Hindus and Muslims Celebrate Unity in Assam, India.

Hindu Muslim Unity in Assam | Foundationforpluralism.blogspot.com

How do we change the world?

If each one of us promotes the good stories, goodness will dominate the search engines, and gives hope to the people, it is as simple as that. It does not mean we have to be blind to bad things, it simply means acknowledge and fix the cancer, instead of letting the cancer tear the society apart. Let the good stories be told repeatedly.    

Somewhere in a meeting I sat down with two of my Washington friends, Razi Raziuddin and Tariq Farooqui Saheban and enjoyed their stories about how integrated and the beautiful relationships they had with Hindu families around them. I have heard similar stories from my Hindu friends in Dallas.  I think it is time for each one of us to write our stories, one short story at a time.  and I will be happy to share it at Foundationforpluralism.blogspot.com and or MikeGhouseforIndia.blogspot.com. I need the ready story in word file to post it. You can create your own blog as well.

We need to tell our stories, the good stories giving hope to people.


The following story was shared by my friend Yogi Sikand, whom I admire for his pluralist credentials.

The story opened up several windows of beautiful things for me, but right now, I will share two small things from Bangalore.  I am not sure, if it is still the case, but growing up, the "Karga" festival in Bangalore, a procession of some 20-25 floats of Hindu deities starts from the Mastan Wali Dargah, and concludes at a temple in Chamrajpet ( I'll verify and correct this information).  I have no idea how long the tradition is, but it was there some 40 years ago.

My Dadi (Paternal Grandmother) became a widow when the influenza hit India around 1915-1917, much of my family was wiped out; indeed that was an international epidemic then. She used to tell us that you go bury one, and by the time they returned home they had another one to take.

I am writing a note about her as a part of the interfaith story, where people of different faiths work together without a sense of barrier or difference.

She abandoned her agricultural land and moved from a tiny village called Irgampalli, where my Grandfather, her husband was a Patel (Chief).  She walked 12 miles placing my Dad in a basket over her head and carried my aunt on her side as no transportation was available then.

She made it to Chintamani, and raised her two kids living in her brother’s house. She did not want any help, or a ‘burden’ on others for her fate.  She took charge of her own life by making flower garlands and taking care of my father and my aunt with the money earned. Then they moved to Yelahanka with the marriage of my aunt, and she continued her work, and her flower garlands decked the floats of Hindu deities on the Karga procession.

She was a Muslim and had no qualms about decorating Hindu deities. By the way my Grandfather’s brother is supposedly a saint, and they conduct annual “Urs” all evening festivities by his mausoleum.

The flowers used were Jasmine, also known as Moghra, and that sentimentalism caused me to name my daughter "Jasmina" and she is very much a proud independent woman. I am proud of my Dadi, my aunt, my mother, my sister and my daughter; I am a blessed guy to be influenced by these fiercely independent women. These women have no bias towards fellow humans. My Grandmother was an independent woman nearly 100 years ago. She was a proud woman. 

Share your story.....

Mike Ghouse
Pluralist in my heart, soul and spirit.
What is a pluralist? Check www.Foundationforpluralism.com
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In times of rising intolerance, Hajo in Assam shows the right way forward

By TwoCircles.net, Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The occasion of Magh Bihu is a cause for celebrations across Assam, but for the people of the state, it is also an opportunity to express their endeavour of living in peace and harmony with all communities. The procession rally in Hajo was a heartwarming case in point.

Hajo is the home of Powa Mecca, one of Islam’s most sacred sites in India and Hayagriva Madhava Temple, another holy place for both Hindus and Buddhists.

On Saturday, people take part in the procession rally from Powa Mecca to the Hayagriva Madhava Temple. Painuruddin Ahmed, Khadim of Powa Mecca and Siva Prasad Sarma, head priest of Hayagriva Madhava Temple exchanged flags and started the procession.

“It has been a special occasion for all of us. We the people of Hajo gleefully and proudly take part in the procession to send a message across the globe about the communal harmony and brotherhood. Though the world today has witnessed an increase of intolerance among each other in the name of religion, we still belief in that harmony and humanity. We should shun violence and follow God’s teaching on peace,” said Painuruddin Ahmed after the procession.

