Saturday, September 26, 2015

Are Muslims an integral part of the American society?

Yes, we are. Indeed, one of the most exemplary American Muslim stories of the post 9/11 era happened in Louisville, Kentucky just this month.

On September 16, 2015, a few miscreants painted hate symbols on the River Road mosque in Louisville. When the local community at large found out about this, nearly 1000 people from main stream and disparate ethnic communities came to the mosque to show their solidarity with Muslims, and they joined in the community cleanup and re-painting the mosque. 

This act of support was not just out of a sense of justice, compassion or help for the underdog, but clearly out of enduring friendship, which is the most reliable relationship, not bound by time or situation.  The America Together Foundation congratulates Dr. Babar Cheema and the Louisville Muslim leadership, which has nurtured a relationship of friendship and trust with the local community over many years.



As time permits, we will write more about this, and we hope it becomes a model for other American Muslim communities, just as different communities have successfully dealt with Rev. Terry Jones in Mulberry, Florida who wanted to burn 2998 copies of Quran, and Rev. Robert Jeffress of Dallas, Texas who called uncivil names about Quran and the Prophet.  Indeed, we need to keep a record of our contributions to the well being of America, there is so much to be proud of our work.



With love and caring for our neighbors, no American can go wrong. The America Together Foundation has assigned me with responsibility to work on building a cohesive America.
There are so many Muslims out there who have contributed and are contributing richly towards building a cohesive America, where no American has to feel alienated or fearful of fellow Americans.

 In the end, this freedom from fear will bring peace and prosperity to our nation. Indeed, that is the essence of Quranic guidance in verse 49:13 which says God has created us into different tribes and nations and says, the best ones among you are those who learn and care about each other.  If we can learn to respect the otherness of others and accept the God given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

Please tell us your story, where your acts have changes the minds of others, bringing us all towards a more cohesive America. Send us the details to us, and will help share it with the widest audience. Join us in our mission.

Please visit http://AmericaTogetherFoundation.blogspot.com   for connecting to the links
  1. The Louisville Story
  2. Are Muslims a part of the American Story?
  3. Terry Jones and changing perceptions of Muslims
  4. Robert Jeffress attacking Quran (www.QuraanConference.com)
  5. Sean Hannity and Fox News– Positive engagement produces positive outcomes.
  6. Amins of the Society
Mike Ghouse,
(214) 325-1916

Mike is a social scientist, thinker, writer and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, foreign policy and building cohesive societies. Mike offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day and more about him is in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com  

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

AmericansTogether: Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah Greetings from Americ...

AmericansTogether: Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah Greetings from Americ...: Happy Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur | TheGhouseDiary.com  Washington, D.C., September 22, 2015 - American Muslims wish a very Happy Yom K...

Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah Greetings from American Muslims

Happy Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur | TheGhouseDiary.com 

Washington, D.C., September 22, 2015 - American Muslims wish a very Happy Yom Kippur  to all of our Jewish friends across the globe.
 
Leshana Tova. 
 
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year that takes place in the month of Tishri and celebrates Creation.  Jews observe the Lunar Calendar, and as such the festivities occur 11 days earlier in each successive year on the Gregorian calendar. 
 
On the day of Rosh Hashanah G-d opens the Book of Life and observes his creatures, and decides their fate for the coming year. What follows for the next 10 days is self-reflection to justify one's existence to God, a period called Shabbat Shuva, and on the 10th day, God closes your book and it is a time for the celebration; Happy Yom Kippur.
 
Indeed Muslims can relate this festivity with Ramadan where Eid is the capstone celebration at the end of a month long fasting and reflection. Jains with Paryushun, Hindus with Navaratri ending in Dussehra on the 10th day, and Christians with 40 days of lent thru resurrection on Easter.

Rabbi Michael Lerner writes, " We engage in honest, wrenching self-evaluation; we create practical strategies for changing in the future; and, as a result, the day cleanses us from the residues of past failures. "Kippur" in biblical Hebrew means "cleansing." We feel reborn, and that is a source of great joy. Indeed, this joyous rebirth is one of the reasons that the holiday of Succos five days later is called "the time of our joy."
 
Rabbi continues, "The same applies to all spiritual rejoicing: it must embrace the whole person, including the body. Of course it is not the food alone. The feast involves love and camaraderie for family, friends, and guests, as well as song and words of Torah inspiration. In that way, the pleasure of eating becomes part of the spiritual joy. But the joy is not complete without the food-without the body. "

In synagogues people pray to God to forgive them for their wrongdoings and to give them a good year - during the service a Shofar, or ram's horn, is blown, to alert congregants to the seriousness of the festival and the fact that God is deciding their fates for the coming year - which will be sealed on the Day Of Atonement ten days later.
 
