- By Prof. Indrajit S Saluja
I was in Dallas publishing The Indian Panorama from there when I met Dr. Ghouse. It was some 13 years ago, and since then, I have been watching his consistent work on diversity and pluralism, including his articles published in The Indian Panorama-ever truthful News magazine.
During our research on individuals who have significantly impacted the lives of others, we were captivated by Dr. Mike Mohamed Ghouse. It inspired us to interview him to explore how he embodies diversity in every aspect of his life. We felt compelled to refer to him as “Mr. Pluralist of America” because of his remarkable ability to connect with people from various faiths, races, ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, conservatives, progressives, and different political affiliations. Pluralism runs through his veins, and he wholeheartedly embraces Lincoln’s wisdom of “malice toward none,” which he states, has “brought him immense happiness.”
Letting go of biases toward others can help you discover the joy of connecting with every person with ease. This sense of freedom adds meaning and happiness to life. Accepting and respecting how people dress, eat, and practice their beliefs can lead to an enriching experience. Embracing diversity is a sure path to a peaceful life. With this excellent perspective, we decided to share Dr. Ghouse’s experiences.
Dr. Ghouse’s Early Life in a Diverse Environment
Dr. Ghouse grew up in a diverse environment and credits his parents for this upbringing. His father served as the mayor of Yelahanka in the 1950s, one of the oldest towns in the region (over 600 years old). Yelahanka was ruled by Kempe Gowda, the chieftain who laid the foundation of Bangalore in 1537 AD. It is said that Kempe Gowda lived in the home where Dr. Ghouse grew up.
As a child, he accompanied his father to different homes and enjoyed a variety of foods from Hindu, Christian, Jain, and Sikh families. His mother engaged weekly in conversations with the only Zoroastrian woman in the town. At the same time, his father and maternal grandfather often discussed Shia-Sunni theology, allowing Dr. Ghouse to absorb a wealth of knowledge from these diverse interactions in a civic and pluralistic framework.
He continued this tradition with his children, taking them to various places of worship, from Atheist to Zoroastrians and everyone in between in Dallas, including an LGBTQ church, Wicca, Pagan, and Native American gatherings. He said he did not want his children to espouse bigotry towards another American.
The Flour Mill: A Hub for Community Interactions
His father’s flour mill attracted individuals from various backgrounds, including Adivasis (tribals), Gypsies (Banjara/Khandari), Hindus, Dalits, Sikhs (from Yelahanka Airforce Base), Jains, Christians, and Muslims. They all came to the mill to have their wheat, millet, and rice ground into flour and get extra polish to rice.
As a teenager working alongside his father in the mill, he learned to respect the diversity of his community by listening to and engaging with the diverse individuals who spent over two hours each visit. Fortunately, the mill was the only one for miles around.
Interfaith Dialogues and Spiritual Exploration
During his teenage years, Dr. Ghouse participated in interfaith dialogues with his English professor, Dr. A. Ramachandra, and Fakhru Bhai, a Muslim weaver. Both deeply understood Hinduism and Islam, providing him with a solid foundation in interfaith learning during the late 1960s.
In college, he attended the Mosque on Fridays and joined singing bhajans (Hindu devotional songs) at the temple on Bazaar Road Saturday nights. Wednesdays were dedicated to learning Buddha’s teachings at the Mahabodhi Center, and he attended church monthly. Although he did not fully subscribe to the traditional depictions of God in various religions, he cherished visiting all places of worship and thoroughly enjoyed the essence of their teachings as suited him, always reflecting on the beliefs people held.
Dr. Ghouse remained irreligious for nearly 30 years before re-embracing Islam in the late ’90s. He credits this return to the wisdom he found in the Bhagavad Gita and the writings of Karen Armstrong.
Career and Global Exposure
After completing college, he worked at the Food Craft Institute in Bangalore, where he had the opportunity to interact with students from various communities and countries. Every year he enjoyed nearly 60 unique dishes prepared by international students as part of their culinary training. This experience was akin to practicing pluralism through cuisine—accepting and respecting diverse foods—which enriched his experience of cultural diversity.
In the late 1970s, Dr. Ghouse worked in Saudi Arabia as the deputy controller for Fluor Arabia’s largest project, valued at $5.3 billion. He managed five remote sites for a gas gathering project that was converted to liquefied natural gas, collaborating with colleagues from 44 different nationalities across South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, and the United States.
Contributions to Real Estate and Community Building
His experience at the Food Craft Institute and Fluor Arabia enhanced his ability to understand and pronounce various names and accents, facilitating easier communication. Additionally, he developed a deep appreciation for diverse cultures, foods, clothing, and music, interacting with the given diversity, and collecting music tapes from around the world that he enjoyed listening to.
