Lebanese interreligious foundation Adyan awarded Niwano Peace Prize

·       Good News keeps coming

Mik

    Courtesy CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

Doreen Abi Raad

Feb 20, 2018

In this 2013 file photo, interreligious leaders gather in Beirut for Adyan Foundation's launch of their first toolkit for faith-based educational institutions on values of citizenship and public life. (Credit: CNS photo/courtesy Adyan Foundation.

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BEIRUT - Adyan, a Lebanese foundation for interreligious studies and spiritual solidarity, is the recipient of the 35th Niwano Peace Prize.

Lebanon now moves “a firm step further toward its recognition as a world center for dialogue between cultures and religions,” said Maronite Father Fadi Daou, president of Adyan Foundation, in announcing the international award in Beirut Feb. 19.

“Peace has a specific name in Lebanon, and that is ‘living-together,'” he added.

Daou is one of the five founders of Adyan (“religions” in Arabic), each of whom are followers of different denominations of Christianity and Islam.

Since its foundation in 2006, Adyan “has worked to take interreligious dialogue from apologetic debates and populist complacency, to a common commitment in what we call ‘religious social responsibility,'” Daou said.

The Tokyo-based Niwano Peace Foundation established the Niwano Peace Prize in 1983 to honor and encourage individuals and organizations that have contributed significantly to interreligious cooperation, thereby furthering the cause of world peace. It is named for Nikkyo Niwano, founder and first president of the lay Buddhist organization Rissho Kosei-kai.

The award’s selection committee commended Adyan for valuing “religious diversity in promoting peace and social justice” and cited Adyan as “a visible and committed actor for peace in Lebanon and the broader region.”

Past Niwano Peace Prize recipients include Brazilian Archbishop Helder Camara; Jordanian Prince El Hassan bin Talal; retired Archbishop Elias Chacour of Haifa, Israel; the late Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia of San Cristobal de Las Casas, Mexico; Father Hans Kung, a Swiss theologian; the World Muslim Congress; and the Sant’Egidio Community.

Daou recalled St. John Paul II’s declaration that “Lebanon is more than a country, it is a message” of coexistence for East and West.

“I really believe that this award, coming from Japan, is ‘another voice’ - now from the East - to remind us of what John Paul II said,” the priest said.

“Worldwide, peace today signifies justice and the liberation of oppressed people,” Daou said. “It also means stopping the implication of religion in political choices and ending linking religion to violence and extremism.”

While it is important to discover what is common among religions, Daou noted, even more important is “to discover the differences between religions and to educate people - especially the youth - to respect those differences, as an expression of our belief in freedom of conscience and our refusal of all forms of coercion and takfirism (considering others as infidels),” he said.

Daou said the “problematic reality” in the Middle East “pushes us to go a step further in order to promote interreligious solidarity in the combat of extremism and of injustice.”

Recent Adyan initiatives include offering interfaith mediation dialogue and peace education to vulnerable Syrian citizens, both in Lebanon and Syria. In Iraq, working with journalists and civil society activists, Adyan focuses on spreading the values of inclusive citizenship and interreligious solidarity, particularly to heal the society from the traumas of Islamic State.

Daou said that Adyan will continue on its path “for the adoption of pluralism as a social and political value in Arab countries.”

“It will also work for the promotion of resilience to all forms of extremism and for the development of social cohesion, spiritual solidarity, intercivilizational encounter and world stability,” he added.

By 2016, a decade after its foundation, Adyan had more than 3,000 members with some 35,000 direct beneficiaries in 29 countries.

The Niwano Peace Prize ceremony will take place in Tokyo May 9.

Pakistan - Discovering the True Meaning of Pluralism

Pakistan Pluralism

A few years ago, I received calls from Multan and Karachi about Pluralism, then we had three delegations from Pakistan as Department of State's guests with whom I spent half a day each sharing what Pluralism means and how the interfaith activities are carried forward here in the United States.

