Standing up for Hindus is the right thing to do.
Tuesday, 1/7/2020, Russell Senate Building, Washington DC. The International Religious Freedom (IRF) group met today. Ambassador Sam Brownback heads this twice a month meeting. About 70 individuals attend the meeting representing organizations focused on liberty and religious freedom from across the world.
First of all, the two pieces (appended below) printed on eight pages were distributed to all, thanks for some funding from a few friends to take care of press releases and copying expenses. I have invited them to join us to reflect on the 15th Annual Holocaust and Genocides event on Sunday, 1/26, at the Arlington Central Library at 5:30 PM. It is a Muslim initiative to assure fellow humans that we are all in this together, and together we have to find solutions and learn to say, “Never again.” This invitation is for you as well – more information at www.HolocaustandGenocides.com
The state Department has circulated our letter titled “A Genocide in Making in India on Mike Pompeo’s watch.” It has made it to most people, including Riley Barnes, assistant to Pompeo.
The Ambassador announced upcoming events in February, Alliance of Nations on Religious freedom, and Prayer Breakfast here in DC, and I hope to be a part of it.
The other meeting is happening at the Vatican with the Pope, and representatives of Abrahamic faiths will be there to find solutions.
I am outspoken and spoke up, “Ambassador, the Abrahamic faith group needs to include Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and other faiths as a part of the dialogue. They feel excluded, and that should not happen.” He agreed and asked Riley to make a note. Then he added, “Mike, initially, the Abrahamic faiths are on the same page, and eventually, we will include all.” Then I asked him to issue a press release or a note to the effect, so the fellow members of the family of faiths can understand the steps to be taken in the process of inclusion.” It was a good positive exchange. Brownback is the right person for the right job! It is not an easy job to be fair and just, he has proven it in the last two years and I am a witness and have penned a few articles about him.
Some 18 years ago, the Department of Justice in Dallas did not have Jainism as one of the faiths they talked about it, I presented their logo, and they added Jainism to their portfolio. As a Muslim, I have stood up for the rights of people of every faith, including Atheists, Native Americans, and the LGBTQ community. I hope to complete the book, Standing up for others, the full story! (some of the stuff is at www.StandingUpforOthers.com)
In the last few months, in almost all meetings I have attended, I have urged the attendees to knock out any thoughts to blame Hindus or Hinduism for what is going on in India. Hinduism is a beautiful religion, and Hindutva is a radical ideology of intolerance and extremism that will be destructive to India. However, even among RSS members, not all of them are hardcore, most of them are good people in the wrong company. We have to figure out a way to have them see the overall goodness in respecting the otherness of the others. Here is one of the many pieces I have written – Hindutva is not Hinduism. https://centerforpluralism.com/hindutva-is-not-hinduism/
I ask you to start sharing your experience in standing up for others. Goodness multiplies!
Briefest possible notes on issues tabled today as a sampler for you.
Nigeria – it’s a shame how some of the Muslims in Nigeria have made the lives of the Christians extremely difficult. 11 Christians were killed on Christmas Day.
Turkey – Most Muslims around the world are not aware of the authoritarianism Erdogan is exercising on his people. No doubts there is a right side of him as well, but in the long haul, he is a Modi in the making.
Bahrain – They are revoking the citizenship of the Shia community. They have made the lives of Shia very difficult. Shame on them.
UAE – Is pouring millions of dollars in lobbying effort. They are cracking down on dissidents; Sunni Mosques get funding, whereas the Shia Mosques don’t.
Last year, I tabled India a few times and Kashmir three times.
No nation on the earth is free from extremists, and at this time, dictators are emerging in democracies. We have to speak out against them before it is too late.
Do you want to be a part of it?
Mike Ghouse
Following the pictures is India Situation
# # #
INDIA SITUATION
Thanks to the following friends for their support in advancing the appeal to restore sanity in India: Mr. Kaleem Kawaja, Mr. Tariq Farooqi, Dr. Zafar Iqbal, Dr. Hussain, Dr. Nauman Anwar, Dr. Arjumand Hashmi, Dr. TO Shanavas, Mr. Syed Rizvi, Mr. Mohsin Ali Khan, Hashmat Ali and Nikki Miller.