Over the years, Dr. Ghouse gained valuable experience in real estate, including homebuilding, working with major Dallas Builders like Drees Custom Homes, Gemcraft Homes, Grand Homes, and Bluffview Builders. Additionally, leasing, and property management, all while working with people from different backgrounds.
Throughout this time, he had the opportunity to build and live in six new homes in diverse neighborhoods in Dallas, before ultimately choosing to live in an all-Black community in Southeast Washington, D.C.
Founding the Center for Pluralism
At the Center for Pluralism, he has organized and led four annual events – Unity Day USA, Thanksgiving, Holocaust & Genocides, Festival of Faiths – and numerous seminars, including on Capitol Hill. Over 40 workshops were held to understand the essence of 12 different religions, along with producing 780 hours of engaging radio programming focused on religion.
The Dallas Morning News has published around 250 of his pieces on interfaith topics, while the Huffington Post has published over 100 of his articles. His work has been featured in more than 300 newspapers worldwide, including several major publications. Dr. Ghouse aspires to encapsulate these remarkable experiences in a book. Over the past 26 years, more than 50,000 attendees at these events have left with an open heart and mind toward fellow humans.
Promoting Interfaith Harmony Through Weddings
One of the most fulfilling aspects of his life has been officiating nearly 500 interfaith weddings, uniting individuals from different faiths, races, and ethnicities. It is an immensely rewarding experience to marry people from Japan, Korea, and Vietnam in the east, to Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, Somalia, and Nigeria in the middle, as well as from the UK, France, and Sweden in Europe, and of course, from Latin America and the Middle East, representing 60 ethnicities and counting.
Nearly 40,000 people have walked out of the ceremonies respecting other faiths. Additionally, he has worked with over 500 families to ensure seamless and joyful wedding celebrations. These experiences have allowed him to travel to over 50 cities across America and Canada, and he has officiated countless destination weddings in Mexico, with plans to officiate worldwide Muslim Virtual Nikah, Nikah+, and interfaith marriages.
Vision for a Pluralistic Future
He is committed to shaping America’s future. Ten years from now, it will be common to see people of different faiths, races, cultures, and ethnicities interacting, working, studying, mingling, playing, and even marrying each other. These new interactions may lead to conflicts, potentially pitting one group of Americans against another, with biases creeping into people’s hearts taking away their happiness.
As responsible citizens, we must prepare ourselves to prevent such conflicts, ensuring that every American can live securely with their faith, culture, gender, race, sexual orientation, political beliefs, or ethnicity.
Dr. Ghouse’s Personal Life and Legacy
Mike is approaching his 73rd birthday. Despite being on dialysis, he leads a full and active life every day of the week. Mike is grateful to God for all that he has, and he welcomes a kidney donor. His greatest joy comes from his loving and caring wife, Fatima, whom he considers a true blessing.
Together, they cherish their lives. Mylord Fatima Reyes Tosta is also a partner in interfaith marriages and officiates extensively for Latin American weddings.
To sum up, Dr. Mike Ghouse is a Social Scientist, Interfaith Wedding Officiant, Public Speaker, author, activist, and a TV Commentator. He is deeply committed to Pluralism in Religion, Politics, Societies, Human rights, and religious freedom. He is the founder and president of the Center for Pluralism and the Director at the World Muslim Congress, a think tank.
- Background of Mike Ghouse – https://interfaithmarriages.org/muslim-background-of-dr-mike-mohamed-ghouse/
- Abstracto f a fewVideos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZQ-FT8GfiQHYPERLINK “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZQ-FT8GfiQ&t=8s”&HYPERLINK “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZQ-FT8GfiQ&t=8s”t=8s
- Pictures with Indrajit, African Americans, MaryAnn, Unity Day, Holocaust, Festivals, thanksgiving,
- Choosing to live in all Black neighborhood –Published in Port Harlem Magazine https://centerforpluralism.com/black-neighborhood-is-my-residence/
- Mike Ghouse power of engagement with Fox News – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd-mgSFziII
- Standing up for others – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb_3rr8zB-g
- My name is Mike Mohamed Ghouse https://theghousediary.com/tag/my-name-is-mike-ghouse/
- More about him at TheGhouseDiary.com and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Mohamed_Ghouse
- His book, American Muslim Agenda, is available on Amazon, and “Standing up for Others” and “Madame President” are coming soon.
FAQs About Dr. Mike Mohamed Ghouse
- Who is Dr. Mike Mohamed Ghouse?
Dr. Mike Mohamed Ghouse is an advocate of pluralism and interfaith harmony, often referred to as “Mr. Diversity of America” due to his unwavering commitment to inclusivity. - What is the Center for Pluralism?
The Center for Pluralism, founded by Dr. Ghouse, promotes respect for all faiths and cultures through events, workshops, and outreach programs. - How many interfaith weddings has Dr. Ghouse officiated?
