The Significance of Womens Organizations Group Activities in Essay

The Significance of Womens Organizations Group Activities in Relationship to Their Opposition to the War in Vietnam - Essay Example As well women worked in the war as journalists, flight attendants, and in various church and humanitarian organizations, and the significance of these activities in relationship to the women's opposition and reaction to the war in Vietnam is an issue which is of incredible importance. The aim of this paper is to not only discuss the different organizations and group activities that women were involved in during the Vietnam War but as well the significance of their participation with them overall considering how against the war most women actually were. By doing this, we will be able to come to a much more informed and knowledgeable understanding on the subject matter at hand overall. This is what will be dissertated in the following. The history of women and war is one which has basically been forgotten in comparison to that of man's, however it is important to realize that women have actually always played a part, and in fact, "Between 1962 and 1973, according to Department of Defense statistics, approximately 7,500 women served on active military duty in Vietnam. The Veteran's Administration puts the numbers even higher, at around 11,000. Independent surveys estimate that the number of women, both civilian and non-civilian, working in Vietnam during the war is between 33,000 and 55,000" (Carlson, 2007). However, despite these incredibly large and notable numbers of women in the military, they have had a long and hard road in regards to gaining even remote equality. One of the most notorious organizations that women worked for during the Vietnam War was the Red Cross Organization, and the Red Cross basically maintained three particular and different programs during the Vietnam conflict which were: Service to Military Hospitals (SMH), Service to Military Institutions (SMI), and Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas (SRAO). "SMH provided recreational and casework services to service personnel who were hospitalized and casework services for service personnel who were employed in military hospitals. Women employed in SMI provided primarily clerical services with some individual assistance for obtaining loans if personnel had to return home for a family emergency. SMH and SMI functioned both in the United States and in foreign countries and both in peace and in war. The Red Cross program which was eventually entitled Supplemental Recreation Activities Overseas (SRAO) originated in World War II specifically to employ civilian women who wished t o make a contribution to the country during periods of war" (Firestone & Robinson, 1996). When it comes to the issue of the reaction that was felt by women towards the Vietnam War, there are many issues that need to be taken into consideration here as well. In comparison to the percentage of men against the Vietnam War, there were almost double the amount of women who felt negatively towards it, however at the same time the war presented many opportunities for women, and so while they still felt disapprovingly towards the war, there were still then obviously reasons that they also were rather positive towards it, as they were benefitting in different