It is said that Powa Mecca was constructed from the soil brought from the city of Mecca. Standing atop the Garurachal Hill, it has the tomb of Pir Giasuddin Auliya, who was the pioneer of Islam in this part of the world. It was built by Sujauddin Mohammed Shah in 1657 AD.

Meanwhile, Hayagriva Madhava Temple is situated on the Monikut hill. The present temple structure was constructed by the King Raghudeva Narayan in 1583.

CS Lama, head priestess of the Guwahati Buddha Vihar also took part in the rally.

The locals say that they feel proud to be a part of this unique event.

“I always feel proud with Hajo. When the whole country was in tensed after the demolition of Babri Masjid, the people of Hajo got united to set an example for the rest of the country. I have never come across any kind of incident of such communal hatred in this area,” Amarendra Deka, a television journalist with Pratidin Times, told TwoCicrles.net.

People from different communities visit Powa Mecca and Hayagriva Madhava Temple on the normal days as well.

Siva Prasad Sarma, head priest of Hayagriva Madhava Temple said that this place is unique in the country for being a supreme example of communal harmony.

(http://twocircles.net/2016jan18/1453105758.html#.Vp2Oh5p97Mx)

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10 Beautiful Stories of Communal Harmony That Restored Our Faith in Humanity. And Our Country.

Communal harmony should not be mistaken for Pluralism.   Pluralism simply means respecting the otherness of others, here they have gone beyond and accepted the otherness of others as a part of them.

Mike Ghouse


Beautiful Stories of Communal Harmony That Restored Our Faith in Humanity

By Tanaya SinghIs there communal disharmony in our country today? If yes, are the instances rare common? Are Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and Christians capable of living in peace together like they have done for centuries in India? Or will they be divided by mischievous and malignant elements in society, much like the British divided and ruled India for years?

We had to look around very little in order to find beautiful examples of religious harmony in India today. Where people from different faiths come together in the spirit of humanity, celebrating India’s diversity and rich heritage of tolerance. Here are 10 examples of friendship, love and selflessness by people of different allegiances towards those from other backgrounds than theirs. They are bound to restore your faith in humanity and your country.

1. When Hindus and Muslims Shared Some Moments of Grief Together

Source: Wikimedia 

Hindu and Muslim residents of Sendhwa town in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh came together to cremate 75-old-year Sitaram who had no family member left behind. People from both the communities attended his funeral ceremony and cremated him with full honour.

2. When Muslims Paid Respect to a Hindu Martyr

Picture for representation only. Source: Wikimedia

A mosque in the Malappuram city of Kerala continues with the tradition of celebrating an 18th century Hindu martyr even today. His name was Kunhelu and he is a respected legendary figure. It is believed that Kunhelu lost his life along with 43 Muslim warriors in a battle, when the then ruler of Kozhikode attacked Malabar, about 290 years ago. Kunhelu belonged to the goldsmith community and he joined his Muslim friends in the war which started over an issue of tax collection. Every year, a group of Muslims gather at the Valiyangadi Jumma masjid to pay homage to the martyr who is buried at the mosque. The descendants of Kunhelu are also invited during prayer meetings.

3. When Hindus and Sikhs Helped Repair a Mosque

Picture for representation only. Source: Wikimedia

People from the Sikh and Hindu communities helped repair an old mosque in Nathowal village near Ludhiana. They also took care of more than 65 percent of the repair expenses. The project cost was around Rs. 25 lakh, of which Rs. 15 lakh was contributed by Sikhs and Hindus. The three communities live in peace in this village. Muslims and Hindus contribute to the gurudwara work as well. A resident of the village informed The Times of India that they celebrate all festivals like Diwali, Dusshera, Rakhi, Eid, and Gurupurab together.

4. When Hindus Helped a Muslim Couple Deliver a Baby

Picture for representation only. Source: Wikimedia

27-year-old Ilayaz Shaikh was taking his pregnant wife to the hospital in a taxi in Mumbai. But Noor Jahan went into labour midway and, to the couple’s shock, the cab driver asked them to leave as he did not want her to deliver the baby in his car. Spotting a Ganesha temple at a distance, the couple walked towards it and were helped by a group of women who created a makeshift delivery room in the temple. They helped in the successful delivery of a baby boy. To commemorate this gesture and the fateful day, Noor Jahan named her son Ganesh.

