The Foundation for Pluralism

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A 9/11 Commemoration on Sunday, September 7, 2008 | 5:00 -7:000 PM

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Updates, Please click here for the most current articles .

 

Shaping the Tomorrow - The center for Interfaith inquiry

What kind of world will we leave our children?  Informed by the past, how will we consciously create our future?  With a preponderance of behavior that only considers today’s pleasures and the rollout of the latest toys, how do we shift our focus to creating a healthy future history in a multi-religious multi-cultural world?   When spirituality is being overshadowed by fear, fear and intolerance of the other, how do we not merely tolerate the other, but see them as interesting?  Who cares?  When turf consciousness is the overwhelming manner of conduct, how can we maintain our own individuality, yet at the same time, create a future coexistence that is both sustainable and nonviolent? 

 

Bahudha Pluralism

Tracing the quintessential teachings of the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bible, Qur'aan, Guru Granth Sahib and other religious texts, the writer highlights how they all preach the law of harmony— rightfully the strength of the society. The exploration brings to the foreground the indisputable fact that the enlightened prophets of all religions never thought or preached in terms of exclusiveness of their religion, nor did they think only of their welfare but for the welfare of all. Throughout the volume, the author stresses the need to don the Bahudha attitude—of accommodation and tolerance—to pave the way for a strong foundation of the harmonious society.

 

Maldives Constitution to be questioned

As a Muslim, I question the amendment in the constitution of Maldives. If we don't question it, we would be giving a pass to exclusive ideologies around the world. . The noblest among you is the one who cares for the neighbors, Qur'aan says. Shame on the fanatic few in the Government of Maldives to get a law like this passed, it is against the spirit of Qur'aan and against the spirit of Prophet Muhammad's Madinah pact that protected the rights of every individual to practice his or her faith. In fact, even conversion of the spouse was not a requirement in a marriage. This amendment is contrary to the spirit of Islam.

 

Birmingham council bans Atheist websites.

Today it is Atheism, tomorrow it would be Hinduism, and day after tomorrow it would be Baptists or Mormons or Muslims, then it is every one they disagree with. Where is the end? How insecure is the council? Are they afraid that by looking at Atheists sites, one would give up his or her faith?

 

Rabbi Rosen on Saudi Interfaith Dialogue

Without skepticism, cynicism, understanding and support, no initiative will ever be comprehensive and it will not take off the ground without a combination of these elements that temper the progress. What is the loss if we believe in this initiative?

 

The Saudi Dialogue by Rabbi Michael Lerner

Rabbi Michael Lerner is editor of Tikkun magazine, chair of the Network of Spiritual Progressives. He files an objective report about the Saudi dialogue, his skepticism and good omen included.

 

Interfaith Dialogue in Saudi Arabia,

Saudi Arabia is one of the most religiously conservative society and is opening up to people of other faiths. The process began in 2005 when Saudi Emissaries started branching out all over the world to explore interfaith. In Dallas per the request of a Saudi minister

Religion and Oneness of God

The guardians of the faith have a vested interest in promoting the idea that their faith is the best, and others are deficient, or even inferior or illegitimate. This protects their interests, but spiritually they are wrong, a majority of the people believe otherwise....
 

Blaming the religion is dumb

If we blame the religion, we do not stand a chance to punish it, it is intangible. No one will be ever satisfied by blaming the religion, you just cannot do a thing about it. The world has been wrong about it for centuries, it is time to wise up and do the right thing; to bring justice to the crimes.

 

Divisive Words - Pro Israel and Pro-Palestine.

The words pro-Israel or pro-Palestine are divisive, we ought to consider looking at the issue in terms of Justice, peace and security for the people of the area understood as Israelis and Palestinians rather than dividing ourselves in to the divisive camps.

 

Biblical Prophecies

The majority of each group does not subscribe to God’s plan to destroy his own creation deliberately and for what? All brands are fashioned by God, he would not favor one over the other as it amounts to injustice, and God is about Justice.

 

Jihadists - Fact and fiction

Throughout the history of mankind, insecure men have found their false security in rattling up others, they have been wrong and will continue to err. You cannot have security when others around you are not; neither can you have peace when others can’t.

