tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75898051402500693662024-03-16T17:26:40.101-07:00Standing up for othersMike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-39632548122513906692020-04-01T08:27:00.000-07:002020-04-01T08:28:17.656-07:00Standing up for Sikhs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span data-offset-key="5pfpq-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION
STANDING UP FOR SIKHS</span></b></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9f0c9-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">click the following link and sign</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="3v20b-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://chng.it/XJLkxGqx"><span style="font-size: large;">http://chng.it/XJLkxGqx </span></a></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="3v20b-0-0"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ukdvoDU9AHju-86KSN3nZAuMDKjGeQHc_3Z_D02AN9eth3hT4hVTruAPmeDLWbPPhcBR9VCEiz0FpYE3BqV0tT9BpZeF41Id3b0i7tmGbFZgtwHTeQnWPJnoSQzn0wRQrkokUjv3-rU/s1600/Sikhs+Massacre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ukdvoDU9AHju-86KSN3nZAuMDKjGeQHc_3Z_D02AN9eth3hT4hVTruAPmeDLWbPPhcBR9VCEiz0FpYE3BqV0tT9BpZeF41Id3b0i7tmGbFZgtwHTeQnWPJnoSQzn0wRQrkokUjv3-rU/s400/Sikhs+Massacre.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363135; white-space: normal;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Urging the President to give Ultimatum to the ISIS in Afghanistan</span></b><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Sikh place of worship in Afghanistan was attacked by the ISIS gang of murderers, leaving 25 law-abiding Sikh Citizens dead. The Sikh community, on the other hand, is at the forefront of helping people regardless of their faith, ethnicity, or culture whenever a calamity strikes a society.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> We feel their apprehensions and insecurity about living in Afghanistan, their motherland, and it is our duty as fellow humans to restore trust to them so they can live freely again in pursuit of their life, liberty, and happiness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> We urge the President of the United States of America to give an ultimatum to the ISIS, that they have thirty days to surrender and become good citizens or face the drones.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We urge the Government and the people of Afghanistan to conquer the hearts of the Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, and all other minorities, including Muslim minorities, by creating an environment of freedom and security and removing all the threats against them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> The prosperity of a nation is directly dependent on the freedom of her people to live their lives freely. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We also urge our fellow family members of faith communities, particularly Sikhs, not to hold it against Muslims. The entire Muslim world has condemned this ugly act.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The acts of ISIS are the acts of the people who do not get their religion right. Islam strictly prohibits killing any human unless it is in self-defense. Islam does not even permit suicide bombings. These acts are not the acts of Muslims, but terrorists. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> We are pleased to highlight a few of the many charitable acts of Sikhs within the last three months, there are many more acts, but this is what we have available now, details are at <a class="js-petition-description-link" href="http://worldmuslimcongress.org/muslims-condemn-the-attack-on-the-gurdwara-in-afghanistan/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ec2c22; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank">http://worldmuslimcongress.org/muslims-condemn-the-attack-on-the-gurdwara-in-afghanistan/</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> In the past, the Muslims had condemned identifying Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan to harass them during the Taliban take over in the early ’90s.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> The Sikh community was awarded for the exemplary model they set in dealing with the tragedy of Wisconsin – instead of anger, and they showed the way of inclusion, mercy, and prayers. Several Mayors honored five Gurdwaras in Dallas, Texas, in the 12th Annual Unity Day USA event.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> We urge fellow humans to sign the petition, and we recommend the President of the United States to take action. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Thank you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Center for Pluralism, Washington, DC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> World Muslim Congress, Washington, DC</span></div>
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Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-76161333208049824152020-01-19T09:25:00.002-08:002020-01-19T09:25:57.539-08:00Holocaust and Genocides 2020<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://holocaustandgenocides.blogspot.com/2019/12/15th-annual-holocaust-and-genocides.html" style="color: #0d0d4a; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">15th Annual Holocaust and Genocides</span></span></a></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-size: small;">PRESS RELEASE<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dr. Mike Ghouse</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Center for Pluralism</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Website: </span><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="http://www.centerforpluralism.com/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">www.CenterforPluralism.com</span></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Website: </span><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="http://www.holocaustandgenocides.com/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">www.HolocaustandGenocides.com</span></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">email: MikeGhouse@gmail.com </span></span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Office: (202) 290-3560</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cell: (214) 325-1916</span></span></span></div>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0pt 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Press Release - </span><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="http://www.einpresswire.com/shareable-preview/Ph3gI72imCk3afsvJWZbZA" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">http://www.einpresswire.com/shareable-preview/Ph3gI72imCk3afsvJWZbZA</span></a></span></span></span></li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0pt 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">RSVP - </span><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reflections-on-holocaust-and-genocides-tickets-86666932127" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reflections-on-holocaust-and-genocides-tickets-86666932127</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0pt 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Facebook: </span><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/events/2929516827067272/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">https://www.facebook.com/events/2929516827067272/</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0pt 0px; padding: 0px;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At this time, it is published in 148 News outlets </span></span></span></li>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">15th Annual Reflections on the Holocaust and Genocides </span></span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The purpose of this event is education, information, and activism. We hope to learn and acknowledge our failings and make a personal commitment to our share of saying, "Never Again."</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">15th Annual Reflections on Holocaust and Genocides</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">5:30 PM - 8:30 PM Sunday, January 26, 2020</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Arlington, VA 22201</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tickets are complimentary, but donations are accepted </span></span></span></div>
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<a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="http://centerforpluralism.com/donate/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">http://centerforpluralism.com/donate/</span></span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">RSVP: </span><a class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink" href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reflections-on-holocaust-and-genocides-tickets-86666932127" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reflections-on-holocaust-and-genocides-tickets-86666932127</span></a></span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span><br /></span><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1c1e29; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We hope you will walk out of the event with a genuine feeling of being a contributor towards building a cohesive world where no human has to live in apprehension or fear of the other. </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNNLQMC71f0yT3g4IAENSm2pVn0LVw885fBdqXi-mQiypC1wh9j413I809u0GTm0C2I1mkUr4SypxUwjYpvit8iSRnBc6K7wyLI4UbLrNrfEx6Fu9x-kxT38YCCAjAC4xVigE-Qby1fHZ/s1600/HG2020+Flier+in+making.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #0d0d4a; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="1056" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNNLQMC71f0yT3g4IAENSm2pVn0LVw885fBdqXi-mQiypC1wh9j413I809u0GTm0C2I1mkUr4SypxUwjYpvit8iSRnBc6K7wyLI4UbLrNrfEx6Fu9x-kxT38YCCAjAC4xVigE-Qby1fHZ/s400/HG2020+Flier+in+making.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="400" /></span></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtptcIHfYU7u8C-G95QhjS_gFDqYjI2OVfU9l0sJ3qCzYoIMtEz7Gf1mhP22YnNOCyQnIPcq3vGk8v7bUQBAwy_10oz4-Jk06H1fUpR8RPcv5qPESF7RIGo_v3sbdKHGBhpTxc4rsKuXNC/s1600/HG20+poster+for+email.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #0d0d4a; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></a></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Jewish community has been commemorating the Holocaust event since 1953, known as Yom HaShoah in Synagogues around the world. The general public learns it by visiting the Holocaust Museums and educational institutions.</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At the Center for Pluralism, we are committed to spreading knowledge of the Holocaust and Genocide through interfaith and public events, including the Annual reflections. </span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Speakers: </span></span></span></h3>
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<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Robert F. Teitel - Holocaust Story</span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dr. Gregory Stanton - Signs of Genocides</span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rushan Abbas & Omer Kanat - Uyghur Updates</span></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dr. Wakar Uddin - Rohingya Update</span></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Muneer Baig - Kashmir Update</span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dr. TO Shanavas - India Update</span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dr. Rani Khan - Peace Pledge</span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dr. Mike Ghouse - Genesis of this event</span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rabia Baig - Mistress of Ceremony</span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Volunteers:</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nausheen Baig</span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rabbi Alana Suskin</span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jafer Imam</span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dr. Zafar Iqbal</span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Charles Stevenson</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sponsors:</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Would you like to be a sponsor?</span></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our budget is $2000, full or any part </span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Co-Chairs:</span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dr. Rani Khan</span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dr. Mike Ghouse</span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Organized by:</span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Center for Pluralism</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our format consists of four parts; Interfaith prayers, Holocaust, Genocides, Massacred and the Pledge of Peace. Silently, we will acknowledge all suffering, but physically we are limited to a few Genocides each year. </span></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> This year, a Holocaust survivor will share his story, followed by updated Uyghur, Rohingya, and the signs of making of Genocide in India. I urge everyone to watch the Schindler's list and Civil War movies to grasp the signs.</span></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I believe, when we acknowledge each other's grief and participate in each other's commemoration, we connect with the humanness within ourselves and seed the relationship of understanding and caring for each other. </span></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There is a shameless cruelty in us, either we shy away or refuse to acknowledge the sufferings of others, worrying that it will devalue our own, or amounts to infidelity to our pain, and every community and nation has suffered through this. To all those who have endured the Holocaust, Genocides, Massacres, Ethnic Cleansing, Land Mines, Hunger, Rape, Torture, Occupation, Expulsion, and inhuman brutality, we must say, you are not alone. The least we can do in the process of healing is to acknowledge every one's pain in one voice. </span></span></span></h3>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I cannot be safe if the people around me are not, and I will not have peace if people around me don't. It is in my interest to seek a peaceful world for one and all.</span></span></span></h3>
<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
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<h3 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1c1e29; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0pt 0px; position: relative;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is a Muslim initiative to assure fellow humans who have endured the Holocaust, Genocide, ethnic cleansing, massacres, rapes, injustice and other atrocities that we are all in this together to create a better world. Tikkun Olam is our sacred duty. </span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #c00000; line-height: 27.6px;">List of Supporting Organizations (links embedded)</span></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 27.6px;"></span><br /></span></span><ul style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://ifcmw.org/" style="color: #0d0d4a; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-size: small;">Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington</span></a></span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.mpac.org/" style="color: #0d0d4a; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-size: small;">Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)</span></a></span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.thej.org/" style="color: #0d0d4a; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pozez Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia</span></a></span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Foundation for Ethnic Understanding</span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">American Sikhi Educational and Empowerment Network </span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jews, Muslims and Allies Acting Together (JAMAAT<span style="color: #222222;">)</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 21.528px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Response USA for Relief and Development (RUSARD)</span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 21.528px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://iswamd.org/" style="color: #0d0d4a; text-decoration-line: none;">Islamic Society of Washington Area</a> (ISWA)</span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 21.528px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Church of Scientology National Affairs Office </span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 21.528px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jews for Jewish Muslim Understanding</span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 21.528px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></li>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #1c1e29;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Send email t</span>o</span><span style="color: #1c1e29; font-weight: normal;"> </span><a href="mailto:HolocaustandGenocides20@gmail.com" style="color: #0d0d4a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: blue;">HolocaustandGenocides20@gmail.com</span></a><span style="color: #1c1e29; font-weight: normal;"><br /># # #</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0px; position: relative;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Published at 148 News Outlets<br />A few are listed below </span></span></span></span></h2>
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<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4877441003311988819" itemprop="description articleBody" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 646px;">
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<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
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<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1c1e29;">Fox News, Washington, DC<br /><a href="https://www.fox34.com/story/41548532/holocaust-and-genocides-commemoration-in-washington-dc" style="color: #0d0d4a; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.fox34.com/story/41548532/holocaust-and-genocides-commemoration-in-washington-dc</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1c1e29;">Fox News<br /><a href="http://www.wicz.com/story/41548532/holocaust-and-genocides-commemoration-in-washington-dc" style="color: #0d0d4a; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.wicz.com/story/41548532/holocaust-and-genocides-commemoration-in-washington-dc</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1c1e29;">NBC News<br /><a href="http://www.nbc-2.com/story/41548532/holocaust-and-genocides-commemoration-in-washington-dc" style="color: #0d0d4a; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.nbc-2.com/story/41548532/holocaust-and-genocides-commemoration-in-washington-dc</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 14pt; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1c1e29;">Boston Herald<br /><a href="http://markets.financialcontent.com/bostonherald/news/read/39355237" style="color: #0d0d4a; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: blue;">http://markets.financialcontent.com/bostonherald/news/read/39355237</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1c1e29;">Al Bilad Daily, Saudi Arabia<br /><a href="http://www.albiladdailyeng.com/holocaust-genocides-commemoration-washington-dc/" style="color: #0d0d4a; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.albiladdailyeng.com/holocaust-genocides-commemoration-washington-dc/</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">All Event<br /><a href="https://allevents.in/arlington/reflections-on-holocaust-and-genocides/1000086666932127" style="color: #0d0d4a; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4a6ee0;">https://allevents.in/arlington/reflections-on-holocaust-and-genocides/1000086666932127</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
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Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-80572625351121867102018-02-06T17:21:00.000-08:002018-02-06T17:21:13.355-08:00Toyota Super Bowl Commercial is insensitive<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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February 5, 2018, Washington, D.C. – We welcome the Toyota Commercial played during the Super Bowl, it was aimed to be inclusive of all Americans but it failed to do so, someone fumbled. At the Center for pluralism, we take an exception to this commercial.</div>
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The interfaith movement needs to be lauded, as it brings Americans together. However, in the commercial played during the 52nd Super Bowl on Sunday, February 4, 2018, leaders of a few faiths forgot about people of other faiths, that is not inclusion, interfaith means all faiths, not just the Abrahamic faiths.</div>
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Mike Ghouse, President of the Center asserted, “As a Muslim, I was elated to see the commercial, but by the time the commercial was over, I was sourly disappointed to see the exclusion of people of other faiths, the commercial is perceived to be inclusive, it is not, we the people are not in this together.”</div>
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Where was a Native American, Hindu, Sikh, Bahá’í, Zoroastrian, Wicca, Jain, Shinto, Atheist, Confucius or the other in the commercial? Aren’t they consumers of Toyota?</div>
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The commercial- <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrGu6H8t2gU&sns=em" rel="nofollow noopener" style="border: 0px; color: #00bcd5; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrGu6H8t2gU&sns=em </a></div>
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We urge Toyota to make a new commercial, where Americans of all hues are represented, you can place 30 different Americans in two rows of stadium chairs or whatever the background for a fleeting 3 seconds, each American will recognize his or her inclusion. Inclusion is good for business.</div>
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The Center for Pluralism is committed to building a cohesive America where no American feels excluded. If we can learn to respect the otherness of other and accept the given uniqueness of each one of us then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.</div>
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Please sign the petition at <a href="https://www.change.org/p/chairman-takeshi-uchiyamada-insensitive-toyota-commercial-at-super-bowl-needs-a-remake" style="border: 0px; color: #00bcd5; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.change.org/p/chairman-takeshi-uchiyamada-insensitive-toyota-commercial-at-super-bowl-needs-a-remake</a></div>
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Mike Ghouse, President<br />Center for Pluralism<br />Washington, DC</div>
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Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-55591082659138675032018-01-09T17:06:00.002-08:002018-01-09T17:08:55.597-08:00Persecution of Christians in India, Pakistan, Egypt<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.4px;">The US International Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is holding a meeting tomorrow at the National Press Club about Persecution of Christians around the world. This agency does its work honestly and reports on just about every religious persecution around the world.
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">It may come as a surprise to many, but it is a fact; on the list are India, Pakistan, China, Russia, Egypt and a few other countries. The ultimate religious freedom comes to each one if we stand up for people of other faiths including Atheists and LGBT community. </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"></span>Would you support me in making an effort to stop the persecution of Christians in this instance and all people in general? It requires you to take a stand or sign a petition if needed. I want my Hindu friends in particular to join the effort. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"></span>If you are an Indian or a Hindu, you don't need to be embarrassed, it is not you and I, it is the radicals among us who are doing this. If we don't stand up, everyone will suffer at the end. The least we can do is loudly say that it is not Indians nor Hindus or Hinduism, it is the misled innocent men and women by the politicians and we will do our share to bring common sense to India, we will make an effort to see that every Indian <span style="line-height: 17.12px;">lives</span><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"> his life freely and respects other persons right to believe, worship, wear, drink and eat whatever he or she wants.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Open Doors organization shares this information in the following four </span><span style="color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;">paragraphs; </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“As many as 410 incidents of attacks, harassment, and threats on Christians were reported in India in the <span style="text-align: center;">first six months of 2017, the highest ever since the country’s independence, </span>generally from or influenced by groups associated with the governing Hindu <span style="text-align: center;">according to figures compiled by partners of Open Doors. Attackers are a </span>nationalist party.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The first quarter of 2017 saw 248 incidents of persecution, and by June-end, the number grew to 410, a report by Open Doors said, noting that a total of 441 incidents were reported in all of 2016.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“When the Christians are beaten by the extremists, they receive injuries mostly on their heads or their <span style="text-align: center;">vital body parts,” a local partner of Open Doors was quoted as saying in the</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">report. “The assaulters do not care if the person dies in the attack. They know <span style="text-align: center;">that they will not be punished because the government (and hence the judiciary) </span>will take their side. In most of the cases, the assaulters go unpunished.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In one case, Hindu nationalists beat an evangelist with chains, stripped him and forced him to <span style="text-align: center;">drink urine, according to another recent report. In a separate incident, a </span>Christian cemetery was desecrated and skeletons dug up and strewn across the graveyard. “</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Apart from physical attacks, Open Doors’ partners recorded 37 incidents where Christians were socially boycotted and 34 incidents where Christians were forced to leave their</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> homes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.4px;">Mike Ghouse www.StandingupforOthers.com</span></div>
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Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-35943899203518036652017-12-29T14:43:00.000-08:002018-02-09T10:19:51.719-08:00Standing up for Native Americans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Native Americans:</div>
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There is a lot of work I have done along with the Native Americans, I am pleased to pull a few quick links<br />
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Religious greetings at the Native American event – dance included<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u27uKQm60iI&t=74s" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u27uKQm60iI&t=74s</a><br />
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Americans together – a documentary in making<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMXsTo4VYh8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMXsTo4VYh8</a></div>
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Feedback from Guests at Genocide event<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uneRYgYfgWI" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uneRYgYfgWI</a></div>
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Steve Melendez –President of Native American Genocide Museum<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLCyx7Qlx7c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLCyx7Qlx7c</a></div>
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Ricardo Cerventes at American Genocide event<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY_M8Tu4_GM&t=555s" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY_M8Tu4_GM&t=555s</a></div>
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Choctaw Nation Songs about Genocide<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAO4lNtOAtA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAO4lNtOAtA</a></div>
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Dakota Pipeline<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG7iddH9M8E" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG7iddH9M8E</a><br />
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Native American Heritage Day in Texas<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/mike-ghouse/petition-for-native-american-heritage-day/323732092773" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/notes/mike-ghouse/petition-for-native-american-heritage-day/323732092773</a></div>
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Texas American Heritage Day<br />
<a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/02/native-american-heritage-day.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/02/native-american-heritage-day.html</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mike Ghouse</span></div>
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Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-11440918115853219302017-04-11T20:13:00.003-07:002017-04-11T20:13:57.023-07:00Persecution of Falun Dafa in China<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Dallas, Texas: Practitioners Protest CCP's Atrocities in Sujiatun Concentration Camp (Photos)</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2006/3/19/70952p.html</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Clearwisdom.net)</b> It was shocking to learn that in a secret concentration camp in the Sujiatun District in Shenyang City, at least 6,000 Falun Gong practitioners are locked up. Their internal organs are harvested and sold for profit, and their murdered bodies are cremated to destroy the evidence. Practitioners in Dallas, Friends of Falun Gong at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and a representative of a non-governmental organization held a press conference in front of the UTD Student Union at noon on March 16, 2006. They strongly condemned the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP's) atrocities and called on the international society to immediately investigate, stop the killing and rescue the practitioners being tortured and murdered for profit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2006-3-17-dallas-01.jpg" style="color: #6b7596; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="2" height="179" hspace="0" src="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2006-3-17-dallas-01--ss.jpg" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;" vspace="5" width="270" /></a><a href="http://minghui.tv/pics/0007/Mar/17/dallas-01.jpg" style="color: #6b7596; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="High Resolution Picture" border="0" height="12" src="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2002-9-2-button_higt.jpg" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;" width="14" /></a><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Mr. Mike Ghouse gives a speech at the press conference</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2006-3-17-dallas-02.jpg" style="color: #6b7596; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="2" height="179" hspace="0" src="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2006-3-17-dallas-02--ss.jpg" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;" vspace="5" width="270" /></a><a href="http://minghui.tv/pics/0007/Mar/17/dallas-02.jpg" style="color: #6b7596; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="High Resolution Picture" border="0" height="12" src="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2002-9-2-button_higt.jpg" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;" width="14" /></a><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Signing a petition to stop the CCP's killing of innocent people</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2006-3-17-dallas-03.jpg" style="color: #6b7596; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="2" height="179" hspace="0" src="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2006-3-17-dallas-03--ss.jpg" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;" vspace="5" width="270" /></a><a href="http://minghui.tv/pics/0007/Mar/17/dallas-03.jpg" style="color: #6b7596; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="High Resolution Picture" border="0" height="12" src="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2002-9-2-button_higt.jpg" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;" width="14" /></a><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Signing a petition in support of Falun Gong</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2006-3-17-dallas-04.jpg" style="color: #6b7596; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="2" height="179" hspace="0" src="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2006-3-17-dallas-04--ss.jpg" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;" vspace="5" width="270" /></a><a href="http://minghui.tv/pics/0007/Mar/17/dallas-04.jpg" style="color: #6b7596; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="High Resolution Picture" border="0" height="12" src="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2002-9-2-button_higt.jpg" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;" width="14" /></a><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />A student reads a truth-clarification poster board attentively</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the press conference, Ms. Fu, President of the Friends of Falun Gong UTD, introduced the shocking inside story about the brutality at the Sujiatun Concentration Camp, and called on all UTD faculty and students to condemn the CCP's barbarity and help rescue those practitioners being persecuted in China.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ms. Zhang, a practitioner and information specialist, said in her speech, "Concentration camps for detaining Falun Gong practitioners were reported a few years ago. AFP reported on October 1, 2000 that two concentration camps were established to imprison Falun Gong practitioners. One was in Northwest and the other in Northeast. Each camp can imprison 50,000 people. Minghui.org (the Chinese version of Clearwisdom) reported on October 6, 2000 that a concentration camp was established in Xinjiang to imprison practitioners. Insiders disclosed that practitioners were taken to Xinjiang by train. But no further information was available because no one comes out of there."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Practitioner and computer engineer Mr. Sun introduced Falun Gong and explained why Falun Gong is persecuted in China and why many people had not heard of Falun Gong after it began to be persecuted for nearly seven years. Mr. Sun said that even in China many people do not know that other people are persecuted because of personal belief. It is because of the information blockade in China. The CCP spent a huge amount of money to filter information over the Internet and demonize Falun Gong. The CCP breeds hatred towards those it does not like. It also forces western countries and media to keep silent on the Falun Gong issue with economic enticement. Mr. Sun called on people to spread the facts to more people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dr. Wu, a teacher in a local community college, said in her speech, "After the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals, people hoped that concentration camps like Auschwitz and Buchenwald would never again appear in the future. Unfortunately, a similar concentration camp is running under the control of the CCP in China and the genocidal policy of Jiang Zemin, and the CCP is being applied to kill practitioners. In addition, the CCP is gaining a profit from the victims by harvesting their internal organs. This clearly exposes the CCP's evil nature. I call on the international community and human rights organizations to investigate the Sujiatun Concentration Camp. I urge all kind-hearted people to help end the CCP's killing of innocent people."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Practitioner Ms. Hu said, "The CCP's persecution of Falun Gong has continued for nearly seven years. Such a brutal persecution is beyond normal people's imagination. More people should know about this. I call on the Chinese people stop being so numb, pay attention to the practitioners being tortured and help end the brutal persecution."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mr. Mike Ghouse, president of the Foundation for Pluralism, attended the press conference and gave a speech. He said that he was shocked after hearing of the brutal persecution against Falun Gong practitioners. He expressed the concept that when an unfortunate incident occurs, for people with righteousness, they at least can speak out. If everyone keeps silent, when an unfortunate thing occurs to you, no one can speak for you. Mr. Ghouse called on people to be courageous and speak out for righteousness.</span></div>
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<tr align="middle" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><td align="center" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2006-3-17-dallas-05.jpg" style="color: #6b7596; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="2" height="179" hspace="0" src="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2006-3-17-dallas-05--ss.jpg" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;" vspace="5" width="270" /></a><a href="http://minghui.tv/pics/0007/Mar/17/dallas-05.jpg" style="color: #6b7596; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="High Resolution Picture" border="0" height="12" src="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2002-9-2-button_higt.jpg" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;" width="14" /></a><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Exercise demonstration</span></td><td align="center" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2006-3-17-dallas-06.jpg" style="color: #6b7596; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="2" height="179" hspace="0" src="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2006-3-17-dallas-06--ss.jpg" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;" vspace="5" width="270" /></a><a href="http://minghui.tv/pics/0007/Mar/17/dallas-06.jpg" style="color: #6b7596; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="High Resolution Picture" border="0" height="12" src="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2002-9-2-button_higt.jpg" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;" width="14" /></a><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Explaining the facts of the persecution</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At noon, many faculty members and students passed by the Student Union. They stopped to learn about the event when they saw the banners and posters for the press conference. When they saw the practitioners' exercise demonstration, they could not accept the fact that that CCP brutally persecutes such a peaceful practice. Many students signed a petition calling for a halt to the CCP's killing of innocent people. Some faculty and students expressed their interest in Falun Gong and started to learn the exercises on site.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2006-3-17-dallas-07.jpg" style="color: #6b7596; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="2" height="179" hspace="0" src="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/article_images/2006-3-17-dallas-07--ss.jpg" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;" vspace="5" width="270" /></a>Learning the Falun Gong exercises</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Practitioners in Dallas will hold a rally near the Richardson Chinatown to condemn the atrocities in the Sujiatun Concentration Camp, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on March 18, 2006.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #666666; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">CATEGORY:</span> Rallies & Protests</span></div>
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Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-45984275665505594192014-01-24T14:03:00.004-08:002014-01-24T14:13:00.789-08:00Holocaust, Native American Genocides, Gujarat Massacre and the Muslim Guy <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Holocaust and the Muslim Guy <br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Frequently, I am introduced in the following manner, "He is the
first Muslim guy to commemorate Holocaust, and perhaps the first
non-Jewish person to commemorate the Holocaust as well." </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Of all the people on the earth, my mother would be pleased to know that I am
doing what it takes to be a "good Muslim," to respect, honor and protect the
sanctity of life. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As a Muslim committed to building cohesive societies, it was an honor
to step up to the plate. Quran 3:133, "And vie with one another to
attain to your Sustainer's forgiveness and to a paradise as vast as the
heavens and the earth, which has been readied for the God-conscious." I
am not driven by paradise, nor do I seek rewards. But it does mean
building a cohesive world where no one has to live in apprehension or
fear of the other. God-conscious simply means being caring and sensitive
to all of God's creation; life and matter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />Of all the people on the earth, my mother would be pleased to know I
am doing what it takes to be a "good Muslim," to respect, honor and
protect the sanctity of life. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have always believed, and I read the assessments of some of the
best brains that if we can resolve the Jewish-Palestinian conflict,
i.e., security to Jews and justice to the Palestinians, most of the
world issues will collapse and a period of peace on earth will begin. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-01-20-Opening1.jpg"><img alt="2014-01-20-Opening1.jpg" src="http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-01-20-Opening1-thumb.jpg" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />Commemorating Holocaust and Genocides for seven years is a fulfillment of a lifelong desire. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Continued at Huffington post - <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/holocaust-and-the-muslim-_b_4629509.html#es_share_ended">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/holocaust-and-the-muslim-_b_4629509.html#es_share_ended</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> # # #</span></span> </span></span>
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Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-16138212542878854642013-02-01T05:58:00.000-08:002017-09-28T16:49:10.543-07:00American Indian Heritage Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Your Signature is requested for</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></b></span> <b>
<span style="color: blue;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">NATIVE
AMERICAN HERITAGE DAY</span></span></span></b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: navy;"><br />
<a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2013/02/american-indian-heritage-day.html">
<span style="color: #003366; font-size: small;">NOTE</span><span style="color: teal; font-size: small;">
</span></a>
</span><span style="color: teal;">-
</span><span style="color: navy;">
<a href="http://www.mikeghouse.net/AmericanHeritageDay-DraftLetterofSupport.docx">
<span style="color: teal; font-size: small;">DRAFT
LETTER</span></a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: navy;"><span style="color: teal; font-size: small;"> </span></span></span>We beam all day long when we do a good thing; here is an opportunity for us to earn a cheer. <br /><br />The Native Americans and the American Indian Heritage Day Committee is asking you to consider supporting H.B. No.174, a bill to create the American Indian Heritage Day. <br /><br /><br />With enough signatures from fellow Texans, it will make it easy for the state representatives to pass the bill, that will create an "American Heritage Day" to honor and appreciate the Native Americans. Every community, and every nation on the earth has a national day, except fellow Native Americans. We all have to participate and contribute towards each others pride.<br /><br />All you have to do is copy the following letter below or modify to suit your reflections, write your name, address and email to: roberto.alonzo@house.state.tx.us and copy to pslarney@gmail.com. You are welcome to copy me as well at MikeGhouse@gmail.com.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br /><br />This information is also available at www.MikeGhouse.net and</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> at <a href="http://www.standingupforothers.com/">http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2013/02/american-indian-heritage-day.html</a> </span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The full letter is appended below</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Mike Ghouse <br />America Together Foundation</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype";"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="0" style="color: black; font-family: "palatino linotype"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;"><b></b></span></span></span></span></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">To members of the Texas Legislature and other elected officials:</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Please accept this letter and my signature below as my strongest
possible request that you lend your immediate support to passage of H.B. No.
174, a bill to create "American Indian Heritage Day" in the State of
Texas.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">This bill deserves passage and will bring deserved recognition of the
historic, cultural, and social contributions those American Indian communities
and leaders have made to this state.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">We, the thousands of American Indian tribal members and friends of
various tribes, have waited long to finally receive this deeply deserved
respect and recognition from the State of Texas. With the passage of this bill,
you have a unique opportunity and responsibility to celebrate the rich
traditional and contemporary American Indian culture in this state.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">We hope you will realize that Texas ranks 4th in the nation in numbers
of American Indians living in the state.
Additionally, we urge you to take note of the presence of tribal members
in Texas from over 120 different American Indian tribes, eight federally funded
Indian Education Programs in the state, one Urban Inter-Tribal Center of Texas,
and the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Texas. Some writers have called
our people "the invisible people" and certainly passage of H.B. 174
will help to create much needed awareness of our impact in the state.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">We thank you in advance for your help in passage of H.B. 174 in the
Texas Legislature in the upcoming session. This is a proud moment for our
people and we hope you will lend your support to officially celebrating this
state's rich American Indian heritage and history.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By: Alonzo H.B.
No. 174</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">relating to
creating American Indian Heritage Day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BE IT ENACTED
BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">SECTION
1. Subchapter C, Chapter 662, Government
Code, is amended by adding Section 662.056 to read as follows:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sec.
662.056. AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE
DAY. (a)
The last Friday in September is American Indian Heritage Day in
recognition of the historic, cultural, and social contributions American Indian
communities and leaders have made to this state.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(b) American Indian Heritage Day shall be
regularly observed by appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs in the
public schools and other places to honor American Indians in this state and to
celebrate the rich traditional and contemporary American Indian culture.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it
receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote
necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2013.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> TIME SENSITIVE CORRESPONDENCE</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">RE: American Indian Heritage Day of Texas</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is
inappropriate for Indian children and children of America to celebrate a day
honoring a person for discovering a nation of people and not having a holiday
paying tribute to the people of those nations.
Therefore, the American Indian Heritage Day Core Committee is asking
that you consider supporting H.B. No.174, a bill to be entitled an act relating
to creating American Indian Heritage Day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Representative
Robert R. Alonzo, D-Dallas, will be introducing H.B. No.174 to the Committee
Reading of the 2013 Texas Legislature that could be as early as mid- to late
February. We hope to receive at least
two weeks notice so that we can announce the date and make preparation for
appearance at the Committee Reading.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1. Letter of Support </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are asking
that you support H.B. No.174 with a Letter of Support AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Attached is a draft Letter of Support that
you may use to develop your own or just sign the draft Letter of Support and
forward. We ask that you either email or
fax the Letter of Support to Texas Representative Robert R. Alonzo at
Robert.Alonzo@house.state.tx.us or Fax 512-463-1817. Please send me a copy at pslarney@gmail.com</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We invite
that you consider in presenting personal testimony to support H.B. No.174
either in person at Austin or have the testimony recorded in a journal to be
presented to the Committee Reading. We
expect to receive a very short notice to the day the Committee Reading will
hear H.B. No.174. Again, submit the
testimony to Representative Robert Alonzo's office for recording. Please send me a copy at
pslarney@gmail.com ---- so that I may keep a log of possible presenters.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We ask that
you share this information with your families, friends, and community and ask
them to submit a letter of support or a testimony. We need a Texas-wide support. Please contact your local elected officials
and inform them of the upcoming H.B. No.174 and solicit their support.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Peggy Larney,
Chair-American Indian Heritage Day Core Committee</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">pslarney@gmail.com
or <span class="skype_pnh_container" dir="ltr" tabindex="-1"> <span class="skype_pnh_highlighting_inactive_common" dir="ltr"><img class="skype_pnh_logo_img" src="chrome://skype_ff_extension/skin/numbers_button_skype_logo.png" /><span class="skype_pnh_text_span">214 943 9616</span></span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Attachment: Draft Letter of Support and Copy of H.B.
No.174</span></span></div>
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Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-83913703870827265022013-01-25T17:52:00.001-08:002013-01-25T17:52:59.654-08:00Standing up for others<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2148029367656203831" itemprop="description articleBody">
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white;">This site <a href="http://www.standingupforothers.com/">www.StandingUpforOthers.com</a> is dedicated to Rev. Sun Myung Moon, whom I have come to respect and honor for his teachings in creating a cohesive world. </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Standing
up for others is the right thing to do, every human goes through a
period of invincibility to vulnerability, if we don't stand up for those
who are vulnerable, then who will stand up for us when we are
vulnerable? </span></span></span></span>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">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 an
insurance for every one's well being. I cannot be at peace when others
around me aren't, and hence it behooves me to take care of the ones who
need assistance.</span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><br /></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
am blessed to have taken a stand for Jews, Catholics, Ahmadiyyas,
Immigrants, Hindus, Falun Dafa, Zoroastrians, Muslims, Native Americans,
Christians, Baha'i, Wicca, Sikh and other identities of humanity
including GLBT community. It is the right thing to do.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Father
Moon emphasizes the idea, "Living for the sake of others" indeed there
is a lot of wisdom in it as Martin Niemoller also reflects it in his
eternal poem, "first they came for the Jews, I wasn't a Jew, so I did
not say a thing, then they came for Communists, I didn't care, I wasn't a
communist, then he concludes, then they came for me and it shattered me
to know that there was no one left to speak up for me."</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Please
note that I am no more of a volunteer than you are, if I have not
spoken out against one of your dear causes, it is simply because not
being aware and having only 24 hours in a day. If you would like to
share it with me, please do so in the comments section.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mahatma
Gandhi has been a major inspiration in my life. Twice in my life I have
seen Mahatma Gandhi in my dreams, the first time was when I was in
College around 1971, when Mahatma Gandhi, the vice-chancellor of
Bangalore University Sri V. Narsimaiah and I were having a dinner
together and Mahatma puts his hands on my shoulders and says, "tujhe
bahut kaam karna hai beta", you have a lot of work to do son, and again
around 2003, he appears in my dreams and with the same affectionate hand
(as my Dad's), he pats on my back, "you have to do it"... the only
thing I consistently get from this message was the work of Pluralism,
help me God, I am committed to do.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Thanks
to my Father and Mother for breaking away from the traditional
practices of apartheid, growing up as kids, we did something that was
un-heard of, the Dalits and us would eat off our plates, and drink tea
off our glasses, they would come in to our home... and many had called
my Dad for stopping it. I shall write that some time.<br /><br />Links are linked where the compilation is done, others will be completed by 12/31/12 - God willing if I am alive. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>
</span></span></span>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/04/speaking-up-for-atheists.html" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">Standing up for Atheists</a></span></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/01/standing-with-christians.html" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">Standing up for Christians</a></span></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>
</span></span></span>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/05/standing-up-for-gays-and-lesbians.html" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">Standing up for GLBT</a></span></span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/04/standing-with-hindus.html" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">Standing up for Hindus</a></span></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrjU0KULv-Y" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">Standing up for Immigs</a></span></span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/02/standing-up-with-jews.html" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">Standing up for Jews</a></span></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/02/standing-up-for-others_05.html" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">Standing up for Others</a></span></span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/02/standing-up-for-others_05.html#comment-form" style="color: #171672; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Your Comments</a></span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Apostates Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Malaysia work</span></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Baha'i - Iran petitions </span></span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Jains - Adding the Jain logo at</span></span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Muslims - Standing up for Ahamdiyya, Bohra, Ismailia, Shia, Sufi, Sunni and other Muslims</span></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>
</span></span></span>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Pagans - Petition to save a woman in Saudi Arabia</span></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>
</span></span></span>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Sikhs - Afghanistan, France, UK, USA, Pakistan</span></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>
</span></span></span>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Wicca - Arlington Cemetery Head stones</span></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Native Americans </span><span style="color: #171672; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/02/petition-for-native-american-heritage.html" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/02/petition-for-native-american-heritage.html</a></span></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Falun Dafa </span><a href="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2006/3/19/70952.html" style="color: #171672; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2006/3/19/70952.html</a></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Women's rights - Burqa, Sharia, divorce,</span></span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Darfur - Joined the Darful Coalition and petitions</span></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Bosnia - Faxes, phone calls etc.</span></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Burmese Buddhists - </span><span style="color: #171672; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/10/stand-with-burmese-people.html" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/10/stand-with-burmese-people.html</a></span></span></span></span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtTnMhrG5W57camDsiRIlL4k8_QrZYtR0pAsX-m-bhXsD5UEZ1v0gUsnBIBOCR4jYPkGTkd4SofL3TE9iQqfG3DeSBZVXmPF0VvfXr5D9Mhwip6BqgJhBlOHo2sxXwvW9njr_-7cnWiU/s1600/PoliticalPluralism.STandingupforOthers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtTnMhrG5W57camDsiRIlL4k8_QrZYtR0pAsX-m-bhXsD5UEZ1v0gUsnBIBOCR4jYPkGTkd4SofL3TE9iQqfG3DeSBZVXmPF0VvfXr5D9Mhwip6BqgJhBlOHo2sxXwvW9njr_-7cnWiU/s200/PoliticalPluralism.STandingupforOthers.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>I am dedicating this site to Reverend Sun Myung Moon, f<span style="background-color: white;">ounder of the Unificationists Church ascended to heaven on Sunday, September 2, 2012.</span> I have written many articles about his teachings and planning to write a tribute to his work after the <a href="http://www.unitydayusa.com/">Unity Day</a> event on September 11, 2012. </span></span></span>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">I was moved by his teachings of the divine principles, and his continuous emphasis on "living for the sake of others</span></span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>Reverend
Moon's work for humanity is exemplary, he was committed to peace
between North and South Korea, and Israel and Palestine. He was also
considering enabling the United Nations to understand and resovle the
religious conflicts before they exploded into genocides and massacres. </span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span lang="en-US">His
greatest legacy to mankind is the book he compiled called, "World
Scripture" a comparative anthology of sacred texts. It is indeed the
best reference guide for the pluralists and interfaithers. (<a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-tribute-to-rev-sun-myung-moon.html">A tribute to Rev. Moon</a>). </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">To
be updated, God has blessed me to be a part of many a societies and I
am thankful for the same. I urge you to knock off one hour's TV or
gossip and spend that time standing up for others, the least you can do
is to let them know that you are with them and that they are not alone.<br /><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mike Ghouse is a <a href="http://www.professionalspeakermikeghouse.com/" title="http://www.professionalspeakermikeghouse.com/">speaker</a>, thinker and a
<a href="http://theghousediary.com/" title="http://theghousediary.com/">writer</a>
on <a href="http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/" title="http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/">pluralism</a>, <a href="http://republicanmoderates.blogspot.com/" title="http://republicanmoderates.blogspot.com/">politics</a>, peace making,
foreign policy, <a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/" title="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/">Islam</a>, <a href="http://israelpalestinedialouge.com/" title="http://israelpalestinedialouge.com/">Israel</a>, <a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/" title="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/">India</a>, <a href="http://redeemingpakistan.blogspot.com/" title="http://redeemingpakistan.blogspot.com/">Pakistan</a>, <a href="http://pluralismcenter.blogspot.com/" title="http://pluralismcenter.blogspot.com/">interfaith</a>, and cohesion at work
place or social settings. He is committed to building a <a href="http://www.americatogetherfoundation.com/" title="http://www.americatogetherfoundation.com/">Cohesive America</a> and offers
pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at <a href="http://www.theghousediary.com/" title="http://www.theghousediary.com/">www.TheGhousediary.com</a>. Mike has a
strong presence on national local TV, Radio and Print Media, and is a frequent
guest on <a href="http://www.hannity.com/guest/ghouse-mike/10804" title="http://www.hannity.com/guest/ghouse-mike/10804">Sean Hannity show</a> on
Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to
the Texas Faith Column at <a href="http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/texas-faith/" title="http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/texas-faith/">Dallas Morning
News</a>, fortnightly at <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse" title="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse">Huffington post,</a> and
several other periodicals across the world. His personal site <a href="http://www.mikeghouse.net/" title="http://www.mikeghouse.net/">www.MikeGhouse.net</a> indexes everything you
want to know about him. </span></span></span></span></div>
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Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-46488509567599094052012-12-04T19:52:00.005-08:002012-12-04T19:52:36.900-08:00Muslims condemn destruction of HIndu Temple in Paksitan<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-6292358295429623565" itemprop="description articleBody">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">URL: <a href="http://www.worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/12/muslims-condemn-destruction-of-hindu.html">http://www.worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/12/muslims-condemn-destruction-of-hindu.html</a><br /><br />We
condemn this disgraceful act of destroying the Hindu Temple in
Pakistan, and request the Government of Pakistan the following actions:</span></span><br /><span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span><br /><span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1. Punish the Builder and the miscreants involved in the destruction of the temple. </span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2.
The builder to rebuild the Temple or the Government of Pakistan to
rebuild it, as it has restored Krishna Temple in Lahore several years
ago.</span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3. Request the Government of Pakistan to ensure safety of all of her citizens.</span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /><span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Three years ago, a similar incident took place in Indonesia, where the bad guys <a href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/12/31/letters-an-appeal-indonesian-muslims.html">burnt a Church</a><a href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/12/31/letters-an-appeal-indonesian-muslims.html">, and </a><a href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/12/31/letters-an-appeal-indonesian-muslims.html">an appeal was made </a>to
the Muslims around to contribute towards rebuilding the Church,
fortunately the Government of Indonesia took care of it. I am asking
all in general, but Muslims in particular to be ready to contribute
funds to rebuild the temple. </span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />Mike Ghouse </span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">
<br /><span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">World Muslim Congress<br />Dallas, Texas</span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">....................</span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a class="headingtext" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3462242975774901312" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_HyperLinkMain" style="text-decoration: none;">‘They can shoot me, but I will not let them in with shoes’</a></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a class="newstext" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3462242975774901312" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_HyperLinkReporter" style="font-style: italic;">our correspondent<br /><br />http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-146201-They-can-shoot-me-but-I-will-not-let-them-in-with-shoes</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /><span class="newstext" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_lblDate">Monday, December 03, 2012</span><br /><span class="newstext" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_lblVersion">From Print Edition</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_lblNewsDetailMain"><b>Karachi</b> <br />
When
Laxman saw four men entering the Hindu temple with their shoes on, he
instantly yelled at them to stop in their tracks. But the only reward he
got for trying to protect the sanctity of his place of worship was a
beating. With every punch and kick, he was called names like Bhangi
(sweeper) and Kafir (infidel).<br />
<br />
<br />
“I can’t explain
how I felt at that moment. I was both enraged and terrified,” said the
35-year-old resident of the Shri Rama Mandir compound in Soldier Bazaar.<br />
<br />
<br />
The
demolition of the century-old temple stirred a sense of insecurity
among the already frightened Hindu community in the city and reaffirmed
its belief that people practicing the religion existed as second-class
citizens in Pakistan.<br />
<br />
<br />
“I said they can shoot me if
they like, but I won’t let them go in with shoes,” said Laxman, a man
partially paralysed by a stroke.<br />
<br />
“Half of my body does not work, but at that moment, Rama Pir gave me the strength to fight, and I did what I could,” he said.<br />
<br />
<br />
The
men put the statues and tridents from the temple out on the ground.
Then a bulldozer reduced the pre-partition Mandir to rubble. A number of
houses in the compound were also demolished, rendering around a dozen
families homeless. They even pried opened the donation box and took away
the cash and jewellery, the residents alleged.<br />
<br />
<br />
“We
have been living in this compound since the British era”, said Maharaj
Badriram, the priest of the Shri Rama Pir Mandir. “We never had any
problems with the larger community, but the treatment meted out on this
occasion was inhumane. People look to me for help, but now, I find
myself helpless,” he said.<br />
<br />
<br />
A 17-year-old Hindu
boy, who took video footage of the planned demolition, claimed that some
bearded men associated with a political party oversaw the destruction.
“I don’t understand how people can insult the religion of others and
expect respect in return,” he said.<br />
<br />
<br />
The President
of the Schedule Caste Federation Pakistan, Kalidas Khandara, said that
people in the country take Hindus for granted. “They think we are weak,
so they can intimidate us, but this time, it won’t happen.”<br />
<br />
<br />
Protest<br />
<br />
Hundreds
of people from the Hindu community staged a peaceful rally from Doli
Khata, Soldier Bazaar, to the Karachi Press Club to protest against the
demolition of the Shri Rama Pir Mandir, which was illegally demolished
on Saturday.<br />
<br />
<br />
“Every time a temple is threatened,
we have to run to the courts. It is the third time it has happened this
year,” said Ramesh Kumar Wakwani, the head of the Pakistan Hindu
Council.<br />
<br />
<br />
“There should be a stipulated policy for our properties in this country; we are also a part of Pakistan.”<br />
<br />
<br />
The protestors demanded that the government immediately restore the temple with all its dignity.<br />
<br />
<br />
Wakwani
said that the double standards against Hindus in the city could be
gauged from the fact that those coming from outside and building shanty
towns in Karachi get leases, but Hindus living here for more than a
century were still considered illegal.<br />
<br />
<br />
Speaking
about the demolished temple, Kalidas Khandara of the Scheduled Caste
Federation said that Ramapir Mandir was restored by the government in
the year 2000, which went to show that the place of worship was not only
registered, but received government grants as it was a\deserving
heritage site.<br />
<br />
<br />
Sources in the community informed
this scribe that representatives of Hindus were planning to register a
blasphemy case against the real estate builders and government
officials, who flouted court orders and destroyed a religious site.<br />
<br />
<br />
Demolition condemned<br />
<br />
<br />
Leading
activist and former federal minister for human rights, Ansar Burney,
strongly condemned the demolition of the Hindu temple in Karachi and
demanded that strict action against be taken against the builders. He
also called on authorities to ensure the safety of the Hindu community,
PPI adds.<br />
<br />
<br />
Burney said the demolition of the
century-old temple on Saturday by a builder triggered large-scale
protests by human and civil rights activists as well as the Hindu
community.<br />
<br />
<br />
Burney said the builder not only
demolished the temple, but in a blasphemous act, his workers
disrespected the idols of Hindu deities placed inside the temple.<br />
<br />
<br />
He
said some people allied with the builder physically hurt some members
of the minority. “Everyone should be free to practice his or her
religion and it is the duty of the government to ensure the safety and
security of minorities living in Pakistan,” Burney stressed.<br />
<br />
<br />
He
said many Hindu families of Pakistan had already migrated to India due
to persecution and humiliation at the hands of fundamentalists.<br />
<br />
<br />
“The
builder claims that the land, where the temple is constructed, has been
encroached upon. Even if that is so, the builder should not have
demolished the temple as a humanitarian gesture,” he said. The human
rights activist concluded that he would take up the issue with the local
authorities to ensure that the minority gets justice.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-21480293676562038312012-08-14T17:54:00.000-07:002012-12-19T14:31:15.658-08:00Standing up for others<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white;">This site <a href="http://www.standingupforothers.com/">www.StandingUpforOthers.com</a> is dedicated to Rev. Sun Myung Moon, whom I have come to respect and honor for his teachings in creating a cohesive world. </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Standing
up for others is the right thing to do, every human goes through a
period of invincibility to vulnerability, if we don't stand up for those
who are vulnerable, then who will stand up for us when we are
vulnerable? Continued at: <a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/08/standing-up-for-others_14.html">http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/08/standing-up-for-others_14.html</a></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">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 an
insurance for every one's well being. I cannot be at peace when others
around me aren't, and hence it behooves me to take care of the ones who
need assistance.</span></span></span></span></h3>
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<tr><td><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lkIEg3HMRdH6tLqUILwxiIF3rYumQcalpDi0URO4twfXfzH9zr0ESfPb9c1u7UTpR6obB6AfhTawlaoNJjJdXmBht08OE0sOTdDsJT5yDOWgmGau-iwuI4XC-giFNxT0odFYU1NTmuc/s1600/Pluralism+logo.www.MikeGhouse.net.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #171672; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lkIEg3HMRdH6tLqUILwxiIF3rYumQcalpDi0URO4twfXfzH9zr0ESfPb9c1u7UTpR6obB6AfhTawlaoNJjJdXmBht08OE0sOTdDsJT5yDOWgmGau-iwuI4XC-giFNxT0odFYU1NTmuc/s200/Pluralism+logo.www.MikeGhouse.net.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none currentcolor; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.098); padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">www.FoundationforPluralism.com</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I am blessed to have taken a stand for Jews, Catholics, Ahmadiyyas, Immigrants, Hindus, Falun Dafa, Zoroastrians, Muslims, Native Americans, Christians, Baha'i, Wicca, Sikh and other identities of humanity including GLBT community. It is the right thing to do.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Father Moon emphasizes the idea, "Living for the sake of others" indeed there is a lot of wisdom in it as Martin Niemoller also reflects it in his eternal poem, "first they came for the Jews, I wasn't a Jew, so I did not say a thing, then they came for Communists, I didn't care, I wasn't a communist, then he concludes, then they came for me and it shattered me to know that there was no one left to speak up for me."</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Please note that I am no more of a volunteer than you are, if I have not spoken out against one of your dear causes, it is simply because not being aware and having only 24 hours in a day. If you would like to share it with me, please do so in the comments section.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mahatma Gandhi has been a major inspiration in my life. Twice in my life I have seen Mahatma Gandhi in my dreams, the first time was when I was in College around 1971, when Mahatma Gandhi, the vice-chancellor of Bangalore University Sri V. Narsimaiah and I were having a dinner together and Mahatma puts his hands on my shoulders and says, "tujhe bahut kaam karna hai beta", you have a lot of work to do son, and again around 2003, he appears in my dreams and with the same affectionate hand (as my Dad's), he pats on my back, "you have to do it"... the only thing I consistently get from this message was the work of Pluralism, help me God, I am committed to do.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Thanks to my Father and Mother for breaking away from the traditional practices of apartheid, growing up as kids, we did something that was un-heard of, the Dalits and us would eat off our plates, and drink tea off our glasses, they would come in to our home... and many had called my Dad for stopping it. I shall write that some time.<br /><br />Links are linked where the compilation is done, others will be completed by 12/31/12 - God willing if I am alive. </span></span></span></div>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/04/speaking-up-for-atheists.html" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">Standing up for Atheists</a></span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/01/standing-with-christians.html" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">Standing up for Christians</a></span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/05/standing-up-for-gays-and-lesbians.html" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">Standing up for GLBT</a></span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/04/standing-with-hindus.html" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">Standing up for Hindus</a></span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrjU0KULv-Y" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">Standing up for Immigs</a></span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/02/standing-up-with-jews.html" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">Standing up for Jews</a></span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/02/standing-up-for-others_05.html" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">Standing up for Others</a></span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/02/standing-up-for-others_05.html#comment-form" style="color: #171672; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Your Comments</a></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Jains - Adding the Jain logo at</span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Muslims - Standing up for Ahamdiyya, Bohra, Ismailia, Shia, Sufi, Sunni and other Muslims</span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Pagans - Petition to save a woman in Saudi Arabia</span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Sikhs - Afghanistan, France, UK, USA, Pakistan</span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Wicca - Arlington Cemetery Head stones</span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Native Americans </span><span style="color: #171672; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/02/petition-for-native-american-heritage.html" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/02/petition-for-native-american-heritage.html</a></span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Falun Dafa </span><a href="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2006/3/19/70952.html" style="color: #171672; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2006/3/19/70952.html</a></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Women's rights - Burqa, Sharia, divorce,</span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Darfur - Joined the Darful Coalition and petitions</span></span></span></li>
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</span></span>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Bosnia - Faxes, phone calls etc.</span></span></span></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Burmese Buddhists - </span><span style="color: #171672; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/10/stand-with-burmese-people.html" style="color: #171672; text-decoration: none;">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/10/stand-with-burmese-people.html</a></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am dedicating this site to Reverend Sun Myung Moon, f<span style="background-color: white;">ounder of the Unificationists Church ascended to heaven on Sunday, September 2, 2012.</span> I have written many articles about his teachings and planning to write a tribute to his work after the <a href="http://www.unitydayusa.com/">Unity Day</a> event on September 11, 2012. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">I was moved by his teachings of the divine principles, and his continuous emphasis on "living for the sake of others</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Reverend
Moon's work for humanity is exemplary, he was committed to peace
between North and South Korea, and Israel and Palestine. He was also
considering enabling the United Nations to understand and resovle the
religious conflicts before they exploded into genocides and massacres. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span lang="en-US">His
greatest legacy to mankind is the book he compiled called, "World
Scripture" a comparative anthology of sacred texts. It is indeed the
best reference guide for the pluralists and interfaithers. (<a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-tribute-to-rev-sun-myung-moon.html">A tribute to Rev. Moon</a>). </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">To be updated, God has blessed me to be a part of many a societies and I am thankful for the same. I urge you to knock off one hour's TV or gossip and spend that time standing up for others, the least you can do is to let them know that you are with them and that they are not alone.<br /><br /> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mike Ghouse is a <a href="http://www.professionalspeakermikeghouse.com/" title="http://www.professionalspeakermikeghouse.com/">speaker</a>, thinker and a
<a href="http://theghousediary.com/" title="http://theghousediary.com/">writer</a>
on <a href="http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/" title="http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/">pluralism</a>, <a href="http://republicanmoderates.blogspot.com/" title="http://republicanmoderates.blogspot.com/">politics</a>, peace making,
foreign policy, <a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/" title="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/">Islam</a>, <a href="http://israelpalestinedialouge.com/" title="http://israelpalestinedialouge.com/">Israel</a>, <a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/" title="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/">India</a>, <a href="http://redeemingpakistan.blogspot.com/" title="http://redeemingpakistan.blogspot.com/">Pakistan</a>, <a href="http://pluralismcenter.blogspot.com/" title="http://pluralismcenter.blogspot.com/">interfaith</a>, and cohesion at work
place or social settings. He is committed to building a <a href="http://www.americatogetherfoundation.com/" title="http://www.americatogetherfoundation.com/">Cohesive America</a> and offers
pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at <a href="http://www.theghousediary.com/" title="http://www.theghousediary.com/">www.TheGhousediary.com</a>. Mike has a
strong presence on national local TV, Radio and Print Media, and is a frequent
guest on <a href="http://www.hannity.com/guest/ghouse-mike/10804" title="http://www.hannity.com/guest/ghouse-mike/10804">Sean Hannity show</a> on
Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to
the Texas Faith Column at <a href="http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/texas-faith/" title="http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/texas-faith/">Dallas Morning
News</a>, fortnightly at <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse" title="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse">Huffington post,</a> and
several other periodicals across the world. His personal site <a href="http://www.mikeghouse.net/" title="http://www.mikeghouse.net/">www.MikeGhouse.net</a> indexes everything you
want to know about him. </span></span></span></div>
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Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-56461150533015231992012-08-14T17:51:00.000-07:002015-06-12T18:29:37.619-07:00Standing up for Sikhs<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank God for giving me the opportunity to serve fellow beings, I am writing about the work I have done in standing up for others. I hope you would feel inspired to stand up for some other than you own.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
I am blessed to have served about every community, and one of these days, I will complete the list from my work in the last thirty years </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Delhi Sikh Massacre</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taliban Harassment<br />UK's denial in public service<br />French Harassment<br />United States</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Killing of a Sikh in Arizona<br />Preventing Sikh's name from the 9/11 Memorial</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and now the Wisconsin shooting</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a lot of work that needs to be done, on my part, here is a partial list
of my involvement and work I was able to pull from Google. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Sikhs honored</span> - <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157631762797919/show/?rb=1">https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157631762797919/show/?rb=1</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Unity Day with Sikhs</span> - <a href="http://911unitydayusa.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html">http://911unitydayusa.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Sikh Genocides Commemoration</span>
- <a href="http://holocaustandgenocides.blogspot.com/2013/01/6th-annual-holocaust-and-genocides-sikh_23.html">http://holocaustandgenocides.blogspot.com/2013/01/6th-annual-holocaust-and-genocides-sikh_23.html</a> </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Sikh Genocide pictures</span> - <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157636856041595/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157636856041595/</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Huffington Post about
Gurpurab</span> - <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/sikhs-and-muslims-on-542n_b_1087327.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/sikhs-and-muslims-on-542n_b_1087327.html</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Harassment of Sikhs</span> - <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/harassment-of-sikhs-in-ne_b_3997899.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/harassment-of-sikhs-in-ne_b_3997899.html</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Holocaust and Genocides</span> - <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/holocaust-remembrance-and-recognizing-all-genocides_b_2547164.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/holocaust-remembrance-and-recognizing-all-genocides_b_2547164.html</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Defending Sikhs in Malaysia</span> -
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/who-owns-allah-the-god-th_b_4143551.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/who-owns-allah-the-god-th_b_4143551.html</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Mike Ghouse speaking at Candle light
vigil at Gurdwara</span> - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR0t7O51ViM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR0t7O51ViM</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Sikh Temple Massacre</span> - <a href="http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/mike-ghouse/44751/sikh-temple-massacre-in-milwaukee-wisconsin">http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/mike-ghouse/44751/sikh-temple-massacre-in-milwaukee-wisconsin</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">is the Sikh Shooting Christian
Terrorism</span>? <a href="http://dallasmuslimcenter.blogspot.com/2012/08/texas-faith-is-sikh-shooting-christian.html">http://dallasmuslimcenter.blogspot.com/2012/08/texas-faith-is-sikh-shooting-christian.html</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ramadan Iftar at Gurdwara - <a href="http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2012/08/ramadan-day-20-sikh-temple.html">http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2012/08/ramadan-day-20-sikh-temple.html</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Holocaust and Genocides - <a href="http://holocaustandgenocides.blogspot.com/2014/01/why-only-mike-ghouse-by-shah-alam.html">http://holocaustandgenocides.blogspot.com/2014/01/why-only-mike-ghouse-by-shah-alam.html</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh - <a href="http://www.opednews.com/articles/Festivals-of-the-World--3-by-Mike-Ghouse-Guru-Gobind-Singh_Pluralist-Mike-Ghouse_Religion-Interfaith_Sikh-Guru-140107-725.html">http://www.opednews.com/articles/Festivals-of-the-World--3-by-Mike-Ghouse-Guru-Gobind-Singh_Pluralist-Mike-Ghouse_Religion-Interfaith_Sikh-Guru-140107-725.html</a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://pluralismcenter.blogspot.com/2012/08/honoring-sikh-community-in-dallas.html">http://pluralismcenter.blogspot.com/2012/08/honoring-sikh-community-in-dallas.html</a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/08/texas-faith-is-sikh-shooting-christian.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/08/texas-faith-is-sikh-shooting-christian.html</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/08/sikh-massacre-in-milwaukee-gurudwara.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/08/sikh-massacre-in-milwaukee-gurudwara.html</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Resolving 500 year old Sikh-Muslim conflict - <a href="http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2010/08/quraan-surah-hijr-1526-30.html">http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2010/08/quraan-surah-hijr-1526-30.html</a></span></li>
