Mid-Term Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Mid- - Term Paper Example Similarly, DoE is in no way prohibited from taking pictures underwater in the same manner as it is accessible to public. This is more so because their space is not enclosed within the premises of a firm and hence it is open to the scrutiny of the public. Thus, photographing such an area does not envisage protection available under the Fourth Amendment against interference or surveillance. Besides, underwater photographs will not be able to capture any intimate details of the activities of the firm and, therefore, this cannot be construed as a constitutional violation. Moreover, the interests of the public have been the guiding factor in this case and DoE has a primary responsibility to ensure that public safety is not put in hazard by the activities of a commercial organization. On the other hand, the underwater area where the photograph has been taken does not constitute a reasonable expectation of privacy and hence it involves no violation of privacy. As such, the underwater photog raphing, a necessary activity to safeguard public interest, in no way violates the privacy of the company and must be allowed. This case is similar because, in both cases the area that has been monitored is the space open to public and as such both cannot be considered as the premises of the companies. The court has ruled the way it did because, an action that did not involve any violation of the privacy, as the space is open to public, cannot be considered as the breach of the privacy or infringement of the rights of the company. Freedom of Information Act is one of the salient laws enacted for extending the access of â€Å"information about the government† to the public (p.157). Under this act, a citizen can request a copy of documents in the custody of the government and in the normal circumstances he or she will be provided with the same unless it is â€Å"expressly

How Muslim Extremists Justify Interpretation Of Quran Religion Essay

How Muslim Extremists Justify Interpretation Of Quran Religion Essay There is often a lack of understanding as to what religion is. How do we define the word religion? Is religion a belief or merely a way of life? Genuine religion is fundamentally a search for meaning beyond materialism. A world religious tradition is a set of symbols and rituals, myths and stories, concepts and truth-claims, which a historical community believes gives ultimate meaning to life, via its connection to a transcendent beyond the natural order (Cited in Cline 2009: Introduction). As Cline has stated here, religion is a set of historical traditions which people adhere by and believe in. The Islamic faith for Muslims is not simply a religion but also a way of life for them and they are strongly attached to their own religion and culture. Some choose for their religion to be a private issue, whilst other prefers it to be the basis of all their social interactions. Muslims consider Islam to be a structure that takes in all aspects of life, both personal and social and it is a social, as well as legal system which governs matters such as family life, law and order, ethics, dress and cleanliness, as well as religious practice and observance (Hussain, El-Alami. eds., 2005:1). Muslims follow their traditional system however, the 9/11 and 7/7 terrorist attacks have had a large impact on how society see and treat Muslims and the Islamic faith, when in fact these extremists committing these offences are a minority group hiding behind certain banners under the veil of Islam. It has become apparent over the past decade that Islam seems to be a more militant faith than most others. Some people have been lead to believe that this is due to the Holy Scripture which holds all the laws of the Islamic religion, known as the Quran. However, the Islam faith is very diverse and varied and although many things in the Quran apply to mostly all Muslims, there are many other things which only apply to a minority group of Muslims, those who take their faith and inaccurate interpretations of the Quran to the extreme. In order to establish why these Muslims take their faith to the extreme, it is essential that the various verses from The Quran and the diverse justification of Jihad are firstly discussed. Jihad is a key problem in Islam as the meaning has many different interpretations. Jihad can be interpreted by some Muslims as the spiritual struggle against his or her own natural nature in order to lead a holy life (Bonney: 2004: xi), but for other Muslims like Osma Bin Laden, it may be interpreted as violent and extended to mean a commitment to Allah by all Muslims, to constantly strive to convert, defeat or overcome all non Muslims. Those who believe and follow the latter interpretation of Jihad, believe it is their duty to persist with the preachings of Islam through holy war, in an unjust way