Desicritics Author: Mike Ghouse

Happiness for Sale

Mike Ghouse — Tue, 1 Jan 2008 00:16:41 EST

A sale transaction requires consideration for exchange of products and services. The consideration in buying happiness is your effort. Happiness is on Sale, it is on sale, because the effort required is minimal against the gain. Though a lopsided transaction, the supply is plentiful and does not take away anything from anyone but enrich every one with a heart felt smile.

Remember the last time you helped someone? You got some one up when he or she fell and you were thanked profusely for that act of kindness, do you recall that joy? You were beaming and your fellow workers and friends wanted to know what it was; you humbly shared the small experience.

Do you recall the twinkle in your eyes and wanted to praise those two that made the national news recently? When a man fell on the tract in New York subway, the other man jumped to save his life risking his own. Then a Bangladeshi student stood up against the bullies who beat up the subway passengers who wished Happy Hanukkah to that bully.

Life becomes meaningful and powerful when you do things for others; it is the anecdote against sorrow that surrounds us from time to time. That is the wisdom in Bahai, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islam, Jain, Jewish, Native religions, Shinto, Sikh, Wicca, Zoroastrian and other faiths – living for the sake of others, a proven formula for happiness.

Way back in 1978, my Peugeot 504 failed me on a Saudi Freeway to Dhahran, I stood there in 116 degrees heat waving at every vehicle that drove on a full throttle going over 140 MPH. I was dying with thirst and blisters were all over my lips and my face, I looked like some one from the western movies. The drivers, who wanted to stop, could not do so within a walking range. After nearly five hours of eternity, a man finally stopped and drove his Toyota truck the full half mile in reverse. His Burqa Clad wife was with him on the passenger’s side and in the back were a couple of goats and sheep. I was imagining sitting with the goats and started feeling faintly, but he pulled his wife closer to him and asked me to hop in that little Toyota. I was too tired to worry where I was going. He gave me the life giving water and drove.

We barely communicated with my minimal Arabic and his English, we went to his home some where in the outer rim of the town of Abqaiq. His family brought in the tea and other refreshments followed by a huge dinner with several of his friends. He had one of his friends haul off my car and was getting it fixed; the fuel injection vehicles don’t work very well in that kind of heat. I had purchased that Car from Nick Gruev, an Albanian American friend out of Houston.

The Sheikh’s friends came were fixing the Hubbly Bubbly (Huqqa) and passing it between their friends, I was dreading to put that thing in my mouth should it come to me, sure enough it did and reluctantly I pretended puffing it. Around 8 PM, his mechanic friend drove up with my car.

As I was ready to leave, I thanked Shaikh Ahmed Al-Sabah profusely and pulled my wallet to pay, he pushed my hand and said “Aqhi, you are my guest and don’t even think of it.” I pleaded, it was the greatest favor a stranger has done to me and I asked, how I can pay.

He looked at me intently and asked, would you promise me something? In gratitude I said yes, but shuddered what now? He took time and looked at me again and said these life changing words to me “Next time, if you see some one needing help, would you stop and help?” I eagerly said Yes, satisfied; he asked again, are you sure? I gave an emphatic yes, to which he said, “Alhamdu Lillah (praise the lord) that is my reward.

I buy happiness at every nook and corner; it is very satisfying to see other people in their full human form when they give their beautiful smile. A genuine smile is the most beautiful thing on the earth, nothing compares to it.

Every day, you have those opportunities. Make an effort in doing things for others and see how easy it is to be happy.

Here are a few thoughts for you to ponder:

Push yourselves to be prejudice free against people from every meeting, incident, TV shows, and work or news items that you come across.
Find excuses to greet other people and wish them well, don’t worry what they think of you, just do it and see the response and counter response.
Work on bringing humility and fight off every thought and action that gives you the idea that your race, faith, nation, culture, language or life style is superior to others.
Commit to yourselves that your words and actions do not flare up conflicts, but mitigate them.
Commit yourselves that you are going to do your share of living for others, for starters one hour a week will enrich you with joy.

It does not take any money; it is your goodwill that brings you the joy. It is yours to keep and is on sale.

