Changing the mood in Washington, DC

At this point in history, we are going through difficult times.  Whether you are on the right, left or the center, you are concerned about the liberties and freedoms of all Americans.  The divisiveness, even though temporary, has caused us to lose trust in each other to function effectively as a nation.

So what can we do?

Our President John Kennedy had famously urged us, “Ask not what the country can do - ask what you can do for your country.” and Professor William James had written that our actions can change the moods.

Here is what we can to do to restore America where no Americans feels left out, but feels included in nation building.

Let’s close 2016 on a positive note, let’s come together as Americans, and celebrate our collective Festivals of Hanukkah, Christmas, Milad, Kwanza, Janamashtami, Gurpurab and the festivities of Native Americans, and other traditions including Atheist/Humanist. Each group will get to sing honoring their faith tradition.

When we are together, it is uplifting!
We can change our moods! 

The following video has clips from Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Milad, Janamashtami and other great celebrations.  On the actual day of Festival of Faiths, Americans Together will celebrate their traditions.  

1. Video   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjhbRkN7soQ 
2. Details   http://centerforpluralism.com/festival-of-faiths/
3. Attend  RSVP – Eventbrite
4.  Sing?   If your group likes to sing Register@Centerforpluralism.com    
5. List?     Please send an email to   Register@Centerforpluralism.com   
6. Op-Ed  Ask not what the President can do for us?” will be released soon
7. More     http://Centerforpluralism.com/Workshops
8. Browse Tabs at  www.Centerforpluralism.com
9.  Event   Celebrating America –Festival of Faiths on Sunday, 12/18 – 12 to 2 PM
10. Where   Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC 

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Dr. Mike Ghouse is founder and president of Center for Pluralism aka Americans Together. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. All about him in 65 links at www.MikeGhouse.net

Mr. Trump, Islam does not hate us

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916 Washington, DC 
www.AmericaTogetherFoundation.com
SpeakerMikeGhouse@gmail.com



Mr. Trump, blaming Islam amounts to barking at the wrong tree.

Washington, D.C.  March 10, 2016 – Mr. Trump in an interview to CNN Anchor, Anderson Cooper said, “There’s an unbelievable hatred of us, we have got to get to the bottom of it, and there is unbelievable hatred of us.”Anderson interjects, “In Islam itself?” Trump responds, “You have to figure that out, ok, you will get another Pulitzer.” (Video)

He continues, “We have to be very vigilant, very careful and we cannot allow people coming into this country with this hatred of us”.

I want to assure Mr. Trump that Islam does not hate America, nor does Islam kill people, just as Guns don’t kill, but individuals do. 

Mr. Trump is seeking guidance when he says, “we have to get to the bottom of it” and I am pleased to offer my services to coach him in Islam and Muslim psyche.

Jesus did not give permission to Christians to go on the crusades, inquisitions, genocides of Native Americans, Holocaust, Bosnia and massacres etc? It is not Christians, but the men who did not get Christianity committed those crimes.

Muhammad (pbuh) did not give permission to Muslims to gas the Kurds, commit 9/11, genocide of people in Darfur? He did not give permission to the ISIS animals to forcibly subject Christian, Yazidi and Shia women to sex abuse?  It is not Muslims, but the men who did not get Islam committed those crimes.

If we are inclined to believe in that non-sense, we have a serious responsibility to find the truth, and truth shall set us free.

Bad things happen because those creeps did not get their religion right.
Who do you blame, religion or the creeps?

If you blame the creeps what happens?  You’ll hunt them down wherever you can find them,  and punish according to restore trust in the society, so no one can live in apprehension or tensions.

If you blame the religion what happens? Mr. Trump, nothing happens! It is the dumbest thing to blame the religion!  Religion is not a being, it is an intangible item, and you cannot shoot, kick, beat, thrash, hang, kill or bury a religion. Let’s not bark at religion, it does not good and no problem will be solved except aimless barking.

Problem remains, people will continue to remain apprehensive and fearful of each other. Let’s find solutions to these problems.

We are indeed committed to build a cohesive America, where no American has to live in Apprehension or fear of each other.

Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916 talk/text
www.MuslimSpeaker.com 

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, news maker, and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, terrorism, human rights, India, Israel-Palestine and foreign policy. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. Visit him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net for his writings at TheGhousediary.com and several blogs listed there in.
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Adam, freedom and conservatism

ADAM, FREEDOM AND CONSERVATISM | TheGhouseDiary.com
As our founding fathers have laid it out; life liberty and pursuit of happiness are our inalienable rights.  The freedom to speak, think, act and assemble is our inalienable right; this right was given by the creator to us upon birth, and it is as much a part of our life as brain, heart, kidneys, blood and other elements of the body are.  

I don’t have the full knowledge of genesis of creation in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Zoroastrian, Sikh, Baha’i, Wicca, Native and other traditions, but it is embedded in the Abrahimic Traditions.

Adam’s story makes a point that is so relevant today; he was offered a choice to be a conservative or a progressive. He was told, if you do nothing, status quo will not change, you’ll continue to live in your comfort zone (conservative) in the heaven here with me. Or if chose to eat the forbidden fruit, you’ll bear the consequences, a change (progress) will dawn upon you,  that you don’t know what to do with it, your body system will produce crap and you’ll have to find a place to dump it. I don’t like the smell of it, and will throw you out of here. 

Adam deliberated on it, there was a challenge for him and consequences for the choices he would make, do I want to remain a conservative or a progressive? He took the bold step, he ate the forbidden fruit. 

What did God do? He could have slapped Adam to behave and be obedient, but he chose to keep his word and set an example.  He gave Adam complete freedom to choose and Adam chose to live with the temptation.  

Thank God for giving us the inalienable right to be free, right to choose and the right to act freely. Thanks to Adam for choosing to be a progressive, otherwise we would not have experienced anything all, we might as well have been dead creatures living in that garden called paradise doing nothing, speaking nothing, eating nothing. What a bore!

The creator or the process of evolution would not have endowed us with the ability to talk, if it was not meant for us to use.  This is all God’s plan. We must honor free speech no matter how difficult it is and we must be progressive to see and experience the world, and conservative enough not to fall of the stratosphere in taking bold risks.
 

Thank you

Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916 talk/text

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

Human Rights are more important than the sovereignty of nations

What it means is, that a nations’ sovereignty is inferior to the sovereignty of human rights. Human rights are more important than nations or religious rights.

What it means for Saudi Arabia is, that they have to honor the inalienable rights of individuals over the laws of the nation or religion, any religion for that matter. Nothing is greater than the inalienable rights of individuals.

In our land, we have come a long way, but more to go. Little men like Trump attempt to mess it, but all of them come and go, and our constitution remains an enduring value for ages to come, and we have to defend it no matter what sacrifices we have to make. Mike Ghouse

Our Immortal declaration of Independence

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

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

Muslim Workers fired in Colorado | AmericansTogether.org

January 2, 2016, CBS News reports,  "Nearly 200 Muslim workers have been fired from a Cargill meatpacking plant in Colorado, for walking out after a dispute over prayer breaks." 

This report has generated some of the following responses;

"Company was right in firing them. Today its time off for prayers, tomorrow its objection to wearing work uniform, next day its objection to facial hair policy."

"I do not think that it is too much to ask our employees to not go every one to gather and stop the work.  I think we are going on the evil side instead of goodness."

Being American is to honor a woman when she is pregnant, and pay for pregnancy leave. The companies did not say, don't get pregnant, we don't pay you to get pregnant. 

Being American is appreciating our school cafeterias to respect a child's choice to eat, vegetarian, kosher or halal foods, good things happen when people start believing in living their lives and letting others live theirs. 

Being American is letting each faith member practice his or her faith, and build his or her place of worship. 

Being American is respecting and believing in the rights of others, and being American is to value others life liberty and pursuit of their happiness.

Being American is NOT drawing sadistic pleasure by denying others rights. The idea of Liberty is; I don't agree with you, but I'll fight for your rights.  

The stupid employer could have gotten more out of their employees by working with them, and setting a great example.  

For some people their faith is important, and for some it is not important, and yet there some who will sell their mothers or faith to have an income. 

We have to stand up for the legitimate inalienable rights for people, no matter what religion they belong to ...

First they came for blacks... 

