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Saturday, August 31, 2019

India’s Road To Fascism – OpEd


Courtesy of Eurasia 

It is in an interview


India’s Road To Fascism – OpEd


What so-called democracy in the world invades a disputed territory that has enjoyed autonomy for decades with tens of thousands of heavily armed troops, arrests local leaders, enforces a complete communication blackout and begins the process of heinously dismantling decades-old international resolutions? It is India today under the BJP government that has done exactly that.

The recent invasion of Kashmir and the abrogation of several charters of the Indian constitution spells danger to a democracy already fraught with creeping fascism, as the Hindutva saffron brigade has been encouraged to set about making the lives of India’s minorities perilous. Reminiscent of Hitler’s Nazi-brigade, these Hindu extremists have gone so far as to murder people by lynching them for the crime of eating beef! In many cases, the lynching had nothing to do with the cow, but with the religion of the victim.
Along those lines, Mike Ghouse, an American-Indian and President for the Center for Pluralism pens the following:
“Violence might please a few souls as it is about getting even, and not seeking justice. We need justice and not the endless revenge cycle.
“We cannot advocate violence; it will hurt everyone. Let me be precise, only Hindus can save India. Hindus and Hinduism is not the problem, never a problem as Islam is never a problem, it’s the ISIS variety among them that is the problem, and they are known as Hindutva forces.
“However, if India and the world doesn’t stop this mayhem, everyone will lose out including the Hindu majority and the United States of America.
“Who does not want India to succeed? All of us want the best for India.
“Unfortunately, the Modi government’s record has been harmful to the nation. He has played with demonetization, Rafale deal, GST, and farmers with disastrous results. Now, he is playing with Kashmir.
“The dangers of the actions by the Modi government in scraping article 370 without the consent of the governed are highlighted below.
“I sincerely hope the freedom to protest, and freedom to speak will not be suspended, and neither will India follow the example of Tiananmen Square?
“Way back in the 1970s India treaded on a similar path when one-person rule destroyed the nation. American businesses were asked to leave, companies like Coke and IBM were gone, and several banks were nationalized. Modi’s government is back at it now.
“These two men, PM Modi, and his home minister Amit Shah don’t believe in dialogue to solve problems. They are appeasing their base at the cost of the long-term security of the nation. Modi’s base erroneously believes in crushing dissent and punishing the Kashmiri people.
“Shamefully, like the German people before the Holocaust, Indians will remain silent and let the genocide of Kashmiris takes place.
“If people are pushed into a corner, giving them no choice, they will resort to terrorism. If India goes on the path of Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, America’s hands will be tied for two more decades.
“It is incumbent on us to speak up and protect the rights of individuals and America’s long-term interests. Let’s not be an accomplice to the genocide about to happen.
“America stands to lose from these actions. India stood as a bulwark against China’s expansion, and a secure place for American investors, both are at risk now. I pray that the Modi government learns not to play with the people of India and does not turn India into Afghanistan.
“The following summary was put together by a human rights organization.
“Thirty-eight thousand heavily armed military officers with tanks have been brought into Kashmir in the last couple of days. Presently, Kashmir is the most militarized zone in the world: There is one-armed Indian soldier for every 10 Kashmiris.
“Here is a summary of the actions put together by Sound Vision.
  • Modi has closed down all media in Kashmir.
  • No journalist is allowed by Modi to enter Kashmir.
  • Modi has shut down all cell phone and landline services.
  • Modi government has evacuated all tourists and Hindus.
  • Modi is changing the constitution to allow this annexation of Kashmir, which until this week, had special status.
“Kashmiri leaders are appealing to the world to stop the imminent genocide of Kashmiris. Genocide Watch in Washington, DC has already issued a genocide alert for India, the actions by the Modi government will bring disaster like the other experimentations. Sincerely, Mike Ghouse.”
Indeed, Mike, this is a matter of grave concern. Today, Gaza in Palestine has the dubious honor of being the world’s largest concentration camp with its people forced to live in an inhumane environment. But if India’s current and distorted vision for predominantly Muslim Kashmir is not reversed, I’m afraid it will soon be Kashmir who will have that honor.
This article was published at the Saudi Gazette

Can Modi Save India?