The Relationship Between Terrorism and Religion

The Relationship Between Terrorism and Religion RELIGIOUS TERRORISM IS THERE A LINK BETWEEN ISLAM AND TERRORISM Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.† George W. Bush Address to the US after hijack attacks on the US World Trade Centre and Pentagon, September 11, 2001 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1. When the terrorists attacked the United States on the morning of September 11, 2001, they set in motion a sequence of events that demonstrated unequivocally the power and influence ofterrorism. Less than two hours of unimaginable violence by nineteen terrorists led to repercussions felt around the world. â€Å"Beyond the death and destruction that the terrorists caused more than 3,000 people were killed in the suicide attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. They also inflicted a deep psychological wound upon United States and the rest of the world†.[1] 2. Although the United States had experienced major terrorist attacks on its soil in the past, including the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, the September 11 attacks were beyond most peoples worst nightmare. Hijacked planes crashing into U.S. landmarks and live television coverage of the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsing images that will likely be etched in ones mind forever. 3. The tragedy of September 11, 2001, has revealed the roots of deep planetary contradictions that threaten the world community and indeed life itself on planet Earth. This act of unprecedented terror against thousands of innocent people ought, at last, to start humanity thinking about the stark incompatibility of modern achievements in the areas of scientific knowledge, human rights, and the establishment of human moral standards with ideological, nationalistic, or religiousfanaticism in any form. 4. Lately, most of the terrorismseems to be about Islam, and it all seems to be the same. By all accounts the specter of jihadism looms large. Even if we suspend the belief for a moment and simply cast aside all those terrorist groups that clearly have nothing at all to do with the Islamic religionthe Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, the FARC in Colombia and the IRA in Ireland (to name but a few)we are still left with a slew of seemingly similar groups all motivated by and distorting Islam to suit their own ends[2]. The anatomy of propaganda 5. The document found in a suitcase belonging to leading September 11, 2001, terrorist Muhammed Atta further strengthens this belief. The suitcase document is reproduced below and analysed in the ensuing paragraph: â€Å"Pray during the previous night. Remember God frequently and with complete serenity. Visualize how you will respond if you get into trouble. Read verses of the Quran into your hands and rub them over your luggage, knife, and all your papers. Check your weapons, perform ablution before you leave your apartment, and remember God constantly while riding to the airport. Take courage and remember the rewards which God has promised for the martyrs†. [3] 6. The suitcase document is remarkable for four reasons. First, it embodies a classic ascetical strategy for applying formulaic principles to intended actions. Second, it shares much in common with repetitive techniques for self-hypnosis. Third, it bears a striking resemblance to mainstream traditions such as Catholicism in ascetical manuals like The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola or The Rule of St. Benedict that says, keep death daily before ones eyes. Whether or not such manuals threaten human freedom depends, of course, on the various contexts in which they have been presented. If in the wrong hands they can function as formulas and meditations both for indoctrination and for fighting holy wars. Fourth, the document from the suitcase directly connectsreligiousformulas and meditations with intentions to perpetrate mass murder. Practical checklists of objectives, terrifying in magnitude, are interwoven withreligiousstatements and then repeated and applied as mantras o f self-indoctrination. Religion — The Terrorists Best Weapon 7. Whileterrorism even in the form of suicide attacks is not an Islamic phenomenon by definition, it cannot be ignored that the lions share of terrorist acts and the most devastating of them in recent years have been perpetrated in the name of Islam. This fact has sparked a fundamental debate both in the West and within the Muslim world regarding the link between these acts and the teachings of Islam. Most Western analysts are hesitant to identify such acts with the bona fide teachings of one of the worlds great religions and prefer to view them as a perversion of a religion that is essentially peace-loving and tolerant. Western leaders such as George W. Bush and Tony Blair have reiterated time and again that the war againstterrorismhas nothing to do with Islam. It is a war against evil[4]. 8. Modern International Islamistterrorismis a natural offshoot of twentieth-century Islamic fundamentalism. The Islamic Movement emerged in the Arab world and British-ruled India as a response to the dismal state of Muslim society in those countries: social injustice, rejection of traditional mores, acceptance of foreign domination and culture. It perceives the malaise of modern Muslim societies as having strayed from the straight path (as-sirat al-mustaqim) and the solution to all ills in a return to the original mores of Islam. The problems addressed may be social or political: inequality, corruption, and oppression. But in traditional Islamand certainly in the worldview of the Islamic fundamentalistthere is no separation between the political and thereligious. Islam is, in essence, both religion and regime (din wa-dawla) and no area of human activity is outside its remit. Be the nature of the problem as it may, Islam is the solution.[5] 9. The role of religion of Islam needs closer examination since the majority of terrorists of contemporary times are practising the religion of Islam. One of the enduring questions is what religion of Islam has to do with this. Put simply, does religion of Islam cause terrorism? Could these violent acts be the fault of religion—the result of a dark strain of religious thinking that leads to absolutism and violence? Is religion the problem or the victim? 10. When one looks outside ones faith it is easier to blame religion. In the current climate of Muslim political violence, a significant sector of the American and European public assumes that Islam is part of the problem. The implication of this point of view is the unfortunate notion that the whole of Islam has supported acts of terrorism. 11. Most Muslims refused to believe that fellow members of their faith could have been responsible for anything as atrocious as they September 11 attacks—and hence the popular conspiracy theory in the Muslim world that somehow Israeli secret police had plotted the terrible deed. 12. Recently, however, â€Å"Islam† and â€Å"fundamentalism† are tied together so frequently in public conversation that the term has become a way of condemning all of Islam as a deviant branch of religion. But even in this case the use of the term â€Å"fundamentalism† allows for the defenders of other religions to take comfort in the notion that their kind of non-fundamentalist religion is exempt from violence or other extreme forms of public behaviour.[6] CHAPTER II METHODOLOGY Statement of Problem 1. Terrorism has been a persistent feature of warfare and the international security environment for centuries. The magnitude and impact of terrorism has not remained consistent but rather has ebbed and flowed over the course of time. Today terrorism has emerged as one of the most significant international and regional security issues. 2. The terror attacks of Sep 11 have brought about a lasting change in the way contemporary society perceives the religion of Islam. The perception of the people all across the globe has been that Islam is source of violence. Scope 3. Islam is a vast religion and consists of various facets. The dissertation would aim to study the historical perspective of terrorism, conceptualise terrorism and then determine how religion is used as a motivator for terrorism before studying the Quranic interpretations associated with the violence and finally aim to answer the question â€Å"Is there a link between Terrorism and Islam†. 4. The scope does not cover the causes and motivators of terrorism like cultural conflict, globalisation, and economic disparity e.t.c. but is limited to investigate the general belief that Islam is associated with the terrorism. Methods of Data Collection 5. Data for this research has been collected from the following sources: (a) Books, journals, periodicals and studies on the subject. (b) Authenticated information from selected web sites. 6. A bibliography of the books, periodicals and web sites referred to is appended at the end of text. Organisation Of The Dissertation 7. Topic is intended to be dealt in the sequence enumerated below: (a) Introduction (b) Methodology (c) The Genesis of Terrorism A historical perspective. (d) Conceptualising terrorism Definitions. (e) How religion is used as a motivator for terrorism. (f) Interpretations of Quran and Terrorism. (g) Conclusion Is there a link between Islam and terrorism? CHAPTER III THE GENESIS OF TERRORISM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Introduction 1. Terrorism is as old as the human civilization and the use of violence has been integral to the human beings in the entire process of evolution. This chapter aims at tracing the genesis of terrorism to arrive at the roots of contemporary terrorism. 1st -14th Century AD[7] 2. Zealots of Judea. The earliest known organization that exhibited aspects of a modern terrorist organization was the Zealots of Judea. Known to the Romans as sicarii, or dagger-men, they carried on an underground campaign of assassination of Roman occupation forces, as well as any Jews they felt had collaborated with the Romans. Eventually, the Zealot revolt became open, and they were finally besieged and committed mass suicide at Masada fortress. 3. The Assassins. The Assassins were the next group to show recognisable characteristics of terrorism, as we know it today. A breakaway faction of Shia Islam called the Nizari Ismalis adopted the tactic of assassination of enemy leaders because the cults limited manpower prevented open combat. Their leader, Hassam-I Sabbah, based the cult in the mountains of Northern Iran. Their tactic of sending a lone assassin to successfully kill a key enemy leader at the certain sacrifice of his own life (the killers waited next to their victims to be killed or captured) inspired fearful awe in their enemies. 4. The Zealots of Judea and the Assassins were forerunners of modern terrorists in aspects of motivation, organisation, targeting, and goals. Although both were ultimate failures, the fact that they are remembered hundreds of years later, demonstrates the deep psychological impact they caused. 14th -18th Century 5. The period between 14th and 18th century was of relative calm. From the time of the Assassins (late 13th century) to the1700s, terror and barbarism were widely used in warfare and conflict, but key ingredients for terrorism were lacking. Until the rise of the modern nation state after the Treaty of Westphalia[8] in 1648, the sort of central authority and cohesive society that terrorism attempts to influence barely existed. 6. Communications were inadequate and controlled, and the causes that might inspire terrorism (religious schism, insurrection, ethnic strife) typically led to open warfare. By the time kingdoms and principalities became nations, they had sufficient means to enforce their authority and suppress activities such as terrorism. 7. The French Revolution. The French Revolution provided the first uses of the words Terrorist and Terrorism. Use of the word terrorism began in 1795 in reference to the Reign of Terror initiated by the Revolutionary government. The agents of the Committee of Public Safety and the National Convention that enforced the policies of The Terror were referred to as Terrorists. The French Revolution provided an example to future states in oppressing their populations. It also inspired a reaction by royalists and other opponents of the Revolution who employed terrorist tactics such as assassination and intimidation in resistance to the Revolutionary agents. The Parisian mobs played a critical role at key points before, during, and after the Revolution. Such extra-legal activities as killing prominent officials and aristocrats in gruesome spectacles started long before the guillotine was first used. The 19th Century 8. Narodnya Volya. The terrorist group from this period that serves as a model in many ways for what was to come was the Russian Narodnya Volya (Peoples Will). They differed in some ways from modern terrorists, especially in that they would sometimes call off attacks that might endanger individuals other than their intended target. Other than this, they showed many of the traits of terrorism for the first time. These traits included clandestine tactics, cellular organisation, impatience and inability for the task of organising the constituents they claim to represent and a tendency to increase the level of violence as pressures on the group mount. Internationalisation of Terrorism 9. Modern Terrorism. The age of modern terrorism might be said to have begun in 1968 when the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) hijacked an El Al airliner en route from Tel Aviv to Rome. While hijackings of airliners had occurred before, this was the first time that the nationality of the carrier (Israeli) and its symbolic value was a specific operational aim. Also a first was the deliberate use of the passengers as hostages for demands made publicly against the Israeli government. The combination of these unique events, added to the international scope of the operation, gained significant media attention. The founder of PFLP, Dr. George Habash observed that the level of coverage was tremendously greater than battles with Israeli soldiers in their previous area of operations. At least the world is talking about us now.[9] 10. Cooperation. Another aspect of this internationalisation is the cooperation between extremist organizations in conducting terrorist operations. Cooperative training between Palestinian groups and European radicals started as early as 1970, and joint operations between the PFLP and the Japanese Red Army (JRA) began in 1974. Since then international terrorist cooperation in training, operations, and support has continued to grow, and continues to this day. Motives range from the ideological, such as the 1980s alliance of the Western European Marxist-oriented groups, to financial, as when the IRA exported its expertise in bomb making as far afield as Colombia[10]. Current State of Terrorism 11. The roots of todays terrorism began to grow in 1990s. The largest act of international terrorism occurred on September 11, 2001 in set of coordinated attacks on the United States of America where Islamic terrorists hijacked civilian airliners and used them to attack the World Trade Center towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. After September 11, it is very easy to be nostalgic about the 1990s. In fact, the post Cold War decade was a very chaotic period. Americans were absorbed by domestic issues and lulled by the fact that the Cold War was over[11]. Summary 12. There were two great forces at work through the 1990s. First, there were the forces of integration, including global economic growth, cross-border development, the communications revolution and the spreading of democracy. The power of these forces was captured in the popular phrase, â€Å"The End of History.