Profile of Mike Ghouse
Dr. Mike Ghouse is a Public Speaker, pluralist, thinker, author, organizer, business and community consultant, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant.
He is deeply committed to Pluralism** in Religion, Politics, Societies, and the workplace. Religious freedom and Human rights are a part of his commitment.
His new book American Muslim Agenda is available on Amazon/ Kindle for $5.99. A few books are on the horizon; Pluralism in America, Standing up for others. and Prosperity of a Nation hinges on Freedom.
Mike is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day to the media and policymakers.
His mission is to open people’s hearts and minds towards each other, and he believes that the ultimate purpose of humans is to live freely and securely with their culture, race, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, and individuality. It comes through fostering democratic values.
He sums up his work in these words, ” If we can learn to respect the otherness of the others and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.” He further believes that knowledge leads to understanding and understanding to acceptance of the other as a human-like us.
In Mike’s world, no one is more privileged than the other.
** Pluralism is defined as “respecting the otherness of the others, and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each one of us.”
WHO IS MIKE?
- An American Citizen.
- Washington DC resident since 2015.
- Texan for over 35 years (1980-215).
- Dallas, Texas is his home town.
- India is his Motherland, he was born and raised in Yelahanka, Bangalore.
- Pluralist in attitude – one who respects the otherness of the others.
- A conflict mitigator and a goodwill nurturer.
- Religiously a moderate Muslim (since 1999).
- Socially Moderate.
- Politically independent.
- Wedding Officiant.
- 60+ Million views on Google profile.
- 780 hours of a radio talk show on the wisdom of ten religions.
- 3600+ articles touching all religions from Atheism to Zoroastrianism.
- 300+ appearance on the National T.V. including 150 on Fox News.
- 150+ Nationally syndicated radio shows on human rights, free speech, and foreign policy.
- 39 Workshops, 3 hours each for 12 religions + capstone
- 500 books carry citations of Mike’s work on building cohesive societies.
- Bias towards none.
- Home with every faith, race, ethnicity, culture, and society.
- Initiated the Annual Thanksgiving Celebrations & Awards Night since 1994.
- Initiated the Annual Unity Day USA since 2005.
- Initiated the Annual Reflections on the Holocaust and Genocides since 2006.
- Managed over 150 public events in 25 plus years.
- Spoken at events larger than 5000 audiences. Rally | Convention | Show
- Author – American Muslim Agenda and two more books on the horizon.
- As a Muslim prayed in the holy place of Mecca, Madina, and Jerusalem – Najaf, and Karbala next.
- As a Muslim prayed in Mosques of all major denominations.
- Been to every place of worship from Aztec to Zoroastrians and everyone in between.
- Published a bi-monthly News magazine Asian News Journal for 7 years.
- Produced and co-anchored 26 weekly TV shows.
- An active participant in the International religious freedom round table
- An active participant in the American religious liberty committee
- Member of Heritage Foundation
- Life Member India Association of North Texas, and International Hindi Association
- Board Member at Israel Palestine Confederation, Jewish Islamic Dialogue Society,
- Past President of Home Owners Association in Carrollton, North Texas Cricket Association, Dallas Charities,
- Former board member at Dallas Peace Center, Memnosyne Foundation, Dallas Home Builders Association, Dallas International, and other organizations.
- Former Commissioner at Mayor Taylor’s economic task force for South Dallas.
- Former Commissioner-at-large at the City of Carrollton, Texas.
- Lives in a predominantly African American neighborhood with a purpose.
- Lived in the prime community of City of Carrollton – the Coyote Ridge
- Will add – more
THE NAME IS MIKE GHOUSE
http://www.theghousediary.com/my-name-is-mike-ghouse/
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Mike has established the Center for Pluralism; an educational and advocacy institution in the Washington DC area. What have we accomplished? Here it is – http://centerforpluralism.com/mission-accomplished-at-the-center-for-pluralism/
PICTORIAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Mike Ghouse Profile-60-Pages-06.05.18
Mike’s personal mission is to open people’s hearts, minds, and souls towards each other.
www.CenterforPluralism.com
He is driven by the idea of Pluralism, that is if we can learn to “Respect the otherness of the others” and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge. Indeed, this is his definition of pluralism.
Mike is an effective communicator. His speeches, commentaries, press releases, articles, messages, and discussions are appreciated for common-sense clarity. Given the background in publishing newspaper, producing radio & tv talk shows, and commenting on national tv, he has excelled in building relations with the community, public, media, and the government.
His experience in dealing with people from different faiths, races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual, and political orientations has empowered him with community-building expertise. He is committed to building cohesive communities – i.e., bringing people together towards achieving set goals.
www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com
Conflict mitigation and goodwill nurturance is his first nature and he offers pluralistic** solutions on issues of the day. Whatever he does, he does it wholeheartedly and pours his heart, mind, and soul into it — a trailblazer by all counts.
