My Friend, Bill Potere (May 22, 1943 - August 23, 2017)

Bill and I met after an interesting lecture by Rev. Larry Dannemiller at the Van Hoosen Museum on May 15, 2003.  The lecture was about Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.   After 9/11, there was a lot of interest in those kinds of topics.  I was curious that why the museum would choose a Christian clergyman to talk about the Prophet Muhammad.

I was the only non-white person in the crowd during that jam-packed lecture.  The reverend was a very well read and wise man. He talked reverently about the prophet Muhammad and actually cleared up lots of misconception about Islam and debunked lots of conspiracy theories people received through email chains.

During the Q&A, Bill commented on how all the religions are being abused by their followers. According to him, the religious zealots are a problem in all the religions.  I also raised my hand, commended the reverend and told him about the common bond between Christians and Muslims, which is their belief in God and in the hereafter.  And how my Muslim family growing up in India always supported the USA against the USSR in all the Olympics finals in basketball, ice hockey etc., for a simple reason: these people (USA) believed in God and the other people (USSR) did not believe in God.  The audience really liked my comments and I got a standing ovation.  Moreover, I got an invitation to meet the reverend later that night at his friend’s house, where Bill was also invited.  That was the beginning of our friendship. 

Bill loved the Rochester area.  He introduced me to the Greater Leadership Rochester and recommended that I join the program, which I did and finished in May of 2004.  A few years later, when the Paint Creek Center for the Arts asked me to join their board, he encouraged me to say “yes.”   He introduced me to the Clinton River Watershed Council by inviting me to their pancake breakfast at the Rochester Municipal Park.  I also sought his advice in my personal and professional life, and he was always generous with his time and advice. 

Bill wanted all Rochester organizations to have diverse voices and encouraged me to add my voice and make Rochester a better place for everyone.  He wanted the board of local organizations to reflect the community they are serving.  He would say, “Ignorance leads to prejudice, let us remove ignorance.” 

Bill was an avid biker and he introduced me to all the bike trails in the area, be it Paint Creek Trail, Clinton River Trail, Polly Ann trail or Stoney Creek Trail.  I would normally drive to his house with my bike and we would start biking from there.  We did a couple of Tour de Troit events.  It was interesting to ride with him in the city of Detroit. He showed me the place/bar where the 1967 riots/uprising started, different neat neighborhoods, and of course, a French breakfast place (I have still yet to try that place).  After our first Tour de Troit, we visited Martha in her apartment in Detroit.  Bill was very proud of his daughter Martha, she was the star of his eyes. Unfortunately, he was not able to join me for Tour de Troit last year.  

Bill knew a lot about lots of things.  I enjoyed his company and our conversations ranged from politics to religion to philosophy to food to business to yoga vs. swimming (he liked yoga and I enjoy swimming).  Like yoga vs. swimming, we agreed to disagree on lots of subjects.  Talking about food, well most of our bike rides on Saturdays ended with a serving of almond croissants at the Give Thanks Bakery.  Bill knew Gerald Matthes, the owner of the bakery, and we had interesting conversations with him.  Fall rides at the Clinton River Trail included a stop at Verellen Orchards for a serving of their famous peach ice cream.  It was cool to eat ice cream at 10:00 AM.  He also introduced me to Folger’s Orchard and Farm, suggesting that I need to go there to try their sweet corn, which arrives in August.  Well, I have been their regular customer ever since.

During one winter, Bill told me that to make my winter interesting, I should get into winter sports of some sort.  He told me that if you want to see a completely different look of Stoney Creek Park, we must go there for cross-country skiing.  As I did not have the skis, etc., he offered me Martha’s and we were able to go.  Martha’s boots were little tight, but I did not mind.  Wow, Stoney Creek does look amazing when completely covered with snow.

Bill knew almost everybody in Rochester.  When my younger brother, Mohammad Ali, a heart surgeon, visited me, he wanted to meet a local heart surgeon.  Guess, who knew a heart surgeon at Crittenton hospital? 