† Thats what seemed to be happening after the fall of the Berlin Wall and all of the other great events that were affecting world history. But there was also a second set of equally powerful forces—the forces of disintegration—including religious and ethnic conflict, an ever-widening North-South gap, religious fundamentalism (Islamic and otherwise) and terrorism. The power of these forces was captured in the phrase, the â€Å"Clash of Civilizations.† While I disagree with the ultimate conclusion of Samuel Huntington, the author of that phrase, that the clash is inevitable, Huntingtons words nonetheless capture the import of the forces that were prod ucing post-Cold War conflicts CHAPTER IV CONCEPTUALISING TERRORISM 1. A few terms that are important to the study of violence in Islam are: terrorism, religious terrorism and Islamic terrorism. A discussion of these terms will permit a comprehensive analysis on the way in which the use of violence sanctioned by the Quran and its interpretations amounts to Islamic terrorism. Terrorism 2. Terrorism is a non-political act of aggression in which the extent of violence used is â€Å"outside the realm of normative behavior[12]†. Terrorists use or threaten to use this violence against combatants and non-combatants to achieve political, social, economical or religious change within a given community. These reforms appeal to the terrorists and do not represent popular opinion of the society from which terrorism arises and â€Å"terrorists are no respecters of borders[13]†. 3. Thus Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir says that â€Å"there are no well defined or internationally accepted criteria to designate †¦an organization as ‘terrorist. However the UN Security Council has, on occasion, adopted resolutions putting in place specific sanctions and measures against individual countries or†¦certain terrorist organizations[14]†. 4. According to Kofi Annan the Ex Secretary General of the United Nations, the manifestations of terrorism are limitless. The â€Å"only common denominator among different variants of terrorism is the calculated use of deadly violence against civilians[15]†. 5. Terrorists are those who violate the â€Å"right to life, liberty and security[16]† vested in each civilian by the UNs Universal Declaration of Human Rights Resolution: 217 A (III). Thus the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of the United Kingdom defines terrorism as a movement in which terrorists â€Å"directly challenge the authority of democratically elected governments to manage their countrys affairs peacefully, according to the rule of law and internationally accepted fundamentals of human rights[17]†, to satisfy their own liking. Religious Terrorism 6. Religious terrorism occurs when the use of terrorism is systematized by an ideological and fanatical interpretation of a religious text. Religious terrorist groups functioning in the absence of this pretext, create â€Å"junk terrorism[18]†. 7. According to Charles Kimball, religious terrorism functions on the basis of five essential principles. These are: means justify the end, holy war, blind obedience, absolute truth claims and the ideal times. Kimball explains that ‘truth claims are essential points in a religion â€Å"at which divergent interpretations arise[19]†. Extreme interpretations of ‘truth claims provoke the ideology upon which religious terrorism is based. However the â€Å"authentic religious truth claims are never as inflexible and exclusive as zealous adherents insist[20]†. The staunch ‘truth claims professed by religious terrorists, allow them to use â€Å"religious structures and doctrines†¦almost like weapons[21]† for their movement. 8. In the process, â€Å"religious convictions that become locked into absolute truths can easily lead people to see themselves as Gods agents. People so emboldened are capable of violent and destructive behaviour in the name of religion[22]†. This conviction creates fanatical interpretations and ideologies that give rise to religious terrorism. Nancy Connors Biggos[23], states that foreign observers are unfamiliar with the extreme interpretations of religious terrorists. Thus scholars often dismiss the rhetoric of religious terrorism as one that is devoid of any strategic motivation. This creates a dearth of quantifiable data that can be used to assess religious terrorism. However Biggo explains that the lack of understanding or data cannot dismiss the fact that religious terrorism is systematized by extreme interpretations of a religious text. Therefore Wener Ruf, states, â€Å"where God was pronounced dead all notions of morality have been turned into nihilism[24]†. Islamic Terrorism 9. Islamic terrorism is a movement in which the violence caused by terrorism is derived from and used to preserve extreme interpretations of the Quran, in an Islamic community. An in-depth discussion of the how Islamic terrorism is invoked from the Quran, will be discussed in a separate chapter. However, preliminarily speaking Islamic terrorism exists where there is â€Å"a controversy over sacred space[25]†or a Kuranic tenet has been violated. Participants of this movement call for â€Å"unquestioned devotion †¦ and blind obedience[26]† to the word of God in order to ameliorate un-Islamic conditions. 9. Islamic terrorism is itself a controversial phrase, although its usage is widespread throughout the English-speaking world. Ordinary Muslims who have nothing to do with terrorism find it reprehensible because it forces upon them a label simply because they, too, are believers of Islam. In fact, the common Muslim believes that you are making him a racial hate target by using the word Islam with terrorism. Bernard Lewisbelieves that the phrase Islamic terrorism is apt, because although Islam, as a religion is not particularly conducive to terrorism or even tolerant of terrorism. In his own words: â€Å"Islam has had an essentially political character from its very foundation to the present day. An intimate association between religion and politics, between power and cult, marks a principal distinction between Islam and other religions. In traditional Islam and therefore also in resurgent fundamentalist Islam, God is the sole source of sovereignty. God is the head of the state. The state is Gods state. The army is Gods army. The treasury is Gods treasury, and the enemy, of course, is Gods enemy.† CHAPTER V RELIGION AS A MOTIVATOR FOR TERRORISM One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter.[27] 1. Introduction. The dynamics whereby religion becomes a motivator for terrorism is complex but highly understandable. What terrorists groups using this dynamic have begun to understand is that most ordinary citizens are not highly interested in politics nor dedicated to working for social change. Many ordinary citizens are however interested in religion as it relates to their personal lives and morals and because of this they can be emotionally manipulated when they learn of social injustices particularly if they view them through the lens of religious rhetoric. This is specifically true in todays world of instantaneous news coverage where it is possible to whip up political and religious outrage over events that are seen to be bordering on religious threshold. This is certainly true in the case of al Qaeda and its loosely affiliated groups within what is now commonly referred to as the global salafi jihadist movement[28]. 2. Religious Brainwash. Following the Afghan war in which Islamic peoples from many nations came together to successfully throw out the Russian â€Å"infidel†, Osama bin Laden and similar groups have successfully managed to continue to widen their global appeal by showcasing social injustices against Muslims. This helps to create within a wide group of otherwise less connected Muslim ethnic groups identification with the victims and with each other as a caring and responsive community for their â€Å"Muslim brothers.† Typically, these groups make use of the human rights abuses occurring within the Israeli/Palestinian and Russian/Chechen conflicts and now also include the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. 3. The making of a Terrorist. While instantaneous and repetitive satellite coverage of worldwide events is enough to show injustices and to even create identification with victims sharing similar ethnic or religious backgrounds it is not sufficiently enough to fuel terrorism. However, with the addition of religious rhetoric it is transformed into a potent mix. This transformation is achieved via the following means:- (a) Great Moral Wrong. First the event is presented as a great moral wrong, a threat to religious morality or purity and as one that must be corrected. The message, which is crafted for unhappy persons, social outcasts or those who are already suffering from religious guilt, is framed as one of good and evil and the listener is admonished to be on the side of good. (b) Mind of God. The second tactic in which religion is used to motivate terrorism is convincing the person that it is possible to know the mind of God. For this purpose scriptures are used, and misused, to clearly identify the social wrongs as evil, immoral or impure. Once identified as threats to morality, this tactic is used to take it a step further with additional scriptures that are used to justify violence in order to destroy the evil. In this way religion is co-opted as the means to morally justify violence in the pursuit of social change. While the world debated about the first strike in the Iraq War (to be carried out by the U.S., Great Britain and their coalition forces), moralists all over the world debated about the doctrine of â€Å"just wars†, thereby holding forth about the â€Å"mind of God† on these matters. (c) Overcoming Guilt. Thirdly, because nearly all religions hold human life as sacred and forbid murder the scriptures are used to break down these prohibitions against taking innocent human lives. Islamic rhetoric for example refers to the infidels, nonbelievers, defiled, impure, outsiders, and sinners. In this manner the intended terrorist act in ways that take innocent human lives without suffering guilt for having done so. (d) Common Cause Fourthly, by using religion as a motivator the terrorist group creates a sense of cohesion and belonging to a higher cause. They prey upon individuals who are alienated and disenfranchised. When these individuals find a cause to belong to, especially when it espouses religious rhetoric of brotherhood, love and hope for the future life they can become powerfully motivated to act in behalf of the group simply for the sense of identity.[29] (e) Heroic Martyrdom. The One of the ultimate uses of religion to motivate terrorism is to hold forth a view of the afterlife, promising rewards in the hereafter for sacrificing oneself in the here and now. This is a particularly potent tactic used with those who feel guilty about their actions in this life and uncertain of their standing with God, and with those marginal members of society who suddenly find themselves centered in a group with a purpose. The Muslim interpretation of afterlife while dying for jihad states that the â€Å"Prophet will be waiting to welcome the martyr with thousands of virgins lined up for his pleasure†. Referring to afterlife one martyr also states, â€Å"I will have God welcome me with open arms. I will be a true hero in the sky.†[30] 4. Between the two recent wars in Chechnya (1994-96 and 1999) similar means were used to convince vulnerable Chechen individuals to sign on the â€Å"new Chechen jihad† which began making use of suicide terrorism in 2000. During this time period terrorist sponsored schools used were opened in the capital Grozny which recruited young boys and girls who lost their fathers in the Russian/Chechen conflicts promising their widowed mothers a good education for their sons and daughters. Unknown to their families these vulnerable young students were indoctrinated into militant Islamic ideas foreign to Chechen experiences of Sufi Islam and some became convinced that the price of belonging to higher glory is to be willing to sacrifice oneself for the group. In the words of a hostage who conversed with one of the Chechen terrorists :- â€Å"He explained to me that while his greatest dream was to continue his education and go to university and that while he wished to live, even more important for him was to die a martyr. He had become totally convinced that martyrdom was his highest calling in life†.[31] 5. Conclusion. Religion has always been used as a means of constructing social justice, expiating wrongdoing or â€Å"sins†, and of modulating emotional states. These means however can also be used to manipulate vulnerable individuals into taking social actions that they might otherwise never have considered or consented to take part in. For instance a colleague in Chechnya reports that the children who attended terrorist based schools were taught to rock and chant repeating Koranic verses that invoke jihad, ideas that their masters consider important to instil. This practice can easily make use of inducing a suggestive hypnotic state; a light trance in which susceptible children who have already reason to want to avenge a murdered parent might be induced to do so. People interacting with such persons mentioned that â€Å"these young terrorists were â€Å"brainwashed†, rocking, singing and praying often, and readily embracing death†.[32] CHAPTER VI QURANIC INTERPRETATIONS AND TERRORISM 1. Approximately fourteen hundred years ago, Prophet Muhammad, the last in the line of the prophets of Islam, received revelation from God known as the Quran, which is the Final Testament. He came with a message of peace and reconciliation, mercy and compassion. Yet, ever since the beginning of the call of Islam, its image and that of Muslims has been subject to distortion, misconceptions, and misinterpretations. This chapter aims at establishing the link between Quran and the distortions in its interpretation which has manifested itself in the form of jihad or the holy-war. Quran and Sanction of Violence 2. The Quran permits violence as an act of defence waged to protect the Shariat in an Islamic community. The Shariat can be explained as a system of ordinances outlined in the Quran and Hadis[33] through which â€Å"God lays down for mankind the rules of conduct[34]†. The Shariat is the â€Å"guidance for all walks of life individual and social, material and moral, economic and political, legal and cultural, national and international[35]†. 3. Muslims are advised to closely follow the Shariat to acquire the well being that God has envisioned for the Islamic community. Preservation of the Shariat is an â€Å"obligation of every able-bodied individual[36]†. â€Å"Oppression, despotism, injustice and criminal abuse of power[37]† of the Shariat by Muslims or non-Muslims[38], must be punished. Quran and Jihad 4. The Quran identifies three main kinds of Jihad that can be used for the punishment of oppression and injustice. These are: internal[39], external[40] and inter-communal[41]. The Quran permits the use of violence as an optional method for all three forms of Jihad but it limits the use of violence in ‘internal[42] and ‘external Jihad. It expands on its doctrine of Jihad and violence, mainly in the context of ‘inter-communal conflicts. In these cases, Muslims can individually determine the nature and extent of Jihad based on the ‘freedom of interpretations, and the geopolitical conditions in which the conflict arises. However the most essential prerequisite in the Qurans discourse on violence is that, forc The Relationship Between Terrorism and Religion The Relationship Between Terrorism and Religion RELIGIOUS TERRORISM IS THERE A LINK BETWEEN ISLAM AND TERRORISM Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.