The skills that have made him a successful consultant are; communications, project management, events management, customer care, community outreach, social media, public relations, media relations, teacher, trainer, budget, and operations management.
Two books are on the horizon, “Standing up for others” and “Pluralism in America.” The “American Muslim Agenda” is released and is available at Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and other bookstores. If you want to know everything about American Muslims and the essence of Islam, this book is for you. It is about fostering societies where no one is more privileged than the other. Mike has co-authored a few books and has been cited in over 500 books and articles.
www.WorldMuslimCongress.org
The Center for Pluralism is an established educational institution in the Washington DC area. What have we accomplished? Here it is –
www.InterfaithMarriages.org
Two books are on the horizon, “Standing up for others” and “Pluralism in America.” The “American Muslim Agenda” is released and is available at Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and other bookstores. If you want to know everything about American Muslims and the essence of Islam, this book is for you. It is about fostering societies where no one is more privileged than the other. Mike has co-authored a few books and has been cited in over 500 books and articles.
MIKE GHOUSE – RESUME
An American Success story
Phone: (214) 325 – 1916 MikeGhouse@gmail.com
Profile(s): https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/
EXPERIENCE
President & CEO | May 2015- Current
Center for Pluralism (non-profit)
Established the Center for Pluralism from scratch, and today the Center is well known in Washington DC and around the world with its workshops, talks, programs, and connections.
President & CEO | 2006-2015
First City Homes – Consulting firm
FCH is a business consulting firm managing the home building, property management, remodeling, and various projects.
Community Manager | 1985-2006
National Home Builders
An award-winning community manager. Managed the entire home building process from developing lots to construction to customers move to their new home. It is a comprehensive process involving all aspects of life and business and customer relationships. Mike worked with Gemcraft Homes, Ryland Homes, Drees Custom Homes, Grand Homes, Bluff view Builders, and City Homes.
Deputy Finance Controller | 1997-1981
Fluor Corporation
Mike managed a $5.3 Billion NGL facility in Saudi Arabia involving budgeting, A/R, A/P, Payroll, and administration of remote sites.
SKILLS:
The skills that have made him successful are; communications, project management, customer relations, community outreach, social media, public and media relations, trainer, critical planning, budget, and operations management.
SUMMARY:
Mike has outstanding reach out and has built excellent relationships with federal, stand, and local governments. He has successfully dealt with diverse people from different age groups, races, religions, and regions, including the Native Americans and the LGBTQ Community. He is home with all the people.
EDUCATION
M.B.A., Univ of Dallas (1984)
M. Com, Bangalore Univ (1974)
D.D, Honorary Doctorate for the work on Pluralism.
MIKE’S FAVORITE QUOTES
“My religion is dear to me as yours is to you, and I wholeheartedly respect and accept all religions as valid traditions.”
“If we can learn to respect the otherness of the other and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.”
“Whatever you do in life, do it wholeheartedly.”
INDIVIDUALS WHO CONTINUE TO INFLUENCE ME:
- Jesus Christ
- Prophet Muhammad
- Gautam Buddha
- Lord Krishna
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Martin Luther King
- Mother Teresa
- Jiddu Krishnamurthy
- Maimonides
- Dale Carnegie
- Barak Obama
- Mohamed Abdul Rahman – father
- Khairun Nisa – mother
- Shaikh Hussain – grandfather
- Dilshad Noor – sister
GOOGLE SEARCH
Mike Ghouse + Name of Religion
Mike Ghouse + Major religious festivals of the world
Mike Ghouse + News
QUOTES THAT HAVE SHAPED MY PUBLIC LIFE
Bhagavad Gita: “Finding the truth is one’s own responsibility.” This has been the defining quote in my life. That’s what propelled Mike into finding the truth about the Quran and Islam by rejecting all the secondary literature in Isalm. Karen Armstrong’s book Muhammad changed Mike’s perceptions about the Prophet – Then he chose to become a Muslim in the late 90”s.
The Quran: “Your faith is dear to you, as mine is to me.” His father and mother drilled this into him, it is indeed the epitome of conducting civil dialogue, and central to defining pluralism. Mike considers this as his first step in translating the Quran (God willing) from a universal perspective, that all humanity can relate and feel it is a book of guidance. After all, the Quran was not for Muslims, it was for humanity. More about it at http://centerforpluralism.com/quran-and-civil-dialogue/
The Quran: “There is no compulsion in the matters of faith or what one believes”, it is reiterated four times. There is a good dialogue on free will in the book, American Muslim Agenda, chapter Islamic Values, item #11
Goethe: “Until one is committed, there is hesitancy… Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred.… Whatever you can do or dream that you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”
Ray Bradbury: “If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go into business because we’d be cynical. Well, that’s nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.”