This article was published in several newspapers including News & Views and Counter-Currents 

Indian-American author Ghouse argues that only the majoritarian ruler can do it

by Mike GhouseAugust 24, 2019

The early warning signals coming out of India are blaring, as a disaster has been in the making for years. The unfolding crisis – not just in Kashmir but in mainland India – threatens to tear the nation apart, severely impairing the economic prosperity gained in the last twenty years.

Terrorism as seen in some conflict-hit countries like Afghanistan has not been a part of India, but the conditions are ripe to give birth to the monster. The United States has much to lose – first the huge investments made by Americans, and most importantly losing the imaginary bulwark America has made India be against China's rise or ‘expansion of communism.’

I think, the man in charge of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi , can still save India if he listens to the sane voices and restores the rule of law, and freedom to every Indian to pursue his/her life, liberty, and happiness.

The downfall can still be reversed, provided Modi sees the full picture.

Photo: Screenshot/VOA YouTube Video

Let’s picture an ideal society that functions cohesively, where each member of the community feels secure about his/her income, business, faith, culture, language, and ethnicity. When one is free from tensions and fears, he or she will be super productive and enriches his community. Indeed, the prosperity of a nation is directly proportional to its freedom, in the case of India, it is religious freedom. The economic success of the United States is directly attributable to freedom. One should be free to eat, drink, wear, think, speak, and believe whatever the individual wants in the pursuit of his/her happiness.

That’s the central lesson of the “2008 Index of Economic Freedom,” released by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal. “A country-by-country survey of how free people are worldwide to direct their economic fortunes; the Index repeatedly demonstrates the vital link between freedom and prosperity. In simple words, the freer the people are, the more an economy grows — and the more everyone benefits.”

Gill and Owen in a paper “Religious Liberty and Economic prosperity,” write in a Cato Publication: “A casual glance suggests nations that have developed strong legal guarantees of religious freedom are also ones that have had long-term sustained economic growth (Grim and Finke 2011).”

The reality is grim – the Indian Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, moderate Hindus, and Dalits are not feeling secure. Every day is laden with tensions, and everyone is apprehensive about walking alone on the street lest he/she be beaten, harassed, raped, or even lynched. An act of lynching is not carried out just on the pretext of the other eating beef of a sacred animal – cow-  but it clearly is a demands on the targeted people to renounce their religion.

Asifa Bano, an 8-year-old girl raped and murdered in Indian Jammu and Kashmir
Photo: Screenshot

Let this be clear; the innocent majorities believe that everyone around them is treated fairly and equitably as they are treated. Neither the moderate white majority understands the fear a black man feels when he sits behind the wheel to go to work, nor does the moderate Hindu majority understands the concern a Muslim, Christian or a Dalit man or a woman feels walking alone on a given street in Modi’s India.

The number of Muslims and Dalits who are sacrificed number over 115 now. Muslims are afraid to get out on the street, lest someone lynches them for the suspicion of carrying beef. Recently, a woman was hung to a tree and beaten non-stop while a crowd gathered around and watched the shameless act. An individual was hacked to death with bare stones and an ax publicly, and they videotaped the gory murder for the world to watch. A Dalit man was chased and set on fire this week.

Does Modi recognize the ruthless, mindless, and violent new generation of Indians he is fostering, is that the kind of Indians he wishes for India?

Last year, the men who gang-raped and brutally murdered a six-year-old girl in a Hindu temple was greeted with garlands by Modi’s men as if they were heroes. Two years ago, Chief Minister Yogi stood on the podium next to a man who announced to the extremists to dig out dead Muslim women from the graves and rape them.

Indian Muslim must be appreciated; they have shown extraordinary resilience and patience. Despite the lynching’s and injustices, they have not resorted to violence, unlike their counterparts in other nations. Presidents Bush, Obama, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have appreciated Indian Muslims.

It is time for Modi to do the same and stop the growing discord. If he thinks he can remain silent while his men harass and subjugate nearly 1/3rd of Indians comprising Muslims, Dalits, and Christians, he is wrong, it will destroy Indian and American Interests.

There is a limit to pushing, harassing, and lynching, and it needs to be stopped before it blows up.

Now consider the consequences of failure.

What if Indian Muslims, Christians, and Dalits cannot take it anymore and resort to violence? What will happen to the economy, investments from overseas, and the political stability of the nation? Every Indian will live in hell should that happen.  No Indian will live in peace.
Modi has a choice. He can save India, or he can let it be destroyed from within.