In September 2016, Syed Yaqoob Shah of Karachi, Pakistan and I worked on conducting seminars on Interfaith in Pakistan, my health did not permit me, but Shah Saheb made it happen and now he has taken interfaith activism to new heights and hosts a weekly show on Facebook. When Diwali was celebrated, he invited key Muslim religious leaders and we talked about eating the Prasad - food blessed in the name of God. For Hindus is it divine, for Muslims, it is just good tasting food given with affection and caring. Allama Muhammad Ashsan is another Aalim who is in the forefront of the Interfaith movement in Pakistan.  

Now in the last few months, there is a burst of activism in Pakistan about Pluralism, some great articles have been written about it. They are all here at the Center for Pluralism site which you can also access as www.PluralismNews.com - It is about Pluralism in religion, politics, society, and culture across the globe, particularly in places where there are more than two or three religious, political parties and ethnicities exist.

Mike Ghouse
Center for Pluralism

Courtesy of Wire, February 26, 2018
BY SAMEER SHAFI WARRAICH

In the rest of Pakistan, the Thar region is often shunned and ignored as the ‘other’.

A local chai dhaba on the Tharparkar highway

It came as no surprise that I found myself completely oblivious to what Thar had to offer. The images I had of the ‘other’ turned out to be a mere fragment of my own imagination.

I had heard stories of inter-religious harmony and pluralism bequeathing the region and always wondered, why has this become such an exception? Why does the rest of Pakistan choose to treat this sense of diversity as exotic? And why has one side of the border chosen to estrange itself from Thar while the other has embraced it? I wanted answers.

The quest began some 1,500 km away from my hometown, Rawalpindi, which used to be home to over 350 mandirsbefore Partition, but now has only one. I hoped this long journey to the desert wasn’t going to be a repeat of an illicit memory of the past. Hindus forgotten and disowned, in the land of the ‘pure’.

Sindhi trucks are slightly narrower and have a higher clearance than a usual Bedford truck, found in the rest of Pakistan. The truck art, however, is similar all over.

Thar Desert, or Tharparkar in Sindh, for millennials, is a name synonymous with horrific images of drought and famine. Many Pakistanis detached from Thar often think of this land as an anomaly when compared to the rest of the country. Alongside poverty and malnutrition, this desert invokes a sense of alienation amongst many citizens.
With a majority Hindu in population, still imbued with the deeply-rooted caste system, and frankly, ‘too close to India’, we have quite conveniently chosen to detach ourselves from this region that is a little obscure for an Islamic Republic.
This rather “impure” desert, known for infatuating locals with Morr, Mosiqi and Mahboob, has for long survived climatic hardships, numerous takeover attempts from warlords such as the Talpurs, a gruesome Partition and two wars between Pakistan and India. Surely, it can’t be disintegrated, in the religious sense, as easily as the rest of the country?
Similar to venturing into the unknown, Thar’s golden dunes of sand are akin to waves of an ocean, where one must delve into their depths to truly fathom the lure of this place. As I approached the region and started to interact with locals, I realised that beneath this sand lies a land with a rich history, immense pride and warm hospitality.
Stretching from the cradle of civilisation, the Indus Valley, to central India, the Thar is regarded as the only fertile desert in the world. It’s a region not only fertile for vegetation, but also for religious and cultural harmony.

One of many mandirs in Mithi, tucked behind old wooden doors and labyrinth streets.