Bill was connected, I mean politically.  A few year back, a woman (born and raised in Rochester, white, wears hijab) at the mosque called me and told me about a meeting she attended, where for the first in her life, she thought her life was in danger.  The meeting was organized by Islamophobes, where they talked about how Muslims (yes 1% or less of the population is taking over our country) are taking over and we need to get rid of them.  She was the only visible Muslim there and she got scared.  She told me that beside Sheriff Bouchard, Mike Bishop (who was at that time Michigan House Majority Leader) was there as well.  

Bill knew Mike Bishop; I called him and told him what happened.  He was saddened to hear that this kind of gathering can take place in the Rochester area.  He immediately called Mike and arranged a meeting.  I met Mike Bishop and told him about the lady’s concern, and he wanted to apologize in person, but she decided not to meet him.  I think she was right in asking for a public apology rather than a personal one.  Anyways, point being, Bill could call a politician and he/she would respond quickly.  They knew he was a community leader with influence.  He was a member of the Rotary Club and took me to their Tuesday lunch meeting once.  Everybody knew him there and I found them to be very welcoming hosts.  

After Bill fell ill with Leukemia and became a snowbird, our interaction diminished.  Our bike rides became infrequent and shorter.  He was on a strict diet, so no more almond croissants and ice cream.  Last year, when I went with him for lunch in Troy, he located a salad place near my office and we met there.  I joked with him that he is going to turn me into a Vegan. 

As Bill had told me so much about his life in Florida, I suggested that I should visit him and check it out.  He readily agreed to host me.  Just before Thanksgiving break last year (2016), I visited him at his place in Fort Myers, FL.  I was there for only a couple of days (Thursday night to Sunday Morning). He picked me up in his Audi from the airport.  Over the next couple of days, we commiserated about the presidential election result, biked, kayaked, walked on the beach and drove to Naples.  It almost felt like he was as much at home in Fort Myers as he was in Rochester, MI.

Bill showed me all the hole-in-the-wall places to eat.  We went to a fish market and bought black grouper and crabmeat (only for me, as he was not eating any meat or seafood).  He knew different varieties of grouper, according to Bill, black grouper is the best.  I wanted to take Uber but he insisted in dropping me off at the airport.  That was the last time I saw Bill.  On August 23, 2017, I lost a great friend and valued mentor.  I was lucky to be his friend; he enriched my life beyond what I can express.  I will miss you Bill.

Fasting Leads to Empathy

A few days ago, I decided to begin a voluntary one-day fast.  (Perhaps I was inspired by all the stories I have been hearing and reading about Lent.) I plan to repeat this every month moving forward.

During the day, I made lunch for my son, and I had an intense feeling of desire to eat because of the smell of the food. What my son was having for lunch was nothing extraordinary, nor was it a favorite dish of mine.  As I was fasting, I obviously had to control my desire and just serve him, and then wait for sunset to break my fast.

This experience gave me the feeling that I am somehow, just for few hours, vicariously living a life of one of millions of people who serve the food to others but cannot afford to eat the same food.  This not only applies to the people of poor countries but also to rich countries like USA.  

While growing up in India, I know firsthand how millions of young boys, girls and adults serve in the food industry and make all the delicious food and serve it to rich.  Most likely, they cannot afford to eat the same meal or even something close to it.  I wonder how does this make them  feel day in and day out?  

Or what about the millions of minimum wage job holders in the restaurant industry in the US?  How do they feel when they serve these expensive dishes to patrons but can never afford those for themselves and for their families?

I had that kind of feeling while fasting and serving lunch to my son.  In Islamic tradition, fasting is mainly a form of worship to make one God-conscious, but there are many secondary benefits.  One of them is that it puts you in a situation like what I mentioned, which will make you reflect about the people who have to fast involuntarily.

Ultimately, fasting should create empathy for those “have nots.”  And that should ultimately lead one to work for change, work to reduce the gap between rich and poor, work to make life better for everybody, and hopefully should lead to less complaints about what we don’t have and more appreciation of what we do have.

I hope one of the great presidents, Abraham Lincoln would forgive me, when I end with malice toward none, with empathy for poor and downtrodden, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive to make this world a better place.