May we all reflect on our lives and make a commitment to be a good human for the next year.  Happy Rosh Hashanah, and Happy Yom Kippur.

"Festivals of the World" is an educational series by Mike Ghouse since 1993. When we live in the same communities as neighbors, we might as well learn about each other. The best way to build cohesive societies is for its members to participate in festivities as well as commemorations of each other, or, at least understand each others' joys and sorrows. Please note the simplicity in writing is designed for people of other faiths to learn and to know, so we can function cohesively.

America Together Foundation is all about bringing Americans Together for a peaceful, safe and secure America. Foundation for Pluralism is part of America Together Foundation.
 
God bless us all, and God bless America!
 
Mike is a speaker, thinker, writer, pluralist, TV-Radio commentator and a human rights activist committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His info in 63 links at MikeGhouse.net and writings at TheGhouseDiary.com 

American Muslims welcome Pope Francis

 Muslims welcome Pope Francis | TheGhouseDiary.com


Washington, D.C., September 23, 2015 – American Muslims are delighted to welcome Pope Francis on his first visit to the United States. 

We have congratulated Pope Francis on the day he was ordained as the Pope, and had prayed he would herald a new beginning, building a world of understanding. As people of faith we welcomed him then and have been admiring him ever since March 13, 2013.

He is a genuine human being, and is a blessing to humanity.

Two thousand years ago, a man from Nazareth was bent on mitigating conflicts and building cohesive societies. He taught us to separate the sin from the sinner, and made it work by embracing sinners of the time; lepers and the prostitutes. Indeed, Pope Francis is following that man’s challenge of embracing the whole humanity.

Fourteen hundred years ago, there was another man from Mecca who was called a mercy to mankind.  His acts and teachings brought hope and relief to women, children, oppressed, poor, and the neglected. Indeed, Pope Francis is emulating that man’s model and embracing his ideals.

Pope Francis is an inspiration, and his embrace is the whole universe beyond political and religious lines.  He is a practitioner of pluralism espoused by Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh),  i.e., respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each one of his creation. No one falls out of the ambit of his love, none at all.

There are a few deeply rooted conflicts among the Muslim-Christian, Jewish-Christian, Jewish-Muslim and Abrahimic-Hindu groups, some of them are irreconcilable, but not completely out of the realm of solutions. They flare up now and then in difficult expressions.  We believe Pope Francis will work on mitigating them.
During his speech in June this year, a smiling Pope Francis was quoted telling the Vatican’s guests that the Koran, and the spiritual teachings contained therein are just as valid as the Holy Bible. Indeed the essence of all faiths is accountability of one’s actions and how one cares for his neighbor.

Pope Francis is a symbol of humility and epitomizes what a religious person ought to be, caring, forgiving and loving all of God’s creation.

More about Pope at: http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2015/09/pope-francis-is-my-imam-that-is-my.html
God bless the Pope and God bless America!

America Together Foundation is about bringing Americans Together for a peaceful, safe and secure America. Foundation for Pluralism is a part of America Together Foundation.


Mike is a speaker, thinker, writer, pluralist, TV-Radio commentator and a human rights activist committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His info in 63 links at MikeGhouse.net and writings at TheGhouseDiary.com 

Mike Ghouse will be on Hannity Radio at 5:00 with Hannity, Jasser and Gabrielle today

HANNITY RADIO WITH GHOUSE , JASSER AND GABRIELLE AT 5:00 PM

Dr. Ghouse will be on Hannity radio at 5:00 with Gabriel and Jasser about Carson, Trump and Ahmed log on to www.AmericanMuslimInstitution.org for details. 

The show will be broadcasted in over 250 stations across America, to find your local station go to http://www.hannity.com/pages/find-a-station/

  1. Dr. Ben Carson out- trumps Trump in Discriminatory Attitude. http://americanmusliminstitution.blogspot.com/2015/09/dr-ben-carson-out-trumps-trump-in.html
  2. Donald Trump - Muslims have become the latest Punching Bag in the Republican Party Presidential Campaign for 2015 http://americanmusliminstitution.blogspot.com/2015/09/donald-trump-muslims-have-become-latest.html
  3. Ahmed Mohamed - Islamophobia Strikes a 14 year old in Texas http://americanmusliminstitution.blogspot.com/2015/09/islamophobia-strikes-14-year-old-ahmed.html   

Hannity Radio http://www.hannity.com/articles/shows-472046/radio-show-recap-sep-21-13962453


5:00 P.M. EST - Brigitte Gabriel
, President of ACT for America, Mike Ghouse, President of the America Together Foundation, and Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy and author of "A Battle for the Soul of Islam: An American Muslim Patriot's Fight to Save His Faith." The three guests will be discussing the controversy surrounding the GOP candidates and Islam as well as the latest on Ahmed and his “clock” and the European refugee crisis. 

