Meet the Iranian tycoon smashing gender stereotypes

Daneshvar’s statement resonates with me, “I fear nothing but God. That's why I always take risks and do things that many people do not do.”  - Indeed, fearing God amounts to concerns about creating an imbalance, and injustice in the society. I fear no Mullah, no Muslim and no no-one. I like her spirit and would like to write a piece on what “fearing Allah” means, which is generally mis-understood.  You have a knack for collecting great articles and extracting its essence and placing at. Most times, I read the stuff in red and then read the rest.  Thanks Imran. 

Courtesy -
Megan O'Toole
  with AlJazeera
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/04/meet-iranian-tycoon-smashing-gender-stereotypes-170425083206166.html

43, has spent years pursuing a successful career in the male-dominated mining industry.

Tehran - Fatemeh Daneshvar moves easily around the room as she speaks of her accomplishments, pausing at one point to admire a photo of her children, and at another to flip through a glossy magazine packed with images of some of the thousands of women her charity has aided.

Daneshvar, 43, now counts seven major businesses to her name, having spent years pursuing a successful career in the male-dominated mining industry. She serves on Tehran's city council and the Iranian chamber of commerce, and has authored dozens of reports on the social problems plaguing Iran, from addiction to child labour. She donates one-fourth of her income to her own charity, Mehrafarin, which supports women and children whose fathers have abandoned them.

http://www.aljazeera.com/curated/

But of all that Daneshvar has achieved over the years, she is proudest of her work with Iran's street kids. She runs a programme to train and support dozens of  exceptional orphans, giving them a chance to succeed in the broader community.

"Once, they were just yearning for a basket of fruit; now, they want to be astronauts, the best physicists of the world," Daneshvar tells Al Jazeera from inside her Tehran office.

Daneshvar has done all of this while raising four young children alongside her husband and business partner, and she openly acknowledges that it has not always been an easy road. Along the way, she faced resistance from traditionalist members of Iran's business community - but she persisted, citing a need to send a message to other women in the country.

Daneshvar recently sat down with Al Jazeera to speak about how she found success in a male-dominated industry, while also challenging Western stereotypes of what it means to be a woman in Iran.

Al Jazeera: What initially drew you to the business world?

Fatemeh Daneshvar: I did my MA in the field of business management and later decided to do business for myself. I was single at the time, but it wasn't quite something normal in Iranian culture, which was male-dominated in the business field - especially in mining and importing/exporting.

But I entered the mining industry sector and started exporting mining materials to different countries. My business took off and I got very successful.

Later on, I realised I'd gotten a lot of attention as the only woman active in this field. I realised that I'm quite different from others because of some of the virtues I have, like self-confidence, risk-taking and audacity.

The first business deal I made, I made a $2m deal, but all I had was $200. People wanted to know how on Earth I did that. I explained that it was through the art of negotiations.

Al Jazeera: What challenges have you faced while navigating this male-dominated world?

Daneshvar: I was always committed to setting goals and prioritising my goals, and I tried to look at them from above. Then, I always told myself: "That's nothing, let's do it."

Among those objectives was bringing four children into the world. I made those children at the height of my business and I was quite busy, but it happened and I am very happy for that - two boys and two girls.

It was like an earthquake across the country, that in a totally male-dominated field, a woman has gotten this vote. It was like a thunderbolt.

At that time, it came to my mind to become a member of the business chamber of Iran. There was no female member of the mining industry at the chamber. When I signed up, the senior members made fun of me, saying no such "young lady" should come to this field. They teased me that I should leave; I was pregnant at the time with twins and very busy.

But in the election of the chamber, I got the second-highest vote. It was like an earthquake across the country, that in a totally male-dominated field, a woman has gotten this vote. It was like a thunderbolt.

I received a lot of calls from male members of the chamber that I should resign, and that they could not accept a woman presiding over them. I sometimes got very tired and fed up with these kinds of calls, but I thought if I do resign, it's a kind of betrayal to the women in our society.

Instead, I made way for others: There are currently three other women chairing specialised committees.

Al Jazeera: Do you believe there are misconceptions in the West about what life is like for women living under Islamic rule?