Sorry Charlie, I agree with Pope Francis

It has been a week since the horrific massacre at the political satire magazine Charlie Hebdo and the Kosher supermarket in Paris.  The world came together and condemned the killings.  Sadly, the killers justified their attack in that they avenged the honor of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). I doubt that they ever studied the life of the Prophet.

The last Prophet (like other prophets before him) was not only insulted all his life but also abused and threatened physically.  His response every time was to forgive.  My favorite saying of him is "Even a smile is charity".

He had said,"charity is prescribed for each descendant of Adam every day the sun rises."  He was then asked: “From what do we give charity every day?” The Prophet answered: “The doors of goodness are many…enjoining good, forbidding evil, removing harm from the road, listening to the deaf, leading the blind, guiding one to the object of his need, hurrying with the strength of one’s legs to one in sorrow who is asking for help, and supporting the feeble with the strength of one’s arms–all of these are charity prescribed for you."

I am disgusted that the killers took the name of my prophet before committing their heinous crime.  This act was even more insulting to the Prophet and his followers than the Charlie Hebdo cartoons.  Besides condemning this act and repeating the fact that Islam prohibits killing of innocent in strongest of the terms (Quran 5:32), I am not sure what else, a run of the mill or if you want to use media defined "moderate Muslim" like me can do.  Should Lassan Bathily, the hero of Kosher supermarket, be referred as a "Moderate Muslim"?

I have been reading, listening and watching all the pundits talk about freedom of expression and virtues of the Western values (supposedly they are in contrast to Eastern/Islamic values) with the banner "I am Charlie" in their hands.   Rupert Murdoch, the owner of the Fox Network tweeted informing the Muslims that you are all responsible for this.  I am not sure who should we assign responsibility to all the lives lost in recent unjust wars, maybe to the pencils being thrown from the drones? 

Contrary to what some might claim, never there has been a complete and utter freedom of expression anywhere in the world.  Just look at the reaction in France, a comedian has been arrested for an offensive post on the facebook.  In 2009, Charlie Hebdo fired Maurice Sinet for a cartoon that he drew which was insulting to Jewish people while facing charges of “inciting racial hatred” under French laws.

God has honored every human being, so let's live and let others live a dignified life.  Let's not insult or vilify others and their faith.  Even Stephen Colbert sets a limit (listen from 2:25) on what he thinks is sacred and should not be mocked or insulted. West and East share same common human values and preserving them is our best hope for the future.  

Freedom of expression comes with responsibility. Freedom of expression does not grant free pass to indecency and insults. Pope Francis balanced it perfectly when he said that killing "in the name of God" is wrong, but it is also wrong to "provoke" people by belittling their religion.  He further said if you use a swear word against my mother, then be ready for a punch back.  So sorry Charlie, I am with the Pope on this one.

Let’s get real or let’s not play!

Turn on the radio or TV, or better yet, don’t.  I will tell you what’s on. If it is a news station particularly covering International news, then someone is talking about some kind of bombing or killing or violent act of some kind and it is very likely that it is done in the name of Islam or that’s what the media have you believe.  Is it then a surprise that the common person thinks that Muslims are violent and that society is way better off without them in their midst?  Is it then a surprise that any accomplished Muslim rather not associate himself/herself with Islam or Muslims?  Is it then a surprise that there is a whole industry of well-funded Islamophobia who are blaming Muslims for everything and making up stuff as they go along and get millions of viewers who watch without questioning anything at all?

Is it then a surprise that the common Muslim is overwhelmed, dejected and has no clue what can be done to show the world what true Islam is?  How can the believers in God the Most Merciful and the Prophet (PBUH), who was sent as a mercy to mankind be this violent and merciless?  Is it then a surprise that we see intellectuals debating whether or not Islam is a peaceful religion?
                         
Media and pundits have blamed Muslims again and again of remaining silent and not condemning the violence enough.  I think Muslims are getting good at that now, as soon as some violent act takes place, Muslim organizations jump up and down and issue PRs condemning it, in some cases before the culprits are even known to be “Muslim terrorists” (in the recent case of the Boston bombing).