 

Faith based environmental activism

I am pleased to see that father Andang has taken up the responsibility to educate the public to be environmentally conscious. If All the leaders in faith can take this up, one item at a time, the world would be a better place to live. Congratulations to Father Andang.

 

Oprah did not deny other paths leading to God

Not the Christians, but a handful of fundamentalists are ganging up to reign in on Oprah for saying that. They are branding the issue as “Oprah Denies Jesus as Sole Way to God”, instead of seeking understanding, they are stirring up the short-term raw emotions of those who are on the border line of being fundamentalists. The title should have been “Oprah did not deny other paths leading to God.” She did not deny the way to God through Jesus either.

 

State Department urged to deny Visa to Gujarat chief Minister Narendra Modi

Neither the Gujaratis nor Gujarat are to be blamed. Please hold the temptations to label the genocide to either, it is not them, it is the individuals who have committed the crimes against other Gujaratis. Remember both the criminals and victims are Gujaratis, no Gujarati should be offended with the ongoings, it is not about them, it is about the criminals regardless of the religious label they wear. Religion does not permit one to murder others and our civil laws must punish the criminals.

 

Who Owns the Word "Allah"

The Malaysian Government need to learn that no one owns the word "Allah" nor does any one own "Allah". Same formula applies to the other names of God be it Yahweh, Ahura Mazda, Krishna, Allah, Ahura Mazda or any other name one can imagine to call on the creator. 

 

Americans are religiously tolerant - poll

The following survey (below) filed under Nations News is indeed reflective of the average American, no matter how you pigeon hole him or her. The “survey finds most Americans don't feel their religion is the only way to eternal life — even if their faith tradition teaches otherwise." Indeed, if we can learn to accept and respect every which way people worship the divine, conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

 

 

Articles dealing with Pluralism

• Theists Questions to Atheists

• Discrimination: Public Prayers

• Imagine no religion

• Islam in America's Schools

• Spain, Muslims and Pluralism

• Hindutva and radical Islam

• Celebrating Volunteerism

• All Articles

• Sikhs - Golf digest apologizes

• Saudi Arabia Interfaith dialogue

• Dialogue: Jews, Christians & Muslims

• Saudi Arabia: Interfaith dialogue

• Israel at 60; a Land of Hope

• God's Grace for Najma Ghouse

The Irony of Intolerance

This is where germs of the conflicts can take root. The belief that my way is the only way, the right way, imbues arrogance in one’s self and causes one to believe that other’s way is inferior, incomplete, deficit and not really the right way. It would make me to look at the other in a condescending way “man you are behind, you need to come up” as if my belief is on par and every one else’s’ is under par, thus not as valuable as my own.

 

American Muslims and His Holiness Pope Benedict

I can understand the reluctance of Muslims to meet His holiness Pope Benedict. It is based on three mis-spokes within the last year. His words were not mitigators but provocateur of conflicts and Muslims were not clear about his intentions, they did not want to invite themselves unless they were invited.

 

Illusions of an Islamic State

A majority of Muslims, like the majority of any group do not prefer a religious government. 75% of Muslims live in democracy, once given a clear choice that people can understand, a majority of any people would prefer democracy.

 

A religious passenger was asked to get off the plane

I hope you pass the test and see if your are prejudiced or not. You have to ask yourselves as you read through it, if you honest with yourselves. Enjoy it

 

Jesus, everywhich way

I have expressed time and again the injustice done to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians have bottled up his teachings by exclusively owning them, just as Muslims have done with Muhammad or Hindus with Krishna and similar stories go with the believers of different faiths.It may not be wise to classify or claim the teachings of Jesus as Christian; they are indeed for every human.

