Quran Burning and Unity Day USA

 

Purpose:

It is a purposeful event to bring Americans of different faiths, races, ethnicities and other uniqueness together to rededicate ourselves to our pledge; One nation under God with liberty and Justice for all. We will pray for peace, prosperity and security of our nation.

PICTURES FROM UNITY DAY IN DALLAS

The 10th Annual event is moved to Mulberry, Florida - for a singular purpose - to mitigate possible apprehensions generated by the planned burning of 2998 copies of Quran on September 11, 2013. We hope it restores our faith in the cohesiveness of America, and we the people will go on about our business of living our daily lives. 


Date 9/11/2013 in Mulberry - place and time will be announced soon.

We honor the free speech guaranteed in our constitution, and have no intentions to criticize, condemn or oppose Pastor Terry Jones freedom of expression.  Instead, we will be donating blood and praying for goodness to prevail.

We hope, our mercy based message will remind those few Muslims elsewhere in the world that violence is not the way. We believe it may bring a change in the attitudes of followers of Pastor Jones, and in the behavior of those Muslims who reacted violently the last time Pastor sought notoriety. The full press release: http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/08/planned-muslim-response-to-quran_18.html

We will gather;

1. to be together as Americans
2. to express our gratitude to our men and women in uniform
3. to honor individuals who have contributed to the well being of Mulberry, Florida
4. to emphasize and appreciate diversity represented by America.
5. to cherish the otherness of others. 
6. to commit to be good neighbors 
7. to rededicate our pledge to the peace, prosperity and security of America

Please join us with your family and friends to be together as Americans. Your presence is a valuable expression of unity. Along with our elected officials, civic, religious and business leaders, you help fulfill our common values and aspirations. Your presence fortifies our commitment to a pluralistic America.

As Americans, and as American of all hues, we uphold, protect, defend and celebrate the values enshrined in our constitution. All our faiths reinforce the creed of "One Nation under God, with liberty and justice for all”.

On this Unity Day USA, we, the people of the United States of America of every faith, race and ethnicity, will gather to express our commitment to co-existence, safety, prosperity and the well being of our nation.

PROGRAM OUTLINE

10th Annual Unity Day USA
Wednesday, September 11, 2013 
Mulberry, Florida
TIME: TBD
Flag Ceremony

 

National Anthem  
(Preferably joined in by members of at least 7 faith traditions, if not all)

 

Pledge of Allegiance 
To be led by the Hon. Mayor of Mulberry

   
Purpose of Unity DayThank Yous and Acknowledgements

GreetingsGreetings from several religious traditions a few Video Samples;  City of Carrollton-II - City of Carrollton – Chicago Bible College

Civic LeadersMayors, Police and Fire chiefs, and Civic Leaders to share 3 minutes each – about their responsibility in treating each citizen with respect and dignity 

Honoring the activists 
Those who have stood up for others

Spiritual Leaders
Spiritual Leaders to share their wisdom – 3 minutes each. In Dallas we bring 15 traditions, here we can do as many as we can gather – between Atheist (all Americans need to be represented), Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian (as many denominations as we can), Earth Based, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Native Americans, Pagan, Sikh, Shinto, Wicca and Zoroastrians. 

Peace Pledge

• I will I will speak up when there is injustice.
• I will speak up when truth is not spoken.
• I will make my words and my actions mitigate conflicts.
• I will do my share in nurturing goodwill for the benefit of all.
• I will do my share of peace work, without looking for others 
• I will do respect the God given uniqueness of each individual.
• I will do my best to live and let others live their way.
• I will do my best to nurture goodwill in everything I do.

Special Muslim prayer ( 3-4 Minutes)

Pray for the well being of all Americans, and pray for Reverend Terry Jones, and seek forgiveness for all of us, and that God guide to Guide Reverend Terry Jones to become a be blessed peace maker. Pray for the goodwill of the people of Polk county and Mulberry City, and pray for a cohesive America, where no American needs to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear or fellow Americans.

Conclusion – Thank you.
Depending on the time and place – we can arrange soft drinks, cookies and munchies.

Donate at http://americatogetherfoundation.com/donate/ 

A video message to Muslims and Pastor Terry Jones

A VIDEO MESSAGE TO MUSLIMS AND PASTOR JONES
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsQq-tbJ89k&feature=youtu.be

  

All of this is at www.WorldMuslimCongress.com 

1. PLANNED MUSLIM RESPONSE TO PASTOR JONES QUR'AN BURNING URL- http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/08/planned-muslim-response-to-quran_18.html

 

4. A PROPER RESPONSE TO INFLAMMATORY ACT - SAUDI GAZETTE
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130821177617

 

5. FOR MUSLIMS IN AMERICA, A NOVEL PROTEST - TIMES OF INDIA
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/From-Muslims-in-America-a-novel-protest-against-quran-burning/articleshow/21982162.cms

