Inspirational Speaker Mike Ghouse

Mike says, “No matter what you do in life, do it wholeheartedly.” as it brings joy to oneself and the others who will consume the work. "I thank God for blessing me with the passion to do everything with my heart and soul in it. My life has become Pluralism in general and Religious Pluralism in particular."

One of Mike's talents is communicating precisely what needs to be done each step of the way. Whether it is a speech to inspire one to take action or develop iron clad will power, or to create a smooth working environment. He will communicate that effectively.

His thoroughness, simplicity and a calm focus inspires peace of mind and assures a clear sense of direction for the people who come in contact, listen or do business with him.

He is patient and sees another point of view in finding sustainable solutions.

Mike was inspired by Ray Bradbury "Until one is committed, there is hesitancy... Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred.… Whatever you can do or dream that you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."

and this "If we listened to our intellect, we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go into business, because we'd be cynical. Well, that's nonsense. You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down."

He is committed to impart the same knowledge to others, there is a joy in doing things wholeheartedly.

OTHER PROFILES

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions to media and to the public on important and complex issues of the day and is available to speak in a variety of settings such as schools, seminars, conferences, and places of worship, or the work place.

Mike is a frequent guest on Fox News, (The Hannity Show), and has been interviewed on nationally syndicated Radio shows along with Dallas TV, Print and Radio networks and occasional interviews on NPR. He is a member of the Texas Faith panel of Dallas Morning News and writes on issues facing the nation every week. He has spoken at international forums including the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions, in Melbourne, Australia, Middle East Peace Initiative, in Jerusalem, the International Leadership conference, in Hawaii, and in Washington

The Foundation for Pluralism champions the idea of co-existence by respecting and accepting the otherness of those different from ourselves. The World Muslim Congress is committed to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam. Heavily involved in both, Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and has produced outstanding public events to bring Americans together of different religions, ethnicities and races on common grounds of building a safe and secure America.

He is a speaker, thinker, collaborator and a writer on the subjects of Pluralism, the interfaith movement, cohesive societies, Islam, India, hope and world peace. Over 1000 articles of Mike’s have been published worldwide and two books are poised to be released this summer. His work is reflected in 4 websites and 27 Blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/

Concerned by the divisiveness, he saw the need to bring Americans together and founded America Together Foundation committed to building a cohesive America, indeed it is in response to ACT America which is bent on pitching one American against the other. We will be holding series of educational programs, conferences and workshops to address the issues that divide us such as Civil Right, GLBT, Quraan, Abortion, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, Racial Profiling and Stereotyping.

The Annual Unity Day USA is in its 7^th year now, it is a purposeful event to bring Americans together, on this Unity Day, we the people of the United States of America of every faith, race, ethnicity, culture and background will gather to express our commitment to co-existence, unity, prosperity and wellbeing of our nation.

Thanksgiving Celebration is in its 15^th year showcasing cultural diversity.

The 5^th Annual Reflections on Holocaust and Genocides is to learn and to acknowledge and reflect upon the terrible things we have inflicted upon each other and commit to avert such tragedies. Through this event non-Jewish people have consciously learned about Holocaust for the first time, it was also for the first time that people of 14 faiths came together to join in to commemorate the Holocaust that commemorated within the Jewish Community for years. They are not alone anymore in their anguish, we are all in it together with them, and it is a Muslim initiative to effect a positive change.

The programs, seminars and workshops conducted by the Foundation for Pluralism have become a part of the America Together Foundation. While the Foundation for Pluralism continues championing the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other, the commitment to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress continues.

Mike is a speaker, thinker, collaborator and a writer on the subjects of Pluralism, the Interfaith Movement, Cohesive Societies, Islam, India, Hope and World Peace. Over 1000 of his articles have been published worldwide and two books are poised to be released this summer. His work is reflected in 4 websites and 27 Blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net

To engage Mike in a dialogue, conference or a talk, write to Ghousespeaks@gmail.com and email dedicated for this purpose or you can call him on a short notice at 214.325.1916

DETAILS

Mike is an organizer of events, conferences, workshops and lectures to impart the values of pluralism at work, places of worship and the society at large, He is a conflict mitigater and a goodwill nurturer and believes that by learning to respect the otherness of others and accepting the God given uniqueness of each one of the seven billion of us, conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

He has dedicated his time to work with the leadership in offering insights and solutions to effectively managing the multi-religious, multi-ethnic, and multicultural societies.

Pluralistic solutions have the power to sustain and take us into the next century with relative security, peace and prosperity. We cannot have peace and security when we do injustice to others.

ORGANIZER

Mike Presides the Foundation for Pluralism championing the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other; he is committed to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress; a board member of the Dallas Peace Center and an Ambassador for peace with the Universal Peace Federation. Mike was also one of the founding board members of the Memnosyne Foundation, as well as former commissioner at the City of Carrollton.

INITIATOR

The following events were initiated, organized and established with the theme of bringing diverse people together to learn and to know about each other.

