Promoting Interfaith Harmony Through Marriages In The US: Mike Ghouse Is A Pluralist Committed To Promoting Interfaith Marriages
Interfaith
Marriages In The US Account For 39 Percent Of Marriages In The Country
Main
Points:
1. Mike Ghouse
has officiated more than 150 interfaith marriages.
2. Today more
people marry across faith in the US.
3. Interfaith
marriages promote pluralism.
-----
By New
Age Islam Staff Writer
19 March
2022
Mike Ghouse
-----
Marriage is
an important event in the life of a man and a woman. Traditionally, marriages
take place between a man and a woman belonging to the same religion. In some
orthodox religious and ethnic communities, marriage is even restricted to the
caste or race within a religion and intercaste marriages are a taboo. But
during the last 50 to 60 years, people's approach to marriage has changed,
particularly in the US where since 1960, the trend in interfaith marriages has
grown visibly and since 2010, the trend in interfaith marriages has grown to
about 39 per cent.
In a
pluralistic society like the US where all the religious beliefs and cultural
traditions enjoy freedom and equality, interfaith marriages have become a
culturally accepted norm. However, in an interfaith marriage, the couple face
the dilemma over how the wedding ceremony should be held as customs and rituals
involving marriage are different in different religions and the parents and
relatives of the couple don't want to miss out on the joys and sense of
completeness on observing the cultural and religious customs during the wedding
ceremony.
It is here
that the services of interfaith marriage officiants assume significance. In the
US, there are a number of licensed marriage officiants who organise such
interfaith marriages in a way that the customs and rituals of the religions of
the couple are partly or fully observed according to the wishes of the couple,
and Mike Ghouse is a prominent name among the interfaith marriage officiants in
the US.
Mike Ghouse
is well known for his contribution to the promotion of interfaith harmony and
pluralism. He has written about 3600 articles in more than 300 newspapers
around the world. He has appeared on national TV, including Fox, over 300
times, and has been on Nationally Syndicated Radio shows over 150 times. His
book "The American Muslim Agenda" has received rave reviews and his
books, “Standing up for others” and “Pluralism in America" are on the
anvil.
Since Mike
Ghouse has been passionately promoting interfaith harmony and pluralism in
America, officiating interfaith marriages is the most effective way of
promoting it because when a man and woman belonging to two different religions
marry and come together for life, it strengthens the cultural bond. By officiating
hundreds of interfaith marriages since 2009, he has brought together hundreds
of couples from different religious and cultural background.
Mike Ghouse
has officiated religious, secular, and interfaith weddings in every combination
with Atheists, Buddhists, Christian, Hindus, Jains, Jewish, Muslims, Sikhs, and
others. Since 2010, he has officiated over150 weddings. Mike has also
officiated many Muslim-Muslim weddings.
He is
licensed in all 50 states of the United States and travels from Washington DC to
any destination.
About the
procedure of these interfaith weddings, he says:
"The
wedding proceedings include partial to complete sermons from both the Bride and
Groom’s religious traditions to the extent the couple prefers. If the couple
chooses, we will incorporate the parents’ customary rituals as well. It is very
common with Desi couples. Secular weddings may or may not include invoking the
name of God depending on the preference of the couple."
Mike Ghouse
believes that interfaith couple contribute more to the promotion of peace and
harmony because they help remove misconceptions about different religions and
bridge differences. Therefore, their decision to marry across faith is a bold
and inspiring step. And he takes pride in being a part of this bold initiative.
He says,
"I am
blessed to have officiated secular and religious ceremonies of both the
couple’s traditions with their respective input and final approval. Whether it
is Jewish-Christian, Hindu-Christian, Bahai-Jewish, Hindu-Jewish, Atheist-Jain,
or other combinations, the Bride and groom and their families feel elated and
enjoy the sense of marriage in full.
As a
Muslim, it has been my pleasure to have officiated weddings for Muslims in
various combinations; Muslim-Christian, Muslim-Jewish, Muslim-Hindu,
Muslim-Mormon, Muslim-Sikh, Muslim-Jain, Muslim-Buddhist, Muslim Atheist, and
Muslim-Muslim. By the way, individuals marry each other and not
religions."
He further
says,
"God
(or nature if you prefer) wants nothing more than harmony in his (its)
creation. Because he created everything in balance he expects us to preserve or
restore it when it is off. However, he did not program us how to relate to each
other and live with each other. He gave us complete freedom to chart our own
course of harmony with the other. God is happiest when two people can rise
above their differences and live in harmony."
(Representative Photo)
-----
While
organising an interfaith wedding, he keeps in mind all the requirements and
cultural and religious aspects of the event so that it becomes a memorable
experience for the couple and their families. To make the ceremony complete in
all respects, he has a detailed list of proceedings which is as follows:
The
initial conversation with the Wedding Officiant Dr. Mike Ghouse
A 25
points Questionnaire follows, to design the wedding proceeding.
A
conversation about handling the differences.
Guidance
on handling religious festivals at ease.
Dealing
with raising children (if at all).
Incorporate
Bride/Groom’s social, religious, or cultural traditions.
A draft
outline of the ceremony will be prepared by the Officiant.
The
couple will review and modify the outline at least three times.
The
officiant will perform the wedding per the agreed outline.
The
wedding will start on time and close on time.
The
Ceremony will be based on the process worked out between the couple and the
officiant, and it varies from couple to couple.
Interfaith
greetings to include people of different faith traditions.
Appreciating
the bold steps the bride and groom have taken.
Observing
customary traditions of either or both Bride and Groom.
Acceptance
of each other as his/her spouse.
Exchange
of Rings
Pronouncement
as husband and wife
Signing
the marriage registration papers
A short
customized Sermon to fit the tradition(s) chosen by the couple
Prayer (
again from one or two traditions).
Other
rituals that parents desire, or the couples want can be included.
Today
hundreds of interfaith couples are living happily and in harmony thanks to the
services provided by Mr Mike Ghouse. They acknowledge and appreciate the
efficiency and sensitivity with which Mr Ghouse has officiated and organised
their wedding. This gives him a great sense of achievement. Therefore, he says:
"As a
Pluralist, I have chosen to officiate the weddings of such couples to reflect
the essence of the Bride and Groom’s religious and cultural traditions. I laud
such couples who embrace genuine humanity by respecting the otherness of others
and accepting each other’s uniqueness. If the couple prefers to give that
little extra joy to the religiosity of their parents, relatives, and friends,
the sermon would include reflections and the essence of the faiths of the
couple.
I am
blessed to have performed some uniquely beautiful combinations of weddings from
different faith traditions. It was such a joy to see their families and friends
cheer at the end and appreciated learning the essence of both the traditions in
a few minutes."
In fact
organising interfaith marriages has become his mission. His mission is to open
people’s hearts, minds, and souls towards each other. The idea of Pluralism
drives him. He says,
"If we
can learn to Respect the otherness of the others and accept the God-given
uniqueness of each of us, then conflicts fade, and solutions emerge."
Indeed,
this is his definition of Pluralism and he finds the fulfilment of God's
message of peace and harmony in interfaith marriages.
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic
Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism