Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Building a Cohesive America on wheels

PRESS RELEASE
 
Americans together have to put an end to the divisiveness and work towards building a cohesive, safe and secure America. No American has to live in anxieties, discomfort or fear of the other.

April 22, 2011 -- The right wingers have been successful in pitting one American against the other for their own political and financial gains, it is time for us to come together as Americans and find solutions to the divisive issues and focus on becoming a catalyst to each others prosperity. I cannot be secure if those around me are not.

Mike Ghouse, President of America Together Foundation announced his plans to go on a speaking tour across America in an effort to build cohesive societies. “It is a three in one opportunity to hear out on Pluralism, Islam and Interfaith”. He will address what it takes to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill.

Mike 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. He welcomes all questions and will address the fears many have about Islam.  He welcomes questions concerning misunderstandings about violence (jihad) and women's rights and other issues. 

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, in Washington, and elsewhere.

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, many are not aware that Islam teaches Pluralism. 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/

Pluralism Speaker
http://pluralismspeaker.blogspot.com/

Muslim Speaker
http://muslimspeakermikeghouse.blogspot.com

Interfaith Speaker:
http://interfaithspeaker.blogspot.com/


If you wish to host "Building a Cohesive America" event in your town you can reach; Mike Ghouse at (214) 325-1916 or email to: GhouseSpeaks@Gmail.com

Monday, April 18, 2011

List of websites and blogs

LIST OF WEBSITES & BLOGS
CONNECTED TO MIKE GHOUSE

Mike Ghouse, President of America Together foundation and Islam Together foundation is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day, and is available to speak at your place of worship, work, school, seminars and conferences. He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Islam, interfaith, India and Peace. His work is reflected in 4 websites and 27 Blogs at http://www.mikeghouse.net/

INDEX

Websites
Personal
Pluralism Sites
Civic Sites
Islam Sites s

WEBSITES



PERSONAL

Ghouse Diary
Everything that I write goes here first since Jan 2011
http://theghousediary.blogspot.com

Ghouse Tweets
250 Word Statements on issues of the day
 http://Ghousetweets.blogspot.com
 
Ghouse on Google Search - Click

Ghouse on YouTube - Click

Dallas Mega Rally - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrjU0KULv-Y



Standing up for others.
Why should you stand up for others, almost every one. I have done to back up what I preach. http://www.mikeghouse.net/Standing.up.for.others.asp



PLURALISM SITES

Our mission is to encourage individuals to develop an open mind and an open heart toward their fellow beings.

Wisdom of Religion 
Master site on Pluralism, it is all about co-existence. No religion is above the other.   http://wisdomofReligion.blogspot.com
 
Americans together, building cohesive societies
www.AmericaTogetherFoundation.com


Holocaust and Genocides  
http://holocaustandgenocides.blogspot.com/
 


Quraan Conference
The holy book is about living in harmony with free will, there are mis-translations and mis-interpretations that are addressed, and it will done by non-Muslim clergy from all faiths.  http://www.quraanconference.com/




Ground Zero Mosque
The full story of the mosque with 60 plus articles and videos exploring the politics of it.  http://groundzeromosque.blogspot.com/

Peter King Hearings
We welcomed it, let's put all the things on the table and once for all clear it up.  http://www.peterkinghearings.blogspot.com/


Terrorism counter  
http://terrorismcounter.blogspot.com/
 


Dallas Interfaith Center  
http://dallasinterfaithcenter.blogspot.com/
 

CIVIC SITES


Carrollton Diary
 http://carrolltondiary.blogspot.com/

Mike Ghouse for America 

Mike Ghouse for India
 http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/

Israel Palestine dialogue

# # #

ISLAM

To be a Muslim is to be a peacemaker, one who seeks to mitigate conflicts and nurtures goodwill for peaceful co-existence.