 

 

Are these laws wrong? Shall we scrap them?
Are these laws designed for general good of the society?
Are these laws imposed by a few on the others?
1. You cannot vote until you are 18 or 21
2. You cannot drive over 20 at School Zones
3. You cannot smoke in the public places
4. You cannot burn the flag of the United States
7. You cannot drink and drive

 

Christ Consciousness

I believe religions do not claim exclusivity per-se; it is the interpreter and the political man in us that claims exclusivity. I have seen the arrogance of humans ascribed to religion – my faith is the true faith, oldest faith, open faith, non-dogmatic faith and other adjectives. Isn’t that sheer arrogance? Isn’t that the reason for conflict? Wasn’t one of the chief purposes of religion was to bring humility and humbleness to us? I believe spirituality and arrogance are inversely proportional to each other.

 

33 Tips to Personal Jihad

This piece is everything I have written in the last five years, indeed, I must thank the writer for summarizing it so well. This is who a Muslim is, and this is what makes one a Muslim! I have expressed similar sentiments over the years on the World Muslim Congress forum.  I ask you, the reader to recognize articles like this and rate them. Highest rating would be Alhamdu Lillah.

 

Saudi Arabia enters interfaith Dialogue

In 2005, a Saudi Minister visited Dallas and I was asked to organized an interfaith dialogue. Being a pluralist I resisted the idea of inviting the members of the Abrahamic faiths, but agreed, as they agreed, that this is the first step in their learning process to go from known to unknown. We had 20 members comprising these three faiths at the Crescent in uptown Dallas, I still chose to represent all other faiths that were missing. My commitment has been and will continue to to defend the divinity of each beautiful faith. No one can get away from me criticizing any religion.  The meeting was productive and  it was a new experience to the man.

 

The Islamic State

Main stream Muslims do want democracy, and a nation where justice prevails. They do not want the kind of Khilafat that is projected by the Neocons “they are here to dominate and subjugate others.” Absolute baloney! No significant group of Muslims wants that. However, they do wish a Pope like figure who can make small petty decisions and give relief to apostates, rape victims, divorce and other issues, but it ain’t going to happen.

 

Fitna documentary, Geert Wilders, Muslims and the Qur'aan.

Those 14 verses have not only been misquoted for millennia, but were mis-translated with the intent of maligning Islam in the middle ages to protect the European kings and their kingdoms. I have placed the correct translations for him to take a look and seriously think about becoming a peace maker and not a provocateur.
 

Is Pope Benedict a peace maker or a Provacateur

Did Pope's conversion event on Easter, mitigate or aggravate the conflict? With all due respect to his holiness, his words have not been that of a peace maker. There have been three incidents where his non-action or silence would have been better. The revival of comments made by the Emperor Constantine he delivered in Germany irritated his counterparts in Muslim world, then revising the prayer that was not kosher and now this. What was the need to make the conversion on Easter? Provoke?

 

Doomed War on terra

I believe Bush and McCain will be failures on the war on terra, they are conditioned to believe in one thing; bomb, massacre and destroy and they surround themselves with similar mentality. That puts us in peril in return,  and that policy will continue to multiply our enemies. Obama, on the other hand will become the gutsiest of all our presidents - he will face the bad guys and get them to understand that we have the capacity to wipe them out, but we are not going to do that,  we are not tyrants, we will work out solutions so all of us can co-exists. Obama will do the right thing - he has truly understood the teachings of Jesus, where as the others have not.

 

Festivals of April 2008 | Glossary of Festivals

We are pleased to provide the Festivals calendar for the month of April 2008. If your festival is not included, please send us the details, we will include it.

 

Pope Baptizes a Muslim on Easter- March 23, 2008

Alhamdu Lillahi, praise the lord, (الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ 1:2) he knows and he is aware of every thing we do. He is the Malik-i-Yom-iddin, (مَـالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ 1:4) master of the day of the judgment.
Muslims have several choices and need to evaluate the consequence of each choice.

 

A Catholic Church is Saudi Arabia- March 19. 2008

I have lost track of a Saudi minister who had asked me to put together an interfaith meeting with about 20 people, comprising Jews, Christians and Muslims. I fought with him to include all faiths, but finally agreed to work in stages, from familiar to unfamiliar ones. It was some where around 2005. I am pleased to see at least a dialogue is emerging between Vatican and Saudi's. Neighboring Dubai has just opened up a mega church this month.