Daneshvar: There is a huge misconception about women in Iran from a Western perspective. When I've travelled to different countries, I've realised that Iranian women are extremely highly educated and enjoy many more freedoms that in some of these other countries. But these misconceptions persist.

In a country like Iran, women have a delicate conduct with their husbands. They shouldn't weaken their husband to strengthen themselves. 

My husband has been a great partner, especially for raising children. When I've had to be away from home dealing with my business, he has filled that gap for me. He has been a great father and is wonderful with the children. This is another key to success, having a supportive partner.

Al Jazeera: What would you say are the most pressing social problems facing Iran today?

Daneshvar: Addiction and unemployment. These two are the root causes of many of the problems that I personally have seen, the social crimes and social harms.

TALK TO AL JAZEERA: Ahmadinejad - Iran can be better managed (22:16)

Our country is neighbouring Afghanistan, where many of the drugs are produced, and it is a transit route for drugs to Europe and Western countries. In the process, a lot of Iranian youth can become addicted to these types of drugs, and this leads to many social problems and social issues. We have divorce, we have family problems; we have many, many issues resulting from this. What is especially worrisome is the addiction among women, which should be tackled very seriously, because they are involved in child-bearing.

The country's senior authorities have always been very sensitive to this, but recently senior officials have paid a lot more attention to the issue, and many rehabilitation camps have been launched. Such efforts have been cumulatively increasing. 

Al Jazeera: What's your advice for women and girls who want to follow in your footsteps?

Daneshvar: I always advise them, the number one enemy is fear. Do not be scared, no matter what. And always think about yourself - set goals and objectives for yourself. Try to know thyself first.

I'm indebted to my spiritual intelligence. Because of the way my family raised me, I fear nothing but God. That's why I always take risks and do things that many people do not do.

This Q&A was adapted from a translated interview and has been edited and  condensed for clarity.

Follow Megan O'Toole on Twitter: @megan_otoole

Muslims Condemn Blasphemy Charges against Christian Teen in Pakistan

Blasphemy has become a tool of harassment to a few who have nothing better to do than create chaos. We ask the people of Pakistan to seriously debate the blasphemy laws. Islam is about free will and as Muslims we need to stand against any oppression towards any human being following in the footsteps of the prophet.

Full article at: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/muslims-condemn-blasphemy-charges-against-pakistan-christian-girl_b_1815127.html

Diversity in Islam

Does Qur'an condemn forming Sects in Islam

URL - http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/08/diversity-in-islam.html

Diversity in nature is given, indeed, Islam acknowledges diversity of humanity. Had God willed, all of us would have been produced with exact same specifications in a mass production factory, but God willed for us to be unique beings, accountable for our in individual actions in keeping his creation in balance and harmony or messing it up.

Every religion including Islam is about guiding us to keep God's creation in harmony and intact. We are all different pieces of the universe that fit together to keep the world in equilibrium. God willed us to be different, and we have learn to live with each other. That is the core mission of every prophet, messenger or a peace maker.

For nearly 1400 years there was only one way, the way Quraan was translated or interpreted by the people in the past. No one questioned it.  Not any more. 

Today, we have more than 25 English translations of Quraan, and thanks to some of the translators for correcting the misguided translations that have lasted for centuries to the point a few Muslims believe that the translation is also the word of God. To put it bluntly, we have been given the translations that were not entirely true to the word of God. Indeed, it is obligatory on our part to continue to find the truth in the light of all the dominant qualities we ascribe to God; Kind, merciful, and beneficent as listed on top of 113 of the 114 Chapters in Quraan. 

We have found that there were many wrongful translations of Qur’anic verses by the Christian Kings  in the 11th Century and Muslims themselves in the 20th century to serve their political interests or misogynic attitudes.

A member of the forum at WorldMuslimCongress@yahoogroups.com   posted verses (below) from Sura Anam and Rome with the note that Quraan condemns forming sects in Deen.  I have found that it is the arrogance that is condemned; if you found other wise, please share your findings, so we can learn the truth together.

It is not only Quraan, but every social, business; political or civic group resists the division. Getting it down to family level, no family wants division either. Likewise, no religious group wants division. But it happens, when people disagree for lack of trust or legitimate difference in understanding the situation. God has endowed us all with free will and we must appreciate that without reserve. 