until the whole world accepts Islam or concedes to the Islamic faith. Bonney (2004: x) specifically states that those terrorists like Osma Bin Laden use an ancient, unfounded and misconstrued view of the Islamic perception of just war (Jihad) to exonerate their actions. The word Islam actually implies the meaning of peace and tolerance, but this reputation of Islam is being dented due to this wrongful interpretation of Jihad. Islam is a faith which believes that religion is to be freely accepted and by no means should be forced upon anyone and this is evident through many verses throughout The Quran. The Quran (26: 4) states that God wants people to choose their path themselves and does not at any point instruct any Muslim to raise a sword over a non Muslim in order to convert or subjugate them. In another verse from The Quran, it explicitly defines: Invite people of the path of your Rabba with what? With forces of the sword? No. With beautiful admonitions and advice (Quran: 16: 125). From this verse it is clear that many Muslim leaders, who have viewed Jihad as violent and as an obligation on individual believers with intent to destroy religious peace and pluralism in the name of Allah, are incorrect. There are many more verses within The Quran which specify that Islams idea of Jihad is not the idea of a holy war which these terrorist leaders have claimed it to be. With The Quran containing many verses stating the importance Islam gives to peace, (Quran: 4: 128) it signifies that the soul of Islam is in fact peace; again not war. Researchers such as Cook (2000) and Waines (2003)(cited: Bonney: 2004:47) as well as many others, both come to the same conclusion, that Jihads fundamental nature is that of defence, not war. Al-Qaeda claims to preach peace yet it also praises violence. The violent actions which are carried out from Al- Qaeda have resulted in innocent people being murdered and it has claimed to have been acting out in self defence against the imperialist intrusions of the West, but yet it approves suicide bombing. Suicide bombing is actually disobedience against established Muslim teachings. According to The Quran, the world is divided into two categories; believers and non-believers and it repeatedly states that the believers together form one people and the non-believers together structure another, (Bonney: 2000: 8) as in the believers are brethren of one another and those who disbelieve are friends of one another (Quran: 8: 72). This verse again is promoting peace and differences in belief are seen as Gods plan, it does not indicate that any Muslim should linger everlastingly at war with any nonbelievers but, for the world to be aware of Muhammad and his teachings, preaching is to be done. It is may be this verse in The Quran that Jihad in the name of Allah may merely mean a peaceful struggle through preachings. These rigorous and strict actions of Muslims who take their religion to the extreme have drawn attention to certain divisions within Islam known as Wahhabism and Salafiyya. Saudi Arabia is the birth place of Wahhabism and it is puritanical form of Sunni Islam. Saudi Arabia has always relied on a mixture of religion and political power. Its origins date back to the eighteenth century when an Islamic fundamentalist and extremist, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab introduced a religious, political movement in agreeance with the local tribe chief, this was known as Wahhabism. The essential aim of Wahhabs reform movement was that every idea after the third century of the Muslim period should be abolished as it was false. For a Muslim to then be considered true to their faith, they must commit themselves exclusively and exactingly to the innovative beliefs set into the world by Muhammad. Ultimately, he encouraged a reinforcement of the original, pure and orthodox customs of the fundamentals of Is lam, as characterised in the Quran and in the life of the Prophet Muhammad. Today the term Wahhabism refers to a Sunni Islamic movement that pursues to cleanse Islam of any modifications or practices that diverge from the original teachings of Muhammad and his cohorts. The surfacing of Wahhabisms stern beliefs has resulted in conflict between other Muslim groups. As Wahhabism rejects Islams most prominent religious traditions, Wahhabis have found themselves in disagreements with non-Wahhabi Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims and non-Muslims in surrounding areas resulting in war. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the media have been inclined to centre their attentions on movements within the Muslim world that support and carry out acts of violence against other human beings and populations. The media refer to these terrorists by their religious group, but in fact these terrorist are hiding behind their religion, using the excuse that Allah or God tells them to act in this way. This is not necessarily true, as mentioned before the Quran promotes to live to a peaceful and coexistent life and it also has commandments and beliefs which are similar to the Christian community and The Bible. Those Muslims within the Islamic world who are dynamically working for peace, interreligious dialogue, minority rights and much more are overlooked. Organisations which are set up in order to reject violence are also disregarded yet such organisations and movements are the key to motivation and loyalty which inspires many Muslims throughout the world. These Muslims are moulding the foundations of the outlook and apparition of Muslims, and points in the correct direction that the majority of the Islamic community should be heading for. Those Muslims who participate in acts of violence and terrorism are isolated minorities within the Islamic faith, but this still tends to reflect of Islam and Muslims as a whole, with non-violent Muslims being judged unfairly and negatively by society. Since the 9/11 attack, many Muslims have received increased discrimination and racism by the rest of civilization. What people fail to understand is that these terrorist attacks were in fact carried out by a minority group of individuals who hide behind Islam as a faith to justify their violence by using a misinterpretation of the Quran. High levels of discrimination and racism are evident in schools were many Muslim boys are being stereotyped and associated with global terrorism, fundamentalism and urban rioting, resulting in them being identified as under-achieving and problematic pupils and they are becoming hot topics of social and educational debate (Archer:2003: 2). Muslims are in fact against terrorism, yet the acts of the terrorists cause the rest of society to naturally tarnish the rest of the Muslims wrongfully, with the same brush because the media and politicians refer to the terrorists by religious standing. It could be argued that these terrorists are extremists who are passionately seeking political power and wealth and it has been noted here that Muslims face complications not just within education, but also everyday life. Muslims are afraid to have their own say in politics as they feel discriminated against as a community as a whole (Banchoff: 2008:5). In conclusion, it is evident that jihad is a complicated occurrence in both theory and practice. Throughout the history of Islam, there has been no single concept applied to the meaning and there have been different definitions resulting in how jihad is practiced. It is also evident that Islam places a huge importance on peace and how one strives to lead the correct way by the will of God, and if need be, defend oneself. The minority group within Islam have taken this concept of defence to aid their own national interest and used it as to justify their violent actions, at the cost of the rest of the Islamic population. Islam has a genuine image of advocating peace and tolerance as well as the free will to choose your own faith, but they do believe in striving to preach in the name of Allah whether it is by pen, mouth media; yet again the extremists mentioned here use armies and violence to force their religion upon anyone. It does not mean to strive for individual, political or natio nal power. Word count: 2132

Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby Essay -- Fitzgerald Great Gatsby 20s Es

Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby In my presentation, I will be discussing how the 20s played a major role and affected the story, characters, and ultimately, the outcome of the novel, The Great Gatsby. The first topic I will be discussing are the women of the Great Gatsby. The 20s were a time of change in the views of women. They became more open and outgoing in many things. These included not only womens rights, but also their sexuality. This was the age of the "flapper". A flapper was a women who was very outgoing at parties. She smoked, drank, danced, and couldn't hold only one man. Think "Chicago" for a very good example. Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones both played flappers. -Now, technically Daisy wouldn't be classified as a so called "flapper", but she was highly influenced by them. When Gatsby returns, Daisy is still in love with him and, even though she is married, runs away with him, but only for a short period of time. Before the roaring 20s, this would be unthought of, but as the womens rights movements set in, it is not so uncommon of a sight. -Myrtle was also sort of a flapper, though as I said with Daisy, not the best representation in the book. She was also married, and was very poor, yet she was having a long running affair with Tom, Daisy's husband. She was fat, loud, and tried to be as rich as she could, yet everyone saw right though that. Myrtle's ideals played a very important part in The Great Gatsby. -The best representation of...