6. TAMPA BAY FOX NEWShttp://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/23233567/2013/08/22/pastor-wants-to-burn-3000-korans-in-mulberry 

 

9. MUSLIMS PROTESTS - MULBERRY LEDGER
http://www.theledger.com/article/20130820/news/130829938

All the original pieces related to the Quran burning even are at www.WorldMuslimCongress.com 

 

How unity day was conceived
http://911unitydayusa.blogspot.com/2011_12_01_archive.html

Unity day 2009

Unityday 2006

Thank you.
Mike Ghouse 
(214) 325-1916 text/talk
www.AmericaTogetherFoundation.com

www.FoundationforPluralism.com
www.UnitydayUSA.com

Quran Burning Video

A VIDEO MESSAGE TO MUSLIMS AND
PASTOR JONES ABOUT QURAN BURNING

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsQq-tbJ89k&feature=youtu.be

Information at www.WorldMuslimCongress.com

Thanks
Mike

Muslim Response to Qur'an Burning

URL- http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2013/08/planned-muslim-response-to-quran_18.html

PLANNED MUSLIMS RESPONSE TO QUR'AN BURNING BY PASTOR JONES ON 9/11/13 IN MULBERRY, FLORIDA

We as Muslims plan to respond to pastor Terry Jones' planned burning of 3000 copies of Quran on September 11, 2013 in positive terms.

Our response - we will reclaim the standard of behavior practiced by the Prophet concerning “scurrilous and hostile criticism of the Qur’an” (Muhammad Asad Translation Note 31, verse 41:34). It was "To overcome evil with good is good, and to resist evil by evil is evil." It is also strongly enjoined in the Qur’an in the same verse 41:34, “Good and evil deeds are not equal. Repel evil with what is better; then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend.”

God willing Muslims will follow the divine guidance and pray for the restoration of Goodwill, and on that day many Muslim organizations will go on a “blood drive” to save lives and serve humanity with kindness.

We invite fellow Americans of all faiths, races, and ethnicities to join us to rededicate the pledge, “One nation under God”, and to build a cohesive America where no American has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of fellow Americans. This event is a substitute for our 10th Annual Unity Day Celebration (www.UnitydayUSA.com) held in Dallas, but now it will be at Mulberry, Florida.

Unwittingly Pastor Jones has done us a favor by invigorating us by his decision to burn nearly 3000 copies Quran on September 11, 2013. Obviously he is not satisfied by the notoriety he garnered by burning one Qur'an last year.

As Muslims and citizens we honor the free speech guaranteed in our constitution. We have no intentions to criticize, condemn or oppose Pastor Terry Jones' freedom of expression. Instead, we will be donating blood and praying for goodness to permeate in our society.

We plan to follow Jesus Christ (pbuh), a revered prophet in Islam as well as Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) – that of mitigating the conflicts and nurturing good will for the common good of the society.

We hope, this event and the message will remind Muslims elsewhere in the world as well, that violence is not the way. Muslims, who react violently to senseless provocation, should realize that, violence causes more violence, and besmirches the name of the religion that we hold so dear. We believe that Prophet Muhammad was a mercy to the mankind, and we ought to practice what we believe and preach. We must not insult Islam by the negative reactions of a few.

We can only hope it will bring about a change in the attitude of the followers of Pastor Jones, and in the behavior of those Muslims who reacted violently the last time Pastor sought notoriety – We hope this small step towards a bridge to peaceful coexistence would propel us towards building a cohesive society.

Like most Americans a majority of Muslims quietly go about their own business, but it is time to speak up and take positive action instead of negative reaction. May this message of peace and goodwill reverberate and reach many shores.

Lastly, we appreciate the Citizens of Mulberry, Florida, Honorable Mayor George Hatch, City Commissioners, police and Fire Chiefs for handing this situation very well. This will add a ‘feather of peace’ in the City’s reputation. We hope Mulberry will be a catalyst in showing the way in handling conflict with dignity and peace.

We thank the Media for giving value to the work towards peace rather than conflict.

CONTACT:
Mike Ghouse
Text/Talk: (214) 325-1916
MikeGhouse@aol.com

Mirza A Beg
(205) 454-8797
mirza.a.beg@gmail.com

www.WorldMuslimCongress.com

Thank you.

. . . . .

Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.

The Qur'an: A New Translation by Tarif Khalidi

The Qur'an: A New Translation

By Tarif Khalidi

530pp, Penguin Classics, £25 

 We look for two things in any new translation of the Qur'an. How close does it get to communicating the meaning of the original, that inimitable oral text, the very sounds of which move men and women to tears and ecstasy? And does it offer something more: a new perspective, perhaps; or an innovative rendering?

    Tarif Khalidi, a professor of Islamic studies at the American University of Beirut, scores high on both these criteria. He manages to capture the allusiveness of the text, as well as something of its tone and texture. While being faithful to the original, he succeeds in conveying linguistic shifts, from narrative to mnemonic, sermons to parables. And there is an innovative component: it is the first translation that tries to capture both the rhythms and the structure of the Qur'an.