† George W. Bush Address to the US after hijack attacks on the US World Trade Centre and Pentagon, September 11, 2001 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1. When the terrorists attacked the United States on the morning of September 11, 2001, they set in motion a sequence of events that demonstrated unequivocally the power and influence ofterrorism. Less than two hours of unimaginable violence by nineteen terrorists led to repercussions felt around the world. â€Å"Beyond the death and destruction that the terrorists caused more than 3,000 people were killed in the suicide attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. They also inflicted a deep psychological wound upon United States and the rest of the world†.[1] 2. Although the United States had experienced major terrorist attacks on its soil in the past, including the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, the September 11 attacks were beyond most peoples worst nightmare. Hijacked planes crashing into U.S. landmarks and live television coverage of the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsing images that will likely be etched in ones mind forever. 3. The tragedy of September 11, 2001, has revealed the roots of deep planetary contradictions that threaten the world community and indeed life itself on planet Earth. This act of unprecedented terror against thousands of innocent people ought, at last, to start humanity thinking about the stark incompatibility of modern achievements in the areas of scientific knowledge, human rights, and the establishment of human moral standards with ideological, nationalistic, or religiousfanaticism in any form. 4. Lately, most of the terrorismseems to be about Islam, and it all seems to be the same. By all accounts the specter of jihadism looms large. Even if we suspend the belief for a moment and simply cast aside all those terrorist groups that clearly have nothing at all to do with the Islamic religionthe Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, the FARC in Colombia and the IRA in Ireland (to name but a few)we are still left with a slew of seemingly similar groups all motivated by and distorting Islam to suit their own ends[2]. The anatomy of propaganda 5. The document found in a suitcase belonging to leading September 11, 2001, terrorist Muhammed Atta further strengthens this belief. The suitcase document is reproduced below and analysed in the ensuing paragraph: â€Å"Pray during the previous night. Remember God frequently and with complete serenity. Visualize how you will respond if you get into trouble. Read verses of the Quran into your hands and rub them over your luggage, knife, and all your papers. Check your weapons, perform ablution before you leave your apartment, and remember God constantly while riding to the airport. Take courage and remember the rewards which God has promised for the martyrs†. [3] 6. The suitcase document is remarkable for four reasons. First, it embodies a classic ascetical strategy for applying formulaic principles to intended actions. Second, it shares much in common with repetitive techniques for self-hypnosis. Third, it bears a striking resemblance to mainstream traditions such as Catholicism in ascetical manuals like The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola or The Rule of St. Benedict that says, keep death daily before ones eyes. Whether or not such manuals threaten human freedom depends, of course, on the various contexts in which they have been presented. If in the wrong hands they can function as formulas and meditations both for indoctrination and for fighting holy wars. Fourth, the document from the suitcase directly connectsreligiousformulas and meditations with intentions to perpetrate mass murder. Practical checklists of objectives, terrifying in magnitude, are interwoven withreligiousstatements and then repeated and applied as mantras o f self-indoctrination. Religion — The Terrorists Best Weapon 7. Whileterrorism even in the form of suicide attacks is not an Islamic phenomenon by definition, it cannot be ignored that the lions share of terrorist acts and the most devastating of them in recent years have been perpetrated in the name of Islam. This fact has sparked a fundamental debate both in the West and within the Muslim world regarding the link between these acts and the teachings of Islam. Most Western analysts are hesitant to identify such acts with the bona fide teachings of one of the worlds great religions and prefer to view them as a perversion of a religion that is essentially peace-loving and tolerant. Western leaders such as George W. Bush and Tony Blair have reiterated time and again that the war againstterrorismhas nothing to do with Islam. It is a war against evil[4]. 8. Modern International Islamistterrorismis a natural offshoot of twentieth-century Islamic fundamentalism. The Islamic Movement emerged in the Arab world and British-ruled India as a response to the dismal state of Muslim society in those countries: social injustice, rejection of traditional mores, acceptance of foreign domination and culture. It perceives the malaise of modern Muslim societies as having strayed from the straight path (as-sirat al-mustaqim) and the solution to all ills in a return to the original mores of Islam. The problems addressed may be social or political: inequality, corruption, and oppression. But in traditional Islamand certainly in the worldview of the Islamic fundamentalistthere is no separation between the political and thereligious. Islam is, in essence, both religion and regime (din wa-dawla) and no area of human activity is outside its remit. Be the nature of the problem as it may, Islam is the solution.[5] 9. The role of religion of Islam needs closer examination since the majority of terrorists of contemporary times are practising the religion of Islam. One of the enduring questions is what religion of Islam has to do with this. Put simply, does religion of Islam cause terrorism? Could these violent acts be the fault of religion—the result of a dark strain of religious thinking that leads to absolutism and violence? Is religion the problem or the victim? 10. When one looks outside ones faith it is easier to blame religion. In the current climate of Muslim political violence, a significant sector of the American and European public assumes that Islam is part of the problem. The implication of this point of view is the unfortunate notion that the whole of Islam has supported acts of terrorism. 11. Most Muslims refused to believe that fellow members of their faith could have been responsible for anything as atrocious as they September 11 attacks—and hence the popular conspiracy theory in the Muslim world that somehow Israeli secret police had plotted the terrible deed. 12. Recently, however, â€Å"Islam† and â€Å"fundamentalism† are tied together so frequently in public conversation that the term has become a way of condemning all of Islam as a deviant branch of religion. But even in this case the use of the term â€Å"fundamentalism† allows for the defenders of other religions to take comfort in the notion that their kind of non-fundamentalist religion is exempt from violence or other extreme forms of public behaviour.[6] CHAPTER II METHODOLOGY Statement of Problem 1. Terrorism has been a persistent feature of warfare and the international security environment for centuries. The magnitude and impact of terrorism has not remained consistent but rather has ebbed and flowed over the course of time. Today terrorism has emerged as one of the most significant international and regional security issues. 2. The terror attacks of Sep 11 have brought about a lasting change in the way contemporary society perceives the religion of Islam. The perception of the people all across the globe has been that Islam is source of violence. Scope 3. Islam is a vast religion and consists of various facets. The dissertation would aim to study the historical perspective of terrorism, conceptualise terrorism and then determine how religion is used as a motivator for terrorism before studying the Quranic interpretations associated with the violence and finally aim to answer the question â€Å"Is there a link between Terrorism and Islam†. 4. The scope does not cover the causes and motivators of terrorism like cultural conflict, globalisation, and economic disparity e.t.c. but is limited to investigate the general belief that Islam is associated with the terrorism. Methods of Data Collection 5. Data for this research has been collected from the following sources: (a) Books, journals, periodicals and studies on the subject. (b) Authenticated information from selected web sites. 6. A bibliography of the books, periodicals and web sites referred to is appended at the end of text. Organisation Of The Dissertation 7. Topic is intended to be dealt in the sequence enumerated below: (a) Introduction (b) Methodology (c) The Genesis of Terrorism A historical perspective. (d) Conceptualising terrorism Definitions. (e) How religion is used as a motivator for terrorism. (f) Interpretations of Quran and Terrorism. (g) Conclusion Is there a link between Islam and terrorism? CHAPTER III THE GENESIS OF TERRORISM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Introduction 1. Terrorism is as old as the human civilization and the use of violence has been integral to the human beings in the entire process of evolution. This chapter aims at tracing the genesis of terrorism to arrive at the roots of contemporary terrorism. 1st -14th Century AD[7] 2. Zealots of Judea. The earliest known organization that exhibited aspects of a modern terrorist organization was the Zealots of Judea. Known to the Romans as sicarii, or dagger-men, they carried on an underground campaign of assassination of Roman occupation forces, as well as any Jews they felt had collaborated with the Romans. Eventually, the Zealot revolt became open, and they were finally besieged and committed mass suicide at Masada fortress. 3. The Assassins. The Assassins were the next group to show recognisable characteristics of terrorism, as we know it today. A breakaway faction of Shia Islam called the Nizari Ismalis adopted the tactic of assassination of enemy leaders because the cults limited manpower prevented open combat. Their leader, Hassam-I Sabbah, based the cult in the mountains of Northern Iran. Their tactic of sending a lone assassin to successfully kill a key enemy leader at the certain sacrifice of his own life (the killers waited next to their victims to be killed or captured) inspired fearful awe in their enemies. 4. The Zealots of Judea and the Assassins were forerunners of modern terrorists in aspects of motivation, organisation, targeting, and goals. Although both were ultimate failures, the fact that they are remembered hundreds of years later, demonstrates the deep psychological impact they caused. 14th -18th Century 5. The period between 14th and 18th century was of relative calm. From the time of the Assassins (late 13th century) to the1700s, terror and barbarism were widely used in warfare and conflict, but key ingredients for terrorism were lacking. Until the rise of the modern nation state after the Treaty of Westphalia[8] in 1648, the sort of central authority and cohesive society that terrorism attempts to influence barely existed. 6. Communications were inadequate and controlled, and the causes that might inspire terrorism (religious schism, insurrection, ethnic strife) typically led to open warfare. By the time kingdoms and principalities became nations, they had sufficient means to enforce their authority and suppress activities such as terrorism. 7. The French Revolution. The French Revolution provided the first uses of the words Terrorist and Terrorism. Use of the word terrorism began in 1795 in reference to the Reign of Terror initiated by the Revolutionary government. The agents of the Committee of Public Safety and the National Convention that enforced the policies of The Terror were referred to as Terrorists. The French Revolution provided an example to future states in oppressing their populations. It also inspired a reaction by royalists and other opponents of the Revolution who employed terrorist tactics such as assassination and intimidation in resistance to the Revolutionary agents. The Parisian mobs played a critical role at key points before, during, and after the Revolution. Such extra-legal activities as killing prominent officials and aristocrats in gruesome spectacles started long before the guillotine was first used. The 19th Century 8. Narodnya Volya. The terrorist group from this period that serves as a model in many ways for what was to come was the Russian Narodnya Volya (Peoples Will). They differed in some ways from modern terrorists, especially in that they would sometimes call off attacks that might endanger individuals other than their intended target. Other than this, they showed many of the traits of terrorism for the first time. These traits included clandestine tactics, cellular organisation, impatience and inability for the task of organising the constituents they claim to represent and a tendency to increase the level of violence as pressures on the group mount. Internationalisation of Terrorism 9. Modern Terrorism. The age of modern terrorism might be said to have begun in 1968 when the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) hijacked an El Al airliner en route from Tel Aviv to Rome. While hijackings of airliners had occurred before, this was the first time that the nationality of the carrier (Israeli) and its symbolic value was a specific operational aim. Also a first was the deliberate use of the passengers as hostages for demands made publicly against the Israeli government. The combination of these unique events, added to the international scope of the operation, gained significant media attention. The founder of PFLP, Dr. George Habash observed that the level of coverage was tremendously greater than battles with Israeli soldiers in their previous area of operations. At least the world is talking about us now.[9] 10. Cooperation. Another aspect of this internationalisation is the cooperation between extremist organizations in conducting terrorist operations. Cooperative training between Palestinian groups and European radicals started as early as 1970, and joint operations between the PFLP and the Japanese Red Army (JRA) began in 1974. Since then international terrorist cooperation in training, operations, and support has continued to grow, and continues to this day. Motives range from the ideological, such as the 1980s alliance of the Western European Marxist-oriented groups, to financial, as when the IRA exported its expertise in bomb making as far afield as Colombia[10]. Current State of Terrorism 11. The roots of todays terrorism began to grow in 1990s. The largest act of international terrorism occurred on September 11, 2001 in set of coordinated attacks on the United States of America where Islamic terrorists hijacked civilian airliners and used them to attack the World Trade Center towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. After September 11, it is very easy to be nostalgic about the 1990s. In fact, the post Cold War decade was a very chaotic period. Americans were absorbed by domestic issues and lulled by the fact that the Cold War was over[11]. Summary 12. There were two great forces at work through the 1990s. First, there were the forces of integration, including global economic growth, cross-border development, the communications revolution and the spreading of democracy. The power of these forces was captured in the popular phrase, â€Å"The End of History.