Prime Minister Modi’s party, the BJP, lives in the past. The RSS wants to get even with Muslims of Independent India for the acts committed by a king or two some three hundred years ago. If the facts matter to Modi, almost all the kings of yesteryears, be it Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh or Christian expanded their territories by killing the resisting neighbors. None of them ruled for the sake of religion but for their own gain, they cleverly duped the people then, as they do now.

The Muslims of independent India should be held accountable for the acts they commit as any other Indian citizen would.

Should one be punished for the actions of his grandfather or even father?

I hope Modi restores the rule of law and prevents India from getting a certificate of Particular Concern by the Department of State? Would the conscientious mega-corporations and investors continue to partner with India or hold back for lack of stability?  In that case, the ultimate losers are the Hindu businesses and individuals who have seen prosperity in the last two decades, all will be gone.

As things stand today, if Modi cannot change the mindset of the mobs, no one else can.

All he is required to do is frequently and boldly announce that anyone who harasses another Indian will meet severe punishment, and then follow his words with actions.
That is all it takes to save India from going into unprecedented chaos.

But, will Modi choose to do so?

Dr. Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. Mike’s mission is to open people's hearts, minds, and souls towards each other. He believes that the ultimate purpose of humans is to live freely and be comfortable with their culture, race, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, and individuality. Mike is a public speaker, author, interfaith wedding officiant, a newsmaker and the executive director of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. More about him in three formats at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/


 


Friday, August 30, 2019

Hindus Must be appreciated


Please do not use the words Hindu Terrorism or Hindu Terrorist for what is happening in India today. It is offensive to a majority of Hindus; they are good people like all other majorities in other faiths. 

Yes, when the extremists from the Modi government or its affiliates tell you, that you the Christians and Muslims, will be eliminated from India by the year 2021, you are tempted to call it Hindu Terrorism. 

But look beyond, the good Hindu majority is standing up for the human rights of all Indians, to them, religion is individual, and all are Indians. 

Relentlessly, I have commented on the subject in the last few days at Whats-app, Facebook, and other social media, and chose to write a few full paragraphs on it.


A majority of good Hindus are standing up for the rights of Muslims, Christians, Dalits, Sikhs, and others than you can ever imagine. It is wrong to use the phrase Hindu Terrorism; it is offensive and adds to the aggravation.

Coming up: Muslims must be appreciated

Remember, the right people will always win; the extremists wither away. The song from the old movie Bombay to Goa is playing out in my ears... "Na Koi Raha hai, na Koi Rahega, mere desh azaad ho ke rahega.  Sikander bhi aaye, khalandar bhi aaye," to that I add, "Indira bhi aaye, Modi bhi aaya... no koi Raha hai no koi rahega."  No one is eternal, we have seen Alexander the creep come and go, we have seen others like him come and go, and we have seen Indira Gandhi come and go, and now, we will see Modi come and go - at the end of the day my nation will be free and people will breathe freedom. 

 Hinduism has always been a pluralistic tradition, and it has welcomed Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Baha'i, Zoroastrianism, and other traditions into its fold. All religions have thrived in India just like they do in the United States. 

A majority of the people are innocent, and they believe that everyone is treated the same as they are. However, the fact is a white person cannot understand the tension a black man feels when gets in the car to drive. A Hindu in India cannot comprehend the apprehension a Dalit, Muslim or Christian feels "these" days, it is all a new phenomenon.

Since Modi Government took control, India has become one man’s rule, and the nation is going down the tube. Modi will last for this term, and then people will get rid of him as they did to Indira Gandhi when she became a one-person rule.

People can live with a bad economy, but they get sick of division and discord among fellow Indians.  The very purpose of government is to ensure all of the inhabitants of the land live freely and securely. Under Modi Raj, everything has gone wrong from the economy to disastrous demonetization, giving major contracts to his buddies like the Rafel, GST, Farmers suicides, Triple talaq and now the Kashmir blunder. How far is he going to sink India before we wake up? 

The Sangh Parivar (more below) and its affiliates are calling for India to be free from Christians and Muslims in the year 2021. The choices are converting back to Hinduism, deport them (to where?) or kill them all. 