Jose Rizal Life in Dapitan Essay

The El Filibusterismo is the sequel of the Noli Me Tangere. Both nationalistic novels were written by Dr. Jose Rizal. In Noli Me Tangere, Rizal described the full extent of slavery and abuse suffered by the native Indios at the hands of Spanish authorities. Hence in this second book, Rizal pictured a society at the brink of revolution. The Indios have started to adapt liberal ideas and guerrilla factions have started to revolt against the government. The advent of the novel starts 13 years after the events in the Noli Me Tangere, Juan Crisostomo Ibarra orchestrated a plot of evil means but heroic desires. During his travels in Europe, Ibarra changed his name to Simoun. He becomes a renowned jeweler thus his wealth grew further. He started to make new connections with the illustrious societal personalities in Spain. With his influence, he helped a military colonel to rise the ladder and be promoted as captain general of the colonial territory, the Philippines. For Simoun, it was all planned. Upon his return in the Philippines, he was dubbed as his black eminence. People saw him as an influential figure whom his majesty consults whenever decisions are to be made. After all, his majesty, the captain general owed so much to Simoun. Simoun wants to take revenge and bring back the love of Maria Clara who now resides at the convent. The jeweler was famed for his wealth and power. Hence, no one thought that the opportunists and fearsome Simoun was the same idealistic Ibarra of the past. Simoun started to look for followers. He found his allies with the oppressed and enslaved. He form an alliance with Kabesang Tales’ group, an outlaw whose land was grabbed by the friar’s corporation. He then, looks for more men. He searched the villages looking for strong willed men who have a gripe on the government. Simoun, using the influence he has on the captain general, ordered stricter and more abusive government policies – a move that will make the people angrier. This was the plot of Simoun, to use the people’s hatred against the government to his advantage. Simoun also ordered attacks that will backfire and weaken the government’s military forces. However, the revolution scheduled at the night of a musical play in Manila didn’t come into fruition. Months, later another plan was made. At the grand wedding of Juanita Pelaez, the son of a successful businessman and the beautiful Paulita Gomez, Simoun insisted to take charge in the decorating. Simoun knew that the feast would be attended by friars, government officials and prominent figures – the same people who wrecked havoc to his life. Beneath the beautiful decorations and lighting were sacks of gun powder. The whole house was filled with explosives. Simoun formed his own army of the oppressed and enslaved and with the help of government soldiers and outlaws whom he commissioned, they will start a bloody revolution. The mission, to kill all Spanish authorities and to take control of the country. At the wedding, Simoun puts a beautiful lamp at the center of the table carved with gold linings and other kind of gems and jewelries. Simoun left as soon as delivering his gift, the lamp. It was a festive celebration but unknown to the guests, the lamp is a time bomb that will explode once lifted. It will result into a huge explosion that will be a signal to Simoun’s troops to simultaneously attack Manila. Just before the lamp explodes, a piece of mysterious paper bearing the message â€Å"You will die tonight† was being passed. It was signed by Juan Crisostomo Ibarra. Father Salvi confirmed that it was the real signature of Ibarra, a long-forgotten filibuster. The guests at the wedding were all frightened. Slowly, the lamp’s light started to diminish and soon one will lift it and will cause a huge explosion. However, a Isagani, a student and friend of the newly-weds knew the plot and because of his undying love to Paulita threw the lamp before it explodes. After the wedding, the plot was unraveled and a shoot-to-kill order for Simoun was commissioned. Hence, Simoun, the sly fox that he is, makes sure that he won’t get caught alive. He drank a poison and as it effects started to take toll on his body, he was able to confess his plans and real name to a Filipino priests. Characters Simounben zayb Basilioplacido penitente Isaganiquiroga Kabesang talesold man selo Don custodiofather fernandez Paulita Gomezattorney pasta Father florentinocaptain-general Hulipadre sibyla What is the climax of el filibusterismo? the climax of the story of El Filibusterismo found in kabanata 35 in titled â€Å"ANG PISTA† What are the moral values of el filibusterismo? El Filibusterismo was Rizal’s second novel published in Ghent, Belgium in 1891 with the financial help of Valentin Ventura. It is a sequel to his first novel, Noli Me Tangere. The main character of El Filibusterismo is Simoun, a rich jeweler from Cuba. He was Crisostomo Ibarra of Noli Me Tangere who, with Elias’ help, escaped from the pursuing soldiers at Laguna Lake, dug up his buried treasure, and sailed to Cuba where he became rich and made friends with many Spanish officials. After many years, he returns to the Philippines in disguise. He has become so powerful because he became an adviser of the governor-general. On the outside, Simoun is a friend of Spain. But deep in his heart, he is secretly planning a bitter revenge against the Spanish authorities. His obsessions are 1) to incite a revolution against the Spanish authorities, and 2) to rescue Maria Clara from the Sta.Clara convent. â€Å"El Filibusterismo (Subversion) is the second novel by Jose Rizal, national hero of the Philippines. Written as a sequel to the Noli Me Tangere, it focuses more on dark themes and appears to favor revolution (at least as far as the main character is concerned) † —-by: Manuel Viloria â€Å"A Filipino Family on the Web† El Filibusterismo (lit. Spanish for â€Å"The Filibustering†[1]), also known by its English alternate title The Reign of Greed,[2] is the second novel written by Philippine national hero Josà © Rizal. It is the sequel to Noli Me Tangere and like the first book, was written in Spanish. It was first published in 1891 in Ghent, Belgium.

