writes for major newspapers. Ghouse also plays Fantasy Islam.
Apostasy
In an article titled "Qur'aan on Apostasy," Ghouse makes the following claim about the punishment for apostasy:
Unfortunately, it is a common belief that 'death' should be the punishment for apostasy. However, the Qur�aan mentions nothing of such punishment, so why should we impose such a cruel and inhumane form of punishment? Are we so insecure about our own religion that if anyone is to leave it we kill them?
But Ghouse is wrong: In 4:89 of the Koran Allah commands Muslims to take hold of those apostates who have left Islam and �kill them wherever you find them.�
And, for the sake of argument, even if it wasn�t in the Koran, death for apostasy is still a part of Islam because that is what Muhammad commanded.  Muhammad said that death was the penalty for a Muslim who left Islam (e.g. Sahih Al-Bukhari, Nos. 6878 and 6923; and Sahih Muslim, No. 1676). Muhammad even specified the nature of that death:
If someone changes his religion - then strike off his head!
Al-Muwatta of Imam Malik ibn Anas, 36.18.15, in a section titled �Judgement on Abandonment of Islam.�
So we see that this "cruel and inhumane form of punishment" for apostasy is well-grounded in Islamic doctrine.
Muslim-Americans 'Uphold' the U.S. Constitution
In an article titled "Muslims are an integral part of American Heritage," Ghouse made the following statement:
As American Muslims we uphold, protect, defend and celebrate the values enshrined in the U.S. constitution.
Islamic doctrine, found in the verses of the Koran and the teachings of Muhammad (the Sunnah), is diametrically opposed to the U.S. Constitution.  Consider just these three amendments to our Constitution:
1st Amendment � Freedom of Religion and Speech: The penalty for a Muslim who wants to leave Islam is death (4:89 and Sunnah).  Non-Muslims are given the option of fighting to the death, converting to Islam, or paying the jizyah (9:5, 9:29, and Sunnah).  Once Allah and Muhammad have decided on a matter, Muslims are not allowed to disagree (33:36, 4:115), and criticism of Muhammad is cursed by Allah and punishable by death (33:57, and Sunnah).
8th Amendment � Cruel and Unusual Punishment Is Prohibited: Islam commands the following punishments: Flogging (24:2), Stoning (Sunnah), Amputation for Theft (5:38 and Sunnah), Beheading (8:12, 47:4, and Sunnah), Crucifixion (5:33), and Cutting-off of Hands and Feet from Opposite Sides for waging war against Islam (5:33).
13th Amendment � Prohibition of Slavery: Slavery, and using captured non-Muslim women as sex slaves ("those whom your right hands possess") is allowed in Islam (e.g. 2:221, 4:3, 4:24, 4:92, 23:6, 24:58, 33:50, and Sunnah).
So just by considering these three amendments, we can see that if Muslim-Americans believe in Islamic doctrine, they cannot "uphold, protect, defend and celebrate the values enshrined" in the Constitution.
The 'Best Way to Understand' the Koran
What is the �best way� to understand the Koran? Ghouse wrote this simple explanation:
The best way to understand Quran [sic] is to remember, "If it is not about justice, mercy and creating harmony", then the translation is wrong.
The immediate response to Ghouse�s statement is to look at the preceding section involving the three Amendments to our Constitution.  There is little justice, mercy and harmony there.
But Ghouse also said that Marmaduke Pickthall�s translation of the Koran, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, was one of three translations he recommends.  So let�s look for the justice, mercy and harmony in some of the verses from Pickthall�s translation:
  • "Warfare is ordained for you, though it is hateful unto you; but it may happen that ye hate a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that ye love a thing which is bad for you.  Allah knoweth, ye know not." (2:216)
  • "In truth the disbelievers [non-Muslims] are an open enemy to you." (4:101)
  • "O ye who believe!  Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends.  They are friends one to another.  He among you who taketh them for friends is (one) of them.  Lo!  Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk." (5:51)
  • "Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush.  But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free.  Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (9:5)
  • "O Prophet!  Strive against the disbelievers [non-Muslims] and the hypocrites!  Be harsh with them.  Their ultimate abode is hell, a hapless journey�s-end." (9:73)
  • "Lo! those who disbelieve [in Islam], among the People of the Scripture [Jews and Christians] and the idolaters, will abide in fire [sic] of hell.  They are the worst of created beings." (98:6)
There is not a lot of justice, mercy and harmony in these verses from Pickthall�s translation, so according to Ghouse�s standard, he appears to be recommending a translation of the Koran that is �wrong.�
Allah Loves Everybody
In an article titled "Quran is not for Muslims," Ghouse wrote that
God [Allah] is not the God of Muslims and no where he claims that in Quran [sic]�God loves us all, and no one is deprived of his love�
In reality we find that in the Koran Allah states that the only religion acceptable to him is Islam (e.g. 3:19 and 3:85).  And Allah states that Islam is to be made superior over all other religions, even if the non-Muslims don�t like it (e.g. 9:33, 48:28, and 61:9).  Allah curses the Jews and Christians (9:30).  He states that non-Muslims are among the worst of creatures who �will abide in the fire of Hell� (98:6), while Muslims are the best of creatures (3:110 and 98:7).  Non-Muslims are �open enemies� to Muslims (4:101) and Jews are among the worst of those enemies (5:82).  And Allah commands Muslims to be harsh toward non-Muslims (e.g., 8:57, 9:73, 9:123, and 48:29) and to kill those non-Muslims (9:5).
In spite of Ghouse�s claim, and as I noted in more detail in a previous article, Allah is only the god of Islam and the Muslims, and Allah has no love for non-Muslims.
The Ubiquitous 2:62
Chapter 2, verse 62 of the Koran is commonly quoted by Muslim-Americans to indicate that Judaism and Christianity are respected in Islam and the adherents of those two faiths will be rewarded by Allah. Ghouse continues with this theme in the article "Quran is not for Muslims":
[I]f you take care of his creation (neighbor), you need not worry; your rewards are with him. Just to make sure we understand this precisely, he says, whether you are a Jew or a Christian and by corollary other, if you take care of your neighbor, I will take care of you (2:62).
Here is Chapter 2, verse 62
Verily, those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does righteous good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
In spite of what Ghouse and other Muslim-Americans claim, this verse only means that Jews and Christians would be rewarded for the good deeds they did before the advent of Islam. After the advent of Islam,righteous good deeds would be accepted by Allah only if they are done by Muslims.  And this verse was actually abrogated by 3:85 which stated that Islam is the only acceptable religion to Allah, and non-Muslims will be �losers� in the Hereafter (e.g. Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Al-Qurtubi Vol. 1, and Tafsir Ahsanul-Bayan).
Conclusion
As is common in Fantasy Islam, Ghouse�s personal version of Islam has little, if any, support from Islamic doctrine, and actually often runs counter to that doctrine.  This appears to be of little concern for many in his non-Muslim audience because such personal versions relieve their concerns about Islam and allow them to continue to consider the jihadists as just a fringe group of �radicals� who have �hijacked� and �perverted� the Religion of Peace.  Ignorance, whether willful or not, can be a great anesthesia.  But anesthesia is only temporary and will not alter the world going on around you, and to which you will eventually reawaken.
Dr. Stephen M. Kirby is the author of three books about Islam. His latest is "Islam According to Muhammad, Not Your Neighbor."
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