We are not fooling anybody except ourselves.   Do we really think that condemning these acts can stop the media from blaming the religion of Islam for every misdeed of its supposed follower?  Then what do Muslims need to do?  Put simply, they need to heed the call of the Quran (3:104, 16:90).

The Holy Quran exhorts believers to do good and prevent what is wrong.  Muslims need to stand up and be counted, not by issuing PRs to condemn terrorism in the name of Islam, but by doing good and standing up for justice and peace.  Our society is suffering from all kinds of ills, whether it is a big topic like the gap between rich and poor and the imbalance it has created in our society to things like break up of families and prevalence and embellishment of immorality all around us.  Quran places a premium on human life and prods us to honor every human being irrespective of their belief, race, color, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

It is about time Muslims stop issuing PRs and start working to make this society a better place to live.  Muslims don’t need to only be doctors and engineers but they need to reach out and be volunteers and teachers, who are involved in all aspects of the society, from serving in soup kitchens, to volunteering at art festivals, to PTAs, to rallying for worker’s rights.  Let us outcompete and outnumber others in doing good and preventing wrongs and we will not have to defend our religion, others will defend it for us, for they will see real Islam in action, Islam of their neighbors and peers, not the Islam they see on CNN or Fox.


Quaid Saifee

Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) - A Mercy to the Worlds!

9/14/2012

During our morning drive to school, my daughter and I discussed the recent YouTube video about the Prophet.  This video has caused a lot of pain to Muslims all over the world but most unfortunately has caused violence, destruction of property, and deaths of fellow human beings.

Four American diplomats and the same number of Yemeni citizens have died so far.  My daughter asked me, “Have you seen this video?”, I said “No” and “ I have no desire to see it”.  I told her I avoid watching or reading anything which denigrates any religion, or any figure the followers of that religion consider holy.  I know my prophet well.  God mentions him in the Quran as the “Mercy to the worlds”.  I have read so many of his biographies and I love him more than anything in this world (including my children and parents).

My daughter and I talked about how someone can post an offensive video like this which can hurt the feelings of 1.5 billion Muslims all over the world from Morocco to Indonesia.  Is it OK to do that?  What are boundaries of freedom of speech?  Just while we were talking, NPR had a story on this as well.  It talked about Google blocking this video in Egypt and Libya.  It compared this to how all the Nazi-related videos are banned in Germany.

We talked about freedom of expression.  We talked about how the freedom of expression does not apply to somebody who wants to roam the streets stark naked or want to call out “fire” in a dark movie theater.  But how to apply this to other situations like this video which has similar effect if not worse.  Honestly there are no good answers.  Freedom comes with a lot of personal responsibilities and there are always going to be individuals who will take advantage of it and incite people by using their right to freely express.  As the saying goes, freedom is not free, neither is the “freedom to express”.  This cherished value of ours should not be used to hurt other human beings or their faith.

She and I also talked about how an Egyptian TV channel used their newly acquired “freedom to express” and caused this ensuing violence.  I think they are more responsible for this violence then the misguided person who produced this video (this person also misguided all the actors in the video by not telling them the real purpose behind this video).

We talked about how we cannot get incited by anyone who is out there to outrage us.  It is the responsibility of the leaders to educate the masses that the solution to every problem is not to riot or to destroy.  In countries like Egypt, Libya, Yemen, etc. there are millions of uneducated, unemployed, and unmarried youth. This is a volatile combination which leaders of these countries need to address, rather than burning flags and throwing stones at the consulates of other nations (who are their guests).  If we truly believe in God and his Prophet, then we need to show that in action.  Words have no meaning if they are not translated into action.

One can quote numerous examples from the life of the prophet, where he forgave his enemies and did not bother to respond to their criticism.  He did not respond to hatred with hate. In one of the narrated incidents in the life of prophet, a person not only tried to verbally insult him but also physical injured him by throwing garbage at him.  He not only refused to react, but when that person fell sick, he visited that person to give comfort.  I can recall reading another incident from the life of the prophet where a Christian delegation (diplomats) visited him in Medina and they wanted a place to worship during their extended stay.  He simply pitched a tent in the mosque and gave them space to pray and worship as they pleased.  This is how one should treat diplomats.