World Muslim Congress
This site chronicles events that affect co-existence and offers solutions to build cohesive societies. http://WorldMuslimCongress.blogspot.org

World Muslim Congress – www.worldMuslimCongress.com

World Muslim Congress – www.WorldMuslimCongress.net

Quraan Today -
Offers information that nurtures the values of pluralism in Quraan. http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/


Muslim Women
Without any reserve men and women have equal rights in Quraan and Islam, even a few Muslims have misunderstood the value Islam places on justness and fairness.
http://muslimwomenandmen.blogspot.com/


Sharia Laws
Defined in lay persons language and easy to understand the personal path of living a righteous life and the public Sharia that governs relationships between individuals and the society like the civil laws.  http://sharialaws.blogspot.com/

Blasphemy Laws
Quraan prohibits judgment, prejudice is discouraged and there is no punishment for the ones who maligns God or his prophet. It is a political tool of oppression by right wingers among Muslims. http://blasphemylaws.blogspot.com/

Ramadan Exclusive
What is Ramadan? Visiting different Mosques and cherishing different practices of all denominations of Muslims.   http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/



Thursday, April 14, 2011

Muslim Speaker Mike Ghouse

NURTURING PLURALISTIC VALUES EMBEDDED IN ISLAM

A Muslim Speaker, thinker, organizer and an activist committed to building cohesive societies with a belief that what is good for Muslims has got to be good for the world and vice versa to sustain peace, harmony and prosperity.

To be a Muslim is to be a peace maker, one who constantly seeks to mitigate conflicts and nurtures goodwill for peaceful co-existence of humanity. God wants us to live in peace and harmony with his creation; Life and Matter. Over 1000 articles have been published on a range of topics in Islam and Pluralism. Insha Allah, a book outlining the Muslim vision is on the horizon.



In defense of Islam, pursuing a civil dialogue

 

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/columnists/steve-blow/20100919-In-defense-of-Islam-pursuing-9397.ece  
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.

It is hard to imagine that anyone has worked harder than the Carrollton resident to demonstrate the peaceful and moderate side of Islam.

And that effort includes personally visiting Dallas' First Baptist Church last Sunday just to put a friendly face on the "evil, evil religion" that the Rev. Robert Jeffress denounced a few weeks before.

"It was wonderful," Ghouse said of the visit. "We were so warmly received."
He hopes a quick chat with Jeffress will be the start of deeper discussion about Islam and the importance of respect between religions.

"I want to have a dialogue with him, not to say he is wrong but to share another point of view," Ghouse said.

The 57-year-old Muslim was born in India and has lived in the United States for 30 years. He owns a small property management firm. But most of his day is devoted to building bridges between people of different faiths.

"It is my passion," he said in his distinctive raspy voice.

He has been a guest a dozen times on Sean Hannity's TV and radio talk shows. "I don't like the way Sean cuts me off, but I have to honor him for giving the American public a semblance of another point of view."

Ghouse said he can understand fear and criticism of Islam because he went through a time of similar feelings. As a teen, he was troubled by passages of the Quran. He called himself an atheist for a while.

But he said deeper study led him to realize the Quran had been purposely mistranslated down through history.

In the Middle Ages, European leaders commissioned a hostile Quran translation to foster warfare against Muslim invaders.

Later, Muslim leaders produced another translation to inflame Muslims against Christians and Jews.

"It was all for politics," he said.
Ghouse said he hopes to present Jeffress with a modern, faithful translation and challenge him to find evil verses.

"If he can, I will convert. I will join his church," Ghouse said. "If he can't, I will call on him to retract his statements and become a peacemaker."

Ghouse acknowledges that deep problems persist within Islam. "Three steps forward, two steps back," he said with a sigh.

And he agrees that mainstream Muslims have not done enough to counter violent images of their faith.

"That is very true," he said. "But part of it is that many Muslims have given up hope that we will ever be heard."

He said repeated denunciations of terrorism seem to fall on deaf ears.