5. When a Muslim Man Performed His Friend’s Last Rites Following All Hindu Rituals

When Santosh Singh lost his life to a terminal disease, his friend Razzak Khan Tikari, a Muslim, performed his last rites following all Hindu rituals. He set a very touching example of how religion can never be a barrier when it comes to true friendship. Razzak is a resident of Chhattisgarh, and he had been friends with Santosh for many years. Santosh and his family were not very well off. After Santosh’s death, Razzak also helped his friend’s wife financially.

6. When Ganesh Chaturthi and Bakra-Eid Were Celebrated in the Same Pandal

Source: Facebook 

During the celebration of Bakra-Eid this year, many Muslim devotees in Mumbai were seen performing their prayers inside a Ganpati pandal. How did this happen? When members of the Seva Sangh Ganeshotsav Mandal in Colaba saw that the Madrassa Rahamatiya Talimul Quran mosque could not accommodate all the devotees who had turned up to offer their prayers, they invited them to the pandal meant for Ganesha Chaturthi celebration so they could pray in peace.

7. Beyond Caste and Religion, the Inmates of a Jail Fast for Ramzan Together

Photo: Flickr

To show solidarity with their Muslim friends, all inmates of Ludhiana jail decided to fast during Ramzan. Muslim inmates in the jail celebrated Diwali and Gurupurab with the Hindu and Sikh inmates in the same spirit.

8. When a Muslim Decided to translate the Hanuman Chalisa into Urdu

Source: Flickr

Abid Alvi, a Muslim youth, has translated the Hindu prayer, Hanuman Chalisa, into Urdu with the view that it will unite the two communities as they will understand each other’s culture and beliefs better. A resident of Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, Abid took three months to complete the translation. He wishes that Urdu books should be converted to Hindi and vice versa.

9. And a Hindu Man Decided to Write Prophet Muhammad’s Biography – in Marwari

Rajeev Sharma read about Prophet Muhammad and was impressed by his teachings. So he wrote a book about him in Marwari, a regional language of Rajasthan. The 112-page-long book called “Paigambar ro Paigaam” talks about the life of Prophet Muhammad. The book is available for free on Sharma’s e-library, which has a collection of over 300 books. It can be downloaded here.

10. And Finally, This Muslim Performer Who Sings Kirtans

Source: YouTube

Shaikh Riyazoddin Abdul Gani, better known as ‘Rajubaba Kirtankar’, is seen singing Meera Bhajans while balancing a water-filled pot on his head. This 73-year-old from Beed city in Maharashtra was fascinated by Hinduism when he was a child and used to sit outside temples to learn kirtans. Eventually he was accepted by Hindus in the temple, and started singing there. On realising that people were falling asleep during kirtans, he decided to give them a twist with a dancing-singing routine. He used to sing while bringing water from the river, and that gave him the idea of adding a pot to the performance. A few months back he also gave a performance at the Spic Macay festival of IIT-Bombay.

- See more at: http://www.thebetterindia.com/37927/communal-harmony-in-india/#sthash.bbYOjnq8.dpuf

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It is useless to discuss the peace of the world. What is necessary just now is to create peace in ourselves that we, ourselves, become examples of love, harmony and peace. That is the only way of saving the world and ourselves.

(Sufi Inayat Khan)

Results for Pluralism

Results for America Together Foundation, World Muslim Congress and the Foundation for Pluralism. 

There are many outcomes we desire.  Here is what we have done and continue to do, and if this appeals to you, we ask your support.

Conflicts fade and solutions emerge when we learn about each other, and demystify the myths about others.  

What have we done? It’s a successful three fork strategic action plan; engage with TV, Print and Radio Media, engage with polarized minds and, be a catalyst in social integration.

All our work is about taking the relationships from detached estrangement to positive engagement with successful outcomes, almost all our activities are bridge building in nature. 