My first stop, Mithi, where about 80% of the population is Hindu, is the commercial hub of Tharparkar. It doesn’t take long for one to notice the Hindu influence in the city, with houses adorned with ‘Om’s and colourful mandirs with deities perched on top of their entrances – a very different sight from the sacrosanct “MashAllah” emblem on every other house in Rawalpindi.
This bustling city, along with the succeeding towns of Islamkot and Nagarparkar, has been home to Hindus, Muslims and Jains for centuries, and witnessed large-scale migration both ways after 1947.
During my journey along the Tharparkar highway, I got glimpses of how the state has made concerted efforts to isolate itself from this place. There were periodic check posts, despite being more than 150 km away from the border. Occasional security officials, baffled as to why I would travel more than 1,000 km to see dilapidated mandirs, would often ask “Kia karo gey mandir dekh ker…masjid dekho, ziyada khoobsurat hai (What will you gain by touring mere temples, go visit the mosques, they’re prettier).” But we’re all used to this by now.
Even in major metropoles, a Muslim isn’t allowed into some of the gurduwaras and mandirs until prior permission has been granted by the Aukaaf Foundation. These checks have become routine, and never have I appreciated my career as a teacher more than in such instances. Play the history teacher card, put on my spectacles, throw in a sentence or two about embracing diversity and move on.
Despite the political confrontations 70 years ago and its dire consequences, Thar has continued to harbour inter-faith harmony. External influence has been minimal, partly due to the geographical remoteness and partly because of our decision to label the place and its people as ‘others’.
The more you explore, the more convinced you are that indeed it’s the people that make this place truly unique – the landscape is only secondary. After all, this, perhaps, is the only place in Pakistan where Muslims refrain from selling beef in the open, and where Hindus abstain from eating publicly during Ramadan, both out of mutual respect.
While the rest of Pakistan yearns for this mutual respect, the people of Thar have learned to embrace coexistence despite harsh realities. From this place where the soil is barren and capital scarce, we, the rest of Pakistan, have a lot to learn. Continuing to neglect this region for what it fosters might deprive us of our only prospect to see this country slowly canter towards a pluralistic society. This ‘other’ that we have shunned for so long is, possibly, the only hope for all of us – the true embodiment of live and let live.

Sri Krishna Mandir, located in the commercial hub of Mithi, provides solace to many who wish to take a break from the daily bustle of the city. The compound has a more residential feel to it than some of the other mandirs.

Gori Mandir. Built in 1375 C.E., this ancient Jain temple features rich Gujarati architecture. Jain pilgrims from across the world continue to frequent this place despite its dilapidated condition.

One of locals showing us the underground tunnel inside the Gori Mandir premises used to flee when faced with enemy armies.

According to local sources, frescoes at the Gori Mandir are some the oldest existing Jain frescoes in South Asia.

One of the 52 domes of the Gori Mandir. Despite being more than 700 years old, the main entrance dome still has paintings from Jain mythology.

Some parts of the temple are still used for worship.

The main dome of the mandir – now home to bats who rest underneath the structure during the day and haunt the temple by night.

A local makeshift tire shop in Thar desert.

Musicians of Tharparkar singing Sindhi folk songs.

Lakhan Bharti Mandir at the edge of Nagarparkar.

One of the pathways in Karoonjhar Mountains, perched on one side of Nagarparkar. Nagarparkar was a trading post used to trade with Kutch and Gujarat before the Partition

Sardhoro Mandir complex. An annual Hindu festival attracts hundreds of devotees who bring ashes and bones of the dead and submerge them in the pool (not shown in picture). The water is said to contain powers that can easily dissolve the bones.

Inside the main compound at Sardhoro, settled on top of Karoonjhar Mountain.

Choorio, the last village before the Pakistan-India border. One can easily see military patrol cars during the day and the lit-up border fence at night. Here, the kids are standing on top of a boulder that serves as a natural roof for Kali Temple.

A desolate mandir at Nagarparkar. From the wild vegetation around it, one can conclude this temple is perhaps not visited by any locals.

Approaching the Nagarparkar Bazaar Jain Temple.

Sameer Shafi Warraich lives in Rawalpindi and is a teacher, story scholar and a scholarship trustee. He has an interest in exhibiting unchartered places of Pakistan.

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Jerusalem decision by Trump will feed Anti-Semitism

Now, the rise of this ugly evil of Anti-Semitism can be squarely attributed to Prime Minister Netanyahu. He should be held accountable for the long term insecurities heaped on the people of Israel. Let me share the information in simple terms while my extensive research article is in the making.

Anti-Semitism is a wrong label in most cases, it is actually resentment born out of violation of international treaties by Israeli government. Please separate Judaism, Jews, Israel and the Israeli Government, the world has no problem whatsoever with the first three but resent the 4th one.

Full story at Huffington Post

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/anti-semitism-is-augmented-by-netanyahu-and-trump-jerusalem_us_5a2a6ea9e4b0d7c3f26221b6

Now this video:

Mike Ghouse is committed to working towards building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on the Political, religious, cultural and societal and human rights issues of the day. He is the President of Center for Pluralism and can be reached at www.CenterforPluralism.com  

Quran on Civil Dialogue

Quran: How to conduct civil dialogue

Civil Dialogue is based on respecting the otherness of other. You are who you are and I am who I am, neither one of us is more privileged than the other, nor do we have a stamp of approval from God to give us an automatic advantage over the other.