I am glad to quote Muhammad Asad in his explanation of the verse 6:159, “expresses a condemnation of all sectarianism arising out of people's intolerant, mutually-exclusive claims to being "the only true exponents" of the Qur'anic teachings.”

Indeed, what is condemned in the Quraan is the arrogance of self-righteousness, in this instance to believe that Shia and other traditions are wrong and only Sunni is right or Sunni and other traditions are wrong and only Shia is right.  Shame on all of us to stoop so low to denigrate the other denominations as if Allah has signed a deal with us behind other’s back, Allah does not do that, he is just and has given us the freewill to be righteous in our own ways.

 Let’s hope and pray that Ulema have the humility to come together and agree that  declaring any tradition within the fold of Islam to be less amounts to Shirk, only Allah knows what is in one’s heart. We can always condemn acts that are destructive to the humanity (all of God's creation). but we cannot condemn one's faith in God. Only God knows what is in one's heart. Jesus said, condemn the sin and not the sinner. We keep forgetting that God alone is the decider, and none can be partners or assistant or mangers of God in judging other’s faith.  

Prophet Muhammad knew the division is caused by human fitra (nature) and prophesized that his followers will form into many groups - and he advised them all to compete in doing good instead of being arrogant.  Sura Hujurat lays out that about division - it’s all God’s design, and adds that we have to learn about each other and know each other, so that we may accept our differences and live in harmony.

49:13 (Asad) O men! Behold, We have created you all out of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another.  Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him. Behold, God is all-knowing, all-aware.

Here are a few verses on arrogance:

2:34 (Asad) And when We told the angels, "Prostrate yourselves before Adam!" ^[25] -they all prostrated themselves, save Iblis, who refused and gloried in his arrogance:  and thus he became one of those who deny the truth. ^[26] 

4:172 (Asad) Never did the Christ feel too proud to be God's servant, nor do the angels who are near unto Him. And those who feel too proud to serve Him and glory in their arrogance [should know that on Judgment Day] He will gather them all unto Himself: 

4:173 (Asad) whereupon unto those who attained to faith and did good deeds He will grant their just rewards, and give them yet more out of His bounty; whereas those who felt too proud and gloried in their arrogance.  He will chastise with grievous suffering: and they shall find none to protect them from God, and none to bring them succour. 

Qur'an condemns forming Sects in Deen.

The following verse was posted  at the World Muslim Congress forum,

 “Surah Anam 6:159. As for those who divide their Religion and break up into sects, Thou hast no part In them In the least: their affair is with Allah. He will In the end Tell them the truth of all that They did.”

Here is Asad’s translation in response to the above.

6:159 (Asad) VERILY, as for those who have broken the unity of their faith and have become sects - thou hast nothing to do with them. ^[161]Behold, their case rests with God: and in time He will make them understand what they were doing

A reference primarily, to the Jews and the Christians, who have departed from the fundamental religious principles which they had originally shared in their entirety, and have gone different ways in respect of doctrine and ethics (cf. 3:105). Beyond }this "primary" reference, however, the above verse connects logically with verse 153 above, "this is the way leading straight unto Me: follow if, then, and follow not other ways, lest they cause you to deviate from His way" -and thus relates prophetically to the followers of the Qur’an as well: in other words, it expresses a condemnation of all sectarianism arising out of people's intolerant, mutually-exclusive claims to being "the only true exponents" of the Qur'anic teachings. Thus, when asked about the implications of this verse, the Prophet's Companion Abu Hurayrah is reported to have answered, "It has been revealed with reference to this [our] community" (Tabari).(Quran Ref: 6:159 )

A few more verses were posted on the topic

“Surah Room 30:31-33 31. turn ye back In repentance to him, and fear him: establish regular prayers, and be not ye among those who join gods with Allah,32. those who split up their religion, and formed Sects,- Each party rejoicing In that which is with itself! 33. when trouble touches men, They cry to their Lord, turning back to Him In repentance: but when He gives them a taste of Mercy As from Himself, Behold, some of them pay part-worship to other god's besides their Lord,”