1. Positive engagement with Fox News, instead of running away from it. We chose to work with Sean Hannity and Stuart Varney, who finally promised not to use the phrase “Muslim Terrorist” or bash Quran.  I have been on Hannity for six years and have appeared on 110 TV shows and innumerable Syndicated Radio shows and about 5 times on Stuart Varney Show, and nearly 150 times on Fox News. Video-1, Video -2, 

2. Unity Day USA, turning a negative 9/11 day into a positive unifying day for over 12 years in a row now. www.Unitydayusa.com

3. Holocaust and Genocides – for 10 years now, we have been building bridges with people, and almost all communities who have endured these brutalities by coming together and seeing the humanness in each one of us and reflect on never again.  www.HolocaustandGenocides.com

4. Thanksgiving Celebrations and Awards Night – for 18 years, we have been sharing different cultural expressions with fellow Americans. www.thanksgivingcelebrations.org

5. Peacefully easing the Quran burning pastor Terry Jones into oblivion through non-violent positive engagement. If funds become available a documentary will be made for the Muslim world to understand free speech and for non-Muslims to clearly understand that violence is not Islamic but comes from the fringe among us.  http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2014/04/reestablishing-right-muslim-attitudes.html

6.  Successfully handled Quran bashing by Pastor Robert Jeffers into an educational event and creating a positive understanding about Quran among pastors, clergy, rabbis, and others. These ten pastors in Dallas will defend the sanctity of Quran with their church members, as they were a part of the solutions in the conference.  Umpteen TV and Newspaper write ups about it. www.QuraanConference.com

7. In Summary – over 3000 Articles on Islam, Pluralism and other matters are written. 175 TV appearances, over 150 syndicated Radio shows, and over 30 major events to bring people together.

Our mission at America Together Foundation is simply this; “To build a cohesive America where no American has to live in tension, apprehension or fear of the others.”  We need an America where Muslim, Jews, African Americans, Latinos and all others feel safe, and want their children’s life style to continue to be secure despite Trumps and other hiccups.

 www.Americatogetherfoundation.com,www.foundationforpluralism.com and www.WorldMuslimCongress.com ;

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We can do a lot more to turn things around for Muslims and fellow Americans, please donate generously at: http://americatogetherfoundation.com/donate/

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What did I write about Sean Hannity, Stuart Varney and Fox News today?
Let me know, and I will be happy to email you.


Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, newsmaker and a professional speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam,  politics, human rights,  Terrorism,

  and foreign policy.  Mike is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. Visit him - 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com 

History is made by Muslims and Christians of America

HISTORY IS MADE BY CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS

This the first time in the history of Christianity and Islam, that Christians and Muslims have jointly celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad, on the steps of Lincoln Memorial,  a good first step in creating a safe and secure America for all its inhabitants.  

If you participate in any fashion, congratulations, you are a part of the American history now. 

We want to include your comments in the records, please keep it to 50 words or less, as our volunteers will include the first 50 words.

 While we are waiting for the other reports, we have the Arab Daily News run the following story today, and it is expressive of the sentiments of many.

Here is the full story-  http://thearabdailynews.com/2015/12/27/jesus-muhammad-mlk-and-we-have-a-dream/
t
Pictures and videos will be uploaded soon

Thank you.
Mike Ghouse

Holiday readings on Christmas day and Milad-un-Nabi

Holiday readings on Christmas day and Milad-un-Nabi

I am pleased to share a few notes for your joyful reading on this auspicious day, when more than half of the world population is praising two men who brought the message of peace to the world, and who wanted the world to live in harmony and balance between each other and their environment. 

1. Holiday Reading

2. Joan and Katherine made my day
3. What is Pluralism?

4. Invitation to a historic event

5. How can you help?

 

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The current world population is 7.3 Billion,  and the Christians and Muslims together add up to 3.9 Billion (2.2 Billion Christians and 1.7 billion Muslims ). God places a huge responsibility on our shoulders to keep the world intact, they way he created, with all elements of the creation functioning together cohesively. We have an obligation to create safe and secure societies for all of us, every human, where everyone minds his own unique life (be it social, cultural, spiritual or religious) but yet nurtures the connectivity of all beings. At American Muslim Institution, we take this responsibility seriously and will take the initiatives to forge the ideals of one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. We are committed to a cohesive and safe America for everyone. 