The Prophet continued on his mission despite facing insults, injuries and sometimes even death threats from his enemies.  He did not take anything personally.  It is about time, Muslims need to adopt the Prophet’s way.  We need to outperform everybody in being good, noble, and compassionate in our actions and in our reactions to insults like this video.

We deliberated about the need to make sure that if somebody wants to learn about the Prophet he/she is able to find the right information about him.  When somebody Googles his name, he finds the objective information about this greatest of human beings.  More importantly, our every-day actions should reflect our belief in God (The Ultimate Judge of all actions), and all the Prophets (including Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, who patiently endured insults from their enemies).  Anybody with any common sense who really wants to learn about the life and mission of the Prophet would ask somebody who follows his message, not look for answers in a perverted video.

References:

Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by Martin Lings (Oct 17, 2006)

Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time by Karen Armstrong (Aug 28, 2007)

In the Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the Life of Muhammad by Tariq Ramadan (Jan 6, 2009)

Memories of Muhammad: Why the Prophet Matters by Omid Safi (Nov 17, 2009)

The Life and Work of Muhammad (Critical Lives) by Yahiya Emerick and Yahiya J. Emerick (Apr 1, 2002)

Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet Starring Michael Wolfe & Alex Kronemer (Dec 18, 2002)

The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics) by M. A. Abdel Haleem (Jun 15, 2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6zuKbBlmRo (Nouman Ali Khan)

Credits: Edited by my daughters 

The Detroit Riverfront, a must visit for all Metro Detroiter

Detroit Trip ( 23rd June 2012)

Rarely suburbanites think about Detroit when they are looking to have fun.  To entertain my parents for a weekend, I was thinking to take them to Traverse City or Walloon lake area this year, but they were not too crazy for a 4-5 hour drive to visit sand dunes or stay in a cottage.  So I started looking on the web and came across this video at  http://www.detroitriverfront.org/.  I was thoroughly impressed.  It reminded me of a business meeting I had at UAW-GM almost 10 years back and how much I enjoyed being at the riverfront just outside their lobby.

Well, the plan was set.  We started our day with a brunch at Original Pancake House in Gross Pointe, MI (I wish they had a branch in Detroit as well).  They serve a pretty good breakfast besides pancakes, they have awesome crepes and omelettes. They also serve fresh orange juice.

Once we were done with the food, we started driving on the Mack avenue towards Eastern Market.  Just in few minutes we had crossed over into Detroit and one can tell. Manicured lawns gave way to dilapidated buildings.  My son commented “dad, looks like a hurricane has run through this neighborhood”.  Unfortunately it did look like that.  Wait, don’t judge Detroit yet, till you have read this whole blog.  

Well we reached Eastern Market at about 2:30 PM or so.  It is open on Saturday from 8 to 5 PM.  Eastern Market was full of hussle and bussle.  Lots of people, lots of vendors selling all kinds of fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers, fish, bread, cheese etc.  One of the vendors was selling fresh Walleye from straights of Mackinaw.  I would have bought some, if we were going back home straight from the market.  We ended up buying flowers, plants (including a special kind of mint), fruits, hanging basket for backyard etc.  It was lots of fun for kids.  Lots of young people were buying and selling stuff, all good signs for the rebirth of Detroit.

From Eastern Market we drove to the “waterfront”.  If we all had bikes we could have biked to the Waterfront through “Dequindre Cut Greenway” a special corridor to bike/hike from Eastern Market to the Waterfront.  Earlier I had called http://www.diamondjack.com/ for Detroit River Boat Tour.  They have a location at Rivard Plaza where one can take the boat tour on Detroit River.  I asked the lady for a good location to park (parking is always a big worry of mine in Detroit).  She suggested we park at Beaubien Street and Atwater.  There are couple of large parking buildings on Beaubien street (very close to river), we were able to park there for $10.00.  From there it is only 3-4 minute walk to Rivard Plaza. Also this map does a good job in laying out the Detroit Waterfront area and parking.
 

