Books

Five books have been in the making in various stages

  1. Standing up for others
  2. Quran, what it is?
  3. American Muslim Agenda
  4. Pluralism for dummies
  5. Pluralism for Children

American Muslim Agenda

The American Muslim AgendaAs a community, American Muslims have not developed any concrete plans to extricate themselves out of the chaotic situations, hostility and incessant Islamophobic rhetoric they face. Each time a terrorist acts out, we start praying and wishing that the terrorist not be a Muslim, and start making piss poor excuses or blame the media for misrepresenting Muslims. 

We are Americans, and we can do better than that.

We have been misled by the right-wing Muslim scholars of the past, they have distorted the pluralistic teachings of the Prophet and presented Islam as a political entity. Islam is not about governance; it is about spiritual and social guidance to live in harmony with oneself and fellow humans.

The book is a primer to a Blueprint for Muslims to consider, let the discussions begin followed by a concrete plan of action. A Muslim is someone who is a conflict mitigater and a goodwill nurturer, a formula for peaceful societies practiced by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) with guidance from the Quran.

This book paves the way to own up the mistakes we have made, and continue to make them. We have to fix them for our next generation to live a fully integrated life with fellow Americans with least conflicts. There is only one America, and all of us are an active part of it. We need to learn to engage with those who are opposed to us, and I have success stories to share.

We have to be a part of the American story and become one with all to build a secure future for every American. All humans, men, and women are created equal, and no one is more privileged than the other.

We need to reassure each other, particularly the disconnected ones, that together as Americans, we are committed to safeguarding the American way of life. No American needs to worry about losing his or her way of life. Together as Americans, we uphold, protect, defend and celebrate the values enshrined in our Constitution; a guarantor of the way of life for every American.

Two of the Nineteen chapters focus on Islamic Values and American Muslim Agenda. Islamic values that contribute to building a cohesive America where each one of us can live in peace with the other. Whereas, the American Muslim Agenda recommends items for Muslims to consider in becoming full-fledged contributing Americans to America’s success story.

Ultimately each one of the 322 Million of us must feel secure with our faith, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other uniqueness in the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.

When we start defending America and American values and quit bashing America, we are in! We become an integral part of the American Story.

Here are three minutes from Brigitte Gabriel on Sean Hannity show at Fox News: https://www.facebook.com/MikeGhouse/videos/1438210749532124/

I am grateful to many friends, whose names will be listed in the book for their support.

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Mike Ghouse is a public speaker and the founder and President of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. He also established the think tank, World Muslim Congress in 2001 and is revived now.  He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.   More about him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/and http://www.theghousediary.com/mike-ghouse-my mission/ and www.MuslimSpeaker.com and www.interfaithspeaker.com

 

STANDING UP FOR OTHERS
Why should anyone stand up for you?

Standing up for others is the right thing to do; every human goes through a period of invincibility to vulnerability, and if we don’t stand up for those who are vulnerable, then why should anyone stand up for us when we are vulnerable?

The most difficult and influential scene of my life was watching Jews inhumanely herded to a huge pit, and were shot into it during the Holocaust. The hurtful looks in their eyes have been very painful to me. I connected with their plea, in my college I helped a friend with answers during the exams and was caught red-handed and taken to the Principal’s office. None of my friends stood up for me, I was looking at them, perhaps even for an acknowledgment, and they walked away as if I did not exist. I can never forget my helplessness and I said, never again.

The story is the same whether it is Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur, Kurds, Pol Pot, Gujarat, Sikh Genocide, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Native Americans, Africans, Maya….  There is a pattern insecure animal in the perpetrators. The world betrayed the victims in all cases. I saw the pain in their eyes standing in front of that pit with dignity. They were looking at the world and saying in their hearts “where are you my friends, where are you? Where is humanity in you? Are you just going to let this happen? What happened to our friendship, did that mean anything to you?

Evil persists in the world, not because of bad people, but because good people do nothing about it.  We have to tell the bad guys that the world is not with them, and when enough people speak up to begin the process of weakening the bad and strengthening the good, for the common good of all parties, the world would become a better place to live.    The idea of alms, charity, taking care of the elderly, weak, sick and the children is a common theme in every religious tradition. It is indeed the insurance for everyone’s well being.

I cannot be secure when others around me aren’t, and hence it behooves for me to take care of the ones who need assistance.

If we allow bias towards any human, we miss out a part of God in our spirit.  Fight your bias towards others from now on, and see how happy you would be. We are made to be good humans and if we become one, we are home!

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