And as a habit, I usually check Muhammad Asad’s translation, if not satisfied, I check a few more, and here it is:

30:31 (Asad) [Turn, then, away from all that is false,] turn­ing unto Him [alone]; and remain conscious of Him, and be constant in prayer, and be not among those who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him, 

30:32 (Asad) [or] among those who have broken the unity of their faith and have become sects, each group delighting in but what they themselves hold [by way of tenets]. ^[29]

30:33 (Asad) NOW [thus it is:] when affliction befalls men, they cry out unto their Sustainer, turning unto Him [for help]; but as soon as He lets them taste of His grace, lo! some of them [begin to] ascribe to other powers a share in their Sustainer’s divinity, ^[30] 

May Allah guide us to know each other, and learn about each other instead of denigrating the other, which leads to conflicts and counter conflicts. Islam is about peace and living in harmony.  As Muslims we have to prove that to ourselves first.

To be a Muslim is to be a peacemaker, one who mitigates conflicts and nurtures goodwill, that was the underlying theme of the Prophet in just about everything he did,  a beautiful practice that needs to be highlighted in our daily discourse.

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies, where no human has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other. Please check outwww.WorldMuslimCongress.org and related sites listed at the blog.  

Ramadan day 24 - Valley Ranch Masjid

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www.RamadanDaily.com

Title - Ramadan day 24 - Valley Ranch Masjid

Date - Sunday, August 12, 2012 | Ramadan 24, 1433

Iftaar Time: 8:16 PM CST

Place -Valley Ranch Masjid  (214) 469-9000
Address - 9940 West Valley Ranch Pkwy, Irving, TX 75063

Imam - Shaikh Yaser Birjas Issa 

Website -  www.valleyranchmasjid.org

Today’s Pictures:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157631044156796/show/ 
Experience different traditions daily at:  www.RamadanDaily.com

Link to this piece:  http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2012/08/ramadan-day-24-valley-ranch-masjid.html

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TODAY'S EXPERIENCE

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE- 17 MORE IMAGES IN FLICK LINK

Alhamdu Lillah, today is the 24^th Iftaar, and I wondered at the beginning, if I would be able to write different things each day, thank God for making each day, a uniquely different experience.

Which Masjid did you connect with?  That was the first question Imam Birjas asked me,   I knew right then, that he and I were going to have a great dialogue. The sign of a good leader (Imam) is that he or she asks questions and patiently listens. He has both those qualities.

He is a great believer in feedback, indeed, without it you will never know if the intended teaching was received by the congregation. Apparently he had a survey on the https://www.facebook.com/valleyranchmasjid and asked his members, what they would like to hear in Friday Sermons, and then would incorporate the thoughts in his Qutbas (Sermons).

We discussed the relevancy of Friday sermons, and honestly, the youth will get on their smart phones instead of listening to something they don’t connect with.  While we were discussing this, the young fellow sitting next to Imam was participating in the conversation.

As someone who listens to sermons of different faiths, it was a delight to hear that Imam Birjas also listens to Joel Osteen, whose sermons can be easily converted to Friday sermons using the similar quotes from Bible that are in Quran. He summed it up pretty well; his sermons are more motivational than religious!

Which Masjid did I connect with? Each one of them!  If we broaden our horizons, i.e., if we give up pettiness and embrace the Aalameen like Allah, Quraan and the Prophet, every place is home to us. The blockade is from within, looking down at other’s practices or calling them weird or not connecting with others will not lift us up. I experienced that yesterday; I was reluctant to go to Colleyville Mosque as I did not know any one there, but found out I knew many. The idea is we have to learn to make home every place we visit; making home means feeling at ease. Today, I walked into Valley Ranch Masjid, I knew no one, but felt right at home. Thanks to Imam Birjas for making that happen. Again, there were a few who had mentioned seeing me on Hannity show. 

Qutba relevancy?

Imam Birjas shared a powerful thought on the topic of relevancy in terms of racism. Racism in the broadest terms is looking down on others for the way they look, talk or act.  What did Satan do? He refused to accept the leadership of the newly created Adam, he thought the man was inferior to him and he ain’t going to bow to that thing. 

He sees racism of race, religion, and ethnicity has origins in the original disobedience.

