• 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. What is Dr. Ghouse’s book about?
   His book, American Muslim Agenda: Building a Cohesive America, discusses fostering harmony among individuals of all backgrounds.
5. 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.
6. 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.