</ol>
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Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-72390139265187284302012-08-07T17:17:00.001-07:002012-08-07T17:17:13.562-07:00Standing up for Others<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt;">Standing up for others is the right thing to do,
every human goes through a period of invincibility to vulnerability, if we
don't stand up for those who are vulnerable, then who will stand up for us when
we are vulnerable?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lkIEg3HMRdH6tLqUILwxiIF3rYumQcalpDi0URO4twfXfzH9zr0ESfPb9c1u7UTpR6obB6AfhTawlaoNJjJdXmBht08OE0sOTdDsJT5yDOWgmGau-iwuI4XC-giFNxT0odFYU1NTmuc/s1600/Pluralism+logo.www.MikeGhouse.net.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lkIEg3HMRdH6tLqUILwxiIF3rYumQcalpDi0URO4twfXfzH9zr0ESfPb9c1u7UTpR6obB6AfhTawlaoNJjJdXmBht08OE0sOTdDsJT5yDOWgmGau-iwuI4XC-giFNxT0odFYU1NTmuc/s200/Pluralism+logo.www.MikeGhouse.net.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">www.FoundationforPluralism.com </td></tr>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt;">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 an insurance for every one's
well being. I cannot be at peace when others around me aren't, and hence it
behooves me to take care of the ones who need assistance.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt;">I am blessed to have taken a stand for Jews, Catholics,
Ahmadiyyas, Immigrants, Hindus, Falun Dafa, Zoroastrians, Muslims, Native
Americans, Christians, Baha'i, Wicca, Sikh and other identities of humanity
including GLBT community. It is the right thing to do.<br />
<br />
</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-weight: normal;">Father Moon emphasizes the idea, "Living for the sake of others" indeed there is a lot of wisdom in it as Martin Niemoller also reflects it in his eternal poem, "first they came for the Jews, I wasn't a Jew, so I did not say a thing, then they came for Communists, I didn't care, I wasn't a communist, then he concludes, then they came for me and it shattered me to know that there was no one left to speak up for me."</span>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt;">Please note that I am
no more of a volunteer than you are, if I have not spoken out against one of
your dear causes, it is simply because not being aware and having only 24 hours
in a day. If you would like to share it with me, please do so in the comments
section.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt;">Mahatma Gandhi has
been a major inspiration in my life. Twice in my life I have seen Mahatma
Gandhi in my dreams, the first time was when I was in College around 1971, when
Mahatma Gandhi, the vice-chancellor of Bangalore University Sri V. Narsimaiah
and I were having a dinner together and Mahatma puts his hands on my shoulders
and says, "tujhe bahut kaam karna hai beta", you have a lot of work
to do son, and again around 2003, he appears in my dreams and with the same
affectionate hand (as my Dad's), he pats on my back, "you have to do
it"... the only thing I consistently get from this message was the work of
Pluralism, help me God, I am committed to do.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt;">Thanks to my Father and Mother for breaking away from the
traditional practices of apartheid, growing up as kids, we did something that
was un-heard of, the Dalits and us would eat off our plates, and drink tea off
our glasses, they would come in to our home... and many had called my Dad for
stopping it. I shall write that some time.<br />
<br />
Links are linked where the compilation is done, others will be completed by
12/31/12 - God willing if I am alive. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/04/speaking-up-for-atheists.html">Standing
up for Atheists</a>
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/01/standing-with-christians.html">Standing
up for Christians</a>
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/05/standing-up-for-gays-and-lesbians.html">Standing
up for GLBT</a>
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/04/standing-with-hindus.html">Standing
up for Hindus</a>
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrjU0KULv-Y">Standing up for
Immigs</a>
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/02/standing-up-with-jews.html">Standing
up for Jews</a>
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/02/standing-up-for-others_05.html">Standing
up for Others</a>
</span></li>
<li><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/02/standing-up-for-others_05.html#comment-form" style="font-weight: normal;">Your
Comments</a></li>
</ul>
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<ol>
<li style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for
Apostates Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Malaysia work</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">Standing up
for Baha'i - Iran petitions </span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Jains
- Adding the Jain logo at</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for
Muslims - Standing up for Ahamdiyya, Bohra, Ismailia, Shia, Sufi, Sunni
and other Muslims</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Pagans
- Petition to save a woman in Saudi Arabia</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Sikhs
- Afghanistan, France, UK, USA, Pakistan</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Wicca
- Arlington Cemetery Head stones</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Native
Americans </span><span style="color: #171672; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/02/petition-for-native-american-heritage.html" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/02/petition-for-native-american-heritage.html</a></span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Falun
Dafa </span><a href="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2006/3/19/70952.html" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #171672; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2006/3/19/70952.html</span></a></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for
Women's rights - Burqa, Sharia, divorce,</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Darfur
- Joined the Darful Coalition and petitions</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for Bosnia
- Faxes, phone calls etc.</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">Standing up for
Burmese Buddhists - </span><span style="color: #171672; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/10/stand-with-burmese-people.html" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/10/stand-with-burmese-people.html</a></span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt;">To be updated, God has blessed me to be a part of many a societies
and I am thankful for the same. I urge you to knock off one hour's TV or gossip
and spend that time standing up for others, the least you can do is to let them
know that you are with them and that they are not alone.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.mikeghouse.net/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">MikeGhouse</span></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> is committed to
building a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.americatogetherfoundation.com/"><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Cohesive America</span></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> and offers pluralistic solutions
on issues of the day. He is a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.professionalspeakermikeghouse.com/"><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">professional speaker</span></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">, thinker and a
writer on </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/"><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">pluralism</span></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">, politics, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">civic affairs</span></a></span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Islam</span></a></span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">India</span></a></span><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Israel</span></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">, peace and justice. Mike is a frequent
guest on </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.hannity.com/guest/ghouse-mike/10804"><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Sean Hannity show</span></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> on Fox TV, and a commentator on
national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column
at </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/texas-faith/"><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Dallas Morning News</span></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> and regularly
at </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse"><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Huffington post,</span></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> and several other periodicals
across the world. The blog </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.theghousediary.com/"><span style="color: navy; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">www.TheGhousediary.com</span></a></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">is updated daily. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</h3>Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-452572257135343702012-07-24T16:11:00.002-07:002012-07-24T16:12:28.019-07:00Standing up for the Tea Party<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;">When someone is accused of wrong doing, it is the duty of every human to stand up for them; ultimately everyone would be better off.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The ABC news has messed up, “</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">and <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/07/ross-to-continue-abc-colorado-coverage-129673.html" style="color: #00716e; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #004276;">issued a report</span></b></a> Friday suggesting that the horrific shooting at a Colorado movie theater was perpetrated by a suspect with ties to the movement, the situation had a familiar feel to it, tea party leaders say.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;"><br />Although the report may suit many who hate the politics of the Tea Party, but speaking up against false suggestions is the right thing to do.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;">My instant reaction smelled the wrongness of the suggestion that the murder was linked to the Tea Party. I deliberated about the dangerous and sinister accusations aggressively made against Muslims almost every week by the individuals affiliated with the Tea Party, then a verse from Quraan popped in my ears, “don’t let your bias of others make you unjust towards them”, bingo, I was back home with my original reaction. Justice is the ultimate panacea to the ills of the society.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;">Here I am calling on ABC News to give equal time to the tea party members to clarify their position. Individuals may be wrong, but never a group of people.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;">I was intrigued by </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;">Lu Ann Busse’s statement, “There’s been repeated incidents where people have an agenda to demonize a certain segment of the population, whether it is the tea party or similar groups,” Busse said. “They try to use everything to demonize and marginalize us, and I think it’s totally irresponsible and not the way people should act.”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;">Indeed, I am concerned about that statement, and ask Lu Ann Busse, who is currently running for the Colorado House and a former Tea Party leader to join me in condemning similar statements made by Tea party affiliated men and women like Michelle Bachman, Herman Cain, Sara Palin and countless others for political gains.<br /><br />We need to set the country on the right track by speaking up against wrong doing, no matter who it is.<br /><br />All it takes is one man to fix the ills of our society, and one man to mess it up. I salute John McCain for speaking up against Michelle Bachman, and appreciate all the sheep that jumped behind him like Ed Rollins, John Boehner and a host of others.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;">I am pleased to stand up for the Tea Party in this regard, and I have stood up for everyone from Atheists to Zoroastrian and every one in between at</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/" style="color: #00716e; text-decoration: none;">http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/</a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; text-align: left;">_______</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; text-align: left;">Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on the topics of Pluralism, Coexistence, politics, interfaith, Islam and cohesive societies. He is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.</i> </div>
</span></div>Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-64730907664711157002012-07-13T16:52:00.000-07:002012-07-13T16:54:44.262-07:00Americans Together, a film trailer<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="14" style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">IS
THIS THE AMERICA YOU WANT?</span></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></b><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />No American has to live in
apprehension or fear of the other. <br />There are solutions, here is a trailer of
the movie in making:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMXsTo4VYh8&feature=youtu.be"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMXsTo4VYh8&feature=youtu.be</span></a><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEyHlik2U02ODe_oQYfGXgtVbOUB4jIyrGpYni_msiW2DSulMidkAjCC8Jl5aZAjAr8KgVArPNxsvEGJIGqDZICt6VwO5r2HFukaPF9h1coSADNiUdEpsQqKhOqCUoGvgWSg-fD0KCt8/s1600/ATF-Documentary-Autumn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEyHlik2U02ODe_oQYfGXgtVbOUB4jIyrGpYni_msiW2DSulMidkAjCC8Jl5aZAjAr8KgVArPNxsvEGJIGqDZICt6VwO5r2HFukaPF9h1coSADNiUdEpsQqKhOqCUoGvgWSg-fD0KCt8/s400/ATF-Documentary-Autumn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Please let me know if you wish to you have more information.</span><span style="background-color: white;">Thank you</span></div>
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</span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #0000a0; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Mike</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><a href="http://www.mikeghouse.net/" style="background-color: white;">Ghouse</a><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;">America Together Foundation</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;">www.AmericaTogetherFoundation.com</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div>
</span><br />
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</div>Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-17755256445785521102012-05-29T20:39:00.004-07:002012-05-29T20:39:57.379-07:00TEXAS FAITH: Is religious freedom under attack in America?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYBWnUWSXVgsEK4_Ke0dp1Z2_wpt4QwG43Tbb8NijD6eW0Hgb1TSTnVGMO_aJFXvpwwKCcStFhosPE6T5_cCokTgWepyyuDjBMBfgzYA-YI9eazv0bmKcxbr9ASvGkrMUHH9XG-FvJJYq/s1600/Religious.Freedom.FoundationforPlluralism.MikeGhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_uid_s1ohab="2" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYBWnUWSXVgsEK4_Ke0dp1Z2_wpt4QwG43Tbb8NijD6eW0Hgb1TSTnVGMO_aJFXvpwwKCcStFhosPE6T5_cCokTgWepyyuDjBMBfgzYA-YI9eazv0bmKcxbr9ASvGkrMUHH9XG-FvJJYq/s320/Religious.Freedom.FoundationforPlluralism.MikeGhouse.jpg" width="295" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><br />Indeed, every group
feels that their religious liberty is under attack. Is there a time in history
when a group did not feel threatened by co-religionists, other religions and the
governments? Here is a short history and possible solutions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">This a weekly column at
Dallas Morning News, here is Mike’s contribution on the
topic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><br />MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation
for Pluralism, Dallas<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Indeed, every group feels that their
religious liberty is under attack. Is there a time in history when a group did
not feel threatened by co-religionists, other religions and the governments?
Here is a short history and possible solutions.<br /><br />Jews have always been
under attack. They felt at home in Spain, which was destroyed by butcher
Ferdinand. Then, they felt at home in Germany, but the Holocaust tore them apart
and their belief in humanity was shattered. Every day, they have to be on guard.
Someone or another is making anti-Semitic comments.<br /><br />Fred Phelps was in
Dallas in July 2010 demonstrating hate against Jews. The anti-circumcision bills
in San Francisco and Santa Monica in 2011 were irritants. Last month in Houston,
the Jewish academy could not participate in a basketball game. It was set on
Saturday, most Jews refrain from activity that day. Indeed, it is restricting
their freedom to practice their religion by exclusion and being insensitive to
their faith.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Hindus are an open game to evangelists.
A few years ago, a Baptist convention made a declaration to harvest the "Poor
Hindu souls". This year, Russians made a serious attempt to ban Bhagvad Gita,
the Hindu Holy Book. In November 2011, a Kentucky state senator attacked
Hinduism as an idolatrous belief. California textbooks portrayed Hinduism in
negative light, so the battle is still on. There is a debate among Indians: Had
Bobby Jindal of Hindu parents and Nikki Haley of Sikh parents practiced their
faiths, and not converted to Christianity, would they have become
governors?<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Sikhs had to fight with Arizona to keep
the name of a Sikh 9/11 victim on a memorial wall. Wicca had to fight for the
headstone in Arlington Memorial Cemetery for those who died serving America. Of
course, there are enough stories about Native Americans, atheists and
others.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 15pt;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Muslim Americans strongly feel the noose
tightening on their freedom. Most restrictions are coming out of sheer ignorance
and a false understanding of what their faith is about, as they practice in
America rather than Saudi Arabia or Iran. The senators and representatives who
have initiated anti-Sharia bills can't even tell what they are
opposing.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 15pt;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">The irony is neither the organizations
nor the Muslims are seeking Sharia to be a part of the American law. All they
are asking is to have options to square personal matters between family members
through a jury, mediation, court hearing or the Sharia guidelines. Indeed, it is
no different than the option of Jews using Halaqa in their personal conflicts or
going to a psychologist for counseling.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 15pt;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">Most Christian denominations have been
under attack by fellow Christians. Missionaries were unforgivably cruel to
natives around the world, including America. Most of the groups that infringe on
the freedom of others have also been a victim.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 15pt;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">The Catholic diocese has rightly filed
the law suit protesting the Government's intrusion in the practice of their
faith that the employers provide workers free contraceptives. This is the right
thing to do - to stand up for the freedom of religion. As a Muslim I have stood
up for freedom of every religious group, in this case with the Catholic Church.
Indeed, it was good to see evangelical leader Richard Land make the same pledge
along with me on Sean Hannity Radio.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 15pt;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">In summary, the issues are about whether
a majority - or the government - can arrogantly push vulnerable ones into
obeying.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 15pt;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">We need to build an America where no one
is apprehensive or afraid of the other. Each one of us needs to feel home, a
home where everyone can drop his or her guards and lives
freely.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 15pt;">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">It is our duty to safeguard the
liberties endowed by our creator to practice our beliefs. It behooves for us to
stand up for each other, why should anyone stand up for you, if you are not
willing to do the same for them?<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To
see all the contributors, please visit Dallas Morning news at:</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2012/05/texas-faith-is-religious-freed.html">http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2012/05/texas-faith-is-religious-freed.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">. .
. . .<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.mikeghouse.net/">MikeGhouse</a> is committed to building a <a href="http://www.americatogetherfoundation.com/">Cohesive America</a> and offers
pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a <a href="http://www.professionalspeakermikeghouse.com/">professional speaker</a>,
thinker and a writer on <a href="http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/">pluralism</a>, politics, <a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/">civic affairs</a>, <a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/">Islam</a>, <a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/">India</a>, <a href="http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/">Israel</a>, peace and
justice. Mike is a frequent guest on <a href="http://www.hannity.com/guest/ghouse-mike/10804">Sean Hannity show</a> on
Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to
the Texas Faith Column at <a href="http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/texas-faith/">Dallas Morning
News</a> and regularly at <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse">Huffington post,</a> and
several other periodicals across the world. The blog <a href="http://www.theghousediary.com/">www.TheGhousediary.com</a><u> </u>is
updated daily.</span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
</div>Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-80052546503227184332012-05-16T18:30:00.003-07:002016-06-12T08:36:41.051-07:00Standing up for Gays and Lesbians<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/05/standing-up-for-gays-and-lesbians.html"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/05/standing-up-for-gays-and-lesbians.html</span></a>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaV7GwEC-IQL94Q-9TV02VNIkrRIkOjRzRGLenXw9B6Si4AuqKR3TT0WXI50b0fEUcugFVMkkJlJa0cGUO4H7qh-r6lc5VG7pGx9jSWPQf-og1yOd0gTOQtQXma3L24_Of7o1KOyf9jvM/s1600/LGBT-GLBT-symbol-StandingUpforOthers-TheGhousediary.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaV7GwEC-IQL94Q-9TV02VNIkrRIkOjRzRGLenXw9B6Si4AuqKR3TT0WXI50b0fEUcugFVMkkJlJa0cGUO4H7qh-r6lc5VG7pGx9jSWPQf-og1yOd0gTOQtQXma3L24_Of7o1KOyf9jvM/s1600/LGBT-GLBT-symbol-StandingUpforOthers-TheGhousediary.com.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Why should anyone stand up for you, if you are not willing
to do the same for others?</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">I am blessed to
have stood up for everyone from a simple speak-up to doing something substantial about
it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">My mentors are Prophet Muhammad, Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and
Martin Luther King Jr.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Within my family,
it’s my maternal Grandfather, my paternal Grandmother, my Father and my
Mother.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Every one’s advice was, when you
see something wrong, the least you can do is to speak up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">In this blog <a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/">http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/</a> - eventually, I will compile a list from
Atheist to Zoroastrians and every one in between. I go by religious
classification because everyone falls into one of these categories.