The radicals among Hindus imagine a genocide in the likes of Holocaust.  

It goes against the interest of America, which is seeking India to be a bulwark against Chinese/ Communist influence. It is also in the interest of America to secure her investments. 

If we don't take the right steps now, America has a lot to lose, of course, India will be down the tubes.  It will be tied up for two decades to rescue India, as it did with the Jews from the Holocaust and Muslim from the Genocide in Kosovo. 
  
 So please do not use the phrases 'Hindu Terrorism' or Hinduism is a violent religion. Accuse the bad guys and not the faith. As a Muslim, I take severe offense if someone uses those phrases. In the end, only Hindus can save India and her people, all her people, including Muslims, Dalits, and Christians. 
  
Let me give you the reasons for it. 

There was a time when people did not hesitate blatantly using the phrases Muslim Terrorist or Islamic Terrorism. I have done my share of the work tirelessly fighting against using such terms and have won a concession from Fox News. 

Thanks to Stuart Varney who chose to use the phrase Terrorists among Muslims, while Sean Hannity kept up his word until ISIS came into being. Most Americans now see the difference and use their words thoughtfully. 

The word Islamist is used to refer to the extremists among Muslims, like the ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Brotherhood, Lashkar-Taioba, and their affiliates. None of their acts have a basis in Islam. Indeed, they are the ones who need to learn Islam. Check out the chapter ‘Source of extremism among Muslims’ in the newly released book American Muslim Agenda. 

Similarly, the Neocons and the KKK cannot be called Christianity, nor the Hindutva can be labeled Hinduism. The right-wing Zionists are in the same boat. None of these are religious movements, even though they claim to carry a religious banner. All these are pseudo-political movements of insecure people seeking security in a vacuum. They are incredibly fanatic in their beliefs, and there is only one way for them. 

 Animals have resolved their conflicts by killing each other, whereas humans talk and find solutions. You can see that animals have horns, fangs, and paws for that purpose, and humans have a tongue to speak. However, the animal in these fringe group makes them resort to annihilating the others whom they perceive as a threat to their life. 

 The Hindus are reasonable people, and Hinduism is an open and accommodating religion, just like the others. The majority of Hindus want the good for all, and they believe the world is one family, and we must care for each other. I will defend all religions equally because religions are a good thing if we can get the extremist embrace their respective religion. 

 HINDUTVA IS NOT THE SAME AS HINDUISM 

The word Hindutva has Hindu in its name, but it is not Hinduism from any stretch of the imagination. It is a political movement like Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Nazi, right-wing Zionism (not Zionism), Neocons, and others.  

Once again, condemn the acts of RSS/ Sangh Parivar and not Hindus or Hinduism. 

Hitler and Mussolini have inspired the fountainhead of the Sangh Parivar (RSS and its affiliates). 

 We are Our Nationhood Defined a book by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue MS Golwalkar.

“…To keep up the purity of the nation and its culture, Germany shocked the world by her purging the country of Semitic races – the Jews. National pride at its highest has been manifested here. Germany has also shown how well-nigh impossible it is for races and cultures, having differences going to the root, to be assimilated into one united whole, a good lesson for us in Hindustan to learn and profit by,”

The following paragraphs are from Haaretz Newspaper, please note a few spellings have been corrected, otherwise, the quotes are as is. 

Mein Kampf, on display and on sale at Mumbai International Airport, December 2017, is a money-spinner for India's reputable publishers: Jaico alone has sold hundreds of thousands in the last decade Shrenik Rao / Madras Courier   



Haaretz writes, “In 2004, when now-Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, school textbooks published by the Gujarat State Board portrayed Hitler as a hero and glorified fascism. The tenth-grade social studies textbook had chapters entitled "Hitler, the Supremo," and "Internal Achievements of Nazism." The section on the "Ideology of Nazism" reads:

"Hitler lent dignity and prestige to the German government. He adopted the policy of opposition towards the Jewish people and advocated the supremacy of the German race."

The tenth-grade social studies textbook, published by the state of Tamil Nadu in 2011 (with multiple revised editions until 2017) includes chapters glorifying Hitler, praising his "inspiring leadership," "achievements" and how the Nazis "glorified the German state" so, "to maintain a German race with Nordic elements, [Hitler] ordered the Jews to be persecuted."