Then for gays and lesbians

Came for Mormons,

Then for Muslims 

Hindus, Jews ....

I didn't give a shit, I was not one of them

But when they finally came for me,

No SOB was there to defend me.

Is this the world we want?

Thank you,

Mike Ghouse, 

(214) 325-1916

Washington, DC 

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, newsmaker and a professional speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam,  politics, human rights, and foreign policy.  Mike 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 his writings are at TheGhousediary.com 

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 http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hundreds-of-muslim-workers-fired-after-dispute-over-prayers/

Hundreds of Muslim workers fired after dispute over prayers

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FORT MORGAN, Colo. -- Nearly 200 Muslim workers have been fired from a Cargill meatpacking plant in Colorado, for walking out after a dispute over prayer breaks.

Praying five times a day is a must for many Muslims.

But Tony Aden says missing even one of those prayers over a break time dispute caused him and many others to walk away from their jobs.

"It don't matter if I don't have a job, my religion is more important," Aden told CBS News.

A Cargill meatpacking plant in Colorado fired nearly 200 Muslim workers after they walked off the job in a dispute over prayer breaks.

 CBS DENVER

Cargill spokesperson Michael Martin says prayer is allowed. But he says a misunderstanding of company policy came on December 18th, when 11 workers asked for a break to pray at the same time.

"Coming from that specific work area would have disrupted the workflow so the supervisor told the employees that they could go pray, but they would have to go in smaller numbers than 11," Martin told CBS News. "It would have to be three at a time."

Play VIDEO

What is it like being a Muslim in America?

The following Monday, nearly 200 employees from the Muslim community didn't show up to work for three consecutive days. The company fired them all.

"There are times when accommodation is not possible," Martin said. "But in an overwhelming majority of instances, we do everything we can to ensure sure that we do accommodate employees."

Jaylani Hussein represents 150 workers who are now without a job.

"Now we are getting supervisors who are telling our clients to go home if they wanted to pray," Hussein said. "If they are denied their basic rights to practice their faith reasonably at their employment, they seem to be losing one of the basic fundamental rights."

The Cargill plant in Fort Morgan, Colorado is hiring replacements for the Muslim workers it fired.

CBS DENVER

Cargill is now hiring to fill the shoes of those who walked out.

Areas have been set up at Cargill since 2009 to accommodate anyone who requested time to pray.

The Council on American Islamic Relations is currently working reach an agreement with Cargill so that those fired workers can return.

© 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Donald Trump's first TV Commercial, what can Muslims do about it?

What can we do about Trump's ad Campaign?  | www.AmericansTogether.org 

Washington, DC, January 5, 2016 -- Perceptions are created through imagery, and the images drive one into taking clumsy actions.  Senior Bush had won against Dukakis through the imagery of Willie Horton, and Junior Bush used the speed boat commercial against John Kerry, both were reprehensible actions, but had won them the elections.  The new political ad from Donald Trump is no different, except that it may create chaos. 

The image of Hijabi woman used in this video poses serious security issues to innocent women wearing Hijab at work place, hospitals, Halls of Congress, Senate, buses, cafeteria or in the Public Square.  To protect the rights of fellow Americans, we may have to deploy more police in every street corner. That is not the America we want to become. 

 url:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEAJrT8PeOo

Two CNN shows on Sunday (1/3/15), laid out the profiles of Trump supporters as uneducated middle income Americans, who are dwindling in numbers, and were referred to as losers.  Americans in general, and Muslims Americans in particular don't like such terms ascribed to fellow Americans.   

They see Trump as a savior who would regain the lost glory from two devastating wars. Who would not want America to do well?
  

As American Muslims, we take this responsibility seriously, and to do our share of work in restoring the glory days by assuring fellow Americans that we are committed to the safety of every American, we believe, whatever happens to one will happen to the other.  We will also continue to report any one who is a suspect or a threat to the security of our nation, and finally, we will watch out for the tell tale signs of members who are asocial and isolated for no reason.

We are in this together and we will solve our problems together without pitching one American against the other.

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My op-ed will be out on Wednesday presenting the outline and 

I am available for interviews

Mike Ghouse | (214) 325-1916 | MikeGhouse@aol.com 

America Together Foundation 

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. More about him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com