Best wishes for 2008

Religious Violence in Orissa

Mike Ghouse — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:22:12 EST

Four major towns in the state of Orissa, India are under a curfew to check the communal tensions between the Christian and Hindu communities. Eleven Churches have been razed to ground following a reported attack on Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, a political party leader.

Shamefully this is a normal thing in India and it needs to be stopped before it escalates.

Religion is not the cause of the problems of the world. Religion emerged as a way to bring peace to an individual and what surrounds him (her). Most people get it and some don't. Those who get it, go about living their day to day life, whereas those who don’t get it, resort to violence, using the very name of the religion that is to make them better humans.

Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, an individual and a leader, did not want to see anyone convert from Hinduism to other faiths. This happened on the eve of Christmas when Christians were in a celebratory mood.

Saraswati is one of those individuals who did not get his religion. He was indeed motivated by fear that his people may switch alliances and cross over to the other group he perceived to be his enemies. The animal instinct within him wanted to pounce on any one who became an attractive nuisance to his people. That is the kind of fear taught in some of the centers in India and the only way they can rein in other people is to harass, growl and frighten - and certainly not treating others as equals provided in the nations constitution.

One needs to grow up and let people eat, dress, and believe what they want without any fear. The individuals who perhaps threatened or attacked him were not defending Christianity; they were simply warding off the Tiger's roar. The gang who burnt the Churches was not inspired by Hinduism either, they were just ugly men who had nothing else to do, and were used by the KKK-like political parties of India such as VHP, Bajrang Dal and others (nothing to do with Hinduism) to frighten other people to allay their own fears.

The best possible solution to put an end to the rogue elements is to rope in the individuals who were the cause of the disturbance and peace of the community, and punish them to the limits of the law. I urge the public and the government to refrain from giving a religious label to these miscreants. By giving a label, we are slapping other fellow religionist who had nothing to do with this chaos and shying away from putting an end to this. Hit the target boldly and not the periphery.

Canadian Muslim Father Kills Teenage Daughter

Mike Ghouse — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:19:09 EST

Muhammad Parvez, a Mississauga,Canada resident, was charged with killing his 16 year old daughter, Axa, apparently because of her refusal to wear the hijab.

If I kill someone, incarcerate me and punish me for my crime. Please do not malign my family, friends, town, nation or my religion. The crime was mine and no one but I should bear the responsibility and meet the punishment.

Axa's Dad is a cruel man, he murdered Axa, his own teenage daughter. Killing another human being is like killing the whole of mankind and it is forbidden in Islam and all the civil societies. Muhammad Parvez is a criminal and must be charged as such. Please keep Islam out of this equation. Islam did not kill Axa, nor did Islam authorize such a heinous act.

Every day in your own town, you will find stories where bad men and bad Dad's have abused their kids physically and emotionally, and there are a ton of instances where they have killed them. In all the cases, they wanted to control their offspring to obey them. Muhammad Parvez is no different than those criminals. In all the cases, religion of the criminal was not cited, and that was the right thing to do. And the same principled stand applies to Muhammad Parvez. Islam is not the reason, it is the controlling animal that is scares the insecure men, regardless of their faith, culture, ethnicity or race that killed Axa.

Every human should condemn this act of betraying the trust of a daughter, and certainly Muslims condemn this act. This Criminal's act is not inspired by Islam, although he referenced it in that fashion. We the Muslims additionally condemn Muhammad Parvez for killing another human being and wrongly labeling the religion for his abuse. He does not have a space in Civil Societies.

Additional Notes:

A Zafar Bangash wrote "I suggest this poor girl was as much the victim of incessant propaganda that has made Islam and Muslims the enemy, as she was the victim of her father's brutal assault."

It is a very thoughtful comment. If the society, in this case, Canada sets certain expectations as to what a Canadian ought to be, if it is defined by the mainstream's attitudes, culture and behavior, then it would exclude those who do not conform. That is an inherent flaw in the democratic system. We have to learn to accept and respect the God given uniqueness to each one of the 6 billion of us on this planet, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge. I hope the Canadian or any Government, states something to this effect, " Any one who breathes the air off this land, and can look, dress, worship and eat every which way he or she is endowed with, he or she is Canadian" .

