India is one of the first nations on the earth to practice Pluralism, i.e., respecting others’ otherness. While the Hindu ethos considers the world as one family, also known as Vasudhaiva Kutumbukum, the Islamic, Christian, and other traditions also subscribe to the idea that we originated from a single couple. Together, these values ‘had’ contributed to India’s post-independence political stability. We have lost those values now.   

As a nation, we were bestowed with diversity; the characteristics of the entire world are contained in our country; India. Collectively we are Adivasis, Atheists, Bahais, Bos, Buddhists, Christians, Dalits, Hindus, Jains, Jewish, Muslims, Sikhs, Tribal, Zoroastrians, and every possible grouping. We are also Brown, Black, White, and Yellow. India ‘was’ indeed God’s own country until recently. 

India is also the first nation on earth where God has placed people of different faiths and races together as a model of co-existence. India has been a beacon of Pluralism, and now the divisiveness, discord, and distrust are causing social instability. 

How do we get out of this? 

On August 15, 2020, we will be celebrating the 74th Independence Day and we need to determine as a nation if we really love our motherland, or is it a political stunt? Our mother wants all of her children to get along with each other.   

Lord Krishna, blessings upon him, whose birth celebrations conclude this week, said, whenever adharma (chaos) takes over a people, I will emerge from among you to restore dharma (righteousness). We hope the time has come for that catalytic change.

We are not dictatorships or kingships, where an individual dictates how we behave and what we do. We are a democracy, and we decide how we want our nation to be.

The political leaders are good at coining new phrases without meaning a word of it. The slogan “Sab ka saath, sab ka Vikas aur sab ka Vishwas” is pragmatic and is the right attitude to bring prosperity to the nation. Thus far, it is nothing but a political slogan as the leadership has not brought the Indians together, nor has it earned their trust. 

The change begins with leadership.   

When an 8-year old child was raped, and her body was mutilated; when Tabrez Ansari was brutally murdered, and the video was circulated; and when Dalit girls were raped and hung on trees, Modi did not speak. When a church was vandalized, when attempts were made to evict Sikhs from their land as settlers, and about 120 such incidents, the man shamelessly remained silent. However, when he saw the national outrage, he paid lip service and spoke the words he did not mean.

If Modi were to speak after each incident, the chaos would subside, the lynching of fellow Indians will stop. All he has to say is I will not tolerate any Indian harassing a fellow Indian, and the violators will be punished severely, and follow through it. But will he?

The change also begins with our children.

As a parent, should you poison your children towards others? The answer should be no, but yet we do it. 

A doctor, a son of my friends’ friend, was a guest at my place for a few weeks while attending meetings related to his residency. At the end of his stay – he said, “I wish my parents had not poisoned me against Blacks, Muslims, Christians, and Jews; everything I have heard from them turned out to be false.” He continued, “I have lived in dorms with others, and now with you, they were plain wrong.”  

He agreed, when you are biased towards others, it affects your work performance. Your relationship with fellow workers will not be clean as you were poisoned against them. You keep a reserve with your fellow worker, and subconsciously, you don’t trust and share everything with them. That attitude reduces your contribution to your work, and you will not be able to serve your employer with full integrity. And when you go home, you are not giving 100 percent to your family either, and you are obsessed with your hatred towards the other. 

Would you hire someone like that to work for you? 

We have to reject the poison injected into us by our parents, teachers, and religious men. It takes away the joy of conflict-free living.  

Our attitudes need to re-align. 

As the cities become cosmopolitan, you will not find a place of work, worship, playground, school, restaurant, theater, and other areas of public gatherings where you will not see people of different faiths, and ethnicities are interacting, working, studying, intermingling, playing and even marrying each other.

These interactions are bound to create conflicts. We must prevent such disputes, so each Indian can live securely with his or her faith, culture, gender, race, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. 

God created each one to be a unique being with our thumbprint, eye print, taste buds, religious buds, and DNA, and we have lost that ideal in the last few years. We cannot force others to do what we want without giving them the same right to tell us what they want us to be. 

A vast majority of us have heard ‘false’ things about others from our friends, news, social media, or our knowledge of others, and we instantly form opinions about others. As responsible individuals, we must strive to strip stereotyping and build pathways to ensure our society is functioning smoothly.

We need to reassure each other, loudly and clearly, that together as Indians, we must commit to safeguarding every Indian’s lifestyle, however different that maybe. Together as Indians, we must uphold, protect, defend, and celebrate the values enshrined in our Constitution, a guarantor of the way of life for each one of us.