Dr. Ghouse has officiated nearly 500 interfaith weddings, uniting couples from over 60 ethnicities and various faiths. - What is Dr. Ghouse’s book about?
His book, American Muslim Agenda: Building a Cohesive America, discusses fostering harmony among individuals of all backgrounds. - How has Dr. Ghouse contributed to media?
Dr. Ghouse has authored articles for publications like The Dallas Morning News and Huffington Post and has been featured in over 300 newspapers worldwide. He has further appeared on 110 Hannity shows at Fox News and other national TV and Radio syndicated programs. - What are Dr. Ghouse’s future aspirations?
He plans to author several books on pluralism, interfaith harmony, and raising interfaith children, as well as produce a movie promoting free speech and honoring what is sacred to people. His dream is to open an educational institution to teach practical pluralism in religion, culture and the workplace.
Mike Ghouse is a humble and dedicated humanist who truly believes in pluralism and diversity. He preaches what be believes by actually practicing it in his daily life. He has performed numerous interfaith marriage ceremonies and he performs the duties of a wedding officiant as a religious obligation. His life and daily routine confirm his secular approach. In spite of his health complications, he smiles and remains pleasant and joyful. I have a great regard for this person.
I have known Dr. Ghouse for many years. His dedication to serve diverse communities is admirable. He certainly believes in unity and not uniformity because everybody’s opinion is respected in America. We need more people like him in America to keep this country united and not divided. America is our home where we live, where we will die.
Known Dr.Mike Ghouse for more than 30 years when he use to live in Dallas. I remember 30years ago in Dallas he use to host the Radio show. One time he invited me to talk about language Telugu and Andhra Pradesh. Keep up the good work you are doing Mike.
I have known Dr. Mike Ghouse for more than fifteen years and have found him
very pleasant and knowledgeable person. He performs a valuable community service by promoting interfaith harmony and presiding over interfaith marriages. I wish him a healthy and happy new year.
I know Mike for several years. He is passionate about pluralism and peace. His energy in pursuing his passion is amazing. In his zeal to see the world in his plural framework at times his interpretation or understanding of the scope of pluralism in Islam has drawn criticism and controversy. He never claimed that his interpretation of scriptures are the absolute truth, he is honest in saying that his interpretation is according to his understanding and worldview.
Mike’s unbound energy is uplifting and something to strive for.
Dr Ghous Mike is a very well respected advocate of interfaith harmony and pluralism, who has greatly contributed to build bridges between different religions and cultures in the United States. I am sure the world would be more beautiful and safe if we can ensure social justice, human dignity and inclusive & participatory decision making on matters that affect human beings without any discrimination based on religion, color or creed. My best wishes and lots of prayers for Dr Ghous Mike for everything he will be doing to promote pluralism in 2025.
Dr Mike Ghouse embraces all of humanity, examplifying what all should do and be. This is especially important in a world which has undergone incredible progress in so many areas but is displaying less tolerance and understanding in human relations.
I have been a fan of Dr. Mike Ghouse for the better part of 15 years. His unwavering commitment to Pluralism is both inspiring and exemplary.
In later years I’ve been very privileged to have gotten to know him better and to have read his amazing book “American Muslim Agenda”; a must read for any aspiring Pluralist seeking to navigate the often troubled waters of inter-faith harmony. His book is not just of academic or theoretical interest, but something he lives out everyday. And as such, he is rightly deserving of the title of “Mr. Pluralist of America”.
Wedding officiant, political commentator, religious harmonizer, writer, activist, author, defender of minorities, promoter of social justice, and much, much more.
By all standards through which we measure or judge human beings, we must ask ourselves if a better human being has ever graced our generation.
congratulations to prof, SALUJA for Bridging our a hidden Gem in public by providing information about Mohammed Ghouse ,
who is carrying out a selfless service for a very long time towards bringing all the communities of the world together & have been conducting dialogue between the world communities in order to build & pursue a peaceful & cohesive relationship among them aiming towards a peaceful world for all…
syed Shafiulla saheb, secretary: All India Milli council , Karnataka state , India….
congratulations to prof, Saluja for providing an eye opener information about a such a marvellous & selfless beackon of peace, a pluralist & continuous hard worker to the general public…. syed shafiulla saheb… secretary: All India Milli council , for the state ofKarnataka ,
“Dr. Ghouse, your decades-long dedication to equality, meritocracy, and pluralism is a testament to your unwavering commitment to justice and inclusion. Your tireless efforts have inspired countless individuals and created meaningful change in communities far and wide. Thank you for your vision, resilience, and determination in championing a world where diversity is celebrated, fairness prevails, and opportunities are open to all. Your legacy is a beacon of hope and a reminder of the profound impact one person can make.”
