Living in the forest Essay

Although the majority of people in the Amazon live in the cities and towns, there are still many indigenous groups living in the forest, some who have no contact with the ‘outside’ world and live in a harmonic environment. Rainforests are the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, as well as being the home to an estimated 50 million indigenous forest people. These people depend on the rainforest for their way of life. It provides them nearly everything from shelter and food to tools and medicine. The people living in the forest make practical and sustainable use of the forest. It also plays an important role in their spiritual and cultural life. Other than hunting, gathering wild fruits and nuts and fishing, each family usually has two gardens. One is a small house garden which consists of a variety of plants and the second is a large plantation planted with bananas, manioc or rice. They use a sustainable farming method called shifting cultivation. First they clear a small area of land and burn it (slash and burn). Then they plant different types of plants, to be used for food and medicines. After a few years, the soil has become too poor to allow for more crops to grow and weeds start to take over. They then move to a nearby un-cleared area. This land is traditionally allowed to re-grow for 10-50 years before it is farmed again. Shifting cultivation is still practiced by those indigenous groups who have access to a large amount of land. However, with the growing number of non-indigenous farmers and the shrinking rainforest, other groups, especially in Indonesia and Africa, are now forced to remain in one area. The land becomes a wasteland after a few years of overuse, and cannot be used for future agriculture. Indigenous people respect the forest that, until the present, has protected them from outsiders and given them everything they need. They live in a sustainable existence. This means that they use the land without harming the plants and animals that also call the rainforest their home. Indigenous people get all their resources primarily from the forest. Other than their food they get their clothing, tools, medicines and shelter form there. This is part of their culture and way of life, as their ancestors also lived in this way. Children do not go to school however they learn about the forest through their parents and other members of the community. They are taught how to survive in the forest. This usually includes how to hunt and fish. They are also taught which plants are useful as medicines or food. Some of these children know more about the rainforests than scientists who have been studying rainforests for many years. There are many different groups. But one example is the ‘Maku’ group. A daily life of someone in the ‘Maku’ village: The women wake up at sunrise and prepare the men’s breakfast. Each meal is communal and is eaten at the leader’s house. After the men have eaten breakfast they depart either alone or in pair’s depending on what prey they saw the day before. After they have left the women and children eat and soon after go to the swiddens to harvest and replant manioc. They return around midday and prepare manioc flour, bread and porridges. At about three in the afternoon the men return with what they have caught and hand it over to their wives. Each woman cooks at her own fireplace but the meal is communal and held in the leaders house. The men eat first and then the women and children. After this three or four meals follow until they sleep, this is at around 9p.m. Indigenous people have a very strong culture and still practice it. One of the rituals are when a young boy or girl go into adulthood the hair on their head is plucked out by other people. Even though they are given a medicine to make them unconscious it is still very painful. Anybody can take part in this ritual. Each group has the same basic believes but then differs when it comes to rituals and culture. In the ‘Karaja’ group the role of men and women are very important. The men are responsible for defending the territory, clearing swiddens, domestic and collective fishing trips and formalized discussions in the men’s plaza. Women are responsible for the education of the children until the age of initiation for the boys but permanently  responsible for the girls. They also do the domestic tasks such as cooking, collecting swiddens products and arranging the marriage of the children (usually done by the grandmothers) and also the painting and decoration of the children during rituals and the manufacture of ceramic dolls. When a baby is born the baby is washed with warm water and it face is painted with red dye. During the infancy the baby spends most of its time with its mother or grandmothers. However when a boy reaches the age of seven or eight his lower lip is pierced. When he reaches the age of ten to twelve years- the boy takes part in a large male ritual called Big House or Hetohoky. The boys are painted with blue/black genipap and remain confined for seven days in a ritual house called the Big House. The hair is cut off and the boy is called giant river otter or jyre. During the first menstrual period of a girl, the maternal grandmother looks after her and she is confined in isolation. Her public re-appearance is when she is elaborately decorated with painted body designs and feather adornments in order to dance with the Aruanas. This is highly rated by the men. The marriage is ideally arranged by the grandmother-preferably from the same village. Once married the couple life at the girls mothers house. When the family number becomes numerous the couple makes their own house. They also have many myths. For example the ‘Canela’ believe that the origin of fire and corn came about like this: a boy brought fire for his people by stealing it from the hearth of a female jaguar. Star woman fell in love with a Canela and so came down to live for awhile among his family members. During her stay she told them that corn would grow fin the forest and she taught them that it was good to eat. This is the origin of the gardens. She then returned to the sky with her mate and they transformed into twin starts which we know as Castor and Pollux. These are just one of the myths which have now become the background of these people. Nutrient cycling is an important part of the ecosystem. It is added into the ecosystems in many ways: Leaching- the nutrients are removed by the movement of the water. Harvesting- when the trees get harvested the nutrients they contained get removed. The amount of nutrients removes depends on how the harvesting is done. Atmosphere- nutrients contained in precipitation and dusts are deposited on the forest site. Weathering of parent material- the slow process of breaking down rock and mineral gets nutrients released in the soil. Due to human activity the life of these people are being altered. There are also a lot of environmental issues which affect the rainforest and the people living in it. This includes forest fires, diseases and landslides. The changes of environment are depending on the region and the climate. Due to all of this the lives are being changed and more recently in a major way. The cultures they had a long time ago are being lost. Before they lived depending on their surroundings and what they had and also they enjoyed it. But now they are slowly depending on tourists for some of their income and will most probably become completely dependant on tourists. Spear fishing- it is used when setting a net would be impractical, such as near trees. The spearhead is three pointed and barbed. A string is attached at the end of the spear so the fisherman can get the fish after a successful throw. Sugar cane pressers- sugar cane is grown primarily for the juice and then fermented to make a type of rum called ‘aguardiente’.

Humanisitic Perspective

The Humanistic Perspective The humanistic perspective in psychology says that we are responsible for our actions when it comes to violence. I believe that the humanistic perspective is the best way to describe the actions of violence. There are many examples of this that have been studied that support this perspective. Some examples of violence that support this perspective include Joel Rifkin, the two kids thrill kill. Humanistic psychology is the constructive view of human self-determination. It is the interpretation of the behavior of someone is intentional.This means someone’s actions with violence are their choice and they are conscious of what they are doing. The humanistic perspective believes the person who is acting violence is responsible for their actions. Violence in my opinion can be best explained in the humanistic theory. People know what they are doing and it is their choice if they want to do it. When it comes to violence people are capable of knowing what is right and what is wrong. In the case of Joel Rifkin, he was a serial killer who murdered prostitutes in the early 1990’s in New York City. He was fully aware of what he was doing and his actions were intended.In an interview after he was convicted Rifkin told investigators the reasoning behind why he continued to kill. He said that there was a thrill to killing and it gave him a rush of adrenaline. This is an exact example of the humanistic perspective because he realized what he was doing and the consequences that may come along with his actions and he continued with his violence outbursts. A thrill killing is premeditated murder committed by a person who is not necessarily suffering from mental instability, and does not have anything against them, but is instead motivated by the sheer excitement of the act.In the case where the two young boys acted out and killed one of their classmates for the â€Å"thrill† of it is a perfect example of the humanistic theory. Althou gh they were young they knew that killing someone for fun was wrong and they did it anyways. Their behavior was intentional and pre-determined. These terrible crimes are great examples of the humanistic idea and why it is the most important perspective when studying violence.

Assessing health care and needs of older person

Assessing health care and needs of older person Summary Caring for older people with dementia highlights many special and difficult issues for nurses and carers, such as separation, illness, loneliness, death and how to provide continued care (Morrissey et al, 1997, Livingston, 2010). Monitoring and questioning the way we care for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia is an important part of delivering the very highest standards of specialist dementia care. Aims and Objectives This study is about the assessment of health needs and the strategies of care delivered for an older person with dementia within the community observed during my recent placement. There will be discussions focusing on normal ageing process, taking into account the relevant biological, sociological and physiological perspectives and the impact this had on this individual’s life experience. Dementia Care Mapping and community profile will be introduced. The relevant epidemiology and aetiology factors will be examined and the social and kinship support networks will be identified, how they work together to provide individual holistic patient care, the impact it had on him in the community and finally the impact of current legislation on the overall care provided will be analysed.. The rationale for this is to demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical and practical links in caring for individuals with this condition in the community. Confidentiality is maintained in conjunction with NMC 2010. Thus a pseudonym (Scot) is adopted where the client’s name is mentioned. Context Scot is a 70 year old man with a long term history of psychosis. Recently he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia, which affects the brain cells and brain nerve transmitters, which carry instructions around the brain. Scot is also a non-insulin dependent diabetic and has hypertension, both of which are controlled by oral medication. Aeotiology Dementia as a disorder, is manifested b y multiple cognitive defects, such as impaired memory, aphasia, apraxia and a disturbance in occupational or social functioning, Howcroft (2004).The brain shrinks as gasps develops in the temporal lobe and hippocampus. The ability to think, speak, remember and make decisions is interrupted (ADS, 2011). Disturbances in executive functioning are also seen in the loss of the ability to think abstractly, having difficulty performing tasks and the avoidance of situations, which involves processing information. Due to the decline of his mental state, he has been refusing access to his carer (his wife) and was at risk of self-neglect. Current medication He had been well managed on Quetiapine until he had stopped taking the medication and his psychosis had worsened. Quetiapine is an oral antipsychotic drug used for treating schizophrenia and similar disorders. Like other anti-psychotics, it inhibits communication between nerves of the brain. Frequent adverse effects include headache, agitat ion, dizziness, drowsiness, weight gain and stomach upset (Ballard et al 2005). Medical history Seven (7) years ago, he had a mild stroke. He has fractured both of his wrists and has no sensation of the heat or cold on his hands but can move and use his fingers perfectly fine. Referral Scot was referred to the CMHT on the 03 May 2011 by his General Practitioner (GP). He was seen by the CPN for his mental illness and was decided that Scot would be visited every day because of his past medical history.

