When we hate someone intensely, it is our loss; we lose our tranquility. It will make us believe everything we hear about another person (or group), even if it were false. When we find the truth, we may regret our words and actions. So, before we judge Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Christians, and others, think about it.
To restore tranquility and peacefulness, all we have to do is verify everything we hear. I am pleased to share three stories to illustrate the point.
- Israeli National Anthem
- Muslims walking out on Sikhs and Zoroastrians
- France Banning Holocaust Education
Israeli National Anthem
I received a message on Whatsapp “The Israeli National Anthem.” It was disconcerting. I shook my head; this cannot be true. Some of the lines were as follow;
Let those who are our enemy shudder
Let all the inhabitants of (Egypt and Canaan) tremble
Let the inhabitants of Babylon shudder
To loom over their skies, panic, and terror from us
When we plant our spears in their chests
And we see their blood being shed
And their heads cut off
Then we will be God’s chosen people where God willed
As always, I sent the message to my Jewish friends for verification while I googled. One of my Jewish friends confirmed that the information was fake. Take a look at this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatikvah
Muslims walking out on Sikhs & Zoroastrians
On our 3rd Annual Unity Day event in 2007, Dr. Harbans Lal – the Sikh leader and Firdosh Mehta – the Zoroastrian leader approached me and asked me to reverse the alphabetical order of speakers from Zoroastrians to Atheists. I asked them to explain, and they took me aside and revealed the following.
In 2005, at the first Unity Day event, when our (Sikhs and Zoroastrians) turn came, the Muslims walked out of the hall on us. We have been upset about this, and we want them to sit and listen to us now, please reverse the order of the speakers.
I have the habit of verifying everything before believing, so we talked and discovered that the Muslims walked out of the hall to pray; it was the time for the evening prayer. They felt relieved and said, why didn’t we verify this? We have been carrying this for two years for no reason.
Mayor of Plano Pat Evans was the keynote speaker while introducing Evans; I shared the story that we had just unfolded. The mayor said, “while I am speaking, if the prayer time comes for anyone, please go pray, God is more important than anything else.”
France Banning Holocaust Education
Maria Arita of Fox 4 Dallas called me, she had covered our annual Holocaust and Genocides event. She gave me four hours to find the truth and hold it from the evening news but would release it in the nightly news. She said that “due to pressure from Muslims, France is banning Holocaust education from their schools.” My first call went to Elliot Dlin (who is no more) the director of the Holocaust Museum in Dallas. We made frantic calls. He came back with the information talking with Jews in France, that the news was fake. I conveyed it to Maria, and the item did not make it to the nightly news. Imagine the ill-will it would have created against Muslims?
Next, I will share the story of a Jewish filmmaker who lied to the Jewish people in a film to frighten them and get their donations. I countered it, and I was the only Muslim along with my Christian friend Todd Collier among 250 Jewish watchers of the movie at JCC Dallas. When the producer refused to give me the microphone to share the truth, one of the funders and 249 other Jews in unison shouted, “Allen, give him the microphone,” What happened next? I will share the story in a few days.
Every religion was born out of the necessity to find a solution to disharmony in any given society. Whether it is Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, Nanak, and others, the wisdom is the same; to restore sanity and security to each individual.
The Quran extolls the virtue in people who verify things, particularly negative thoughts about others, before believing it. 49:6 – Asad translation, “O YOU who have attained to faith! If any iniquitous person comes to you with a [slanderous] tale, use your discernment, lest you hurt people unwittingly, and afterward be filled with remorse for what you have done. “Kaskas’ translation,” Believers, if a known wicked person brings you news, investigate, to avoid harming people out of ignorance and later regret what you have done.”
The Quran beefs it up in verse 8 of chapter 5 (Asad), “O YOU who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity; and never let the hatred of any-one lead you into the sin of deviating from justice. Be just: this is closest to being God-conscious. And remain conscious of God: verily, God is aware of all that you do.”
Mike Ghouse’s mission is to open people’s hearts, minds, and souls towards each other to live in tranquility and harmony with self and with what surrounds them; life and matter. More at www.TheGhouseDiary.com