As the Minister of Peace of Helping Hands Inc. Humanitarian All Nations Diplomatic Mission (HHIDM), I deeply appreciate Dr. Mike Mohamed Ghouse’s remarkable dedication to promoting pluralism and fostering interbelief harmony.
His life’s work exemplifies the principles of compassion, understanding, and respect for diverse cultures and beliefs, values essential for creating a harmonious and peaceful global society.
Dr. Ghouse’s dedication to embracing diversity and his ability to connect with individuals from various beliefs and backgrounds serve as a beacon of positivity and a mark for others to follow. His work aligns with our mission of fostering mutual respect and understanding, contributing to a better world for all. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Ghouse for his significant contributions to creating inclusivity and harmony. May his work inspire more collaborative efforts to address the challenges we face as a global community.
With commitment to humanity, peace and for sustainability,
Hon Kaushalya Siriwardana
Hon Minister of Peace
Helping Hands Inc. Humanitarian All Nations Diplomatic Mission (HHIDM)
I had the privilege of reading Dr. Mike Ghouse’s remarkable profile, which I found both enlightening and deeply inspiring. The piece masterfully highlights Dr. Ghouse’s unwavering dedication to interfaith dialogue, social harmony, and inclusivity. It eloquently portrays his tireless efforts to build bridges of understanding among diverse communities, serving as a beacon of hope in these divisive times.
I also extend my heartfelt appreciation to Professor Saluja and The Indian Panorama for their thoughtful and comprehensive presentation of Dr. Ghouse’s extraordinary journey. His story stands as a powerful testament to the transformative potential of individuals driven by a vision for a more compassionate and unified world.
Dr. Mike Ghouse has been spending the better part of his life towards his passion for Pluralism. His efforts towards bringing harmony and peace for betterment of society has been tremendous. His emphasis on Allah / God being Universal for all and not being limited to one set of people is very important to note. He references the 2nd verse of the opening chapter of Qu’ran for reiterating this point. He reminds everybody of the Prophet being Rahmatul’Alameen! I could go on but it is better to read him directly.
Mike Ghouse is an icon of our desi community. He has been fighting for equality, meritocracy and Pluralism for decades.
A mover of people and a lover of peace, the world needs more people like Mike
Prof. Saluja, thank you for writing such a thoughtful and well researched article on Dr. Ghouse. I have known Dr. Ghouse for two decades and I have found his unwavering commitment to interfaith harmony and the idea of pluralism remarkable. A lot of people talk the talk but Mike has walked it. His passion for interfaith dialogue is infectious. One thing that I admire about him is that he is not a theoretician, he practices these values. Anyone can give lectures or write articles on shared values, but his willingness to officiate interfaith marriages is an amazing way to bring these ideas into practice. Not only two people from different faith communities are literally tying the knot but so are their families and friends. Imagine each wedding knot as a stitch and then all these weddings together become a seam that make two communities one.
Thanks Dr. Ghouse for your amazing service to the American experiment. While many are working to tear it apart, you are working to stitch it back and make it stronger.
Dr. Ghouse is a symbol of unity. He has done a tremendous job spreading the message of pluralism and peace. God bless him!
Sir,Happy Birthday and a wonderful New Year to you! Your dedication to serving others and bringing people together makes our Muslim community a better place. Through your efforts, you’ve touched countless lives and created positive changes that ripples throughout North America.
May this year bring you abundant joy, good health, and fulfilling moments as you continue your meaningful work. Your commitment to uplifting others is truly inspiring.
God Bless you.
Mike Ghouse is a maverick who has single handedly changed the centuries old misconception that God does not belong only to this religion or that. Mike has always quoted from all the scriptures wisdom about building peaceful and progressive societies and communities.
Mike has consistently brought people of all faiths together through marriages. He is truly a PLURALISTIC AND SCHOLARLY PERSON. I have had a long association with Mike from the last 20 years.
Mike is a Remarkable leader, a great example, a kind human being who spreads love amongst people of all faiths. He is indeed a friend who makes you feel special
and inclusive always. We have known Mike for many years we have been in Dallas. The many events of pluralism and promoting artists are memorable especially Unity day. We are ever grateful for his efforts to bring communities closer. We wish him continued success in the coming years. We need more leaders like
Him in our present times. Our prayers always for him, families and well wishers. Ameen. Duas always from Rafi and Shahnaz Farukhi
Dr. Mike Gause has been actively involved in Islamic education, community service, and interfaith dialogue for many years. He’s particularly recognized for his work in promoting Islamic awareness, understanding, and unity. Dr. Gause is a strong advocate for social justice, civil rights, pluralism, and community empowerment.
Dr. Mike Ghouse is truly ” Mr. Pluralism”. His dedication to his work and to the people he serves is truly inspiring. He has touched so many people with his work and his ability to build connections and open minds. The world truly needs more people like Dr. Mike Ghouse.