India's Pledge of Allegiance

Mike Ghouse — Sat, 8 Dec 2007 00:33:40 EST

With the belief that every Indian wants justice for every human being; rich or poor, connected or not, and demands fair treatment of every one of the 1.1 billion Indians, we must come to grips with the social and community life to create an exemplary India that will become a model nation in the world.

We have to give room to the extremists in every section of our communities, be they Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Muslim, Sikh, Zoroastrian or other, hoping they would recognize the God-given space to each one of us and eventually see the benefits of co-existence.

I propose that the Parliament of India introduce a bill for every political, cultural and religious organization in India to register with the Home Ministry, state their purpose, list their assets for public scrutiny, list the membership roster to be updated annually. Include a modified version of the 7 items into the Indian Penal Code, and make it into the law to punish the violators of the law.

Patriotism should be defined in terms of what one can do to uplift the hopes of people, in terms of education to all, jobs to as many as we can in each successive year, home for every human, and a better lifestyle for every Indian.

Every public office holder from the Peon to the President of India, and every one in between must take this pledge and live by it. Violation should disqualify him or her from holding the public office. Let it be monitored publicly.

1. I pledge allegiance to India, the nation that stands for liberty and justice for all.

2. I pledge that I honor and treat every Indian with "full" dignity.

3. I pledge that all individuals would be treated on par.

4. I pledge that I will treat all religions with equal respect, equal access and equal treatment.

5. I pledge that I will oppose any act that treats any Indian less than myself.

6. I Pledge that I will work for a India, where every individual can live with security and aspire for prosperity.

7. I pledge that I will protect, preserve and value every inch of India and every human soul in India

This would be the first step towards ensuring a just, peaceful and prosperous India, that can sustain its progress and peace.

Jai Hind

Fix the President

Mike Ghouse — Thu, 6 Dec 2007 05:33:56 EST

Fix the President or else, the Republicans will pay for it.

The United States has the best system of governance in the world, yet, once we elect a wrong President, we are doomed for four years. There is something seriously wrong with this system.

To remedy this particular situation the newer democracies in UK, Israel, Australia, India, Canada and South Africa have chosen the safety valve; a no-confidence move.

To remove a belligerent leader, all it takes is 2/3rds of the good men and women on the hill to floor the no-confidence move against the leader. This option keeps the unilateralists from becoming bullies and fascists.

The obedient President played into the hands of his Neocons buddies, and now he is chasing his tail again while his bosses may be laughing at this sorry man. If he uses his intelligence and backs off the plans to butcher Iran, they may growl and fix him to go get Iran. Before that happens, I hope we consider adopting the no-confidence move or go with the impeachment proceedings to ensure our government remains the government of the people.

The reason evil exists in the world is not because of evil men, but because good people don’t do anything about it.

Our loyalty ought to be to our nation and our democratic system, and not the political party during a crisis like this. I sincerely hope that the good Republican Representatives and Senators wake up and fix the President now, or the public will dump them in November 2008.

God Bless the USA

Here are a few good pieces - we need to listen to them and not the Neocons, who have done nothing but destruction at home and abroad.

1. US generals ‘will quit’ if Bush orders Iran attack – Times on line - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article1434540.ece
2. Would Bush go to war to stop Tehran? – The New Yorker - http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/04/17/060417fa_fact
3. Bush's Dilemma: Iran vs. Israel – Patrick Buchanan - http://www.antiwar.com/pat/?articleid=8437
4. Why Can’t Americans see it – Paul Craig - http://www.antiwar.com/roberts/?articleid=10411
5. Psych 101 and confirmation bias - Peter Cohan - http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/05/maureen-dowd-bush-iran-psych-101-and-confirmation-bias/

Where is the Muslim Outrage?

Mike Ghouse — Sat, 1 Dec 2007 00:57:37 EST

As a Muslim I am outraged at this nonsense.

When Prophet Muhammad's cartoons were published, the few Muslims around the world were outraged to the point of becoming destructive. They burned the embassy in Syria. Their contention was that the Prophet cannot be contained in an image, they were right but they were dead wrong on destroying any property, it went against the very principles taught by the Prophet "to forgive the wrong doers".

Not enough of us were outraged against those criminals to make a difference.

Ms. Gibbons affectionately calls the Teddy bear "Muhammad" and the fanatics cry foul. The good for nothing silent majority needs to step and condemn the cleric and the government of Sudan for treating a lady for her benevolence in such an ugly manner. She probably would not have, had she known about it.