† Thats what seemed to be happening after the fall of the Berlin Wall and all of the other great events that were affecting world history. But there was also a second set of equally powerful forces—the forces of disintegration—including religious and ethnic conflict, an ever-widening North-South gap, religious fundamentalism (Islamic and otherwise) and terrorism. The power of these forces was captured in the phrase, the â€Å"Clash of Civilizations.† While I disagree with the ultimate conclusion of Samuel Huntington, the author of that phrase, that the clash is inevitable, Huntingtons words nonetheless capture the import of the forces that were prod ucing post-Cold War conflicts CHAPTER IV CONCEPTUALISING TERRORISM 1. A few terms that are important to the study of violence in Islam are: terrorism, religious terrorism and Islamic terrorism. A discussion of these terms will permit a comprehensive analysis on the way in which the use of violence sanctioned by the Quran and its interpretations amounts to Islamic terrorism. Terrorism 2. Terrorism is a non-political act of aggression in which the extent of violence used is â€Å"outside the realm of normative behavior[12]†. Terrorists use or threaten to use this violence against combatants and non-combatants to achieve political, social, economical or religious change within a given community. These reforms appeal to the terrorists and do not represent popular opinion of the society from which terrorism arises and â€Å"terrorists are no respecters of borders[13]†. 3. Thus Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir says that â€Å"there are no well defined or internationally accepted criteria to designate †¦an organization as ‘terrorist. However the UN Security Council has, on occasion, adopted resolutions putting in place specific sanctions and measures against individual countries or†¦certain terrorist organizations[14]†. 4. According to Kofi Annan the Ex Secretary General of the United Nations, the manifestations of terrorism are limitless. The â€Å"only common denominator among different variants of terrorism is the calculated use of deadly violence against civilians[15]†. 5. Terrorists are those who violate the â€Å"right to life, liberty and security[16]† vested in each civilian by the UNs Universal Declaration of Human Rights Resolution: 217 A (III). Thus the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of the United Kingdom defines terrorism as a movement in which terrorists â€Å"directly challenge the authority of democratically elected governments to manage their countrys affairs peacefully, according to the rule of law and internationally accepted fundamentals of human rights[17]†, to satisfy their own liking. Religious Terrorism 6. Religious terrorism occurs when the use of terrorism is systematized by an ideological and fanatical interpretation of a religious text. Religious terrorist groups functioning in the absence of this pretext, create â€Å"junk terrorism[18]†. 7. According to Charles Kimball, religious terrorism functions on the basis of five essential principles. These are: means justify the end, holy war, blind obedience, absolute truth claims and the ideal times. Kimball explains that ‘truth claims are essential points in a religion â€Å"at which divergent interpretations arise[19]†. Extreme interpretations of ‘truth claims provoke the ideology upon which religious terrorism is based. However the â€Å"authentic religious truth claims are never as inflexible and exclusive as zealous adherents insist[20]†. The staunch ‘truth claims professed by religious terrorists, allow them to use â€Å"religious structures and doctrines†¦almost like weapons[21]† for their movement. 8. In the process, â€Å"religious convictions that become locked into absolute truths can easily lead people to see themselves as Gods agents. People so emboldened are capable of violent and destructive behaviour in the name of religion[22]†. This conviction creates fanatical interpretations and ideologies that give rise to religious terrorism. Nancy Connors Biggos[23], states that foreign observers are unfamiliar with the extreme interpretations of religious terrorists. Thus scholars often dismiss the rhetoric of religious terrorism as one that is devoid of any strategic motivation. This creates a dearth of quantifiable data that can be used to assess religious terrorism. However Biggo explains that the lack of understanding or data cannot dismiss the fact that religious terrorism is systematized by extreme interpretations of a religious text. Therefore Wener Ruf, states, â€Å"where God was pronounced dead all notions of morality have been turned into nihilism[24]†. Islamic Terrorism 9. Islamic terrorism is a movement in which the violence caused by terrorism is derived from and used to preserve extreme interpretations of the Quran, in an Islamic community. An in-depth discussion of the how Islamic terrorism is invoked from the Quran, will be discussed in a separate chapter. However, preliminarily speaking Islamic terrorism exists where there is â€Å"a controversy over sacred space[25]†or a Kuranic tenet has been violated. Participants of this movement call for â€Å"unquestioned devotion †¦ and blind obedience[26]† to the word of God in order to ameliorate un-Islamic conditions. 9. Islamic terrorism is itself a controversial phrase, although its usage is widespread throughout the English-speaking world. Ordinary Muslims who have nothing to do with terrorism find it reprehensible because it forces upon them a label simply because they, too, are believers of Islam. In fact, the common Muslim believes that you are making him a racial hate target by using the word Islam with terrorism. Bernard Lewisbelieves that the phrase Islamic terrorism is apt, because although Islam, as a religion is not particularly conducive to terrorism or even tolerant of terrorism. In his own words: â€Å"Islam has had an essentially political character from its very foundation to the present day. An intimate association between religion and politics, between power and cult, marks a principal distinction between Islam and other religions. In traditional Islam and therefore also in resurgent fundamentalist Islam, God is the sole source of sovereignty. God is the head of the state. The state is Gods state. The army is Gods army. The treasury is Gods treasury, and the enemy, of course, is Gods enemy.† CHAPTER V RELIGION AS A MOTIVATOR FOR TERRORISM One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter.[27] 1. Introduction. The dynamics whereby religion becomes a motivator for terrorism is complex but highly understandable. What terrorists groups using this dynamic have begun to understand is that most ordinary citizens are not highly interested in politics nor dedicated to working for social change. Many ordinary citizens are however interested in religion as it relates to their personal lives and morals and because of this they can be emotionally manipulated when they learn of social injustices particularly if they view them through the lens of religious rhetoric. This is specifically true in todays world of instantaneous news coverage where it is possible to whip up political and religious outrage over events that are seen to be bordering on religious threshold. This is certainly true in the case of al Qaeda and its loosely affiliated groups within what is now commonly referred to as the global salafi jihadist movement[28]. 2. Religious Brainwash. Following the Afghan war in which Islamic peoples from many nations came together to successfully throw out the Russian â€Å"infidel†, Osama bin Laden and similar groups have successfully managed to continue to widen their global appeal by showcasing social injustices against Muslims. This helps to create within a wide group of otherwise less connected Muslim ethnic groups identification with the victims and with each other as a caring and responsive community for their â€Å"Muslim brothers.† Typically, these groups make use of the human rights abuses occurring within the Israeli/Palestinian and Russian/Chechen conflicts and now also include the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. 3. The making of a Terrorist. While instantaneous and repetitive satellite coverage of worldwide events is enough to show injustices and to even create identification with victims sharing similar ethnic or religious backgrounds it is not sufficiently enough to fuel terrorism. However, with the addition of religious rhetoric it is transformed into a potent mix. This transformation is achieved via the following means:- (a) Great Moral Wrong. First the event is presented as a great moral wrong, a threat to religious morality or purity and as one that must be corrected. The message, which is crafted for unhappy persons, social outcasts or those who are already suffering from religious guilt, is framed as one of good and evil and the listener is admonished to be on the side of good. (b) Mind of God. The second tactic in which religion is used to motivate terrorism is convincing the person that it is possible to know the mind of God. For this purpose scriptures are used, and misused, to clearly identify the social wrongs as evil, immoral or impure. Once identified as threats to morality, this tactic is used to take it a step further with additional scriptures that are used to justify violence in order to destroy the evil. In this way religion is co-opted as the means to morally justify violence in the pursuit of social change. While the world debated about the first strike in the Iraq War (to be carried out by the U.S., Great Britain and their coalition forces), moralists all over the world debated about the doctrine of â€Å"just wars†, thereby holding forth about the â€Å"mind of God† on these matters. (c) Overcoming Guilt. Thirdly, because nearly all religions hold human life as sacred and forbid murder the scriptures are used to break down these prohibitions against taking innocent human lives. Islamic rhetoric for example refers to the infidels, nonbelievers, defiled, impure, outsiders, and sinners. In this manner the intended terrorist act in ways that take innocent human lives without suffering guilt for having done so. (d) Common Cause Fourthly, by using religion as a motivator the terrorist group creates a sense of cohesion and belonging to a higher cause. They prey upon individuals who are alienated and disenfranchised. When these individuals find a cause to belong to, especially when it espouses religious rhetoric of brotherhood, love and hope for the future life they can become powerfully motivated to act in behalf of the group simply for the sense of identity.[29] (e) Heroic Martyrdom. The One of the ultimate uses of religion to motivate terrorism is to hold forth a view of the afterlife, promising rewards in the hereafter for sacrificing oneself in the here and now. This is a particularly potent tactic used with those who feel guilty about their actions in this life and uncertain of their standing with God, and with those marginal members of society who suddenly find themselves centered in a group with a purpose. The Muslim interpretation of afterlife while dying for jihad states that the â€Å"Prophet will be waiting to welcome the martyr with thousands of virgins lined up for his pleasure†. Referring to afterlife one martyr also states, â€Å"I will have God welcome me with open arms. I will be a true hero in the sky.†[30] 4. Between the two recent wars in Chechnya (1994-96 and 1999) similar means were used to convince vulnerable Chechen individuals to sign on the â€Å"new Chechen jihad† which began making use of suicide terrorism in 2000. During this time period terrorist sponsored schools used were opened in the capital Grozny which recruited young boys and girls who lost their fathers in the Russian/Chechen conflicts promising their widowed mothers a good education for their sons and daughters. Unknown to their families these vulnerable young students were indoctrinated into militant Islamic ideas foreign to Chechen experiences of Sufi Islam and some became convinced that the price of belonging to higher glory is to be willing to sacrifice oneself for the group. In the words of a hostage who conversed with one of the Chechen terrorists :- â€Å"He explained to me that while his greatest dream was to continue his education and go to university and that while he wished to live, even more important for him was to die a martyr. He had become totally convinced that martyrdom was his highest calling in life†.[31] 5. Conclusion. Religion has always been used as a means of constructing social justice, expiating wrongdoing or â€Å"sins†, and of modulating emotional states. These means however can also be used to manipulate vulnerable individuals into taking social actions that they might otherwise never have considered or consented to take part in. For instance a colleague in Chechnya reports that the children who attended terrorist based schools were taught to rock and chant repeating Koranic verses that invoke jihad, ideas that their masters consider important to instil. This practice can easily make use of inducing a suggestive hypnotic state; a light trance in which susceptible children who have already reason to want to avenge a murdered parent might be induced to do so. People interacting with such persons mentioned that â€Å"these young terrorists were â€Å"brainwashed†, rocking, singing and praying often, and readily embracing death†.[32] CHAPTER VI QURANIC INTERPRETATIONS AND TERRORISM 1. Approximately fourteen hundred years ago, Prophet Muhammad, the last in the line of the prophets of Islam, received revelation from God known as the Quran, which is the Final Testament. He came with a message of peace and reconciliation, mercy and compassion. Yet, ever since the beginning of the call of Islam, its image and that of Muslims has been subject to distortion, misconceptions, and misinterpretations. This chapter aims at establishing the link between Quran and the distortions in its interpretation which has manifested itself in the form of jihad or the holy-war. Quran and Sanction of Violence 2. The Quran permits violence as an act of defence waged to protect the Shariat in an Islamic community. The Shariat can be explained as a system of ordinances outlined in the Quran and Hadis[33] through which â€Å"God lays down for mankind the rules of conduct[34]†. The Shariat is the â€Å"guidance for all walks of life individual and social, material and moral, economic and political, legal and cultural, national and international[35]†. 3. Muslims are advised to closely follow the Shariat to acquire the well being that God has envisioned for the Islamic community. Preservation of the Shariat is an â€Å"obligation of every able-bodied individual[36]†. â€Å"Oppression, despotism, injustice and criminal abuse of power[37]† of the Shariat by Muslims or non-Muslims[38], must be punished. Quran and Jihad 4. The Quran identifies three main kinds of Jihad that can be used for the punishment of oppression and injustice. These are: internal[39], external[40] and inter-communal[41]. The Quran permits the use of violence as an optional method for all three forms of Jihad but it limits the use of violence in ‘internal[42] and ‘external Jihad. It expands on its doctrine of Jihad and violence, mainly in the context of ‘inter-communal conflicts. In these cases, Muslims can individually determine the nature and extent of Jihad based on the ‘freedom of interpretations, and the geopolitical conditions in which the conflict arises. However the most essential prerequisite in the Qurans discourse on violence is that, forc

Catcher In The Rye Vs. Don Quixote Essay -- essays research papers

J.D. Salinger’s TheCatcher in the Rye can be compared to Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Both novels feature naive protagonists pining for an ideal world. In Salinger’s novel, Holden Caulfield is a sixteen year old who experiences challenging and questionable events in the mid-stage of his adolescence. Holden wants to protect the innocent children like â€Å"the catcher in the rye† from the immorality and corruptness of the â€Å"phony† adult world. In Cervantes work, Don Quixote is the idealistic protagonist who sets out to transform the world in accordance to his medieval vision. His growing obsession with stories of knighthood and books of chivalry leads him to abandon his former life and become a wandering knight set out to right the world’s wrongs. The title of the book Thr Catcher in the Rye is reflected in the mistaken words of a poem by Robert Burns. Holden thought the words were â€Å"if a body catch a body coming through the rye.† That is what he wanted to be. He feels that he has the responsibility of saving the children from falling off the cliff and losing their innocence. Holden wants to protect the vulnerable from being corrupted by the adult world, an immoral and unscrupulous society tainted by phonies. Unless stopped the children will fall off the cliff and plunge into the evils of adulthood. Although Holden wished to help children retain their innocence perpetually, he realized he couldn’t. There was too much evil in the world, and it would be infeasible to shelter a child fro...

Letter to the President of a Fast Food Chain Essay

In a recent article from CBS News, it was found out that the percentage of obesity in United States has risen to alarming levels. What is frightening about this statistics is that nearly one third of children in the US aged 4-19 consume six extra pounds every year which jeopardizes their health by making them vulnerable to obesity (Holguin 2003). This is no wonder considering the fact that billions of dollars are allocated to the ludicrous amount of fast food advertising and ubiquitous franchises that virtually leaves the public saturated with high-calorie and low-fiber diet. I am writing to you to explain how detrimental it is for children to consume abnormal amounts of fast food, so that in your capacity as president of a leading fast food chain, you can consider this information and alter the way your products are produced and marketed. It is true that food intake is a matter of individual responsibility. However, in case of children, marketing plays a powerful part in controlling their choices. One of the biggest culprits that make fast food so appealing to children is the marketing of meals with toys. The idea behind associating fast food with toys is to attract a bigger slice of the market since kids would usually be accompanied by their families when they go out to get burger, fries and the latest toy craze. The motto of fast food marketing is to attract kids with â€Å"toys, toys, toys† (Schlosser 2001, 46). Even the facilities and playground section in most fast food chains seem to be a part of marketing this unhealthy food. Advertising, of course, would not reveal how unhealthy the meals that come with the toys are. The high calorie content of these meals comes from heavy frying and large amounts of sugar that appeal to the taste buds of children. Studies show that babies prefer the sweet taste and reject the bitter ones (Schlosser 2001). As such, fast food meals become â€Å"comfort foods† for children because of the addicting experience they have when they consume it (Schlosser 2001, 123). Another problem in preparation of meals in fast food restaurants is the use of hydrogenated oil for frying (Gosline 2006). Hydrogenated oil or trans-fats are hazardous because they increase the risk of heart attack (Gosline 2006). Obesity is another outcome of a steady consumption of high-calorie diet. Although companies promote exercise and having an active lifestyle, these are no compensation for consuming more than the required calories for a day. Obesity is not the final result of a high-calorie diet because it branches out and causes myriad of other health problems including diabetes which attack body systems making it susceptible to host of other diseases and organ failures. Presently, the media, specifically producers of eye-opening documentaries and books, and policy-makers are making efforts to inform the public of the hazards of fast food. These efforts are meant to protect our children from developing unhealthy habits and eventually developing body malfunctions. It is my advocacy that people, including those who are involved the industry of fast food, are informed of the repercussions of unchecked, unbalanced and irresponsible production and consumption of this modern day health hazard. Only through information can we be aware of the dangers that we have been so accustomed to patronize. Sincerely yours, [author] References Gosline, A. (2006). â€Å"Why fast foods are bad, even in moderation. † News Scientist Health. Retrieved 25 January 2009 from http://www. newscientist. com/article/dn9318. Holguin, J. (2003). â€Å"Fast Food linked to Child Obesity. † CBS News. Retrieved 25 January 2009 from http://www. cbsnews. com/stories/2004/01/05/health/main591325. shtml. Schlosser, E. (2001). Fast Food Nation The dark side of the all-american meal. NY: Hughton Mifflin

Flyrock Tires

Six Sigma Quality at Flyrock Tires Executive Summary The process of creating tires at Flyrock Tires involves 20 different steps to take the rubber from bales to final curing. Given this complexity and the high production volume (the factory produces about 10,000 tires per hour), it takes only a small margin of error in each of these steps to begin to compound and result in a high defective rate. For both public safety and their reputation, Flyrock strives to minimize the number of defects. The answers to the questions asked by this case form a good base for evaluating the production and extrusion process at Flyrock.The company begins by setting expectations for what defect rates should be under ideal conditions as well as setting expectations for defect rates when machinery has become worn out. This allows them to detect things like worn bearings in machinery. The case also begins the framework for evaluating the process from a six-sigma perspective and how this might help control de fects. Under ideal conditions, the extruder should produce tires that meet specifications 98. 67% of the time, meaning only 1. 33% of tires are defective. When the bearing is worn out, the defect rate increases three-fold to 4. 7%. This means that more than one in twenty-five tire sheets is defective. If testing samples of ten sheets per hour, the machine operators could expect to find a defective every two and a half hours. In testing whether the extrusion process is in control or not, the three sigma control limits recommended by Susan Douglas will narrow the bandwidth of acceptable tires from 400  ± 10 thou to 400  ± 3. 795 thou. By implementing a stricter six-sigma system and decreasing the standard deviation, the likelihood of producing tires within acceptable levels of thickness increases to 100%.This becomes a near-perfect process. With this information, Susan Douglas should now take appropriate steps to count the actual number of defects that occur from the extrusion pro cess. Having that will allow her to analyze if the process is actually in control, using various control charts. Using that, she will be able to adjust the process as needed to reduce the number of defective tires, improve quality and efficiency, and ultimately reduce costs for Flyrock. Question 1 The mean, confidence intervals, and standard deviation are provided to us. Mean ( µ) = 400 thouConfidence interval =  ± 10 thou Standard deviation (? ) = 4 thou This question is a simple normal probability distribution problem. It can be restated as: What is the probability that rubber sent through the extruder will be between 390 thou and 410 thou in thickness? P(390 ? x ? 410) We first need to find the z value for each boundary then find the corresponding probability in the normal distribution table: z = (x –  µ)/? z = (390-400)/4 = -2. 5 > z(-2. 5) = . 0062 z = (410-400)/4 = 2. 5 > z(2. 5) = . 9938 P(-2. 5 ? z ? 2. 5) = . 9938 – . 0062 = . 9867 Therefore, there is a 98. 7% probability that the rubber will be extruded with the specifications. Question 2 To find the upper and lower control limits, the following formulas apply: Upper Control Limit (UCL) =  µ + z? Lower Control Limit (LCL) =  µ – z? where ? = ? /n  µ = 400 ? = 4 n = 10 z = 3 ? = 4/10 = 1. 265 UCL = 400 + 3(1. 265) = 403. 795 LCL = 400 – 3(1. 265) = 396. 205 Question 3 If a bearing is worn out, the extruder produces a mean thickness of 403 thou even though the setting is at 400. This means that  µ has shifted to 403 and the confidence level will be lower than the 98. 7% we calculated when the bearings are not worn out. We can restate the question for number 1 to ask: What is the probability that rubber sent through the extruder will be outside 390 thou and 410 thou in thickness when the mean thickness has shifted to 403 thou? Again, we need to find the z value for each boundary then find the corresponding probability in the normal distribution table: z = (x â⠂¬â€œ  µ)/? z = (390-403)/4 = -3. 25 > z(1. 75) = 0. 9599 z = (410-403)/4 = 1. 75 > z(-3. 25) = 0. 0006 P(-3. 25 z(. 628) = 0. 7357 P in control (0