Dr. Abdul Hamid Abusulayman: “There is a clear distinction between doubts and problems. Doubts provoke obstruction, frustration, and discouragement, whereas problems inspire motivation, action, and diligence.
Dr. Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi: “The role of religion is to answer the big questions for us, those relating to our existence, origins, destiny, and the purpose for which we are created. It is to provide us with a system of values and principles that would guide our thinking, behavior, and the regulations to which we aspire.” Indeed, the ultimate goal of all religions is to create cohesive societies.
Lord Krishna:’ Whenever the society becomes chaotic, someone from among you will emerge and restore the righteousness.” That is trusting and caring for each other.
Chief Seattle, a Native American said this perfectly, “All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. The 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.” Indeed, we are endowed with the gift of managing what surrounds us; life and matter.
Mike Ghouse’s assertions:
“When Jesus says to Christians, “Follow me,” Krishna appeals to Hindus, “Surrender to me,” and Allah guides Muslims, “Submit to my will,” what does it mean? Will the man on the street who has no idea of God or religion will understand this? The purpose of the statements was for us to adopt their attitudes, the attitude of loving all the creation – life and matter. It simply means to be a great human, a great citizen or Amin, as Prophet Muhammad was known.”
” Whatever you do in life, do it wholeheartedly, there is joy in it for everyone around including ourselves”
“I will never claim my faith, Islam, to be superior or inferior to any faith, that would be arrogance, and arrogance kills peace and harmony in the society.” God prefers humility in humans and not arrogance.
“True spirituality is feeling like a speck in the universe, an insignificant but unique contributor to the universe’s existence. You will never feel or act to be different or superior from others, you feel you are one of the many. Indeed, spirituality and arrogance are inversely proportional to each other. The more spiritual you are the least arrogant you are. You don’t need to dress up long white, green, or orange sheets of clothes or beards, that is not spirituality, that is setting yourselves apart from the others instead of being a part of them. “
” We are one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. We are represented by every race, nationality, ethnicity, language, culture, and religion. We see God as one, none and many and in every form; male, female, genderless and non-existent, being and non-being, nameless and with innumerable names. I am committed to preserving this pluralistic heritage of the universe..”
“If we can learn to respect the otherness of the others and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of the 8 billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.”
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
The Center for Pluralism is an established educational institution in the Washington DC area. What have we accomplished? Here it is – http://centerforpluralism.com/mission-accomplished-at-the-center-for-pluralism/
WEBSITES/ BLOGS/ MY WORK
Pluralism | Politics | Islam | Human Rights
1. www.CenterforPluralism.com
2. www.WorldMuslimCongress.org http://www.MuslimSpeaker.com
3. www. AmericanMuslimAgenda.com
4. www. Interfaithmarriagess.org
5. www.Standingupforothers.com
6. www. TheghouseDiary.com
7. www.Interfaithspeaker.com
8. www.MuslimSpeaker.com
9. https://mikeghousevideo.blogspot.com/
10. www.UnityDayUSA.com
11. http://thanksgivingcelebrations.blogspot.com/
12. http://holocaustandgenocides.blogspot.com/
13. https://centerforamericanpolitics.blogspot.com/
14. http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/
15. http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/
16. http://israel-palestine-dialogue.blogspot.com/
17. http://sharialaws.blogspot.com/
18. http://blasphemylaws.blogspot.com/
19. https://quraan-today.blogspot.com/
20. https://quranburningpastorterryjones.blogspot.com/
21. https://hadithsandislam.blogspot.com/
22. https://dallasmuslimcenter.blogspot.com/
23. https://motivationalspeakermikeghouse.blogspot.com/
24. https://hatesermons.blogspot.com/
21. will be added
The only way to achieve things in life is to make an unwavering commitment, and whatever I do, I do it wholeheartedly and pour my heart, mind, and soul into it. The Center for Pluralism took me years to establish and feel a sense of fulfillment in life. http://centerforpluralism.com/mission-accomplished-at-the-center-for-pluralism/
I am available to do consulting work on public, media, government, and community relations. My expertise is communications. I am home with people of different races, faiths, cultures, ethnicities, sexual and political orientations. I am a trailblazer, and nothing I have done has been done before.
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Public Speaker, futurist, and a frequent guest on national TV and Radio offering pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He knows what to do.
The Book” What’s the American Muslim Agenda?
What is that Americans Muslims want? How close are they to what you want? What can they do about it? What are your issues with each other? If you are a conservative, grudgingly, you’ll see the value in this book, and if you are moderate, you’ll dance and sing along with joy.
You and I have a responsibility to create a world where, you, me, and our grandchildren can live without apprehensions. No matter we go, we should feel secure about faith, race, ethnicity, culture and our political and sexual orientation.