"There is nothing wrong," he said in a chilling interview in 1993 with Time magazine, "if Muslims are treated as Jews were in Nazi Germany." Citing Hitler’s infamous polemic, he tried to apply fascist ideology in the Indian context. “If you take Mein Kampf and if you remove the word 'Jew' and put in the word 'Muslim,' that is what I believe in,” he said.
This fanatical admiration for Hitler and his genocidal agenda is not an aberration. It was and still is, endemic among the RSS leadership. 

MS Golwalkar, another early RSS leader, also known as the "Guru of Hate," idolized Hitler’s Nazi cultural nationalism, and wanted to create a Hindu nation by adopting Hitler’s totalitarian and fascist pattern.

 A growing contempt for India’s minorities manifests itself racist remarks passed with casual insouciance.

It’s not uncommon to hear remarks such as "These bloody Jews/Rothschilds/Soros control the world/financial system/whole of Hollywood." The number of Jews in India is very small. Yet there is, despite a long-held belief to the contrary, anti-Semitism. "These Christian missionaries deserve to be hanged – they are only interested in conversions" is another frequent comment. Only 2.4% of India’s population is Christian. Yet they are constantly attacked. When it comes to India's Muslims, the invective is multiplied exponentially.

As Khushwant Singh wrote in 2003, "The juggernaut of Hindu fundamentalism has emerged from the temple of intolerance, and is on its yatra [on the march]. ... The fascist agenda of Hindu fanatics is unlike anything we have experienced in our modern history." 


Mike Ghouse is Executive Director of the Center for Pluralism. His book American Muslim Agenda is available on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, Kindle, Google, and other book stores. He is a speaker, thinker, writer, newsmaker and an interfaith wedding officiant. More about him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/ 

References:

Haaretz: India’s Nazi loving Nationalists

 Christian Persecution 






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Friday, August 23, 2019

This was my India


THIS WAS MY INDIA

 The following video is in Hindi/Urdu language, and it is everything India "was" a decade ago. The video is reflective of an India, a cohesive India, where all of us worked, lived, married, and enjoyed life together. A time when we did not let politicians place wedges between different groups of people. A nostalgic time that the moderate majority of Indians long for. I hope those days will be back.

 I have compiled similar poetry," Mujhe mera pyaara Hindustan loutado" – give back my loving India of yesteryears to me. I will be reciting the poem at a Mushaira/ Kavi Sammelan, that is poetry session this Saturday at Aligarh Alumni association in Washington DC.

 When people get along with each other, respect the otherness of the other, happiness flows through like a calm river in summer, touching everyone. It brings joy.  I am pleased to share this video to let my fellow Indian Americans know that happiness comes from being good to each other and not hateful to each other or scheming to undermine each other.
  
 My India was a cohesive nation, where all of us got along and minded our own business, and truly cared for each other. It did not matter what religion you practiced, and you cared for your friends.

 I will not write another line without acknowledging the shameful treatment of Dalits. For centuries they have been treated less than humans as a part of the social structure. My civility does not allow me to use the crude language, hence this tone.  I don't believe the Caste System is a part of Hinduism, it was cooked up by Manu, called Manu Smriti, and it is a racist, misogynistic and xenophobic system.  I welcome anyone to tell me otherwise.

 Most Hindus have denounced the varna system, but the practice is still there. Just this week, a Dalit man was hacked to death (Washington post) by the criminal father in law because the Dalit dared marry his upper-caste daughter. Three days ago, a Dalit man was chased and set afire. Since the new government has taken the reigns, harassments, lynching, and rapes of Dalits, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and Moderate Hindus have increased by 30%.

Religions came into being to build societies where the weakest and the strongest, the rich and poor, old and the young, men and women were oriented to live in harmony.  Religions were designed to knock out the selfish greed and arrogance that are the cause of all evil. Most people in each faith believe and practice that principle, a few don't. We need to work with them, and they are the lost souls in selfishness and arrogance.

Can Modi Sarkar Allay the fears? https://www.indiawest.com/letters_to_editor/can-modi-sarkar-allay-fears/article_5338a480-aa55-11e9-98eb-933edd8ae75a.html

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is speaker, thinker, author, newsmaker, pluralist and an interfaith wedding officiant. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/