Additionally, I am compiling the list for the Gay and Lesbian community, the
African Americans and immigrants, particularly the Mexicans, and other groups.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Standing up for Gays and Lesbians</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Don’t make the mistake that one has to be gay to stand up
for gays, if that were the case, the world would be chaotic and ruthlessly
selfish. Each one of the spiritual masters worked to build a society where no
one had to live in fear of the other, as it will keep everyone in the fear. The
role of religion was to build cohesive and secure societies.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
Don’t make the mistake that I am a gay to stand up for Gays and Lesbians, in
the article I posted today on the facebook, I received a few inbox emails to
that effect. In Australia, in the GLBT session of the Parliament of World’s
religions, no one was asking questions, I was the first one to stand up
and defend the rights of LGBT to be who they were (don’t be prejudiced and draw any
conclusions, until you read the whole thing), after that every one gathered
around me and asked me if I was gay.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">I was at a fund raiser at Love Field Airport in 2010, a
fellow Indian who was gay, was running from my sights, I caught up with him and
told that it was fine with me if he was a gay and that I will not tell anyone
about him and he should feel free. I told him that I was as straight as an electric pole.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 15.75pt;">
In1985, I opened the </span><span style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 21px;">Peninsula</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"> subdivision for Ryland Homes in Rowlett, Texas. We were building the Ryland's popular Trinity Floor plan for Mike and Chris, a 1895 SQ'
home. I was a darling to the homeowners till then, then they cut me off from
friendship except the Parkers and Armstrongs. I was saddened with the attitudes
of people then. I argued with them, don't Mike and Chris have a right to live in a home as you do? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">In 1990, I took my Property manager Randy Curry (passed away ) to a Home builders casino night, and every one was looking at us -
I thought because I have been away from building for 4 years... then Randy
cornered me and asked, if I was going to fire him, if he told me the truth. He
told me he was Gay and, oddly the guys in our office did not know about that
including me, while every female knew it. Of course, I did not fire him, he worked
for me till 1996 and passed away after that, we had attended two Christmas
dinners in his home as well.<br />
<br />
After that, we have commemorated the Gay genocide, right along the Holocaust
commemoration, I have walked in a Gay March in Oak lawn, attended
a few fund raisers, and through my friend Mary Ann, I got to know a whole lot more
of GLBT community including several male and female pastors.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">I don't see any difference between a Gay and a straight. If
you wish to talk about my experience, I will be happy to share... it takes too
much time to write. But some day, I will complete the story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h4 style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Same Sex Marriage and Changing Attitudes <o:p></o:p></span></h4>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Published at Dallas Morning
News – May 15, 2012 </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">President Obama
has indeed become a catalyst for this change. Right after he announced his
personal take on the issue, a host of organizations are starting to come around
to his view. It was a big risk for Obama politically, but it was the right
thing to stand up for individual liberties, rights and freedom of expression.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #636363; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/05/texas-faith-same-sex-marriages-and.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/05/texas-faith-same-sex-marriages-and.html</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #636363;"><br /></span>
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h4 style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Same Sex Marriage, Muslims and Islam<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">As long as a Gay, a Muslim, a Hindu or a
Jew is not stealing your food, gas, house, clothing, money or hurting your
loved ones – he or she can live his life<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>the
way he or she chooses. The society's responsibility is limited to punishing<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>the individual for the acts that
affect public safety and those acts that an<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>overwhelming
majority agrees to abide by. A long conversation </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #636363; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/05/islam-muslims-and-same-sex-marriages.html">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/05/islam-muslims-and-same-sex-marriages.html</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Congratulations to GLBT Community</span></h4>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Congratulations to the Gay
and Lesbian community. The senate has just voted to end the "don't ask,
don't tell" discriminatory practices against GLBT in the military. President
Obama will sign that into Law.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">No American has to live in anxieties, discomfort
or fear of the other<u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #636363; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/12/congratulations-to-glbt-community.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/12/congratulations-to-glbt-community.html</a></span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Ban Ki-Moon standing up for Human rights of GLBT</span></h4>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Honorable Secretary of the
United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki -Moon, I salute you for taking the stand on the
human rights of the GLBT community. It is time the leaders of the world take a
stand and lead the way for the people. I firmly stand with you. Mr. Bank
ki-Moon, you stood up against the many, you are the shepherd and not the sheep.
Thank you.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/03/ban-ki-moon-standing-up-for-human_22.html"><span style="color: #636363; text-decoration: none;">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/03/ban-ki-moon-standing-up-for-human_22.html</span></a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Carrolltton Municipal Elections </span></h4>
<h3 style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">I am committed to the well being of our
City and will continue to support the efforts in building an exemplary city of
peace where no one is apprehensive of the other.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #636363; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/04/carrollton-city-muncipal-elections.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/04/carrollton-city-muncipal-elections.html</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #636363;"><br /></span>
<br />
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Standing up for Gays, Jews and Mexicans</span></h4>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">I have stood up at the Holocaust Museum,
Texas Jewish Post, Akiba Academy and other placed. Gathered the Holocaust survivors
in the Museum and prayed for the well being of America and every one of its
inhabitants. Pictures are at Flickr.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #636363; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/11/standing-up-for-jews-gays-and-mexicans.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/11/standing-up-for-jews-gays-and-mexicans.html</a></span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Gays and Lesbians</span></h4>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 13.5pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">The Gays and Lesbians may not be
religiously acceptable yet, but so were the Lepers, Prostitutes and others...
Jesus reached them all to set a new benchmark of inclusion. He would have done
the same with GL today. Let's respect the rights of every individual, that is
the hallmark of civil societies<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #636363; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2009/02/gay-lesbians.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2009/02/gay-lesbians.html</a></span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Texas Faith - When is it OK to apply moral absolutes?</span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">faith-based belief grounded in moral absolutes
has always been a part of the public policy debate though not postured as such.
After all we are conditioned with certain beliefs and are driven by it. Most of
the issues that were debated have had strong religious grounding and opposed or
supported the Women's rights, Roe v Wade, the civil rights, the Catholic
president, Civil Unions, GLBT marriages, immigration and other.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #636363; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/08/texas-faith-when-is-it-okay-to-apply.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/08/texas-faith-when-is-it-okay-to-apply.html</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Some day, I will compile the whole list… </span></h4>
<h3 style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.mikeghouse.net/">MikeGhouse</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> is
committed to building a </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.americatogetherfoundation.com/">Cohesive America</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.professionalspeakermikeghouse.com/">professional speaker</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">, thinker and a writer on </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/">pluralism</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">,
politics, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/">civic affairs</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/">Islam</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/">India</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/">Israel</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">, peace
and justice. Mike is a frequent guest on </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.hannity.com/guest/ghouse-mike/10804">Sean Hannity show</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he
contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/texas-faith/">Dallas Morning News</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> and regularly at </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse">Huffington post,</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> and several other periodicals across the world. The blog </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.theghousediary.com/">www.TheGhousediary.com</a></span><u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></u><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">is updated daily </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-48380655479556060052012-04-17T17:56:00.001-07:002018-02-09T10:16:49.058-08:00Standing up for Atheists<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqEoehx10D9hK0AoZJg39gLO_JjrXsYHXaoWVYU3LyTmIq7PYYE7UvQISllG6qPyDpSQtpyioiTHvHoYdCNU5-5I2nMZ3HUXw8Uso5Epztcwr-yQAgi481A4aiPuLdtu1ovxBklEKuQA/s1600/atheism-speakerMikeGhouse.TheGhousediary.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqEoehx10D9hK0AoZJg39gLO_JjrXsYHXaoWVYU3LyTmIq7PYYE7UvQISllG6qPyDpSQtpyioiTHvHoYdCNU5-5I2nMZ3HUXw8Uso5Epztcwr-yQAgi481A4aiPuLdtu1ovxBklEKuQA/s200/atheism-speakerMikeGhouse.TheGhousediary.com.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">DRAFT - I intend to compile all my writings from the past by June this year.<br /><br />I have been speaking up for Atheists for a very long time. I have difficulty in understanding the religious people's belligerence towards Atheists. Mind you, it is not religion, it the people in the name of religion, and not all people, but some. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here is a list of speaking up or standing up for Atheists. It is quite a long list, but I will begin adding as time permits and reorganized it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We see God as one, none and many and in every form; male, female,
genderless and non-existent, being and non-being, nameless and with innumerable
names. We are one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. We are represented by every race, nationality, ethnicity, language, culture and religion. Americans together are committed to preserve this pluralistic heritage of
America.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>ATHEISM ON RISE </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Whether we admit or not, most of us have a percent of Agnostic or Atheist
residing within us, and I was no exception. Mother Teresa in her letters to the
Vatican had expressed her occasional doubts, and that has helped me free myself
that it was Ok to have doubts. A Catholic Nun and a Saint with fervent
conditioning in religious beliefs had the doubts, she happens to be one of my
mentors. http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/04/atheism-on-rise.html</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>THE ATHEIST DELUSION</b><br />Humans have always wondered about God, its existence and its appearance. We go
through the phase of being a disbeliever, particularly when we cannot understand
the injustices to us and to the world around us. Many of us have had the delusions about God as presented one time or the other. http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2008/03/atheist-delusion.html </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>WHY DO WE PRAY FOR CHRISTOPHER HITCHEN</b>S</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Christopher Hitchens is dying. Hitchens is a terrific writer, a bracing thinker
and, in recent years, a famous and implacable atheist. He has been diagnosed
with esophageal cancer, which might have slowed his debates with religious
figures in support of his book God Is Not Great, but it hasn't tempered his tart
observations on life.http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/11/texas-faith-why-do-we-pray-for.html</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>THEISTS QUESTIONS TO ATHEISTS</b><br />The common approach we take for living our daily life is the existence. Theist and atheist are bent on proving each other wrong or prove that one’s fact is superior to the other. What is the need for it? Better yet, what is the gain? http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2008/06/theists-questions-to-atheists.html
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>ATHEISM ISN'T THE FINAL WORD</b><br />Belief or non-belief in God does not make a big dent in one becoming a
egomaniac. Morality is common social values internalized, some derive from
religion, as it is a source, but morality does not necessarily hinge on being
God-centric. http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/04/atheism-isnt-final-word.html</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>EVANGELICAL ATHEISTS</b><br />My audience surged for the shows on Atheism and same goes with the workshops,
the most attendance was for Atheism; that was three years ago. It is changing
dramatically every day, there is a survey that indicates that ten percent of the
Americans are Atheist or Humanists. http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/07/evangelical-atheists.html</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>SO WHAT IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Belief in God is not a requirement to live a normal day to day life,
it is not a requirement to be a good human being either. Whether one believes in
God or not, the creator loves his creation anyway, and every human will spend
the time he was charged up with whether one is a theist or an atheist. Every
life will end. We have created God in our own image. http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2009/10/so-what-if-you-dont-believe-in-god.html</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>BAN ON ATHEISTS</b><br />How insecure is the council? Are they afraid that by looking at Atheists sites,
one would give up his or her faith? If so, let them. If the council can
produce a letter from God, signed by God himself (herself or itself) tellilng
the council to ban the atheist, I would accept the letter. God will not do such
a thing, neither God will sign a letter behind any one's back. http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2008/08/ban-on-atheists.html</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>RISE OF ATHEISM IN AMERICA</b></span><span style="color: #191919; line-height: 14px;">There is nothing evil being an Atheist, and one should not look down on it, if we do that, it amounts to arrogance of being righteous.</span><span style="line-height: 18px;">. <a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/04/rise-of-atheism-in-america.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/04/rise-of-atheism-in-america.html</a></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">More to be added time permitting...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;"><a href="http://www.mikeghouse.net/" title="http://www.mikeghouse.net/"><span style="color: #00716e;">Mike Ghouse</span></a></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a;">is
committed to building a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.americatogetherfoundation.com/" title="http://www.americatogetherfoundation.com/"><span style="color: #00716e;">Cohesive America</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and offers pluralistic solutions on issues
of the day. He is a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="aoldb://mail/write/www.ProfessionalSpeakerMikeGhouse.com" title="aoldb://mail/write/www.ProfessionalSpeakerMikeGhouse.com"><span style="color: #00716e;">professional speaker</span></a>, thinker and a writer
on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="aoldb://mail/write/www.foundationforpluralism.com" title="aoldb://mail/write/www.foundationforpluralism.com"><span style="color: #00716e;">pluralism</span></a>, politics, <a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/" title="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #00716e;">civic affairs</span></a>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/" title="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #00716e;">Islam</span></a>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/" title="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #00716e;">India</span></a>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/" title="http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #00716e;">Israel</span></a>, peace and justice. Mike is a frequent
guest on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.hannity.com/guest/ghouse-mike/10804" title="http://www.hannity.com/guest/ghouse-mike/10804"><span style="color: #00716e;">Sean Hannity show</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>on Fox TV, and a commentator on national
radio networks, he writes weekly at<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/texas-faith/" title="http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/texas-faith/"><span style="color: #00716e;">Dallas Morning News</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and regularly at<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse" title="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse"><span style="color: #00716e;">Huffington post,</span></a> and several other
periodicals.<a href="http://www.theghousediary.com/" title="http://www.theghousediary.com/"><span style="color: #00716e;">www.TheGhousediary.com</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is Mike's daily blog.</span></span></span></div>
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Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-47499212583638459952012-04-14T17:55:00.002-07:002018-02-12T16:00:01.383-08:00Standing up for Hindus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The purpose of writing this piece is to inspire each one of you to do
things for others – If you are not willing to stand up for
others, why should anyone stand up for you?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">In the following compilation, I will highlight some of
the work I have done with and for Hindus and Hinduism. This excludes the work for my motherland India. However, there is a lot
of work prior t0 2003 that I need to collect and put it together. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px;">I am blessed to connect with Atheists to Zoroastrians and every one in between including Native Americans. </span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">As an Indian it was embarrassing for me that most of the Indians have no
clue about each other – a few Hindus know about Muslims, some of them don’t
even know about Jainism or Buddhism let alone Sikhism. Same goes with Muslim and others. We live and
work together, and yet we don’t know about the other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">What do we know? The cooked versions and bad things about others, shame on us.<br />
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So, I ventured out into public in 1993 to teach and to facilitate knowledge
about each other. The Asian News
Magazine offered glimpses of each religion and every week, we wrote about the
essence of every festival. Then we continued the same on Asian News Radio from
1996-2001.<br />
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Since this chapter about Hindus, I will focus on Hinduism, as
brief as I can. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shri DD Maini wrote articles on Hinduism and his visits to every place of
worship in India, and our Dallas Hindu Scholar Dr. Hasmukh Shah wrote about
Hinduism besides others and our first Radio show on Religion started with Dr.