Chapter Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chapter - Coursework Example Therefore, based on this rule it is clear evidence that Daddy was guilty of doing an illegal thing to Alison and Meredith (Friedland, Bergman, & Taslitz, 2015). Student 2: As a defence Attorney, my arguments against allegations made by Alison to my client, Daddy, do not hold substantial ground for accusation. Alison does not have any prove to show that Daddy was guilty. Daddy was silent because he did not want to create an embarrassing scene in the presence of the visitors by arguing with his son, Alison. Student 3: As a judge my ruling on this case is that under Rule 104.The accused has the burden of proving innocent. If he/she remains silent, it is an indication that one is guilty. The burden consists of the following elements namely; the accused must hear the statement and understand it. The statement must be within the party’s personal knowledge. Finally, the accused party must deny the allegations if they are not true. In this case, Daddy was guilty because he violated all the above burden of proof (Friedland, Bergman, & Taslitz, 2015). The facts as presented are that Paul is a prosecution witness in a robbery charge against his friend John whom together with George and Ringo, typically played a game of poker together. It is during one of the poker game sessions that Paul teased John on a rumor that was circulated that he had engaged in a bank robbery incident. Paul requests for a share of the loot, but John is mute about it. The prosecutor seeks to rely on John’s silence as proof of guilt. The accused is cross-examined by both counsels (Friedland, Bergman, & Taslitz, 2015). Student 1: As the defense attorney, the other foundational I would seek to establish are whether in teasing each other while playing the soccer games do the guys put more emphasis on the truth of every allegation? If the answer is to the negative is there normally an intention to spoil one another’s reputation as a friend? What is the reputation of John in the

Ogilvy and Mather Worldwide Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ogilvy and Mather Worldwide - Case Study Example The present paper is regarding the strategy and framework that can be considered to provide the best stewardship of Ogilvy brand. 1) Accurate human resource positioning - Expertise is necessary in order to achieve the goal of best stewardship. The organization cannot afford anyone to work anywhere without giving any result. Human resource is the key to success of any organization. Motivating the employees through incentives, promotions and other benefits will encourage them to perform better. As the organization is a multinational company, networking in form of communication should be enabled and each and every office should be interlinked not separating any of the regional offices from the offices situated outside the country. Moreover, all the offices and its employees should be assigned specific roles and responsibilities so as to carry out work smoothly. Organizational restructure is necessary to stimulate growth, successive management, to deal with internal problems and due to changing environment (Busn 6520, Class Notes) 2) Coordination among Board of Directors- It is necessary that Board representing the management be reworked as it is evident from the activities of previous year (1993), coordination between the top level executives is the area of concern. There is difference of opinion among different heads of regional offices, local offices and other international offices. Therefore it is recommended that divisional structure of management be carried out as it enhances the cooperation within division and goals are achieved as per the strategy set by CEO, as in the case of Appex. This structure also enhances accountability, budgeting, planning, final target focus and thus preventing any fraudulent activities. The personnel involved in the management of operations in various locations should be vary of their roles and responsibilities so that targets are achieved relentlessly (Strategic Design Lens, Lecture 3) 3) Adapting to the changing environment - Ogilvy and Mather has already experienced the effect of not moving forward with the changing business world and changing mindset of customers resulting in pull offs by its most valued clients like American Express and others. It is suggested to make few changes in organization culture without affecting the historical values of the company. 4) Eliminating political traits in the organization - Politics in an organization is perceived as the dark side and avoiding it can result in impeding effective decisions. Politicization in the organization should be totally eliminated so as to take effective decisions for the organizational development. It is suggested to take all the Board members into confidence or decide with the consensus of the people present during the meeting. Major reshuffling among the top executives along with medium level executives to different departments and locations may help in easing the pressure while taking decisions (Political Lens, Class Notes) 5) Assessing

The Smartest Kids in the World; Amanda Ripley Essay

The Smartest Kids in the World; Amanda Ripley - Essay Example The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMS) is another education policy that mainly focuses on less work problems and more on the subject specific knowledge and the skills that the school teaches the student during the learning process. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study is a policy that does not concern whether the student can be able to apply their scientific and mathematical knowledge in the real life situation while Program on International Student Assessment has no concern in either measuring the student’s skill needed to succeed in their college education nor to engage in technical professions. Therefore, schools use both policies in their education system as they complement each other and will improve the educational outcome in schools (Ripley, 2013). According to Ripley (2013) Korea, Finland and Poland employ PISE as the education policy in their schools and this kind of system is seen as the reason behind their production of some of the best students in the world. This system brings out the argument that, tracking students, that is placing the kids in gifted classes at an early age so that they can be able to know what exactly their career holds for them, tends to diminish the learning process in schools boosting inequality to places where it was implemented. It is said when this kind of education system is applied, the students who were in the higher performing classes began to think of themselves as less gifted hence lowering their self esteem while surprisingly those in the lower performing classes in this kind of education policy developed a positive mentality about themselves in turn building on their self esteem.

Communication Barriers of Intercultural Communication Essay

Communication Barriers of Intercultural Communication - Essay Example Having worked with Filipinos for the first time, I thought it rude to be returned with raised eyebrows when greeting them. It turned out that it is their way of greeting people silently in their home country. It is also necessary to interact with international clients and communication barriers can arise due to accent, gestures, and manner of doing businesses. Thus, it is important to have communication between workmates in order to get to know each other better and become familiar with each other's culture habits as this prevents from misinterpreting gestures and words. Besides this, learning to observe and respect the cultures can minimize conflict. Organizing events that will promote interaction can help improve the barriers that arise from cultures. Likewise, talking to clients will give us hints about their characters and habits. In addition, attending courses on intercultural communication is also useful in expanding knowledge on this issue.

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Management - Essay Example In this context, the management of risk has become an indispensable part of strategic management. It should be noted that the risk management approaches used by businesses worldwide are not standardized. This means that organizations of different size and characteristics can choose the risk management approach that best suits to their needs. Current paper focuses on risk as an element of the project management. Reference is made to a particular company, the Informative Web Systems (IWS). The firm operates in the Australian market for about a decade. Since last year, the performance of the firm has been deteriorated, being decreased for about 8% compared to 2009. The failures of the project risk management of the firm have been considered as responsible for this outcome. The current project risk management of the firm is evaluated compared to other project risk management approaches – as presented in the literature. ... In businesses the effects of risk are usually related to the decrease of organizational performance. The level at which risk can be estimated by reviewing the common consequences of similar risks in businesses operating in the same industrial sector (Khosrowpour 2001, 142). In accordance with Kaye and Graham (2006, 6) one of the most usual characteristics of risk is that it cannot be fully eliminated; it can always appear, in different forms, even it has been already faced successfully. Moreover, Bowden, Lane and Martin (2001, 5) note that the failures in managing risk can have a series of consequences for the businesses involved, including ‘sanctions for directors, civil claims and legal costs’ (Bowden, Lane and Martin 2001, 5). The effective management of risk means that risk related to the operations of a particular organization is effectively identified and addressed (Bowden, Lane and Martin 2001, 165). Referring specifically to the risks related to projects, Merna a nd Al-Thani (2008, 42) noted that the management of such risk refers to a series of non-monetary issues/ needs, such as: environment, people, ethics and quality (Merna and Al-Thani, 2008, 42). 2.2 Project risk management approaches in Informative Web Systems (IWS) 2.2.1 Project risk management in IWS - overview One of the priorities of the project risk management approach used in Informative Web Systems is the limitation of risk in the beginning of each project – reference is made to the risks related to the initial phases of the firm’s projects. Because of the need for continuous update of the technology involved in the development of the firm’s project, the risk management approach developed by the firm’s managers has been based on the following principles: a) risk related to

To what extent has globalization influenced one or more aspects of the Essay

To what extent has globalization influenced one or more aspects of the culture in your country illustrate your answer with examples - Essay Example But likewise, as economies become more intertwined, we find that they can also become more vulnerable to unexpected shifts and new forms of opaqueness. This isn’t a reason to turn away from globalization, but it is a reason to be vigilant. This essay will look at the way Russia has become more dependent on other countries through the process of globalization and it will suggest that this has mostly been for the best. Although the exact moment of globalization occurring in Russia is a debatable question considering the length of Russia’s history and its extensive involvement in world affairs, it could be send that most of the post-Soviet period has been marked by the rapid acceleration of Russia’s integration into the world economy. Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s first post-Soviet leader, led the country through a kind of economic shock therapy that involved deregulating markets, selling off state assets, and making Russia a better place to do business. It took awhile for these changes to help make Russia into a stable place to do business, but this began to happen under the premiership of Vladimir Putin. He was helped of course by rising world demand for Russia’s energy and other commodities. Prices for have been increasing a lot in recent years (before collapsing recently), and this helped Russia look to the rest of the world as a good place to do business. Britain decided to go full steam ahead with economic global integration. Of course, with current economic events shaking the world economy, we begin to see some of the potential negative effects of globalization for Russia. The problems point to one of the serious drawbacks of globalization: when you open your economy up to the other economies of the world you can get very rich as long as they do well—but you also become very vulnerable to their problems too. But in the course of this important debate it is vital to remember the benefits that have come with globalization. These changes have not

Frictions between Parents and Children Essay Example for Free

Frictions between Parents and Children Essay Family is an essential part of every person’s life and of our society. Family is a little world with its own values and priorities. Close families share dreams, ideas, hopes and even possessions, and it’s a good side of being a family. However, as usual, every good thing can have its drawbacks. Same with families: they can often have different types of problems. One of the most frequent and common problems is the misunderstanding between parents and children, due to the difference of generations. This problem is especially acute with teenagers, who want to have more freedom, to express their self-identity in a way they want to. Honour your mother and father and you will live long and be well, if not, you will die — says the Bible. Some families are happy, some are dead. It seems to me the reason is misunderstanding of each other in the family. One more thing, teenagers can take on most of the rights and responsibilities of adulthood. Before this occurs, however, they go through the period of adolescence and most of them experience conflicts at that time. They change rapidly both physically and emotionally and they search self-identity as they grow up and become more independent. Sometimes teenagers develop interests and values different from those of their parents. That sets a conflict between two generations, which leads to a gap in mutual understanding. Traditional disagreements are: the time to come home at night, doing work about the house and the friends to spend time with. Id like to point out, that teens face a number of problems: drinking alcohol or using drugs. Moreover, some children run away from their homes. Most of them return after a few days or weeks, but some turn to crime and become juvenile delinquents. Im convinced that sometimes parents do not care about their children. It is exactly at that age when young people need a piece of advice or help. Parents should help their children and find the right approach to them so as to make everything clear. Being able to view the problems more rationally, they should try to do their best to resolve them. We need to learn to talk our problems over in our family. If we are able to do it, everything will be all right.