The attached will be shared in several meetings including the IRF meeting to about 70 organizations involved in religious freedom and liberty.
A Genocide in Making on Mike Pompeo’s watch.
The letter was delivered to the Secretary of the State, Mike Pompeo and will also be delivered to the Foreign Affairs Committee and India Caucus for further deliberations. It also went out as a Press release and being published in nearly 100 papers. and press release at https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/506236060/a-genocide-is-in-making-in-india-on-mike-pompeo-s-watch
This is my Pluralistic India, is this yours too?
The Idea of India is expressed well in the 4 videos listed at the bottom of this essay. The essay will be fully published at https://centerforpluralism.com/this-is-my-pluralistic-india-is-this-yours-too/ after it is published in the Newspapers. However, it is included here in the following pages for your reflections.
Modi Articles (~ 35) published by Mike Ghouse
http://www.theghousediary.com/modi-articles-by-mike-ghouse/
Modi Articles ( prime) written by others. (Started)
http://www.theghousediary.com/modi-articles-by-mike-ghouse/
Massive India Protest Videos (to be shared at)
Watching the videos and doing nothing about is meaningless, create your own website and blogs and put them all together for sharing with the lawmakers and policy think tanks. I have created one, and you can send to me as well at [email protected]
http://www.theghousediary.com/india-protest-videos/
15th Annual Reflections on Holocaust and Genocides
on Sunday, January 26, 2020, 5-8:40 PM
http://holocaustandgenocides.blogspot.com/
A Genocide is in making in India on Mike Pompeo’s watch.
PM Modi is destroying India on all fronts, civility, social cohesion, and economy. He is hell-bent on ridding Christians and Muslims of India on Hitlerian model
Mike Pompeo has earned a big name in the World for his initiative on religious freedom. It is time for Pompeo to take action, if not it may become a new Afghanistan for America for another decade.”— Dr. Mike Ghouse
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, January 2, 2020,/EINPresswire.com/ — Mike Pompeo, you earned a big name in the World for your initiative on religious freedom. I participated in both the ministerial in 2018 and 2019 and held four side events linking the prosperity of a nation to liberty and religious freedom.
Now, on your watch, a genocide is in the making in India, and you can stop it.
By 12/31/2021, the Christians and Muslims are to convert to Hinduism, live as 2nd class citizens, subservient to Hindu Supremacists, or disappear from India. Their slogan is Christian and Muslim Mukt (free) India. These are under the radar calls from the BJP Members of the Parliament.
Even though Prime Minister Modi says, he respects India’s constitution and bows to it every time he enters the Parliament, his intentions are otherwise. Indeed, his minions have prepared an alternate law with his connivance based on the supremacy of Hindutva (different from Hinduism). They are waiting for the majority in the upper house to introduce the Hindu Supremacist constitution.
The Hindu Rashtra – The Hindu nation follows these models:
1. Nazi Holocaust model – The RSS (BJP’s Parent organization) manifesto praises Hitler and Mussolini for the concept of pure race and getting ‘rid’ of Jews from Germany. Their leaders assert that the Hindus need to get rid of Muslims and Christians from India. Prime Minister Modi grew up with that ideology. More at Nazi loving Hindus, Hitler’s Hindus – https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/hitlers-hindus-indias-nazi-loving-nationalists-on-the-rise-1.5628532
2. Spanish inquisition model – what Spain did to Jews and Muslims, the Hindus want to do it to Muslims and Christians in India. This article is their road map. How to exterminate Muslims in India – https://centerforpluralism.com/how-to-exterminate-muslims-in-india/
3. A Genocide is in the making in India – If the oppression, lynching, and harassment of Muslims and Christians continue, it could lead to terrorism. Indian Muslims, however, believe that the majority of Hindus will speak up and restore dharma (righteousness) in India, and we pray that happens. https://holocaustandgenocides.blogspot.com/2019/12/india-genocide-in-making.html
Dehumanize fellow Indians through these actions:
Concrete steps were taken on behalf of Modi to dehumanize Muslims, Christians, Dalits and the Sikhs;
1. Kashmir was claimed unilaterally without the consent of the governed, in direct violation of India’s constitution and UN resolution. It was done overnight in sync with complete communication shut down and a curfew, which still continues.