The purpose of a dialogue is to understand each other’s point of view to find solutions to a given conflict, without getting angry, digging in our heels or denigrating the other.

As a pluralist, i.e., one who respects the otherness of other, I access the pearls of wisdom from all faiths and traditions. Indeed, I have written over 250 articles in Dallas Morning News, and all the articles weave through at least five religions in a given article.    There are a few guiding principles to carry a civil dialogue and I am pleased to highlight the guidance from Quran and wisdom of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Rabbi Gordis in this essay.

Rabbi Gordis says, “Dialogue has meaning if it respects the autonomy of the other; absent that respect we have monologue.”

Whether we are conducting a dialogue at workplace, place of worship, school, playground, government and other places,  we all have be conscious that the other person’s point of view is valid to him or her and we should give full value even if we don’t agree.
The purpose of a dialogue is to find ways to understand each other and work towards a better environment for everyone one. A good example of wrecking the relationship happens in Democratic and Republican meetings. I was at the C-PAC meeting this year and for three days, all I heard was attacks on Democrats – I talked with Matt Schlapp, the Chairman of the conservative Union to ask the speakers to take the attacks out and focus on content of the message, and that will cause Democrats to understand some of the conservative values and may even support some.  These meetings are designed to bash the other rather than conveying their message to the other and it won’t work. Bashing takes you nowhere.

Rabbi Gordis continues, “It is for each religious (social, political or other) community, or those from each community who choose to participate in inter-religious conversation, to determine the terms under which he or she enters that conversation, the goals of the conversation and expectations from the process. True conversation may uncover areas of convergence but is most important in helping to understand areas of divergence. The question for participants is: Is that divergence threatening or problematical, or can it be a source of enlightenment and enrichment by broadening the perspectives and insights on the experience of being human that one gains from one’s own religious tradition.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) exemplifies the idea of “respecting the otherness of others.” When the people of Quraish and Muhammad agreed to the terms of Hudaibiyah peace treaty in Mecca, the Quraish leader refused to sign the treaty, he said he did not like the name in the signature line which read, “Muhammad, prophet of God.” Before Prophet’s associates got angry for such pettiness, but the Prophet asked them to think and said,  look he does not believe that I am the prophet of God, he knows me as son of Abdullah, let’s change the name so we can move forward with the peace treaty. His associates protested and insisted that he accepts the Prophet as the Prophet of God.  That’s when Muhammad explained to them again to respect the otherness of other.  I believe it will go down as the greatest example of pluralism in the annals of history.

One of the chapters in Quran should be the text book material for all students of Pluralism (i.e., respecting the otherness of other). This chapter is called “Kafirun” meaning those who do not believe in what you believe.  It is 109th chapter and has 6 verses.

This chapter addresses the believers (of other faiths) in the most dignified way, putting everyone on par without denigrating any. It is an exceptional example of civil conduct for one to follow. Nowhere in this chapter is a claim made that the faith of Muslims is superior to others.

Throughout the chapter, the other is treated respectfully as an equal, “I do not worship what you worship, and you do not worship what I worship” – it does not say your worship is inferior to mine. The element of arrogance was not given a room in this chapter. Because you hold a different belief, your belief is not belittled.

This chapter is about consciously nurturing civility in societies. It is not about overlooking the differences and focusing on commonalities, it is simply about accepting the otherness of other. You are who you are and I am who I am and let’s figure out how we can co-exist with least tensions. This is the basis of pluralism – i.e., respecting the otherness of others.

All religions are beautiful and none is graded to be superior or inferior.  I may not believe what others believe, as others may not believe what I believe. I will accept them for who they are, as they would accept me for who I am. I will not disrespect any faith, as it amounts to arrogance, and God simply does not like anyone who is arrogant, indeed, arrogance is the root cause of all conflicts and humility builds bridges.

Arrogance kills the very spirit of society – Justice, peace and equality. Islam is about live and let live. Learning to accept and respect others’ right to exist and figure out the best way to co-exist. A majority of Muslims get this right, and few don’t, indeed that is the case with people in every religion.