Sainsburys Ratio Analysis

Sainsburys Ratio Analysis Accounting and Finance Assignment Sainsburys Ratio Analysis Nowadays, it is important for organizations to know how to survive in the competitive market in which they are involved, markets that require managers who understand and are aware of the internal and external factors that concerns to the company. Therefore, it is vital to know the existence of different techniques of measurement such as financial tools, which can give an idea on how the companys financial situation is going to affect its performance in the marketplace. One of these tools can be the used of financial ratios, which gives to managers the information to set up strategies in order to make decisions in the future. However, it is important to highlight that this ratios provide an overview of the businesss financial condition, but an analysis in depth is needed to know the reasons why certain changes have occurred (Maclaney and Atrill, 2002). Nevertheless, there are some limitations in the used of financial ratios, for instance, the information is out of date so it does not reflect the real situation of the company, hence it can lead to wrong decisions, also, the analysis made from the financial statements gives symptoms of such situations but not the causes of it (Berry and Jarvis, 1997). The purpose of this report is to analyze Sainsburys financial performance using the analysis of ratios as a financial tool. This information will be taken from the annual reports of 2003 and 2004. In addition, it will include external and relevant information of the company which adds value to the analysis and thus to the financial performance in the already mentioned period of time. This will also help to compare Sainsburys with its competitor Tesco, in order to identify and evaluate the performance of both companies. Finally, this report will give conclusions and recommendations to those investors who want to make an investment in a secure company. RATIO ANALYSIS Profitability Ratios According to Maclaney and Atrill (2002, p. 197), Profitability ratios provide an insight to the degree of success in achieving this purpose. For instance, the profitability ratios of Sainsbury plc are: Profitabiliy Ratios 2004 2003 Return on Capital Employed 8.53% 9.29% Return on Equity 7.64% 8.95% Gross Profit Margin 8.65% 8.14% Net Profit Margin 3.91% 4.25% Table 1. Profitability Ratios (Base on data contained in Appendix A) Regarding on this table, Sainsburys profitability ratios show a moderately deterioration in profit from 2003 to 2004 in a margin of 6%. This downward trend is due to several changes the company had such as, (1) the sell of JS Development and Shaws supermarket, this has an impact on the companys current assets (cash) and profit, in one hand it brings in cash for the sell but on the other hand it stops the daily cash input, consequently there were a decline in profit in 2.6%; (2) the purchase of Swan Infrastructure Holdings Limited, which consist of a whole modern IT system and it is part of a Business Transformation Programme, therefore, there was a rise in 6% of the capital employed (fixed assets and net debt), and also a significantly fall in cash in 27%. Because of all these reasons, there was a drop in profit, but as it is a long-term investment it is estimated to be an income generation in the future. Efficiency and Effectiveness Ratios These ratios are used to try and identify the strengths and weaknesses of a business using a variety of different ratios (Giles et al., 1994, p. 371). The following table illustrates the efficiency ratios used in Sainsburys case. Efficiency and Effectiveness 2004 2003 Fixed Asset Turnover 2 times 2.17 times Debtor Collection Period 1.51 days 2.48 days Creditor Payment Period 28.83 days 28.78 days Stock Holding Period 17.61 days 18.67 days Table 2. Efficiency and Effectiveness (Base on data contained in Appendix A) The fixed asset turnover has slightly decreased due to the acquisition of Swan Infrastructure Holdings Limited, which caused a rise of 7.73% on Sainsburys fixed assets in comparison with the year 2003. Moreover, sales have remained constant which have risen in 0.3%. The purchase of the IT systems will give opportunities to enhanced operational effectiveness, a stronger platform, low costs and an increased in sales. In what a debtor collection period concerns, although this ratio shows a very little period to collect debts from customers, it is logic for this kind of business to be like that owing to the fact that being a supermarket, sales are in cash, only a 8% of the current assets are related to debtors, which had a fall in almost 40% comparing with 2003. On the other hand, the creditor payment period has stayed constant and it shows good rates. The cycle of both debtor collection period and creditor payment period demonstrates that the company receive the money from their debtors before paying to their suppliers, which is good since they do not need to finance themselves but pay with the cash they get in from debtors. Regarding to the stock holding period, even though it has fallen in 1 day, it still is high for a business like supermarket in which the stock plays an important role because the rotation has to be in short periods of time to keep the food fresh. However, it is good to consider that Sainsbury also have a stock of electro domestics, entertainment, house-wares, etc., that the rotation is meant to be in long periods of time. Liquidity Ratios As Maclaney and Atrill (2002, p. 197) said, Certain ratios may be calculated that examine the relationship between liquid resources held and creditors due for payment in the near future. These ratios in Sainsburys company are as follow. Liquidity Ratios 2004 2003 Current Ratio 0.83:1 0.87:1 Acid Test (Quick Ratio) 0.67:1 0.70:1 Table 3. Liquidity Ratios (Base on data contained in Appendix B) The current ratio has a slightly fall, due to the current liabilities rising faster than the current assets. Looking at the current liabilities it can be seen that the company is using bank loans to finance the acquisition of the IT systems by the group, which increased in 63%. The current assets have also been affected by a decreased in 27% of cash account since a 10% of the purchase was made in cash. Similar situation happened with the acid test ratio with a slight fall in the rate. These ratios show a low rate, due to the fast stock rotation which produces cash sales. Although, it seems like the current assets do not cover the current liabilities, the liquid assets are used as productively by the growing of the business to make it more effective, thus profitable. Capital Gearing Ratios This is the relationship between the amount financed by the owners of the business and the amount contributed by outsiders (Maclaney and Atrill 2002, p. 197). For instance, Sainsburys capital gearing ratios are: Capital Gearing Ratios 2004 2003 Gearing Ratio 28.54% 25.97% Times Interest Covered 5.91 times 5.31 times Table 4. Capital Gearing Ratios (Base on data contained in Appendix B) The gearing ratio has increased by 9% due to the long-term debts rising faster than the capital employed during the period from 2003 to 2004. The long term debts went up by 14%, which is because the purchase of IT fixed assets and also the company resort to operations in the capital market and by operating subsidiaries to deal with the interest rate and current risk these finance involves. On the other hand, the times interest covered stayed constant and even though is a low rate, the company still can cover its interest with their profit. Investor Ratios Certain ratios are concerned with assessing the returns and performance of shares held in a particular business (McLaney et al., 2002, p. 197). In this case, the investor ratios for Sainsburys are the followings: Investor Ratios 2004 2003 Earnings per Share 0.20 0.23 Price Earnings Ratio 12.63 times 9.54 times Dividend Yield 6 6.89 Dividend Cover 1.32 1.52 Table 5. Investor Ratios (Base on data contained in Appendix B) The earning per share has fall by 13% mainly caused by the higher profits on business disposals that the company went through last year, so the return to shareholders was a lower rate per share. In contrast, the price earning per share growth by 24%, due to the increase in the market share price in 14%, this is a good new for Sainsburys since it reflects that the market confidence grew from 2003 to 2004. The dividend yield had a slightly decreased since the dividend per share only increased by 0.7% from last year. This was a decision from the company and it reflects the reduction in the earning per share already mentioned and the fall in the dividend cover by 13%. RECOMMENDATION TO POTENTIAL INVESTORS According to the information given by the ratios analysis in the last section, it can be said that even though the companys ratios showed a decreased rates from 2003 to 2004, the expectations of the business performance looks profitable. This is due to the Business Transformation Programme, which consists on the acquisition of IT systems and the sell of Shaws Supermarket and JS Development. The former will be a positive impact in the financial performance of the company in a long-term by increasing sales and reducing costs; and the latter will be used to develop and make more effective the financial and management resources, hence it will enlarge Sainsburys core UK business and strengthen its market position. Therefore, from the ratios analysis, it can be stated that Sainsburys is not a good company to, at present time invest in, since the company has not showed a significant growth in profit during the last financial year. To conclude, if Sainsburys finances start to grow, there is no doubt that investors should consider this company to invest in as it plans a better performance in the long-term. In the next part, it will be given some additional information about Sainsburys and also a comparison with Tesco. RELEVANT INFORMATION ABOUT SAINSBURYS The acquisition of IT system was an important contribution to lead Sainsburys strength its position in the high competitive marketplace. Whereas the group chief executive of Sainsburys said: The net reduction in costs will provide Sainsburys with additional resources to develop our customer proposition, by investing in quality and innovation and improving further our competitive offer, as we move towards trading our business harder from summer 2004 (http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/index.asp?PageID=19subsection=Year=2004NewsID=384), there are some opinions that contrast with the statement already mentioned, which states that this acquisition of sophisticated technology was too ambition and did the approach too quick, now Sainsburys is in a worst position than it was before (Smiddy cited OBrian, 2004). In addition, after have used the new IT system, Sainsburys realized that the supply chain system have failed and it did not work as they have expected, it did not increased productivity and the costs were higher than they were years ago (http://www.computerweekly.com). SAINSBURYS vs. TESCO The supermarket industry is very competitive nowadays, and even more when it comes to the customers satisfaction which is more and more demanding, so it is important for companies in this business to be focus in valued than in profitability, since the former leads them to the latter. Sainsburys and Tesco are two of the principles supermarket chains in UK. Both chains have similar things to offer, such as own label goods; have concern about consumers needs for example healthy and organic food; launched loyalty cards; expand their products such as clothing, electro domestics, etc. and others. On the other hand, they have some differences that make one stand out from the other. While Tesco have a good supply chains and a good strategy, which is having low prices and improving customer satisfaction by having the right products in shelf, Sainsburys is facing some problems in what a supply chain relates to the implementation of the IT system (http://proquest.umi.com), which causes the lack of products in the shops and also the customers find it more expensive than its competitors, where they can have equal quality products with lower price (http://proquest.umi.com). There are other differences between Sainsburys and Tesco, but there is an important question which is where to invest?. It is important to draw attention to the fact that Sainsburys financial situation does not attract investors, due to the decrease in the profit and sales. In addition, the company has being going through its first loss in 135 years of history (www.accountancyage.com). This reduction was mainly caused by the 554 million acquisition of IT system, and by the drop in profits for the financial year. Thus, it can be said that Tesco might be a better choice to invest in, but this is open to discussion. CONCLUSION Taking into consideration the ratio analysis applied to Sainsburys, it can be said that the company had some variation between 2003 and 2004. Whereas, most of the profitability, efficiency and effectiveness, liquidity and investor ratios demonstrate decline, the gearing ratios demonstrate a rise due to the growth in the long-term debts and the capital employed. Understanding the ratio analysis and the relevant information gathered looks like Sainsburys has gone through some difficulties in their supply chain and their financial and marketing management. Although they have invested in a long-term project and are positive in a potential growth in the coming years, to reach their aim they have to work hard and play in the same field its competitors (Tesco and Asda) are doing, by having low prices and good quality food always available in their shelf for all kind of consumers. Sainsburys still have a strong position in the retail sector in the UK. For this reason it is good for investors to wait and see its performance for the next years, currently is not a good moment to invest in. REFERENCES BERRY, A. and JARVIS, R., 1997. Accounting in a Business Context. 3rd Edition. London: International Thomson Business Press. GILES, R. and CAPEL, J., 1994. Finance and accounting. 3rd Edition. London: MacMillan. HARDING, D., 2005. Supermarket sweep-up for Sainsburys. Accountancy Age. Available from: [http://www.accountancyage.com/news/1139885] Accessed 22/Apr/2005. MARKETING WEEK, 2004. Reinvention is the only option left for Sainsburys. Marketing Week, pg. 30. Available from: [http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=727035691sid=8Fmt=3clientId=15517RQT=309VName=PQD] Accessed 20/Apr/2005. MARKETING WEEK, 2005. Sainsburys promises must mean business. Marketing Week, pg.22. Available from: [http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=792773011sid=9Fmt=3clientId=15517RQT=309VName=PQD] Accessed 20/Apr/2005. MCLANEY, E. and ATRILL, P., 2002. Accounting An Introduction. Second edition. London: Prentice Hall. OBRIEN, L., 2004. Sainsburys blames profit warning on supply failures. Supply Management, 9 (22). Available from: [http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=749826531sid=8Fmt=4clientId=15517RQT=309VName=PQD] Accessed 20/Apr/2005. SAINSBURYS WEBSITE, 2005. Annual Report and Financial Statements 2004. Available from: [http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=20] Accessed 15/Apr/2005. SAINSBURYS WEBSITE, 2005. Sainsburys simplifies financing of IT contract with Accenture. Investor News. Available from: [http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/index.asp?PageID=19subsection=Year=2004NewsID=384] Accessed 20/Apr/2005.