What Was Life Like for People Living in Nazi Germany?

What was life like for people living in Nazi Germany? In Nazi Germany life for the Germans was terrible. You had to know who you could trust, as trusting the wrong person may cause you to loose your life. The Nazis and mainly Hitler really disliked Jews and anyone else that was not their perfect ‘Aryan'. Hitler and the Nazis came up with the Nazi Racial Policy, in 1933 to try and persuade Jews to emigrate there was the Boycott of Jewish shops.Shop windows got Jewish symbols painted on them, members of the SA would stand outside to threaten shoppers and anyone who did go in the shops would have their name put on a list so the Nazis would know who was using the Jewish shops. Jews were banned from all state jobs such as civil servants, teachers, journalists, lawyers and even radio announcers. Jewish and non-Jewish children were not allowed to play together. All of this made life hard and not pleasant for the Jews, this is what Hitler wanted so that Jews would leave his beloved Ger many.The Nuremburg Laws was an important part to the way that Jews ran their life during Nazi Germany, the Nuremburg Laws consisted of things such as; Jews could not marry or have sex with non-Jews, all Jews lost German Citizenship; Jews were not allowed to own radios, typewriters or bicycles; Jews were not allowed to own their own buisnesses and were banned from going places such as the cinema, theatres or concert halls. They were not allowed to buy newspapers or magazines, nor were they allowed to attend school or college.Male Jews were forced to add the name ‘Israel' and female Jews the name ‘Sarah', to their first names. These Nuremburg Laws restricted what Jews were allowed to do, a lot. Homosexuals were effected by the Nazis as well, they were seen as not fitting into ‘normal' families, they were savagely persecuted. About 15,000 were arrested and sent to concentration camps. Many were used in medical experiments or they were castrated. Himmler was shocked to discover several homosexuals in the SS, they were sent to concentation camps and shot ‘whilst trying to escape'.Political opponents were ‘undesirable' to the Nazis because they were seen as a threat who shouldnt be here, habitual criminals were also ‘undesirable' because they were seen as a burden and socially useless. In the Nazis eyes Jehovahs witness's were ‘undesirable' because their beliefs were different to the Nazis. Gypsy's and Jews were also seen as ‘undesirable' as they did not fit the Nazis ‘Aryans' (blonde hair, blue eyes etc) Anyone who had more than one grandparent who themself was Jewish ou too were considered Jewish. This made life very restricted, if you were ‘undesirable' then you were sent to a concentration camp, for anyone who was lucky enough not to be sent there but to be able to live in their home but by the Nazis rules. There was lots of violence in the streets and so much fear in the air. People were dragged out of their homes and taken away violently. Many people were beaten and sometimes killed in the streets.This was a terrible ordeal for people living in Nazi Germany, even if you were not the ones being beaten, seeing your friends and neighbors being beaten would be torrible. Over 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis during Hitlers years in power. In conclusion life was terrible for people living in Nazi Germany, after Kristallnacht in November 1938 Jews were treated terribly and many were killed. Nazi Germany was a very dark time for the civilians. This was Hitlers aim; to make life hell for Jews and any ‘undesirables'.