Hasmukh Shaw’s interview about Hinduism. Then I did 100 hours of talk show Radio on
Hinduism over a period of two years (and of course others) with Swami Nityananda
Prabhu of Hare Krishna Temple, we learned the whole Bhagvad Gita and amazing
principles of life. <br />
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We did two workshops on Hinduism as a part of learning about each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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When I was called in by different Radio stations on Christmas day or other days to talk about Religion, I always talked about Hinduism (and others). I visited
the Maya Temples in Mexico, there I prayed the Hindu (and other) prayers in the
underground wells, and on the temple grounds. All of this is available on my different sites
and blogs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Check out Dallas Morning News’s Texas Faith column – of the 80+ articles
I have written, 70 of them carry a note about Hinduism. You can visit <a href="http://www.theghousediary.com/">www.TheGhousediary.com</a> and plug Texas
Faith in the search box, and you can see most of the articles. For 2010 and before it is on blogs of Islam and Pluralism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">For the first time in Dallas, I was able to bring all the Hindu Temple
management teams together at the Program Shanti Shanti at Richardson Civic
Center. Mihir Meghani, President of HAF
was introduced to Dallas for the first time.<br /><br />The second time (and a few times after that) was the first Unity Day event in 2005 pictures at www.UnitydayUSA.com <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">As an individual it is my duty to share whatever little good I can and
counter the bad with good. <br />
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We have various religious leaders visiting from overseas, particularly Hindu
and Muslims, most of them preach goodness of their religion and a handful of
them preach hate from the temples and the Mosques. They come here to tell Hindus or Muslim to
hate each other, their talk is loaded with hate in the place of worship and I
always wonder how my Hindu and Muslim friends can listen to that. At least in Dallas, the Muslim Imams give sermons about co-existence , however once in a blue moon some one comes along and speaks ill of others, both in Hindu and Muslim communities. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">If you are not comfortable in telling them that they are wrong, let me
know, I will do that. I will not even
spare the big mega church Pastor Jeffress who called Hinduism a cult. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I value free speech and the only way to combat evil is with goodness and
love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">As I make the time, I will update this, there is a lot of work done prior
to 2003, from when I kept records of my work in <a href="mailto:DallasIndians@yahoogroups.com">DallasIndians@yahoogroups.com</a>
and the blogs <a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/">http://MikeGhouseforIndia.blogspot.com</a>
and two sites world Muslim Congress and Foundation for pluralism. There is a whole big story prior to 2003 that
I need to put together… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Again, the purpose of compiling this piece is to inspire each one of you
to do things for others. If you are not willing to stand
up for others, why should anyone stand up for you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Senator Williams'
Remarks Offended Hindus</b><br />
Governor of Kentucky attended a factory opening ceremony that created 275 jobs
for Americans. Senator </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Williams criticized the Governor for sitting
cross-legged with a "dot on his forehead," and described the ceremony
as "polytheistic."</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is not only a
Hindu issue, it is indeed an American issue</span> and so I spoke up and wrote
a piece and hope to meet him and share the wisdom of Hinduism.<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/senator-williams-offend-hindus_b_1075392.html" title="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/senator-williams-offend-hindus_b_1075392.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/senator-williams-offend-hindus_b_1075392.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Bigtory against
Hinduism in Russia</b><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bigotry exists not because of bigots, but because we have not
spoken out against it.</span> The Arcbishop of Siberia attacks the Bhagavad
Gita, the holy book of Hinduism. I just could not sit and let the ignorance become
the currency. So I wrote and asked Muslim, Christians, Jews, Sikhs and others
to call the Russian Embassy in Washington DC and thanks to all those who made
the call. This is how we build cohesive societies. <span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/12/bigotry-against-hinduism-in-russia.html" title="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/12/bigotry-against-hinduism-in-russia.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/12/bigotry-against-hinduism-in-russia.html</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /><b>
Surya Namaskar and Muslim response</b><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Surya Namaskar is a Hindu religious
tradition, a beautiful act of bowing to the Sun and welcoming the first rays of
dawn as an expression of gratitude to the energy it breathes in to life and
everything about life.</span> I was urging the Muslims to participate in the
event in their own way.<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.indianmuslimobserver.com/2012/01/latest-editorial-surya-namaskar-and.html">http://www.indianmuslimobserver.com/2012/01/latest-editorial-surya-namaskar-and.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /><b>
Doniger’s book on Hindu history - Factual errors</b><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The book: Hindus, an alternate history is out now. Wendy
Donigers writes on Indian History laden with errors. It is our responsibility
to hightlight the errors, and as civil socieites we cannot perpetuate the
errors and pass on to the next generation as facts. Let the reader "beware
clause" be added to the book that the facts are not verified.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/04/donigers-book-on-hindu-history-factual.html" title="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/04/donigers-book-on-hindu-history-factual.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/04/donigers-book-on-hindu-history-factual.html</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /><b>
Swami Vivekananda</b><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">When Swamiji talks about, “</span><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #003300; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Christian is not to become a Hindu or a
Buddhist,”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">He was talking about religion
is a pathway to spirituality.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/03/swami-vivekananda-gave-new-meaning-to.html" title="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/03/swami-vivekananda-gave-new-meaning-to.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/03/swami-vivekananda-gave-new-meaning-to.html</a><br />
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Happy Ganesh Chaturthi</b><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Among Hindus there is beautiful tradition
of invoking that aspect of God which removes barriers and paves the way for a
smoother life. The icon that represents this aspect of God is known as Ganesh,
Ganesha, or Vinayak depending on the region, most Hindus around the world
invoke Ganesh before they start any thing in life from starting their day, to
opening a new business or wearing new clothes or starting a social ceremony.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/08/happy-ganesh-chaturthi.html" title="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/08/happy-ganesh-chaturthi.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/08/happy-ganesh-chaturthi.html</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Should Christians
practice Yoga</b><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">In my weekly Dallas Morning News, I wrote
about anti-yoga talks. Mohler seems to be threatened by the popularity of yoga,
a beautiful practice to bring composure to oneself. He is obsessed with the
idea that yoga is a bait to lure his congregation away into "a spiritual
practice that threatens to transform their own spiritual lives into a
`post-Christian, spiritually polyglot' reality", and then he asks,
"Should any Christian willingly risk that?" How mistaken can one be?<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/11/texas-faith-should-christians-and-other.html" title="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/11/texas-faith-should-christians-and-other.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/11/texas-faith-should-christians-and-other.html</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /><b>
Essence of Diwali</b><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Diwali is the Indian festival of lights and light symbolizes
hope and positive energy, it indicates the victory of good over evil; a new
beginning; seeing the light at the end of tunnel and light is also a symbol of
knowledge as it is an internationally used.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/10/happy-diwali-essence-of-diwali.html" title="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/10/happy-diwali-essence-of-diwali.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/10/happy-diwali-essence-of-diwali.html</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /><b>
Dallas Religious Leaders, Swami Nityananda Prabhu</b><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The open mindedness of Swami Nityananda Prabhu of Hare
Krishna Hindu Temple; a panelist on this forum is admirable. Where ever I
run, people love to talk about his teachings from Bhagvad Gita on my Radio
Show, called Wisdom of Religion. He has indeed opened up minds of
non-Hindus to see the wisdom of Hinduism.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/01/texas-faith-beyond-king-which-religious.html" title="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/01/texas-faith-beyond-king-which-religious.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/01/texas-faith-beyond-king-which-religious.html</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Essences of
Janmashtami </b><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Celebration of Sri Krishna's birthday, the man who gave us so
much wisdom in Bhagvad Gita. The book is an encapsulation of his advise to
Arjuna when he goes through different phases of thoughts and actions. ...It is
one of the best self analysis books to read.</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2009/08/happy-janamashtami.html" title="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2009/08/happy-janamashtami.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2009/08/happy-janamashtami.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Roberts Jeffress and
his bigotry</b><br />
</span><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I am surprised that the Israel Lobby has spared
this man.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>He has not spared
Mormons, Muslims, Catholics, Jews, Buddhists and Hindus in his rants.</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/10/pastor-robert-jeffress-and-his-bigotry.html" title="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/10/pastor-robert-jeffress-and-his-bigotry.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/10/pastor-robert-jeffress-and-his-bigotry.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Hinduism 101 Workshop
– Dallas Morning News</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Foundation for Pluralism, a
Dallas-based interfaith organization, will host the workshop at the Crowne
Plaza Hotel, 14315 Midway Road in Addison. Organizer Mike Ghouse, who founded
the group and is the event's moderator, said this workshop will cover the
origins of Hinduism, the concept of rebirth, India's caste system and more.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2007/02/hinduism-101.html">http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2007/02/hinduism-101.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Happy Ramnvami –
Birth Celebrations of Lord Rama</b><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is a Hindu festival, celebrating the birth of Lord Rama to
King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya of Ayodhya. Ram is the 7th incarnation of
the Dashavatara of Vishnu.SreeRama Navami festival falls on the ninth day of
the month of Chaitra in the Hindu calendar. and marks the end of the nine-day
Chaitra-Navratri celebrations. I will be happy to do a presentation on the
event. I enjoy listening to the stories about Rama, an exemplary person to
model life after.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/03/happy-ramnvami-lord-ramas-birthday.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/03/happy-ramnvami-lord-ramas-birthday.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Diwali
Vandana</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Diwali is the Indian festival of lights, and the
light symbolizes hope and positive energy;</span> It is a poem I wroten<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/diwali-vandana-diwali-prayers.html">http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/diwali-vandana-diwali-prayers.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Hanuman Jayanthi</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #010101; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hanuman plays a critical role in the Indian epic Ramayana. It
is the story of King Rama who was banished to the forest for fourteen years.
While in exile, he remains defacto king, as his younger brother Bharata who was
the king, submits to the will of Rama, his elder step brother.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Contd: </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/04/happy-hanuman-jayanthi-hindu-festival.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/04/happy-hanuman-jayanthi-hindu-festival.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Standing up for a
Hindu Family in Norway</b><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Norway is one of the nations looked up for best the civil
conduct; however, they have failed to even study the culture of their
inhabitants. Here Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharaya fed their child with hands
as is the custom in their home land, India, and had the kids sleep on their
bed. The Norway government found that to be offensive and abusive and took the
child away from the family. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/01/stand-up-for-hindu-family-in-norway.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/01/stand-up-for-hindu-family-in-norway.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Happy Holi, India’s
festival of colors and joy</b><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Holi is an Indian festival of radiance. It is a celebration
of spring with colors that nourish one’s joyous moods and complements the
function of respective elements in the atmosphere.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/03/happy-holi-india-festival-of-colors-and.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/03/happy-holi-india-festival-of-colors-and.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Let’s
leave Ram Sethu Alone</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2b0c3e; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">On the faith side, Ram Sethu is a bridge built by Hanuman and
his friends; this was the bridge that Rama crossed over to go to Sri Lanka. It
is not only an Indian heritage; it is a world heritage site. We may need to
explore this and learn about the science and art of bridge making during the
times of Rama. How did they fill the dirt in the ocean, what materials did they
use? Will it bring an understanding of Ramayana?<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2007/09/lets-leave-ram-sethu-alone.html">http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2007/09/lets-leave-ram-sethu-alone.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Rama
– A Muslim Perspective</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #2b0c3e; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">As beauty is in the
eyes of the beholder, faith is in the heart of the believer.</span><span style="color: #2b0c3e; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">There is a consistent theme in Qur'aan of looking
the world from a pluralistic point of view. Qur'aan, Al-Hujurat, Sura 49:13
" O mankind, we have created you male and female, and have made you
nations and tribes that ye may know one another. The noblest of you, in sight
of Allah, is the best in conduct. Allah know and is aware of everything."<br />
</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2007/09/rama-muslim-perspective.html">http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2007/09/rama-muslim-perspective.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Harassment
of Hindus in Kazkhastan</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #2b0c3e; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Muslim community
condemns this insane act of the Government of Kazakhstan, I will seek support
from Muslim groups to take the necessary action. Please recommend the course of
action we can take. Who should we write to? Who should we call? Is this a
religious harassment? Please send us the details.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/02/hindus-harassed-in-kazhakstan-dear-mr.html">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/02/hindus-harassed-in-kazhakstan-dear-mr.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Hinduism
and American Pluralism</b><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2b0c3e; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">What role does Hinduism play in the
emerging pluralistic society? The author Jakob De Roover explores it well in
the following article (after my comments)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2007/01/hinduism-and-american-pluralism.html">http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2007/01/hinduism-and-american-pluralism.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Hindu
Muslim Dialogue</b><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2b0c3e; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">An innovative approach to Hindu-Muslim
dialogue</span><span style="color: #2b0c3e; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">. <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">This
reminds me of my College Professor Ramachandran and my weaver friend Fakhru
Bhai; a Hindu and a Muslim respectively and I used to discuss and understand
the wisdom of each aspect of religion.</span><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2008/05/hindu-muslim-dialogue.html">http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2008/05/hindu-muslim-dialogue.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Supreme Court Brief Filed on Behalf of Hindu Americans</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b> </b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">In behalf of the Foundation for Pluralism and
World Muslim Congress, I support the case filed by the Hindu American
Foundation and hope the Supreme Court decides in favor of opening the hearts and
minds of all people to include every faith and tradition in public square.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2008/06/discrimination-public-prayers.html">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2008/06/discrimination-public-prayers.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Ayodyha – proud of my India</b><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">The court has finally made the
decision and so far peace has prevailed.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span> I was not able to
sleep last night late until 3:00 AM and thank God, goodness has yet prevailed.
If people don't agree, let it go to Supreme court, we have to prove to the
world that we are a nation that respects rule of Law. Let other nations in the
world look up to our model and never, every dream of becoming like the very
ones we denigrate.</span><br />
<a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2010/09/ayodhya-proud-of-my-india.html">http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2010/09/ayodhya-proud-of-my-india.html</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Ayodhya on 18<sup>th</sup> Anniversary and democracy</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2b0c3e;">The Babri Masjid controversy has
been around since Mid Nineteenth century and after disputes, the right wing
political parties demolished the 15th Centutry structure in Ayodhya on December
6th, 1992.</span><br />
</span><a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2010/12/ayodhya-on-6th-anniversary-and.html">http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2010/12/ayodhya-on-6th-anniversary-and.html</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Am I a Hindu?</b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
This is one of the most read articles among my Muslim and Christian friends. I
came across this excellent piece "Am I a Hindu" explaining religion
in its simplest terms. I recommend every one to take a few minutes to read
through this. It is the simplicity of talking with a young girl that makes this
article beautiful. I have added a few comments and additional information below
the article.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2008/01/am-i-hindu.html">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2008/01/am-i-hindu.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Bangladeshi
Hindus Harassed</b><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">The World Muslim Congress expresses
outrage at the Municipal Council of Chakuli, in Mirpur, Bangladesh for evicting
families from their ancestral Homes.</span><br />
</span><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/06/bangladeshi-hindus-harassed.html">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/06/bangladeshi-hindus-harassed.html</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Muslims condemn temple
desecration</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dallas, Texas. Sunday, August 5, 2007- "It
is a shame that people stoop so low to desecrate a place of worship. We condemn
this crime" reflects Mike Ghouse, head of the Foundation for Pluralism and
the World Muslim Congress.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/08/condemn-temple-desecration.html">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/08/condemn-temple-desecration.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Muslims
condemn demolition of Hindu Temple</b><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Dallas, Texas - The World Muslim
Congress condemns the demolition of Hindu Temple in Lahore and urges the
Government of Pakistan to restore the temple.</span></span> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Muslims follow Islam, a
monotheistic religion but not a monolithic religion. Muslims who have deeply
imbibed the teaching of Islam condemn the act of demolition of the temple in
Pakistan.</span><br />
<a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/01/krishna-temple-lahore.html">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/01/krishna-temple-lahore.html</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Muslims
condemn intolerance in Malaysia</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The act of carrying a head of a bull is un-acceptable
and we urge the Malaysian Government to punish these loonies as criminals bent
on disturbing peace of the state. They should not be cited as Muslims and their
religion does not permit them to do that, they are criminals and must be cited
as such.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2009/08/festivities-soured-by-race.html">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2009/08/festivities-soured-by-race.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Protecting
Pakistani Hindus</b><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Let every Pakistani speak up and be
a defender of other Pakistani, be it a Hindu, Ahmadiyya, Christian, Jew,
Zoroastrian, Shia, Bohra, Ismaili or a Sunni. We need more voices to make this
work. May God give us the passion to speak out and do the right thing. Amen!</span></span><br />
<a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2008/04/protecting-pakistans-hindus.html">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2008/04/protecting-pakistans-hindus.html</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Condemning
Ghazni</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">This issue has been a sore subject with the
Indians. Ghazni did destroy the Somnath temple, and it has been believed as
destruction of Hindu Places of Worship.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/03/india-ghazni-temple-destruction.html">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/03/india-ghazni-temple-destruction.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Malaysia
– Bangaramma Verdict</b><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">The verdict amounts to forcing Ms.
Bangarma to believe what she does not believe, that is not Islamic in any
sense. The original intention of such ruling was to prevent treason against the
state for switching loyalties to harm the state, sort of double agent. Bangarma
is no harm to the state, her belief in Hinduism must be honored.</span><br />
</span><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2010/08/malaysia-banggarma-verdict-religiously.html">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2010/08/malaysia-banggarma-verdict-religiously.html</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Muslims Speak out against Harassment of Minorities</b><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">The Talibans have begun harassing
Ismaili Muslims in Pakistan. They would not spare any one and will not be
satisfied until the last person left obeys them. If this trend is not checked
and criticized, they may think that they have the approval from the Muslims.
They don't.</span> </span><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2009/06/muslims-speak-out-against-harassment-of.html">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2009/06/muslims-speak-out-against-harassment-of.html</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Add:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Catholic Church firing the priest for allowing a Hindu wedding in the church and my protest and the threat calls from California diocese.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My father's advice on communal riots<br /><br />Interfaith dialogue with my English Teacher RamaChandra and Fakhru Bhai<br /><br />Add the six page story on me from Dallas Observer.<br /><br /><br /><b><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: blue;"></span></b><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.mikeghouse.net/">Mike Ghouse</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;"> is
committed to building a <a href="http://www.americatogetherfoundation.com/">Cohesive
America</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;"> and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of
the day. He is a <a href="aoldb://mail/write/www.ProfessionalSpeakerMikeGhouse.com">professional
speaker</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;">, thinker and a writer on <a href="aoldb://mail/write/www.foundationforpluralism.com">pluralism</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;">,
politics, <a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/">civic
affairs</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;">, <a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/">Islam</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;">, <a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/">India</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;">, <a href="http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/">Israel</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;">, peace
and justice. Mike is a frequent guest on <a href="http://www.hannity.com/guest/ghouse-mike/10804">Sean Hannity
show</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;"> on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he writes
weekly at <a href="http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/texas-faith/">Dallas Morning
News</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;"> and regularly at <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse">Huffington
post,</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;">and several other periodicals. <a href="http://www.theghousediary.com/">www.TheGhousediary.com</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;"> is Mike's
daily blog.</span></span></div>
</div>
Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-66582863145854440962012-02-05T19:44:00.001-08:002012-07-18T19:06:17.014-07:00Standing up for others<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Standing up for others is the right thing to do, every human goes through a period of invincibility to vulnerability, if we don't stand up for those who are vulnerable, then who will stand up for us when we are vulnerable?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Father Moon emphasizes the idea, "Living for the sake of others" indeed there is a lot of wisdom in it as Martin Niemoller also reflects it in his eternal poem, "first they came for the Jews, I wasn't a Jew, so I did not say a thing, then they came for Communists, I didn't care, I wasn't a communist, then he concludes, then they came for me and it shattered me to know that there was no one left to speak up for me."<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">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 an insurance for every one's well being. I cannot be at peace when others around me aren't, and hence it behooves me to take care of the ones who need assistance.<br /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">I am blessed to have taken a stand for Jews, Catholics, Ahmadiyyas, Immigrants, Hindus, Falun Dafa, Zoroastrians, Muslims, Native Americans, Christians, Baha'i, Wicca, Sikh and other identities of humanity including GLBT community. It is the right thing to do.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">Please note that I am no more of a volunteer than you are, if I have not spoken out against one of your dear causes, it is simply because not being aware and having only 24 hours in a day. If you would like to share it with me, please do so in the comments section.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19px;">Mahatma Gandhi has been a major inspiration in my life. Twice in my life I have seen Mahatma Gandhi in my dreams, the first time was when I was in College around 1971, when Mahatma Gandhi, the vice-chancellor of Bangalore University Sri V. Narsimaiah and I were having a dinner together and Mahatma puts his hands on my shoulders and says, "tujhe bahut kaam karna hai beta", you have a lot of work to do son, and again around 2003, he appears in my dreams and with the same affectionate hand (as my Dad's), he pats on my back, "you have to do it"... the only thing I consistently get from this message was the work of Pluralism, help me God, I am committed to do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19px;">Thanks to my Father and Mother for breaking away from the traditional practices of apartheid, growing up as kids, we did something that was un-heard of, the Dalits and us would eat off our plates, and drink tea off our glasses, they would come in to our home... and many had called my Dad for stopping it. I shall write that some time.<br /><br />Links are linked where the compilation is done, others will be completed by 12/31/12 - God willling if I am alive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ol>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Atheists<br /><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/04/speaking-up-for-atheists.html">h<span style="color: blue;">ttp://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/04/speaking-up-for-atheists.html </span></a><br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Apostates Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Malaysia work</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Baha'i - Iran petitions </span><br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Christians <a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/01/standing-with-christians.html">http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/01/standing-with-christians.html</a><br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Hindus<br /><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/04/standing-with-hindus.html">http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/04/standing-with-hindus.html</a><br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Jains - Adding the Jain logo at DOJ<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Jews <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/02/standing-up-with-jews.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/02/standing-up-with-jews.html</span></a><br /></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Muslims - Standing up for Ahamdiyya, Bohra, Ismailia, Shia, Sufi, Sunni and other Muslims<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Pagans - Petition to save a woman in Saudi Arabia<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Sikhs - Afghanistan, France, UK, USA, Pakistan<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Wicca - Arlington Cemetery Head stones</span><br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Native Americans <a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/02/petition-for-native-american-heritage.html">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/02/petition-for-native-american-heritage.html</a><br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Gays and Lesbians <a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/05/standing-up-for-gays-and-lesbians.html">http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/05/standing-up-for-gays-and-lesbians.html</a><br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Falun Dafa <a href="http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2006/3/19/70952.html">http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2006/3/19/70952.html</a><br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Women's rights - Burqa, Sharia, divorce,<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Darfur - Joined the Darful Coalition and petitions<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Bosnia - Faxes, phone calls etc.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Burmese Buddhists - <a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/10/stand-with-burmese-people.html">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/10/stand-with-burmese-people.html</a><br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Palestinians and Jews together <br /><a href="http://www.israelpalestinedialogue.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.IsraelPalestinedialogue.com </span></a><br /></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Standing up for Immigrants<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrjU0KULv-Y">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrjU0KULv-Y</a></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">To be updated, God has blessed me to be a part of many a societies and I am thankful for the same. I urge you to knock off one hour's TV or gossip and spend that time standing up for others, the least you can do is to let them know that you are with them and that they are not alone.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: navy; text-align: -webkit-left;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><a href="http://www.mikeghouse.net/" style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: x-small;">MikeGhouse</span></a></span></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-left;"> is committed to building a </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-left;"></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-left;"><a href="http://www.americatogetherfoundation.com/" style="color: darkred; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: x-small;">Cohesive America</span></span></a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-left;"> and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-left;"></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-left;"><a href="http://www.professionalspeakermikeghouse.com/" style="color: darkred; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: x-small;">professional speaker</span></span></a><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">, thinker and a writer on </span><a href="http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/" style="color: darkred; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: x-small;">pluralism</span></span></a><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">, politics, </span><a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/" style="color: darkred; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: x-small;">civic affairs</span></span></a><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: navy; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">, </span><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/" style="color: darkred; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: x-small;">Islam</span></span></a><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: navy; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">, </span><a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/" style="color: darkred; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: x-small;">India</span></span></a><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: navy; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">, </span><a href="http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/" style="color: darkred; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: x-small;">Israel</span></span></a><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">, peace and justice. Mike is a frequent guest on </span><a href="http://www.hannity.com/guest/ghouse-mike/10804" style="color: darkred; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: x-small;">Sean Hannity show</span></span></a><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at </span><a href="http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/texas-faith/" style="color: darkred; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: x-small;">Dallas Morning News</span></span></a><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> and regularly at </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse" style="color: darkred; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: x-small;">Huffington post,</span></span></a><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> and several other periodicals across the world. The blog </span><a href="http://www.theghousediary.com/" style="color: darkred; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: x-small;">www.TheGhousediary.com</span></span></a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-left;"><u></u>is updated daily. </span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 19px;"> </span></span></div>Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-52580775181899098442012-02-05T18:46:00.001-08:002016-04-22T12:00:59.188-07:00Standing up with Jews<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If we can learn to stand up for others, and stand with every human being who is at a disadvantage or being taken advantage of, then we can hope for a world of justice where no one has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other. In the end, every one of us benefits. Otherwise, all of us will live in fear of the other. We are all in this together, we are one world and we have to work for it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">It is the same idea repeated and revived by several great reformers of the world including but not limited to Zarathustra, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Confucius, Muhammad, Nanak, Bahaullah, Gandhi, MLK and others</span>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chief Seattle, a Native American said
this perfectly, “All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls
the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand
in it. Whatever he does to the webs, he does it to himself."</span></div>
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I hope to complete the list of work that I have done, however small it might be for people other than my own niche. I was asked by several friends to do this to inspire others to open up and do it. <br /><br /><b>Holocaust and the Muslim Guy</b> <br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/holocaust-and-the-muslim-_b_4629509.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/holocaust-and-the-muslim-_b_4629509.html</a><br /><br /><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Commemorating Holocaust for the first time</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://holocaustandgenocides.blogspot.com/2014/01/william-and-rosa-lee-schiff-holocaust.html">http://holocaustandgenocides.blogspot.com/2014/01/william-and-rosa-lee-schiff-holocaust.html</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Dealing with Holocaust </b><br /><a href="http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/2014/01/dealing-with-genocide-and-holocaust-across-religious-lines.html/">http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/2014/01/dealing-with-genocide-and-holocaust-across-religious-lines.html/</a> </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaker on Israel issues</span></b><br /><a href="http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/2014/12/speaker-on-israel-mike-ghouse.html">http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/2014/12/speaker-on-israel-mike-ghouse.html</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>About Israel and Palestine </b><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15pt;"><span style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;">What inspires me to be involved in the Israel Palestine conflict? The following is the story of my struggle to see a cohesive world, the story will take you through different emotions but at the end, I hope you feel a sense of completeness of the story. Due to its length, it is a three part article. </span></span><a href="http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/2012/02/about-israel-palestine.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/2012/02/about-israel-palestine.html</span></a></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Israel Palestine Dialogue</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">If you do not have an open mind and unwilling to see another point of view, this site is not for you. On this site, we welcome every point of view, you can express it in the comment section.</span>I believe the Israel Palestine conflict is the mother of most of the conflicts in the world, if we can find solutions, world will see pace, Jews will live in security and the Justice to the Palestinians. <a href="http://www.israelpalestinedialouge.com/">www.IsraelPalestineDialouge.com </a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Muslim Holocaust commemoration</b><br />Perhaps it was for the first time in our history, that Muslims took the initiative to commemorate Holocaust. It was a fulfillment of my childhood dream, completing an incomplete story. <a href="http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/Images_HolocaustDay/HMD2006_ProgramReport.asp">http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/Images_HolocaustDay/HMD2006_ProgramReport.asp</a></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Annual Reflections on Holocaust and Genocides</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">Education was the purpose; we have to learn, acknowledge and reflect upon the terrible things we have inflicted upon each other, and we have to understand that our safety and security hinges on the safety of all others around us.</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">There is a shameless cruelty in us, either we shy away or refuse to acknowledge the sufferings of others, worrying that it will devalue our own or somehow it amounts to infidelity to our own cause.</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://www.holocaustandgenocides.com/">www.HolocaustandGenocides.com </a></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Radio Show on Judaism</b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a part of knowing each other and learning about each other, for the sake of creating cohesive societies, I did over 500 hours of Talk show radio on religion, wisdom of religion all the beautiful religions. Rabbi Haas of Temple Shalom and I did a 25 hours talk on Judaism from 2004-2006. </span><a href="http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/Articles/Religious-tolerance-in-action-DallasNews-December2004.asp" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/Articles/Religious-tolerance-in-action-DallasNews-December2004.asp</a>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Workshop on Judaism</b><br />As a part of knowing <span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Everything you wanted to know about the Judaism, you can learn about it in this workshop. As with all faiths, non-Clarity, myths and mis-information are part of Judaism as well. Please come prepared with questions, we would like you to walk out of the workshop with a greater understanding of Judaism. </span><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Dr. Howard Cohen is a student of his own tradition and history, a student of the early</span>. </span><span style="color: #0000ee; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/07/understandign-judaism.html</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Anti-Circumcision Bill and a Muslim's take</b></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Calling it Male Genital Mutilation is going too far, it shows utter disregard for enduring religious traditions of Jews, Muslims and others comprising nearly a fourth of humanity. Mind you, it is not a practice of a vanishing cult that is here today and gone tomorrow.</span>
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<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/circumcision-satire_b_872270.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/circumcision-satire_b_872270.html</span></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Standing up for Jews, Gays and Lesbians </b><br /><span style="line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Pastor Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka is staging a protest against Jews, gays, lesbians and Mexicans. We need to be unselfish to serve our selfish interests. Here is an opportunity for you to stand up for the rights of others and perhaps find a purpose in life to stand up for the rights of others.</span>
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<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/standing-up-for-jews-gays_b_650167.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/standing-up-for-jews-gays_b_650167.html</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><b>Israel and Palestine moving forward - 1</b></span>My father is my hero and had opened the doors of wisdom to me. He taught one of the biggest lessons of my life in social cohesiveness and dealing with extremism that I continue to reflect in my speeches, acts and write ups. I wish every father in India, America and elsewhere teaches this lesson to his kids. He told us the "individuals" were responsible for the bloodshed and not the religions; he would emphasize that you cannot blame an intangible like religion and expect justice, we must blame the individuals who caused it and punish them accordingly for disturbing the peace and thus bring a resolution to the conflict by serving justice. He was crystal clear: You cannot annihilate, kill, hang or beat the religion, so why bark at it?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/israel-and-palestine-moving-forward_b_1258261.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/israel-and-palestine-moving-forward_b_1258261.html</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="line-height: 18px;">Commitment</span><span style="line-height: 13.5pt;"> to Israel - 2</span></b></span>Israel's security, and justice to the Palestinians are directly proportional to each other. Hundred percent security for Israel comes with 100 percent justice to the Palestinians. A majority of people in the conflict understand this, but the leadership runs aground with short sighted false perceptions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/commitment-to-israelpales_b_1263793.html" style="line-height: 13.5pt; text-align: left;">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/commitment-to-israelpales_b_1263793.html </a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 13.5pt; text-align: left;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="line-height: 18px;">Commitment </span><span style="line-height: 13.5pt;"> to Israel -3</span></b></span>He is a genuine hero to both the people, as he stopped the blood feud and had them look to each other as collaborators of peace. That is one less conflict between Egypt and Israel. When I put the review of his book on my website, one of my Jewish friends, who had collaborated with me on several issues boycotted me. He would not return my calls or emails. One day, I ran into him in a Synagogue, and begged him to </span><br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/commitment-to-israelpalestine_b_1263803.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/commitment-to-israelpalestine_b_1263803.html</span></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pictures from Fred Phelps Demonstration</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/7215762433635750">http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/7215762433635750</a></span><br />
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Religious Hostilities across the world<br /><a href="http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/01/texas-faith-why-are-religious-hostilities-on-the-rise-across-the-world.html/#more-33370">http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/01/texas-faith-why-are-religious-hostilities-on-the-rise-across-the-world.html/#more-33370</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Israel's fake supporters </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">With the exception of Ron Paul, the Republican candidates compete in licking the boots of Netanyahu instead of the people of Israel, the Israelis care less about their duplicity. They would support someone who delivers durable peace, the likes of Egypt and Jordan. Israelis are willing to swallow the bitter pill for the sake of peace, Netanyahu and our war monger candidates need to listen to them. </span></span></h1>
<a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/04/israels-fake-republican-supporters.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/04/israels-fake-republican-supporters.html</span></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Middle East Peace Initiative</b><br />It was my trip to Israel and Palestine and giving a talk on Pluralism at the Dan Jerusalem Hotel. Visited holy places of Bahai, Christian, Druze, Jews and Muslims. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157624709053713/"><span style="text-decoration: none;">http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157624709053713/</span></a> ....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>President Obama blows the opportunity for Israel and Palestine</b><br />It is a video appealing to the President to vote for the Palestinian statehood, as a good step forward to bring security to Jews and justice to the Palestinians</span><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hb0Y-4lRkM"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hb0Y-4lRkM</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Israel Iran conflict is Ahmedinejad Netanyahu conflict </b><br />A survey was conducted where a majority of the Israelis are opposed to the war mongering, it sounds more like a war of words between these two men, who have no hesitation in getting the Israeli and the Iranians killed to please their predictions and egos. </span><br />
<a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/04/israel-iran-crisis-is-netanyahu.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/04/israel-iran-crisis-is-netanyahu.html</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pluralism prayers</b><br />Through out my last twenty years, I have included every religious tradition in my prayers. </span><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157624709140887/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157624709140887/</span></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Responding to Ahmedinejad</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">When we heard that he had denied the Holocaust, we jumped, about 30 some Muslims in Dallas wrote to Dallas Morning News protesting his claim. It him the looney, but not the Muslims. </span><a href="http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/Images_Press/holocaust_dallasmorningnews_lettertopoints.htm">http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/Images_Press/holocaust_dallasmorningnews_lettertopoints.htm</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>UN Resolution </b><br />The resolution that was the beginning of our Annual event on Holocaust commemoration.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/ga10569.doc.htm"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/ga10569.doc.htm</span></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The necessity for a Dialogue between Jews and Muslims.</b><br />This is a painful story about Muslims and Jews stereotyping each other, and also the deliberate spread of false information against Muslims. It has caused a lot of heartaches, but only to those who were not truthful. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/Articles/Jewish-Muslim-dialogue-a-necessity.asp">http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/Articles/Jewish-Muslim-dialogue-a-necessity.asp </a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>A tribute to my Mother </b><br />In this write up, how my mother had inspired me to learn and to study, and also the cause for me to commemorate the Holocaust event.</span><br />
<a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/05/mother-my-story-happy-mothers-day.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/05/mother-my-story-happy-mothers-day.html</span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Additional items not referenced above:</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><b>A tribute to the Jewish Community</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">As a Muslim, I wanted to appreciate their relentless pursuit of pluralism by the Jewish community to have kept the state and church untied. It is one of the main reason for our nation to have a strong democracy and pluralism and vanishing persecution of people who are not Christians. Jewish community was recognized in this annual event. </span><br />
<a href="http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/Honored_JewishCommunity_TG2005.asp"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/Honored_JewishCommunity_TG2005.asp </span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><b>A tribute to Elliott Dlin, Executive Director of Dallas Holocaust Musuem</b></span><br />
<a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/04/tribute-to-eliott-dlin.htm"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/04/tribute-to-eliott-dlin.htm</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><b>Yom Hashoah at the Temple Emanu-El</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/05/yom-hashoah-at-temple-emanu-el.html"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/05/yom-hashoah-at-temple-emanu-el.html</span></a></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><b>Muslims Condemn display of hate at Holocaust Museum</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2009/06/muslims-condemn-display-of-hate-at.html">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2009/06/muslims-condemn-display-of-hate-at.htm</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><b>Yom HaShoah and Yom Milaad</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/04/yom-hashoah-yom-milaad.htm">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/04/yom-hashoah-yom-milaad.htm</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><b>Stereotyping Muslims and Jews</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2009/09/stereotyping-muslims-and-jews.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2009/09/stereotyping-muslims-and-jews.html</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><b>Extinguishing Hoaxes </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/04/extinguishig-hoaxes.html">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/04/extinguishig-hoaxes.html</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><b>Anti-Semitism and Anti-Israelism </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/08/anti-semitism-anti-israelism.html">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/08/anti-semitism-anti-israelism.html</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><b>An Apology to Jews, Christians and others</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/Quraan/Not-like-Jews-and-Christians.asp">http://www.foundationforpluralism.com/Quraan/Not-like-Jews-and-Christians.asp</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><b>Americans condemn the attacks on Rabbi Lerner</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/03/americans-condemn-attacks-on-rabbi.html">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/03/americans-condemn-attacks-on-rabbi.html</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><b>Understanding Judaism </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/07/understandign-judaism.html">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/07/understandign-judaism.html</a></span></div>
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Committed to building a cohesive America</b><br /><a href="http://www.americatogetherfoundation.com/">www.AmericaTogetherFoundation.com </a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Star of David</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you look at the logo of the Foundation for Pluralism below, you will see the star of David on the top. Texas Jewish post was delighted and wrote about it. However, they have taken it off from their site. The story is some one in Sweden responded my call to create a logo and I gave him a sketch of what I want. He drew the logo and I shared the draft with a few friends - My Hindu friends said, the Hindu symbol should be on the top, as it is the oldest religion and my Zoroastrians friends claimed the same, then my Muslim friends were not happy that Islamic symbol is not on the top... I told them all, that it was a random placement and I will not change it, if I do that, then I would be giving a deliberate priority to one over the other and it amounted to sheer bias and I will not do that. A few still gripe about it, but it is history now. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_t5QfmQ73e3IUHMMdSvzzQBHU9OhqkHm26qISnAYJMekzxAdqdjLNpHJCiiAXpB_6qq-XUg6PQrqLuwAtADNKOQoNhKBDjmE3ZQRxrLRtq9-mP-AMJ0OT6O0BMPCFUCRyCF-Y1VXoZ0/s1600/Pluralism+logo.www.MikeGhouse.net.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_t5QfmQ73e3IUHMMdSvzzQBHU9OhqkHm26qISnAYJMekzxAdqdjLNpHJCiiAXpB_6qq-XUg6PQrqLuwAtADNKOQoNhKBDjmE3ZQRxrLRtq9-mP-AMJ0OT6O0BMPCFUCRyCF-Y1VXoZ0/s320/Pluralism+logo.www.MikeGhouse.net.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b><br />It has not been easy</b></span><br /><span style="line-height: 115%;">Maria Atria of Fox News had talked to me about the difficulty in bringing different communities together and the harassment and </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">difficulties</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> I had encountered... it will be all in the book coming up in June this year.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Mike Ghouse</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: blue;"></span></b><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.mikeghouse.net/">Mike Ghouse</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;"> is
committed to building a <a href="http://www.americatogetherfoundation.com/">Cohesive
America</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;"> and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of
the day. He is a <a href="aoldb://mail/write/www.ProfessionalSpeakerMikeGhouse.com">professional
speaker</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;">, thinker and a writer on <a href="aoldb://mail/write/www.foundationforpluralism.com">pluralism</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;">,
politics, <a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/">civic
affairs</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;">, foreign affairs, <a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/">Islam</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;">, <a href="http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/">India</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;">, <a href="http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/">Israel</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;">, peace
and justice. Mike is a frequent guest on <a href="http://www.hannity.com/guest/ghouse-mike/10804">Sean Hannity
show</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;"> on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he writes
weekly at <a href="http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/texas-faith/">Dallas Morning
News</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;"> and regularly at <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse">Huffington
post,</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;">and several other periodicals. <a href="http://www.theghousediary.com/">www.TheGhousediary.com</a></span><span family="SANSSERIF" lang="0" ptsize="10" style="color: #4a4a4a;"> is Mike's
daily blog.</span></span></div>
</div>
Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-64550510165360760152012-01-23T15:57:00.001-08:002012-01-23T16:00:06.337-08:00Stand up for a Hindu family in Norway, sign the petition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyk5HICq6obpVgPavtvTjeQbrrxPsj4McmipzkpsSOLutSBebEi_3i_qpHeqD8k5cE7kQRnNlliJ1fxwJsjs4Kjknik78Gen6j31-Ez-eCzsJlghxObqld_e1L9bHa0fzq6lp3-3dlTYI/s1600/Norway.thefoundationfopluralism.org.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyk5HICq6obpVgPavtvTjeQbrrxPsj4McmipzkpsSOLutSBebEi_3i_qpHeqD8k5cE7kQRnNlliJ1fxwJsjs4Kjknik78Gen6j31-Ez-eCzsJlghxObqld_e1L9bHa0fzq6lp3-3dlTYI/s200/Norway.thefoundationfopluralism.org.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Norway is one of the nations looked up for best the civil conduct; however, they have failed to even study the culture of their inhabitants. Here Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharaya fed their child with hands as is the custom in their home land, India, and had the kids sleep on their bed. The Norway government found that to be offensive and abusive and took the child away from the family. <br />