Over the weekend, Dr. Ben Carson said he wouldn’t support a Muslim for president of the United States because Islam is at odds with American values and our constitution 

Last week, Donald Trump came under fire for not rebuking an audience member who claimed Obama was a Muslim and was not born in this country 

The story of 14-year-old Ahmed and his “clock” captivated much of the country last week and had Muslim groups crying “Islamophobia,” but it turns out there was a lot more to his story… 

Over a thousand Arab immigrants a day are seeking asylum in Sweden, with the promises of free housing and blonde women 

Muslim migrants chanting “Allahu Akbar” attack Slovenian police 

Read more: http://www.hannity.com/articles/shows-472046/radio-show-recap-sep-21-13962453#ixzz3mUf6FYF2

Sean Hannity with Mike Ghouse, Zuhdi Jasser and Brigitte Gabriel at 5:00 PM 

# # #

Dr. Ben Carson out-trumps Trump in Discriminatory Attitude.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mike Ghouse 214-325-1916
Mike@AmericanMuslimInstitution.org
Dr. Ben Carson out- trumps Trump in Discriminatory Attitude.

Washington, D.C., September 21, 2015 – Presidential hopeful Ben Carson stated on NBC’s Meet the Press yesterday, “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation,” and.” I absolutely would not agree with that.”


As an American Muslim, I was hoping that other Republican candidates for President would not out-trump, Trump in making inappropriate, ugly remark. Look who did it this time.  It’s Doctor Ben Carson. He is a great neurosurgeon and deserves respect, but he has crossed the line by advocating denying the right to a Muslim American in the future to be the president, a right which is guaranteed under the Constitution to all Americans who were born in the U.S., without regard to their religion.   

He does not get what America is all about – You don’t indict an entire community for the criminal acts of a few.  He should know better as the African Americans have been the subject of discrimination and guilt by association for a long time.  If Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., was alive, he would not have been happy with Ben Carson for judging the character of others based on their faith alone.  

Can Dr. Carson answer this question that was recently posed by a man from Dallas, "I am an African American Muslim born and raised in this great country; where am I in your vision of Making America Great Again?”

When Black Americans were enslaved, and did not have any rights, President Lincoln debated between being reelected and doing what is morally right; he chose the higher moral ground and issued the Emancipation Proclamation which began the process of freedom for millions of African-Americans. He will be remembered for eternity for standing up for the rights of all Americans, even a minority who did not have any rights at that time.

Later, the Women’s suffrage bill was passed, giving the usurped rights of women back to them. Now women from both major political parties are running for the Presidency. As we have progressed, we have restored the inalienable rights of all Americans and we cannot go backwards. 
  
“It is time for Ben Carson to issue an apology for having trampled upon the constitutional rights of a segment of the U.S. population or quit his quest for Presidency” added Ambassador Islam Siddiqui, President of the American Muslim Institution.

American Muslim Institution is based in Washington, D.C., and is a proactive voice for American Muslims. 

Donald Trump - Muslims have become the latest Punching Bag in the Republican Party Presidential Campaign for 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mike Ghouse 214-325-1916
Mike@American Muslim Institution.org
www.AmericanMuslimInstitution.org

Muslims have become the latest Punching Bag in the Republican Party Presidential Campaign for 2016



Washington, D.C., September 21, 2015 - An unidentified man, who spoke at the Trump town hall meeting in Rochester, New Hampshire, asked the mogul at the meeting on Thursday night. "You know our current president is one. You know he's not even an American" and then he went on spewing hateful tirade against Muslims.”

Donald Trump did not stop him.  He should have corrected the man as he started to insult our President, and then he went on lumping 1.6 billion Muslims with the ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. Does he not know that several Muslim countries in the Middle East are a part of the U.S. led coalition currently engaged in military operations to destroy ISIL terrorists?

Can Trump answer this question for a man from Dallas, “I am an African American Muslim born and raised in this great country?” Where am I in your vision of Making America Great Again?

In 2008, a woman at a John McCain Campaign event insisted that Obama was "an Arab." "No ma'am," McCain replied. "He's a decent, family man, citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues."  

We see the signs of desperation, when people resort to such insults; it shows they are operating from a position of weakness.  Americans are not stupid, Trump can try to tear America apart, but we are hopeful that people of goodwill will keep America together.   I hope Jeb Bush and other Republican candidates for President in 2016 call him out and do not out-trump his ugliness.
Ambassador Islam Siddiqui, President of AMI said, "As Americans we cannot remain silent, we call upon all the Presidential candidates to be aware that there are over 7.0 million peace-loving and hard-working Americans who happen to be Muslims.”