Prophet Muhammad would have been saddened with these guys' behavior.

When the Buddha Statue, a world heritage monument was destroyed in Pakistan last month, where was the Muslim outrage?

When the Buddhist Monks were locked up in Burma, where was the Muslim outrage?

What is good for the goose has got to be good for the gander. The third Caliph Omar punished his own son against a complaint from a Jewish businessman: such was the sense of Justice. Where is that sense of justice and fairness now?

Mirza A. Beg writes, "...a woman in Saudi Arabia was gang-raped. She was seen in a car with a person not of her family. She was also found guilty along with the rapists and recommended punishment under the Saudi Law."

That was not bad enough, when she appealed to the Media her punishment was doubled because she made it public. Where is the Muslim outrage? Why aren't the Muslims jamming the phone lines of Saudi Embassies around the world?

Why aren't the Muslims decrying the Saudis for calling it an Islamic Law? It ain't, it is the bizarre law of shameless men who do not follow thier own religion of peace.

"In Sudan, a British teacher was arrested for the sin of helping her class of seven year olds to name a cuddly teddy bear, Muhammad. Yesterday, after a court trial, she was sentenced to 15 days in jail, and it is reported that a crowd was clamoring for a death sentence. In a closed dictatorial country a crowd does not gather, it is allowed or urged to gather." Writes Mirza Beg. Where is the Muslim outrage?

The ones who forgive are the dearest to the lord. Where is this verse buried?

There were members of the state legislature in India who publicly called to kill a heretic, and there was a cleric who offered a bounty for killing the same heretic. Where is the Muslim outrage against these criminals?

God says "Killing one human is like killing the whole humanity". Why isn't this verse evoked?

Darfur is bleeding, where is the Muslim outrage?

The time has come for the Muslims to speak up; the good for nothing majority needs to speak up, and let their outrage be known.

No doubt, the one's who express their outrage are not given the outlet. The media does not see sensationalism in this. At the World Muslim Congress and a few other organizations we will continue to compile the outrage expressed by Muslims around the world.

I urge the media to give voice to the Muslims who speak up. It gives hopes to the mankind, whether we are Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists or Zoroastrians, we face the common enemy - ignorance. Ignorance displayed by super literate people as well as illiterate.

References: HERE HERE and HERE

What Should be Done With Taslima Nasrin?

Mike Ghouse — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:44:24 EST

When it comes to intolerance the people who understand their religion the least have the loudest voices. Their narrow minded Fatwas and their recent harassment of Ms. Nasreen in Hyderabad have earned her sympathizers, some sincere, but many such as the BJP Party are out to make political capital out of it.The first mistake the extremists made was to issue a Fatwa against Taslima Nasrin for her statements that did not go well with the fundamentalists. "She told the Muslim women to burn the Burqa" as if she will start wearing a skirt if a westerner says "Burn the Saree, it is a sign of backwardness".

Neither is a sign of backwardness, it is a culture that has evolved and no one will drop what they are used to on the sound of a word 'drop'. In a democracy, people should have the freedom to speak; the best way to combat a bad idea is to offer good ideas to compete.

The second mistake the rioters made is that they did not follow their own religion. God advises in Sura 109 that when you present the word of God to the other, they may deny it, let them know that what they worship is not what you worship and at the end leave the conversation in good taste by saying 109:6 "unto you, your moral law, and unto me, mine!" They should have left her alone as there is no compulsion in matters of faith. What she believes is her belief.

The third mistake they made is violating the example of the Prophet. When he was traveling from Mecca to Taif, he was pelted with stones, he was bleeding, and at that time his associates and the Angel Gabriel were anxious to punish the miscreants. The prophet stopped them and said something to this effect. Let's not punish them, it is not the answer; instead let's pray that God may help them with Good will. All that was needed to calm Taslima Nasrin was to ignore her, pray for her and let her do what she wanted to do. Instead, those who want to destroy Ms. Nasreen in the misused name of their own religion help to build her up.

The fourth mistake they made was in Hyderabad, where they threatened her life and nearly assaulted her, against the law of religion.