Let me state this clearly, “My peace and tranquility hinges on the peace of people around me,” and “My safety is tied to the security of people around me.” It behooves me to build societies where all are secure; it guarantees my security and tension free life. 

As we learn to respect others’ otherness and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of us, conflicts fade, and solutions emerge. 

*Dr. Mike Ghouse is the founder and president of the Center for Pluralism. He is a speaker, thinker, author, consultant, pluralist, activist, a news-maker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions to the media, public, and policymakers. More at www.TheGhousediary.com 

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July 4th Message: Muslims have a special bond with America

The post Shaping India’s future on her 74th Independence Day appeared first on SabrangIndia.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is considering converting the Hagia Sophia to a Mosque, which has been a museum since its conquest. As Muslims, we appeal to President Erdogan to keep it as a Museum, and not convert it to a Mosque.  

“Hagia Sophia was one of the largest Christian Cathedral in the Eastern Roman Empire for 1000 years, and is one of the most contested buildings and is creating controversy again,” reported Aljazeera. Indeed, it will create animosity between Islam and Christianity.  

The idea of converting Hagia Sofia to a mosque offers a short-term political gain, but at the cost of long-term harmony between Muslims and Christians.  

The role of Muslims is to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill – a formula embedded in Prophet’s actions; he was a blessed peacemaker. Islam means peace, and it behooves us to achieve peace and harmony through our actions and words. 

The Greek Orthodox Church mourns the loss of their Church to Muslim conquest; however, they have accepted it. If this is converted to a mosque, it amounts to rubbing salt on the wounds. It will rekindle hostilities that none of us want. Today, societies are moving towards respecting the otherness of others.  

Hazrat Umar set a great example – after conquering Jerusalem, he was offered to pray in the Holy Sepulcher. He chose not to pray inside the church for the concern that the future generation of Muslims will convert it into a Mosque.  

Quran 22:40 essentially says God’s name is extolled abundantly in Churches, Synagogues, and Mosques. We have to protect the places of Worship. God will most certainly assist him who succors His cause: verily, God is all-knowing and almighty. 

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) has paved the way for building bridges among different communities in the United States. It is the largest Muslim civic body in America. It maintains good relationships with all populations, including the Greek Orthodox hierarchy. ISNA has played Amin’s role in building a cohesive America and has earned the goodwill of Jews, Christians, Hindus, and others. Out of a sense of righteousness, they have stood up for Muslims against Islamophobic rhetoric during 9/11, and it continues today. We, the Muslims, appreciate them.  

 Dr. Sayyid M. Saeed, President of ISNA, said, “The conversion of the Hagia Sophia was against the historical examples set by the righteous Caliphs, beginning with Abu Bakr when he advised his general heading to conquer foreign lands. The Umayyad Caliphs apologized and paid for the church land used to build the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. As American Muslims, we celebrate this Islamic provision in US law that enabled us to build 3 thousand mosques in the last half a century. Hagia Sophia is not just a Church but the main symbol of the Greek Orthodox Church. It is a slap on the entire system of the Greek Orthodox Church and Greece. It fostered permanent hate against Muslims and Islam in those quarters.” 

Dr. Saeed further adds, “The destruction of the Babri Mosque in India is a historical example of religious bigotry. We cannot do the same thing to Hagia Sophia.”   

Indeed, we have to be consistent in our policies – if we apply it in one place, we must be able to use it in every situation. As an Indian American Muslim, it hurts me to see the destruction of the Babri Mosque, and it equally hurts me to see the Hagia Sophia converted to a Mosque. We have to set an excellent example for the world. The Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, let Hagia Sophia be one as well. 

We urge President Erdogan to consider the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, who was and is a mercy to mankind. He granted permanent protection to places of Worship in the covenant he issued in 628 AD. A majority of Muslims believe in the sanctity of the location of Worship. We hope President Erdogan can be a catalyst in correcting false perceptions about Muslims and not convert Hagia Sophia into a Mosque. The majority of Muslims will applaud him for walking on the right path. May God bless him. 

*Dr. Mike Ghouse is the founder and president of the Center for Pluralism. He is a speaker, thinker, author, community consultant, pluralist, activist, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. Mike is deeply committed to Free speech, Human Rights, and Pluralism in Religion, Politics, Societies, and the workplace. He has dedicated his life to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions to the media and the policymakers. More about him at www.TheGhousediary.com. 