    The best way to demonstrate its newness, and how close it is to the original text, is to compare it with an old translation. The translation I have in mind is Khalidi's predecessor in the Penguin Classics: The Koran, translated with notes by NJ Dawood. First published in 1956, Dawood's translation has been republished in numerous editions. It has been a great source of discomfort for Muslims, who see in it deliberate distortions that give the Qur'an violent and sexist overtones. It is the one most non-Muslims cite when they tell me with great conviction what the Qur'an says.

    The change can be detected with the name of the sacred text itself: we move from "Koran", the older anglicised form, to the new "Qur'an", which is now accepted as the correct Arabic transliteration and pronunciation of the word. This is not just a trivial matter of linguistics; it signals a shift from the old Orientalist way of presenting the Qur'an in English to a new inclusive way that takes Muslims' appreciation of their sacred text into account.

    Subtle differences in chapter headings signal significant change. The opening chapter of the Qur'an in Dawood is "The Exordium". In Khalidi, and indeed universally among other translations, it is "The Opening". Dawood translates Az-Zumar (chapter 39) as "The Hordes", suggesting bands of barbarian mobs; Khalidi renders it as "The Groups".

    While Dawood's translation presents the Qur'an as a patriarchal, sexist text, Khalidi brings out the gender-neutral language of the original. A good example is provided by 2:21. In Dawood we read: "Men, serve your Lord." In Khalidi, it becomes: "O People! Worship your Lord." Dawood's translation of the famous verse 2:25, frequently quoted, is largely responsible for the current misconception that Muslim paradise is full of "virgins" - despite the fact that the Qur'an explicitly denies any carnal pleasures in paradise. This is because we find "men" in Dawood's translation in the garden of paradise who are "wedded to chaste virgins". Khalidi renders it correctly: "In these gardens they have immaculate spouses."

    The old Penguin translation uses rather obscurantist images throughout to give the impression that the Qur'an is full of demons and witches. For example, in 31:1, Dawood has God swearing "by those who cast out demons". Khalidi translates the same verse as: "Behold the revelations of the Wise Book."

    So this translation is a quantum leap ahead of the old Penguin version. But it also has a rather special character. Khalidi is not interested in providing the context of the verses of the Qur'an. We therefore do not always know who the Qur'an is addressing at various junctures or who is speaking to whom in its internal dialogues. Here M Abdel-Haleem' s translation (OUP, £7.99), published in 2004, is more useful. Neither is Khalidi all that concerned with providing the reader with help. Footnotes, for example, would have been useful for occasional explanation of what is happening in a particular passage. Instead, he takes a rather unusual attitude to the Qur'an. It is "a bearer of diverse interpretation" , he says; and its ambiguities are deliberately designed to stimulate thinking. Let the reader be "patient of interpretation" and read at will. All that is needed is to approach the text with sympathy.

    Khalidi wants the reader to enjoy the experience of reading the Qur'an. Of course, he wants to communicate the majesty of its language, the beauty of its style, and the "eternal present tense" of its grammar. But he also wants the reader to appreciate the Qur'an's unique structure, how the language changes with the subject matter, how it swirls around and makes rhythmic connections. He wishes to show how each of the seven tropes of the Qur'an (command, prohibition, glad tidings, warnings, sermons, parables and narratives) registers a change in the style of its language. A lofty ambition, but one he pulls off with some success.

    The shifts in style are presented in two ways. Linguistically, Khalidi moves from literal translation, rendered in clear prose, via the use of heightened language to deeply poetic renderings. Physically, the layout of the passage changes, so each style looks different on the page. The narrative passages, or sections dealing with social and legislative affairs, appear in a prose format. The dramatic and metaphysical sections are arranged in poetic style.

    This translation manages to give a glimpse of the grandeur of the original. Khalidi's poetic sections will be compared with AJ Arberry's The Koran Interpreted (OUP, 1964), widely considered to be the most poetic of all translations. While I still prefer Arberry, Khalidi compares very favourably.

    But, for the life of me, I cannot see why poetic translations cannot number the verses consistently and consecutively. Like Arberry, Khalidi provides verse numbers on the side margins non-consecutively. There are a couple of other unforgivable omissions. In the main text, the chapters have no numbers. While there is a short glossary, there is no index. I found the translation very difficult to navigate.

    These omissions notwithstanding, this is a magnificent achievement. And Penguin, which had a rotten image among Muslims thanks to Dawood's translation, has redeemed itself.

Saturday June 21, 2008, The Guardian, London

Buy The Qur'an: A New Translation at the Guardian bookshop

Ziauddin Sardar blogs on a different verse or theme of the Qur'an weekly at blogs.guardian. co.uk/quran

URL: http://www.newageislam.com/books-and-documents/the-qur-an--a-new-translation---the-eternal-present-tense/d/195