Interestingly that weekend was the “River Day Festival”.  There were thousands of people, all having a great time.  There were lots of rides for kids and places to eat etc.  Because of festival the boat tour company was offering one hour tour (normally their tours are two hours).  It was $10.00 per person.  We took a 5:30 PM tour.  This tour gives a good history of Detroit as well Windsor, ON Canada.  It is also a great way to take the photographs of Detroit skyline.

Overall it was a great experience for my family.  If you have not been to Detroit in a while, I strongly recommend to visit the Detroit River Waterfront.  You will find tons of families enjoying biking, hiking and just having a great time.  I have been reading and hearing about all the good things happening in Detroit, finally I was able to see it for myself.

Well, it was hard to get kids out of there.  So by the time we left it was almost 8:00 PM.  For Dinner we had planned to go to Dearborn.  Cedarland Restaurant is one my favorite restaurants in Dearborn.  They have a family platter for $64.95, which fed all of us (7 adults and 4 kids) with plenty of leftover (they also offer smaller platter for $24.95 which will easily feed 4 adults with plenty of leftovers).  Out next and last stop for dessert was at Shatila Bakery on Warren avenue as well (less than half a mile East from Cedarland).  Shatila has a very festive atmosphere when ever you go there.  They are known for their baklava and pastries.   They have their own brand of ice cream and carry some of the rare flavors like pineapple, Mango, Kashta, Kashta-Pistachio (my favorite) etc.  We reached back home at 11:00 PM.

Amazon Vs Best Buy

Best Buy Vs Amazon

I could not resist writing about my recent shopping experiences. You might have had similar experiences already. What a change in the way we shop and interact with merchants! Who are going to be the winners?

I had two examples recently where I realized that Best Buy is NOT the best place to buy electronics. And how Amazon is eating its lunch.

On Black Friday I went to the Best Buy store with my family to see if we can find a good deal on TV for our newly finished basement. The sales person wanted to sell us a $3000.00 entertainment system, even after I told her my budget for TV is about $500 to $600.

All the super duper deals were gone as we reached the store at 2 PM on black Friday. Sorry Best Buy I did not get in the line at midnight. I reached back home and tried BestBuy.com and found a good deal on Smart TV. The web-site will not let me buy it or place a hold on it, it said the deal is only available on the store. I called the store to make sure that particular TV is in stock. The operator told me that it is NOT, but if you come to the store, we will take your order and when the item is in stock again, we will notify you and you can pick it up.

I told him why do I have to physically come to the store, why can't you take my order, I will give you my credit card, nope that will not do, he insisted.

So at 8 PM on Black Friday, I went back to Best Buy to order in person, there I was told that the operator was wrong in telling me that I could order this from the store, because they are not going to get this particular TV anymore. Sorry! I came back home very upset. Finally I ordered online through sears.com the exact same TV, though that was not that great an experience either, but at least they did not insist I visit their store in person to place the order.

Second example, well because we bought the "Smart TV", it needs a wi-fi adapater. Last Friday night (almost couple of months after we black Friday), we wanted to use Amazon Prime to watch one of the Classics on the new TV.

After I read the TV manual I found out that it requires a wi-fi adapter, which does not come with TV. How dumb is that? As I was going to be closer to Best Buy, I thought I will check out there. Lo and behold they had the adapter, $89.99. I decided not to buy it and just take the picture of the adapter package and go home and google it. I could not believe that a 3 inch adapter is one fourth the price of TV.

I found it available for half the price at Amazon. It took me less than a minute to order it. With my Amazon Prime it arrived in two days.

Out of curiosity I tried searching for the same adapter at bestbuy.com, I tried "panasonic wifi tv" Here are the screen shots (below) for what Amazon shows and another one with what Bestbuy shows. Picture is worth thousand words ! As you will notice that though Bestbuy strictly deals into electronics, it still did not show me what I was looking for in my search (on the first page, honestly I did not bother looking on the subsequent pages) and Amazon (which sells everything in the world) showed it as a first item in its search.

So even if I wanted to buy this adapter from BestBuy.com, I would have a very hard time finding it on their site and it would have taken longer to place the order and longer to get it shipped to my home.

Best Buy will be history, if it does not figure out a way to be like Amazon.

Quaid