There is a need to include the topic of stereotyping in Juma Sermons, as I have found, a few Muslims make outlandish statements like, “that Mosque is Wahabbi funded, they follow Saudi Arabia, they are Arab dominated, Pakistani dominated and statements like that,  and we are better than them, the hell we are better than them! Some of us put out a lot of rubbish without any proof. 

The late Dick Sartin, a real right winger whom I dealt with in the early 2000, was boycotted by both Jews and Muslims for his false statements. He trapped a few Muslims to talk with him in a negative way about other Muslims, which boomeranged in 2003, causing a lot of investigations into Richardson Mosque and the Imam. We need to cut that crap about denigrating other Muslims without any damned proof. Those few handfuls of men should be ashamed of quoting from their other mouths about the last sermon of the Prophet (pbuh) which says no one is superior to the other.

 The Iftaar dinner was healthy and I liked it. Good amount of Salad well cut baby cucumbers and carrots in the midst of lettuce, corn salad, and Hummus to go with Pita bread and of course Rice. Ha, they forgot any sauce, curry or liquidy thing to mix with Rice, or maybe I did not see it.   The iftaar breaking had a lot of fruits, good fruits! 

The Imam being Palestinian, Kuwaiti, Jordanian and an American had a special brand of black coffee that I can drink frequently. You don’t drink the whole cup; you pour a few spoonfuls and sip.  I cannot take coffee in black, but this was exceptional. The Imam has patents to this, so we cannot make it on our own. No, I am just kidding.  He will share the formula with you. 

We talked about the Quraan translations, and I literally jumped when we agreed that the translations of Hilali Taqiuddin Khan caused much of the Islamophobia, and the legitimate fear it generated among the right wing Christians and Jews. Indeed, I walked away from Islam some 46 years ago, because of such hateful translations towards Christians and Jews and walked back in some 15 years ago after studying different translations and finding the truth. More about it at:http://quraanconference.blogspot.com/ 

He said, being an Arab, he rarely reads the English translations, but when he does, it offends him to see mistranslation by Hilali Khan. I am glad he has a good library of translations of Quraan; indeed, I have a good number of translations. I have promised to present him two translations; Reformers Quraan by Edip Yuskel and Translation by Maulana Wahiduddin. No translation is a final answer; you have to check several to get the essence of it. Finding the truth is your own responsibility, as on the Day of Judgment, no one but you is accountable for your actions.

I have not worn Perfume in 40 some years, on the 2^nd day of Iftaar, at Richardson Mosque, a ubiquitous volunteer, who wears a red tall Turkish cap, came and put a tiny drop of perfume on my hand… and tonight, Imam Birjas placed tiny drop on my right hand… I still smell it, it is soft. 

The breaking of fast to the Maghrib prayers were similar to the Masajids in Irving, Richardson, Allen and Plano.

 Apparently someone is going to take the oath, the Shahadah to become a Muslim tonight; I did not stay for the whole sets of Taraweeh prayers. 

QUESTION ON IMAM COSTUMES

America is a great equalizer, something Islam is built around as well. Of course we have learned now that wearing Arabic customary clothes does not make one holy.  One of our great Imams is from Turkey and does not wear the Muslim “garb” (Lol- Juan Williams). Do we (non-Arabs) automatically assume that an Imam wearing the Muslim garb is seriously qualified to be Imam over a guy like me or you, who wear regular clothes? Do we have the prejudice? If the Hafiz tonight was wearing Jeans and T-shirt would you value him the same as the Imam tonight who wore the full Arab Regalia?  Is our religiosity measured by externalities?  

Take it easy, you will find that the Rabbis, Pundits, Pastors, Shamans and clergy of other religions also make a point to wear clothes that separates them. Should they?

Here is your invitation

Each mosque and each tradition is uniquely different.  Insha Allah, I will do my best to keep that uniqueness intact, however, it is not easy to write different things each day for the whole month, and we have just about 5 or 6 days left!  I hope this has been a meaningful journey for you. I urge you to jump in and experience it yourselves.

Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America with participation from every community. Please visit www.AmericaTogetherfoundation.com

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• Please visit the site http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/
• Americans Together, a film by Mike Ghouse. No American has to live in apprehension or fear of the other. There are solutions, and here is a trailer of the movie in making:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMXsTo4VYh8&feature=youtu.be
• What does God really want? http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2012/07/happy-ramadan-what-does-god-really-want.html
• Are Muslims a part of the American society? http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/10/are-muslims-part-of-american-story.html
• A call from God to know each other http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/01/mission-of-world-muslim-congress.html
• In defense of Islam, pursuing a civil dialogue http://www.dallasnews.com/news/columnists/steve-blow/20100919-In-defense-of-Islam-pursuing-9397.ece
• Prayer postures http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2012/07/muslim-prayers-format-salat-or-namaz.html
• Interfaith Quraan Conferencehttp://quraanconference.blogspot.com/2012/07/pastor-robert-jeffress-ingnites-quraan.html

 

MikeGhouse is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a professional speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, civic affairs, Islam, India, Israel, peace and justice. Mike is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News and regularly at Huffington post, and several other periodicals across the world. The blog www.TheGhousediary.comis updated daily. 

Ramadan day 23 - Colleyville Masjid

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Title - Ramadan day 23 - Colleyville Masjid

Date - Saturday, August 11, 2012 | Ramadan 23, 1433

Iftaar Time: 8:16 PM CST

Place - Colleyville Masjid  (817)788-8820
Imam - Yahya J. Aekoma

Address - 500 Cheek-Sparger Rd, Colleyville, Tx 76034

Website -   http://www.ColleyvilleMasjid.org

Today’s Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157631026310338/show/   
Experience different traditions daily at:  www.RamadanDaily.com

Link to this piece:  http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2012/08/ramadan-day-23-colleyville-masjid.html

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Click on picture to enlarge - 20 other pictures are in the link

It is one of the most beautiful Mosques in Dallas area; it’s architecturally pleasing, symmetrical and well placed. It offers great street scape and has a pleasant courtyard. Landscaping can be improved with a few bougainvillea and crepe myrtles.  The only comparison is at the Ismaili Jamat Khana in Plano that incorporates similar elements.

I urge the management of this mosque to invite the Chamber of Commerce and the City (Planning) officials, and ask them to consider placing this mosque as one of the landmarks of the city. Which means this Mosque will be on the list of places to see for a visitor to Colleyville.  A good spot to take some extraordinary pictures would be of sunset around 8:16 PM from the intersection of Brown Trail and Cheek-Sparger, camera pointing North-west. With additional landscaping this mosque needs to be showcased.

As a home builder, I appreciate the thoughtfulness in building this mosque. Personally I don’t like to see shoes and sandals when I walk into a mosque or a home, and I sure don’t like to walk through the smell either. In the homes we built, we created a large built in shoe cabinet in the niche with doors to keep the footwear out of sight.  Two Mosques have paid attention to this; the Colleyville Mosque and the Fort Worth Mosque on Diaz Avenue.   

The Masjid space shaped in a “T”, with the sanctuary at the top of the T and a flex hall on the vertical; on either side of the T are the class rooms. A great traditional lay out that keeps everything in sight, and offers safety for women and children being in sight. 

When I left the office for Iftaar, there was an unusual hesitancy in me, never felt that before, and I did not like the feeling either.  I did not know anyone at this Mosque. My inner voice cajoled me, “Your personal commitment to develop the mechanism for intra-faith is a good reason to go, and for God’s sake it is Allah’s house, just go.” So, I did, and thank God for the Hidayat, it was a good experience.

Thanks to Dr. Ateeq Ahmed, Mo Peracha and a few others whom I knew, I felt home instantly.  Three others (apologize for not remembering the names) mentioned reading the Ramadan daily and one gentleman was amused with the Bohra Masjid story from yesterday and another one was connected from my Cricket days.

One of the conversations was a piggy back on what a friend of mine had mentioned; if we can see learn to see how little it takes to live, and then contentment develops.  The man on my left had quite a few things to add, everyone around mentioned not losing a pound, indeed, I did not lose a pound either.

