Good Deeds

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 As a part of countering anti-Muslim messaging, we are working on creating the following website – www.GoodDeeds.info 

GOOD DEEDS 
Website www.Gooddeeds.info
In the works

Website launch date: August 15, 2020* 

Mission: To counter Anti-Islam and Anti-Muslims messaging in India with Good deeds.

Vision: To see an India, where fellow Indians see Muslims as nation builders, contributors, Kind, and caring do-gooders. 

Quran 41:34 (Asad) – But [since] good and evil cannot be equal, repel thou [evil] with something that is better and lo! he between whom and thyself was enmity [may then become] as though he had [always] been close [unto thee], a true friend!

I see the wisdom in the above verse and have seen it work more than three times.

GOALS

1. To strengthen and retain friendship and support of all our neighbors and friends irrespective of their creed and religion.**
2. To make new friends and keep all old friends and gain the goodwill of all friends.
3. To populate the internet search engines with the good deeds
4. To soften Hindutva attitudes towards Muslims (Long-term goal)

If you or a donor or a sponsor your name will be listed on the site.

Includes complete website, design, SEO, SLC, Malware, etc.  Collecting information in 20 categories, checking to make sure they are authentic, and finally uploading the information on the site, videos on YouTube. Payment to temporary help in India and the US to source the material and keep adding thru 8/15 and afterward.  Our goal is to gather at least 100 items of goodness by the release date.

I have asked for volunteers since none came, I am going thru all the postings to make sure the material meets the criteria and is from authentic sources. I will do this work, and I welcome any volunteer, but sourcing and uploading will be assigned to someone.  I have reviewed over 40 entries as of now and will continue to read and watch the videos for posting

*Press release – The site will be launched with an impactful 3 minutes PSA and request NDTV, Wire and other papers to release along with Muslims to forward it to our Hindu and other friends.  We will also do a press release in time

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Muslims are feeling vulnerable, particularly in democracies like India and Sri Lanka, and autocracies like China and Burma. Thank God for America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Germany, Ireland, France and a few other democracies where the rule of law prevails, despite the tensions, Muslims and other minorities feel secure in these nations.

The anti-Muslim rhetoric is aggressively making its way in the market. Particularly the ones who hate Muslims in India have developed cells whose only work is to spread false information. Even those we thought were our friends, are moving away. 

We have many organizations, Muslim as well as non-Muslim countering the Islamophobic messages. We are Americans, and we can do better than that. Let the defensive part work its way, but add the Offensive part to it – to aggressively present the good things Muslims are doing. You may be surprised that the world does not know how much good Muslims are doing. It is time we do it. 

 Since the title is Good Deeds, we hope it will attract people to see the good things Muslims are doing for the benefit of humankind, not just Muslims.

God has mentioned several times in the Quran that the significant criteria for earning his grace are by caring for life and the environment. Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) wisdom sums it up that a good deed is an unselfish act of doing things for the benefit of others. He said it is like planting a sapling or sowing a seed, knowing that when that becomes a shade-giving or fruit-bearing tree, he/she is not the beneficiary. 

There are several stories to highlight this narrative. One of them is a woman of the street (sinner) who saves a thirsty dog, will be forgiven by God. A man who shares his food with the hungry neighbor before going to sleep is better than the one who prays all day long. Such is the emphasis placed on caring for others. Indeed, if we can stand up for the rights of others, others will be inclined to stand up for us. Standing up for Justice is one of the twelve sacred values of Islam.

 Of course, God is selfish, too, since he created the world in harmony; he wants his intelligent (Ashraful Mukhlookhat) creation to take the responsibility (viceregent) to preserve the tranquility and balance. 

Allah acts like the owner of a business, who appreciates the employees who put in their heart and soul to protect and defend his company. People ask me, what is God’s will? I would say he wants his creation to live in harmony and bestows his grace with peace to the individuals who work to preserve and restore balance. More about it in the chapter Essence of Islam in the book American Muslim Agenda backed up with Verses from the Quran.

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The following tabs/categories are in the works now and may add a few more. These items are goodwill builders for Muslims.