Yoyu kniow the hiood Essays - Industries, Industrial Revolution

Yoyu kniow the hiood Essays - Industries, Industrial Revolution Yoyu kniow the hiood Emerging Technology America has no textile or fashion industry. Most of the materials used were imported from abroad. The Industrial Revolution marked the beginning of technological advances in textile and apparel production. ?The modern textile industry, which enabled more fabrics to be produced in less time, began in England with John Kay?s development of the flying shuttle in 1733, James Hargreaves? invention of the spinning jenny in 1764, Richard Arkwright?s water frame in 1769, and Edmund Cartwright?s power loom in 1785? (?fashion from concept to consumer? 8). More and More factories started to pop up over the nation having a vertical operation: completing textile production from raw cotton fiber to finished cloth. ?By 1847, more Americans worked in textiles than in any other industry? (?fashion from concept to consumer? 9). Textile mills began to produce cloth in America. With even more factories becoming aggrandized, people now had access to more jobs. Now that everyone is working, it created a middle class with money to spend on the luxuries of life, including better clothing. ?Money gave the new middle class power, not only in business and society, but also to influence fashion trends,? (?fashion from concept to consumer? 9). Fashion became a symbol, a way to show off wealth. Work Cited ?Frings, Gini Stephens. Fashion from concept to consumer. Pearson Prentice Hall. 2008.

National Stereotypes ESL Lesson Plan

National Stereotypes ESL Lesson Plan In a perfect world we would use national stereotypes less often. However, it is true that national stereotypes are used when discussing other countries and peoples. This subject often comes up in English classes and can be used to advantage to help ESL students reconsider their own use of national stereotypes. Use this lesson to encourage a healthy and open discussion of the topic, rather than shy away from the use of stereotypes in class. Stereotypes Lesson for ESL Students Aim: Discussion of stereotypes, explaining, improving character adjective vocabulary Activity: Discussion and comparison of national stereotypes Level: Intermediate to advanced Outline: Write the word Stereotype on the board and ask students what the word means. If students are unsure, help them by asking them to finish the phrase, All Americans... or something similar.Once students have understood the concept of what a stereotype is, ask them to mention a few of the stereotypes about their own country.Include a few provocative stereotypes of your own at this point in order to get students thinking about the negative or shallow aspects of thinking in stereotypes. Examples: American food is fast food or Americans love guns.Ask students to divide into pairs and choose two of the listed adjectives to describe each nationality. Tell them that they will need to explain their reasons for the adjectives provided.Go through the sheets asking different students to explain their reasoning for the adjectives they have chosen. Ask other students whether they agree or disagree to promote conversation.Once you have finished your discussion of stereotypes, ask students why stereo typing can be often be bad and which stereotypes of their own country or region they do not like. Ask them to explain why. As homework, have students write a short composition comparing their own region or country to another one. Ask them to include various stereotypes, as well as examples from their own experience that either confirm or refute the stereotypes they mention. Stereotypes Worksheet Prepare a worksheet with the content below to help your students further understand the concept of stereotyping. Choose two adjectives from the bulleted list that you think describe the nationalities mentioned below. Choose two countries of your own to describe. punctual              tolerantromanticrespectfulhard-workingemotionaloutgoingnationalisticwell-dressedhumorouslazysophisticatedhospitabletalkativesociableseriousquietformalaggressive  politerudearrogantignorantcasual American _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ British _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ French _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Japanese _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________

A Christmas Carol Vocabulary Study List

A Christmas Carol Vocabulary Study List In his popular story, A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens uses the musical term stave to indicate the chapters. Dickens was known, on occasion, to use clever terms to describe the sections of his books. For example, in The Cricket on the Hearth, he calls the chapters chirps. To modern readers, stave might not be the only unfamiliar term in A Christmas Carol. You can refer to the following list of terms, separated by chapter, to help understand the text and grow your vocabulary. Some of the words may be familiar, but others are no longer in common usage. Stave One: Marleys Ghost Dickens begins his novella by introducing the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, his poor clerk Bob Cratchit, and the ghost of Scrooges late partner, Jacob Marley. The ghost tells Scrooge he will be visited by three spirits during the night. Ironmongery - a store that sells iron works  Unhallowed - something unholyResiduary - the person entitled to the remainder of an estateRamparts - anything that acts as a barricade  barricade  Entreaty - a sincere requestTrifle - something of little valuePhantoms - spirits or illusionsIntimation - a suggestionMorose - a bleak outlook  or attitude  Impropriety - something improper or inappropriate  Resolute - a determined outlook  Homage - to pay public respect or honor somethingOminous - to give an impression of doom or imply bad things will happenFacetious - to treat something serious with a deliberate lack of careBrazier - a portable heater that uses lighted coalsSolitude - to be aloneMisanthropic - disliking people in general and having an anti-social bad attitudeGarret - a room just under the roof of a house thats usually very small  Congenial - a pleasant or friendly personalityPhenomenon - a fact or situation which is unexplainedIrresolution - to be uncertainTran sparent - something that is see-through or fully explained Caustic - bitter sarcasm  Waggish - playful or mischievous humorSpectre - ghost or vision  Remorse - to deeply regret somethingBenevolence - well-meaning and kindApparition - a ghost or other human-like spirit  Dirge - a funeral song Stave Two: The First of the Three Spirits The first spirit to visit Scrooge is the Ghost of Christmas Past, who shows him scenes from his lonely childhood and a broken engagement to a lovely young woman because of his greed. Opaque - something that is unclearPreposterous - absurd or ridiculousPerplexed - confused  Endeavored - tried hard to achieve  Recumbent - something laying downFluctuated - to irregularly rise and fallSupplication - earnest beggingVestige - a small trace of something that is no longer hereExtraordinary - something unusualCondescension - an attitude of disdainful superiorityCelestial - part of the heavensTerrestrial - relating to the EarthAgitation - nervous excitement  Avarice - extreme greedTumultuous - a confused excitement  Uproarious - provoking a loud sound or laughterBrigands - a member of a gang of thieves  Boisterous - a noisy or energetic crowd or a loud stormOnslaught - a fierce attackDespoil - to steal violentlyIrrepressible - uncontrollableHaggard - looking exhaustedIrresistible - unable to resist Stave Three: The Second of the Three Spirits Ghost of Christmas Present visits Scrooge and shows him the happy holiday scenes in his town, including in the home of his clerk, Bob Cratchit. Despite being poor and having a crippled son (Tiny Tim), Cratchit and his family rejoice in the holiday spirit. Apprehensive - hesitant or fearfulSpontaneous - performed on impulseCombustion - burningConsolation - comfort after a disappointmentPredicament - a difficult situationCapacious - roomy  Artifice - a clever device to trick someoneScabbard - a sheath for a weaponJovial - happy and friendly  Parapets - a low protective wallApoplectic - to be overcome with angerOpulence - to show extreme wealth  Demurely - to do with modesty  Conspicuous - to stand outHeresy - a belief that goes against the teachings of the Christian churchPenitence - showing sorrow or regretRebuke - sharp disapprovalOdious - extremely repulsive Stave Four: The Last of the Spirits The final spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, is a silent, dark figure, who shows Scrooge a dismal future and death of a greedy man who turns out to be Scrooge. His clerk, meanwhile, grieves the loss of his young son. Terrified, Scrooge begs the spirit for mercy and promises to change his life. Shroud - a burial wrappingPendulous - loosely hanging downExcrescence - an unpleasant addition  Latent - hidden or dormantResolution - a firm choice not to do somethingSlipshod - carelessCesspools - a storage unit for liquid waste Stave Five: The End of It Scrooge wakes up with a new, joyful outlook on life, grateful for a second chance. He surprises everyone with his cheerful greetings. He donates money to the poor, sends a turkey to the Cratchit home, and attends his nephews Christmas party. He further shocks the Cratchits by giving Bob a substantial raise and acting as a second father to Tiny Tim. Extravagance - a lack of restraint in spending wealthIllustrious - well known or respectedArray - a range of a type of thingFeign - to pretend to be affected by somethingMalady - an illness

President FDR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

President FDR - Essay Example This avidly explains the reason for being elected in office for more than two terms, unlike other presidents that preceded him. As a matter of fact, he was often cited to have realigned politics in America through various domestic policies. As such, he was able to redefine liberalism. Change in American politics was realized after 1932 when he was duly elected in office. He is remembered as the president who was optimistic and active as there are several contributions that were appealing to the American society. His tenure in office marked an improvement in the spirit of nationalism as many were proud of the new developments in the country. First, he was the figure behind annihilation of polio. During this time, polio was a scourge in the United States as it affected a large part of the population. However, after his election, he instigated various ways of reducing the effects of polio on the population. This was highly welcome as it was effective. Secondly, he worked with other elec ted officials in the government for the good of the population (Folsom, 2009). For example, he had close working relationship with the prime minister in Britain, Winston Churchill. Similarly, he worked closely with Joseph Stalin, who was the Soviet leader. With such close working relationship, they were able to lead their troops against the Nazi allied Germans and Japan during the Second World War. Similarly, he was able to offer support to Great Britain and china both financially and diplomatically. However, he remained neutral during this time. This is an approach that enhanced the democracy of America as it was seen as a country full of democracy. Though he was providing financial and diplomatic support to the other countries, he was also focused on ensuring the economy was on a developing track. There are various events that serve as a hallmark to the career of Roosevelt as an American president. Apparently, a number of polls have been cited to rank him as the third or second in the greatest American presidents. This shows he was committed to serving the American population through all times while in office. First, he was the person behind expansion of programs that are initiated by the government (Folsom, 2009). This was an initiative that redefined the government’s role in the United States to serve the entire population. For example, this was an initiative that advocated for social programs that are implemented by the government as it was instrumental in enhancing liberalism. This was a hallmark of strengthening the country for the coming generations as it was a benefit to the whole population. Roosevelt was elected in office at the wake of the great depression. This was a hard time for the Americans as they had to contain the harsh economic times. However, with the newly elected president, the American economy was able to contain depression (Greenstein, 2009). Apparently, the great depression was affecting many countries across the globe and it depended on the government officials and presidents to work out a plan to roll out depression. This was well articulated by the incumbent Roosevelt. In combating the great depression, he was able to create a number of programs in the country to help the population that was widely affected. This was done by creating new deal programs that would benefit the people that are worst affected. First, he created the civil