The fifth and a major mistake they made was not to have a debate with her on the issues. They did not have enough faith in their culture or religion to debate. Taslima would have easily lost in a debate from a few intellectuals and most likely she would not have gone on the attack binge.

Now, let's turn the tables. Taslima Nasrin has gone through personal tragedies in her life, several women in the Sub-continent are abused, ordered and compelled to obey, be it a Muslim, Hindu or any family. Women in our society (all religions included) are to "listen" or "obey" their father and then husband. There is not much freedom for most women in our society, Taslima is no exception. She is raging with anger, instead of directing her anger at her perpetrators; she is directing at her religion and wing-dinging the responses from a few of her fellow religionists. It is unproductive. The Government of Andhra Pradesh should have asked the MLA's to resign when they threatened to kill her, the government of UP should have arrested the zealot who had offered a bounty for killing her. The Indian Penal code would be sufficed to arrest them and put them through the legal system until they apologize. In addition we need to bring to the front what Qur'an tells about their attitudes "To kill a single life is like killing the whole humanity". It is not late now to go back and charge them. In a civil society, we need to punish the ones that mess up other people's lives, so others don't repeat it.

What should be done with Taslima Nasrin?

First, she needs to be given political asylum as a death threat looms for her in her native country. We have made other mistakes but that does not mean we should not do a few things right. We are a pluralistic democracy, and we should allow dissent and free debates as a part of education and learning. Second, to remove the eternal threat against her life for the stand she takes, she needs to be engaged in debates with liberal, conservative and middle of the line Muslims scholars. If she is wrong, she will accept it and will not have a face to be hateful anymore, on the other hand, if she has grievances, lets study them and figure out the answers. Most likely it is a personal and not a religious issue.

The Annapolis Peace Conference - Peace at Last?

Mike Ghouse — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 01:29:54 EST

The Annapolis Peace Conference is scheduled for Tuesday, November 27, 2007. I do hope some one at the State department is willing to push the REFRESH button and start thinking about ideas that work. It takes courage and guts, and without it, nothing in the world would ever be achieved.

Mother Teresa said, "If you want peace, go talk with your enemies, you don't make peace with your friends." I do hope the State department brings people who can speak up the harsh truth. If they bring puppets and make decisions, failure is guaranteed.

All our efforts to place wedges between Abbas and Hamas shows the desperation and not the sincerity of our Administration to bring peace. These efforts will back fire and are a detriment to peace. Dividing the Palestinians for the short term gain will not cut it, it shows our inability to deal with the subject head on and our deviousness. On the one hand we are buying Abbas out with lots of money, and on the other we are letting people die without medicine, potable water and the very basics of life in Gaza. Is this injustice going keep any people apart? This injustice may bind the Palestinians stronger than ever before. We need to bring honesty and integrity to the conference. For God's sake let's be honest once and genuinely bring peace to the Israelis and Palestinians.

Although we hate Hamas, they need to be in the picture to get decisions implemented. We cannot bring peace unilaterally without the parties to conflict participating in it.

Our foreign policy has relied on our gun powder and our ability to dole out alms to shove nations around the World to achieve our goals. The Sstate department has forgotten that 'lasting relationships' hinge on a dialogue based on treating all parties on an equal footing.

No doubt our policies have failed as we continue to believe that we can buy other nations disregarding their pride. Those nations that challenge our might stand the chance of annihilation and we refuse to talk with them. Does the state department know what diplomacy means? Please push the refresh button.

A few basics need to be addressed and understood by all the parties.

Jews have a need to be understood and be acknowledged for their eternal security needs, not the military, but mental security where they can put their guards down and live their life in peace.

Palestinians have a need to be understood. They have suffered immeasurably, no human should be stripped of his or her hope and dignity; hope to have a family, work and own a house and call a place their homeland.

Our Presidents need to seriously look at what works. They need to have the vision for peace. They must understand that it may be going against the general opinion and perhaps against their very supporters. They need to take bold steps and produce peace for the people of Israel and Palestine.

We must protect Israel, our ally; however, if that protection is based on injustice to either Palestinians or the Jews, our integrity becomes questionable. We need to be above reproach. Mighty empires can crush the weak for a short term; in the long run every one goes down the tube. We cannot rob anyone and live with a good conscience.