To understand a cohesive world, our bodies are an example. Each organ of our body system is interconnected, and the heart, brain, kidneys, lungs, liver, stomach and anus are all coded to work with each other, no organ is superior to the other and all are equally partners in our system.  If one element malfunctions, or loses its balance, it will affect the normal functioning of all. That is how God created a cohesive universe, and the cohesive planet earth, where life, matter and environment function together in balance.  If we lose any balance, we mess up our own safeness. 

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."

Both Jesus and Muhammad created a vision of such a cohesive world in the form of heaven, where every soul would live in eternal bliss, a conflict free zone, living their own bliss and letting others live theirs.  This vision is expressed in the form of Pluralism, an attitude of respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God given uniqueness of each one of us, and when we reach that level of integrity in our attitudes,  conflicts fade and solutions emerge,  and that was their vision.  

I call Jesus, the first pluralist in the world and Muhammad the second one sequentially. Indeed, both the men were (are) a mercy to mankind.  Neither of them was needed, if the world was created to be 100% perfect, the world is indeed built-in with 1/10^th of 1% of extremity or anomaly, that is capable of messing the balance of the entire 99 - 9/10^th of the world. One embraced the diversity of God’s creation and the other prayed for the ignorance embedded within others.  Together they offered solutions to restore the world through forgiveness, humility, kindness, justness and acceptance of the otherness of others.

The other half of the population is guided by great men like Zarathustra,  Moses,  Krishna, Rama, Buddha, Confucius, Mahavir, Nanak, Bahaullah and a host of others from the native and earth based traditions including those who do not believe in a defined God, but advocate creating balance in the society.  All of spiritual masters taught us to be kind and gentle to the fringe among us.  Each one of them taught to respect the sanctity of life.  A majority of us get that right and the fringe among us don’t, and it is our duty to include them kindly and gently to be a part of the norm as Jesus did.    

Joan and Katherine made my day!

While driving to Staples this morning to pick up the banner for the event on Saturday, I got a call from a Katherine, she seemed so happy about the joint birth celebration of Jesus and Muhammad (pbuh)  that I had to pull over to listen to her sentiments and what a joy it was to hear her out.  She said, she sees hope, when the people of two of the largest religions come together to create harmony in the world. She was full of praise for Rizwan Jaka, the chairman of the board of trustees for ADAMS center.  It was indeed a joy to know the work of Rizwan and his entire team at ADAMS center in creating such a cohesive environment. 

I reached Staples, and had to wait, while waiting, I opened the email, the first one was from Joan Greenbaum, and it read, “And thank you for the invitation and honor to be a part of the Season of Peace celebration.  My hope is that the celebrations of the births of these two men, who were instrumental in teaching all of us about peace and humanity, will remind those who have lost sight of our shared heritage, that we are all children of God.  And remind them that we want a civil society that values all.”

Both of them made my day! They were good positive voices and notes. I was excited and had to call in my friends, as many as I can, including  Ambassador Islam Siddiqui and Dr. Aquilur Rahman, President and Chairman of AMI respectively, and who inspire me to do more, but then I did not call other friends as I got tied up on the phone. Thanks to my board of Directors at AMI who encourage me and are committed to a beautiful America.

There is more! The Muslim community in Washington, DC has done a great job in building relationship with members of the families of faiths. As we have done in Dallas with so many events from the Foundation for Pluralism, America Together Foundation, Irving Mosque, The Islamic Center of Richardson and others. Louisville Kentucky has also set a great example, and the Phoenix people have set a record in turning hostility into friendliness with the armed protesters. 

Indeed, we are doing the right things; we need to continue doing them as the work is not a match for the gravity of the negativity out there.  That negativity can be minimized by doing more interfaith understanding. 

I appeal to those few Muslims among us to seriously look at the larger picture and examples of the prophet and his work.  He was the first man in the universe to conduct interfaith dialogue, right in his Mosque; this is a great Sunnah we need to follow.  He was Amin (a great citizen who is trust worthy, truthful, just, and kind with no barriers between him and God’s creation) first, and that is what we have to work on, to be the Amins, the great citizens of this nation,  and all else will fall in its place.  