Annual reflections on Holocaust and Genocides since 2007;
The mission is to create awareness of the inhumanity in us and find solutions for peaceful co-existence. Mike believes that, "we cannot be safe, unless others around us are not" ( TJP - DMN 2009 - DMN 2006 - Survivors-Jewish Post - Fox TV )

The annual Unity Day USA took root in 2005, on this Unity Day USA, we the people of the United States of America of every faith, race, ethnicity, culture and background will gather to express our commitment to co-existence, Unity, safety, prosperity and well being of our nation with liberty and justice for all.

The Annual Thanksgiving Celebrations began in 1993 to bring immigrant, indigenous and born Americans together. The purpose of celebrating this event is to give thanks to the creator for the blessings of precious life while enjoying the cultural heritage of each ethnic group.

EDUCATOR

"Wisdom of Religion" - all the beautiful religions of the world was an hourly Radio talk show broadcasted daily. Over 700 hours of educational programming was relayed learning about religious, humanistic and the pluralistic traditions.

"Festivals of the World" was a weekly Radio program on Saturdays, where the essence of every festival was shared, so we all can have an idea of how other people celebrate or commemorate their holidays. (more on right panel)

Workshops titled “Understanding Religion – every beautiful religion” were conducted for two years.

Mike's purposeful presence in the media is to foster critical thinking. He is blessed to have been given the time on national and local TV, Radio and Print medium to share pluralistic solutions on the issues of the day.

MEDIA RELATIONS

Mike has appeared on Public Television, Fox News, CNN, ABC, NBC and other channels and has been on NPR, KERA, KRLD, WBAP, Progressive Radio and several other Radio talk shows. The theme is for people to see and value a moderate point of view.

MODERATOR

Mike moderates several discussion groups numbering nearly 6,000 members, among them are the Foundation for Pluralism, World Muslim Congress, Dallas Indians and other groups.

Facebook has earned him nearly 4500 friends discussing issues that face us daily.

The Journal of pluralism reaches over 31,000 people around the world.

He was a Commissioner at the City of Carrollton

STANDING UP FOR OTHERS - Link

Serving blindly was a clarion call by his Grand father and regularly reinforced by spiritual leaders from across the spectrum of religions and traditions. Mike feels blessed that God has created a speck of a space for him to fulfill that mission.

Mike has stood up and spoke for Immigration reforms at Farmers Branch and Downtown Dallas. He has participated in the Gaza Rally and moderated the Interfaith Prayers for Goodwill in Gaza and has deplored the rockets into Israel. Joined in the organizations for Darfur and speaks up against the and persecution of minorities, He will stand up with Jews, Gays & Lesbian and the Mexican immigrants in a rally against them in Dallas.

He was involved in the cause of persecuted in Japan, spoke out against the destruction of a Church in Jakarta; a ban on Hindu festival in Italy; desecration of a Hindu temple in Malaysia, Moscow, Trinidad, Lahore and other places. Spoke out against the suffrage of the Kashmiri Pundits, the massacre of Muslims in Gujarat, the burning of Hindus in Godhra, burning of Godhra and rape of Nuns in India. The forced conversions of Hindu in Pakistan and the harassment of Dalits and Christians in India. Please note these are the representative items and by all means not all. Mike also joins with Native Americans in their quest for a Heritage day to celebrate their contribution to America.

Mike has condemned the vandalism at Holocaust Museum, spoke out against anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and consistently fights the anti-Ahmadiyya prejudices, He made a painful acknowledgement of the atrocities we commit in different names.

He feels blessed to have the ability to touch every one of the human beings and partnering with each of the religious traditions, He has done a Radio Program on each on every one, each one at least 25 times and few over 100 times and has presented workshops on each one of them. In six Unity day events, three Holocaust and Genocide event and over ten thanksgiving celebrations and host of other events, he has painstakingly brought every one together.

Links will be added

Atheists - Inclusive
Bahais - Iran,
Buddhist - Burma,
Christians - Indonesia, India,
Hindu - Moscow, Trinidad, Kuala Lumpur,
Jain - Dept,
Jew - Iran, Dallas, DC, Texas
Muslim - France, England, India, America
Pagans - Saudi Arabia
Sikhs - Afghanistan, Pakistan, France,
Wicca - Arlington, Unity Day
Zoroastrian - Farvahar, Iran,

ON CREATION AND RELIGION

that something caused our existence; those who are religiously oriented, generally call that causer the God, and others simply call it the logic of creation.
that regardless of evolution, creation or the big bang theory, we exist and that is a fact;
that universe is broadly composed of life and matter;
that matter was created with a built-in balance-seeking mechanism, while humans (life) were created (caused) with the capacity to think and bestowed with a free will to find their own balance and harmony;
that there is accountability for everything we do, every transaction of life has a giver and a receiver ultimately ending in a balance. If the balance is not witnessed in one's life time, religiously oriented people believe the creator God will make it happen in the imaginary here after or will happen with the idea of reincarnation. Remember humans seek balance.
that the creator loves his (her or its) creation just like the mother loves her children and has guided the creation through peace makers, prophets and the messengers to guide tem to co-exist in harmony.
that the causer, creator, sustainer is not definable, not imaginable and not reducible to definitive entity as it is different for each one of us. Diversity in nature and human life was intentional, among humanoids we have accepted 7 billion unique thumb prints, unique DNA and it is time we honor the uniqueness of beliefs as well.