I was struck with the thought of freedom Ramadan offers; the whole day, almost sixteen hours of abstainament from the desire to have a cup of coffee, the desire to have food or water, and be on a constant vigil to be righteous is incredible. Can’t have ill-thoughts about others, cant’ even allow hate to take root, consciously holding on to temptations and anger, avoiding tattle tailing ... Indeed, we can live with very little with much freedom. The word “Mukti” is very descriptive of this state of mind; a genuine freedom from slavery to desire!   

The Khajoors (dates) were neatly placed on a napkins along with a cup of Rooh Afza (refreshing drink) at the entrance table. That was a very efficient way to distribute the Iftaar material.

At the call of Adhan (prayer call), normally every one breaks the fast with a bite of a date, but here today, there were some who waited for the call to finish!  Each Masjid has a different practice; of leading to the moment on his or her own or follow the tradition, as is done at Madinah Masjid in Carrollton, every second of the last few minutes are guided by the Imam there with supplications.

The sanctuary has clean white walls and I liked that. It is a place of worship and let it remain clean. By the way, one of the cleanest Mosques and its courtyard is the Masjid-Al-Aqsa. It was incredibly clean.

We may consider the long term relations with the communities we mosque in, we may consider to place our Masajid’s on weekly tours for the citizens in an open house, so people can come and see the sanctuary. It is about God and nothing but God; nothing is hidden, no secret deity or no nothing. It is simply a place of worship with an intention to pray, and there is nothing but you and God, the abstract God who is formless.  "He is the One God, God the Eternal, the Uncaused Cause of All Being; He begets not, and neither is He begotten; and there is nothing that could be compared with Him.”

Good simple food! Salad, Lentil (Daal), Palau (rice with fragrance) and Chicken Curry (Not sure what it was, there was sign which said Halim, but that was not Halim).

Mr. Peracha introduced me to the young Imam Yahya J. Aekoma, his Qir’at (style of recitation) reminded me of the ones I used to hear early in the mornings in Saudi Arabia. It was good to meet with him; he is apparently trained from the Bayyanah institute of Islamic learning with Ustad Nouman, a good speaker with a vision to improve the learning systems. I hope to connect with him one of these days.

There was a small commotion after the prayer; apparently those who came late to the prayers started their own Jamaat (group prayer led by an individual) instead of joining the current prayer in the middle and completing it out after the group finished its prayers. A gentleman was unhappy about the group by telling them so… that was discourteous to others who were observing the Sunna prayers. He was technically right, but certainly not polite about it. He could have waited after the prayers and explained his point of view. I am sure he feels regretful, and I am glad Mr. Peracha and others did not say a word that was the right thing to do to let the conflict die down on its own. 

Although it is disappearing now, the women in their thirties can recall belligerent men, yelling at them to cover the head, and or pull the scarf over the hair. One should mind his own manners and not resort to telling others how to pray or behave on the spot, if we do; we need to do it quietly and politely. Thank God the kids tell me when I meet them about what they feel good about being in a Mosque. 

This evening I overheard a teen justifying the behavior -“if they come to the prayers on time, this would not have happened.” Wow! That decisive kid will yell at others when he grows up.  We all need to be trained with the “adaabs” of the mosque. May be our Imams can add a simple item or two in every Friday Sermon.

It was just beautiful outside the Mosque, everyone was hanging out in the front courtyard, there were a few benches and the mercury flood light was adding pleasantness. It was time to have a cup of tea or carry a conversation.  No one was in a hurry to go!

In the beginning of Ramadan, I wrote and wished that we incorporate in our spaces, a mechanism to promote fellowship - meaning people hanging out and getting to know each other, instead of dashing home. That is what builds a sense of community.

The three friends sitting on the bench in one of pictures were from Jordan, Pakistan and Somalia - our conversation started on Sura Hujurat 49:13 and they said they were just talking about it. It was good to see this kind of fellow ship.

I hope we can consider designing our facilities to encourage fellowship and making this place to be a community place, as the prophet intended with Masjid-e-Nabawi.

Apparently a new Mosque is being considered in South Lake, and I beg Muslims to consider following the first two models of the prophet before building a Mosque; that of Amin and a conflict mitigater. I was in the middle of the controversy with Ground Zero Mosque. I stood my ground with Pamela Geller, Brigitte Gabriel, David Horowitz and Frank Gaffney in the span of a week. I felt like I was fighting it alone with hawks all around me.