We must watch out for the hate mongers, who go around campus to campus, pulpit to pulpit spreading chaos, causing people to entrench in hate and bring untold miseries to the world. Of course, they will sucker you into investing in their campaign. These carriers of hate will frighten you and get you to open your pocket book. Creating chaos for others is guaranteed to envelope us. Before you write the check, please ask them to spend their time on spreading peace instead.

It is time for the silent majority to speak up and act on. The State department has not had fresh thinking for over 50 years now, every one that comes in including an individual like Collin Powell, has succumbed to the brain washing. They just don't want to push the REFRESH button.

Once the Palestinian Israel conflict is resolved, much of the frustration and terrorism around the world would thaw out.

I invite you to join me in offering practical solutions, with injustice towards none. If you feel there is an imbalance speak up. I urge you become the mitigators of conflicts and not provocateurs.

A blog is created to bring some sense to the peace process, and it is: http://peace-palestine-israel.blogspot.com

What is Thanksgiving?

Mike Ghouse — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 12:24:03 EST

For every good we receive, we have to offer our gratitude to the giver, absence of a simple thank you creates discomfort and an imbalance in any relationship. A simple thank you will tie the loose ends, saving each one of us from the sense of incompleteness.

For every hurt we hurl on others, an equal amount of burden gets dumped on us, and until we say sorry and repent genuinely, the burden makes us do weird things and deteriorates the peace within us. The transaction remains incomplete.

Just as the accountant recites his mantra, for every debit there is a credit; the physicist says that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; and as a spiritualist I feel that for every wrong we do, an equal amount of serenity is drained from us.

In our quest to achieve the most peaceful state of mind, we may encounter eternal bliss from time to time but we may mess it up as well. We have to do our balance sheet.

To lead a comfortable life with fewer worries, we have to have more assets and or income than liabilities and payments. If we are in the hole (Red), we have to fill it immediately to survive, on the other hand if we are in the black (surplus) we don’t have to worry.

Let’s apply that to our spirituality again;

For everyone we hate, an equal amount of disturbance affects us within. When we hate, we are the losers not the ones we hate. This is the most important aspect of happiness, and every religion teaches us not to hate any one. The more hateful we are, the more problems we create for ourselves and the ones around us. It is in our interest to work on hate and it is in the interest of society to help each other to remove hate. Let's not do it because God wants it, or it is an act of nobility - let's do it because it makes sense, it gives us peace of mind and a sense of composure.

Life is a continual act of balancing between pain and pleasure, and to lead a normal life we have to maintain that equilibrium. We are constantly receiving and giving energy, intake and output must be equal to have a healthy mindset. Absence of this double entry book keeping will throw the books off balance.

Let me share a small story – Where I grew up, it was a Sunday ritual for us to sit and take care of the poor. A line of deprived individuals (I do not like the word ‘beggar’) formed in front of my house. Being the oldest in the family, my Dad would assign me the task of doling out the cash and food items to the individuals as they pass our door. I have seen lepers, blind people, people who cannot hear or talk, and certainly people with missing body parts.

I was fascinated by one gentleman in particular; he did not have arms and limbs from the base of the body, he was made up of just the torso and the head. He wrapped his body with a car tube (those days car tires were inlaid with an air tight tube to hold the air) and would slide inch by inch... his shoulder and rear part would move in tandem, similar to a snake. He always made me think about life and hope. I was about 14 years old then and was hesitant in speaking with him.

One day, I asked him what made him want to live. He did not have relatives, could not do anything, could not have a family, could not have a place to live, and could not wear clothes....

Why did he want to live?

He took a deep breath and looked at me and said, “Son, I look forward to every morning to see the blue sky or see the rain and smell the earth, I smell and taste the good food people give me, and I enjoy the water that I get now and then... I am thankful to Bhagwan (God's generic name in Hinduism) who has given me the eyes to see his creation ..”.