Expanation Of A Rose For Emily :: essays research papers

“A Rose for Emily'; William Faulkner wrote the short story “A Rose for Emily';. It was published in 1930. The story was set in the Deep South, Jefferson to be precise. The time period was from 1884 to 1920. Emily Grierson was the main character in the story. Faulkner uses characterization to revel the character of Emily, he expresses the content of her character through physical description, through her actions, words, and feelings, through a narrator’s direct comments about the character’s nature and through the actions, words, and feelings of other characters. In the story “A Rose for Emily';, the main conflict was an external one, it was Emily Grierson versus society. The protagonist in the story was the town in which Emily lived in. Society expected her to behave in a certain way; like a lady because of the family background she came from. She apparently was raised in a wealthy family. The town saw Emily as “a fallen monument'; after her death (414). When she was alive, the town thought of her as “a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town';(414). The town had no chose but to deal with Emily. When the town started to change Emily refused to do so and it was apparent that the town saw her house as “an eyesore among eyesores';(414). The town was very interested in her relationship with Homer Barron a foreman that was working on the contract for paving the sidewalks in the town. They were pleased at first but later they kind of had mixed feelings saying that she as “a Grierson would not think seriously of a Northerner, a day laborer';(417). Emily is the antagonist in the story, she is stuck in time, she absolutely refuses to change despite the fact that society was changing around her. She lives as a recluse for many years “No visitor had passed since she ceased giving china painting lessons eight or then years ago';(414). Emily removed herself from society through her actions “after her father’s death, she went out very little; after her sweetheart went away, people hardly saw her at all';(415). After the death of her father, Emily’s push against society was stronger than ever. This was evident with the tax situation, she did not want to pay her taxes because she had them remitted in the past and wasn’t going to change that fact.

Essay --

A volcano erupts, and lava spews everywhere, burning every living thing it touches. By the time the eruption is over, not a single blade of grass is still living in the area. Volcanoes and their magma have always been viewed as chaotic, uncontrollable objects. But what if humans could use them for their own advantage? Geothermal energy is energy from Earth’s heat. Geothermal energy has some advantages over other types of energy. One is that it is available over 90% of the time compared to coal plants only getting 75%. That means that while many power plants, like solar plants and wind turbines, and even coal plants can’t be producing energy anywhere near all of the time, geothermal energy plants can be working nearly all of the time. Recently, scientists drilling into the Krafla volcano in Ireland, led by Gumunder Omar Friedleifsson accidentally discovered that magma can be a useful way to get geothermal energy. This happened when the scientists found magma 7,000 feet into the earth. They soon realized that the water heating the drill they were using, and the extremely hot magma made a superheated steam tha could be chemically altered to power a turbine. After the discovery, scientists estimated that geothermal energy from magma could produce 25 MW of power, which is 5 times more t han current geothermal energy wells makeInterestingly enough, this more powerful energy would also be cheaper, because conventional geothermal energy needs expensive perforated piping down the entire hole, while geothermal energy from magma would only need it for about 100 meters. Also, unlike fossil fuels, another cheap energy source, geothermal energy is renewable, and it does not harm the environment a lot. This one accidental discovery the scient... ...many of the island country's economies, because they wouldn’t have to import a lot of fossil fuels for their energy. This would help the whole world in general, and could keep them from going any farther into debt. Geothermal energy from magma will be extremely useful, especially to countries with a lot of volcanoes that are in debt. Scientists have discovered that magma can be used to make geothermal energy. This would be very useful, as it is much more efficient than conventional geothermal energy, and it is better for the environment than fossil fuels, and it is renewable. There are, however, some bad parts about the energy. The plants could cause minor earthquakes, and could be destroyed by the volcano erupting. However, the advantages of geothermal energy from magma outweigh the risks, and it probably will become a very important energy type in the near future.

indias safest cars :: essays research papers

How often do you wake up to the news of a road accident that killed a few people in some part of the country? Almost everyday, right? Then you quickly browse through the other news and life goes on. Every year, over 80,000 people die on Indian roads; every five road accidents leave one dead. Yet, it's just a statistic, which hardly changes our apathy towards road safety. Yes, road safety is an unpleasant, boring subject, but remember, it affects us all. How safe is the car you are driving or about to buy? How does one rate safety and who does it? We have compiled some information on a handful of cars that are available across the world and are also on sale in India, and their safety features and test results. We think you have the right to know. First, a little backgrounder. By law, all cars have to be tested and have to meet certain standards to be street legal. New Car Assessment Programmes (NCAPs) are carried out by various testing agencies in the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia amongst other countries. The European NCAP carries out the most stringent crash tests, as well as pedestrian and child safety tests vis-Ã  -vis other assessment programmes. Euro NCAP is a collaboration between governmental and automotive associations and is overseen by the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile). The money for these expensive tests comes from the EU, by which the widest possible range of models can be assessed. Euro NCAP carries out frontal offset, side impact and pole test and has a simple rating system that awards stars out of five. This rating system makes it easy to interpret safety standards in cars before people go out to buy them. Over and above this, manufacturers can go ahead and carry out further tests that are not required by legislation and choose to incorporate these additional safety features. Let's then see how the cars have fared now. The Hyundai Accent GLS got an adult occupant rating of 2.5 stars and a pedestrian test rating of 2 stars. The levels of chest injury in adult occupants was exceptionally high, and hence the Accent missed out a full third star. Moreover, this car was fitted with a driver side airbag. For cars sold in Europe, side airbags come as an option. Accents are also equipped with Isofix anchorages and are electronically assisted by ABS and EBD.

Lincoln: An American Historical Drama Film by Steven Spielberg Essay

Lincoln is a 2012 American historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as United States President Abraham Lincoln and Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln. The film is based in part on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s biography of Lincoln, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, and covers the final four months of Lincoln’s life, focusing on the President’s efforts in January 1865 to have the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution passed by the United States House of Representatives. Lincoln begins a year before the end of the civil war with the movie’s only battle scene. It’s a minute of the bloody, hand-to-hand combat at Jenkins’ Ferry, Arkansas. Then two black soldiers recall the battle while talking to Lincoln about the future of the Union. In January 1865, and United States President Abraham Lincoln had just started his second term in office as an extremely popular leader, especially among his supporters. However, the country is in disorder with the Civil War entering its fourth year and having taken the lives of many a soldier on both sides. Lincoln believes that passing of the Thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution; This would declare that â€Å"neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction†, would most importantly achieve something he strongly believed in, but also end the war since slavery was a large reason for it. The Amendment already passed in the Senate, and was scheduled for vote in the House of Representatives at the end of the month. While he is assured of yes votes from his fellow Republicans, he and his team had to work hard under the radar to assure enough yes votes from Democrats, which will require compromise in other areas. But other factors may also come into play on the vote, such as the Confederate forces in the war issuing their own compromise to end the war but keep slavery. Meanwhile, Lincoln also deals with hostile relationship with wife Mary Todd Lincoln and their latest situation in oldest son Robert leaving law school to enlist. From personal experience, President Lincoln is thought of as one of the most influential and best president throughout history. Abolishing slavery really put the nation on its path to unity and the superpower it is today. Even though throughout history after that historical event there has been several steps taken to further his actions to make black and whites and equal part f society, abolishing slavery was the largest and most influential step. After watching this film, it became evident that President Lincoln was an extremely well respected man and made the hard decisions that he knew wouldn’t be popular at the time because of how the country was structured. The film illustrated that Lincoln was wise beyond his years and knew that his decisions would impact the nation in a positive manner for the rest of time. Pre sident Lincoln’s leadership skills were evident and were the major theme in the film. From the beginning of the movie, from his wife to his cabinet members, everyone was trying to convince him that getting rid of slavery wasn’t going to happen and he will lose the approval of his country by pushing the issue. Slavery in the United States was a way of life up to that point. Blacks were not considered equal and were looked at more as property than people. From the first President until Lincoln’s time everyone including the past presidents had slaves. Slaves were a major part of the economy because of the labor power that was being utilized. Slaves were used as servants, worked in the fields for countless hours and used for everyday jobs that today are vital occupations. With the 13th Amendment, slaves would be freed of their unpaid work and would now have to be compensated for their time and would cause many people to lose money. Of course such an immense decision to change the entire culture of the country would be hated by a majority of the people. President Lincoln felt strongly about the issue and was looking at the big picture of the country, not the present, which is why he is considered one of the best presidents of all time. Being a leader means not always making the popular decision. It’s making the hard decisions that are not always the popular one, but the one that will directly or indirectly benefit, in President Lincoln’s case, the country as a whole. Even in today’s society there is still racism and controversy between ethnicities. Until the 1950s, not too long ago, there was still segregation and blacks were not looked at as equals. After watching this movie, these themes really stood out and hit home about how far the country has come since President Lincoln made one of the most historical decisions of all time. His leadership skills are evident throughout the course of the movie by being able to sway the decisions of both parties into standing by his decision and believing in him that the 13th Amendment was the right thing. I would absolutely recommend this movie to everyone, young or old, because of the history that’s behind it. The scene of the movie that really stood out was in the end of the film when the votes were being cast and the leader of the house asked to cast his vote. He was called out by a Democrat that was against the amendment because it was an irregular occurrence for him to cast a vote but responded with, â€Å"This is a historical event. † President Lincoln changed history and this country forever. Even though it took over a century to get to where we are as a country today and many major events occurring in between, President Lincoln was arguably in my opinion the indirect forefather of the civil rights movement and one of the most influential men in history.