Other pieces by Dr. Mike Ghouse:

July 4th Message: Muslims have a special bond with America

Hindutva loses some heft in the US Congress

The post Turkey: Hagia Sophia should not be converted to a Mosque   appeared first on SabrangIndia.

America is the greatest nation on earth. Indeed, Muslims are a part of the American Heritage from the very beginning with African Muslims, among others, help build the nation. Upon declaration of our independence on July 4, 1776, two of the first three heads of states who recognized the sovereignty of The United States were Muslims, and one of them was a Muslim from India.

Morocco was the first country to recognize the independence of the United States of America and signed the Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship, the first of its kind. Friesland, one of the seven United Provinces of the Dutch Republic was the next to recognize, and Tipu Sultan, the King of Mysore State (India), was the third. 

America means everything to Muslims; indeed, America is a natural home for Muslims. Let me share a few of the many values that resonate with them: Equality, Merit, Innocence, Free will, and Justice. 

Equality — Thomas Jefferson wrote the immortal declaration of our independence on July 4, 1776. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

This declaration resonates with Muslims as Prophet Muhamad made a similar announcement on March 6, 632 AD, Eleven hundred forty-four (1144) years before Jefferson’s declaration. “All mankind is from Adam and Eve; an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also, a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.”  

The concept of equality is etched and nurtured in the Muslim psyche in every ritual and spiritual practice of Islam. There is no other country in the world that offers genuine freedom, freedom of speech, and conscience.” 

Yes, American Values are Muslims Values! 

Merit: Honoring merit is a Muslim thing as well. The Prophet tells his daughter that she will not get a free pass to paradise because she is his daughter; she has to earn it on her own through good deeds to fellow beings, such is the emphasis placed on merit and individual responsibility.   

Free will: It is one of the most cherished values of Islam. First, God gave a choice to Adam about eating or not eating the fruit. But when Adam Chose to eat, and God did not stop him; God honored his own words – he gave Adam a free choice, and Adam exercised it. God uploaded the inalienable free will in all of his progeny.  

Second, God wanted to make sure free will is the most critical value for humanity, and he delivered that in Chapter 2, verse 256 of the Quran. – There is no compulsion in matters of faith – no one has a right to force anyone to believe otherwise. 

Third, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) reinforced the ideal by not compelling his uncle to believe in the message of accountability to one creator. He could have, but it was meant to emphasize free will.  

Yes, American Values are Muslims Values! 

Innocence: Every immigrant in general and a Muslim, in particular, loves the idea that you are innocent until proven guilty. They see the wholesomeness of Justice in America, and they love America for it. An observant Muslim recites at least 17 times a day that God alone is the judge, and we must refrain from judging others. 

Justice: Prophet Muhammad said if you cannot stop the oppressors and unjust rulers and injustice, the least you can do is to speak up. Justice is a critical factor for peaceful and secure societies. If there is no justice, there is chaos. 

That is what is happening in America today – Black Lives Matter. The injustice meted out to the Black people has to stop, and thank God almost every American is speaking out against racism. And I am glad to see Muslims are speaking and participating in the protests. 

Yes, American Values are Islamic Values! 

Now back to the shared heritage – Both George Washington and Tipu Sultan fought our common enemy Lord Cornwallis – Washington chased him out of America, and Tipu Sultan defeated him in three wars but lost to him the fourth time. Cornwallis bribed Tipu’s confidant Mir Sadiq to get information about Tipu’s whereabouts and hit him from the back. Had Mir Sadiq not betrayed Tipu, India would have achieved its freedom in 1799 right behind America in 1776.  

Both George Washington and Tipu Sultan died in the same year 1799. 

Google Search for Mysorean Rockets – It was the Tipu Sultan invention and he also invented the Torpedo, known as Bangalore Torpedo.   

As American Muslims, we uphold, protect, defend, and celebrate the values enshrined in the U.S. constitution. Our faith reinforces the creed of “One Nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.

*Dr. Mike Ghouse is the founder and president of the Center for Pluralism. He is a speaker, thinker, author, peacemaker, community consultant, pluralist, activist, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. Mike is deeply committed to Free speech, Human Rights, and Pluralism in Religion, Politics, Societies, and the workplace. He has dedicated his life to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions to the media and the policymakers. More about him at www.TheGhousediary.com. 

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The post July 4th Message: Muslims have a special bond with America appeared first on SabrangIndia.