About: It is the list of board members and donors at this time. As we form the board members, some of them will be from countries where Muslims live as minorities. We hope the board members will consist of youth, women, and seniors. They will elect an executive body to carry the work forward; my role is to set this up and make it run and revert to my work at the Center for Pluralism. I hope that we will find the right people to remain focused, do their job, and not seek a name.

Food – during this Corona epidemic – Muslims are out there on the streets feeding the poor, the hungry, and the day laborers. The world needs to see this.

Shelter – Muslims have provided shelter and a safe place for the affected people, regardless of their faith. Of course, others are doing that as well. But our focus is what Muslims are doing, earning goodwill from fellow humans.

Blood – The Tablighi Jamaat people have donated the plasma, which has helped cure many patients.

Organ – there are stories of Muslims donating organs for the people on death bed. Indeed, these Muslims follow the Quran in the real sense; saving a life is like saving all humanity.

Disasters – Many Muslim organizations and individuals rush to save lives, alongside the Red Cross during Katrina and Tsunami. How many fellow humans know about it?

Education – Muslim contributions like the Salman academy and other institutions making education easy. 

Funerals – when the relatives have abandoned their ‘loved ones’ among Hindus and other communities, Muslims have stepped up and done the last rites for others. Muslims care about the dignity of humans after their deaths. We have several stories to share. If our Hindu friends read this, their goodwill we will earn. 

Domestic violence – several Muslim organizations are helping victims of domestic violence regardless of their faith. Women in particular who are going through difficulties would appreciate the Muslim hearts. 

Other – the activities that don’t fall in any one of the categories on the portal.

Charities – there are so many charities run by Muslims, they never get their due credit. Our goal is to list them all and provide a link if there is one to their websites. These organizations foster goodwill among fellow humans.

Medical – Muslims have taken up opening free Medical clinics to attend urgent care for the people who cannot afford medical service. 

Science – Muslim contributions in science have benefited humanity, and they continue to contribute. We don’t need to beat up on ourselves – there are a lot of Muslims who are inventing, let’s put that all here. 

Technology – Muslim innovations that benefit humankind.

Role Models – an Imam in New York took upon himself to perform the ghusl, funeral prayer, and even burial- when all others have shied away. The Women of Shaheen Bagh had the foresight to see what is coming and started demonstration – include were women in their ’80s and pregnant women. God bless them for their acts to secure the future generation of Muslims and all others. 

Press releases – regularly to highlight the work of Muslims.

Videos – of the good deeds, Muslims are performing across the world.

Pictures – of the good deeds, Muslims are performing.

Share- for individuals and institutions to share the good deeds they have run across to see. 

Subscribe – by subscribing; one will receive automatic mail about a new posting and a monthly newsletter

Donate – this will be a non-profit organization, and the donations will carry the work forward.

Search – if anyone clicks any one of the tabs, the list in that category will appear on the main body of the site, and if they click the link they want to see, it will display on the main body. Then they have to click icons like Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. The more we click and forward it, the more it will populate on the internet.

When we post the articles – it will ask the category and automatically add Good deeds and Muslims together. It will allow five tags – the name of the individual or the organization in the story and name of the city and the other three tags.

Each tab on the site would be a category full of information. Everything that Muslims are doing for the benefit of humanity will be searched and posted.  We hope to blast the messaging.

We request each of you to gather material for each tab and send it to a designated email within a few days.

Once the articles are on the website, all you have to do is visit each item and click the social media icons, and it will flood the internet.

We need to hire a person in India or elsewhere – whose sole work is to look for articles in those categories and post it. 

Eventually, it could be a worldwide portal—any good article about Muslims in any one of those categories will be here.

Your concrete ideas are welcome. Please respect others’ time, send only viable purposes, and be willing to do the work or fund it. We don’t need talkers, and we need doers.  We all have less time on our hands; let our time go into producing positive things.   # # #

Dr. Mike Ghouse is the founder and president of the Center for Pluralism.  He is a speaker, thinker, author, consultant, pluralist, activist, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant.  He is deeply committed to Religious Freedom, Human Rights, and Pluralism in Religion, Politics, Societies, and the workplace, and to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions to the media and the policymakers.  Book information is at www.AmericanMuslimAgenda.com and his info at www.TheGhousediary.com


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