Answers to Questions About Islam

ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 1 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik INTRODUCTION Da’wah is a duty Most Muslims know that Islam is a universal religion, meant for all mankind. Allah (swt) is the Lord of the entire Universe, and Muslims have been entrusted with the duty of conveying His message to all mankind.Alas, most Muslims today have become callous towards this duty! While accepting Islam as the best way of life for ourselves, most of us are unwilling to share this knowledge with those to whom the message has not yet been conveyed. The Arabic word Da’wah means a call or an invitation. In Islamic context, it means to strive for the propagation of Islam. The Glo rious Qur’an says: â€Å"Ah! Who is more unjust than those who conceal the testimony they have from Allah? But Allah is not unmindful of what ye do! † [Al-Qur’an 2:140] Twenty Most Common Questions In order to convey the message of Islam, dialogue and debate become inevitable.The Glorious Qur’an says: â€Å"Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord, with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious! † [Al-Qur’an 16:125] In conveying the message of Islam to a non-Muslim, it is usually not sufficient to highlight only the positive nature of Islam. Most non-Muslims are not convinced about the truth of Islam because there are a few questions about Islam at the back of their minds that remain unanswered. They may agree with your contentions about the positive nature of Islam. But, in the same breath, they will say – â€Å"Ah! But you are the same Muslims who marry more than one woman.You are the sa me people who subjugate women by keeping them behind the veil. You are fundamentalists, etc. † I personally prefer asking the non-Muslims upfront, with their limited knowledge, whether right or wrong, from whichever source it may be, what they feel is wrong in Islam. I encourage them to be very frank and open and convince them that I can take criticism about Islam. In the past few years of my Da’wah experience, I have realized that there are barely twenty most common questions that a common non-Muslim has regarding Islam. Whenever you ask a non-Muslim, â€Å"what do you feel is wrong in Islam? , he poses five or six questions, and these questions invariably fall among the twenty most common questions. Logical replies can convince the majority The twenty most common questions about Islam can be answered with reason and logic. A majority of non-Muslims can be convinced with these answers. If a Muslim memorizes or simply remembers these answers, Inshallah he will be succe ssful, if not in convincing non-Muslims about the complete truth of Islam, 2 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr.Zakir Abdul Karim Naik then at least in removing misconceptions about Islam and neutralizing the negative thinking about Islam and Muslims that the non-Muslims have. A very few non-Muslims may have counter arguments to these replies, for which further information may be required. Misconceptions due to media The common misconceptions about Islam arise in the minds of a majority of non-Muslims, because they are constantly being bombarded with misinformation about Islam. International media is mainly controlled by the western world, whether it is international satellite channels, radio stations, news papers, magazines or books.Recently the Internet has become a powerful medium of information. Though it is not controlled b y anybody, one finds a large amount of virulent propaganda about Islam on the Internet. Of course, Muslims too are utilizing this tool to portray the right image of Islam and Muslims, but they are far behind as compared to the propaganda against Islam. I hope the efforts by the Muslims will increase and continue to be pursued. Misconceptions change with time The most common questions about Islam are different in different periods and eras. This set of twenty most common questions is based on present times.Decades earlier, the set of questions was different and decades later too, the set of questions may change depending upon how Islam is projected by the media. Misconceptions are the same throughout the world I have interacted with people in different parts of the world and have found these twenty most common questions about Islam to be the same everywhere. There may be a couple of additional questions depending upon the locale, the surrounding or culture. For instance in America, t he additional common question is – â€Å"Why does Islam prohibit taking and giving of interest? I have included among these twenty most common questions, certain questions more common among the Indian non-Muslims. For instance, â€Å"why do Muslims have non-vegetarian food? † The reason for including such questions is that people of Indian origin are spread throughout the world and constitute about 20% i. e. 1/5th of the world population. Thus, their questions become common questions asked by non-Muslims throughout the world. Misconceptions of non-Muslims who have studied Islam There are many non-Muslims who have studied Islam. Most of them have only read books on Islam written by biased critics of Islam.These non-Muslims have an additional set of twenty common misconceptions about Islam. For instance, they claim to have found contradictions in the Qur’an, they contend that the Qur’an is unscientific, etc. There is another set of additional replies clear ing these twenty misconceptions among non-Muslims who have studied Islam from distorted sources. I have also given the replies to twenty additional less common questions among the non-Muslims in my public talks and book on â€Å"Answers to Common Questions about Islam by Non-Muslims who have some knowledge about Islam†. * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 1. POLYGAMY Question: Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i. e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam? Answer: 1. Definition of Polygamy Polygamy means a system of marriage whereby one person has more than one spouse. Polygamy can be of two types. One is polygyny where a man marries more than one woman, and the other is polyandry, where a woman marries more than one man.In Islam, limited polygyny is permitted; whereas polyandry is completely prohibited. Now coming to the original question, why is a man allowed to have more than one wife? 2. The Qur’an is the only religious scripture in the world that says, â€Å"marry only one†. The Qur’an is the only religious book, on the face of this earth, that contains the phrase ‘marry only one’. There is no other religious book that instructs men to have only one wife. In none of the other religious scriptures, whether it be the Vedas, the Ramayan, the Mahabharat, the Geeta, the Talmud or the Bible does one find a restriction on the number of wives.According to these scriptures one can marry as many as one wishes. It was only later, that the Hindu priests and the Christian Church restricted the number of wives to one. Many Hindu religious personalities, according to their scriptures, had multiple wives. King Dashrat, the father of Rama, had more than one wife. Krishna had several wives. In earlier times, Christian men were permitted as many wives as they wished, since the Bible puts no restriction on the number of wives. It was only a few centuries ago that the Church restricted the number of wives to one.Polygyny is permitted in Judaism. According to Talmudic law, Abraham had three wives, and Solomon had hundreds of wives. The practice of polygyny continued till Rabbi Gershom ben Yehudah (960 C. E to 1030 C. E) issued an edict against it. The Jewish Sephardic communities living in Muslim countries continued the practice till as late as 1950, until an Act of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel extended the ban on marrying more than one wife. (*Interesting Note:- As per the 1975 census of India Hindus are more polygynous than Muslims.The report of the ‘Committee of The Status of Woman in Islam’, published in 1975 mentions on page numbers 66 and 67 that the percentage of polygamous marriages between the years 1951 and 1961 4 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spr eading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik was 5. 06% among the Hindus and only 4. 31% among the Muslims. According to Indian law only Muslim men are permitted to have more than one wife. It is illegal for any non-Muslim in India to have more than one wife. Despite it eing illegal, Hindus have more multiple wives as compared to Muslims. Earlier, there was no restriction even on Hindu men with respect to the number of wives allowed. It was only in 1954, when the Hindu Marriage Act was passed that it became illegal for a Hindu to have more than one wife. At present it is the Indian Law that restricts a Hindu man from having more than one wife and not the Hindu scriptures. ) Let us now analyse why Islam allows a man to have more than one wife. 3. Qur’an permits limited polygyny As I mentioned earlier, Qur’an is the only religious book on the face of the earth that says ‘marry on ly one’.The context of this phrase is the following verse from Surah Nisa of the Glorious Qur’an: â€Å"Marry women of your choice, two, or three, or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one. † [Al-Qur’an 4:3] Before the Qur’an was revealed, there was no upper limit for polygyny and many men had scores of wives, some even hundreds. Islam put an upper limit of four wives. Islam gives a man permission to marry two, three or four women, only on the condition that he deals justly with them. In the same chapter i. e.Surah Nisa verse 129 says: â€Å"Ye are never able to be fair and just as between women†¦. † [Al-Qur’an 4:129] Therefore polygyny is not a rule but an exception. Many people are under the misconception that it is compulsory for a Muslim man to have more than one wife. Broadly, Islam has five categories of Do’s and Don’ts: (i) ‘Fard’ i. e. compulsory or obligatory (ii) ‘Mustahab’ i. e. recommended or encouraged (iii) ‘Mubah’ i. e. permissible or allowed (iv) ‘Makruh’ i. e. not recommended or discouraged (v) ‘Haraam’ i. e. prohibited or forbidden Polygyny falls in the middle category of things that are permissible.It cannot be said that a Muslim who has two, three or four wives is a better Muslim as compared to a Muslim who has only one wife. 5 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 4. Average life span of females is more than that of males By nature males and females are born in approximately the same ratio. A female child has more immunity than a male child. A female child can fight the germs and diseases better than the male child.For this reason, during the pediatric age itself there are more deaths among males as compared to the females. During wars, there are more men killed as compared to women. More men die due to accidents and diseases than women. The average life span of females is more than that of males, and at any given time one finds more widows in the world than widowers. 5. India has more male population than female due to female foeticide and infanticide India is one of the few countries, along with the other neighbouring countries, in which the female population is less than the male population.The reason lies in the high rate of female infanticide in India, and the fact that more than one million female foetuses are aborted every year in this country, after they are identified as females. If this evil practice is stopped, then India too will have more females as compared to males. 6. World female population is more than male population In the USA, women outnumber men by 7. 8 million. New York alone has one million more females as compared to the number of males, and of the male population of New York one-third are gays i. e sodomites. The U. S. A as a whole has more than twenty-five million gays.This means that these people do not wish to marry women. Great Britain has four million more females as compared to males. Germany has five million more females as compared to males. Russia has nine million more females than males. God alone knows how many million more females there are in the whole world as compared to males. 7. Restricting each and every man to have only one wife is not practical Even if every man got married to one woman, there would still be more than thirty million females in U. S. A who would not be able to get husbands (considering that America has twenty five million gays).There would be more than four million females in Great Britain, 5 million females in Germany and nine million females in Russia alone who would not be able to find a husband. Suppose my sister happens to be one of the unmarried women living in USA, or supp ose your sister happens to be one of the unmarried women in USA. The only two options remaining for her are that she either marries a man who already has a wife or becomes ‘public property'. There is no other option. All those who are modest will opt for the first. 6 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. rf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik Most women would nto like to share their husband with other women. But in Islam when the situation deems it really neccessary Muslim women in due faith could bear a small personal loss to prevent a greater loss of letting other Muslim sisters becoming ‘public properties'. 8. Marring a married man preferable to becoming ‘public property' In Western society, it is common for a man to have mistresses and/or multiple extra-marital affairs, in which case, the woman leads a disgraceful, unprotecte d life.The same society, however, cannot accept a man having more than one wife, in which women retain their honourable, dignified position in society and lead a protected life. Thus the only two options before a woman who cannot find a husband is to marry a married man or to become ‘public property'. Islam prefers giving women the honourable position by permitting the first option and disallowing the second. There are several other reasons, why Islam has permitted limited polygyny, but it is mainly to protect the modesty of women. 