And some efforts have backfired - like the proposed Islamic information center in New York. He said it should be hailed for furthering the moderate Muslim cause.
Instead, it has deepened hostility toward Muslims.

I have been astounded by the amount of anti-Islam propaganda that circulates via e-mail. Tons of it has come my way in the last few weeks.

One theme is that people like Mike Ghouse can't be trusted, that Islam encourages deception.

But Ghouse says actions speak louder than words. And he points to elections in Muslim nations.

More than half of Muslims live in countries with some degree of democracy. And time and time again, Islamist parties are overwhelmingly rejected in favor of secular, mainstream parties.

"The religious parties don't get more than 3 percent of the vote," Ghouse said.
Polls show deep mistrust of Muslims. "But the most important question in those surveys is: 'Do you know anything about Islam?' " Ghouse said. "Most people say no."
What keeps him going is faith in Americans, he said.

"The majority of Americans, if they know the truth, they will change their minds."
 
# # #

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, writer, thinker, futurist and an activist of Pluralism, Islam, India and Civil Societies passionately offering pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

He is a commentator at Fox News on the Hannity show, nationally syndicated Radio shows along with Dallas TV, Print and Radio networks and occasional interviews on NPR.  He has spoken at international forums including the Parliament of Worlds Religions in Melbourne, Middle East Peace initiative in Jerusalem, International Leadership conference in Hawaii, Washington and elsewhere.

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 7th 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 15th year showcasing cultural diversity.

The 5th 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 working on two books scheduled to be released this year; The American Muslim Agenda and My Journey to Pluralism.

Mike has written over 1000 Articles on Pluralism, Islam, India, Peace & Justice and civil societies published in a wide spectrum of Newspapers and Magazines around the world.

Locally, he is a panelist at Dallas Morning News's and writes weekly on a range of issues facing the nation. Washington Post, Huffington Post and other news papers and sites regularly publish his work.  

Mike is available to speak on Pluralism, Islam, Civil Societies, and Peace & Justice at your place of worship, school, work place, seminars, workshops or conferences. His work is reflected at three websites & twenty two Blogs listed at http://www.MikeGhouse.net/



No to School Budget Cuts

Religious leadership must speak out against cutting School funding. Indeed 12 Religious leaders have spoken at the Texas Faith Panel in the Dallas Morning News -  The Talibans keep the children out of schools with a barrel, and our representatives want to do the same to our Children with funds? Hell no, we can afford to cut them rascals but not cut a dime to our schools.

Mike Ghous is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Hannity, Horowitz and Ghouse on Air today

Hannity, Horowitz and Ghouse on nationally syndicated Radio. It will be on 5:00 EST again. Check your local listings -http://www.hannity.com/stations


David Horowitz will probably not ask for me again to be on Air with him, I was assertive in letting him know that he was misinformed about Islam, his lack of knowledge was obvious when he talked about Quraan. He said,  he visited my site and asked for me on Hannity today. I am glad he did, it is possible he may have a heart for the truth and is simply misled by the financial gains in bashing Islam.  Continue 

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

First Amendment, the secular and religious organizations

Religious Organizations must be held to the same standards as the secular organizations in terms of employment and accountability to the public. They must be subjected to audit of the policies as well, then the questions of exceptions will dwindle and a sense of clarity will emerge. We have to rise above our own petty agendas for the overall good of America and formulate policies that treat every one justly.  Full story at - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/04/first-amendment-secular-and-religious.html
# # #

Mike Ghouse, President of America Together foundation is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day, and is available to speak at your place of worship, work or in seminars and conferences. He is a speaker thinker and a writer on the topics of pluralism, cohesive societies, Islam, interfaith, India and Peace.

The Foundation for Pluralism champions the idea of co-existence by respecting and accepting the otherness of other, and World Muslim Congress is committed to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam. His work is reflected in 4 website's and 27 Blogs at http://www.mikeghouse.net/