Here is one with Brigitte Gabriel and Sean Hannity on Fox Newshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQF0ips81jA

I believe Imam Feisal Rauf made the mistake by avoiding TV interviews, had he done that at the beginning, much of the controversy would have been averted, I was called in after the controversy began, and it was too late to extinguish the flames.

click to enlarge picture- 20 other pictures in the flickr link above

We have to build relationships, we live in the community and we need to be friends, it is the right thing to do. In a time when Churches are being closed down for lack of funds, a Mosque going up creates resentment. We can win the wars legally, but we lose in the long haul - living in apprehension and constant concerns is not a healthy way of living.

We have to be the contributors towards creating peaceful cohesive societies. It is our responsibility.  A genuine friendship is essential, without the mal-intention of converting the other when you befriend them, but a genuine interest in the wellbeing of people brings lasting relationships to live in peace with others.  Go back to the example of how Prophet treated that old lady who was unkind to him, when he walked by her house.  We need to prioritize our Sunna - to create goodness or run with a hidden agenda of conversion. Islam is about openness and truthfulness and that is the kind of Sunnah we need to pursue. 


We have to hire a community relations manager before we buy the land. That is my advice observing the mistakes we have made in Murfreesboro, Houston, California and other places. Take a look at this blog to understand the difficulties. http://groundzeromosque.blogspot.com/

By the way, Rabbi Charlie Citreon- Walker who was in Colleyville Masjid yesterday is being recognized by the Foundation for pluralism and America Together foundation on the Unity Day USA for his interfaith relations work.   Details are on the websitewww.UnitydayUSA.com

Three of the pastors who were recipients of this annual award, had stood up with Muslims for the Ground Zero Mosque and wrote in Dallas Morning news about it during the controversy. One of them is Bob Roberts of the Baptist Church in your neighborhood.  We need to stand up for others and we must encourage those who stand up for others including us.  People like Rabbi Walker and others awardees will be standing up for each other. 

We really need your presence. Please confirm at the email at the website. That is another Sunnah we Muslims need to follow, to learn to rsvp.  

Here is your invitation

We are pleased to invite you to the 8th Annual Unity Day USA.

on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at 11:30 am

at Unity of Dallas, 6525 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX 75230

Each mosque and each tradition is uniquely different.  Insha Allah, I will do my best to keep that uniqueness intact, however, it is not easy to write different things each day for the whole month, and we have just about 5 or 6 days left!  I hope this has been a meaningful journey for you. I urge you to jump in and experience it yourselves.

Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America with participation from every community. Please visitwww.AmericaTogetherfoundation.com 

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Please mark your calendar for the Unity Day USA, onTuesday, September 11, 2012 at 11:30 am at Unity of Dallas, 6525 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX 75230. It is a positive event that brings Americans Together to rededicate our pledge for a peaceful, prosperous and secure America. We are a part of America and we need to feel and live it.  Please visit www.UnityDayUSA.com

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• Please visit the site http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/ No American has to live in apprehension or fear of the other.
• There are solutions; here is a trailer of the movie in making:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMXsTo4VYh8&feature=youtu.be
• What does God really want? http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2012/07/happy-ramadan-what-does-god-really-want.html
• Are Muslims a part of the American society? http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/10/are-muslims-part-of-american-story.html
• A call from God to know each other http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2012/01/mission-of-world-muslim-congress.html
•  In defense of Islam, pursuing a civil dialogue http://www.dallasnews.com/news/columnists/steve-blow/20100919-In-defense-of-Islam-pursuing-9397.ece
• Prayer postures http://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/2012/07/muslim-prayers-format-salat-or-namaz.html
• Interfaith Quraan Conference http://quraanconference.blogspot.com/2012/07/pastor-robert-jeffress-ingnites-quraan.html

Please visit www.RamadanDaily.com  for a record since 2010.

MikeGhouse is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a professional speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, civic affairs, Islam, India, Israel, peace and justice. Mike is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News and regularly at Huffington post, and several other periodicals across the world. The blog www.TheGhousediary.comis updated daily.