2. POLYANDRY Question:If a man is allowed to have more than one wife, then why does Islam prohibit a woman from having more than one husband? Answer: A lot of people, including some Muslims, question the logic of allowing Muslim men to have more than one spouse while denying the same ‘right’ to women. Let me first state emphatically, that the foundation of an Islamic society is justice and equity. Allah has created men and women as equa l, but with different capabilities and different responsibilities. Men and women are different, physiologically and psychologically. Their roles and responsibilities are different.Men and women are equal in Islam, but not identical. Surah Nisa’ Chapter 4 verses 22 to 24 gives the list of women with whom Muslim men can not marry. It is further mentioned in Surah Nisa’ Chapter 4 verse 24 â€Å"Also (prohibited are) women already married† 7 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik The following points enumerate the reasons why polyandry is prohibited in Islam: 1.If a man has more than one wife, the parents of the children born of such marriages can easily be identified. The father as well as the mother can easily be identified. In case of a woman marrying more than one husband, only the mother of the children born of such marriages will be identified and not the father. Islam gives tremendous importance to the identification of both parents, mother and father. Psychologists tell us that children who do not know their parents, especially their father undergo severe mental trauma and disturbances. Often they have an unhappy childhood.It is for this reason that the children of prostitutes do not have a healthy childhood. If a child born of such wedlock is admitted in school, and when the mother is asked the name of the father, she would have to give two or more names! I am aware that recent advances in science have made it possible for both the mother and father to be identified with the help of genetic testing. Thus this point which was applicable for the past may not be applicable for the present. 2. Man is more polygamous by nature as compared to a woman. 3. Biologically, it is easier for a man to perform his duties as a husband despite having several wives.A woman, in a similar position, having several husbands, will not find it possible to perform her duties as a wife. A woman undergoes several psychological and behavioral changes due to different phases of the menstrual cycle. 4. A woman who has more than one husband will have several sexual partners at the same time and has a high chance of acquiring venereal or sexually transmitted diseases which can also be transmitted back to her husband even if all of them have no extra-marital sex. This is not the case in a man having more than one wife, and none of them having extra-marital sex. The above reasons are those that one can easily identify.There are probably many more reasons why Allah, in His Infinite Wisdom, has prohibited polyandry. 8 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 3. HIJAB FOR WOMEN Question: Why does Islam degrade women by keeping them behind the veil? Answer: The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular media. The ‘hijab’ or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example of the ‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law.Before we analyze the reasoning behind the religiously mandated ‘hijab’, let us first study the status of women in societies before the advent of Islam 1. In the past women were degraded and used as objects of lust The following examples from history amply illustrate the fact that the status of women in earlier civilizations was very low to the extent that they were denied basic human dignity: a. Babylonian Civilization: The women were degraded and were denied all rights under the Babylonian law. If a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife was put to death. b.Greek Civilization: Greek Civilization is considered the most glorious of all ancient civilizations. Under this very â⠂¬Ëœglorious’ system, women were deprived of all rights and were looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’ called ‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The Greeks considered women to be subhuman and inferior to men. Though chastity of women was precious, and women were held in high esteem, the Greeks were later overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions. Prostitution became a regular practice amongst all classes of Greek society. c.Roman Civilization: When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even had the right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were common amongst the Romans. d. Egyptian Civilization: The Egyptian considered women evil and as a sign of a devil. e. Pre-Islamic Arabia: Before Islam spread in Arabia, the Arabs looked down upon women and very often when a female child was born, she was buried alive. 9 * For more Queries contact: [email  protecte d] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik . Islam uplifted women and gave them equality and expects them to maintain their status. Islam uplifted the status of women and granted them their just rights 1400 years ago. Islam expects women to maintain their status. Hijab for men People usually only discuss ‘hijab’ in the context of women. However, in the Glorious Qur’an, Allah (swt) first mentions ‘hijab’ for men before ‘hijab’ for the women. The Qur’an mentions in Surah Noor: â€Å"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. [Al-Qur’an 24:30] The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze. Hijab f or women. The next verse of Surah Noor, says: â€Å" And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons†¦ † [Al-Qur’an 24:31] 3. Six criteria for Hijab.According to Qur’an and Sunnah there are basically six criteria for observing hijab: 1. Extent: The first criterion is the extent of the body that should be covered. This is different for men and women. The extent of covering obligatory on the male is to cover the body at least from the navel to the knees. For women, the extent of covering obligatory is to cover the complete body except the face and the hands upto the wrist. If they wish to, they can cover even these parts of the body. Some scholars of Islam insis t that the face and the hands are part of the obligatory extent of ‘hijab’.All the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women. 10 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 2. The clothes worn should be loose and should not reveal the figure. 3. The clothes worn should not be transparent such that one can see through them. 4. The clothes worn should not be so glamorous as to attract the opposite sex. 5. The clothes worn should not resemble that of the opposite sex. 6. The clothes worn should not resemble that of the unbelievers i. . they should not wear clothes that are specifically identities or symbols of the unbelievers’ religions. 4. Hijab includes conduct and behaviour among other things Complete ‘hijab’, besides the six criteria of clothing, also includes the mor al conduct, behaviour, attitude and intention of the individual. A person only fulfilling the criteria of ‘hijab’ of the clothes is observing ‘hijab’ in a limited sense. ‘Hijab’ of the clothes should be accompanied by ‘hijab’ of the eyes, ‘hijab’ of the heart, ‘hijab’ of thought and ‘hijab’ of intention. It also includes the way a person walks, the way a person talks, the way he behaves, etc. . Hijab prevents molestation The reason why Hijab is prescribed for women is mentioned in the Qur’an in the following verses of Surah Al-Ahzab: â€Å"O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad); that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. † [Al-Qur’an 33:59] The Qur’an says that Hijab has been prescribed f or the women so that they are recognized as modest women and this will also prevent them from being molested. . Example of twin sisters Suppose two sisters who are twins, and who are equally beautiful, walk down the street. One of them is attired in the Islamic hijab i. e. the complete body is covered, except for the face and the hands up to the wrists. The other sister is wearing western clothes, a mini skirt or shorts. Just around the corner there is a hooligan or ruffian who is waiting for a catch, to tease a girl. Whom will he tease? The girl wearing the Islamic Hijab or the girl wearing the skirt or the mini? Naturally he will tease the girl wearing the skirt or the mini.Such dresses are an indirect invitation to the opposite sex for teasing and molestation. The Qur’an rightly says that hijab prevents women from being molested. 11 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSL IMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 7. Capital punishment for the rapists Under the Islamic shariah, a man convicted of having raped a woman, is given capital punishment. Many are astonished at this ‘harsh’ sentence. Some even say that Islam is a ruthless, barbaric religion!I have asked a simple question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose, God forbid, someone rapes your wife, your mother or your sister. You are made the judge and the rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said they would put him to death. Some went to the extent of saying they would torture him to death. To them I ask, if someone rapes your wife or your mother you want to put him to death. But if the same crime is committed on somebody else’s wife or daughter you say capital punishment is barbaric. Why should there be double standards? 8.Western society falsely claims to have uplifted women Western talk of women ’s liberalization is nothing but a disguised form of exploitation of her body, degradation of her soul, and deprivation of her honour. Western society claims to have ‘uplifted’ women. On the contrary it has actually degraded them to the status of concubines, mistresses and society butterflies who are mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketeers, hidden behind the colourful screen of ‘art’ and ‘culture’. 9. USA has one of the highest rates of rape United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries of the world.It also has one of the highest rates of rape in any country in the world. According to a FBI report, in the year 1990, every day on an average 1756 cases of rape were committed in U. S. A alone. Later another report said that on an average everyday 1900 cases of rapes are committed in USA. The year was not mentioned. May be it was 1992 or 1993. May be the Americans got ‘bolderâ€⠄¢ in the following years. Consider a scenario where the Islamic hijab is followed in America. Whenever a man looks at a woman and any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze.Every woman wears the Islamic hijab, that is the complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto the wrist. After this if any man commits rape he is given capital punishment. I ask you, in such a scenario, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same, or will it decrease? 10. Implementation of Islamic Shariah will reduce the rate of rapes Naturally as soon as Islamic Shariah is implemented positive results will be inevitable. If Islamic Shariah is implemented in any part of the world, whether it is America or Europe, society will breathe easier.Hijab does not degrade a woman but uplifts a woman and protects her modesty and chastity. 12 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf . net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 4. WAS ISLAM SPREAD BY THE SWORD? Question: How can Islam be called the religion of peace when it was spread by the sword? Answer: It is a common complaint among some non-Muslims that Islam would not have millions of adherents all over the world, if it had not been spread by the use of force.The following points will make it clear, that far from being spread by the sword, it was the inherent force of truth, reason and logic that was responsible for the rapid spread of Islam. 1. Islam means peace. Islam comes from the root word ‘salaam’, which means peace. It also means submitting one’s will to Allah (swt). Thus Islam is a religion of peace, which is acquired by submitting one’s will to the will of the Supreme Creator, Allah (swt). 2. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace. Each and every human being in this world is not in favour of maintaining peace and harmony.There are many, who would disrupt it for their own vested interests. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace. It is precisely for this reason that we have the police who use force against criminals and antisocial elements to maintain peace in the country. Islam promotes peace. At the same time, Islam exhorts it followers to fight where there is oppression. The fight against oppression may, at times, require the use of force. In Islam force can only be used to promote peace and justice. 3. Opinion of historian De Lacy O’Leary.The best reply to the misconception that Islam was spread by the sword is given by the noted historian De Lacy O’Leary in the book â€Å"Islam at the cross road† (Page 8): â€Å"History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myth that historians have ever repeated. â €  4. Muslims ruled Spain for 800 years. Muslims ruled Spain for about 800 years. The Muslims in Spain never used the sword to force the people to convert.Later the Christian Crusaders came to Spain and wiped out the Muslims. There was not a single Muslim in Spain who could openly give the adhan, that is the call for prayers. 13 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 5. 14 million Arabs are Coptic Christians. Muslims were the lords of Arabia for 1400 years. For a few years the British ruled, and for a few years the French ruled. Overall, the Muslims ruled Arabia for 1400 years.Yet today, there are 14 million Arabs who are Coptic Christians i. e. Christians since generations. If the Muslims had used the sword there would not have been a single Arab who would have remained a Christian. 6. More than 80% non-M uslims in India. The Muslims ruled India for about a thousand years. If they wanted, they had the power of converting each and every non-Muslim of India to Islam. Today more than 80% of the population of India are non-Muslims. All these nonMuslim Indians are bearing witness today that Islam was not spread by the sword. 