As the saying goes “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”, I would add “faith is in the heart of the believer”. As a person of faith, yours and my role is to mitigate the conflicts and nurture goodwill among peoples and nations. That brings peace, and that is the other word for Islam.

In another chapter, God essentially says, I have created ya’ll from a single couple, and made you into many tribes, communities and nations. Each one of you is different and unique with your own thumb print, DNA, taste bud and behavior bud. He also said, had I willed, I would have punched you all out from a factory template to exact specifications, all males to be precisely same height, weight, color and same with the females. But I chose to make you unique and gave you complete free will to create harmony and cohesiveness within and with what surrounds you. Then he concludes, the best one among is you is the one who learns about each other. Knowledge leads to understanding and understanding to acceptance and appreciation of the other resulting in harmony and peace.

What does submitting to God’s will mean? Just as we love the food we cook, enjoy the results of the work we do, God loves his creation and likes everyone to get along. God’s will is that we care for the life and environment and lead a just life that leads to a state of peace and harmony for his creation. That’s the bottom line; that is what Jesus meant when he said “follow me” or Krishna said ““surrender to me” or Allah says “submit to my will.”

The following chapter in Qur’an does not say, that others’ belief is inferior, in fact it says, as your belief is dear to you, as my belief is dear to me. So much respect is given to the other faith.

Please visit our site and consider donating to carry this work forward: http://centerforpluralism.com/donate/

Mike Ghouse is a motivational speaker on Pluralism in society, religion, politics and culture and is committed to do his share of work in building a cohesive America where no American has to live in apprehension, tension or fear of the other. It is about honoring freedom, liberty and pursuit of happiness.  Much of the work is at www.CenterforPlurlaism.com and www.WorldMuslimCongress.org

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July 4th: Muslims for America Since 1776

PRESS RELEASE

Mike Ghouse (214) 325-1916
President, Center for Pluralism, Washington, D.C.,
email: Mike@Centerforpluralism.com
Web: http://www.Centerforpluraism.com

July 4^th: Muslims for America Since 1776

Washington, D.C., Jun 30, 2017 - The Center for Pluralism and its Board of Directors have every reason to be jubilant.  Each successive year, they see the vision of the Founding Fathers coming to life, where every American is treated with dignity and respect.  

Mike Ghouse, President of the Center said, “We are not a perfect union yet, but a perfect union we will be, as we can continue our efforts to be an inclusive society. The Fourth of July should not simply come and go; we must make it a remarkable day. It should be a great happening to augment National Integration, where Americans of all faiths, or no faith, races, ethnicities, nationalities, political, sexual and other orientations come together to celebrate the oneness of our nation. “

This year the Muslim contributions to America are highlighted.  Each one of the Board Members is excited. Dr. Karen Hollie-Thibodeuax, Fatima Argun, Sam Madden, Dana Lankford-Russell and the supporting team members OS Modgil and Ali Azhar Fateh have provided extensive support.  The encouragement and long term support for Pluralism came from Ambassador Sada Cumber, Mr. Farooq Wazir Ali and Professor Emeritus Dr. Harbans Lal who are genuinely committed to a cohesive America.

Muslims have been contributors towards the wellbeing of the United States of America from the very beginning; the declaration of independence on July 4^th, 1776.  Morocco’s Sultan Muhammad III was the first world leader to recognize the sovereignty of the United States followed by Nederland’s Johannes de Graaf and Tipu Sultan of Mysore (India).  The legend has it that Tipu Sultan had fire crackers going up in Sriranga Patna, his Capital cheering America’s independence. He faced the same enemy that the United States had faced: Lord Cornwallis.



JOIN THE CELEBRATIONS

What: July 4th Celebrations

Time: 2-4 PM

Where: Farragut Square, Washington, D.C. (right across from the Farragut West Metro) 912 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20006

FIRST 2 OF 3 LEADERS WHO RECOGNIZED OUR SOVEREIGNTY WERE MUSLIMS

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

“The more integrated we are, the safer it is for every one of the 322 million Americans to feel and live safely.” Mike Ghouse concluded.

Details: http://centerforpluralism.com/july-4th/

Don't forget to bring your flags and chairs.