The Title should have been opposite of Anti-Muslim or Anti-Christian, as it turned out to be not-anti-at all. But since it is a continum of the letter, we kept the same title.
http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2014/06/anti-muslim-and-anti-christian-friscy.html
An Alarming letter was posted by Global Hindu Heritage Foundation and held an anti-Muslim and anti-Christian rally in Frisco, Texas – so I went to the meeting. The agenda was not the same as it was in the letter.
I think Indians in general and Muslims in particular need to hear Madhu Kishwar, she will be in town through Thursday in New York. She threw me off with her perspectives, with a grain of salt and skepticism, I did hear her full one hour talk. A critique turned defender of Modi. A few notes for your to ponder upon.
An alarming letter was posted by the Global Hindu Heritage Foundation at our forum, DallasIndians@yahoogroups.com . The letter was outright discriminatory, tearing India apart kind of letter, and was sent to India’s newly elected Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi. The letter was insane, and it was hard to believe that Indians living in America want to discriminate and deny equal rights to Christians and Muslims in India. I just could not fathom that most of the men on the list were Medical Doctors and PhD’s. The letter and my response to the letter is at: http://foundationforpluralism.blogspot.com/2014/06/tearing-india-apart-hatefilled-mindset.html
The occasion was the 7th Annual Hindu Unity Day in Frisco. Unity of each community and Unity of communities must be appreciated. By the way, the first Hindu Unity day in Dallas was organized by the Foundation for Pluralism on June 17, 2005 in Dallas.
I wanted to attend the event to understand what goes on. A few years ago they had organized a summit on Islam – and I had asked them if there was any Muslim on the panel, there was none, and they ignored my request and perhaps passed judgments on Muslims without the presence of Muslims. It is always good to be engaged and hear each other’s point of view; when it is about the each other.
The speakers were Madhu Kishwar and Dr. Graham Schweig. The first session before lunch included several Dallas based organization heads talking about their efforts in campaigning for Mr. Narendra Modi, and I missed the first speaker Kalyan Viswanathan, who might have delivered a negative speech. I did not hear Dr. Schweig’s speech as I had to leave.
Madhu Kishwar delivered a full hour’s speech “Modi and the Media – setting the record Straight” – it was a pleasant surprise, there was no hatred spewing out for Muslims or Christians. Usually fund raisers get people riled up against something or someone to get people to open their check books, and a lot of people fall prey for that. I have been to the fund raisers of right wing Jews, Christians and Muslims as well, and have spoken up against their rhetoric.
Madhu Kishwar was rather inclusive in her approach.
Whenever she mentioned a positive statement about inclusion of Muslims – people clapped out of their hearts. I have always believed that humans instantaneously react with goodness, it’s only when they deliberate they get corrupted. Indeed, in my response to GHHF letter I had mentioned that a majority of the signatories on that letter probably did not even read the contents and had simply signed it, for a few to carry forward. It is hard for me to believe that so many people in a group could subscribe to such vitriolic pronouncements, and most of them would not have signed it, had they read it.
It was refreshing to hear her. She threw in a lot of information that I need to verify and absorb. It is always good to verify before you believe, when the information is different than what we have heard it all along. I ran into her again at the Sonu Nigam Show, and she assured me that her reports are legitimate and said the Nanavati Report was accurate.
Some of her points:
She was bashing the media for not agreeing to the clean chit by SIT – to me democracy exists because of the press, good, bad and ugly. There are some great statements by Jefferson and others on the topic.
Do you realize, both the left and right have exactly same complaint? That the media in on other’s side.
She thinks – BJP was not convinced that Modi was not involved in the riots as accused, that hesitancy was reflected in the talks and acts of BJP.
Per her Modi has done a lot of good things, but never flaunted it.
50% of Muslims Voted for Modi in Gujarat on February 24th 2002 results.
The hell broke loose within a couple of days – she asks, why would Modi initiate riots when Muslims voted him so overwhelmingly?
28 Muslim Organizations headed by Kader Bhai in Rajkot had asked for a cemetery plot which Modi had granted, and Modi never claimed or flaunted about it.
He is not divisive as claimed. Sab Ka Sath; sab ka Vikas has been his slogan from the very beginning.
I really liked when she spoke my language – that is she will not accuse any one exclusively without seeing the same mistake in others. Referring to Togadia, she said, Muslims are no exception; we have our own share of Danga-ee (trouble makers). It was not Modi that needed the riots, but it was the Congress who needed it. (we have to assess this).
She claimed Army was called in immediately. And deployed on 3/1 – George Fernandez, the then Defense Minister apparently toured the riot torn place on 2/28 while the riots were still going on.
I bought the book – but wont’t be able to read it, as I have to wrap up my book without any excuse.
Because of the differences or dominance of Hindus, most of the Muslims, Christians, Dalits and Sikhs have stayed away from being a part of India based organizations.
All I ask Indian Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and others to be involved with Indian organizations, we have to be a part of the society, and all others have to be a part of our lives. Otherwise, all of us would remain in shells not knowing what goes on, we will be harming ourselves and our nation by not being a part of each other. We have to live together, at least our relatives have to live together in India and we need to care for all.
Mike Ghouse is an Indian American Public Speaker, thinker and a writer committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.