2. Draconian citizenship law was enacted. 1.9 million people have been declared stateless. Hindus among them will be given citizenship, and Muslims will end up in concentration camps, similar to how China is treating Uyghurs. The fake reason given was to protect the persecuted minorities from neighboring countries who are Hindus but excluded Myanmar’s persecuted Minorities because they are Muslims.
3. Burning Churches, chasing, beating, and raping Christians even on Christmas day.
4. Lynching Muslims on the streets, homes, and falsifying that they were carrying and eating beef. One hundred twenty-five lynched to date with no punishment to the criminals.
5. Fake encounters with police, killing people to frighten the daylights out of the Muslims, Christians, and Dalits.
6. Progressively destroy any signs of Christian and Muslim presence in India by destroying Mosques, and burn the churches. Change the names of cities and thoroughfares.
7. The Democratic institutions of India are operated and managed by Modi’s cult members. They did not even spare the Supreme Court, Modi’s right-hand man Amit Shah got judge Loya murdered as he refused to discharge Shah from Murder Charges.
8. No more a free press, except a few all, have been covered to carry government propaganda.
9. Indians are protesting, over 33 cities held massive protests including one town with 100,000 people. The BJP guys joined the student’s protests at AMU and Jamia Millia Universities and burn the buses to fix the blame on Muslims. Over 50 students are missing and hundreds in Jail and several more wounded.
The consequences, a loss to America
1. A significant loss to America, an ally thus far will become a “country of particular concern” and burden to the United States.
2. India will not be a reliable bulwark against Chinese influence due to internal chaos and instability.
3. India will not be an investment destination for Americans. The corporations with a conscience may not want to do business
4. There are telltale signs of genocide in the making. If these trends continue, India may become a rogue nation like Nazi Germany and may be stuck in an Afghanistan-like the situation for decades to come.
5. The big losers will be Indians, the middle class, and the rich Indians who have made well in the last two decades, stand to lose now.
What can Secretary Pompeo do?
1) The Secretary can leverage bilateral trade agreements with India to end the violation of human rights and restore freedom.
2) The Secretary can demand India to allow the commissioners of USCIRF to visit India and report the facts. It’s a shame that American officials are refused a visa to Kashmir and India.
3) The Secretary can ask Article 370 to be restored and let freedom prevail in Kashmir. Let the governance be earned with the consent of the governed. India’s first Prime Minister Nehru had said, let’s receive the vote of Kashmiris with love and not threats and force.
4) Let the protests continue without imposing a curfew, or commit violence against the civilians and blame them.
5) The Secretary can slap sanctions against Mr. Amit Shah and those involved in violations of human rights, as recommended by the USCIRF.
6) Remove the religious discrimination clause in the citizenship enacted now. Let every Indian be treated as equal.
7) Let there be no harassment and lynchings of her citizens.
8) Indian-Americans who support discrimination laws in India may be required to take a course in the constitution and the First Amendment to keep their citizenship.
If America does not stand up for religious freedom, who will?
Initiated by – Mike Ghouse, Center for Pluralism
Supported by: Kaleem Kawaja, American Indian Muslims and Tariq Farooqi
# # #
This is my Pluralistic India, is it yours too?
In my pluralistic India, each one of us makes an effort to see that every Indian feels secure about his/her language, religion, culture, food, clothes, head coverings, ethnicity, race, or other uniqueness. We have practiced respecting the otherness of the other for nearly 5000 years; indeed, that is my pluralistic India.
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India and expressed civility in terms of a woman walking the streets of Chennai any time of the day and night and feel secure about it. Prophet Muhammad communicated similar thoughts 1400 years ago, where he envisioned a woman going from Medina to Damascus and back safe and sound.
The India that I have known is where everyone felt secure, day or night, and anywhere on the motherland.
Is that your India too?
Mr. Kaleem Khawaja’s message: “Help preserve India as a composite, multi-religious, multiethnic secular democracy.”
Dr. Zafar Iqbal mentions, “I have faith in my fellow countrymen and their resolve to keep India secular. Satyameva Jayate. ”
In a civilized world, one believes he has no more privileges than the other.
We hope you and I have the same goal – an India that remains on the top of the civilized nations, an India where there is the freedom to believe, eat, drink and wear whatever one wants. An India where every Indian is considered an equal.
