Rashad Hussain has been nominated to be the Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom and Khizr Khan has been appointed as the Commissioner of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Press release at https://centerforpluralism.com/rashad-hussain-is-nominated-to-be-the-ambassador-at-large-for-religious-freedom/
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Bob Crane, the first Muslim American Ambassador and who served as the Deputy Director of the National Security Council, and was the principal foreign policy advisor to President Nixon. Will speak about Muslim Citizenship in public Square. More about him at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Dickson_Crane
Zoom on Sunday, August 1, 2021, at 12:00 PM EST – Register in advance for this meeting, after registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMldOmtrzstH9VvOolJ9V20XFcHnK9DnQtq
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Dr. Safi Kaskas and Dr. Mike Ghouse will speak about what Al-Amin means to American Muslims. The word Al-Amin is a composite word of values and character of the Ultimate Citizen. Their profiles at https://worldmuslimcongress.org/islamic-values-speaker-profiles/
Zoom on Sunday, August 1, 2021, at 2:00 PM EST – Register in advance for this meeting, after registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsde6tqDgtGtGQ4UCmZ-a8m85VdaXz4hgs
More at https://worldmuslimcongress.org/special-muslim-bulletin/
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Islamic teachings missed out by Muslims and others
Islam remains a myth to many people, including Muslims. Its essence, purpose, and its role vis-à-vis humanity are seldom understood or even explained. Indeed, the teachings of Islam are designed to build kind, just, and caring societies where every human feels secure.
However, some Muslims have reduced Islam to merely a religion of rituals. The rituals are indeed the pathways to achieving purposeful milestones in one’s life. But Islam is much more than the rituals of the five pillars, and it is about the universal values that guide humanity to live in peace and harmony.
God wants us to care for his creation, i.e., fellow humans and the environment. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) led the way in establishing the role of a model citizen, also known as —the Amin, Al-Amin.
God has created everything in harmony and balance, and we are to observe the limits as it affects us all (Quran 55:5-11). The God-given free will drives us into conflicts with others, and it is our duty as the vice-regent (intelligent beings) to restore harmony whenever it wavers. That is all God wants us to do.
Islah al-Alam is a new phrase coined by Mike Ghouse, which means continuously restoring harmony to the world.
Dr. Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi states, “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 were 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.” He added, “Islam is a religion of civilization,” which he suggests elsewhere is the essence and purpose of every world religion.
Chief Seattle, a Native American, said this perfectly, “All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. 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.”
The shortage of Muslims to communicate Islamic values has been a significant problem in society. If we don’t speak, someone else will talk negatively about Islam as they may have something to gain by producing stereotypical images of Muslims, pitting fellow humans against the Muslims. Hence, we have taken the lead to initiate this program.
The World Muslim Congress is a think tank committed to change the inadequate narratives about Islam by presenting the values that will contribute towards building cohesive societies.
1. Muslims Together in Politics and Media
Our show is on zoom between 12:00 -1 PM EST. The purpose of this program is to encourage Muslims to run for public office and highlight their contributions to the political, economic, social, and pluralistic landscape of America. Muslims are committed to building a cohesive America. Our guests have included Governors, Senators, Congressmen, State Reps & Senators, City council, and School boards members.
2. Islamic Values
Every Sunday on zoom between 2:00 – 3:00 PM EST. It is a series of 17 values presented by Dr. Safi Kaskas and Dr. Mike Ghouse, who wrote the books The Quran, a contemporary Understanding, and the American Muslim Agenda. You will be surprised to hear the inclusive and pluralistic nature of Islam. We hope this program becomes the teaching tool in Mosques and schools in building a cohesive America.
Dr. Safi Kaskas, “Islam the way I know is an inclusive religion. The Qur’an recognizes the Torah and the Gospels as books of guidance and enlightenment. Its first application in Medina was a great attempt to build a pluralistic society, where equality was guaranteed to every member of society as well as the basic freedoms including the freedom of worship. These are the values we celebrate in our American Constitution and were an integral part of the Medina Constitution.”
Dr. Mike Ghouse, “It is a dream come true for me to share the values of Islam with my fellow Americans. I have questioned everything about Islam, Quran, and the Prophet. The Bhagavad Gita says that finding the truth is one’s responsibility, and I have found the truth; Islam is indeed an inclusive and pluralistic religion.
The details about the speakers and the links to the weekly shows are on the home page at www.WorldMuslimCongress.org Dr. Mike Ghouse is a public speaker, thinker, author, and interfaith wedding officiant. Mike is president of the Center for Pluralism and the director at the World Muslim Congress – a think