7. Indonesia and Malaysia.Indonesia is a country that has the maximum number of Muslims in the world. The majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. May one ask, â€Å"Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia? † 8. East Coast of Africa. Similarly, Islam has spread rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. One may again ask, if Islam was spread by the sword, â€Å"Which Muslim army went to the East Coast of Africa? † 9. Thomas Carlyle. The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his book â€Å"Heroes and Hero worship†, refers to this misconception about the spread of Islam: â€Å"The sword indeed, but where will you get your sword?Every new opini on, at its starting is precisely in a minority of one. In one man’s head alone. There it dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world believes it, there is one man against all men. That he takes a sword and try to propagate with that, will do little for him. You must get your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can. † 10. No compulsion in religion. With which sword was Islam spread? Even if Muslims had it they could not use it to spread Islam because the Qur’an says in the following verse: â€Å"Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from error† [Al-Qur’an 2:256] 4 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 11. Sword of the Intellect. It is the sword of intellect. The sword that conquers the hearts and minds of people. The Qurâ€⠄¢an says in Surah Nahl, chapter 16 verse 125: â€Å"Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious. † [Al-Qur’an 16:125] 12. Increase in the world religions from 1934 to 1984.An article in Reader’s Digest ‘Almanac’, year book 1986, gave the statistics of the increase of percentage of the major religions of the world in half a century from 1934 to 1984. This article also appeared in ‘The Plain Truth’ magazine. At the top was Islam, which increased by 235%, and Christianity had increased only by 47%. May one ask, which war took place in this century which converted millions of people to Islam? 13. Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and Europe. Today the fastest growing religion in America is Islam. The fastest growing religion in Europe in Islam.Which sword is forcing people in the West to accept Islam in such large numbers? 14. Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson. Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson rightly says, â€Å"People who worry that nuclear weaponry will one day fall in the hands of the Arabs, fail to realize that the Islamic bomb has been dropped already, it fell the day MUHAMMED (pbuh) was born†. 5. MUSLIMS ARE FUNDAMENTALISTS AND TERRORISTS Question: Why are most of the Muslims fundamentalists and terrorists? Answer: This question is often hurled at Muslims, either directly or indirectly, during any discussion on religion or world affairs.Muslim stereotypes are perpetuated in every form of the media accompanied by gross misinformation about Islam and Muslims. In fact, such misinformation and false propaganda often leads to discrimination and acts of violence against Muslims. A case in point is the anti-Muslim campaign in the American media following the Oklahoma bomb blast, where the press was quick to declare a ‘Middle Eastern conspiracy’ behind the attack. The culprit was later identified as a soldier from the American Armed Forces. 15 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. rf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik Let us analyze this allegation of ‘fundamentalism’ and ‘terrorism’: 1. Definition of the word ‘fundamentalist’ A fundamentalist is a person who follows and adheres to the fundamentals of the doctrine or theory he is following. For a person to be a good doctor, he should know, follow, and practise the fundamentals of medicine. In other words, he should be a fundamentalist in the field of medicine. For a person to be a good mathematician, he should know, follow and practise the fundamentals of mathematics.He should be a fundamentalist in the field of mathematics. For a person to be a good scientist, he should know, follow and practise the fundamentals of science. He should be a fundamentalist in the field of science. 2. Not all ‘fundamentalists’ are the same One cannot paint all fundamentalists with the same brush. One cannot categorize all fundamentalists as either good or bad. Such a categorization of any fundamentalist will depend upon the field or activity in which he is a fundamentalist. A fundamentalist robber or thief causes harm to society and is therefore undesirable.A fundamentalist doctor, on the other hand, benefits society and earns much respect. 3. I am proud to be a Muslim funda-mentalist I am a fundamentalist Muslim who, by the grace of Allah, knows, follows and strives to practise the fundamentals of Islam. A true Muslim does not shy away from being a fundamentalist. I am proud to be a fundamentalist Muslim because, I know that the fundamentals of Islam are beneficial to humanity and the whole world. There is not a single fundamental of Islam that causes harm or is against the interests of the human race as a whole.Many people harbour misconceptions abou t Islam and consider several teachings of Islam to be unfair or improper. This is due to insufficient and incorrect knowledge of Islam. If one critically analyzes the teachings of Islam with an open mind, one cannot escape the fact that Islam is full of benefits both at the individual and collective levels. 4. Dictionary meaning of the word ‘fundamentalist’ According to Webster’s dictionary ‘fundamentalism’ was a movement in American Protestanism that arose in the earlier part of the 20th century.It was a reaction to modernism, and stressed the infallibility of the Bible, not only in matters of faith and morals but also as a literal historical record. It stressed on belief in the Bible as the literal word of God. Thus fundamentalism was a word initially used for a group of Christians who believed that the Bible was the verbatim word of God without any errors and mistakes. According to the Oxford dictionary ‘fundamentalism’ means ‘s trict maintenance of ancient or fundamental doctrines of any religion, especially Islam’. Today the moment a person uses the word fundamentalist he thinks of a Muslim who is a terrorist. 6 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 5. Every Muslim should be a terrorist Every Muslim should be a terrorist. A terrorist is a person who causes terror. The moment a robber sees a policeman he is terrified. A policeman is a terrorist for the robber. Similarly every Muslim should be a terrorist for the antisocial elements of society, such as thieves, dacoits and rapists. Whenever such an anti-social element sees a Muslim, he should be terrified.It is true that the word ‘terrorist’ is generally used for a person who causes terror among the common people. But a true Muslim should only be a terrorist to s elective people i. e. antisocial elements, and not to the common innocent people. In fact a Muslim should be a source of peace for innocent people. 6. Different labels given to the same individual for the same action, i. e. ‘terrorist’ and ‘patriot’ Before India achieved independence from British rule, some freedom fighters of India who did not subscribe to non-violence were labeled as terrorists by the British government.The same individuals have been lauded by Indians for the same activities and hailed as ‘patriots’. Thus two different labels have been given to the same people for the same set of actions. One is calling him a terrorist while the other is calling him a patriot. Those who believed that Britain had a right to rule over India called these people terrorists, while those who were of the view that Britain had no right to rule India called them patriots and freedom fighters. It is therefore important that before a person is judged, h e is given a fair hearing.Both sides of the argument should be heard, the situation should be analyzed, and the reason and the intention of the person should be taken into account, and then the person can be judged accordingly. 7. Islam means peace Islam is derived from the word ‘salaam’ which means peace. It is a religion of peace whose fundamentals teach its followers to maintain and promote peace throughout the world. Thus every Muslim should be a fundamentalist i. e. he should follow the fundamentals of the Religion of Peace: Islam.He should be a terrorist only towards the antisocial elements in order to promote peace and justice in the society. 17 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 6. EATING NON-VEGETARIAN FOOD Question: Killing an animal is a ruthless act. Why then do Muslims consume no nvegetarian food? Answer: ‘Vegetarianism’ is now a movement the world over. Many even associate it with animal rights.Indeed, a large number of people consider the consumption of meat and other non-vegetarian products to be a violation of animal rights. Islam enjoins mercy and compassion for all living creatures. At the same time Islam maintains that Allah has created the earth and its wondrous flora and fauna for the benefit of mankind. It is upto mankind to use every resource in this world judiciously, as a niyamat (Divine blessing) and amanat (trust) from Allah. Let us look at various other aspects of this argument. 1. A Muslim can be a pure vegetarianA Muslim can be a very good Muslim despite being a pure vegetarian. It is not compulsory for a Muslim to have non-vegetarian food. 2. Qur’an permits Muslims to have non-vegetarian food The Qur’an, however permits a Muslim to have non-vegetarian food. The following Qur’anic verses are proof of this f act: â€Å"O ye who believe! Fulfil (all) obligations. Lawful unto you (for food) are all four-footed animals with the exceptions named. † [Al-Qur’an 5:1] â€Å"And cattle He has created for you (men): from them Ye derive warmth, and numerous benefits, And of their (meat) ye eat. † [Al-Qur’an 16:5] And in cattle (too) ye have an instructive example: From within their bodies We produce (milk) for you to drink; there are, in them, (besides), numerous (other) benefits for you; and of their (meat) ye eat. † [Al-Qur’an 23:21] 3. Meat is nutritious and rich in complete protein Non-vegetarian food is a good source of excellent protein. It contains biologically complete protein i. e. all the 8 essential amino acid that are not synthesized by the body and should be supplied in the diet. Meat also contains iron, vitamin B1 and niacin. 18 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] netISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. ir f. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 4. Humans have Omnivorous set of teeth If you observe the teeth of herbivorous animals like the cow, goat and sheep, you will find something strikingly similar in all of them. All these animals have a set of flat teeth i. e. suited for herbivorous diet. If you observe the set of teeth of the carnivorous animals like the lion, tiger, or leopard, they all have a set of pointed teeth i. e. suited for a carnivorous diet.If you analyze the set of teeth of humans, you find that they have flat teeth as well as pointed teeth. Thus they have teeth suited for both herbivorous as well as carnivorous food i. e. they are omnivorous. One may ask, if Almighty God wanted humans to have only vegetables, why did He provide us also with pointed teeth? It is logical that He expected us to need and to have both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food. 5. Human beings can digest both vege-tarian and non-v egetarian food The digestive system of herbivorous animals can digest only vegetables. The digestive system of carnivorous animals can digest only meat.But the digestive system of humans can digest both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. If Almighty God wanted us to have only vegetables then why did He give us a digestive system that can digest both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food? 6. Hindu scriptures give permission to have non-vegetarian food a. There are many Hindus who are strictly vegetarian. They think it is against their religion to consume non-vegetarian food. But the true fact is that the Hindu scriptures permit a person to have meat. The scriptures mention Hindu sages and saints consuming non-vegetarian food. b.It is mentioned in Manu Smruti, the law book of Hindus, in chapter 5 verse 30 â€Å"The eater who eats the flesh of those to be eaten does nothing bad, even if he does it day after day, for God himself created some to be eaten and some to be eater. † c. Again next verse of Manu Smruti, that is, chapter 5 verse 31 says â€Å"Eating meat is right for the sacrifice, this is traditionally known as a rule of the gods. † d. Further in Manu Smruti chapter 5 verse 39 and 40 says â€Å"God himself created sacrificial animals for sacrifice, †¦ , therefore killing in a sacrifice is not killing. † 19 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] et ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik e. Mahabharata Anushashan Parva chapter 88 narrates the discussion between Dharmaraj Yudhishthira and Pitamah Bhishma about what food one should offer to Pitris (ancestors) during the Shraddha (ceremony of dead) to keep them satisfied. Paragraph reads as follows: â€Å"Yudhishthira said, â€Å"O thou of great puissance, tell me what that object is which, if dedicated to the Pitiris (dead ancestors), become ine xhaustible!What Havi, again, (if offered) lasts for all time? What, indeed, is that which (if presented) becomes eternal? † â€Å"Bhishma said, â€Å"Listen to me, O Yudhishthira, what those Havis are which persons conversant with the rituals of the Shraddha (the ceremony of dead) regard as suitable in view of Shraddha and what the fruits are that attach to each. With sesame seeds and rice and barely and Masha and water and roots and fruits, if given at Shraddhas, the pitris, O king, remain gratified for the period of a month. With fishes offered at Shraddhas, the pitris remain gratified for a period of two months.With the mutton they remain gratified for three months and with the hare for four months, with the flesh of the goat for five months, with the bacon (meat of pig) for six months, and with the flesh of birds for seven. With venison obtained from those deer that are called Prishata, they remaingratified for eight months, and with that obtained from the Ruru for nine months, and with the meat of Gavaya for ten months, With the meat of the bufffalo their gratification lasts for eleven months. With beef presented at the Shraddha, their gratification, it is said , lasts for a full year.Payasa mixed with ghee is as much acceptable to the pitris as beef. With the meat of Vadhrinasa (a large bull) the gratification of pitris lasts for twelve years. the flesh of rhinoceros, offered to the pitris on anniversaries of the lunar days on which they died, becomes inexhaustible. The potherb called Kalaska, the petals of kanchana flower, and meat of (red) goat also, thus offered, prove inexhaustible. So but natural if you want to keep your ancestors satisfied forever, you should serve them the meat of red goat. 7. Hinduism was influenced by other religionsThough Hindu Scriptures permit its followers to have non-vegetarian food, many Hindus adopted the vegetarian system because they were influenced by other religions like Jainism. 