As Indian Americans, we enjoy the benefits of being treated as equals and have all the opportunities to achieve the American dream. Unfortunately, some of us are determined to deny the same equal rights to the Indians in India. I was shattering when the Hindu America Foundation’s representative announced in a public meeting that they (HAF) support the repeal of article 370 in Kashmir. I have shot back at the way of handling it in the darkness of the night, how can an American Indian support an act that is not with the consent of the governed? It is embarrassing that our support for the politicians let us lose the basic morals and values of freedom. I hope groups like HAF will learn about the First Amendment and correct their mistakes.
We appeal to individuals whose funds go in destroying the pluralistic heritage of India by supporting the discriminative policies of the current government. Instead, start supporting acts and policies that treat all Indians as equals. Let all the travel advisories against India be lifted and let the State Department not issue the label of the country of Particular Concern to India.
Pluralism is respecting the otherness of the other and accepting the uniqueness of each other. Indeed, it has been our heritage, and it is in peril now.
Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah have chosen the wrong path of being hateful towards Christians and Muslims. They have created an environment where sadistic individuals thrive on drawing pleasure from keeping the Dalits, Muslims, Christians, and others “in their place.” Neither the Hindu Indians nor the other Indians (63%) have an appetite for such attitudes, and you can see the nationwide uprising against the acts passed by the current government.
Modi’s continued rhetoric of invader Muslims defies logic and common sense. Except for the first King that invaded India, all others were born and raised in Indians, and their mothers were both Muslims and Hindus. They did not loot India to enrich another nation as the British, French, or Portuguese colonizers did; all the wealth stayed in India and was used to develop our country. Indeed, during the Mogul period, India’s GDP had reached a whopping 25% share of the World’s GDP. Their buildings continue to bring tourist dollars to India. We should be thankful and cut the non-sense rhetoric out. That rhetoric pitches Indians against Indians.
Mr. Modi needs to consider the fact that almost all the kings, with a few exceptions, fought with each other to annex the land next door. Is there a king, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, or otherwise who did not kill the subjects of the neighboring kingdom, did not go to war, and kill his fellow-men? Didn’t Maratha Kings fight with other Kings? Everyone was fighting with each other. They did not fight for Hindus or Muslims, they fought for themselves, and their lust for power.
If Modi and Shah continue in power, every Indian will live in tensions, a few Hindutvadis (37%) will be living in rage to subjugate others, and on the other hand, the moderate majority of Hindus Muslims, Dalits, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, and others together (63%) will live in tensions.
We elect leaders to remove tensions, restore harmony, and build a nation so all of us can mind our own business, take care of our families, jobs, retirement, and live in peace. We should not cherish punishing Muslims, Dalits, Sikhs, or Christians. You live your life and let others live theirs,
Pluralism is also condemning the evil acts of the individuals and standing up for justice. We are not anti-Modi or Shah; we are condemning their actions and talks. We hope and pray that both these men start thinking of building an India where civility is the hallmark of every Indian, and that is measured when no one is afraid of each other.
The following videos fully express what my Pluralistic India looks like, and I hope your vision of India is similar.
Learn Pluralism from the Indian Army. Full piece with 4 great articles at https://centerforpluralism.com/learn-pluralism-from-the-indian-army/
Captain Raghu Raman (English)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5XptU6-Vm0&feature=emb_logo
Atiqa Farooqi (Urdu/Hindi)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=FNwdqL6EOWo&feature=emb_logo
Video by Sony (Urdu/Hindi) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrLpLbXWA4U&feature=emb_logo
Mike Ghouse (Urdu/Hindi)
The video needs to be redone
# # #
15th Annual Holocaust and Genocides
The 15th Annual reflections on Holocaust and Genocides event is scheduled for Sunday, January 26, 2020, between 6 and 8:30 PM.
Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street
Arlington, VA 22201
RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reflections-on-holocaust-and-genocides-tickets-86666932127
Website: http://holocaustandgenocides.blogspot.com/
Mike Ghouse is a thinker, author, speaker, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. His new book American Muslim Agenda is available on Amazon, and his two new books are coming up on Human Rights and Pluralism. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His information is available at linked-in.