We hope Americans of all faiths will stand up for each others’ rights, which is the least we can do to build a safe and prosperous America for all. 

American Muslim Institution is based in Washington, D.C., and is a proactive voice for American Muslims.   

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Clerk’s gay marriage protest divides the Republican field

Can these hypocrites make the same statements about all others?
Mike

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/252578-clerks-gay-marriage-protest-divides-the-republican-field

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Republican presidential candidates are split on whether a Kentucky county clerk should be forced to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
The case of Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, who has cited religious objections in refusing to issue the licenses, has pushed gay marriage toward the center of political debate at a time when the Republican Party is grappling with its stance on the issue.
The clerk’s crusade has become the first major legal flare-up over gay marriage since the Supreme Court’s decision in late June that legalized gay marriage nationwide.
Most of the Republican presidential candidatesdenounced the high court’s ruling, calling it judicial overreach that threatens the religious liberty of faith-based organizations and business owners.
Democrats mostly cheered the court while dismissing the warnings about religious freedom as overblown.
Davis is scheduled to appear in court Thursday morning after defying a judge's order to issue the licenses, a ruling that the Supreme Court itself refused to block.
With attention on the case growing, presidential contenders are beginning to stake out their positions on whether Davis should be compelled to issue the licenses.
Mike Huckabee, a Southern Baptist minister, on Wednesday gave Davis a full-throated endorsement after speaking to her on the phone.
"She's a Democrat, and I salute her today. I stand with her," Huckabee told reporters during a campaign stop in South Carolina. 
Other Republican presidential candidates have said they support people’s right to oppose gay marriage but argued that Davis has a responsibility to follow the law.
"When you are a government employee as opposed to, say, an employee of another kind of organization, then in essence, you are agreeing to act as an arm of the government,” said Carly Fiorina.
Here’s where some of the Republican contenders stand on the brewing controversy.
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (Ark.): 'I salute her'
Huckabee said Wednesday that Davis "is showing more courage, more conviction and more of a better understanding of the Constitution than virtually any elected official in America, than virtually any candidate for candidate and certainly more than many of the people who run our government in Washington."
Huckabee noted he spoke with Davis by phone earlier in the day. "I called to encourage her and to thank her for not capitulating to what is really nothing less than judicial tyranny." 
Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.): Protest 'part of the American way'
"I think one way to get around the whole idea of what the Supreme Court is forcing on the states is for the states to just get out of the business of giving out licenses," Paul said Monday on Boston Herald Radio, mentioning Alabama, and saying those who want a contract should go to a church.
"I do believe everyone has a right to a contract. There never should have been limitations on people of the same sex having contracts," Paul said. "But I do object to the state putting its imprimatur to the specialness of marriage on something that's different than what most people have defined as marriage for most of history."
"I do think people who do stand up and are making a stand to say they believe in something is an important part of the American way."
Gov. Chris Christie (N.J.): Government employees have 'different obligation'
"What I've said before is for someone who works in the government has a bit of a different obligation than someone who's in the private sector or, obviously, working for educational institutions that's religiously based or others," Christie said Wednesday on conservative radio host Laura Ingraham's show, according to CBS.
"But my point is we have to protect religious liberty and people's ability to be able to practice their religion freely and openly, and of course we have to enforce the law too."
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.): Government should respect clerk’s beliefs
“We should seek a balance between government’s responsibility to abide by the laws of our republic and allowing people to stand by their religious convictions,” Rubio told the New York Times.
“While the clerk’s office has a governmental duty to carry out the law, there should be a way to protect the religious freedom and conscience rights of individuals working in the office,” he added.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.): 'Comply with the law or resign'
"As a public official, comply with the law or resign," Graham said on conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt's show Tuesday.
"The rule of the law is the rule of law. That's what we are, a rule-of-law nation. I appreciate her conviction. I support traditional marriage," Graham said. "But she's accepted a job where she has to apply the law to everyone, and that's her choice."
Businesswoman Carly Fiorina: 'Not appropriate' 
“First, I think that we must protect religious liberties with great passion and be willing to expend a lot of political capital to do so now, because it’s clear religious liberty is under assault in many, many ways,” Fiorina said Tuesday on Hugh Hewitt's show.
“Given the role that she is playing, given the fact that the government is paying her salary, I think that is not appropriate,” Fiorina answered when asked whether the clerk should continue practicing civil disobedience. 
“Now, that’s my personal opinion. Others may disagree with that, but I think it’s a very different situation for her than someone in a hospital who’s asked to perform an abortion or someone at a florist who’s asked to serve a gay wedding. I think when you’re a government employee, you are put into a different position, honestly.”
- Updated at 7:07 p.m.