What is the American Muslim Agenda?
We have been misled by the right-wing Muslim scholars of the past, they have distorted the pluralistic teachings of the Prophet and presented Islam as a political entity. The nonsense about not befriending Jews, Christians and others is anathema to the universal, inclusive teachings of Islam. Mike Ghouse boldly apologizes for the misunderstanding spread by a few Muslims about fellow humans. Islam is not about governance, sharia, dhimmi or jizya, it is about spiritual and social guidance to live in harmony with oneself and fellow humans.
The book “American Muslim Agenda” is a primer to a Blueprint for Muslims to consider, to carve out a dignified space for them in the civil society, let the discussions begin followed by a concrete plan of action. A Muslim is someone who is a conflict mitigater and a goodwill nurturer, and follow this formula for peaceful societies practiced by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) with guidance from the Quran.
This book paves the way to own up the mistakes we have made, and continue to make them. We have to fix them for our next generation to live a fully integrated life with fellow Americans with the least conflicts. There is only one America, and all of us are an active part of it. We need to learn to engage with those who are opposed to us, and I have success stories to share.
We have to be a part of the American story and become one with all to build a secure future for every American. All humans, men, and women are created equal, and no one is more privileged than the other.
No American should be left behind, and we have to embrace each one of the 323 Million of us, no matter how they differ, perceive us and threaten us. We need to reassure each other, particularly the Americans who are committed to President Trump, that together with them as Americans, we are committed to safeguarding the American way of life. No American needs to worry about losing his or her way of life. Together as Americans, we uphold, protect, defend and celebrate the values enshrined in our Constitution; a guarantor of the way of life for every American.
Two of the Nineteen chapters focus on Islamic Values and American Muslim Agenda. Islamic values that contribute to building a cohesive America where each one of us can live in peace with the other. Whereas, the American Muslim Agenda recommends items for Muslims to consider in becoming full-fledged contributing Americans to America’s success story.
Ultimately each one of the 323 Million of us must feel secure with our faith, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other uniqueness in the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.
When we start defending America and American values, we are in! We become an integral part of the American Story.
Here are three minutes from Brigitte Gabriel on Sean Hannity show at Fox News: https://www.facebook.com/MikeGhouse/videos/1438210749532124/
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 a 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 towards others and others towards Muslims? Indeed, it will once the myths are demystified. 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 learned from our parents, friends, 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 and you will read what Islam is about.
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 ‘free will’ 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 more importantly Judith Miller’s statements.
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 from Amazon online or a book store near you. You can find the talking points at www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com.
Dr. Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His new book, the “American Muslim Agenda” is about everything you wanted to know about Muslims. The book is available at Xlibris and Amazon. Mike is a public speaker, author, interfaith wedding officiant, and the executive director of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. More about him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/