Thank God, over the last 22 years, I am blessed to have written over 3000 articles, and ahve given innumerable talks. Of them, 1000 were on every aspect of Islam, a thousand on politics, foreign policy, sports, movies, personalities etc and a 1000 about Pluralism.  I am also blessed to have many friends from every faith (including Atheists) cultural, social and racial and ethnic traditions.  

What is Pluralism? 

We have crystallized the definition of pluralism to, “respecting the otherness of the others and accepting the uniqueness of each one of us”. Pluralism is nothing but an attitude of live and let live, and it is applicable in every aspect of life including culture, society, religion, politics, gender, food, ethnicity, race and other uniqueness’s.

By the end of 2020, there will not be a major city in America, and perhaps in the world, where you will not find people of different faiths, cultures, ethnicities, races, nationalities and social backgrounds working, eating, playing, marrying, and doing things together.

We need to prepare ourselves for those eventualities to prevent possible conflicts, and lay a good foundation for nurturing goodwill and effective functioning of the societies. Exclusive communities will become a thing of the past.  If you live amidst others, you must also respect the otherness of others, as you expect them to do the same for you.
You are who you are, and I am who I am. As long as we don't mess with each other’s space, sustenance and nurturence, and mind our own business, we all will do well.  If we can learn to respect the otherness of other and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of the seven billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge. 

You are responsible for other’s actions but your own. Internally it will burn you inside; externally you’ll be punished by the society. No one but you should be blamed for your actions. If you murder someone, it’s you, who needs to be hauled off, not your parents, spouse, siblings, or your children. If you are a rapist, it is you who needs to be punished and not your teacher, mayor, congressman, senator, imam, pastor, pundit, rabbi, shaman, clergy, Quran, Bible, Torah, Avesta, Bhagvad Gita, Guru Granth Saheb, Kitab al Muqaddas and other holy books of any religion for that matter.

Pluralism is not a set of rules, it is simply an attitude of live and let live religiously, politically, culturally and socially.  We are committed to building cohesive societies, where no human has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of a fellow being.

Invitation

"To a historic event"

It is for the first time in history of Christianity and Islam, that Muslims and Christians are celebrating the birth of Jesus and Prophet Muhammad on the yet another historic place; the steps of Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.  

Saturday, December 26, 2015 at 1:00 PM

Enjoy the Christmas Carols & Milad Nasheeds
Bring your own chair and an umbrella

Parking - Road side public parking subject to availability.

Rail and Bus - The nearest metro stations are Foggy Bottom (23rd St. & I St. NW) and Smithsonian (12th St. &Independence Ave. SW). The Circulator Bus also runs to the Lincoln Memorial along Independence directly from the Union Station.

EVENT IS FREE, BUT PLEASE REGISTER AT:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/merry-christmas-milad-mubarak-tickets-20040393356

Its an interfaith event supported by many organizations.
Details at: http://americanmusliminstitution.blogspot.com/2015/12/season-of-peace-joint-celebration-of.html

Latest Press Release: http://americanmusliminstitution.blogspot.com/2015/12/press-release-first-time-in-history.html

How can you help? 

1. First attend the event on Saturday and invite your friends to join.
2. Write a heart felt note, why is it necessary to know each other**
3. Depending on the time, I may record your 1 Minute speech as a feed back of the event.

4. Donate if you can.

We have a lot more work to do to build a cohesive America where no American has to live in apprehension or fear of the other. To do this work, takes money, and we invite you to seriously your tax deductible donations to American Muslim Institution, 110 Maryland Av, NE, Suite 508, Washington, DC 2002.

Link to this note, if you would like to share.  http://americanmusliminstitution.blogspot.com/2015/12/holiday-readings-on-christmas-day-and.html

God bless you and God bless America. 