Would the book American Muslim Agenda bring attitudinal change among Muslims? Yes, it will, it’s akin to planting seeds and nurturing it to give the beneficence to the next generation. I know most American Muslims will wholeheartedly subscribe to the refreshed understanding of Islam, we need to expand it to more Americans.
Some of the reservations we have about Muslims and Islam are based on what we have heard from our parents, teachers, clergy, favorite media people and others. We need to find the truth on our own and find freedom from misunderstandings. It is a blessing to be free.
Muslims have shied away from confronting difficult issues about their faith, and most of them don’t even have a clue about the essence of Islam, it was never articulated before in the history of Islam.
A few medieval scholars have reduced Islam to rituals, five pillars, dhimmi, jizya, sharia, externalities, and enforcement of your rules on to others. That is not Islam, and most Muslims can recite verses that Islam is about free will. God uploaded free will into Adam’s DNA, and emphasized it in the Quran, the prophet practiced ‘freewill’ and established examples for it. Sadly, Muslims know the truth but were bullied into silence with fatwa bombs. All I have done is articulated what Muslims believe, but dared not say it. The book is the voice of the majority of ‘American’ Muslims.
This book is a product of twenty years of research and thousands of discussions in which Muslims, non-Muslims, and “Islamophobes” have participated in it, including debates on Fox News with Sean Hannity, Stuart Varney, Pamela Geller, Brigitte Gabrielle, Robert Spencer, Jamie Glazov, Raymond Ibrahim, Walid Shoebat, Wafa Sultan, and several others.
Islam is about living your life and letting others live theirs. Islam is about building cohesive societies where all of God’s creation lives with dignity and freedom. In God’s universe, we are merely a speck, and no one is more privileged than the other. If you are a moderate individual of any faith, you will find the book in tune with you.
It is time to go beyond the five pillars of Islam, and I hope the Imams and Muslim scholars who are free thinkers would appreciate the contents of the book. This book may indeed become a reference manual for teaching Islamic values that contribute to creating a better world for all humanity.
The American Muslim Agenda offers guidance to Muslims to be one with all, and it voices what Muslims believe and live with and empowers them to live their lives and let others live with free will. The book opens the door to people of other faiths to shed their biases and join hands in creating a world of safety, security, and harmony for all humanity.
Islam is a public religion, and Muslims don’t own it exclusively. You are invited to participate in discussions, including your faith. The book is expected to initiate conversations about the nature of Islam and fellow humans. I welcome your criticism (after reading the book).
You can get the book by calling 1-888-795-4274 x 4528 or get it from Amazon online or a book store. You can find the talking points at www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com.
A new book coming up: We have a responsibility to shape the future of our society, and we will continue to focus our energies on ensuring a safe America, a secure and confident America, where no one including your kids, grandkids or yourselves has to worry about their faith, ethnicity, race, gender or other God-given uniqueness and live their life without apprehensions. Talking points about the book at https://americanmuslimagenda.com
Concerned by the divisiveness, he saw the need to bring Americans together and founded America Together Foundation committed to building a cohesive America, indeed it is in response to ACT America which is bent on pitching one American against the other. We will be holding a series of educational programs, conferences and workshops to address the issues that divide us such as Civil Rights, GLBT, Quraan, Abortion, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, Racial Profiling and Stereotyping.
The Annual Unity Day USA is in its 7th year now, it is a purposeful event to bring Americans together, on this Unity Day, we the people of the United States of America of every faith, race, ethnicity, culture, and background will gather to express our commitment to co-existence, unity, prosperity, and wellbeing of our nation.
Thanksgiving Celebration is in its 15th year showcasing cultural diversity.
The 5th Annual Reflections on Holocaust and Genocides is to learn and to acknowledge and reflect upon the terrible things we have inflicted upon each other and commit to avert such tragedies. Through this event non-Jewish people have consciously learned about Holocaust for the first time, it was also for the first time that people of 14 faiths came together to join in to commemorate the Holocaust that commemorated within the Jewish Community for years. They are not alone anymore in their anguish, we are all in it together with them, and it is a Muslim initiative to effect a positive change.
The programs, seminars, and workshops conducted by the Foundation for Pluralism have become a part of the America Together Foundation. While the Foundation for Pluralism continues championing the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other, the commitment to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress continues.
Mike is a speaker, thinker, collaborator and writer on the subjects of Pluralism, the Interfaith Movement, Cohesive Societies, Islam, India, Hope, and World Peace. Over 1000 of his articles have been published worldwide and two books are poised to be released this summer. His work is reflected in 4 websites and 27 Blogs indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net
To engage Mike in a dialogue, conference or a talk, write to Ghousespeaks@gmail.com and email dedicated for this purpose or you can call him on short notice at 214.325.1916
Mike’s writings
www.TheGhouseDiary.com