Appaiah turned around as asked “Isn’t there so much to thank the lord?” I was rendered speechless. That is gratitude. Just that morning, I heard my Dad’s favorite verse from Qur’aan- 55:16 “Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny? (- English (Arabic: Baset - Hussari - Minshawi .)” . To this day, if I am down, I to go to the scriptures, I have found solace in opening Bhagvad Gita, Bible, Dale Carnegie’s book, the book of Mormon or Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Baha'i) or Sura Rahman, chapter 55 in Qur’aan, to uplift my spirits.

http://www.islamicity.com/QuranSearch/

55:13 Which, then, of your Sustainer’s powers can you disavow? [4]

Topics discussed in this Verse:
[Allah's favours gratitude for:will you deny]

Fabiayyi alai rabbikuma tukaththibani

فَبِأَيِّ آلَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ (55:13)
Baset - Hussari - Minshawi

Happy Thanksgiving.

Do me a favor, carry a small piece of paper with you anywhere you go, and whenever you get a quiet moment, make a list of all the people you want to thank. Making a list is the least you can do, which in it self is peace giving and you will find a sense of relief with it. Even if you don’t call every one on the list, you have already said your thanks by thinking about the individual and reciting his or her name in your mind. When you express your gratitude to the persons who have made a difference in your life, it brings a ton of relief to you. The tension of the action (good done to you) to you is released with your re-action of thinking about them to writing their name down and possibly calling them.

Ponder over all the good things people have done to you, the good words they have said to you. Even if you don’t like some of them now, separate the good they have done and say thanks for it. Reign in on your ego and see the victory you feel within you.

On this note I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Harbans Lal of Sheshadri Puram, Bangalore, my first boss, who encouraged me to write. That was in 1971 and since then I have written quite a lot. His voice still echoes “you will become a writer” and it's been music to me even since. Please become that voice to some one. There are many more people to thank, and I will do my part. Nothing beats the joy of it my friends, I really care about you, even though my email to you is not addressed to you in person, I know you. If you are happy, that makes me happy.

Each one of us can become a voice to others to encourage whatever talent we may have. We are a product of what others want us to be, most of the time. If you want a better society, invoke the best in others. It is indeed rewarding.

This year, my biggest gratitude goes to Mr. Everett Blauvelt, the man whom I call Dadsky. He has changed my whole life by inviting me to the United States and giving me a start. I express a deep sense of gratitude to him and dedicate this write up to him. Our friendship began 30 years ago in Shedgum-Uthmaniya-Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. I am also adding Bernie Mayoff, my friend how has forwarded my name to CNN's Heroes list. Thank you Bernie and Thank you Everett. I am making another list for private use and hope to call each one of them to let them know that I appreciate their presence in my life.

I further express my gratitude to our men and women who are doing their duty to protect our freedom. Please watch the following video about honoring our soldiers.

Happy thanksgiving

God bless America

Man Marries a Dog

Mike Ghouse — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:21:39 EST

A few months ago, a man married a goat in Ethiopia, as a part of the atonement for his sin with the goat, he was ordered to marry the goat. The moment we hear the word wedding or marriage, we tend to think in terms of conjugal relationships, but that does not seem to be the case in this instance. The wedding vow, Selva Kumar took is different "I will take care of it until its death." at the wedding ceremony. Taking care of it sounds really good, and the word "it" to define the gender is interesting when in an earlier sentence it used the female gender of the dog.

It is more of a union of two lives to take care of each other. Couldn't he take care of the dog without getting married? What was the purpose of the hoopla? What was the need to make it public? Is it a confession? Is it an acknowledgement of the guilt, hoping it would wash away? It is indeed a way of praischit (repentence). I hope the man feels freedom from the pain from this formal public acknowledgement. We can laugh at him or ourselves, the choice is ours.

On the other hand gratitude for friendship with a dog or a cat is expressed in terms of grand burials and wills. This year, some where in Arizona, a lady left $200 Million in her will to her Dog and the New York Queen Helms left $12m to her dog. Americans spend thousands in taking care of the friends; Cats and Dogs. It is amazing how the human mind works, there is one thing for certain, when you wrong some one, until you square that out, there is going to be conscious or subconscious pain or imbalance that you have to live with. Depending on how you go about handling it, it might get aggravated instead of subsiding. But a sense of Justice has to come about at the end.

Every day, we do one kind of Praischit or the other at home, office and other places. We are naturally inclined to seek balance, most achieve it, some fail.

As long as we are aware of who we are, and reflect upon it daily, we will keep that balance 'fairly' intact.

Reference with pictures: Here and here.