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If you wish to read more about these two guys:

• Celebrating Prophet Muhammad's birthday
  http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2015/12/celebrating-prophet-muhammads-birthday.html

• How I Connect With Prophet Muhammad -  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/how-i-connect-with-prophet-muhammad_b_2547782.html

• Interfaith Christmas –Making God boundless  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/interfaith-christmas-making-god-boundless_b_2347856.html

• The 1444th Birth Celebration of Prophet Muhammad -http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/festivals-of-the-world-mi_b_4579452.html 

• A Muslim's Christmas -http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2015/12/texas-faith-when-baby-jesus-meets-neiman-marcus.html/ 

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, news maker, and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, human rights, India, Israel-Palestine Terrorism and foreign policy. Over 3000 Articles have been published on the subjects. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and bulk of his writings are at TheGhousediary.com

** send the note to MikeGhouse@aol.com 

First time in history – Celebration of birth of Jesus and Prophet Muhammad on the steps of Lincoln Memorial.

PRESS RELEASE

Mike Ghouse (214) 325-1916
Washington, D.C.,Mike@AmericanMuslimInstitution.org
www.AmericanMuslimInstituition.org
First time in history – Celebration of birth of Jesus and Prophet Muhammad on the steps of Lincoln Memorial.

Washington, D.C., December 22, 2015 – For the first time in the history of Christianity and Islam, the Christians and Muslims are jointly celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad, and it is on the historic steps of Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

What: Interfaith celebration of Christmas and Milad
Date: Saturday, December 26, 2015
Time: 1:00 PM 
Place: On the steps of Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC
Bring your own Chair and Umbrella

Transportation: Listed below 

Mike Ghouse, the Executive Director of American Muslim Institution, a proactive voice for American Muslims said, “It is a God-given opportunity to further strengthen our bonds with each other on the auspicious occasion of the birth of Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad which fall on 25th and 24th of December, respectively.  It provides us a great spiritual incentive to know each other for better.  We have an obligation to create a safe and secure America for all of us.”
Dr. Aquilur Rahman, Chairman of the AMI Board said, “We chose this location, as it signifies another great event in our history, Rev. Martin Luther King’s dream speech which became a catalyst in fulfilling the vision of our founding fathers that we are all created equal. We have one more step to take towards a cohesive America.”

It is a symbolic interfaith event with Christmas Carols and Milaad Nasheeds and a short message from faith leaders, an inclusive event to build a safe, secure and cohesive America. The more we know each other, the fewer misconceptions we will have. “

Rizwan Jaka, Chair, Board of Trustees & Interfaith Co-Chair, All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) adds,“ God wants all of us to come together and create a safe and secure America for each one of us, we are all in this together, and let’s appreciate this to uphold religious freedom and  beckon a peaceful and prosperous 2016 and more.”


Syed Moktadir, President of ADAMS and the Vice Chairman of the U.S. Muslim & Christian Coalition (MCC) for the Protection of Christian and Religious Minorities in Arab World said, "the birth of Jesus and Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Them) brought so much blessing and light to our world that the hearts of the faithful continue to be full of love and passion for both of them and for all the prophets of God who came to guide humanity to worship God alone and unite the humanity through His worship. This event is yet another manifestation of that interfaith unity."

This is an initiative of American Muslim Institution and the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS), one of the largest Muslim communities/mosques in the DC Metro Area and in the United States.
Parking - Road side public parking subject to availability.

Rail and Bus - The nearest metro stations are Foggy Bottom (23rd St. & I St. NW) and Smithsonian (12th St. &Independence Ave. SW). The Circulator Bus also runs to the Lincoln Memorial along Independence directly from the Union Station.

A few articles worth your read about Prophet Muhammad

A Muslim’s Christmas - http://thearabdailynews.com/2015/12/15/a-muslims-christmas/

Celebrating Prophet Muhammad’s birthday -http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2015/12/celebrating-prophet-muhammads-birthday.html

How do I connect with Prophet Muhammad - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/how-i-connect-with-prophet-muhammad_b_2547782.html

1444^th Birth Celebration of Prophet Muhammad  -http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/festivals-of-the-world-mi_b_4579452.html 

Arguments about Prophet Muhammad’s birth celebrations -http://www.worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2015/12/prophet-muhammads-birthday-argument.html

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