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<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It has happened in Dallas with an Albanian Muslim family, where the father had her little girl sit in his lap and watch the basketball game in school, and it was reported as an abuse. The tragedy in both places would be if the child is passed on to a foster family who would raise the child in a different faith than what the child was shown in his or her formative years. <br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Please sign the petition; </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/ambassador-wegger-chr-strommen-reunite-indian-family-in-norway-feeding-children-by-hand-is-not-abuse" target="_blank" title="http://www.change.org/petitions/ambassador-wegger-chr-strommen-reunite-indian-family-in-norway-feeding-children-by-hand-is-not-abuse">sign this petition</a> or click the following link<br />
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<a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/ambassador-wegger-chr-strommen-reunite-indian-family-in-norway-feeding-children-by-hand-is-not-abuse">http://www.change.org/petitions/ambassador-wegger-chr-strommen-reunite-indian-family-in-norway-feeding-children-by-hand-is-not-abuse</a><br />
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<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We have to stand with all those to whom injustice is met. Please do it now.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mike Ghouse <br />
Committed to cohesive societies.<br />
<a href="http://www.mikeghouse.net/">www.MikeGhouse.net</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-68278681479388240002012-01-19T04:17:00.000-08:002018-02-09T10:17:41.043-08:00Standing up for Christians<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxGAfK1OCBn-SbI03akYiJMjUPpzOTXovXbWrU305vifTmxUuT-x1uL314_G77phcRD4d62kYE_YAm9PsxfK1E8F4_ZxiW0y1Bp7D1GVnjqvAYqvn1PABMhbMqVW_La6CN4TsD2i57Wo/s1600/christianity.MikeGhouse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxGAfK1OCBn-SbI03akYiJMjUPpzOTXovXbWrU305vifTmxUuT-x1uL314_G77phcRD4d62kYE_YAm9PsxfK1E8F4_ZxiW0y1Bp7D1GVnjqvAYqvn1PABMhbMqVW_La6CN4TsD2i57Wo/s1600/christianity.MikeGhouse.JPG" /></span></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Jesus Christ’ ultimate dream was to create a kingdom of heaven on the earth; it is the idea where no human has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other under one God. </span><span style="line-height: 19px;">It is the same idea repeated and revived by several great reformers of the world including but not limited to Zarathustra, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Confucius, Muhammad, Nanak, Bahaullah, Gandhi, MLK and others.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Then the best among us would be someone who works towards this goal and believes in the Golden rule, "treat others as you would want to be treated."</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I am greatful to God for the blessing and encouragement to stand for others. As an example I am <a href="http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/">setting a site</a> to list some of my work from an Atheist to Zoroastrian and every one in between.<br />
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The following lists a few items of standing up with Christians, as usual the right wingers in other faiths have harassed me for doing this or even demanding why I did not do it for them, by God, given my little life, as a volunteer, I have done as much as I can.<br />
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My mentors in pluralism are Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mother Teresa and I dedicate this collection to them:<br /><br />A lot more work is done that needs to be added:</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">An appeal to Indonesian Muslims</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Friday, December 18, 2009 will be noted as a sad day in the history of Indonesia. On this day, a group of people on their way out from attending an Islamic New Year parade attacked the Santo Albertus Church under construction in Bekasi.</span> <a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2009/12/appeal-to-indonesian-muslims.html">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2009/12/appeal-to-indonesian-muslims.html</a> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">The appeal is published in Jakarta Post</span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/12/31/letters-an-appeal-indonesian-muslims.html"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: none;">http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/12/31/letters-an-appeal-indonesian-muslims.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Religious conflict in India<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Eleven Churches have been razed to ground following a reported attack on Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, a political party leader. Shamefully this is a normal thing in India and it needs to be stopped before it escalates.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/12/orissa-religious-conflict.html">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2007/12/orissa-religious-conflict.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">Appeal for Justice to Pakistani Asia Bibi and Mercy to mankind</span></b><b><o:p></o:p></b> As peace makers, we cannot cause people to dig in their heels and take positions, we have to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill for the ultimate good of all. I hope, you understand the avoidance of such language in the petition. <a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/01/appeal-for-justice-to-pakistani-asia.html">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/01/appeal-for-justice-to-pakistani-asia.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">A Muslim’s Christmas, Huffington Post</span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">As a Muslim I will be celebrating Christmas, recommitting myself to listen to Jesus and follow his path. And in my Islamic tradition, I will reflect on chapter 19 of Quraan, dedicated to Maryam, Mother Mary, and pray on his birthday. I will pray that we all honor his message of creating peace and building cohesive societies where no one has to be apprehensive of the other. Amen!</span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Continued: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/a-muslims-christmas_b_1167258.html" style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/a-muslims-christmas_b_1167258.html</a></span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">A tribute to Jesus</span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">This column is dedicated to Rev. Petra Weldes of the Center for Spiritual Living in Dallas. Some of my conversation with her inspired me to write this tribute to Jesus and what it means to be religious.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2009/12/tribute-to-jesus.html" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2009/12/tribute-to-jesus.html</a><br /><br /><span style="line-height: 115%;">Standing up with Catholic bishops</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">The health care mandate goes against the </span><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;">religious</span><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"> liberties of Catholics and I, a Muslim stand with them in </span><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;">opposing</span><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"> the law.</span></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/04/texas-faith-catholic-bishops-and-civil.html" style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 115%;">http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/04/texas-faith-catholic-bishops-and-civil.html</a></span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Iran’s death penalty for Christian pastor violates treaties, Koran</span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Indeed there is absolutely no punishment for apostasy in Quraan; one is free to become a Muslim and free to leave the faith. After all no one is to bear the burden of the other, he alone is responsible for his belief. </span><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/10/irans-death-penalty-for-christian.html" style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/10/irans-death-penalty-for-christian.html</a></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Muslims condemn Blasphemy attack in Kerala</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Evil continues to thrive, when good people do nothing about it. Our role as Muslims is to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill and work towards building social cohesion, so all the humanity can co-exist in harmony. </span><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2010/07/muslims-condemn-blasphemy-attack-in.html" style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2010/07/muslims-condemn-blasphemy-attack-in.html</a></span></span></h3>
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As a Muslim I am outraged at this nonsense going on in Sudan and Saudi Arabia.When Prophet Muhammad’s cartoons were published, few Muslims around the world were outraged to the point of becoming destructive. They burned the embassy in Syria and destroyed property elsewhere. <span style="text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.mikeghouse.net/Articles/Where-is-the-Muslim-Outrage.asp">http://www.mikeghouse.net/Articles/Where-is-the-Muslim-Outrage.asp</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />Afghan blasphemy case</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"> Spokesman says Karzai has last word in Afghan blasphemy case </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Mike Ghouse Note: It takes conviction to do the right thing and one must subscribe to the idea of nothing but truth. Karzai needs to pardon, rather, apologize for his governments infringement of individual liberty. There is no compulsion in Islam and one needs to be free to practice what one believes. </span><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2008/02/afghan-blasphemy-case.html" style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2008/02/afghan-blasphemy-case.html</a></span></span></span></h3>
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<b>Building Respect for Christmas<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">A handful of Jews, Muslims and others show belligerence towards the celebration of Christmas and have vandalized Christmas trees, shame on them.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/12/building-respect-for-christmas.html">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/12/building-respect-for-christmas.html</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Citizenship, Islam and America</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Law is one thing and practice is the other. As an American and as a Muslim, I have to be critical of both groupings and work toward creating cohesive societies where no citizen has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other. Here is a summary of 2011 and what we can aspire for 2012. </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/citizenship-islam-and-ame_b_1174834.html" style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/citizenship-islam-and-ame_b_1174834.html</a><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Religious Freedom, international coalition</span><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Religions help us sustain peace and balance in the society in the times of our spiritual, physical and societal ups and downs. Living for the sake of others is not a charity or even a noble thing to brag about; it is indeed the pragmatic thing to do. </span><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/04/religious-freedom-international.html" style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/04/religious-freedom-international.html</a></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><b>Japanese Unificationists Believed to Be Resisting Confinement</b></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Muslim-Christian dialogue: An Islamic view</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/03/muslim-christian-dialogue-islamic-view.html">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/03/muslim-christian-dialogue-islamic-view.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">. . . . . .<b><span style="background-color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Top Muslim Declares All Christians 'Infidels'</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">It is quite possible, the Grand Mufti of Al-Azhar university Ali Gomaa did not say anything like the alleged words listed below. These guys at Middle East Forum may have cooked it up. They have done it before and that is their business.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/11/top-muslim-declares-all-christians.html">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/11/top-muslim-declares-all-christians.html</a></span></span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Ninth Church Vandalized in Malaysia</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">We appeal the Malaysian Government to reign in this immediately.</span></span><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2010/01/ninth-church-vandalized-in-malaysia.html" style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2010/01/ninth-church-vandalized-in-malaysia.html</a></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Muslims, Christians and The Lost Tomb</span></b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">One question that concerns me is the depth of the faith, rather paucity of the faith of the believers. One’s faith must be really weak to be frightened by a movie, and I often wonder, how will it offend the faith of millions?</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <span style="background-color: white;">It is not just Christians, Muslims will be offended too. That is nearly 3.4 billion people of the world comprising 2.1 Billion Christians and 1.3 billion Muslims.</span> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/03/faith-and-lost-tomb.html">http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/03/faith-and-lost-tomb.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">. . . . . <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Spitting on Christians in Jerusalem</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Judging from the title, I hope you did not jump to the conclusion, that Muslims are the ones spitting on Christians. In this case the culprits are extremists from a different tradition. </span></span><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/01/spitting-on-christians-in-jerusalem.html" style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2010/01/spitting-on-christians-in-jerusalem.html</a></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">A Church in Saudi Arabia</span><a href="http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2008/03/church-in-saudi-arabia.html" style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2008/03/church-in-saudi-arabia.html</a></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Mike Ghouse committed to building cohesive Societies and offers pluralistic solutions on current issues. His work is all listed at <a href="http://www.mikeghouse.net/">www.MikeGhouse.net</a> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-44499408222644330182012-01-15T18:02:00.000-08:002012-01-15T18:02:21.426-08:00Dallas school districts controversial use of religious buildings<h3 class="post-title entry-title"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dallas Morning News writes a report on the topic and includes some of my comments in the article following my notes.</span></h3><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-8398266514720133458">The School District’s decision to hold the commencement ceremonies at churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious buildings without restrictions does not bode well in the long haul.<br />
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A few religious places will be generous in their offer; however, it implies an association with that place of worship and carries the baggage in the long haul. What if the new pastor is a bigot and has a problem with gay or lesbian kids or kids of other faiths. It is always the individual that drives the society towards ill-will or goodwill. Why do we need to subject ourselves to such whims?<br />
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We are a pluralistic society and deeply want our kids to grow up and interact with the real world out there that comprises people of different faiths, races, ethnicities and sexual orientation. A religious building does not offer such an environment, even with a few exceptions.<br />
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The Federal court just rejected a referendum in Oklahoma to ban families from seeking guidance from international or Sharia law to resolve disputes among family members even though 70% of the voters had approved it. In California proposition 5 met the same fate years ago and the Farmers Branch overwhelmingly approved the anti-immigration bill, which is in the courts now.<br />
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I would suggest the board members not to vote for this motion; the school will end up squandering money on legal suit rather than children’s education.<br />
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As a pluralist, I do welcome this, but since we are still not there we have to hold this off.<br />
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Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. A writer, thinker and a speaker and is available to speak on pluralism, politics, Islam, peace, cohesive societies and a variety of topics. Check out 4 websites and 27 Blogs indexed at www.MikeGhouse.net. Current articles at www.TheGhousediary.com<br />
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ACLU warns Dallas ISD against plan to allow graduations at churches<br />
By TAWNELL D. HOBBS Staff Writer thobbs@dallasnews.com<br />
<a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/headlines/20120113-aclu-warns-dallas-isd-against-plan-to-allow-graduations-at-churches.ece" title="http://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/headlines/20120113-aclu-warns-dallas-isd-against-plan-to-allow-graduations-at-churches.ece">http://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/headlines/20120113-aclu-warns-dallas-isd-against-plan-to-allow-graduations-at-churches.ece</a><br />
Published: 13 January 2012 12:26 AM<br />
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas is warning Dallas ISD to “tread cautiously” on loosening restrictions to allow graduations at churches and other religious facilities.<br />
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Dallas school trustees discussed the proposal at Thursday’s board briefing. Two of eight trustees voiced concern about the plan, which will be considered Jan. 26.<br />
The change would eliminate a clause that prohibits commencement exercises from being held at churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious sites without permission of the superintendent, and only under extenuating circumstances when no other nonreligious facility is available.<br />
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District officials said the change is being proposed because some schools have for years been using churches for graduations. The schools, which were not aware they were violating board policy, raised the issue with district administration, they said.<br />
But the ACLU of Texas said in a news release Thursday that it cannot understand why DISD would consider changing what the group calls a “neutral policy.” It also noted that such a change could result in legal proceedings.<br />
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“DISD should tread cautiously in this area,” Lisa Graybill, ACLU of Texas’ legal director, warned in the news release. “The current policy provides a safeguard to ensure commencement exercises are held in appropriate, nonsectarian locations where all students, their families, and school personnel feel equally comfortable. Changing the policy could ultimately result in a constitutional challenge and costly litigation.”<br />
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The ACLU of Texas also submitted a public information request to the school district, asking for information that includes costs for off-site events and the reason for the proposed change.<br />
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Board President Lew Blackburn said that neither he nor school attorneys have a problem with the proposal. Blackburn said that he has attended graduations at churches and that nothing religious occurred.<br />
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Several Dallas school trustees, including Bruce Parrott and Carla Ranger, said they were unaware of the ACLU’s misgivings when they discussed the matter at Thursday’s meeting. Parrott and Ranger voiced concerns about the proposal during the discussion.<br />
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pointed to a similar situation that involved the separation of church and state in the Irving school district last year. The ACLU of Texas had contacted that district with questions about a plan to hold graduations at The Potter’s House church. In response, district officials decided against the move.<br />
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“We don’t need to be involved with any lawsuit,” Parrott said. “We’ve got a policy; let’s just adhere to the policy.”<br />
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Ranger voiced similar concerns.<br />
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“We all know there have been problems in other places because of this very issue,” she said. “Removing this would put us in a situation that we don’t want to be in.”<br />
The vast majority of religious leaders contacted Thursday agreed that the school district should not make such a change.<br />
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“I would suggest the board members not to vote for this motion; the school will end up squandering money on [a] legal suit rather than children’s education,” Mike Ghouse, a Muslim and president of the Foundation for Pluralism in Dallas, said in an email.<br />
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The Rev. Daniel Kanter of First Unitarian Church of Dallas said in an email that “it could make people uncomfortable to have their graduations in a house of worship, and we shouldn’t be putting citizens in that situation.”<br />
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He added: “Unfortunately, some people of faith might also have prohibitions about attending events in a house of worship other than theirs.”.<br />
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But the Rev. Trey Graham, senior pastor of First Baptist Church Melissa, said in an email that he “applauds the school board” for considering the change. He said the district shouldn’t be deterred by possible legal action by the ACLU.<br />
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“The elimination of this restriction makes sense for the school district financially, logistically and relationally,” Graham said. “Financially, school districts can often save money by utilizing church facilities at lower cost than other large meeting places.”<br />
Graham said that his church’s facilities are often used by school, civic and community groups that need meeting space. “We consider the use of our church’s space by outside groups as another way to positively impact our communities,” he said.<br />
Staff writer Holly K. Hacker contributed to this report.<br />
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Faith leaders on DISD proposal<br />
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Several religious leaders from North Texas, including regular contributors to The Dallas Morning News’ Texas Faith blog, weighed in on a proposal to allow Dallas ISD schools to hold graduation ceremonies in religious facilities. Here are excerpts from their comments:<br />
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Ric Dexter, Northeast Texas area leader in SGI-USA, a Buddhist lay organization<br />
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“I can’t imagine any religious facility that would be willing to remove or cover over a symbol of their reason for being, simply not to offend some of the graduates. While most Christians would have no problem with a crucifix as a backdrop, I wonder if they would feel as comfortable with Shiva or Buddha overlooking this important moment in their children’s life.”<br />
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Trey Graham, senior pastor, First Baptist Church Melissa<br />
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“Our church’s facilities, on multiple campuses, are often used by school, civic and community groups who need meeting space at times that do not interfere with our regular church ministries. We consider the use of our church’s space by outside groups as another way to positively impact our communities. The threat of legal action by the ACLU should not deter school board personnel from making this sensible change.”<br />
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Katie Sherrod, Episcopal lay leader, Fort Worth<br />
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“I don’t know what freedom of religion and freedom from religion is worth, but way too many U.S. soldiers have died to defend those American values. However much money the district might save by using religious buildings doesn’t even come close to being worth sacrificing that. While Christian children and parents might be OK with sitting under an image of the crucified Christ, I doubt it would be comfortable for Jewish children and their parents, given how often the crucifixion has been used as an excuse to persecute Jews. And I’m trying to imagine how some Christians would feel about having their child’s graduation in a mosque.”<br />
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Mohamed Elibiary, spokesman, Islamic Asssociation of North Texas/Dallas Central Mosque<br />
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“We would advise DISD to slow down its consideration to change the current neutral graduation venue policy and instead launch a broad stakeholders’ feedback effort. It is a fact that some faith communities with larger percentages of new immigrant constituencies will view this policy change as biased towards certain denominations, such as megachurches, with the large facilities to lease to the school district in the first place. Public schools were partially established more than a century ago so that various segments of the American public can find that uniting neutral ground that reminds all that despite numerous differences, we are still all equal Americans, civically speaking.”<br />
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Mike Ghouse, a Muslim and president of the Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas<br />
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“It implies an association with that place of worship and carries the baggage in the long haul. What if the new pastor is a bigot and has a problem with gay or lesbian kids or kids of other faiths? It is always the individual that drives the society towards ill will or goodwill. Why do we need to subject ourselves to such whims?<br />
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“We are a pluralistic society and deeply want our kids to grow up and interact with the real world out there that comprises people of different faiths, races, ethnicities and sexual orientation. A religious building does not offer such an environment, even with a few exceptions.”<br />
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Holly K. Hacker <div style="clear: both;"></div></div><div class="post-footer"> <div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-1"> </div><div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-3"><span class="post-location"></span></div></div>Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589805140250069366.post-11355526989611973742011-11-07T09:33:00.001-08:002011-11-07T09:33:10.998-08:00Senator Williams' Remarks Offended Hindus<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Huffington post: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/senator-williams-offend-hindus_b_1075392.html"><span style="color: #033b46;">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/senator-williams-offend-hindus_b_1075392.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It is not only a Hindu issue, it is indeed an American issue. The speaking out shouldn't be just from Hindus, but Christians, Jews, Muslims, Atheists, Pagans, Wiccans, Zoroastrians and others as well. Why should anyone stand up for you, if you are not willing to do the same for others?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">As people of faith, we condemn the statement made by Kentucky State Senator David Williams, "Williams charged that the actions of Beshear were tantamount to "idolatry." He stated that as a Christian, he would not participate in Jewish, Muslim or Hindu prayers, and hoped Hindus would open their eyes and "receive Jesus Christ as their personal saviour." Williams made this comment about the ground breaking ceremony of a manufacturing plant in Elizabeth Town in Kentucky that Governor Steve Beshear attended. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">As a moderate Republican I am embarrassed that almost all of the bigotry in our nation is flowing out of fellow Republicans. It is time for the good Republicans to speak up and stop this flow and at least lose gracefully in 2012. If the economy turns around a little bit even a useless Democrat will win against a Republican. It is time to wake up and speak out against the bigotry of Williams and all others including the Presidential candidates.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Williams also criticized the Governor for sitting cross-legged with a "dot on his forehead," and described the ceremony as "polytheistic."<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I have condemned and talked about similar pronouncements from Pat Robertson, Robert Jeffress and a few Muslims and Jewish clerics for their take on idolatry with a primitive understanding. Idols or icons are representations of God for the Hindus, just as the holy books are God's words for the Jews, Christians, Muslims and others. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">No one has a right to belittle other's faiths. If Senator Williams has a problem let it be his problem and one should not malign Christianity for his bigotry. Each faith is dear to the believer and no faith is superior to the other. Faith is about humility and not arrogance. All faiths are designed to bring solace to its followers. Religion is a mechanism that gives hopes and restores one's balance with what surrounds one; people and the environment,.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Indeed, we are one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. We are represented by every race, nationality, ethnicity, language, culture and religion. We see God as one, none and many and in every form; male, female, genderless and non-existent, being and non-being, nameless and with innumerable names. Americans together are committed to preserve this pluralistic heritage of America.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">No one should have a problem with other's belief, but it should become our problem when someone denigrates it. We must stand up for each one of the 312 Million Americans. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer committed to build a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His work is fully indexed at </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.mikeghouse.net/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #033b46;">www.MikeGhouse.net</span></span></a></span></div>Mike Ghousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01647894600183489442noreply@blogger.com0