8. Even plants have life Certa in religions have adopted pure vegetarianism as a dietary law because they are totally against the killing of living creatures. If a person can survive without killing any living creature, I would be the first person to adopt such a way of life. In the past people thought plants were lifeless. Today it is a universal fact that even plants have life.Thus their logic of not killing living creatures is not fulfilled even by being a pure vegetarian. 20 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 9. Even plants can feel pain They further argue that plants cannot feel pain, therefore killing a plant is a lesser crime as compared to killing an animal. Today science tells us that even plants can feel pain. But the cry of the plant cannot be heard by the human being.This is due to the inability of the human ear to hear sou nds that are not in the audible range i. e. 20 Hertz to 20,000 Hertz. Anything below and above this range cannot be heard by a human being. A dog can hear up to 40,000 Hertz. Thus there are silent dog whistles that have a frequency of more than 20,000 Hertz and less than 40,000 Hertz. These whistles are only heard by dogs and not by human beings. The dog recognizes the masters whistle and comes to the master. There was research done by a farmer in U. S. A. who invented an instrument which converted the cry of the plant so that it could be heard by human beings.He was able to realize immediately when the plant itself cried for water. Latest researches show that the plants can even feel happy and sad. It can also cry. 10. Killing a living creature with two senses less is not a lesser crime Once a vegetarian argued his case by saying that plants only have two or three senses while the animals have five senses. Therefore killing a plant is a lesser crime than killing an animal. Suppose your brother is born deaf and dumb and has two senses less as compared to other human beings. He becomes mature and someone murders him.Would you ask the judge to give the murderer a lesser punishment because your brother has two senses less? In fact you would say that he has killed a masoom, an innocent person, and the judge should give the murderer a greater punishment. In fact the Qur’an says: â€Å"O ye people! Eat of what is on earth, lawful and good† [Al-Qur’an 2:168] 11. Over population of cattle If every human being was a vegetarian, it would lead to overpopulation of cattle in the world, since their reproduction and multiplication is very swift. Allah (swt) in His Divine Wisdom knows how to maintain the balance of His creation appropriately.No wonder He has permitted us to have the meat of the cattle. 12. Cost of meat is reasonable since all aren’t non-vegetarians I do not mind if some people are pure vegetarians. However they should not condemn non-vegetarians as ruthless. In fact if all Indians become nonvegetarians then the present non-vegetarians would be losers since the prices of meat would rise. 21 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 7.ISLAMIC METHOD OF SLAUGHTERING ANIMALS APPEARS RUTHLESS Question: Why do Muslims slaughter the animal in a ruthless manner by torturing it and slowly and painfully killing it? Answer: The Islamic method of slaughtering animals, known as Zabiha has been the object of much criticism from a large number of people. One may consider the following points, which prove that the Zabiha method is not only humane but also scientifically the best: 1. Islamic method of slaughtering animal Zakkaytum is a verb derived from the root word Zakah (to purify). Its infinitive is Tazkiyah which means purification.The Islamic mode of slaughtering an animal requires the following conditions to be met: a. Animal should be slaughtered with sharp object (knife) The animal has to be slaughtered with a sharp object (knife) and in a fast way so that the pain of slaughter is minimised. b. Cut wind pipe, throat and vessels of neck Zabiha is an Arabic word which means ‘slaughtered’. The ‘slaughtering’ is to be done by cutting the throat, windpipe and the blood vessels in the neck causing the animal’s death without cutting the spinal cord. c. Blood should be drained The blood has to be drained completely before the head is removed.The purpose is to drain out most of the blood which would serve as a good culture medium for micro organisms. The spinal cord must not be cut because the nerve fibres to the heart could be damaged during the process causing cardiac arrest, stagnating the blood in the blood vessels. 2. Blood is a good medium for germs and bacteria Blood is a good media of germs, bacteria, toxins, etc. Therefore the Muslim way of slaughtering is more hygienic as most of the blood containing germs, bacteria, toxins, etc. that are the cause of several diseases are eliminated. 3. Meat remains fresh for a longer timeMeat slaughtered by Islamic way remains fresh for a longer time due to deficiency of blood in the meat as compared to other methods of slaughtering. 4. Animal does not feel pain The swift cutting of vessels of the neck disconnects the flow of blood to the nerve of the brain responsible for pain. Thus the animal does not feel pain. While dying, the animal struggles, writhers, shakes and kicks, not due to pain, but due to the contraction and relaxation of the muscles defecient in blood and due to the flow of blood out of the body. 22 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. rf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 8. NON -VEGETARIAN FOOD MAKES MUSLIMS VIOLENT Question: Science tell us that whatever one eats, it has an effect on one’s behaviour. Why then, does Islam allow Muslims to eat non-vegetarian food, since eating of animals could make a person violent and ferocious? Answer: 1. Only eating of herbivorous animals allowed I agree that, what a person eats has an effect on his behaviour. This is one of the reasons why Islam prohibits the eating of carnivorous animals like lion, tiger, leopard, etc. who are violent and ferocious.The consumption of the meat of such animals would probably make a person violent and ferocious. Islam only allows the eating of herbivorous animals like cow, goat, sheep, etc. that are peaceful and docile. Muslims eat peaceful and docile animals because Muslims are peace loving and non-violent people. 2. The Qur’an says Prophet prohibits what is bad The Qur’an says: â€Å"The Prophet commands them what is just and prohibits what is evil†. â€Å"H e allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them what is bad (and impure),† [Al-Qur’an 7: 157] â€Å"So take what the Messenger assigns to you and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you. [Al-Qur’an 59: 7] For a Muslim, the Prophet’s statement is sufficient to convince him that Allah does not wish humans to eat some kinds of meat while allowing some other kinds. 3. Hadith of Mohammad (pbuh) prohibi-ting eating of carnivorous animals According to various authentic Ahadith narrated in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim including hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas in Sahih Muslim, Book of hunting and slaughter, Hadith No. 4752 and Sunan Ibn-I-Majah chapter 13 Hadith no. 3232 to 3234, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) prohibited the eating of: (i) Wild animals with canine teeth, i. e. meat eating carnivorous animals.These are animals belonging to the cat families such as lion, tiger, cats, dogs, wolfs, hyenas, etc. (ii) Certain rodents like mice, rats, rabbits with claws, etc. (iii) Certain reptiles like snakes, alligators, etc. (iv) Birds of prey with talons or claws, like vultures, eagle, crows, owl, etc. There is no scientific evidence that proves beyond doubt that eating nonvegetarian food makes one violent. 23 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 9.MUSLIMS WORSHIP THE KAABA Question: When Islam is against idol worship why do the Muslims worship, and bow down to the Kaaba in their prayer? Answer: Kaaba is the Qibla i. e. the direction Muslims face during their prayers. It is important to note that though Muslims face the Kaaba during prayers, they do not worship the Kaaba. Muslims worship and bow to none but Allah. It is mentioned in Surah Baqarah: â€Å"We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the heavens: now shall We turn thee to a Qiblah that shall please thee. Turn then thy face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque: wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction. [Al-Qur’an 2:144] 1. Islam believes in fostering unity For instance, if Muslims want to offer Salaah (Prayer), it is possible that some may wish to face north, while some may wish to face south. In order to unite Muslims in their worship of the One True God, Muslims, wherever they may be, are asked to face in only one direction i. e. towards the Kaaba. If some Muslims live towards the west of the Kaaba they face the east. Similarly if they live towards the east of the Kaaba they face the west. 2. Kaaba is at the Centre of the World Map The Muslims were the first people to draw the map of the world.They drew the map with the south facing upwards and north downwards. The Kaaba was at the centre. Later, western cartographers drew the map upside down with the north facing upwards and south downwards. Yet, Alhamdullilah the Kaaba is at the centre o f the world map. 3. Tawaf around Kaaba for indicating one God When the Muslims go to Masjid-e-Haram in Makkah, they perform tawaf or circumambulation round the Kaaba. This act symbolizes the belief and worship of One God, since, just as every circle has one centre, so also there is only one Allah (swt) worthy of worship. 4. Hadith of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)Regarding the black stone, hajr-e-aswad, there is a hadith (tradition), attributed to the illustrious companion of the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh), Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). According to Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, book of Hajj, chapter 56, H. No. 675. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, â€Å"I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit nor harm. Had I not seen the Prophet (pbuh) touching (and kissing) you, I would never have touched (and kissed) you†. 5. People stood on Kaaba and gave the adhaan At the time of the Prophet, people even stood on the Kaaba and gave the ‘adhaan’ or the call to prayer.One may ask those who allege that Muslims worship the Kaaba; which idol worshipper stands on the idol he worships? 24 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 10. NON-MUSLIMS NOT ALLOWED IN MAKKAH Question: Why are non-Muslims not allowed in the Holy cities of Makkah and Madinah? Answer: It is true that non-Muslims are not allowed in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, by law.The following points will serve to elucidate the possible reasoning behind such a restriction. 1. All citizens are not permitted in the cantonment area I am a citizen of India. Yet, I am not permitted to enter certain restricted areas like the cantonment. In every country there are certain areas where a common citizen of that country cannot enter. Only a citizen who is enrolled in the military or those who are connec ted with the defence of the country are allowed in the cantonment area. Similarly Islam is a Universal Religion for the entire world and for all human beings.The cantonment areas of Islam are the two holy cites of Makkah and Madinah. Here only those who believe in Islam and are involved in the defence of Islam i. e. the Muslims are allowed. It would be illogical for a common citizen to object against the restriction on entering a cantonment area. Similarly it is not appropriate for non-Muslims to object against the restriction on non-Muslims against entering Makkah and Madinah. 2. Visa to enter Makkah and Madinah a. Whenever a person travels to a foreign country he has to first apply for a visa i. e. the permission to enter that country.Every country has its own rules, regulations and requirements for issuing a visa. Unless their critera are satisfied they will not issue a visa. b. One of the countries which is very strict in issuing a visa is the United States of America, especiall y when issuing visas to citizens of the third world. They have several conditions and requirements to be fulfilled before they issue a visa. c. When I visited Singapore, it was mentioned on their immigration form death to drug traffickers. If I want to visit Singapore I have to abide by the rules. I cannot say that death penalty is a barbaric punishment.Only if I agree with their requirements and conditions will I be permitted to enter the country. d. The Visa – The primary condition required for any human being to enter Makkah or Madina is to say with his lips, La ila ha illallah Muhammed ur Rasulullah meaning that ‘there is no God but Allah and Muhammed (pbuh) is His Messenger. ’ 25 * For more Queries contact: [email  protected] net ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION Spreading the Truth of Islam www. irf. net ANSWER TO NON-MUSLIMS? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM Authored by: Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik 11. PORK FORBIDDEN Question: Why is the eating of pork forbidden in Islam?Answer: The fact that consumption of pork is prohibited in Islam is well known. The following points explain various aspects of this prohibition: 1. Pork prohibited in Qur’an The Qur’an prohibits the consumption of pork in no less than 4 different places. It is prohibited in 2:173, 5:3, 6:145 and 16:115. â€Å"Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah. † [Al-Qur’an 5:3] The above verses of the Holy Qur’an are sufficient to satisfy a Muslim as to why pork is forbidden. 2. Pork prohibited in the BibleThe Christian is likely to be convinced by his religious scriptures. The Bibl