Mike states that the purpose of religion is to bring spiritual balance to one and balance with what surrounds him or her. A good Hindu is a good Muslim and a good Muslim is a good Jew, a good Atheist is a good Christian... the bottom line of religion is to facilitate co-existence and harmony.

That the purpose of all faiths is to spiritually connect the humans with the divine, simply meaning understanding existence, the beginning and the end and be in tune with the universal energy. This brings peace of mind [release from misery] to the individuals and order in the society.

He strongly support the goodness of each Religion. The political motivations have deliberately ascribed the wrongs of the world to religions, it is his commitment to identify the individuals responsible for it and uphold honor of each faith.

"To be religious is to be a peace maker, one who mitigates conflicts and nurtures goodwill."

HIS FAITH

"I believe, each one of us is created by the same creative process, with a singular source [GOD] for such creation. I believe that respecting each one of its creations is the best form of praising, worshipping and honoring that creator. I believe knowledge leads to understanding and understanding to acceptance and appreciation of people with a different point of view. If we can learn to accept and respect the God given uniqueness to each one of the 6 billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge."

"I have freed my God from religious confinement and believe that the divine's presence belongs to every one, and he/she/it is everywhere. I see God's greatness in every which way and in every place of worship. I don't like to lock up God in any singular spot or limit him into a form. No one owns Jesus, Krishna or Mohamed: "Ram is not the property of Hindu's, he belongs to all, Christians don't own Jesus, and Mohammed and his message belongs to all". I feel that none of us should bottle up the great teachers into small cells, their teachings are universal and they belong to all. "Don't let prejudice stop you from learning all the good you can learn from all religious teachers”. I believe Learning about other faiths simply enhances one’s search for the truth."

"I am a Muslim and blessed to be one and I pray every one feels the same about his or her individual faith. My faith connects me with my Creator and answers the purpose of life, death, accountability and results. The Islam I know is what the majority of Muslims practice around the world, it is universal, all embracing and pluralistic. I relate with every faith and see the same essence and beauty in them as I see in Islam. I am comfortable with every beautiful way people have come to worship the divine. We do not have to undermine other faiths to make our faith better, faith is beyond comparisons. Faith brings humility to oneself and not arrogance."

"I believe that the connection with the Creator is inversely proportional to the ego. Greater the ego, (arrogance); lesser the connection. On the other hand, greater the humility, greater the spirituality. I am grateful to that the creator has helped me learn to respect and honor all faiths, and my faith teaches me never to denigrate other beliefs. Islam is my path and am honored to travel on it."

As beauty is in they eyes of the beholder, Mike says "religion is in the heart of the believer." Each faith is beautiful to the believer and we should honor that.

To be a Muslim is to be a peacemaker, one who seeks to mitigate conflicts and nurtures goodwill for peaceful co-existence. God wants us to live in peace and harmony with his creation; that is indeed the purpose of religion, any religion.

"I honor cherish and respect every which way people have come to praise and worship the almighty, including but not limited to the Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islamic, Jain, Judaism, Sikh, Wicca, Zoroastrian and several indigenous systems of belief. I am committed to defend the divinity of every faith with no exception and it is in no conflict with my faith, which is Islam."

Mike's chosen path is Islam and here he summarizes about Islam in a few pages:

WISDOM OF RELIGION - RADIO PROGRAM (2004-06)

Learn the wisdom of all the beautiful religions of the World. It is broadcasted on weekdays at 6:00 AM on AM Radio 1150 KBIS in Dallas/Fort Worth and world wide you can log onto www.RadioSuno.com.

More about Foundation please navigate to Foundation on the website www.mikeghouse.net . A website is in the making called www.FoundationforPluralism.com. All ideas are welcome.

The Program will celebrate its' first anniversary at the end of July 2004. This program was however commenced in August of 1995 in 15 minutes segments on the Saturdays. Now we will be completing one full year with one hour program each. In this period of time we have done 52 Hours of Each - Christianity, Hinduism and Islam = 156 Hours & 12 Hours each of Baha'i, Buddhist, Jain, Jewish, Sikh, Zoroaster and interfaith = 7 x 12 = 84 Hours + 9 Hours of general conversation. I.e., a total of 259 Hours of wisdom of Religion. I missed 1 hour in the entire year.

Monday	Christianity
Tuesday	Jainism - 1st Tue Judaism - 2nd Tue Baha'i - 3rd Tue Buddhism - 4th Tue Open
Wednesday	Sikhism - 1st Wed Zoroastrianism - 2nd Interfaith - 3rd Open - 4th Wed Open
Thursday	Hinduism
Friday	Islam

The following schedule gives the specific dates.
http://www.mikeghouse.net/Calendar-WisdomofReligion.htm