Evaluation of producer strategies (Spartan Energy Corp) Assignment

Evaluation of producer strategies (Spartan Energy Corp) - Assignment Example During 2014 second quarter, the company average production stood at 6,396 boe/d which consisted of 93% oil and liquids. The production costs reduced to $ 18.23 per boe while the administrative expenses reduced to $3.11 per boe. During the same period, the company attained $24.4 million as funds from operations. During the first six months that ended in June 30, 2014, Spartan net income stood at $16,357 million. As a company that takes into consideration the interest of the stakeholders, Spartan Energy Corp has adopted the culture of using modern technology in its production facilities. For example, through the use of 3-D seismic coverage, the company is in a position to identify areas with oil and other minerals. Additionally, the company has invested in modern drilling equipments that make it to improve its operations. Through the extensive research and innovation by the company, it is targeting to achieve 15,000 boe/d in the next 24 months. As a company that deals with oil, Spartan is exposed to various risks. For example, wet weather in southeast Saskatchewan has negatively affected drilling process in that region. As a result, the company has experienced delays in drilling. To deal with the risk of weather, the company first stops to drill in such areas until it is deemed fit to drill again. In addition, the company has established wells in more areas so as to ensure its operations are not affected once wet weather is experienced in some regions. Spartan Energy Corp is concerned with various government policies. For instance, the company provides audited financial statements to its shareholders. In addition, the company has a culture of conserving the environment during its activities. In this way, it acts in line with the government environmental conservation laws. The company adopts a whistle blowing policy that ensures that accounting frauds are detected as outlined

Profile of a language group present in the Los Angeles area Research Paper

Profile of a language group present in the Los Angeles area - Research Paper Example They were sourced to meet the growing demand for labor on the Hawaiian plantations following the enactment of a series of laws that barred Chinese labor immigration. Students and political exiles comprised some of the ancient Korean immigrants, providing considerable leadership in the pre-World War II Korean American community. The intervention of America in the Korean War (1950-53) prompted another wave of Korean immigration. US soldiers posted in Korea brought home Korean brides, planned adoption of Korean War orphans to American homes and sponsored students to study in America. The population of Koreans who have immigrated to America as adopted children or brides exceeds 100000 for each group. The students who were now professionals were able to apply for permanent residence visas in the US in 1965.close relatives of permanent residents and citizens greatly increased the number of Korean immigrants LA .Over a quarter million Korean Americans live in the Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County-San Bernardino-Ventura metro area. According to the U.S. Korean Embassy, there are about 260 Korean community language schools in the Los Angeles area. The Korean language is taught as a subject mainly in colleges and universities in LA .University of California-Los Angeles (405 los Angeles, CA 90095 Hilgard Avenue) is one such college .The institution has a Korean language department and a center for Korean studies offering Korean at degree level. Korean language is taught in many other institutions of higher learning as a foreign language. Korean American children have inadequate prospects of developing bilingualism in today’s US educational system. Heritage language education is available in the form of weekend schools; these are community-based programs offering language/culture instruction for a couple of hours per week. Most Korean community schools are run by Korean Christian churches, with the staff mainly comprising volunteers from the community. These

ANALYSING A SPREADSHEET AND PRESENTING A BUSINESS REPORT Case Study

ANALYSING A SPREADSHEET AND PRESENTING A BUSINESS REPORT - Case Study Example From the reference data provided by the business, there are 4 types of fruit juices that are available for sale. Each type of juice has two variances in size, one in 375ml and another in 750ml. According to the sales calculations presented in the spreadsheet charts, the fruit juices differ in the number of sales they attract. The variance could be mainly due to, popularity of a type of fruit juice among buyers or the price per carton for each. However, various factors may apply depending on the market of operation for the business. By comparing the pivot table charts against the sales calculations over the five weeks, orange and mandarin are seen to have higher sales. As the weeks progress, sales for the two types of fruit juices are seen to project further than the other two. This shows that mobile app based marketing was more acceptable as compared to emails and or texts. Unlike the emails or texts, the mobile apps presented more benefits to the retailers buying the fruit juices. That is, a retailer would be able to plan a reminder, place an order and track customer orders right from their smartphones. Emails and texts, on the other hand, would only serve the purpose of acting as reminders. If not spread out proportionally, the emails and text messages would easily become nagging and stubborn to the retail buyers. From the charts, the buyers would prefer being reminded through a smartphone mobile app. In the fourth week marketing strategy, a two-for-one strategy was introduced on mandarin fruit juice. From the pivot table, the sales for the mandarin fruit juice are seen to consistently increase from the second week: Little change is seen on the sales at the fourth or fifth week. A further look at the sales for mandarin juice reveals that, though the product made more sales that apple and grapefruit juice, it was selling below par. That is, the two-for-one policy did not impact the sales upwards as would be expected. Reason

Benchmarking and policy and regulations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Benchmarking and policy and regulations - Essay Example This percentage is increasing day by day with the increase in health care costs. The American nation is acutely aware of the fact that the health care system of their country is not working out for everyone. The increasing costs and an increasing percentage of uninsured people contribute to the rising problem in the health care system. The attention of policy makers is often directed towards these issues which they try to solve by addressing specific problems rather than looking at the whole health care system. These short-term solutions help in solving these problems for a limited period of time. Nonetheless, the problem as a whole still remains (Bureau of labor education, 2001). There are many causes of health insurance problems in United States. Due to the high cost of insurance, many people (mostly unemployed and poor) tend to remain without insurance. Businesses do not offer all their employees health insurance, hence more than half of the employees remain uninsured. Moreover, there are some people who want to get insurance, but the insurance companies consider them unfit for health insurance. Lastly, there are people who consider themselves healthy and do not want to seek insurance and pay high amounts of money to these health insurance companies (Bureau of labor education, 2001). As per the statistics 46.3 million people are currently uninsured in United States, however according to Families USA (2009), the number is even higher if we add the number of people who remain uninsured at least during for a little time. In 2007-2008 almost 86.7 million people were uninsured at some time. Almost 5 million people have the finances to get health insurance, however are not able to due to pre existing conditions. Texas has the highest number of uninsured people as compared to all other states of America. During 2004-2006 almost 24.1% of Texas population was uninsured (US Census Bureau, 2009). The percentage of under-insured

Film Remakes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Film Remakes - Essay Example Film remaking is both an elastic concept and complex situation especially because the interrelated roles and practices of the industry, critics, and audiences both enable and limit it, thus, to try and understand film remakes, it has been broken down into three major tiers. The first tier deals with remaking as industrial category (Verevis 2006, p.3), which entails issues such as production, including commerce and authors; the second tier is remaking as textual category, and it deals with the genre, plots, and structures. The third and final tier is that of remaking as critical category, which investigates issues of reception, including audiences and institutions; the film remake emerges as a case of repetition, a function of the cinematic discursive fields that is maintained by specific practices in history. For instance, some of the historical practices that actively maintain the concept of film remakes include but are not limited to things such as copyright law and authorship, can on formation and media literacy, in addition to film criticism and reviewing. In that case, the concept of film remaking is a common feature in the history of cinema and it entails a number of technological, textual, and cultural practices; however, film remake has since then been maintained as a separate phenomenon, yet connected. This paper seeks to address some of the crucial pertinent issues surrounding the concept of remaking, while trying to explore a broad theoretical approach that provides both an understanding of the concept of cinematic remaking, and individual film remakes in the contemporary times. Introduction For many years, the cinema has been repeating and replaying its own narratives and genres from the beginnings of time yet film remaking has hardly received any critical attention worth noticing especially because most of the pertinent questions surrounding this concept remain unexplored in film studies. For instance, some of the questions that have seldom been ask ed in film studies concern what film remaking really is, which films that are remakes of other films, how film remaking differs from other types of repetition such a quotation allusion, and adaptation, in addition to, the relationship between remakes and other commercial forms such as sequels, cycles, and series. Apart from these, other pertinent questions that need to be explored in film studies regarding film remakes concern how film remaking differs from the cinema’s more general ability to repeat and replay the same film as many times as possible through re-issue and redistribution. Additionally, film studies might also want to consider the interesting question of how film remaking differs from the way every film is remade- dispersed and transformed- in its varied contexts and reviewing; these and much more are some of the crucial questions that are hardly asked and answered in film studies. There exists several accounts of cinematic remaking, and most of them have provid ed different versions of definitions of film remakes, as new versions of existing films, and as films that to some substantial degree strike as being related to either one or several previous movies. Film remaking is not just about the simplistic cultural knowledge of the existence of, and nature of film remakes because when understood alongside the much broader concept of intertextuality, it can refer to the never-ending and fluid possibilities given forth by the discursive practices of a film culture. Ideally, the remake is distinguished not by the fact of its being a repetition, but by the fact of its being a typical institutional form of the structure of repetition†¦the citationality or iterability, that exists in and for every film† (Verevis 2006, p.1). Just like in the case of the